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Stakeholders seek D.O.E. clarification on pronouncement to alter power mix

‘Just let market forces decide’

By Lenie Lectura

ower-industry stakeholders are still clueless on how the Department of Energy (DOE) would implement its plan to alter the country’s energy mix.

The DOE’s pronouncement, they said, remains vague and ambiguous, thus, the need for further clarifications on whether it is a policy or a mere guideline.

At the end of the day, energy players stressed, market forces should be left as the deciding factor on which energy mix the sector would follow.

The proposal involves a possible shift of the current mix to 50-percent baseload and 50-percent flexible plants, from the current 70-20-10 mix in favor of baseload, followed by mid-merit then peaking.

The rationale of the proposal is to accommodate renewable-energy (RE) projects that are coming into the grid.

Baseload plants are power facilities that operate on a 24/7 basis, while flexible plants are those that are easy to start up, and are able to ramp up their generating capacities immediately, such as natural gas, geothermal and hydro. Mid-merit plants run on long hours, but not on a 24/7 basis.

Lester69 | Dreamstime.com

Policy or guideline?

“In my view, the key question is whether energy mix is a policy or a guideline. If it is in fact a policy, then the critical issue is how to formulate and enforce the rules.

Without specific rules, it becomes mere guidelines, and getting to an eventual mix would be primarily market driven,” AC Energy Holdings Inc. President Eric Francia said in an interview with the BusinessMirror.

Francia said as a matter of direction setting, “It does make sense to prepare the system for the growth of variable renewable energy.” This, he added, also would ensure adequate load and minimize use of more expensive energy supplied by peaking power plants.

AC Energy currently has 1,300 megawatts (MW) of thermal gen-

50-50 The new direction on the country’s power mix, as the DOE now wants 50 percent of electricity to be supplied by baseload plants, and the other half from flexible power plants

erating capacity and 300 MW of RE. It plans to ramp up its power portfolio to 5,000 MW by 2025.

Deciding factor

Aboitiz Power Corp. President Antonio Moraza, meanwhile, in a text message, said that he is “not fully aware of DOE’s thinking.”

“I am sure they have their reasons…. To me, market forces will decide [the] mix. Investors will respond to the need,” he added.

At end-2017, Aboitiz Power’s energy portfolio stood at almost 3,000 MW. It expects to add 536 MW more into its generation portfolio with hydro plants Maris Canal and Manolo Fortich, plus its baseload plants Pagbilao 3 and Therma Visayas online. It has set a goal of 4,000 MW by 2020.

Broad choice

Manuel V. Pangilinan, chairman of Manila Electric Co. (Meralco), said prices play an important role in determining what type of energy source one must purchase.

“You have two broad choices. One is a predetermined mix of energy sources. The question is whether that is a wise thing to do given the uncertainty of prices of crude, gas, solar and the technological advances that will impact the pricing of fuel sources,” he said.

Continued on A2

Ed Davad

Six years hence, ₧54-B MRT 3 buyout plan still in limbo

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By Lorenz S. Marasigan

ECTIFYING what was deemed as a “messy” contract with a private rail company has been on the government’s drawing board for over six years now. Up to this day, however, the multibillion-peso initiative remains in limbo.

PESO exchange rates

The P54-billion buyout plan for the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) Line 3—commonly seen as the most problematic of all three overhead railway systems in the Philippines—has yet to move an inch from the 2012 plan.

It has been a six-year rollercoaster ride for the program, as government agencies and branches could not align themselves on the manner of executing the plan, or just simply how to move for-

ward with it.

Today, with the new administration on board, the plan is still in limbo, being discussed on different levels due to the complexity of the issue, which is marred by legal tussles and economic implications.

Transportation Undersecretary Timothy John R. Batan said the agency and the Department of Finance (DOF) are now reviewing the viability of the plan.

Restart of discussions

“Discussions are ongoing among the DOF, DOTr [Department of Transportation] and other concerned government agencies on this subject,” Batan told the BusinessMirror. “The government is reviewing the best approach that will best serve the public’s interest.”

Under the buyout plan, the government aims to acquire MRT Corp., the owner of the train line, controlled by businessman Robert

John L. Sobrepeña, through a holding company.

This will free the government up from the equity rentals that the State pays to operate the railway system.

To recall, the government entered into a build-lease-transfer agreement with MRT Corp. two decades ago for the construction of the train facility along Edsa to cater to the growing public transportation needs in Metro Manila.

Continued on A2

n US 51.8870 n japan 0.4744 n UK 70.1408 n HK 6.6101 n CHINA 8.1764 n singapore 38.8027 n australia 39.0813 n EU 61.8337 n SAUDI arabia 13.8354

Source: BSP (May 11, 2018 )

NewsSunday BusinessMirror

A2 Sunday, May 13, 2018

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Six years hence, ₧54-B MRT 3 buyout plan still in limbo Continued from A1

Through the said contract, the private company was to own the said facility for 25 years, while the government is required to rent and operate the train system throughout the concession period.

Equity rental payments amount to P610 million per month, or about P7.3 billion annually. Revenues of the train system, however, are solely for the government.

Aside from freeing the government from paying billions of pesos to the private company, the State’s intention in acquiring the train line intends to put an end to the hellish rides commuters face on a daily basis.

Acquisition steps

The takeover is enshrined in Executive Order 126 issued by President Aquino in February 2013. The order mandates the Department of Transportation and Communications and the Department of Finance to execute an equity-value buyout of the private company that owns the MRT 3.

The takeover was seen as key to the modernization of the railway system that ferries more than 540,000 passengers daily.

Before the government can actually buy out the private partner, several steps must be taken to ensure the takeover will be smooth and consistent with global best practices and international law.

To take over the line, the gov-

ernment must purchase all the shares and bonds of the railway company. Another requirement for the buyout is for the government and the private partner to strike a compromise, end the ongoing arbitration case in Singapore lodged in 2008 due to the State’s failure as line operator to pay billions in equity rental to the owner of the rail system.

But six years into the issuance of the President’s order, the transportation and finance departments have not moved an inch in completing the buyout. The plan encountered roadblocks, including the rejection of the takeover budget by lawmakers during the 16th Congress.

Hindrances

“We have discussed the possibility, but we have yet to receive specific instructions. It has a lot of problems, the buyout. So we’re looking at our options,” Budget Secretary Benjamin E. Diokno said in a chance interview.

Batan agreed, saying that the government will work toward giving an appropriate solution to the mess in the MRT 3.

“Our position will be one with all other concerned government agencies, and we are working with those agencies toward a solution that will best serve the public’s interest,” he said.

Part of the options that the government is reviewing is acceptance of the unsolicited proposal of Metro Pacific Investments Corp.

IN this August 13, 2014, file photo, an elevated LRT 1 commuter train resumes its operation as an MRT 3 commuter train lies outside after it overshot its tracks and derailed at the end station in Pasay City.

The train toppled concrete posts, spraying debris and damaging cars in the crowded intersection.

Hernando Cabrera, spokesman of the agency that operates the train system, said the train had a “technical problem” and was being pushed by another when it became detached and rolled into the concrete barrier at the final station on the line. AP/Bullit Marquez

for the rehab and modernization of the railway line.

Metro Pacific submitted in 2017 an unsolicited proposal that involves the expansion of the capacity of the railway system by adding more coaches to each train, allowing it to carry more cars at faster intervals. It will double the capacity of the line to 700,000 passengers a day from the current 350,000 passengers daily.

The multimillion-dollar expansion is deemed as an all-encompassing deal, including the improvement of the reliability of rolling stock, the upgrading of power supply, the upgrading of stations and the replacement of rails, which will allow the company to operate the new trains purchased by the government from Chinese train manufacturer Dalian.

Swiss Challenge option

Unsolicited proposals are required, under the law, to be subjected to a Swiss Challenge, wherein other groups can offer a similar proposal, and the original proponent can present a counter offer.

The government awarded the original-proponent status to Metro Pacific last year.

Metro Pacific has nominated Light Rail Manila Corp. as its corporate vehicle for the MRT 3 deal.

The said company, a partnership between Metro Pacific and Ayala Corp., operates the Light Rail Tran-

sit (LRT) Line 1.

Its proposal for the MRT mimicked the same provisions under its concession agreement for the LRT 1 operations and modernization deal, which it bagged in 2014 via the Public-Private Partnership Program.

It means that, instead of having a different operator and maintenance provider, the group will be the one to do both, something that Sobrepeña has been pushing for since the government forcibly took over the upkeep of the facility in 2012.

“We have performed extensive due diligence on the line. However, there is a parallel process running with government and help from Japan for the same thing. At this stage it’s hard to say whether or when terms will be agreed,” Metro Pacific Chief Financial Officer David J. Nicol said.

He was referring to the negotiated deal with the Japanese government.

From its initial talks with the Japan International Cooperation Agency, the Philippine government is seeking to be granted an official development assistance (ODA) financing package for the overhaul and maintenance of the MRT 3.

The Japan ODA-financed rehabilitation and maintenance project is intended to “fix everything that needs to be fixed” in the MRT 3 through a well-qualified, experienced and single-point-of-respon-

sibility rehabilitation and maintenance service provider, Batan explained.

The government is currently directly engaging Sumitomo Corp. and its technical partner Mitsubishi Heavy Industries for the upkeep of the MRT 3.

The two companies designed, built and maintained the MRT 3 in its first 12 years of operations.

Sumitomo’s maintenance contract was terminated in 2012, after the previous government decided to take over the said component despite contrary provisions in the build-lease-transfer contract with MRTC.

The new rehabilitation and maintenance service provider will be mobilized after securing the loan agreement from Japan.

But for Nicol, what the government intends to do is still vague.

“A fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work, right? But the extent of either remains unclear. My sense is government is keen on the idea of the support from Japan but their dilemma is how long this might take to arrange. I think we could work well as an operator partner to, say, Sumitomo, or do it well ourselves as we have shown on LRT 1—but as I say there is no clarity on contract,” he said.

Currently, the MRT 3 operates with 16 working trains daily, serving roughly 350,000 passengers per day.

‘Just let market forces decide’ Continued from A1

Pangilinan added: “The other option is just to let the market drive your fuel source. So we don’t know. That is really dynamic…so much uncertainty. Our tentative inclination is to let market drive fuel source because, obviously, even Meralco is looking at least cost of sourcing power. So, if anybody has a crystal ball, I am happy to talk to him.”

Biggest player

Meralco is the largest powerdistribution firm in the country.

In April electricity bills, Meralco’s total power requirement was sourced from the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market at 15 percent, from independent power producers at 39 percent and from other plants via power supply agree-

ments at 46 percent.

The utility firm’s power-generating arm, Meralco PowerGen, is developing coal power plants.

Consistency

Alsons Consolidated Resources Inc. (ACR) Vice President for Business Development Joseph Nocos said an ideal power mix must be consistent with the projected supply and demand.

“To the extent that the supply mix is generally consistent with the projected load profiles, the resulting blend will be close to optimal. I believe the major utilities will procure new supply according to this principle,” said Nocos in a text message.

Alsons Power projects a total generating capacity of 588 MW by 2021, or equivalent to 25 percent of Mindanao’s projected

peak power demand.

Coal factor

Government data showed that the country’s total installed capacity in 2017 stood at 22,728 MW. Of this capacity, coal still remained the dominant energy source with a share of 35.4 percent. Coal-fired power plants had a total installed capacity of 8,049 MW, followed by RE at 7,079 MW, or 31.1 percent of the total.

Oil-based energy sources made up 18.3 percent of the dependable capacity at 4,153 MW, while natural gas had a share of 15.2 percent, or 3,447 MW, as of end-2017.

The proposed change in energy-mix policy was mainly on the account of the current trends as far as demand is concerned and based on technologies that are coming in, the DOE said.

