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Saturday, November 5, 2016 Vol. 12 No. 24

P25.00 nationwide | 2 sections 20 pages | 7 days a week

A woman carries her baby across an area damaged by Supertyphoon Yolanda (international code name Haiyan) in Tacloban City, Leyte, on November 12, 2013. Four days after one of the strongest storms on record struck eastern Philippines, assistance is only just beginning to arrive. AP/Aaron Favila

Yolanda survivors still in sorry state 3 years after devastation

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By Elmer V. Recuerdo | Correspondent

ACLOBAN CITY—The government’s housing project for families displaced by Supertyphoon Yolanda (international code name Haiyan) three years ago is finally making headway, if the basis is solely on the number of houses that have been constructed.

But conditions on the ground see a myriad of problems that, if not addressed in the earliest possible time, the billions of pesos spent for them would mostly go down the

drain. One would just wonder what the local government units (LGUs) have done to address the plight of their constituents over the last three years.

Data from the National Housing Authority (NHA) show 205,128 families from 116 cities and municipalities who were affected by Yolanda have been identified for relocation—because either their houses were destroyed or they are living in so-called unsafe zones.

Some 117,203 families from Western Visayas have been identified by the NHA as qualified for relocation, in contrast to only 56,140 families in Eastern Visayas, which is the most-battered region by the supertyphoon that devastated a big portion of the country on November 8, 2013. The government has earmarked P59.77 billion to build houses for the typhoon-displaced families.

Among the criteria used in the selection of target beneficiaries are the informal-settler families (ISF) should be situated within the 40-meter unsafe zones of the LGU; that the ISF has been validated by the local Social Welfare and Development Office; and that the ISF should be in coastal cities or municipalities and included in the Provincial Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Plan (PRRP), as submitted to the Office of the Presidential Assistant for Rehabilitation and Recovery (OPARR), formerly headed by Sen. Panfilo M. Lacson Sr. Each family has a budget allocation of P290,000 for the houseand-lot package, with a 22-squaremeter house that can withstand up to 250 kilometers per hour of wind-load capacity. The land development includes concrete roads and drainage system, water pipeline-distribution system, electrical-distribution system and individual septic tank.

Filipino domestics in Saudi face drastic wage slash amid oil glut

Overseas Filipino workers arrive on March 9, 2013, at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. Filipino household workers in Saudia Arabia are facing a 50-percent wage slash due to the contraction of the Kingdom’s economy. AP/Bullit Marquez

Housing-project audit

As of September 5 this year, or nearly three years after Yolanda struck, only 11,618 houses—or 10 percent of the target—have been completed and 29,384 are considered as partially or substantially completed, per record of the NHA. Compounding this is the slow-paced implementation, with the complaint of some residents, ranging from allegations that the houses are made of substandard materials to absence of amenities and livelihood opportunities at the relocation site.

Fisherman Narito Cuesta, 42, a resident of the worst-hit San Jose district, is among the first few Eastern Samar today

PESO exchange rates n US 48.3360

By Recto Mercene

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audi Arabian households want the salaries of their house­ help slashed by half, in the face of shrinking standard of living in that Middle Eastern country brought about by persistent low prices of oil and a glut in the world market.

Recruitment consultant Manny Geslani said many Saudi women employers want salaries of househelp reduced by 50 percent, from the present 2,000 Saudi riyals (P25,000) to 1,000 Saudi riyals (P12,900).

He said Saudi women are complaining of the high wages being paid to Filipina househelp, who receive a monthly salary of 1,500 Saudi riyals (P19,365), the equivalent of $400, under a bilateral labor agreement forged in 2013 by then-Labor Secretary Rosalinda D. Baldoz.

The agreement also imposes additional benefits, like ninehour workday, overtime pay, opening of bank account for the househelp, one-day off “and one of the highlights of the bargain See “Saudi,” A2

Continued on A2

n japan 0.4694 n UK 60.2460 n HK 2.2333 n CHINA 7.1476 n singapore 34.9349 n australia 37.1124 n EU 53.6916 n SAUDI arabia 12.8860 Source: BSP (04 November 2016)

News

BusinessMirror

A2 Saturday, November 5, 2016

From danger to death zone continued from A1

who transferred to a permanent shelter in the northern villages of Tacloban. “The house looks beautiful on the outside, but when it rains, water leaks from the roof.

You will also know that it is not sturdy, because when you knock on the concrete wall, it sounds hollow. There are already cracks on the wall,” he said.

Barely two months at the permanent shelter, Cuesta is now back in San Jose, where thousands of his neighbors died during the typhoon. “I am a fisherman. The place given to me is far from the sea and I have no other source of income. My family will die of hunger if we continue to live there,” he said in the local dialect.

Local housing-rights advocates, led by the Community of Yolanda Survivors and Partners (CYSP), an alliance of 163 community organizations supported by nine non-governmental organizations (NGOs) working in the forefront of Yolanda response, are asking the government to provide basic services, like water, electricity, schools and livelihood, in resettlement sites. They are also asking the government to conduct an audit on the housing projects to address the complaints.

“The construction is very slow and, in some municipalities, construction of housing projects has yet to start. The need is for the government to immediately review ongoing projects in view of survivors’ complaints of substandard construction, initiate an audit with survivors’ participation and immediately provide a venue for consultation with survivors. Otherwise, precious government funds are going to be wasted,” said Danny Carranza, Policy and Advocacy lead person of CYSP. “Takot ang mga lilipat na mawawalan ng hanapbuhay, at ang lilipatan ay walang tubig, ilaw kuryente, at malayo sa paaralan, dahil malalayo ang ipinatayong housing projects,” said Fara Gumalo, a survivor from Tacloban City, who represents Freedom from Debt Coalition, a member of CYSP. “Kaya nga ang nauuso ngayon ay from danger to death zone.”

But if the problem in Tacloban is the lack of social services at the resettlement sites, Yolanda-affected communities in Eastern Samar

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Saudi...

continued from A1

is the stipulation that employers could no longer keep the worker’s passport,” Geslani added.

Domino effect

THE living conditions in Eastern Samar today

are asking if there will ever be a relocation that will be provided to them. Many municipalities have not yet identified sites to relocate families in high-risk areas and the listing of beneficiaries has to be redone due to discrepancies between the NHA figures and the number of families that need to be transferred.

Many residents are getting restless, as they are not aware if there is any plan to relocate them; all they know is that the community where they lived from the start is now marked a “no-build zone” and that, sooner or later, they will be asked to leave the place.

“The people are kept in the dark. They don’t know what the plans are for them,” said Rina Reyes, project manager of NGO Katarungan-Eastern Visayas.

“Where will we be relocated?

What are our options? What exactly is the plan of the local government? These are legitimate questions that are not being answered,” says Lita Bagunas, president of Giporlos Shelter Rights for No-Build Zone Federation, a groups from four coastal villages.

She said the local government has to respond because decisions that will be done will have big impact to their families, especially on their livelihood and education of their children.

Giporlos Mayor Mark Biong admitted that, until now, no re-

settlement site has been identified yet, because of difficulty in looking for an area big enough to build the houses that will pass the requirement of the NHA.

Like many Yolanda-affected municipalities in Eastern Samar, many of the barangays are along the shoreline that are marked as high-risk areas. Also, most of the areas in Eastern Samar have no land titles, while the titled lands are sold at exorbitant rates due to the demand for resettlement sites.

“It is difficult to find a titled land that is 4.5 hectares big, where the 700 houses can be constructed,” he told the audience.

He said some residents volunteered their land, but more paper works have to be done, like the lack of records or the land size that does not match what is in the land title.

Biong also criticized some landowners who are taking advantage of the situation by jacking up the prices of their property. “We know that the land here costs only between P18 to P20, but now they are selling them at P150 to P200 per square meter.” In some areas in the town of Hernani, farmlands that qualify as resettlement area are sold as much as P1,500 per square meter.

He said many landowners are now dead and the heirs could not agree among themselves on the price of the property and how they will divide the money.

Biong also admitted that no final list of beneficiaries has been done yet because he does not trust the list given to him by many barangay captains. “I don’t trust the list. There are times when some who are deserving are not listed, and there are some who are on the list that are not deserving,” he said.

The initial list submitted to him, he added, only covered 360 beneficiaries, but he was able to convince the NHA to increase it to 700. “We found some houses had two or three households under one roof. We will revalidate the list to be fair with everybody,” he said.

“What we want to do is ensure first the housing project, all the departments will comply with what needs to be submitted, then we will start the assessment,” he said.

The complete listing of beneficiaries can be accomplished in three months, he noted.

Biong said he wants to be “personally on top of the listing of beneficiaries” and take responsibility for any criticism that might come later. He said being in his last term in office frees him of suspicion of politicking.

Rina Reyes of Katarungan said there should be a national agency that will be on top of the situation, a body similar to Oparr but with teeth, a central body that can call meetings and censure agencies that are not doing their job.

“Because of the new labor agreement, deployment of Filipino household service workers (HSW) to Saudi Arabia went up to 30,000 in 2014, from 11,000 in 2013, and increased to 70,000 in 2015.”

However, the price of crude oil, which stood at $120 per barrel in 2015, plummeted to $30 in 2016. It had a domino effect on government spending, which cut or canceled government projects worth $120 billion.

“As a result, huge government contractors, like Saudi Bin Laden, Saudi Oger and Mojil, failed to pay the salaries of 11,000 Filipino workers resulting in starvation and despair for our OFWs,” Geslani said.

This year deployment has gone down to 40,000 HSW due to contraction of the Saudi economy.

One third of Saudi Arabia’s 32 million citizens are dependent on foreign labors. Today, with the kingdom facing a substantial loss of oil revenues, a renewed threat of Arab Spring from young jobless citizens looms, and it is now renewing its “Saudization” scheme with zeal.

Pampered life

Saudization means employing locals, instead of expats, in the private sector to reduce its foreign-reserve outflow. Started in 1995, the scheme remains an elusive dream because many Saudis abhor manual labor, grown accustomed to a pampered life, subsidized by their “black gold.”

But King Salman, in a series of Royal Decrees in September this year, has ordered drastic cuts in many sectors. He said salaries of ministers be slashed by 20 percent, Shura Council members by 15 percent, and another 15-percent cut on car and housing perks, including the price of vehicles, expenses for drivers, maintenance and fuel during their four-year term, according to Arab News.

Overtime bonuses were also curbed at between a quarter and half of basic salaries, while annual leave may now no longer exceed 30 days. The monthly transportation allowance for employees during vacation days will be stopped.

The annual leave for the ministers and those in the similar rank will be 36 days, instead of the current 42 days. They will be compensated for the days exceeding 90 days from their annual leave credit.

Appointments and hiring in all vacant posts and programs in all government posts will be halted until the end of the current fiscal year.

Another other Royal Decree scaled back financial perks for public-sector employees.

Salary fix

The Federation of Labor Committees in Saudi Arabia has called for fixing a minimum salary for Saudi workers in the private sector to achieve labor-market stability.

“This is also essential to attract Saudis to the private sector, as well as to protect their rights with employers who intent to re-

cruit cheap labor,” according to the Saudi Gazette.

The Kingdom’s harsh measures were meant to further spread the burden of shoring up public finances to a population accustomed to years of government largesse.

“By curbing what many Saudis had for years taken for granted, the government is signaling a determination to reduce the highest budget deficit among the world’s 20 biggest economies amid low oil prices and a lingering war in neighboring Yemen,” the Arab News said.

Following reports of the laidoff OFWs, President Duterte has ordered the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and its attached agencies the immediate repatriation of Filipino workers from Saudi Arabia, after the extent of the current oil crisis came into light.

DOLE’s move

IN October Labor Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III helped in the repatriation of more than 2,000 workers, who arrived on various flights at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia).

Another 1,000 OFWs are waiting for their exit visas to be able to leave Saudi Arabia.

The Overseas Workers Welfare Association said these laid-off OFWs are entitled to the Relief Assistance Program and other financial- and business-assistance packages.

Geslani said the rest of the OFWs have opted to remain in Saudi Arabia, hoping for new jobs offered by Saudi companies and also to wait for their much-delayed salaries from the beleaguered companies negotiating for new loans to pay their debts.

There is an estimated 9,000 to 11,000 Filipino workers who were retrenched when falling oil prices destabilized the Saudi economy and forced construction companies to cut down on employees. Many Filipinos remain in Saudi to settle their legal cases and claim their end-ofservice benefits and salary or transfer to financially stable companies.

Overstay

The kingdom’s Ministry of Civil Service has refused to renew the contracts of 478 expat medical professionals working at King Saud University (KSU), among them Filipinos. The ministry said these workers had spent a long period of time in the kingdom and that there were qualified Saudis to replace them, according to the Etemaad Daily.

The Saudis also called for the implementation of the Civil Service Ministry’s requirement that a contract worker’s period of service should not exceed 10 years in Saudi universities. This comes in the wake of reports that the kingdom wanted to cut reliance on foreign workers and recruiting only highly technical workers and monitoring investments closely, the Arab News said.

“The kingdom will now be more selective in hiring foreign workers while giving highlights of the annual budget,” King Salman’s minister of finance said.

“Hence, the plan to reduce its reliance on overseas workers is quite logical,” Finance Minister, Al-Assaf said.

Inflation steadied in October

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he average rate of price increases in October remained stable at 2.3 percent as in the previous month, with the trend expected to continue for the rest of the year, according to the National Economic and Development Authority.

“The steady inflation rate in October is due to slower increases in prices of health commodities, and alcoholic beverages and tobacco,” Socioeconomic Planning Secretary and Neda Director General Ernesto M. Pernia said.

He added that although domestic demand is anticipated to remain robust, supply conditions, particularly of food, are expected to improve.

“This should help keep commodity prices steady. Rice prices

will be kept stable by the timely arrival of rice imports under the government-to-government procurement scheme,” Pernia said.

The steady rate was seen despite food inflation slightly increasing to 3.5 percent in October, from 3.1 percent in the previous month. Also, vegetable prices continued to remain elevated and further inched up in the same period due to limited supply owing to recent weather-related disruptions, particularly typhoons Lawin and Karen.

“But inflation for January to October averaged 1.6 percent, well below the target range of 2 percent to 4 percent set by the government for this year. We expect inflation for full year 2016 to settle below the target range, but upside risks remain,” the Cabinet official said.

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Saturday, November 5, 2016

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It’s not just Trump casting political cloud over Asean

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ment manager Loomis, Sayles & Co.

“Such degradation of the rule of law over time could negatively impact foreign direct investment interest in the Philippines and hurt its longer-term economic prospects,” she said.

onald Trump’s protectionist policies aside, rising political risk in Southeast Asia is casting a shadow over economies that have been a driver of global growth in recent years.

Foreign investors pulled out of Thailand stocks at the fastest pace this year in October. The Philippine peso has sunk close to levels last traded during the global financial crisis. Malaysia’s currency is also in a funk.

The common denominator is heightened political risk—from President Duterte’s stinging attacks on the US and his violent crackdown on crime in the Philippines to the death of King Bhumibol Adulyadej in Thailand that’s removed an anchor of stability in the country. Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, meanwhile, is embroiled in a funding scandal that’s being investigated by authorities around the world.

“Political risk is certainly on the rise in Southeast Asia,” said Bill Hayton, author of The South China Sea: The Struggle for Power in Asia. “The return of geopolitical competition in the region is creating uncertainties that had gradually dissipated following the end of the Cold War.”

The worry for investors is that the uncertainty will stall decision making, and scare off tourists and foreign investors at a time when

‘Heightened tension’

HAYTON: “Political risk is certainly on the rise in Southeast Asia.”

President Duterte (left) and Chinese President Xi Jinping shake hands after a signing ceremony in Beijing on October 20. AP/Ng Han Guan

exports—the region’s key growth driver—are already struggling.

That’s before even factoring in global risks, like higher US interest rates and a Trump win in elections next week.

So far, the hit has been felt on financial markets, rather than the economy. Capital Economics Ltd.’s Krystal Tan and Gareth Leather said in a research note that they are sticking to their 2016 growth forecasts for the Philippines and Thailand this year, but next year is more uncertain and depends how the politics plays out.

The International Monetary Fund is forecasting growth of 3.3 percent in Thailand next year, 4.6 percent in Malaysia and 6.7 percent in the Philip-

pines. Sovereign risk—measured by five-year credit-default swaps—have risen for all three countries since September.

Thailand risk

“Investors are not happy with the developments in these three countries as they introduce uncertainty,” said Manu George, a Singapore-based fixed-income director at Schroder Investment Management Ltd., which oversees the equivalent of $424 billion globally. With heightened political uncertainty from the US to Europe, “we are all resigned to the fact that geopolitical risk has risen globally,” he said.

The biggest worry may be Thailand, Southeast Asia’s sec-

ond-largest economy, where Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn has requested a delay in taking the throne. The country has been under military rule since a 2014 coup, with elections due to be held late next year.

Foreign funds sold a net $514 million of Thai equities in October, more than five times as much as from the Philippines. Economists have warned that a year-long mourning period may curb growth on entertainment and other social spending. Airlines and tour operators are bracing for possibly fewer visitors to a country famed for its beaches, islands and nightspots.

Tourism makes up about 10 percent of GDP and has fanned a surging current-account surplus.

Worst performer

In the Philippines the peso fell to a seven-year low of 48.618 in October and was Asia’s worst performer in the third quarter, when it fell 3 percent. Global funds have pulled more than $600 million from Philippine stocks since inflows this year peaked in August.

While government officials have sought to soothe nerves, there are worries the nation’s more than $20-billion business-outsourcing industry, which is dominated by American firms, will be hurt by Duterte’s pivot away from the US and toward China.

The use of alleged extrajudicial killings of criminals is hurting confidence, said Celeste Tay, senior sovereign analyst in Singapore at invest-

Malaysia’s uncertainty centers around a global probe into allegations of corruption and money laundering involving state fund 1Malaysia Development Bhd. (1MDB), whose advisory board Najib chaired until May. 1MDB and Najib have repeatedly denied those charges and his domestic support has held up.

To be sure, no one is forecasting an economic crisis just yet and it’s not like the region is new to these kinds of concerns. With the exception of Duterte’s comments, “everything that is happening in Southeast Asia is not particularly surprising,” said Trinh Nguyen, a senior economist for emergingmarket Asia at Natixis SA in Hong Kong.

Still, the worry spots are growing against a backdrop of other challenges, such as China’s growing military and political muscle in the region, said Damian Karmelich, managing director of risk firm Political Monitor in Sydney.

“The region is challenged by a number of types of emerging political risks, each of which add to the potential for heightened tension,” he said. “The risk outlook is moderate to high.” Bloomberg News

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The World BusinessMirror

Saturday, November 5, 2016 • Editor: Lyn Resurreccion

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US dispatches former envoy to NoKor to PHL

US Secretary of State John Kerry (right) applauds after swearing in Sung Kim as US ambassador to Manila. AP

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ecretary of State John Kerry expressed confidence on Thursday that the US relationship with the Philippines can survive recent turbulence, as he swore in a new US ambassador to the Southeast Asian nation.

Kerry administered the oath of office to Sung Kim, formerly the chief US envoy for North Korea policy, in a ceremony at the State Department.

Kim, a career diplomat, takes up his new position in turbulent times.

Outspoken President Duterte, who took office in June after winning a presidential election, has been antagonistic to

Washington over human rights criticisms.

Duter te has forged closer ties with China—a blow to the Obama administration effort to forge deeper ties with Asia. He has declared his desire to scale back military engagements with the US and has told President Barack Obama to “go to hell.”

But Kerry remained confident about the future of the 70-year alliance between the US and its former colony, “notwithstanding a difference here or there about one thing or another.”

“Democratic elections bring change, and we must have the wisdom to recognize and adjust to that change. But the logic of our alliance and why we have stood together for so long,” Kerry said, “are as compelling today as they have ever been.”

Kerry met with Duterte in Manila in July and said on Thursday he hopes to visit again before he ends his term as secretary of state.

On Wednesday, Defense Secretary Ash Carter said the US continues to regard the Philippines as an ally but stressed it isn’t America’s only friend in the region, where Washington has been pushing against China’s assertive behavior in the disputed South China Sea. AP

A man watches TV screens showing the live broadcast of South Korean President Park Geun-hye addressing the nation at the Yongsan Electronic store in Seoul, South Korea, on Friday. AP

Embattled SoKor president: Scandal my fault and mistake

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n an extraordinary display of abject apology during a moment of supreme crisis, South Korean President Park Geun-hye took sole blame on Friday for a “heartbreaking” scandal, amid rising suspicion that she allowed a mysterious confidante to manipulate power from the shadows.

Park also vowed to accept a direct investigation into her actions, but the opposition, sensing weakness, immediately said that if she doesn’t accept a prime minister chosen by the parliament and withdraw from dealing with domestic affairs, it will push for her ouster.

“I feel a huge responsibility [for the scandal] deep in my heart,” Park said, her voice shaking during the high-stakes televised address to the nation over a scandal that threatens her rule. “It is all my fault and mistake.”Park’s comments were rife with astonishing moments, and included a

frank assessment of her relationship with the woman at the heart of the scandal, Choi Soon-sil, the daughter of a cult leader and a longtime friend of Park’s.

“I put too much faith in a personal relationship and didn’t look carefully at what was happening,” Park said. “Sad thoughts trouble my sleep at night. I realize that whatever I do, it will be difficult to mend the hearts of the people, and then I feel a sense of shame and ask myself, ‘Is this the reason I became president?’” In another exceptional moment, Park denied media speculation that she had “fallen

into worshipping cult religions or that shamanistic rituals were held at the presidential Blue House.”

Her comments come at what may well prove to be the crucial moment of her presidency.

Park is attempting to show the contrition and sense of responsibility that South Koreans demand while reestablishing her tarnished credibility.

She is in the fourth year of a single five-year term and faced criticism even before this scandal, particularly for the government’s response to a 2014 ferry sinking that killed more than 300 people.

One national poll had her approval rating at 5 percent, the lowest for any leader in South Korea’s 68-year history.

“Anyone found by the current investigation to have done something wrong must be held responsible for what they have done, and I am also ready to face any responsibility,” Park said. “If necessary, I’m determined to let prosecutors investigate me and accept an investigation by an independent counsel too.”