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Sunday, May 13, 2018

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PHL plays catch up in shift to digitization

By Roderick L. Abad Contributor

I

N this age of disruption and innovation, the Asia Pacific (AsPac) strengthens its information-technology (IT) adoption and capabilities as emerging markets, including the Philippines, continue to play catch-up, according to Infor, a leading global provider of industry-specific Cloud applications.

Infor said IT investment, from both public and private entities, has grown over the years on the back of improving economic situation in the region.

“It’s been a growth industry,” Infor CEO Charles Phillips told reporters during the recent opening of their new AsPac headquarters in Singapore.

This, he noted, is apparent in the increased spending of their customers on IT solutions as compared to previous years like when the financial crisis hit the global business community in 2009.

If today’s organizations are spending more on technology, he emphasized that they are more worried if they will miss something or get disrupted for not doing so.

“It’s more strategic now than it was 10 years ago, when people thought it was just a cost to do on business,” Phillips explained.

“Now, they realize, you can change your business model and have a competitive advantage if you use technology in a clever way.”

Improved regional Cloud adoption

FROM a Cloud perspective, the AsPac region is by far the most matured internationally, specifically in New Zealand, where the

needed infrastructure is in place. “[It’s] almost ahead of Australia,” said Infor AsPac Senior Vice President (SVP) and General Manager (GM) Helen Masters. “In Southeast Asia, we have a lot more challenges country by country in the infrastructure that is available. But we’re starting to see that pick up.”

Among the 10 Asean member-nations, she pointed out that Singapore obviously is quite strong, while citing the Cloud Readiness Index (CRI) 2018 report of the Asia Cloud Computing Association, where this city state leads the way to digitization at No. 1 with a total score of 76.6.

This is followed by other mature economies, such as Hong Kong, which is ranked second for garnering 74.1 points; New Zealand, third, 71.1 points; Japan, fourth, 67.1 points; Taiwan, fifth, 66.9 points; Australia, 66.3 points; and South Korea, seventh, 64.8 points.

Completing the second half of the list are Asean peers Malaysia, eighth, 61.0 points; the Philippines, ninth, 53.6 points; Thailand, 10th, 50.6 points; and Indonesia, 11th, 49.4 points. Meanwhile, India (47.4 points), China (43.1 points) and Vietnam (41 points) settle at the bottom three, respectively.

According to Masters, Malaysia is starting to pick up, and Thailand is surprising in its willingness to embrace the Cloud.

While Indonesia has some challenges in terms of adoption, the executive bared that the world’s biggest Muslim nation is starting to get into the wireless network. “[The] Philippines is starting to move again [to digital space],” she said. “We [may] have some infrastructural [problems there like] the slowness of the Internet, but I think it will get there, maybe another 18 months.”

Speaking about their local business, the Infor AsPac SVP and GM bared that they have a lot of customers in the country, particularly in core Manila and Cebu. In outlying areas with unstable connectivity, however, she said that it remains a challenge and sometimes a struggle to do business with.

PHL govt leads national digitization

WHILE digital transformation remains 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.

“We are seeing increased demand for digitalization in the public-sector space, where many organizations are quick to leverage the use of sophisticated enterprise software and automated solutions to introduce system-wide efficiencies,” Masters told the BusinessMirror in an interview.

Based on the results of this year’s CRI study, she said that the Philippines is consistently moving up in the ranking of 14 AsPac economies.

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 the growing national GDP. This country, likewise, got favorable grades in business sophistication (5.9), cybersecurity (5.9), intellectual-property protection (5.9) and government regulatory environment (5.7).

It was a bit below the average score of 5 in terms of broadband quality (4.8), and 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 that the Philippines has the slowest Internet speed in Southeast Asia—an indication of its poor digital infrastructure.

The executive attributed this to the snail-pace transition to digitization of local businesses and organizations as compared to their counterparts in the region.

With the strong government drive towardsIndustry, 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. “ Th e g ove r n m e nt h a s i nve s te d significantly in infrastructure, and this has helped to accelerate the drive towards 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,” the SVP and GM stressed.

Shift to digitization

DOMESTICALLY, Infor sees that there is already a strong digitization drive across the verticals of food and beverage, fashion, logistics, manufacturing and distribution.

In fact, the company has over 300 customers in these industries, Masters said, while revealing that they expect this trend to accelerate as they already are seeing increased demand for artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning.

As regard to other digitization potential of other fields, Phillips noted that the healthcare industry has recently picked up in terms of digitization, hence they are anticipating a big change in this area, as well.

Nevertheless, fields such as automobile and hospitality are generally slower, according to him.

“But they do recognize how digital transformation can impact their businesses on a monumental scale. We expect the pace of digitalization in these areas to quicken in the near future,” said the CEO of Infor.

Digital transformation should not be confused simply as the use of digital technologies like Cloud, mobility and Internet of Things.

For an organization to undergo this phase, Infor CFO Kevin Samuelson said that it must apply those technologies to create an evidence-based culture that uses improved decision-making to improve experiences

and expand productivity and financial performance.

“In the digital era, how companies devise new data-centric business models, strategies and technology-enabled process capabilities will differentiate between longterm success and becoming marginalized,” he said.

Today ’s generation of enterprise needs to integrate all its functions onto a single platform for scalability and agility in today’s digital marketplace, creating the so-called holistic commerce network.

Samuelson said that functions include procurement, manufacturing, distribution and sales, among others.

He cited, for instance, that a product may be manufac tured in Asia, and subsequently distributed to suppliers on a global scale.

Integrating all functions onto a commerce network, he pointed out, will minimize “lag time [and] enable timely and intelligent decisions to be made, offering monumental growth and profitability for enterprises.”

At its core, a commerce network connects every supply-chain partner together, bringing visibility and collaboration across the entire supply-chain process.

“Sharing data means businesses can minimize lag time and enjoy faster communication, and with a commerce network, all supply-chain partners are impacted positively,” Samuelson said.

“Sophisticated tools such as AI, machine learning and analytics can also be built into existing cloud and enterprise s y s te m s to f u r t h e r d e l i ve r va l u e, increasing competitiveness in today’s fastpaced digital marketplace,” he added.

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The World BusinessMirror

Sunday, May 13, 2018

Comeback kid: Mahathir, 92, has big plans to fix up Malaysia H

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Peace in North Korea seen costing $2T over ten years

By Ruth Pollard, Jason Koutsoukis & Anisah Shukry

H

Bloomberg News

e ran Malaysia with an iron fist for more than two decades, played political king maker after leaving power, then came storming out of retirement at the age of 92 to dethrone Prime Minister Najib Razak in a stunning political upset.

Such is the stuff of Mahathir Mohamad, the country’s longest-serving prime minister, a doctor, and force behind Malaysia’s transformation into a leading Southeast Asian economy. He now faces the daunting challenge of governing a disparate group of opposition parties that scored a surprise election win over Najib’s ruling Barisan Nasional coalition, ending a six-decade run in power.

The election win was, in part, a repudiation of Najib over a goods-and-services tax that boosted prices and a money-laundering scandal involving hundreds of millions of dollars allegedly siphoned from state investment firm 1MDB. While Najib denied wrongdoing, Mahathir lambasted him as a “thief ” on the campaign trail.

Fifteen years after he stepped down as leader, Mahathir is keen to show he’s listened to critics and has pledged to serve only as interim prime minister for the Pakatan Harapan alliance until opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim’s expected pardon and release from prison in June.

Mahathir’s comeback is full of interesting plot twists. Najib’s rise to power in 2009 owes much to the elder statesman, who orchestrated a campaign to push out Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, his successor in the long-ruling coalition anchored by the United Malays National Organisation, the country’s biggest party. Then, angered by Najib’s economic policies and the 1MDB scandal, Mahathir bolted from Najib’s party in 2016 and joined forces

with the opposition. That defection required a tenuous rapprochement between Mahathir and Anwar, who had served as his deputy in the late-1990s during the Asian financial crisis. After Mahathir fired Anwar in 1998, Anwar spent the next six years in prison on convictions for abuse of power and sodomy.

Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, opposition chief in parliament and Anwar’s wife, has been named as a candidate for deputy prime minister.

“It wasn’t easy for me to join a movement that was not happy with me in the past, but the effort to topple Najib is greater than my feelings,” Mahathir said in a speech after his nomination. “Therefore, I am willing to cooperate and listen to the criticism toward my old party.”

GST Move

Mahathir’s first 100 days promise to be eventful. There will be pressure on the new government to eliminate the 6-percent goods-and-services tax that was so unpopular with voters.

“While good for the new government’s popularity, this will have a significant fiscal impact that can affect Malaysia’s risk ratings,” Francis Hutchinson, coordinator of the Malaysian program at the Institute for Southeast Asian Studies in Singapore, said in an e-mail.

“Mahathir’s immediate tasks will focus on consolidating his hold on the government and maintaining unity in his coalition,” Hutchinson said. “While Mahathir has said

that Pakatan Harapan is not out for revenge, there will be substantial pressure on the new administration to investigate the 1MDB scandal. This will be very important for the country’s institutional integrity.”

While Mahathir’s victory represents a remarkable shift in a nation long defined by racial politics that hasn’t seen a transfer of power since independence in 1957, some analysts warned those divides remain entrenched in Malaysian society.

“As far as religion and ethnic identity goes, it will still be the main rallying point for most Malaysians when it comes to their vote,” Badrul Hisham Ismail, program director at Iman Research, a Malaysian think-tank focusing on the role of religion in Malaysian politics, said in a telephone interview.

“There is already a huge push against race-based affirmative action, and the smart thing to do is not simply abolish it, but to focus more on the economic needs of Malaysians across racial and ethnic lines,” Badrul said. If Mahathir sticks to his campaign promises, he will do that, he added.

Beyond that, Pakatan Harapan has promised in its policy manifesto to reduce corruption, remove the “prime minister’s power to manipulate important national institutions,” and increase petroleum royalties to oil-producing states to 20 percent or equivalent.

It also wants to give a mandate to the central bank to return the ringgit to its actual potential within 3 years, as well as introduce mandatory 90-day maternity leave and set the minimum age for marriage at 18 years old.

Trader disdain

Financial market participants will be watching the return of Mahathir closely. He’s well-known for his distrust for currency traders—who drove Malaysia’s economy to the brink 20 years ago. In an interview with Bloomberg on April 6, he warned that he’s willing to implement a peg on the ringgit to ward off “currency manipulators.”

“When a currency weakens, the country loses money, the people lose money and costs of imports go up and generally the economy can’t do well,” Mahathir said. “Capital control would become necessary in unusual situations.”

In 1997 the Malaysian ringgit plummeted 35 percent, reserves dwindled and the stock market crashed and lost half its value. While other countries such as Thailand scrapped a dollar peg with its currency, Malaysia adopted one in late-1998. Mahathir’s heavyhanded approach worked: Malaysia recovered from the crisis to establish itself as a commodities juggernaut.

One of his persistent criticisms of Najib is that his administration had overburdened the economy by borrowing beyond its means. “The current government has borrowed too much money,” Mahathir said.

“When you cannot repay your debts, countries—like Greece—can go bankrupt.”

“Mahathir at the helm should, with his experience and stature among civil servants, provide greater focus at the day-to-day level in Putrajaya than if it were led by anyone else at this time of overwhelming feelings and uncertainty,” Ooi Kee Beng, executive director of the Penang Institute, a Malaysia think tank, said in an e-mail on Thursday.

World record

During his 22 years in office, Mahathir worked hard to put Malaysia on the world map with ambitious projects such as the world’s tallest office building, the world’s longest building, one of the world’s largest dams and Southeast Asia’s largest airport.

He’s set to create a new world record when he’s sworn in, supplanting former Indian Prime Minister Morarji Ranchhodji Desai as the oldest prime minister ever appointed. Asked in January how he stays in shape, Mahathir outlined a routine that includes walking, pumping iron, cycling and horse riding.