Last week Park surprised many when she acknowledged that she had relied on Choi for help editing presidential speeches and other undefined “public relations” issues.

I put too much faith in a personal relationship and didn’t look carefully at what was happening. Sad thoughts trouble my sleep at night.”

—Park Anger has exploded in the days since, with media reports claiming that the influence Choi had went much deeper.

There are reports that Choi reviewed and made recommendations on government policy papers, helped choose presidential aides and even picked out Park’s wardrobe.

Thousands have protested. Park has fired many of her senior aides and is replacing her prime minister.

Choi has been formally arrested, and the president’s nominee for prime minister, the country’s No. 2 job, has suggested that Park can be directly investigated, despite her immunity from prosecution.

Park said she couldn’t talk about many specifics because of the investigation, but she was frank in her comments about her involvement with Choi, who has been the subject of widespread rage. AP

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Saturday, November 5, 2016 A5

POWERHOUSE SEMIS Clinton

TRUMP

SO IT’S HILLARY?

By Leada Gore

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Alabama Media Group

HE Chicago Cubs are World Series champs. So that means Hillary Clinton will win the White House next Tuesday.

At least that’s what will happen if history repeats itself, some pundits said.

It turns out there’s a link between the winner of the World Series and who wins the presidential election.

Here’s what political blogger Ken Rudin pointed out: “When the World Series goes to a Game Seven, if the American League [AL] team wins, Republicans win the White House.

If the National League [NL] team wins, Democrats win the White House,” he wrote.

To prove his point, he added this list: 1972 (AL team wins)—Richard Nixon (R) 1968 (AL team wins)—Richard Nixon (R) 1964 (NL team wins)—Lyndon Johnson (D) 1960 (NL team wins)—John F. Kennedy (D) 1956 (AL team wins)—Dwight Eisenhower (R) 1952 (AL team wins)—Dwight Eisenhower (R) 1940 (NL team wins)—Franklin Roosevelt (D) 1924 (AL team wins)—Calvin Coolidge (R) That means Wednesday night’s seven-game win by the Cubs of the National League over the American League Cleveland Indians favors a Clinton win. And apparently, the Democratic presidential nominee was paying attention: Not everyone is buying the link, however.

Forbes pointed out in the 27 elections held between 1908 and 2012, there has been a correlation between the World Series winner and the victor in the presidential election 16 times—or 59 percent.

“Statistically speaking, that’s more of a coincidence. It’s about the same correlation between a player growing a playoff beard and winning a championship,” Forbes said.

No word, or Tweet, yet from Trump. AP

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POWERHOUSE cast take the floor in the Shakey’s V-League Season 13 Reinforced Conference Final Four with none of the teams holding a distinct advantage over the other, guaranteeing a pair of explosive matches in the semifinal round that fires off on Saturday at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig City.

Pocari Sweat has the manpower and momentum but University of Santo Tomas (UST) has the guts and big fighting heart when they slug it out for the second time in three days.

BaliPure and Customs, on the other hand, are out on a highly emotional encounter in their side of the best-of-three playoff.

The BaliPure-Customs match is set at 4 p.m., while the Pocari-UST duel is at 6 p.m.

The Lady Warriors toppled the Tigresses in four sets on Wednesday night in their duel for the top seeding at the close of the eliminations. But BaliPure remains wary of their rivals, who dropped to No. 4 after finishing tied for second with the Water Defenders and Transformers.

“The chemistry is there on and off the court so the team is doing well,” said Pocari Coach Rommel Abella, after steering the Lady Warriors to six straight wins after dropping their opening-game assignment to the Air Force Jet Spikers on October 5 to clinch the No. 1 spot.

But the Final Four will be an entirely different thing and Abella has stressed the need for his wards to improve on their blocking and reception.

“We also must become aggressive with our attacking game,” Abella added.

Import Breanna Mackie has been on attack mode after that loss to Air Force, pumping a series 20-hitplus games to emerge the third leading scorer after the eliminations. Andrea Kacsits has been providing solid backup along with local aces Myla Pablo, Michelle Gumabao, Desiree Dadang, Gyzel Sy and Filipino-American setter Iris Tolenada.

Mackie was also the top blocker after the eliminations,

edging University Athletic Association of the Philippines best Marivic Menedes of UST, 16-14, while Melissa Gohing emerged the best digger from among an elite group of receivers who dig deep to pass a spiked or fast-moving ball close to the floor.

But despite the absence of an import, the Tigresses proved they are a force to reckon with in the import-laced tournament sponsored by Shakey’s, sweeping their first four games to easily make it to the Final Four.

With her vast repertoire of shots, EJ Laure remains UST’s main weapon along with Meneses, who also thrives on running attacks; veteran Pam Lastimosa; and the diminutive Cherry Rondina, whose high-flying acts continue to stun her rivals and thrill the crowd.

The BaliPure-Customs duel is also tipped to go down-to-the-wire with the Water Defenders raring to prove they can go all the way even without their former ace player Alyssa Valdez, who moved over to the Transformers.

But BaliPure skipper Charo Soriano insisted their main concern is to toughen up on defense, fully aware of Valdez’s enormous skills along with Customs’ Thai reinforcements Kanjana Kuthaisong and Natthanicha Jaisaen.

“Our main concern is our defense. We knew we’re doing good but we have to double our efforts, especially on defense, because the playoffs are different from the elimination round,” said Soriano, whose team also boasts of talented imports in Katherine Morrell, who emerged the top scorer after the elims, and Kaylee Manns and local aces in Dzi Gervacio, Sue Roces, Mae Tajima and Amy Ahomiro and libero Dennise Lazaro.

The Spikers’ Turf Season 2 Third Conference Final Four also promises to be a slam-bang affair, with Cignal taking on Champion Supra at 12:30 p.m., right after the 10:30 a.m. match between Air Force and Instituto Estetico Manila.

Lance Agcaoili

Adidas overcomes currency moves

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RANKFURT, Germany—German shoe and sports gear company Adidas saw its third-quarter net profit rise 24 percent, as double-digit sales increases across most markets overcame negative effects related to exchange-rate shifts.

The company said on Thursday its net profit rose to €386 million ($428 million) from €311 million in the same period a year ago. Revenue rose 14 percent to €5.4 billion.

Overall, Adidas conceded that its

margins were hurt by “severe headwinds” from exchange-rate moves.

Russia, where the economy has struggled following the imposition of economic sanctions related to the conflict in the Ukraine, had only singledigit growth. Restructuring costs at the Reebok brand also weighed on the bottom line.

Adidas saw strong results from its Originals and neo product lines, as well as from running gear. AP

DROUGHT-BUSTER After putting together the first Boston Red Sox team to win the World Series in 86 years, Theo Epstein masterminded the Chicago Cubs’ first title in 108 years.

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LEVELAND—Holding the World Series trophy in his right hand, Theo Epstein grinned: “We don’t need a plane to fly home.”

After putting together the first Boston Red Sox team to win the World Series in 86 years, he masterminded the Chicago Cubs’ first title in 108 years.

Good chance baseball’s drought-buster will be flying to Cooperstown one day for his Hall of Fame induction.

“It’s fitting it’s got to be done with one of the best games of all time,” he said after Wednesday night’s 8-7, 10-inning thriller over the Cleveland Indians in Game Seven. “Just unbelievable. What a testament to our players, their grit.”

A sports editor of the Yale Daily News with a 1995 degree, Epstein interned with the Baltimore Orioles, went along with Larry Lucchino to the Padres and earned a law degree at the University of San Diego. He was hired by the Red Sox under Lucchino in November 2002, at 28 the youngest general manager in major-league history.

Boston won the World Series in 2004 and again in 2007. Epstein quit after the 2011 season to become president of baseball operations of the Cubs, who had been bought by the Ricketts family two years earlier.

“After 10 years, no matter how passionate you are, you see the same issues, day after day and you are around the same people day after day,” Epstein said then. “You are around the same landscape day after day for 10 years and, eventually, you will benefit from a new landscape and fresh problems.”

He and General Manager Jed Hoyer led a near-total makeover.

Albert Almora Jr., who scored the go-ahead run on Ben Zobrist’s 10thinning single, was the first player drafted under Epstein’s regime, taken sixth overall in 2012. Third baseman Kris Bryant was drafted in 2013 and outfielder Kyle Schwarber in 2014, and the Cubs traded for pitcher Jake Arrieta (from Baltimore), first baseman Anthony Rizzo (San Diego) and shortstop Addison Russell (Oakland).

Chicago spent on the free-agent market after the 2014 season for pitcher Jon Lester and last off-season for pitcher John Lackey, all-purpose player Ben Zobrist and outfielders Dexter Fowler and Jason Heyward.

Hard-throwing closer Aroldis Chapman, who got the win after blowing a 6-3, eighth-inning lead, was acquired from the New York Yankees in July, when Mike Montgomery, who got the save, was

obtained from Seattle.

Catcher Willson Contreras and second baseman Javier Baez were holdovers from the administration of Jim Hendry, the Cubs’ GM from 2002-2011.

While managing against the Cubs in the World Series, Cleveland’s Terry Francona praised Epstein, his boss in Boston from 2004-2011.

“Theo had the guts to hire me up there when, I don’t know, I didn’t have a ton of résumé and they were expected to win, and he believed in me,” Francona said. “We went eight years of a lot of good baseball. You’ve been to Boston enough to know if you can survive with somebody through eight years there, that says enough right there.”

Epstein’s grandfather Phillip and grand-uncle Julius J. Epstein won Academy Awards along with Howard E. Koch for the screenplay of Casablanca. While his relatives earned fame for fiction, Theo had made his mark in stark reality: ending two of baseball’s most notorious streaks.

“Our fans just deserve this so much, and all the former Cubs—everyone,” he said. “This is for so many people: Ernie Banks, Ron Santo, Billy Williams, who’s still here to come celebrate with us tomorrow when we see him. We’re bringing the trophy home to you guys. It’s been a century in the making.”

THEO EPSTEIN: It’s fitting it’s got to »be done with one of the best games of all time. AP

UNIVERSITY of Santo Tomas’s Shannen Palec (left) tries to score against Pocari Sweat’s Andrea Kay Kacsits (center) and Breanna Lee Mackie during their match on Wednesday night.

ALYSA SALEN

Green Archers brace for tough battle with rival Blue Eagles

By Joel Orellana

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E LA SALLE held a teambuilding activity during the 10-day break—as if the Green Archers needed one with the way they are dominating Season 79 of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) men’s basketball tournament.

On the other side of the Metro, Ateneo de Manila—clinging on to third spot with a 6-4 won-lost record—was busy preparing for a crucial match that would cement their spot in the Final Four—if they win.

The bitter rivals again meet at 4 p.m. on Saturday at the Smart Araneta

Coliseum, with the 12-0 Green Archers trying to move closer to a sweep for an automatic finals slot.

Green Archers Head Coach Aldin Ayo finally gets a taste of the fabled rivalry after he missed their first-round encounter to serve a one-game suspension for mocking a referee. De La Salle won in his absence, 9781, in that October 2 duel.