Rising every day at 6.30 a.m., Mahathir said in an e-mailed response to questions that he has gone into the office “every working day since I began work as a doctor in 1954” and “cannot imagine not working.” He had this advice: “Read and write. Exercise your brain.”

Mahathir said last May he isn’t concerned about his legacy. “I don’t care much whether people remember me or not,” he said. “If people remember, well and good.

If they don’t remember, it’s alright, I’m dead anyway.”

Given his stunning political comeback so late in life, it’s safe to assume Mahathir has secured his place in the history books.

I don’t care much whether people remember me or not. If people remember, well and good. If they don’t remember, it’s alright, I’m dead anyway.”—Mahathir

ow much would it cost to keep the peace on the Korean Peninsula? Around $2 trillion over 10 years.

That’s according to Stephen Jen and Joana Freire at Eurizon SLJ Capital Ltd. in London who estimated what resources would be needed to ensure a denuclearized North Korea is economically viable. They drew on the example of Germany’s unification, noting that transfers from the West to East totaled more than €1.2 trillion, or around €1.7 trillion using today’s value.

By population, the relative size of North Korea to South Korea is meaningfully larger than East Germany was to West Germany.

North Korea is also much much underdeveloped compared to East Germany, which had a well established industry base.

“Given the threat presented by the nuclear arsena ls, Mr. Kim Jong Un is in a position to demand a very large financial commitment from the rest of the world to secure complete denuclearisation,” Jen and Freire wrote in a note. “We stress that we are not arguing that North Korea should or will demand such a large financial assistance. We are merely thinking out loud about what the order of magnitude of that figure might be.”

One option could be a four way split of the bill between the United

States, China, Japan and South Korea which would equate to 1.7 percent, 1.6 percent, 7.3 percent, and 18.3 percent of each nation’s GDP over the coming decade. Measures to ensure funds are spent appropriately could include escrow accounts or specific projects, such as China’s “Belt and Road” initiative designed to build infrastructure.

The analysis is based on the assumption that Korea is unified. If that doesn’t happen then trends witnessed during Germany’s unification won’t play out.

Still, geopolitical risk premiums should decline, which is a potential negative for safe-haven assets including Treasuries, Japanese government bonds and the yen while it would boost South Korean equities. It would also remove a hurdle to the Federal Reserve’s plan to raise interest rates further.

All told, a peaceful outcome should add to the case for an acceleration in US inflation, higher US interest rates, weaker global equities and emerging markets and support for the dollar, according to the analysis.

“A denuclearized but permanently underdeveloped North Korea would not permit lasting peace,” Jen and Freire wrote. “We thus assume that denuclearization, if it happens, would come with a price tag to ensure that North Korea is economically viable.” Bloomberg News

Iran crisis warps Opec equation as Saudis signal raising output

T

he international nuclear agreement with Iran might not be the only deal US President Donald J. Trump has unraveled. On Monday Saudi Arabian Energy Minister Khalid Al-Falih was repeating his mantra that production cuts by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) and its allies must keep going. Within 48 hours, the kingdom had raised the prospect of increasing output.

Between the two pronouncements came Trump’s decision to scrap the Iran deal, reimposing sanctions on the world’s fifth-biggest oil exporter.

“There is a good chance the current Opec deal will end by end-2018, if not before,” said Ed Morse, head of commodities research at Citigroup Inc. in New York.

For the past 16 months, the Opec, Russia and other allies have been constraining output to eliminate a global glut. They’ve largely achieved that goal, but the Saudis— keen for higher prices—have insisted the curbs should continue to drive oil stockpiles even lower.

That policy may falter in the wake of Trump’s Iran sanctions. While it’s still uncertain how much he intends to curtail Iranian oil shipments, most analysts predict a cutback. “The Iranian sanctions may change the Opec June meeting completely,” said Amrita Sen, chief oil analyst at consultants Energy Aspects Ltd. in London. “It’s no longer about extending the production cuts, but rather about when to start raising output gradually.”

EU resistance

When the international sanctions were last in force on Iran from 2012 to 2015, it removed about 1 million barrels a day from the market. This time, America’s allies in Europe want to keep the nuclear accord alive and are resisting joining any US embargo. Estimates vary from “little impact” anticipated by Barclays Plc., to a potential loss of more than 50 percent of the country’s 2.7 million barrels of daily shipments predicted by consultant FGE. R e d u ce d f l ow s f ro m I ra n wo u l d compound escalating losses in troubled O p e c m e m b e r Ve n e z u e l a , f u r t h e r draining global oil inventories while demand remains strong, according to Goldman Sachs Group Inc. Brent oil futures rose to a three-year high of $78 a barrel on Thursday.

This presents the Saudis with a dilemma: Should they retain their focus on higher prices and keep output steady? Or should they offer political and economic support to Trump, and take market share away from

their regional rival, by raising production to fill the gap?

A statement released by the kingdom a few hours after Trump’s announcement seemed to provide the answer. Saudi Arabia will “mitigate the effects of any supply shortages,” it said. Kuwait later gave a similar assurance.

Clear signal

“The signal from that is: the Iranian oil lost, we will replace,” Fereidun Fesharaki, founder and chairman of FGE, said in a Bloomberg television interview.

Boosting output to compensate for Iran and reining in rising prices would prevent damage to the global economy, and fuel demand. With US gasoline costs rising, the move could also appease Trump, who last month lashed out at Opec for keeping prices “artificially very high.”

There are risks too. Increasing supply by too much, or without coordination with fellow producers such as Russia, could inundate markets and drive prices lower.

The alliance they established in 2016 could dissolve into mutual rivalry and suspicion.

“Opec has to engage in some balancing acts,” said Bassam Fattouh, director at the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies. “They want to preserve the deal that they worked very hard to achieve,” he added, referring to the group’s historic production cuts.

Saudi assurance

In a sign that Riyadh is aware of the political sensitivity of any oil-production increase, Al-Falih said in a post on Twitter on Wednesday that he was in “close contact” with other Opec nations, Russia and the US on how to “ensure market stability.” Sanctions on Iran won’t affect the deal between Opec and its partners, Kuwait Oil Minister Bakheet Al-Rashidi said on Thursday.

Much depends on Russia. The Kremlin will have to weigh its alliance with Iran in the Syrian conflict against the new bond forged with Saudi Arabia and the temptation of boosting production of Urals crude that could replace Iranian barrels in Europe. If the latter argument prevails, President Trump’s decision may in fact have finally provided Opec and Russia, which in 2016 had expected their effort to take just six months, with an exit strategy.

“The Saudi oil policy has been forced to change,” said Olivier Jakob, managing director at Petromatrix GmbH in Zug, Switzerland. “The Opec-Russia supply restriction is seeing its last days.

Bloomberg News

Sports BusinessMirror

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

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IFE begins at 40, they say. But for Luisito “Louie” Sangalang II, a kickass multisport athlete, this age means so much more than just reaping all the benefits of hard work.

It is also high time one continued taking on bigger and bolder challenges in life.

Sangalang knows, for sure, that he can still achieve greater heights. Last month he just made history as the first Filipino cancer survivor to finish the recent FWD North Pole Marathon. He is also the sole flag bearer of the Philippines in the race this year.

According to Sangalang, the event was one of the biggest and toughest race that he has joined so far. With the help of his family and friends, especially his coaches, Miguel “Ige” Lopez, and Romi Garduce, one of the first Filipinos to summit Mount Everest, he was able to conquer the classic 42K race entirely in extreme subzero weather conditions. He finished 44th in the men’s category.

But before achieving the feat, Sangalang had to take on the rough side of the course.

Ever since he was a kid, Sangalang has already been into sports. At a very young age, he found himself involved in team sports—basketball, football, track and field and even dragon boat rowing. But as he was growing up, he developed a profound love for martial arts.

“I started with a martial art called tatsu do, which is a bit of taekwondo but uses more of the hands. Then I did arnis and taekwondo, as well,” Sangalang said. “I am really more inclined to individual sports, though all the other sports I tried gave a great deal of contribution to what I’ve become now.”

He pursued being into these competitive sports even when he was in college. Despite engaging in these activities, he also made sure that he does good academics-wise. He took up Physics and shifted to Humanities minor in Physics.

SURVIVING CANCER

DURING his last year in college, Sangalang faced one of the biggest challenges in his life as he was diagnosed with a rare type of cancer called acute adenocarcinoma of the appendix or appendiceal cancer.

“I think I was 20 or 21 years old when I found out that I have cancer. In college, there was a point in time that I somehow neglected my health. I was eating unhealthily and drinking alcohol heavily. And then one day, I found myself waking up with intense pain in the lower left side of my abdomen,” he said.

When he went to the hospital, the doctor said that he had to be operated on for appendicitis. Three weeks after the surgery, he was back to battle against a more serious disease.

“I went through an operation called left hemicolectomy, which is basically removing the affected parts of my large intestine, about a foot long. In addition to that, I also had to undergo six cycles of chemotherapy and 33 cycles of radiotherapy,” Sangalang said.

GETTING BACK TO ACTION

INSTEAD of letting cancer bring him down, Sangalang chose to get up and literally fight back. He chose to lead a healthier lifestyle.

“While I am recovering from the surgeries, my oncologist also advised that I need to eat healthier food and, of course, to be fit. A few weeks after, I went back to lifting weights. I even decided to do mixed martial arts professionally,” he said.

Sangalang, as a cancer warrior, fought five times in the ring in different weight divisions and fighting bouts. He even secured two belts in his latest MMA fights, proving that he can still do what he loves the most even after surviving cancer.

BLAZING NEW TRAILS

ASIDE from being an MMA fighter, Sangalang also joined triathlons as a way of staying in good shape. It was in 2008 when a colleague introduced the sport to him and he found it really interesting that he had a strong podium finish in his first race.

“When I started joining triathlons, I just wanted to test the water. But I find the sport really, interesting because it gave me a different kind of experience. It allows me to interact with people—not just with other triathletes in the race but also with the locals,” said Sangalang.

In 2015 he joined the Sante Barley Tri-Team and since then has joined several triathlons in different race distances.

He also quit his job in the corporate world and ventured into entrepreneurship. He joined a boxing franchise and is launching a sports and lifestyle apparel brand. He is also teaching Procurement and Supply Management at the Jose Rizal University—all while continuously blazing trails in various sports and being a true fitspiration.

As an active sportsman, he’s often seen bagging podium finishes as a triathlete, being a member of Sante Barley Triteam. He is also planning to go back to the ring as an MMA fighter.

“Now that I’m 40, my bigger goal is to continue inspiring people to become more conscious about their health and well-being through my story,” he said. “I want to continue sharing my story to change the perspective of a lot of people, especially toward the lifestyle that they lead.”

Sunday, May 13, 2018

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REAPING BENEFITS OF HARD WORK

Luisito “Louie” Sangalang II makes history as the first Filipino cancer survivor to finish the FWD North Pole Marathon.

FOLAYANG SEEKS REDEMPTION IN ‘DEFENDING HONOR’

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ORMER ONE Lightweight World Champion Eduard “Landslide” Folayang had a memorable trip to Singapore nearly two years ago when he hoisted an intricately crafted hardware above his head in celebration after claiming the biggest victory of his professional career.

Folayang’s world title-clinching performance against Shinya Aoki at ONE: Defending Honor in November 2016 was a win that no one ever expected, but what made it more spectacular was how the beloved Filipino superstar defeated the Japanese mixed martial arts legend with his bare hands.

In the third round, Folayang thwarted the Japanese veteran by driving a hard knee to the head before unleashing a barrage of punches to coerce referee Yuji Shimada to wave it off.

The manner by which Folayang beat a high-profile competitor like Aoki shocked the world because the latter has long been considered as the most dominant lightweight mixed martial artist in the Asian region for the better part of the last decade.

Folayang will be setting foot on Singaporean soil once more as he is set to lock horns with undefeated Russian prospect Kharun Atlangeriev on the undercard of ONE: Unstoppable Dream on May 18.

“Singapore is where I won the title. I was the underdog in that title bout against Shinya Aoki, but I managed to pull off the upset win. It was so memorable. The country will always be dear to my heart,” he said.

Going back to the Singapore Indoor Stadium where he won the ONE Lightweight World Championship belt, Folayang feels elated to strut his wares in Singapore again.

“Singapore is an awesome country. The venue is so awesome. It’s truly world-class. The energy is palpable. I won’t say it’s my home court, but it gives me the motivation and inspiration because it is the place where I became the champion,” he said.

Now set to return to the ONE Championship cage in

SINGAPORE is the best place to start again for Eduard “Landslide” Folayang.

MICIANO SEEKS GRANDMASTER NORM

F Singapore, Folayang will square off with Atlangeriev with the intention of putting himself back in the world title picture.

Six months ago Folayang suffered an excruciating setback at the hands of ONE Featherweight World Champion Martin Nguyen.

After an exciting first round, Nguyen uncorked his signature overhand right at Folayang, who attempted to deliver a spinning back-kick.

The punch connected right on the Team Lakay veteran’s chin, ultimately knocking him out in the second round and costing him his world title.

In the aftermath of his unsuccessful second title defense against Nguyen, Folayang admitted that he did not exactly know what to say or how to address the loss.

“It was hard to talk about it for a time,” he bared.

“Finding the right words to describe what I was feeling was a challenge, even for myself.”

Milo marathon king Andrade tops Borneo run

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ILO Marathon King Joerge Andrade reasserted his running skills as he emerged victorious in his first international 42K race at the Borneo International Marathon (BIM) recently in Kota Kinabalu,Sabah.

Andrade is the second Filipino to win Borneo’s flagship marathon after Noel Tillor, a Milo Marathon regular from Cebu, who won the 42K open division in 2016.

The BIM stint was Andrade’s grand prize for winning the 41st National Finals in 2017 as part of Milo’s commitment in nourishing athletes’ ambitions to compete on the world stage.

Andrade clocked two hours, 54 minutes and 14 seconds. He beat opponents from Kenya, Taiwan, Brunei Darussalam and Malaysia.

Andrade led by 2 km most of the way but was threatened in the final 400 meters by Kenyan Noah Kutung Chepsergon, who finished second in 2:55:26.

The uphill route in the 28th and 38th km marks also proved to be challenging, but Andrade was determined to finish the race strong.

“I had a hard time when I reached the uphill slopes, add to that are my coughs and colds which made it extra difficult for me to focus,” he recalled. “But I just pushed myself and did not mind all the pains so that I can move further.”

The 25-year-old was overwhelmed with joy at his achievement when he crossed the finish line.

“I never thought that I would win, especially against a Kenyan because all I was thinking of was to do my best in this race. I am so happy that I succeeded in this,” he said.

The Digos native, an unknown in the elite running scene, took everyone by surprise—including himself—after claiming the Milo Marathon King crown from its defender, Jeson Agravante.

The victory meant a great deal for Andrade, as the National Finals for him was the ultimate running stage where all the country’s bests compete.

“I believe that the National Milo Marathon is a prestigious event that is why I joined, and I was thrilled to be in the competition and be among my idols, the veteran elite runners,” Andrade said.

IDE Master John Marvin Miciano targets a Grandmaster norm when he competes with Woman GM Janelle Frayna in the European Tour in July.

The 17-year-old Miciano exceeded expectations when he instantly broke free from outside the top 50 national rankings to 11th overall after a series of impressive outings.

The Far Eastern University player accumulated 171.08 points to hike his 2260 rating to 2431 courtesy of his victory in the Asian Youth Open Under-18 Standard event in Chang Mai, Thailand, and a seventh-place performance in the 18th Bangkok Open.

The twin performances gave Miciano the points to leap in the national rankings. More important, his performance made him a potential candidate for a GM title.

“That’s my dream [GM title],” Miciano said.

GM Jayson Gonzales, who coaches Miciano, said that breaching the 2500 mark is just a stone’s throw away.

“The GM title is the main goal, but we also want Marvin to gain rating points and get to the 2500 rating mark,” Gonzales said.

Miciano also aims to become an International Master before they leave for Europe. Ramon Rafael Bonilla

NBA Playoffs, World Cup on SKY

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KY has offered subscribers access to the National Basketball Association Playoffs and the Fifa World Cup via online streaming and pay-per-view.

“SKY is dedicated to stay true to its core mission of bringing the world closer to Filipinos by offering premium sports coverage. With the special offers, we’re confident we can engage and expose more SKY subscribers to the world of sports,” said James Dumlao, SKY head of programming.

Basketball fans could watch up to 1,400 NBA games and experience an optimized viewing with live stats and a mobile view feature that allows fans to zoom in on the action on the NBA League Pass, which SKY subscribers can get at a special offer of only P499/month as compared to the regular P699/month offer. Interested subscribers can avail themselves of the NBA League Pass by downloading the NBA app through the App Store or Google Play Store.

Football aficionados, meanwhile, could witness round-the-clock live coverage of the Fifa World Cup in high definition at home via SKY Football Season Pass beginning in June.

From June 14 to July 15, SKY subscribers will witness intense matches from the greatest soccer players around the world in Russia.

Saudi Arabia and Russia will go head to head on the first day of the tournament, while big favorites Portugal and Spain will face off on the second day in Sochi.

HONDA club members strike a pose at the Riders Convention 2018.

Riders convention in Libis a success

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OYAL riders gathered for the Honda Riders Convention 2018-Luzon Leg organized by Honda Philippines Inc. (HPI) recently at the Megatent in Libis, Quezon City.

Riders and enthusiasts gathered for a day of fun-filled activities that celebrated camaraderie and support to HPI. The event was one of many activities Honda has scheduled under their new ONE DREAM campaign, which imparts the accomplishment of the Filipino’s dreams through Honda’s products.

HPI President Susumu Mitsuishi emphasized in his first riders convention the importance of riders to the success of Honda.

“You are the reason we have succeeded all these years. Honda is always inspired to create the best products and latest innovations that suit your

lifestyle, so we can continue to inspire our Honda riders like you,” Mitsuishi told the thousands of riders during the convention.

One of the highlights of the event was the launch of Honda’s latest models, which prove HPI’s commitment to continually develop and expand its roster of technology and design that suit the uniqueness of Filipinos.

The New Honda BeAT is one of Honda’s automatic models unveiled in the event. It now comes with its stylish new stripes in nine exciting colors designed for the young and fashionable Filipino taste.

Honda also boasts of its all-new PCX150, its flagship automatic model among the commuter models. It exudes class and style with its elegant and premium design, while maintaining a relaxing riding condition for the rider.

Faith A6 Sunday, May 13, 2018

Sunday

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

Mindanao gives grand welcome to Saint Thérèse pilgrim relics

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By Manuel T. Cayon | Mindanao Bureau Chief

AVAO CITY—Mindanao gave a rousing and grand welcome to the pilgrimage to the Philippines of the relics of the Catholic Church’s well-loved Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, surprising organizers who said this year’s visit was also well-timed with important Church events.

Secular Carmelite Bro. Froilan Torres, OCDS, one of the organizers of the visit of the pilgrim relics, said the welcome that Mindanao accorded the relics was “ indescr ibable, probably incredible and inspiring.”

“In the Cotabato archdiocese, they held fireworks and musical [program] to greet the [pilgrim relics]. In the other dioceses in Mindanao, they held vigils, they queued up in long lines, they turned up in big numbers to pay homage and they buy commemorative items,” he told the BusinessMirror last Sunday at the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Bario Obrero here.

The relics visited the regional police headquarters in Camp Catitipan earlier, and it was set for transfer and overnight exposition at the Carmelite Convent here.

Torres said the pilgrimage of the relics, composed of a portion of the right bone leg of Saint Thérèse, has provided an important jolt to the expression of faith among Catholic faithful.

“It wakes up, it warms up the faith,” he added.

The Mindanao leg of the pilgrimage started after Easter Sunday on April 2, after the Philippine pilgrimage began on January 12, the date of birth of Saint Thérèse, in Laoag, onward down south of Luzon and the Visayas.

The pilgrimage would end on May 31, with a Mass and tribute at the Shrine of Saint Thérèse in Pasay City.

A mong Catholic leaders, the remains of pious men and women and saints “ have become the source of the belief of how God is showing His power on the faithful.”

Torres said there were voluminous accounts of how the relics of saints and pious faithful have turned miracles to those who have touched, seen or cast shadows on those who believed in their “intercession” to God. Saint Thérèse had similar accounts of these spiritual miracles to boot. Born Marie FrançoiseThérèse Martin on January 2, 1873, in Alencon, France, she entered the Carmelite monastery on April 9, 1888.

In one instance, on May 13, 1883, when she was very sick, she narrated later how the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to her smiling.

“She was healed shortly, and has named the Blessed Virg in

Devotees venerate the pilgrim relics of Catholic Church’s well-loved Saint Thérèse of Lisieux.

The relics visited the Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in Barrio Obrero, Davao City, one of the several stops in the Mindanao leg of the relics’ fourth Philippine visit. Manuel T. Cayon

as Our Lady of Smiles. A nd it is by coincidence that on May 13, the Philippines wou ld be obser v ing that day as Mothers’ Day,” Tor res noted.

Saint Thérèse died on September 30, 1897, in Lisieux, France.

Yet, during the World War I years of 1914-1918 “she was already a well-venerated saint that even A llied soldiers narrated their experience of being healed, or survived deaths, and those who eventually died were observed to have expired peacefully.

“After World War I, the Catholic faithful leave letters, requests, even war medals of soldiers on her grave in a public cemetery in France,” Torres recounted.

The Catholic Church later elevated her to the title of “Doctor of the Church, for her simplicity of life and deep impact of her thoughts and teachings,” Torres said.

In the Cotabato archdiocese, they held fireworks and musical [program] to greet the [pilgrim relics].”

—Torres

On her deathbed, she told relatives and nuns that “when I die, I want to travel to the four corners of the world. I want to teach others to love God as I have loved Him, to become missionary of all time.”

“These were all fulfilled, now that her relic has traveled to several countries and for several years already,” he said.

T he rel ic f irst v isited t he Ph i l ippines in 20 0 0, t hen in 20 08, when t he rector of t he Ba si l ic a of Sa i nt T hérèse i n Fra nce v isited a lso t he Ph i lippines to inst a l l her shr ine in Vi l l a mor in Pasay C it y. It w a s t he rec tor h i m se l f who infor med t he Ph i l ippines t hat it cou ld inv ite t he pi lg r image of t he rel ic ever y f ive yea rs.

“Hence in 2013 and then this year,” Torres said.

Fortunately for the Philippine Catholic Church, her pilgrimage was timely again, Torres said, “because the Church has dedicated this year as the year of the Clergy and the Consecrated Persons.”

“One hundred thirty years ago, when she entered the Carmelite monaster y, she said ‘I come to Carmel to save souls and to pray especially for the priests,’” Torres added.

Saint Mary Mazzarello, Salesian Sisters cofounder

By Corazon Damo-Santiago

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ne October mor ning , passing through Borgo Alto, Mary saw a large building with a courtyard. Many children were playing.

Entranced, she must have rubbed her eyes to convince herself she was not dreaming.

She exclaimed: “What is this?

This building was not here before.

Never saw it! What can it mean?” said Fr. Adolf Faroni, SBD, in Saint Mary Mazzarello.

Then, she heard a majestic voice, “I entrust them to you” (en. wikipedia.org/wiki Ma. Dominica Mazzarello).

At the same time, Don Bosco experienced a vision of a courtyard w ith abandoned g irls. He, too, hea rd a wom a n’s voice, “ T hese are my daughters, ta ke c a re of t hem ,” accord i ng to Salesiansisters.wordpress.com.