“Some of the guys are excited, and I’m nervous. But I prefer to be nervous because it brings out the best in me.

No complacency,” Ayo confessed.

And that’s what Ayo has been preaching his wards since Day One, keeping their

focus each game and not to take their opponents lightly.

“We have 74 schemes or plays and I’m only talking about our offense. We have the materials.

The question is ‘what will they do?’ The system is very demanding that it needs a lot of focus,” Ayo added.

The streaking Blue Eagles, who won their last two games, including a 65-50 demolition of Season 77 champion National University Bulldogs, are aiming to inflict De La Salle’s first loss of the season and put order in the Final Four phase.

Head Coach Tab Baldwin admitted they are not yet in the level of the Green Archers and defending champion Far Eastern University, but he is happy with what his players have churned out in the past two games.

“We’re maturing. We’re learning a few things. There are still some areas where we still have a lot of work to do,” Baldwin said. “I think it’s important for us to stay humble and not get carried away with some of the limited success that we’ve had.”

Baldwin found an unlikely hero in Raffy Verano in their win against NU, as the FilipinoAmerican forward hit a career-best 20 points to lead Ateneo in the victory.

More than Verano’s offensive contribution was his defense, which impressed Baldwin most.

And Verano’s defensive presence will be a key as the Blue Eagles try to limit the production of the Green Monster—Ben Mbala.

The 6-foot-7 Cameroonian, the leading candidate for the Most Valuable Player award, is leading the league in scoring with 20.7 points and second-best 16.3 rebounds per game. Mbala is also ahead in blocks with 2.1 swats per contest.

“We have some very good teams ahead of us, Adamson University, De La Salle and FEU. So if we drop our guard one little bit, we’re going to get smacked around and it will be foolish on our part,” Baldwin said.

NU (4-8) and University of the East (2-9), meanwhile, face off at 12 noon in what could be a do-or-die game for both squads. The Bulldogs need to sweep their last two games and hope the Falcons (5-5) won’t reach seven wins to force a playoff for the No. 4 spot in the semifinals.

For the Red Warriors, their fate no longer lies on their hands as they need not only victories, but prayers, to get a shot at a playoff for the last semifinals slot.

A6 Saturday, November 5, 2016

The Golf Geek

A pivotal month for golf in the Philippines

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ovember doesn’t just mark the true start of the tournament season in the Philippines. This year three international events are being staged in the country that could bring golf back to the forefront of Philippine consciousness.

Already on its fourth year, the prestigious Resorts World Manila Masters will be back on the Asian Tour schedule from November 10 to 13, on the plush greens of the Manila Southwoods Golf and Country Club in Cavite.

As with previous years, the 2016 Resorts World Manila Masters will determine who climbs the Asian Tour’s Order of Merit rankings, who takes home a piece of the $1-million prize pot, and who gets to be crowned the newest Resorts World Manila Masters champion.

In its three previous years, the Resorts World Manila Masters has provided some of the most exciting golf in Asia. In 2013 the inaugural tournament went down as one of the most exciting battles ever seen on the Asian Tour, with Chinese star Liang Wen-chong coming from behind to pip Thailand’s Prom Meesawat in a thrilling playoff.

The next year saw the prize money climb to $1 million and 47-year-old veteran Mardan Mamat of Singapore ended a two-year title drought by romping to a commanding six-shot win, completing a stylish wire-to wire victory that sealed his fourth Asian Tour success and second in the Philippines.

Last year the third edition of the Resorts World Manila Masters saw Thai Natipong Srithong, a rookie who had only recently turned pro, go home with the top purse of $180,000 of the $1-million purse after securing a thrilling one-shot victory over South African Jbe Kruger.

The position of the Resorts World Manila Masters on the Asian Tour’s calendar make it a pivotal event for those in pursuit of the Tour’s Order of Merit race. Attendance is free so don’t miss it.

The very next week The Modern Golf Coaching Summit kicks off at the Green Sun event center in Makati. This summit will feature a world-class collection of speakers that will encompass all aspects of golf

McIlroy

Johnson

coaching and performance. This will be the best lineup of speakers anywhere in 2016.

The subject’s covered will be presented by the industry’s leading experts presenting their latest research in subjects, such as swing mechanics, biomechanics of the swing, the statistics of a golf score, the latest research in the full swing, the short game and putting and much, much more.

Speakers will include Tiger’s former swing consultant Chris Como, Hall of Fame golf Coach Mike Adams; professor and Vice Dean at Columbia University Mark Broadie, author of Every Shot Counts, a groundbreaking study of how shots contribute to score in golf; Mark Timms; founder and CEO of Cool Clubs, who will discuss club fitting; Dr. Scott Lynn, who specializes in orthopedic biomechanics; Dr. Will Wu of the Sport Training and Research Institute; Terry Rowles, who pioneered integrating mind, body and swing and hightech assessment into a complete teaching system; and other world-class golf coaches.

The Modern Golf Coaching Summit is a landmark event that brings the best minds in golf to the country to impart their knowledge and research to golf coaches and aficionados from all over the world. This is a first for the country and puts the Philippines on the map as a country that loves its golf.

Then, on the 29th, the second- and third-ranked golfers in the world will be in the country to hold an exhibition for charity.

Rory McIlroy and Dustin Johnson, arguably the hottest golfers on the planet, will show off their skills at the newly completed Pradera Verde Golf and Country Club in Lubao, Pampanga. The world’s best golfer, halfFilipino Jason Day, was originally scheduled to duke it out with McIlroy but a back injury forced him to pull out of the event.

But having the world No. 2 as a fallback works quite nicely, thank you. To play in the event, Johnson has withdrawn from the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas.

That’s the Tiger Woods-hosted event in which Woods claims he’ll make his return to competitive golf.

McIlroy recently snatched the FedEx Cup and its $10-million bonus from Johnson, when he won two of the final three events of the 2015-2016 season, including the Tour Championship. Johnson’s three wins, including a first major championship, was enough to give him his first PGA Tour Player of the Year Award.

Golf has long languished on the backburner in the Philippines.

These events could give it the kick in the pants that’s necessary to bring golf back into the spotlight here and the country into the limelight of the international golf world.

It is a watershed moment for golf and I’m looking forward to see how the sport takes off from here. Mike Besa

Royale Tagaytay Countr

A great trac and hone yo W

Text & photos by Mike Besa

hen I first picked up a golf club almost a decade-and-a-half ago, playing any of the championship golf courses was a daunting task. The courses were long and the course was full of more accomplished golfers. It was downright embarrassing to hold the groups behind us up as I tried to figure out how to get the little white ball to do what I wanted.

Thank God for nine-hole golf courses!

I used to drive down to the Old Canlubang Golf Club in Calamba, Laguna, to try and teach myself how to play. Located in the heart of the Canlubang Sugar Estate, it was a unique layout that meandered through the community with three par-4s, three par-3s and three par-5s. You played your ball over railroad tracks, around the local school and across the church!

It was dirt cheap, too. Back in the day, nine holes cost you a P100, as did the caddie. I used to play 27-holes of golf for a measly P600, stopping in between nines for refreshments at a sari-sari store not far from the first tee.

In my humble opinion, if there’s one thing that’s holding back the development of golf in the Philippines, it’s a lack of nine-hole golf courses. They take far less time to play and few that I’ve played are long enough to put off the neophyte.

Old Canlubang isn’t the only nine-hole track in the country to be sure. The Cliffs in La Union is a gorgeous nine that sits atop the cliffs bordering the sea at the Thunderbird Resort in La Union. It’s a stunning course, but it’s a long drive from the metropolis.

Cattle Creek in San Miguel, Bulacan, is the longest nine-hole course in the country but, strictly speaking, it was the first nine of a full 18-hole golf course built by the Puyat family but was never completed. It’s a tough track that winds up and down the hills of San Miguel. It’s a bit tough to get to, given the traffic in the area, but if they ever finish it, it’ll be a heck of a golf course.

The Riviera Golf and Country Club has a neat little par-3 nine-hole golf course at the country club on the other side of the property. In my opinion, it’s the best layout for juniors but beginning adults will likely outgrow it rather quickly.

On the Tagaytay ridge just past Splendido Taal Golf Club sits the quaint little nine-hole golf course of Royale Tagaytay Country Club. It was designed as an amenity for the club members during the height of the golf boom in the 1990s. Royale Tagaytay is unique in the realm of Philippine golf clubs in that golf is not the primary amenity. It is a full-blown country club

The eighth hole at Royale Tagaytay is a beautiful little par 3

www.pinoygolfer.com | Saturday, November 5, 2016 A7

The finishing hole at the Royale Tagaytay Country Club

The Srixon Z-65 Irons

Irons for everyone

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try Club

ack to learn our game

with tennis, badminton and basketball courts, a bowling alley, swimming pool and billiard tables. It also has expansive dining facilities and a bed and breakfast for those who want to enjoy its facilities for more than a day. Rounding out its facilities, members of Royale Tagaytay are entitled to use the club’s beach resort in Luyahan, Lian, Batangas, right next to the famed Matabunkay Beach.

As far as nine-hole courses go, this one’s just right; not too hard for the beginner but just tough enough to keep the more seasoned golfer interested. True, the golf snobs will bemoan the fact that there isn’t room to hit their drivers, but comments like that miss the point. This is a great little golf course to hone your game and it’s an incredible value.

Of the nine holes, seven are par 3s that range from 115 to 190 yards in length. These are good golf holes that would make good additions to any golf course. Five is the longest and most difficult of the lot. Your tee shot must thread a chute defined by the tree line. A ball just a smidge offline will be knocked down far short of the green at best or deflected out of bounds at worst.

Four and nine, the two par 4s, are short (208 and 229 yards) but are heavily guarded by water and the mature trees that populate the property. You can go for the green on the ninth, but there’s so much trouble on the fourth hole that laying up presents a much better opportunity to score.

As befits a short course, the greens, though generous, have a lot of slope in them so that hitting the green doesn’t automatically give you a good chance to score. Threeputting is a real danger here should you find yourself on the wrong side of the pin. The course might be short, but it’s no pushover. The layout and its nuances make Royale Tagaytay a good track for a neophyte to learn the game or for a more experienced golfer to get a quick fix.

As stated above, a game of golf here is a real value. Unaccompanied rates are P850 (18 holes) on weekdays and P1,050 on weekends (rates for nine holes of golf are P450/P550, respectively). The published caddie fee is just P250 for 18 and just P150 for nine! That’s such a steal that it borders on being criminal! Factor in inflation and these prices are pretty close to what I used to pay at Old Canlubang back in the day.

The low cost and the accessibility of the course to the general public make Royale Tagaytay Country Club a very attractive location for golfers of all abilities on the ridge looking for a quick game. Factor in the club’s bed-and-breakfast facilities and the excellent food and you have a convenient base from which to explore the Tagaytay ridge and get some precious time on the golf course to boot.

hen you think about golf clubs, particularly irons, Srixon is probably far from top-of-mind. Names like Callaway, Titleist, TaylorMade, Ping and Cobra all have much better recall. Try to think of more exotic brands and Mizuno, Honma and even PXG will come to mind before you think of Srixon. But just because they fly under the radar, doesn’t mean that Srixon doesn’t make some of the most capable irons in golf.