Young and pious

Mary was born on May 9, 1937, to Joseph and Maddalena Calgano Mazzarello in Mornese, Alessandria, Italy. The eldest among seven children, Mary grew up as an obedient, honest, cheerful, hardworking and devout child.

Fr. Domenico Pestarino, the parish priest, allowed her to have her First Holy Communion at 10 and the privilege to be a daily communicant, regardless of the weather.

She was one of the founding members of the Daughters of Mary Immaculate in Mornese when she was only 15 years old.

She attended catechism lessons diligently so “no one would be a head of her” (www.vides.us/ st.margaret mazzarello.htm) She was only 15 when she consecrated herself to God and made a vow to perpetual virginity, Faroni added in Saint Mary Mazzarello.

When a typhoid epidemic hit Mornese, Mary, who was 23, volunteered to care for her uncle, aunt and the children. She herself became ill that the last rites of the church was administered to her.

Although she recovered, she became thin and frail. And realized she would “never again be fit for strenuous work.”

Anxious to still be of help, she became an apprentice to the towns tailor to learn how to sew. Then she opened shops to teach others not only how to live a holy life but also a Christian life that is honest and productive.

Parents saw that village girls attended church services more devoutly, were more obedient, docile and shunned worldly activities. This was the beginning of a semblance of a religious community with four Daughters of Mary Immaculate and a few girls.

Father Pestarino, as diocesan priest, went often to Turin. He related to Don Bosco how he appreciated the group of Mary. With

a vision to found a female counterpart of the Salesian Priests and Brothers, he went with the Salesian Boys Band in Mornese.

But he did not divulge his true motive—to investigate the Daughters of Mary Immaculate group.

Instead, the band will raise funds for this oratory. He was impressed with the response and piety of the girls (www.salesiansisters.org).

First mother superior

In 1867 Don Bosco sent Mary and Petronilla Mazzarello a program of activities and rules that the girls can do every day. In 1871 Don Bosco’s request to found an order of Salesian Sisters was approved by Pope Pius IX. M a r y w a s t he u n a n i mou s choice as first superior but rejected the post, feeling inadequate to the demands of the position.

Obedience, however, prevailed so she became the temporary head of the group that has not taken its final vows.

Don Bosco recognized Mary as a leader. “Her limited education more than made up for by her prudence, spirit of discernment and her ability to govern, all of which is based on her unshakeable faith in God” (www.vides us/ st marymazzarello.html).

On July 31, 1872, 15 young women, professed their vows as sisters of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians in the presence of the bishop of Acqui; Don Bosco,

the spiritual father; and Father Pestarino, the immutable guide.

For two years, she was the temporary superior until an election took place, which voted her as superior. After elected as Mother General of the Salesian Sisters, she felt they should learn how to read and write correctly. And they did, together in humility.

After a mission in the house of Salesian Sisters and orphanage in Saint Cyr, she collapsed, and was ill for 40 days of pleurisy, an inflammation of the linings around the lungs that causes pain and difficulty in breathing.

In Mornese she felt better and insisted in performing her usual work. Aware of her impending death she counselled the sisters about obedience, loyalty and love for the Lord.

At dawn on May 14, 1881, with so much effort, she “forced out a weak, sincere hymn to the Blessed Mother” and whispered, “Goodbye, I am going now. I will see you in heaven.” She was 44.

She was beatified on November 20, 1938, by Pope Pius XI and was canonized on June 24, 1951, by Pope Pius XII. Santiago is a former regional director of the Department of Education National Capital Region. She is currently a faculty member of Mater Redemptoris Collegium in Calauan, Laguna, and of Mater Redemptoris College in San Jose City, Nueva Ecija.

7th Sunday of Easter: “John 17:11b-19”

Jesus prays for His disciples Msgr. Josefino S. Ramirez SUNDAY GOSPEL IN OUR LIFE

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oday’s Gospel leads us to the very heart of Jesus praying to the Father for His disciples before His Ascension.

He prays right in front of them so they can hear His heart. He knows that after the wrath He went through, He feared they might come after them and experience the same hatred as He did.

As they may face terrible danger, the Good Shepherd, our Lord Jesus, prays as He lifts His eyes to heaven, “Holy Father, keep them in Your name that You have given Me, so that they may be one just as We are One…I gave them Your word, and the world hated them, because they do not belong to the world any more than I belong to the world....”

We live in this world and experience pain, hardship, loss and sorrow. Yet, nothing compares to going through them with God and experiencing redemption, strength and grace. That is how Jesus prays for us, to be delivered from evil and be sanctified in the truth. He wants His love and message found in the center of the world, in the church, community and in our homes.

The Earth, may seem to many people as if it's theirs for the taking. We are at times consumed by the worldly cares thinking our problems are the center of our lives. It makes us encased in the thought that we have made such problems happen and we can solve it by ourselves.

T herefore, our world revolves a rou nd it a nd becomes a v ic ious c yc le.

Let us open our hearts and believe what the Holy Spirit can do in us. We are made alive and living even with our problems, knowing we are always loved and forgiven by Christ who saved us.

God’s arms are the safest place we could ever be.

Come Holy Spirit! Enlighten us with a renewed sense of oneness and totality. Protect us from the malice in our own hearts. Allow us to come together to help one another and grow in the love of God. Strengthen our resolve not to wage war with one another, but to work with one another, to know that we are better together as we live our daily lives for God’s greater glory.

Mother’s healing smile

By Bro. Froilan Torres, OCDS

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ince January 12 the pilgrim relics of Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus is on its fourth visit to the Philippines. The more than 45 archdioceses and dioceses included in the itinerary will host, or have hosted Saint Thérèse in their cathedrals, churches, shrines and schools all over the country.

Her relics will be in the Philippines until May 31.

This Discalced Carmelite nun who had lived almost unknown for nine years at her little Carmelite monastery in Lisieux, Normandy, and died at 24 years old in 1897, had expressed her wish to be a missionary until the end of times, to travel to the five continents of world, preaching the Good News and teaching others to love God as she loved Him. Until this very day, more than 100 years after her death, Saint Thérèse continues to fulfil this desire to be a missionary, with the pilgrimage of her relics around the world.

Virgin Mary’s smile on Thérèse

The Mother’s Day celebration this year falls on May 13. What could be a more auspicious day for an event that occurred 135 years ago!

When the 4-year-old Thérèse’s mother, Zelie, died of breast cancer in 1877, she became a timid, very sensitive child who cried even about very insignificant matters.

This continued on until her elder sister Pauline left home to enter Carmel as nun.

In her writings, Saint Thérèse related that as a child she suffered from an illness, which, by its symptoms, resembled what we now know as depression, an evil that afflicts millions of people around the world and that the saint would have passed, thanks to the Blessed Virgin’s smile.

In her writing, the Carmelite saint wrote: “May 13, 1883, feast of Pentecost. On the bed, I set my eyes on the image of Our Lady and…suddenly the Blessed Virgin seemed beautiful to me, so beautiful that I never saw anything like it, her face exhaled an ineffable kindness and tenderness, but what plunged deep into my soul was the ‘charming smile of the Blessed Virgin.’

“At that moment all my sorrows

were gone, two thick tears rolled down my cheeks and fell on my face, they were tears of pure joy…

Ah! I thought, the Blessed Virgin smiled at me, I am happy…It was because of her, because of her intense prayers, that I had the grace of the smile of the Queen of Heaven,” she said.

Exactly 135 years ago today, Our Lady’s ravishing smile healed the little Thérèse of her illness.

Let us ask her, Our Lady of the Smile, through our dear Saint Thérèse, to smile at us, and heal our dear Philippines.

Prayer to Our Lady of the Smile

O Mary, Mother of Jesus and our Mother, who, through a visible smile, did once console and cure thy privileged child, Saint Thérèse of the Infant Jesus. We beseech thee, console us also in the sorrows of this life; detach our hearts from the world. Grant us health both of soul and body, strengthen our hope, obtain for us the favor of eternally enjoying in heaven thy gracious motherly smile. Amen.

O Virgin of the Smile, convert sinners, heal the sick and assist the dying.

Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus, pray for us.

A Blessed Feast of our Mother, the Virgin of the Smile.

Torres is a member of the Official Entourage of the Fourth Philippine Visit of the Pilgrim Relics of Saint Thérèse. He is also a member of the Provincial Secretariat of the Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites Philippines Province of Saint Teresa of Jesus.

Science

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

BusinessMirror

Sunday

Sunday, May 13, 2018

Scientists: Boracay environmental woes traced to weak governance

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he environmental problems on Boracay Island could be traced primarily to weak governance.

The necessary laws and policies seem to be in place, but the local and national government offices have long been coming short in implementing them.

This was the synthesis made

by Academician Eufemio T. Rasco Jr., chairman of National Academy of Science and Technology Philippines (NAST PHL) Agricultural Sciences Division, at the recent “Policy forum on rehabilitation of Boracay Island and management of coastal environment problems/ concerns” at a hotel on Roxas Boulevard in Pasay City.

“Governance should be given importance, because the local government has a big role in the shortand long-term rehabilitation of the island,” Rasco was quoted in the summary of the policy forum released to the media by the Department of Science and Technology and NAST PHL. The policy forum was held to assist in the determination of appropriate rehabilitation road map on the current conditions and needs of Boracay Island Coastal Environment and help in the efforts for its sustainable development and resiliency.

President Duterte has said that the world-renowned island resort has turned into a “cesspool” and ordered is closure for six months since April 26.

Academician William G. Padolina led the policy forum, where he highlighted the need to understand the status of the island that necessitated its temporary closure for rehabilitation. The forum participants were from NAST, various government agencies, research institutions and speakers who have done work on Boracay.

Academician Rhodora V. Azanza, chairman of NAST PHL Biological Sciences Division, emphasized that the forum also aims to elucidate the science behind the temporary closure of Boracay Island.

Short- and long-term solutions

Rasco gave short-term and longterm solutions to the Boracay problem. He said for the shortterm rehabilitation, during the six-month closure, the sewagetreatment facilities should be targeted to improve the quality of ground and coastal water and, thus, help in the conservation of its marine ecosystem.

The policy-forum participants agreed that short- and long-term strategic activities should include, among others, “the strict implementation of laws and regulations, continuous monitoring and capacity building of the community.”

They said that major long-term concerns include habitat degradation/conservation of coral reefs and maintenance of good water quality and good governance.

“In order to level expectations, there is a need to define what needs to be done within the sixmonth period, aside from improving the sewage system, the elimination of illegal coastal structures and road building,” the summary document said.

The latest technology for sewage handling and wastewater treatment must be adopted in order not to aggravate the environmental problems, it added.

It also said that the carrying capacity of the island must be updated using present conditions in

order to regulate effectively the number of persons and the timing and extent of the activities on the island. Then-Tourism Secretary Wanda Corazon T. Teo said the number of Boracay visitors has gone up to 75,000, which is way above its earlier declared carrying capacity of 25,000.

Coral-reef ecosystem

Academician Guil ler mo Q. Tabios III of the NAST PHL Engineering Sciences and Technology Division talked about “Boracay Island: State of Land Resources and Land-Sea-Human Interactions.”

Citing previous and recent work of marine scientists, he emphasized that coral-reef ecosystem contributes not only as one of the important tourism resources but also to white-beach preservation by providing sediment supply and protection from the rough waves.

E. coli, coliform

Academician Virginia C. Cuevas of the NAST PHL Biological Sciences Division discussed the state of water quality and microbiology of coastal waters in Boracay Island, citing a study conducted in 2012.

The parameters that were analyzed are the following: nitrogen (nitrate), phosphorus (orthophosphate), pH, biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), dissolved oxygen (DO), total suspended solids (TSS), water temperature, E. coli and total coliform count.

It was reported that Mangrove Swamp 6 was slightly higher in pH and much higher BOD than Mangrove Swamp 1, Puka Beach and Long Beach.

Cuevas said Lugotan Cove had the highest E. coli and total coliform populations, while the rest of the sites had the same levels.

Good water quality was recorded in the coastal areas where commercial establishments are connected to the sewage system.

For policy considerations, Cuevas recommended establishing a state-of-the-art wastewatertreatment facility at the outfall of drainage canals from informal settlers, wet market, parlors, shops and other establishments before discharging into the coastal water.

She emphasized the need to monitor the neighboring islands for wastewater from houses, commercial establishments and sewage effluent disposal.

Coastal erosion

Dr. Ma. Lourdes San Diego-Mcglone identified several environmental issues in Boracay Island, such as coastal erosion, improper coastal infrastructure development, high rate of population increase, water-quality degradation, green tides, loss of coastal habitats and lack of the local government’s knowledge on how to address the issues.

One of their research team findings that Mcglone presented was the island’s benthic cover, which showed that in a span of 23 years, coral cover decreased by 70 percent from 1988 to 2011.

The most significant decrease occurred from 2008 to 2011 when tourist arrivals increased by 38.4 percent. Prior to this occurrence, a dramatic increase in sand and coral rubbles were also reported in Southwest Boracay from 2003 to 2006, Mcglone, professor at the University of the Philippines Marine Science Institute, said.

Wetland ecosystems [are important because they] serve as water-catchment basins during rainy season. These prevent flooding and allow slow release of filtered water to the sea.”—Hilomen

Foreign tourists sunbathe at a beach on Boracay Island, central Aklan province, on March 12. The Philippines has closed the island, the country's most famous beach resort, for up to six months starting on April 26 after President Duterte said it has turned into a “cesspool.” AP/Aaron Favila

On the erosion of white beach, McGlone said the deterioration of the reef ecosystem in front of the beach leads to erosion due to reduction of reef ’s function as natural breakwater and supplier of white-sand/beach sediments.

She said the deterioration is caused by water-quality degradation and direct impacts of marine leisure activities, such as anchoring, diving and snorkeling, to name a few. She also cited improper construction of sea walls, restaurants and hotels on the backshore as secondary cause of erosion in the island and gave suggestions on how the management of the coastal environment could help preserve the white sand and other natural features of Boracay.

Reef condition

Dr. Vincent V. Hilomen, project manager of Smart SEA Project of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), explained that based on the reef condition from the live coral cover obtained from scuba diving in 2013, Balusbos and Motag are under poor condition, while Balinghai marine protected area, Friday’s Rock MPA, Lobster Rock and Caticlan are in fair condition.

On the other hand, Coral Garden MPA is in good condition and the only excellent area out of the eighth sites surveyed in Boracay is Angol Point.

In terms of the situation of the reef fishes, Hilomen said, none of the areas show very high fish biomass (40 MT/km2 and above).

Balusbos and Motag show very low fish biomass (>10 MT/km2), while Balinghai, Coral Garden and Caticlan are under the medium range (>20 MT/km2).

On the other hand, Fridays, Lobster and Angol Point are reported to be in high category (>30 MT/km2).

Hilomen noted the “importance of wetland ecosystems that serve as water-catchment basins during rainy season. These prevent flooding and allow slow release of filtered water to the sea.”

He suggested rehabilitating habitats, harnessing locals for conservation activities, educating tourists and residents, and imposing a policy of “no collection” of shells and other materials on the island.

Microbial pathogens

According to Dr. Franklin C.

Diza, chief of the Environmental Health Office in Department of Health, human feces is the most common source of microbial pathogens. Germs are passed on from an infected person to a new host through contaminated food, fingers, fluids, fields, and flies.

Diza said solid waste and wastewater sanitation systems are the primary barriers that break the transmission route of pathogens, specially the effective process of confining and treating feces.

“There is a need to conduct risk assessment and management on the island, as well as drinkingwater quality surveillance and testing,” he proposed.

Sanitation and capacity building, including advocacy and promotion campaign, need logistical support to ensure the safety of the population against water contamination and water-borne diseases.

Local government’s role

Att y. Ana Mae P. Pedregosa of the Department of Interior and Local Government’s (DILG) Legal and Legislative Liaison Service and member of the secretariat of Boracay Investigating Team (BIT) said the creation of the BIT aims to exercise the DILG’s super visor y power over local government units on environmental problems in Boracay. It also aims to establish the possible accountability of the local government and national government officials.

She said that on the DILG’s part, they would strengthen the monitoring performance and evaluation on the local government units to ensure that the Boracay crisis does not happen again.

Crisis situation

Academician Jaime C. Montoya said that everything that was discussed would be dependent on how people come up with a common objective.

“There is a huge possibility that what happened to Boracay can happen to any of the islands in the country, so this must be viewed as crisis situation and should be addressed by appropriate agencies working together under a common mandate and leadership,” the chairman of the NAST PHL Health Sciences Division and executive director of the Philippine Council for Health Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology said. Lyn Resurreccion

A7

US Congress takes up bill to revive Nevada nuclear waste dump

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A S H I N G T O N —T h e House is mov ing to approve an electionyear bill to revive the mothballed nuclear-waste dump at Nevada’s Yucca Mountain despite opposition from home-state lawmakers.

Supporters say a bill slated for a vote on Thursday would help solve a nuclear-waste storage problem that has festered for more than three decades.

More than 80,000 metric tons of spent fuel from commercial nuclear power plants sit idle in 121 communities across 39 states.

The bill would direct the Energy Department to continue a licensing process for Yucca Mountain while also moving forward with a separate plan for a temporary storage site in New Mexico or Texas.

It’s past time for the federal government to “fulfill its obligation and permanently dispose of the spent nuclear fuel sitting in our states, alongside our lakes, rivers and roadways,” said Rep. John Shimkus, Republican-Illinois, the bill’s sponsor.

“People are ready to do something rather than nothing,” he added, predicting a strong bipartisan vote in favor of the bill.

President Donald J. Trump’s administration has proposed reviving the long-stalled Yucca project 161 kilometers northwest of Las Vegas, but the plan f a c e s b i p a r t i s a n o p p o s it ion from the state’s governor and congressional delegation.

Energy Secretary Rick Perry has said the United States has a “moral obligation” to find a long-term solution to store spent fuel from its commercial nuclear fleet. Trump’s budget proposes $120 million to revive the Yucca project.

“We can no longer kick the can down the road,” Perry said last year. Nevada Sen. Dean Heller, a Republican who is locked in a close race for reelection, blasted the upcoming vote as “an exercise in futility.”

Heller vowed that, “Under my watch, I will not let one more hardearned taxpayer dollar go toward this failed project—just as I have in the past. Yucca Mountain is dead, it is that simple.”

Democratic Rep. Jacky Rosen, Heller’s likely opponent in the general election, has filed an amendment that would delay any licensing activity for Yucca Mountain until the White House Office of Management and Budget conducts a study of the economic effects from alternative uses of the site.

“I’m using every tool at my disposal to put an end to this administration’s reckless plans to turn Nevada into a dumping ground for highly radioactive nuclear waste,” Rosen said in a statement.

She called Yucca a “failed project” and “complete waste of time and taxpayer money.”

Nevada Democrats blame Heller for even allowing the vote, noting that he is a close friend of House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, Republican-California, who controls the House schedule.

“Sen. Heller tries to brag about standing between Washington and Yucca Mountain, but our weak and ineffective senator couldn’t even dissuade one of his closest friends on Capitol Hill from preparing to ram this bill through the Republicancontrolled House,” said Sarah Abel, a spokesman for Nevada Democrats.

While the fight over Yucca resumes, lawmakers say they hope to make progress on a plan to temporarily house tons of spent fuel that have been piling up at nuclear reactors around the country.

Private companies have proposed state-of-the-art, underground facilities in remote areas of west Texas and southeastern New Mexico to store nuclear waste for up to 40 years. AP

A8

Sunday, November 26, 2017

BusinessMirror

Wandering Sestina

By Rodrigo Dela Peña, Jr.

Here is my baggage, passport and boarding pass.

And yes, I’m fit to travel, sit in the plane’s emergency exit row. Almost nothing is left to chance: at each checkpoint, I am scanned, touched by frisky hands. As always, waiting time is long, from check-in to boarding, take off to landing.

Marooned, I’m prone to dreams of distant lands, the mind traversing cliffs and oceans to pass the time, slow like a drip of honey. How I long for the gritty feel of sand against soles, not a plain woven carpet, the concrete floor given a touch of patchwork. But what else is there to do? Left to my own devices, I scroll through those who’ve left for good, the ones who called it quits with Motherland, their feet stomping for that dramatic touch.

Are you leaving, they ask. I answer that I’m just passing through, seesawing between here and there, the plane an aerial fulcrum. What comes along with moving all the time is it’s never long enough to put down roots. I make do with where I left off, checking messages unread, finding planes of symmetry in the back and forth of words, stray landings of emoticons in my inbox. Should I pass or click reply? I’ve lost count of people I’ve lost touch with, the threads of conversation that used to touch beyond the surface, now static and forgotten long after the promise to keep on reaching out. Passerby, nomad, vagabond who keeps on drifting left and right: all of these, my names, in every land I set foot in. Arrivals stream from a plane while I stand by for the boarding call, the plaintive voice announcing it is time, it is time. The touch down looms far ahead. Somewhere, in a land where storms blow roofs away, mother sleeps. It has been long since I last saw her. All her sons have left, her garden turning wild and choked with weeds. Years pass.

And you, whose plane is about to fly, how long have you waited to touch the face of someone you left?

Let the heart’s arrow land on target. Let the sting pass.

Rodrigo Dela Peña, Jr. is the author of Aria and Trumpet Flourish (Math Paper Press, Singapore), as well as the chapbooks Requiem and Hymnal (Vagabond Press, Australia). His poems have been published in Likhaan, Kritika Kultura, Banwa, and other journals and anthologies. He has received prizes from the Palanca Awards, Kokoy Guevara Poetry Competition, British Council, among others. He has been based in Singapore since 2011.

www.businessmirror.com.ph

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BusinessMirror

Peninsula

By Adimas Immanuel

And the dusk finally dusts to the south of the slope.

Leaving gritting teeth and a rusted well On the edge of a 4 PM conversation.

Meanwhile on the table, we lay a map.

We thicken boundaries of the world, We spread open lands and oceans With a recollection, we separate affliction And tears like pieces of gelatin: A vertiginous place looks clear and refreshing.

“What are we waiting for?” a chunk of voice Knocks our door, opens a new room, A completely new room. From the inside Someone is waiting. “That is the feeling of yearning, Never definitive, forever missing forever.”

Then the wind blows and imprints On the map, on our body, A millisecond faster in the time cluster.

Love Is Never Far from You

By Adimas Immanuel Love is not far from you.

She is not clear as dew Not born in the wet lands Not on the lush of leaves.

Love is not far from you.

She is not a birdsong Not a morning greeting Not the canorous melody of prayers.

Eternal love Need not try To seem poetic.

Eternal love In fact seems temporary, Even though the permanence Of temporariness Is often questioned.

Love is an earthworm Recklessly digging a hole Around a henhouse Knowing one day It will eventually be pecked.

Love is a baker Which you do not care for Foolishly passing by your house Armed only with a song recording Which has been played countless times.

Adimas Immanuel is an Indonesian poet. He was born in Solo, Central Java, 1991. His poems have been published in various mass media such as Kompas, Tempo, and Suara Merdeka. He has published some poem collection books: Empat Cangkir Kenangan (Serba Indie, 2012), Pelesir Mimpi (katabergerak, 2013), Di Hadapan Rahasia (Gramedia Pustaka Utama, 2016), and Suaramu Jalan Pulang yang Kukenali (Malaysia, 2016).