Srixon’s new Z-65 series offers something for everyone. Traditionalists will gravitate toward the Z965 blades. Forged cavity back aficionados will love the Z765 irons and those looking for game improvement playability and forgiveness will be drawn to the Z565 set. All are forged from soft 1020 carbon steel and each offers the premium, detail-oriented design serious golfers desire without breaking the bank for an eight-piece, steel-shafted set.

They’re all so good that the only flaw that we can find with the Z-65 family of irons is that they bear such a close resemblance in form and function to the Z-45 irons that they replace. That’s not a bad thing either, as the Z-45 irons were very highly regarded for their otherworldly performance.

We’re all familiar with the adage, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” but Srixon went ahead and tweaked the design of the venerable Z-45 irons anyway, making subtle but significant improvements.

Each of this year’s Z-65 irons has Srixon’s new Tour V.T. sole, which have a V shape to reduce turf interaction at impact, thereby improving energy transfer and consistency— especially on shots where golfers catch the grass before the ball. To further enhance the benefits of the Tour V.T. soles, the company removed surface area around the heel and toe sections, and relief was added to backside of the sole, as well. Srixon also made the grooves in all the irons 5 percent larger, increasing ball friction at impact to create more consistent launch and spin characteristics, especially in wet conditions.

The Z565 irons will appeal to most golfers and, although labeled as game-improvement irons, they sport slightly smaller heads with relatively thin toplines and significantly less offset than most other irons in this category. In fact, you’ll be hard-pressed to call them game-improvement irons until you hit them back to back with your current set and discover their otherworldly performance.

I’ve been playing the Z545 irons for the better part of two years now and can attest to the unreal distance that each club produces.

They’re so effective, so easy to hit that it’s almost like cheating. I’m happy to relate that the Z565 irons continue in this vein.

The Z565 irons have forged, 1020 carbon steel bodies, but also employ thin, SUP10 face inserts that allow their clubfaces to flex more at impact. You’ll also notice a hollow cavity that sits behind the clubface that isn’t used in the design of the Z765 or Z965 irons. The construction improves forgiveness and ball speed, and raises launch angle.

Even so, the Z565 irons aren’t for everyone. They are best appreciated by golfers in the 7-16 handicap range. They feel so good, so sweet at impact that, but for the distance they hit the golf ball, you’d be hard-pressed to say that you weren’t playing a forged blade or cavity back.

More accomplished golfers who don’t need the added distance the Z565 produces will have a tough choice between the Z765 and Z965 irons. The Z965 irons have smaller heads and are designed to spin the ball more.

This enables the golfer to “work” the ball; i.e., alter the trajectory of the golf ball as the need arises. Both irons get the new Tour V.T. sole and utilize a new heat treatment to make the irons more durable.

If you have the game, either of the two will be a worthy addition to your bag. Or you could order a mixed set using the Z765 for the long irons and the Z965 for the shorter ones and be the envy of your foursome.

The new Z-65 irons live up to the lofty expectations created by their predecessors.

Because the differences are subtle, if you’re already playing with one of the Z-45 irons, there isn’t much of a reason to upgrade. That said, the Z-65 family compares most favorably with just about any iron that you care to put them up against. They’re everything you want in a forged iron and then some.

If you’re in the market for a new set, the Srixon Z-65 irons deserve serious consideration. Mike Besa

OurTime

A8 Saturday, November 5, 2016 • Editor: Efleda P. Campos

BusinessMirror

news@businessmirror.com.ph

In the US, more grandparents are raising children

By Teresa Wiltz | Stateline.org/TNC

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ASHINGTON—The number of grandparents who are raising their grandchildren is going up, and increasingly it’s because their own kids are addicted to heroin or prescription drugs, or have died from an overdose. For some, it’s a challenge with little help available.

In 2005 2.5 million children were living with grandparents who were responsible for their care. By 2015, that number had risen to 2.9 million.

Child-welfare officials said drug addiction, especially to opioids, is behind much of the rise in the number of grandparents raising their grandchildren, just as it was during the crack cocaine epidemic of the 1980s and1990s. An estimated 2.4 million people were addicted to opioids at last count.

Caseworkers in many states said a growing number of children are neglected or abandoned by parents who are addicted. That has forced

them to take emergency steps to handle a growing crisis in foster care—and often to turn first to grandparents for help.

“Obviously, the numbers have grown because of the current national opioid epidemic,” said Maria Moissades, who heads Massachusetts’s Office of the Child Advocate. “You’ve got grandparents who thought they were going to spend their retirement fishing and traveling. Now they’re raising [as many as] five grandkids.”

Federal law requires that states consider placing children with relatives in order to receive foster care and adoption assistance.

And grandmothers and grandfathers often are the first—and best—choice when state and local caseworkers have to take a child out of a home and find someone else to take custody, said Angela Sausser, executive director of the Public Children Services Association of Ohio, a coalition of public child-safety agencies in the state.

“When we are seeking caregivers for a child, you want to see who that child has relationships with,” Sausser said. “You’re removing them from their [nuclear] family.

To minimize the trauma and help them feel some normalcy, you obviously want to seek out whoever is closest to that child.”

In some instances, caseworkers said, grandparents are also struggling with addictions. In Ohio, for instance, the opioid epidemic has grown so large that caseworkers sometimes have a hard time finding any relatives who can step up, said Kim Wilhelm, protective services administrator for Licking County (Ohio) Department of Job and Family Services.

For every child in foster care who has been placed with a relative, another 20 children are being raised by relatives outside the system, said Jaia Lent, deputy

executive director of Generations United, a Washington, DC-based family research and advocacy group. Many grandparents face a host of emotional and financial challenges in their renewed parenting role. And there are often few state or local resources to draw on for help. Twenty-one percent of grandparents caring for grandchildren live below the poverty line, according to Generations United.

About 39 percent are over 60 and 26 percent have a disability. And because many are not licensed in the system, they are not eligible for the same services and financial support as licensed foster parents.

“Can’t y’all make it easier for grandparents? That’s my request,” said Dot Thibodeaux, president and founder of the grass-roots suppor t g roup Gra ndpa rents Raising Grandchildren Information Center of Louisiana.

“Most of us are on Social Security,” she said. “When the family grows, the Social Security does not. You have to make do with whatever you were getting, and that’s kind of hard.”

A handful of states are trying to help. In Louisiana state lawmakers in June voted to establish a grandparents’ council in the governor’s

The bill also would have allowed states to waive foster care licensing standards for grandparents and other relatives.

G r a nd p a re nt s — e s p e c i a l l y those who don't become licensed foster parents or legal guardians of their grandchildren—face a host of emotional and legal challenges in getting help. Many of them often don’t want to apply for legal custody because that would mean taking their own children to court. Or if they apply for welfare, the state could try to make their own children, who may already be struggling with addiction, pay child support.

Licensed foster parents have access to services and can get financial assistance with everything from medical care to a clothing allowance. But to qualify, grandparents would have to go through a lengthy process and meet certain requirements. To be a licensed foster parent, for instance, states have specific requirements about square footage and bedrooms for each child. This makes sense if a child is being placed with a stranger, but creates barriers for grandparents who may need to accommodate multiple grandchildren in their homes, Lent said.

Indonesia faces increasing senior-citizen population

Elderly make up nearly a third of Japan’s new entrepreneurs

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A

S Japan’s entrepreneurial spirit fades, the elderly make up a rising share of people going into business for themselves.

About a third of new entrepreneurs were 60 or older in 2012, the latest year for which data was available, according to the Small and Medium Enterprise Agency, a part of the trade ministry. That compares with 8 percent three decades earlier.

The self-employed seniors tend to provide management consulting and other services, leveraging their professional experience, the agency said in a report.

Older Japanese are looking to put their knowledge and experience to work, with the goal of enjoying productive and fulfilling golden years, said Atsuko Nomura, senior researcher at the Japan Research Institute in Tokyo. They also have more capital than younger people, making it easier for them to get started, she said.

The bad news: The total number of small- and medium-sized enterprises and microbusinesses in Japan has fallen steadily in recent years, according to the agency.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe took office vowing to transform the country into an “entrepreneurial powerhouse,” but people are growing more afraid of risk.

That is especially true of the young, who came of age during Japan’s long economic stagnation.

Those in their 30s or younger accounted for 36 percent of new entrepreneurs in 2012, the enterprise agency’s data showed, down from 57 percent three decades earlier.

Newly employed younger workers are the least inclined to start their own businesses in more than a decade, a survey by the Japan Productivity Center showed.

Japan ranked next to last among 70 countries in a global survey of “early-stage entrepreneurial activity,” according to 2014 data from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor. Japanese demonstrated the second-highest level of fear of failure, the data showed. Bloomberg View

office to study remedies for those tasked with raising grandchildren.

In New Mexico lawmakers voted in February to set up a task force to study the issue and recommend concrete policy changes that could help grandparents, from legal and financial help to food and housing assistance. A bill lingering in the Massachusetts Legislature would provide grandparents caring for their grandchildren with property-tax relief. And Georgia lawmakers considered bills that would make it easier for grandparents to take grandchildren in their custody to the doctor or to enroll them in school, but failed to pass them.

The growing trend and the problems it can cause are being noticed by Congress, too. In May US Rep. Danny Davis, Illinois Democrat, introduced a bill that would, among other things, make it easier for grandparents caring for children to receive Temporary Assistance for Needy Families.

It’s lingering in committee. In September US Senate inaction effectively killed a bill that would have provided federal funding for substance abuse programs for families with children at imminent risk of entering foster care.

STAPLE FOOD Lola Rosario of Peñablanca, Cagayan, sundries her harvest of Flint corn in her backyard. The Ibanag and Itawis tribes eat sundried corn as their staple food, cooked and served like rice, like what she offers to visitors to try. LEONARDO PERANTE II

Davao City to hold sports event for elderly in Dec

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AVAO CITY—Saying they are never too old to play games and join athletic competitions, the Davao City government will hold the 15th Elderlympics for the city’s senior citizens in December.

The sporting event will once again show senior citizens are still physically and mentally fit and can still play the games, the city’s chief information officer, Jefry Tupas, said.

Hundreds of senior citizens are expected to join the sports competition, Tupas said.

The activity will carry the theme “Palaro ng Nakatatanda Para sa Pambansang Pagbabago 2016.”

The chief of the City Sports and Development Office, however, clarified the scheduled games and sports competitions will not be too much for the senior citizens.

“Rest assured their health will be our major concern while they

are competing and having fun,” Michael Aportadera said.

To ensure the welfare of the senior citizens, doctors from the Southern Philippine Medical Center will be on standby during the entire event, he said.

Participants in the upcoming event will be thoroughly checked before and after the games.

“If they are unfit to play, they will not be allowed to join,” Aportadera said. PNA

AKARTA—Indonesia is facing the problem of a growing number of elderly people who are expected to reach over 32 million in the next two decades.

Indonesia’s elderly in 2010 was 4.9 percent of the population, or 11,878,236 people. This number is projected to increase to 10.8 percent, or 32,112,361 people in 2035.

Senior researcher Sukamdi of the Center for Population and Policy Studies (PSKK) of the Gadjah Mada University (UGM) said the country is actually going to face a big problem.