In 2014, with some photographers and installation artists, he held an art exhibiton based on his book, Pelesir Mimpi. In the same year, the book itself longlisted for the Khatulistiwa Literary Award and shortlisted for the Indonesian Readers Award. He was invited to attend the ASEAN Literary Festival 2015, Ubud Writers and Readers Festival 2015 and Melbourne Emerging Writers Festival 2016. For correspondency, mail him to: immanuel.adimas@gmail.com

Sunday, November 26, 2017

A9

Tourism&Entertainment BusinessMirror

A10 Sunday, May 13, 2018

Editor: Carla Mortel-Baricaua

Taiwan 101: Notes from a recent trip

Walking along Swallow's Grotto, Taroko Gorge

Taipei 101 as seen from the top of Elephant Mountain

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Story & photos by Bernard Joseph Esposo Guerrero

started traveling very early— even before the advent of travel blogging—yet it took me eleven years to finally take myself to Taiwan.

The tiny country is so close to the Philippines that it even makes flying to Thailand or Singapore seem so much longer.

However, going there is not the easiest, as one has to go through the hassle of obtaining a tourist visa, and flight options are also very limited. So, when the Taiwanese government relaxed their immigration policy toward tourists, my family and I just had to take advantage of the pass.

Taipei, a city across time

Taipei is hard to describe, but is quite easy to love. I was subconsciously always comparing it with Hong Kong and Shanghai, two equally modern metros that I have been to several times before that share the same textures as Taipei, but the culture of Taiwan’s capital is very different and refreshing.

Strolling around old Taipei is easy, and provides a sneak peek into the soul of the nation. Anyone can just

take any of the recommended walking routes, often available upon request in most hotels, to see various aspects of the historic precinct.

Given that I only had two days to explore Taipei proper, I combined various itineraries to get to the Longshan Temple, a Chinese folk religious temple first built in the early-1700s by Fujian immigrants and is now a designated secondgrade heritage building. In doing so, I passed through other important and interesting sites, such as the Taiwan 228 Peace Memorial and the National Museum inside a well-manicured public park and the Red House right beside the Ximending shopping district, among others.

One site that really stood out was the Bopilliao historic block, for those who were adventurous enough to wander to this side of Taipei. Bopilliao, a quaint quarter dating back to the Qing dynasty period, has continuously been

undergoing careful conservation measures to prevent further damages to the fragile structures left standing and leaning. The Taipei metro also allows tourists to go to these places conveniently through their well-connected and efficient system, but I always prefer walking whenever it is possible and still doable.

The following day was devoted to the more modern side. Starting at the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, a favourite spot for fellow selfie lovers given its almost postcardperfect 360-degree views, I walked toward the commanding Taipei Main Station. There, I hopped on the rapid transit to Xianshan station to get the best view one can have of the Taipei 101. While climbing the world’s 10th-tallest building would, indeed, have been an experience, the views from the top would most likely be any view one would get from any other tall buildings around the world. Also, it was a bit expensive. A better, more practical option then was to climb Xianshan or Elephant mountain. It is the highest landform in the city, and it sits close to Taipei 101, so anyone who successfully reaches its peak is to be rewarded with a magnificent unobstructed view of the city’s modern skyline with the Taipei 101 towering over everything else.

The hike itself can be difficult given the steep flights of stairs,

Iconic monuments in the Taipei Peace Park

but what made it harder then was that it began pouring cats and dogs when I was just only at the first station. Nevertheless, that did not deter me from going further up, so I still managed to climb the already slippery Six Rocks and paid homage to architect C.Y. Lee by imitating a photo of him sitting on one of the boulders with his masterpiece, the Taipei 101, behind him.

along the gorge where a rock that takes a form of an American Indian’s head can be spotted, while the Eternal Spring Shrine is a picturesque memorial to the 212 veterans who died during the construction of the Central Cross-Island highway in the late-1950s. The temple shrine was built over a waterfall, making it one of the most recognizable sights in Taroko.

Taroko Gorge, between two continents

Mining and fishing villages: Jiufen and Yehliu

A 2.5-hour bus-train combo brought us to Hualien, a trading city in the eastern side of the island that also serves as a base in visiting the nearby geological wonder, the fabled Taroko Gorge.

Toroko Gorge was formed at the collision point of the Eurasian and the Philippine plates, creating a dramatic landform with towering parallel cliffs, deep river canyons and amazing rock formations. Exploring Taroko National Park, where the gorge is its main highlight, was convenient thanks to the hop-on hopoff shuttle service that stops at key scenic areas found throughout the gorge. The reasonably priced wholeday pass allowed us to visit every stop at our own pace and style.

The two most impressive attractions we visited are the Swallows Grotto and the Eternal Spring Shrine. The Swallows Grotto prides in having the narrowest passage

Jiufen is a former gold-mining town that reached its production peak in late-1890s. The Japaneseperiod structures that remain in the town have become a good backdrop for the thriving tourism destination that Jiufen has become today. It is situated high up in the northeastern mountains where the temperature drops 10 degrees lower than the capital’s. The views from town are breathtaking, and they stretch far out to the waters of the Pacific from miles away. The Old Street, which is almost mandatory for tourists to walk through, is full of various souvenir stores and tea shops. One is greeted here with a warm cup of free ginger tea every 10 or so meters, which comes in handy to keep oneself warm amid the chilly, rainy weather.

The Yehliu Geopark, on the other hand, is a moon-like landscape. The small cape of a northern

fishing village two hours away from Taipei is full of intriguing sandstone formations naturally carved by the wind and waves.

The place is crowded with tourists during the day, and there is a ridiculously long queue of people, most of which are Chinese, to have a photo with the iconic Queen’s Head. The adjacent seascape is also fascinating and invigorating, and some waterfowls can be spotted, including terns and migratory egrets. Yehliu is a place where human imagination can be exercised in admiring odd rock formations, while enjoying one of the best sceneries that nature can provide.

Taiwan for Filipinos, Filipinos for Taiwan

Currently, the Philippines ranks as the 10th-highest provider of tourists inbound to Taiwan. The temporary relaxation of immigration policy for Philippine tourists has widened and broadened Filipino appreciation of this small but dynamic country. Taiwan offers a good blend of nature and culture.

Morever, it is also a good collage of the old and the new, the traditional and the modern, as well as various colors and various flavours. I hope that the visa-free status for Filipinos entering Taiwan will continue.

Formosa, I will be back for more.

For sure.

White Rock in Subic is most preferred for team-building activities

INFLATABLE Waterpark

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smooth two-hour drive from Balintawak toll gate, White Rock Beach Hotel and Waterpark in Subic, Zambales, is one of the country’s best venue to hold team buildings and conferences. As it continues to upgrade its facilities and expand its amenities, it remains a preferred location for company activities owing to its long stretch of beach, dynamic water park and a myriad of world-class facilities and recreational activities, all in one vast, well-designed space.

White Rock means fun

By creating a fitting package and program for each corporate group, White Rock resort can guarantee the best combination of business and pleasure that results in a positive working environment.

The 8-hectare beach resort offers activities that can be customized for groups based on their company values and objectives, starting with the Outdoor Adventure where groups take on obstacles that engage employees in teamwork.

The adrenaline-packed Survivor Race brings out a healthy competition with a variety of tasks and challenges that involves patience, logical thinking and trust and unity among teammates.

Resort facilitators also conduct Lost in the Wilderness, a role-playing activity and War Zone, a military team-building activity designed to test discipline, loyalty and courage. Wet and Wild, a water-based team-building activity, requires team coordination to win the relay games and races.

Participants are encouraged to get out of their

comfort zones and address individual fears by gliding through the upgraded and well-maintained zipline, or by climbing the top and rappelling down from the Wall Climbing area. A sense of adventure is encouraged by the rope-course maze, featuring Bossom, V-Bridge, U-Bridge, Tight Rope Monkey Bars, Cargo Net and Spider Web courses.

Participants can also bring out their competitiveness at the Family Fun Center. The center has a 10-pin bowling area featuring 10 lanes and electronic scoring, as well as table tennis, billiards, dartboards, mini-basketballs and other recreational games. They can also let their guards down and enjoy some downtime at the KTV rooms, equipped with a quality sound system.

Rooms for everyone

After an eventful day, employees can enjoy R&R at their White Rock quarters that can accommodate bigger groups.

With 262 well-appointed rooms, White Rock has Deluxe, Main Premium Deluxe, Poolside Deluxe and Beachside Deluxe rooms. There are also Barkada Rooms, with bathrooms that have separate toilet and shower areas for a large group’s convenience.

Rooms are at the Main and Beachfront Hotels, as well as the newly constructed Seaside Hotel, which boasts of two whirlpools on the roof deck.

Overlooking the majestic Zambales mountain ranges and the serene Subic Bay, the Seaside Hotel is one of the best spots in the resort to watch the breathtaking sunset.

The One-Bedroom Suites and Two-Bedroom Suites have a cozy living room, wellequipped kitchen facilities, a maid’s room and an individual whirlpool. The Beachside Suites, with elevated quarters, have a minimalist tropical modern design, and come with a private whirlpool and beach veranda, where balconies overlook the beautiful Subic Bay. Each spacious room has world-class amenities and comforts, such as flat-screen TV, bathrooms with separate shower and toilet areas, a mini-refrigerator and safe boxes, among others.

For formal and informal gathering areas, White Rock has five convention and conference facilities, including the Grand Ballroom, which can accommodate 350 guests, and the Pistahan Pavillion, an open-air venue that can host assemblies.

For day tours, beachside cottages abound on the premises, clustered around the courtyards, which can accommodate large groups, as well.

White Rocks’s corporate and team-building promo packages come with three meals, as well as free use of the private beach, water-park facilities and function rooms. Booking at White Rock is easier through online reservations and convenient payment schemes.

Fun break at the waterpark

A stay at White Rock is never complete without enjoying the water-park facilities. White Rock has the most extensive water-park facilities north of Metro Manila. It has seven leisure pools, including a Grand Swimming Pool with water basketball and volleyball, a Plunge Pool, two Infinity Pools with a majestic view of the ocean, two Wave Pools and 44 Whirlpools around the beachside villas, inside the luxurious rooms and at the top floor of the Seaside Deluxe Hotel.

Guests also have access to the Big Bowl, Rampage, Seesaw or Raging River waterslides. They can also walk across cream-colored sands and take a dip, or feel the sea breeze on a kayak, jet-ski or share a banana-boat ride with friends.

Ultimately, by simply lounging by the beach, the beauty of Subic Bay and Zambales’s mountain ranges can soothe the mind and body so that staff are once again inspired to dive back to work with 110 percent.

A12 Sunday, May 13, 2018

ORGANIQUE GIVES LOVE AND PAMPERING TO THE LEADING LADY IN OUR LIVES

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OR someone who works untiringly 24/7, give the gift that sincerely speaks of our love for the heroine of the home and the main bida - the leading lady in our life, our mom. Give Organique Acai Berry Premium Blend. A jigger of this delicious tasting superfood acai berry harvested from the Amazon rainforest that’s loaded with nutrients and has the highest antioxidant levels will help keep mommy healthy, youthful and her skin glowing and supple.

This is the one gift that shows our heartfelt concern for her health and well being, as it pampers her inside and out. Organique Acai Berry Premium Blend helps to strengthen her immune system to fend off free radicals, toxins, pollutants in the environment and keep her energized, revitalized, alert to enable her to do exceedingly well as she takes care of her family while juggling work deadlines. Organique Acai Berry Premium Blend also helps to keep her in a very good mood too! There›s no preservatives, no additves, no gmo, no overdose, so it’s actually very good even for the whole family to take every day before breakfast.