“The same issue also occurs in other countries such as Japan.

However, there is no awareness of the fact we have a big problem with the elderly. In my view, Indonesia has not shown a sufficient response to the problem of the elderly,” Sukamdi said on the UGM campus on Saturday.

The data at the UGMs PSSK on Indonesias Population projections from 2010 to 2035 indicate the percentage of the elderly population will increase to 100 percent, he said.

The postproductive age group or age older than 65 years, has now become an important issue because it could become a potential or expense in the human life cycle as a whole, according to him.

“If in the current productive age a person, he or she, is capable of saving, then when he or she becomes older or no longer productive in terms of the economic aspect, he or she will not become a burden to

the state,” he said.

Anyone being old or being elderly will face three gaps, he said.

First, the geographical gap, namely, the relationship or the physical encounters between parents and children, will be increasingly rare, he said.

Second, the cultural gap, namely, the differences in perspectives and values between parents and children.

Third is the economic gap.

“The third gap is being faced increasingly by the elderly. We heard the news yesterday, that in Condong Catur there was an elderly person who died but it was only five days later that the family and neighbors came to know. This is just one example, but in fact there have been several similar cases,” Sukamdi said.

Regarding the elderly, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights strives to ensure that neglected population groups are given space and weight in the human-rights agenda, and that governments take all measures required to protect and promote their human rights.

The Indonesian government, through the Ministry of Social Affairs, has prepared the Assistance for the Elderly but for the time being it has reached only 30,000 neglected elderly.

In November 2016 the assistance will reach 125,000 neglected elderly over 70 years by involving them in the Family Hope Program (PKH) in order to receive 200,000 rupec per month, each. PNA/Antara

SM Foundation completes housing project for Yolanda survivors

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EXERCISING FOR HEALTH

An elderly couple exercises every morning at the Baguio City Burnham Park for healthy living. MAU VICTA

RMOC CIT Y—The SM Foundation Inc. and donors completed the construction of 200 housing units for families hit badly by Supertyphoon Yolanda three years ago.

The site is the last of the four housing projects built by the corporate social responsibility arm of SM Prime Holdings Inc. (SMPH) for survivors of the country’s strongest storm, bringing the total to 1,000 units.

The SM Foundation launched the SM Cares Village housing project after the onslaught of Yolanda on November 8, 2013. For the Ormoc site, SM held a groundbreaking

in March 2015.

SMPH Senior Vice President Marissa Fernan said the project is privately funded with donations from SM, business partners, tenants, suppliers and employees.

The Ormoc village was built in partnership with the family of former Mayor Edward Codilla and the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Palo.

The donor awarded the 200 houses to selected beneficiaries on Thursday, giving priority to persons with disabilities and senior citizens.

The site has amenities such as street lamps, sewage-treatment plant, materials, recovery facility,

rain-catchment system and provisions for water and electricity.

“This is a testament to the solidarity that Filipinos and people all over the world have shown to help the survivors of Supertyphoon Yolanda,” Fernan said. The postYolanda housing project of SMPH is now completed in four sites—Bogo, Cebu (200 units) Iloilo (200 units) and Tacloban (400 units).

Archbishop John F. Du takes pride of the project, saying that people can finally settle themselves in their permanent houses. The Catholic Church, through its social action center, will be responsible in the values formation of residents. PNA

Millennials BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Filipino youth mulls future in federalism

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By Sabrina Anonas

OLITICS is not something that young people would discuss. Au contraire, student leaders from all over Central Luzon woke up at the crack of dawn to prepare themselves for the #FedUp Youth summit to talk about Federalism.

A survey of 1,537 respondents by Brand Philosophy Inc. most Millennials have already taken their stand about federalism. However, the survey during September 1 to 15 showed only a few are actually knowledgeable about it. Of the survey, the rate of respondents were About 44.45 percent of the total respondents were from Luzon, 22.23 percent from Mindanao and 20.82 percent from the Visayas. Only 11.50 percent were from the National Capital Region (NCR).

Majority (58 percent) of the respondents has no idea what federalism is. About 25 percent said they have little knowledge of Federalism. Ten percent said they have sufficient knowledge while 6 percent said they have knowledge of federalism.

The survey results showed 65 percent of the respondents believe Federalism can improve the countr y’s situation.

Majority of those who said so were by Mindanao, Visayas and Luzon respondents (84 percent, 70 percent and 59 percent, respectively). About 39 percent from the NCR believe Federalism can improve the country’s situation.

Great interest

DESPITE the misconceptions about youth involvement in politics, the young people at the “#FedUP Youth Summit” on October 1 at The Occupational Safety and Health Center in Quezon City showed great interest in the forum.

Questions were thrown to adult resource persons mostly on how having a federal form of government would affect issues such as traffic problems, education, employment, health, taxes and cultural identity. Lawyer Raul Lambino said Federalism cannot be done overnight—he doesn’t even see it being implemented within the decade.

“But it will happen; it is only a question

of when,” Lambino, the former spokesman of former President Gloria Arroyo, said. “Which is why educating the youth about Federalism is important.”

Education on different government systems (federalism included) should be incorporated in basic education to avoid the misconception due to ignorance and misinformation, according to Lambino.

Supreme Court Administrator Jose Midas P. Marquez explained that a federal system of government could make the justice system better as cases could be processed faster.

Marquez said different states can have their own different laws and provisions while all states in a federal government will still follow the same basic constitution.

Very informative

MADISON Morillo Dominguez, 24, a participant and also a fresh graduate of the University of the Philippines Manila, found the summit to be very informative.

He told the B usinessM irror he has read a lot about federalism but attending the forum and listening to Lambino and Marquez is different.

“Iba talaga pag-physical; naka-clarify mo yung mga nababasa mo,” Dominguez said. [It’s different to be physically present in these fora. One gets to clarify things read in books.] “It’s just like I expected. I expected it to be informative and I actually expected that it would be an advocacy because they would not speak about federalism if they didn’t advocate [for] it.”

Dominguez added that even if he thinks the speakers were advocating for federalism, “they were being objective.” “They showed both the pro’s and cons,” he said. “That’s why I’m kind of leaning towards supporting their advocacy.” Other participants the BusinessMirror spoke with said they didn’t regret attending the forum. They proved to be more interested in learning about federalism and were enthusiastic in talking to speakers after the event.

“Millennials are interested in politics,” Marquez said. “They just have to be made aware that it is not all too technical to understand.”

Young evangelical voters feel caught between two undesirable candidates

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ASHINGTON—Daniel Myers is holding out hope that Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump gets indicted before Election Day. It’s the only way he’ll be able to make a decision before stepping into the voting booth next Tuesday.

Myers is a young evangelical Christian, raised in the religious circles that reliably supported Republicans for decades.

His mother and grandmother are supporting Trump, worried that a Clinton presidency would be eight more years of Barack Obama.

O lder evangelic al leaders—like 54-year-old Liberty University President Jerry Falwell Jr., 80-year-old Focus on the Family founder James Dobson and 86-yearold Christian Broadcasting Network founder Pat Robertson—have continued to support Trump, arguing a Clinton presidency would have disastrous implications for Christians.

But Trump’s comments about women and policy flip-flops, along with Clinton’s support of abortion rights and the prospect of a liberal Supreme Court, put young religious conservatives like Myers in a bind.

Myers’s faith is a central part of his life.

He still attends Bible study every Tuesday night at Texas Christian University despite graduating in May. The 23-year-old Myers is a former president of TCU’s Campus Crusade for Christ branch, a nondenominational religious group on campus, and he sees a lot of young Christians struggling with their votes.

“I would consider myself a Republican, but it’s hard for me to bring myself to vote for someone like Donald Trump,” Myers said.

“I’m humbled and resting in the fact that the God of this world is bigger and much greater than one of the two that are going to run the United States.”

Myers is at ease less than a week from Election Day, confident his faith will outweigh the negative outcomes of a Trump or Clinton presidency.

He said his Christian friends who were Democrats were solidly backing Clinton, although he cannot tell whether it’s “a pro-Hillary or anti-Trump kind of thing.”

“The national data is how weak Republicans are with millennials,” said University of Houston political scientist and pollster Richard Murray. “Boy, they didn’t like Trump and they didn’t like Republicans.”

A recent Harvard University poll shows millennials supporting Clinton by 49 to 21 percent over Trump. Yet nearly 70 percent of self-identified evangelicals support Trump, although that is down from 2012, when Mitt Romney received 79 percent of the evangelical vote.

Myers’ Republican millennial friends are faced with voting for a nominee who appears to know little about the religious traditions that are the bulwark of the Republican base.

“When he said ‘Two Corinthians’ instead of Second Corinthians I’m kind of like, ‘Oh my gosh, here we go,’“ Myers said in reference to Trump flubbing the name of a book of the Bible during a speech at Liberty University.

“My more-Republican friends kind of stand where I am. It’s hard to favor someone who has said what he said and who has done what he has done.”

McClatchy Washington Bureau/TNS

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Young ex-banker steps up in helping entrepreneurs Story & Photo by Rizal Raoul Reyes

This October 1 photo shows young people discussing federalism during a workshop at a government building in Quezon City.

Saturday, November 5, 2016

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Contributor

@brownindio

T was a leap of faith for Lara Martirez.

She enjoyed her job as an equities fund manager of a local commercial bank. She loved numbers, banking and finance. But Martirez felt her corporate job was “weighing” her down.

Hence, the management engineering graduate of Ateneo de Manila University resigned. She began organizing Launchspace Branding and Design Co., a digital marketing firm, where she is its chief executive officer—the boss at 28.

In an e-mail interview with the BusinessMirror, Martirez shared the inspiration and other things that her fellow millennials will find quite relevant in their pursuit of their goals and aspirations.

Do you consider yourself the typical millennial who is always on a rush to make an impact in her career?

Honestly, I just want to reach my dreams of being a successful businesswoman and hopefully travel all over the world, too! So I guess I’m a millennial in that way.

Although I don’t agree with the perception of millennials that success in one’s career has to happen overnight. Rome wasn’t built in a day.

As an entrepreneur, I’ve learned to be patient and appreciate my clients and new projects because of the hard work and time I’ve put into building Launchspace. With Launchspace, I hope to improve the entrepreneur scene in Manila and encourage more people to take the leap and pursue what they love doing. That’s why I’ve been focusing the Launchspace target market to small businesses and start-ups.

I hardly ever lose my drive or get bored art directing or making social-media plans for my clients.

Every day I’m excited to get up early in the morning because I love what I do and I think that’s so important to ensure success in one’s career.

Millennials are perceived to abhor a structured work environment. Do you think this is a right perception?

I believe and know from firsthand experience that a structured work environment is necessary. [In] my case, my corporate job environment was where I was trained to have the professional discipline and attitude in conducting business operations and formulating strategies.

I learned that business is business. I prefer to be punctual, efficient and honest with my clients.

From my corporate jobs I learned to do sales calls, make proposals, write business e-mails and memos, all of which I am doing now with Launchspace.

The part that I like to keep experimental and free would be the creative process and marketing strategies we implement for our clients.

I like experimenting and changing things up in the direction we take for our clients’ brand and image.

Another structured environment that has helped me in my discipline would be my past triathlon training. I did “Cobra Ironman 70.3 Philippines” in 2012 and 2013.

I would train before and after work, as well as on weekends. I learned to follow my training schedule, unless I was sick, despite the difficulty of the workout. This has helped me in my business to do the most difficult task (usually making presentations) in my day so that the

bulk of my work is done and I feel like I can handle the other tasks easily.

What made you decide to become an entrepreneur?

A big inspiration for me is my 98-year-old lolo (grandfather) who started from little— just a carinderia (small restaurant). But through hard work and relentless determination, he ended up having different businesses [that] he grew himself.

The second reason is I also wanted to do something that gives me fulfillment, something that makes it a bit easier to wake up at 6 a.m. and makes every day different and exciting.

I knew that becoming an entrepreneur would have me do human resources, sales, marketing, taxation [and] networking; all as I go along. And I like looking back knowing that I’m much more comfortable meeting new clients nowadays.

Having my own thing has made me realize the success that comes with being an entrepreneur is much greater than promotions or salary raises, because the work put into it has definitely been blood and sweat (no tears so far).

I also wanted to do something creative and that would help other businesses and entrepreneurs, as well. I love hearing and knowing about different businesses and in my job, I get to meet people from diverse backgrounds who have different businesses who love what they do.

Did you have to make major adjustments in terms of work ethic, finances and business networking?

I definitely had to do a lot more work, although the times I choose to work would entirely be up to me.

At my lax moments in my bank jobs, I would be surfing the Internet, going online window shopping, maybe reading an e-book. I can’t do any of these things unless they involve Launchspace or my online clothing shop, Bonita (bonitathelabel.com).

The great thing is, work now doesn’t

feel like work even if I don’t have time to read my e-books anymore (except after work). In the first few months of becoming an entrepreneur, I’d save every single centavo because I wasn’t sure if I would still have income in the next month!

After eighth months of entrepreneurship, I’d say I still feel it sometimes but I am hopeful that my business has become more stable with our regular clientbase and potential clients.

Since becoming an entrepreneur, I’ve been going to start-up talks and entrepreneur meet-ups to get more exposure for Launchspace.

It’s fun talking to other entrepreneurs too, because I learn about their start-up stories. Each one is different and it’s fascinating.

How would you describe your post-corporate life right now?

I’m enjoying work days 100 times more now. I work more now than when I was in the corporate world but the work is much more fulfilling and every day is different!

Sometimes we have photoshoots that normally take a half a day or we have meetings the whole day. I love meeting entrepreneurs because every start-up story is unique, and to me—they’re all interesting. From other entrepreneurs, I get insight on how to improve my businesses and services further because of their needs.

How do you compare your workload in the corporate life and as an entrepreneur?

Having my own business entails double the workload, especially since I want Launchspace to keep growing or expanding.

Now, the success of the business primarily is on my shoulders, unlike in a corporate job where I was just one person in a team of 10 so I didn’t have much responsibility. I could afford to be lax and complacent because there were others who were doing the same thing. But, at the same time, I wasn’t learning much except analyzing stocks, which is good knowledge to have as well.

I’ve always thought of myself as good in time management but that skill has been definitely put to the test! From 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., it’s just all work for me (with a lunch break, of course) if I hope to finish before I go for a workout or go home, although entrepreneurship is indeed 24 hours.

When I get home, I still end up thinking about work, while in a corporate job my brain would shut down by 5:30 p.m.

This undated photo shows Lara Martirez at the office of Launchspace, a start-up she shaped to help grow local entrepreneurs.

You mentioned you plan to enroll in a short program in design. Did you have an inkling in design when you were working in a bank?

I’m still contemplating if I’ll be studying design, fashion or business short courses (I have too many interests!) in New York. But even when I was working corporate, I’ve always loved design since aesthetics has so much relevance to me.

I also love fashion, being fit and working out. Also I did a home baking stint back in 2013 and I remember being so meticulous with my logo, menu and packaging that I would spend hours on them. I never forgot the labor and time I spent on those. Ever since that time, I’ve been contemplating on a business that entails design. Now my outlet for design is Launchspace Branding & Design, which concentrates primarily on branding, social media marketing and photography services. I also have Bonita, which is a women’s online shop since fashion is also a big interest of mine.

Did your corporate background provide you the discipline in running your business?

Yes, I learned to manage my time, be efficient, prioritize and always be professional despite being a startup.

I’ve learned to answer business inquiries within a day because people want answers fast and they need to know we work efficiently and care about their businesses since we are a B2B (business-to-business platform).

Also, since I was working at a bank, the financial portion of the business wasn’t a problem. I was used to computing for our costs and returns. It also made accounting much easier and where to invest our savings.

What are your plans for your business?

I plan to expand. Currently I am hoping to expand from a team of three to a team of five. I also want to offer more services.

We just recently started offering web design and development since most, if not all, businesses need a web site.

I also want to get into business consultation and one way I’m doing this is with my employees’ business plans and funding, which is a benefit that we offer.

I also hope to expand geographically. Other cities in the Philippines are expanding a lot faster than Manila and hopefully we get to capitalize on that. Other countries may also find our services very reasonable and why not if we can travel, right?

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Business

Saturday, November 5, 2016

Bank I.T. security group eyes members from nonbankers

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group of bank information security officers is eyeing to help secure nonbanking organizations that provide services, like insurance, payment and remittance, from today’s financial threats.

T he I n for m at ion Sec u r it y Officers Group (Isog ) senses insurance, payment and remittance organizations are the next targets of attackers. We just took into our fold just recently a member from the insurance

i ndu s t r y, a c c ord i n g t o I s o g President Joey Regala.

Just like banks, Regala said insurance, payment and remittance organizations should have different layers of cyber defenses.

The group advocates for banks

and other organizations with access to money to undertake joint actions with government agencies and law enforcers in fighting cyber threats.

Right now, we are collaborating with the Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group, Regala said. The group was also discussing with the National Bureau of Investigation for similar cooperation, he added.

The said collaboration should protect the confidentiality and privacy of the banks and other organizations that provide financial services. Isog was formed in response to the challenges banks, and financial institutions were facing to help them take proactive

measures against attacks to computers, networks and database systems. People in the bank industry are now competent, Regala said. But as the number of threats grows, the need for more competent security people also increases.

“Isog was organized to promote information-security awareness because we believe information security is stronger and the best tool to fight against cybercrime,” Regala said. Isog is also eyeing to be an information security-certifying body in the Philippines.

“In the future we will see security-information professionals certified by Isog, especially for financial institutions,” Regala said.

Oliver Samson

In this June 30 file photo, Hayatto Noguchi, Japanese Vine artist, shows his work on a smartphone during an interview with The Associated Press in Tokyo. Twitter has decided to shut down the Vine video app, which has been eclipsed by the likes of Instagram and Snapchat, even as it remains beloved by a loyal fan base. AP

Kaspersky Lab

Kaspersky Lab joins forces with TÜV Rheinland to secure Apac railways

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A SPER SK Y Lab Z AO is collaborating with TÜV Rheinland to step up AsiaPacific region’s railway industry cyber security, the Russian cyber-security firm announced in a statement on November 2.

The partnership would “enhance the safety of modern industrial systems, such as computer and communication train control [CBTC], automatic train control [ATC] and automatic train supervision [ATS],” Kaspersky Lab said.

Kaspersky Lab would facilitate in enhancing the safety and resilience of railway transportation in the region.

“Railways are the perfect example of modern industrial infrastructure: diverse, geographically distributed and complex,” said Sergey Gordeychik, Kaspersky Lab’s deputy CTO and head of Security Services. Close attention to information-technology security in its traditional form is required in the traffic safety of high-speed trains and modern rapid-transit systems, he noted.

“Our researchers have been paying close attention to railway cyber security, and we are happy to announce this new partnership that will help deliver intelligence and security services to a broad range of customers,” Gordeychik said. Under the collaboration, Kaspersky Lab and

TÜV Rheinland would provide the railway industry in China and Asia Pacific with a full range of security and safety services, which include penetration testing, cyber-security assessments railway independent safety assessment and intelligence reporting, the statement said. “ TÜ V R heinland is a worldre no w ne d t e c h n i c a l s e r v i c e provider for third-party assessment and certification,”said A lv in Cheng, manag ing director for China at Kaspersky Lab. “We are ver y glad to cooperate w ith TÜ V R heinland to promote and apply our K aspersky Industrial Cy bersec u r it y solut ion s a nd intel ligence ser v ice.”

Cyber security has become an important component of the railway industry, said Vincent Tan, vice president of TÜV Rheinland Rail Division for China and Asia Pacific. “W hen applied to specific industrial applications, such as railway systems, cyber security requires the deep knowledge of a broader threat landscape, together with applied intelligence on very specialized infrastructure,” he said.

“We expect the combination of Kaspersky Lab and TÜV Rheinland’s expertise to really help our customers become more resilient to current and future security and safety issues,” Tan said. Oliver Samson

Users mourn as Twitter kills quirky, beloved Vine video app

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EW YORK—You can watch any video for six seconds, played on an infinite loop.

The funniest ones only get more ridiculous with repetition.

That was the beauty of Vine, the simple, pioneering mobile-video app that Twitter has decided to kill off. Its loyal users are mourning its weirdness, humor and creativityboosting constraints.

There are alternatives, sure, but nothing as simple as Vine, which did just one thing, and one thing well. Instagram has photos and videos of all sorts. Snapchat keeps expanding features, and it isn’t really meant for mindless scrolling of humorous content. Facebook, well, we all know Facebook.

Vine’s demise is a story of what happens when a cool, edgy, but money-losing service fails to take off with the masses amid competition from heavyweight rivals. On the other hand, had Vine gained mass popularity, it might have lost its edge, the essence of what made Vine Vine, and instead got gobbled up by big brands and sanitized into the mainstream—a bit like what’s happened to Twitter, or Instagram.

“Vine is a very unique app in that it requires the smallest amount of attention. Watching YouTube videos, reading Facebook posts or even looking at tweets takes more concentration than watching a six-second clip,” said Carling Crawford, 19.

Silly little app

CR AWFORD, a student at the University of Texas at Austin, fondly recalled classic Vines, such as the one titled “A Potato Flew Around My Room Before You Came ,” which, as its name suggests, shows a potato tied to a ceiling fan and flying around a room. In the time you read this sentence, it already played twice.

It has been played more than 23 million times and “revined,” or shared, nearly 9,000 times.

Several college students mentioned looking at Vine at the end of the day, before going to bed, as a way to decompress, especially if the day was tough.

“It was something funny to end my day on, kind of like a detox,” said Olivia Burger, a sophomore at Gannon University in Erie, Pennsylvania. Twitter bought Vine a few months before the service launched in 2013. The service enjoyed a brief surge in popularity before it got overtaken by Snapchat and Instagram, which introduced 15-second videos later that year. Vine stars (yes, that is a thing), moved on.

Jessica Vasquez, a makeup artist and self-described “professional potato” who goes by Jessi Smiles on Vine, hasn’t posted to that account since March. On Instagram, though, she was active five days ago and on Twitter, as recently as Thursday, when she lamented the demise of the beloved app.