HERE’S SOME LOVING TIPS: nStart the day right – with a breakfast in bed for the woman of the house, for a change. Be poetic and pour your heart’s overflowing love and gratitude for mom with a handmade greeting card if you like. Then put a tinge of color - a single red, pink or peach rose and her must-have perk upper Organique Acai Berry Premium Blend beside the tummy-filling meal to prep up her for your planned out active day.

nNext, pamper her. Book her for a head-to-toe makeover, a soothing signature facial, complete with manicure and pedicure. Follow it thru with a spa date together for a day of relaxation and rejuvenation.

Cap the R&R with your personally prepared cool, nourishing and invigorating glassful of Organique

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Acai Blend Premium Blend smoothie or shake* garnished with crushed watermelon chunks or banana bits. *(for the recipe, log on to www. organique.com.ph or call hotline 8245217; available in Mercury Drugstores and all leading supermarkets and drugstores nationwide.)

Double the praise, hugs, kisses, pampering as you give your utmost TLC to the hand that rocked the cradle when you were but a babe. And there are 101 ways and 365 days to show our love and appreciation for mom and she deserves every bit of it. The touching gestures will warm mama’s tender heart, especially this Mother’s Day.

FORTINET DEMONSTRATES EFFICIENT CYBERSECURITY STANDARDS, RECEIVES‘RECOMMENDED’ RATING

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ORTINET, a global leader in broad, integrated and automated cyber-security solutions, demonstrates a 100-percent block rate on exploits, document and scriptbased malware—with zero false positives—as well as with web and offline threat, based from the latest NSS Labs’ annual advanced endpoint protection (AEP) group test. FortiClient has received NSS Labs’ coveted ‘Recommended’ rating with an overall security effectiveness rating of 97.3 percent this year.

FortiClient delivers an impressive combination of security effectiveness and total cost of ownership (TCO) per agent as reflected in the NSS Labs security value map for AEP solutions.

NSS Labs defines AEP agents as endpoint-security technologies that combine the protective capabilities of antithreat products with the detection, investigation and prevention capabilities of endpoint-security products.

NSS Labs’ AEP report provides the industry’s most comprehensive test results for effectiveness and TCO for

MAYBANK LEADS EXECUTIVE FORUM IN MANAGING CYBERSECURITY

security agents protecting today’s increasingly intelligent and hyperconnected endpoint devices.

Several Fortinet fabric-ready technology alliancepartners are also among the “Recommended” vendors in this report, including Carbon Black and SentinelOne. These solutions are among those certified compatible with FortiClient fabric agent to provide integration- and intelligence-sharing with the security fabric. The broad Fortinet fabric-ready partner program, an ecosystem of complementary technologies, enables customers to maximize their existing technology investments and get even more value from their security deployments.

Fortinet remains the certified most independent security vendor in the industry and is the only provider with an NSS Recommended ratings for network, web application, and endpoint security, as well as for breach detection and breach prevention.

YBER threat is real victimizing people and various organizations. Lately, financial institutions have become the primary targets. Maybank Philippines Inc., as thought leader and change catalyst, is committed to the protection of information as critical asset of any organization, and strives to engage industry cooperation through intelligence sharing with local and international counterparts.

In cooperation with Financial Services Information Sharing and Catalyst Center (FS-ISAC), Maybank organized an executive forum, dubbed “Managing Cyber Security in the Age of Digital Transformation”, on May 2 at the Maybank Performing Arts Theater.

“Banking, like in any other industry, is built on trust and confidence of millions of customers. We have exceptionally strong shared interest in maintaining that trust and in doing our lever best to address anything that could seriously undermine it.

We hope that this first Maybank executive forum will increase public awareness on cyber security and bring us together for a closer collaboration on this very important subject,” Choong Wai Hong said in his welcome remarks.

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Deputy Governor Chuchi Fonacier was the keynote speaker at the forum, where over 300 guests attended from the government, including chief executives, senior officers

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their future visions, building ecosystems and exploiting data to create value.

Fujitsu first published the Fujitsu technology and service vision in April 2013 and has updated it annually since then.

The key concept of this vision is how digital technology can empower people to create significant value for business and society. Fujitsu calls this approach “human-centric innovation”, the key to driving digital transformation.

Data is causing the transformation of entire industries, a significant shift from vertically integrated value chains to distributed ecosystems. In a hyperconnected world, blockchain and new advanced security technologies will underwrite uncertainty in transactions and assure the trustworthiness of data. Interconnected ecosystems have the potential to evolve into an autonomous and distributed network society.

Fujitsu’s vision is closely aligned with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, and leverages its gained knowledge in using the latest digital technologies and its track record in building and operating systems in a wide range of industries.

24 ARRESTED OVER GLOBALTECH’S ILLEGAL GAMBLING OPERATIONS IN NEGROS OCCIDENTAL

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WENTY-FOUR people were arrested in two separate operations by the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) and National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) against Globaltech Mobile Online Corp.’s illegal “Peryahan ng Bayan” in Negros Occidental.

Retired Marine Major Manuel Fraginal Sr., executive assistant VI of PCSO General Manager Alexander Balutan, said the joint operations were conducted on May 7 in the cities of Bacolod and Escalante. “Out of 24, 13 persons came from Burgos and Lacson Streets, Bacolod City and the other 11 from a house in North Avenue, from Escalante City [bet-collection station],” Fraginal said.

The NBI team was led by lawyers Renoir Baldovino and Jose Gabriel Jr. One of the arrested persons was Lito Estember, provincial coordinator, who had earlier reported to the local media that he filed criminal charges of grave coercion, and alarm and scandal against Fraginal in his

previous operation against his group.

“We also confiscated various illegal numbers games paraphernalia to include two draw court machines, cartons/ boxes of bet slips/papelitos; and numerous office equipment to include desktop computers, two large air-conditioning sets, calculators, loud speaker boxes, water dispensers, tables and chairs,” Fraginal added.

Fraginal said the PCSO was able to get a court order from Executive Judge Cecilyn E. Burgos-Villabert of the Regional Trial Court Branch 89, Quezon City, to conduct search and arrest against Globaltech’s illegal gambling operation. The anti-illegal gambling operation in Bacolod was witnessed by Thelma Aguilar, a barangay kagawad of Barangay 19.

The arrested individuals were brought and confined to the NBI Headquarters in Bacolod for fingerprinting and identification, including all the confiscated gambling paraphernalia for court presentation, inquest and filing of appropriate charges.

Carlo Dimarucut, senior director of SGV and Co./Ernst and Young, tackled “Cyber Security Threat: Artificial Intelligence and MachineLearning”.

According to him, the key to avoid cyber threat is not clicking on dubious links, which pops up or sent through media sites and e-mails along the way.

Meanwhile, Robert Poh, Certified Information Security manager, who is also currently the director for Asia of FS-ISAC based in Singapore, presented “Cyber Intel Sharing for the Financial Institutions: An Overview of Strength in Sharing”, which focuses on international best practices that the industry can adopt to effectively combat cyber-crimes.

Leony Garcia

ONLY THE BEST THIS MOTHER’S DAY WITH AETREX SANDALS

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LWAYS on their toes in making sure that every member of the family gets fed, dressed, and loved to the best of their abilities, moms are truly the most selfless and loving people you’ll ever meet.

As the world comes together to celebrate these wonderful nurturing women, the world’s leading foot orthotics brand Aetrex

FUJITSU SETS OUT ‘CO-CREATION FOR SUCCESS’ UJITSU releases the latest evolution of the Fujitsu technology and service vision. Fujitsu’s global theme this year is ‘Cocreation for Success’. Fujitsu has been engaged in many cocreation projects with customers and partners, which have delivered successful outcomes, ranging from improvement of efficiency in manufacturing to the transformation of the customer experience in retail and financial services.

Today digital cocreation is shifting into a new phase, from proof of concept to new business creation. This year Fujitsu introduces key success factors for digital transformation, while proposing a new approach to transforming data into value, trends in breakthrough technologies, and new business and societal models in the era of the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence and Blockchain.

Rapid advances in digital technology are transforming our daily lives, our businesses and entire industries. Business leaders have told us digital transformation is not easy, however, and creates many challenges. Nevertheless, organizations can overcome these challenges by setting out

and other key stakeholders from financial institutions and other industries.

This is in support of BSP’s thrust and ongoing initiatives to move the industry to a more resilient state in response to the fast increasing and evolving cyberthreat landscape.

Department of Information and Communications Technology Assistant Secretary Allan Cabanlong discussed the laws and actions enacted by the government of the Philippines to address cyber crime and security. He also discussed the National Cyber Security Plan 2022, including the emerging cyber-security trends and challenges, and the best-inclass possible solutions.

offers a wide range of exceptional products that will make for a truly precious and thoughtful Mother’s Day gift!

For over 70 years, Aetrex has maintained its position as the leading provider of aftermarket orthotics in the world— teaming up with health-care professionals, countless multibrand retailers and leading footwear brands all over the globe, including New Balance, Asics, Rockport and Wolverine Worldwide, to create a selection of medically oriented footwear and footcare products that instantly improve foot health and footwear performance.

Pioneering as it is life changing, Aetrex introduces its latest collection of orthotic sandals that will surely provide moms with the finest comfort and support they need to go about their days. Drawing from its decades-long expertise in orthotic design, Aetrex takes comfort, fashion and function to the next level with its wide-ranging selection of footwear that incorporates the brand’s “healthy three components”.

As moms juggle various tasks and responsibilities on a daily basis, the Lynco Arch Support featured in all Aetrex sandals serves to align the feet at its optimal

position to allow for proper balance. Not only does it provides extended comfort but also improves how the body functions from the ground up.

Upon slipping on a pair of Aetrex sandals, moms will immediately feel the difference as each pair is equipped with a memory foam cushioning, a thick layer of slow recovery memory foam that uniquely adapts to one’s feet.

All Aetrex Sandals are equipped with the antimicrobial technology which protects the feet against fungi, bacteria and odor.

Perfect for the most discerning moms, this cutting-edge footwear technology will help them maintain a clean and healthy environment for their feet, no matter the activity and environment she engages in.

A l l three trademark foot wear technologies can be found in each of Aetrex Sandals which come in a variety of classic designs and sophisticated colors. No matter what her style preference is, you are sure to find an Aetrex sandals that will make her feel special this Mother’s Day. Aetrex is distributed in the Philippines by the Primer Group of Companies.

ORGANIZE YOUR HEALTH-CARE INFORMATION AND LIVE HEALTHIER WITH CHECKAPP

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O you want to make your medical record and history available at your fingertips? And connect with health-care providers like doctors, hospitals, labs, pharmacies and even the nearest paramedics or ambulance, especially on crucial times you need them the most?

CheckApp now makes everything possible while a lso secur ing and maintaining your health-care information digitally. The new medical platform brings you a digital repository of your clinical information and analytical insights. With CheckApp, you can discover health-care services, maintain your health records and experience personalized digital health assessment.

The Check App Project ventures into that dreaded territory: To connect and bridge all hospitals, all medical professionals, all diagnostic centers, all clinics and all paramedic providers to the general public through digital technology.

This dream and ambition for a “One Health, One Nation” has long been the dreams of doctors behind CheckApp,

headed by Dr. Christopher Tengco and in with partnership with Carewell Health Systems Inc. No-less than the medical doctors themselves banded together and set up Check App Republic Inc. (Cari) and recently launched the CheckApp tool for the good of many.

Downloading the app is free. Along with your free download, you will get unlimited free access to a directory of all hospitals, medical professionals and ambulance service in the Philippines.

It’s Google maps-integrated, thus, your search for a specific health provider gives you a list of the ones nearest your point of

location. This makes this app the ultimate travel tool, too.

Once you register, you become automatically a silver member and this is your basic membership. Basic membership paves the way for all these important features for free: Online health-care Yellow Pages and complete medical provider directory.

“By bridging all health-care providers, medical facilities, pharmacies, medical products and everything in the medical industry, health would definitely be achieved by all,” said Dr. Menzi Orellana, chief medical officer of Cari.