“What a crazy journey this has

been,” she wrote on Twitter. “Forever grateful for that silly little app.”

accessible opportunity for creative ingenuity,” she added.

Unlikely fans

Deprioritizing initiatives

VINE also attracted some unlikely fans, such as the Kansas-based Westboro Baptist Church, perhaps best known for protesting the funerals of fallen soldiers with inflammatory antigay signs. The organization has some 13,000 followers on Vine, and its six-second posts display hateful messages in often-humorous contexts. “[With] heavy boots and a sad heart, we do not look forward to the end of Vine. Alas, it was so young with so much promise. We protest Vine’s funeral!” the church said in an e-mailed statement on Friday.

More important, perhaps, Vine was popular with black and Hispanic teens and 20-somethings, often more so than with their white counterparts. According to the Pew Research Center, 31 percent of black teens used Vine as of 2015, compared with just 22 percent of white, non-Hispanic teens.

In a 2015 op-ed piece in the Guardian, commentator Hannah Giorgi wrote that “Black users utilize Vine in hilarious, multifaceted, complex and game-changing ways.”

“At a time when barriers to entry in Hollywood and formal creative industries continue to be almost insurmountable for black mediamakers, the ability to simply record a video with one’s phone and share it widely presents a more widely

VINE was also used to document protests against police shootings and brutality in Ferguson, Missouri, and elsewhere, though the rising popularity of Facebook Live has started to overshadow this, too.

Tech companies, such as Twitter, are often criticized for the lack of racial and other diversity among their employees. Now, the loss of a service that’s popular with minorities seems an obvious casualty of the lack of diverse voices among a company’s decision-makers.

For its part, Twitter did not give a specific reason for shutting down Vine, but it’s clear that the app is the casualty of the belt-tightening that also includes the layoffs of 9 percent of its work force, or 350 people. Twitter didn’t say, specifically, why it chose to shut down Vine. In a press release on Thursday, Twitter said it plans to “fully invest in our highest priorities and are deprioritizing certain initiatives” to try to turn its first profit ever by next year.

In a blog post, Twitter said users will be able to access their Vine as the company leaves the web site vine.co operational, but stops allowing posts. Twitter also said people will be able to download their Vines, though there’s no easy way to do this currently, without resorting to external apps. AP

Jon Orana

‘Digipreneur’ to hold seminar on e-books

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IGITAL entrepreneur Jon Orana will be holding an e-book online seminar at Lancaster Hotel, Mandaluyong, on November 19, his publicist said on Thursday. Orana, a computer engineer influenced by author and businessman Robert Kiyosaki, is said to have been able to sell 24 million e-books online in 36 months.

“His success, which did not come by overnight, was enough to prompt him to teach others what he had acquired by dint of hard work and a motivation to get ahead, by engaging in consultancy work and coaching first-time

online entrepreneurs,” a statement said. Orana’s home-based business has expanded to include setting up online programs that have taught over a thousand neophyte online entrepreneurs, his publicist claims. “His blog now have over 100,000 e-mail business subscribers. He has also sold over $1 million of his digital products to an eager, receptive and growing online market.”

“Finding his niche did not come easy, but Orana is a sterling example that one can do it, if one is willing to learn and test the waters,” Orana’s publicist added.

sMirror

Saturday, November 5, 2016

review

Apple double downs on running with Nike-edition smartwatch

Brace for trade-offs from A.I.–Fujitsu exec

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By Rizal Raoul Reyes @brownindio

N official of a leading Japanese technological company recently said people must prepare for the bearing and consequences of artificial intelligence (AI).

This October 27 photo shows the Apple Watch Nike Plus on display in New York. Apple isn’t the first to add GPS functionality to a smartwatch, but it’s the first to make something that feels like a running watch. AP

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EW YORK—Apple isn’t the first to add GPS functionality to a smartwatch, but it’s the first to make something that feels like a running watch.

And the company is doubling down on that with a Nike edition out on Friday, while Nike is bringing features from its phone app directly to all models of Apple Watch.

I’ve found devices without GPS typically awful at measuring how fast and how far I’m running. And those with GPS typically do little more than measure how fast and how far I’m running. The basics are great for casual runners, but anyone who becomes a serious runner needs much more.

I’ve logged more than 400 miles over the past six weeks with the GPS edition of Apple Watch, known as Series 2. I’ve also run 34 miles with the Nike Plus version over the past few days; it’s essentially a Series 2 watch with a custom wristband and watch face. With both, Apple addressed many of the shortcomings in the original watch, GPS being just one of them. I’m not ready to ditch my Garmin running watch yet, but the Apple Watch comes close to meeting all my needs.

The importance of GPS

THE original watch does a fine job of latching onto your phone’s GPS if you’re running with the phone, but with built-in GPS, you can leave the phone behind. Accuracy is on a par with other good GPS watches, which is to say, measurements are sometimes off, especially when tall buildings block GPS signals. The watch automatically calibrates to my running style, so it’s better than non-GPS devices even when there’s no GPS. Though GPS drains the battery more quickly, the watch still had about an hour of non-GPS use left after a marathon run of about four hours, 40 minutes. For normal use, Apple says you should get up to 90 minutes a day of GPS workouts; I’ve often gone longer without the watch dying before bedtime. It helps that I’ve disabled the heart-rate sensor during workouts.

While Series 2 is meant for stand-alone running, many people carry phones anyway.

With it, I get slightly better accuracy and battery life.

Improvements for all

SERIES 2 watches start at $369, though it’s $30 more for a larger screen—the optimal size for larger wrists. Non-GPS models, now called Series 1, are $100 less.

All models get software updates that address two gripes with the original: n Apple’s Workout app now records your route, something other GPS fitness devices and apps have long done. The Apple app didn’t use to, even with access to the phone’s GPS. n You can double tap the screen to record splits, or manual snapshots of how long it takes to run a stretch. Before, that was limited to mile or kilometer intervals, which didn’t help when you were running laps or loops that weren’t precisely that length.

Nike extras

NIKE’S app offers a lot to like, including big yellow numerals for easy reading during runs and voice updates every mile and halfway toward your goal. Nike keeps

things simple for beginners by displaying just distance and time; turn on advanced mode for current pace and heart rate. My gripes: no manual splits, and average pace appears only when pausing or through the voice updates.

Nike excels in trying to motivate you even when you’re not running. It will keep asking “Are we running today?” by reminding you the weather is nice or that a friend (with a watch or just the phone app) is just ahead of you for the month’s total.

A scheduling feature shows you weather forecasts in half-hour increments. After making a selection, you get a notification when it’s time to run.

Though the app is available for all models, the Nike watch also has a colorful wristband sporting holes to help sweat dry.

It offers custom watch faces with one-touch access to the app, plus a reminder of your next scheduled run. Most people will be fine with just the free app, but running enthusiasts can get the Nike version for the same price.

Beyond running

CYCLISTS get similar speed and distance information, though the watch doesn’t measure how fast you’re pedaling, something hard-core cyclists might want.

You can swim with Series 2, even with chlorinated or salt water, something most water-resistant gadgets don’t allow. The watch measures distance indoors by counting laps, though you need a pool large enough for at least five strokes per lap.

What’s still missing

Recording splits during runs is great, but I also want to know my average pace and time since the last split, rather than the beginning of the run. I find it useful when I want to go faster in the middle of a run before a gentle cooldown.

And while Apple Watch syncs workout data with the phone’s Activity app, many long-time runners already have their favorite online repository, whether that’s Nike, Strava or Garmin. The ability to move data around is limited. While Nike offers an Apple Watch app, it’ll take time for others to catch up. Strava’s still requires running with a phone, while Garmin doesn’t have one at all.

For these reasons, I’m sticking with my Garmin Forerunner 220.

And while it’s a minor annoyance, both Apple’s and Nike’s app do a three-second countdown before workouts. I just want to run when I hit “start”. (At least with Nike’s, you can disable the countdown deep in the phone settings.)

Do you need Apple watch?

BECAUSE this review is focused on runners’ needs, I haven’t gotten into all the other features, such as maps, weather and shopping. Running watches and generalpurpose fitness trackers, such as Fitbit, don’t offer as much. The ability to reply to messages by voice came in handy when coordinating with friends waiting at the finish line, for instance.

But if you don’t need the “smarts”, a decent GPS fitness device is more than $100 cheaper. AP

Fujitsu Ltd. Vice President Yoshikuni Takashige cited the warning in 2014 by British eminent scientist Stephen Hawking against “thinking machines”.

He cited for one the employment scenario in First World countries, such as the US, would drastically change as people will be replaced by machines in some areas of the work place.

Ta k a sh ige’s wa r n i ng c a me before the International Data Corp. (IDC) said the widespread adoption of cognitive systems and AI across a broad range of industries will drive worldwide revenues from nearly $8.0 billion in 2016 to more than $47 billion in 2020. IDC said in a statement on October 26 that the

market for cognitive/AI solutions will experience a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 55.1 percent over the 2016-to-2020 forecast period.

“The industries that will invest the most in cognitive/AI systems in 2016 are banking and retail, followed by health care and discrete manufacturing,” IDC said.

Meanwhile, Takashige said cyber security is going to be a major challenge in the world’s digital transformation.

He said in a news briefing on October 7 in Makati City that low awareness is one of the causes of cybercrimes. He emphasized the importance of social engineering in thwarting cybercrimes.

He said companies must pursue

several awareness campaigns to promote the value of cyber security in the workplace. Takashige said companies must conduct regular audit to ensure the safety of their network.

However, Takashige believes it will be a different scenario in Japan, as AI can help the country by complementing the labor pool in the Japanese economy.

“With a greying population, AI can help Japan a lot by becoming an enabler of workers,” he said. “Human creativity must be emphasized with the growth of AI.” As far as Fujitsu is concerned, Takashige said the company is seeking to develop partnerships with Asian economies in the areas of disaster rescue and recovery management and business.

He added that the Asian region is relatively fast enough to cope in digital transformation.

“The proliferation of smart phones in countries, such as the Philippines, is considered the start of a digital transformation,” he noted.

In its Philippine operations, Takashige said Fujitsu Philippines is pursuing collaboration through its innovation centers.

Acer bags Japanese ‘Good Design’ awards

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AIWANESE electronics product manufacturer Acer Inc. announced last month its latest ultra-thinand-light notebooks have been honored at the 2016 edition of Japan’s Good Design Award.

The company said awards were also conferred on the Acer Swift 7, which is the world’s first notebook to measure less than 1-centimeter thin, and the convertible Acer Spin 7, weighing just 1.2 kilogram.

The abTouchPhone, a touchscreen multimedia IP desk phone, was also awarded for its full range of practical communication features, and also for its simple, yet elegantly, designed appearance, Acer said in a statement on October 19.

“Acer’s winning products stood out from over 4,000 entries and were selected over a rigorous five-month screening process involving 76

international jury members,” Acer said. “Screenings were held not only in Japan, but also in South Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong.”

The awards came after worldwide personal computer shipments monitored by the International Data Corp. (IDC) totaled nearlyz 68 million units in the third quarter of

2016, a year-on-year decline of 3.9 percent. Shipment volume continued to decline, but the results were about 3.2 percent ahead of projections. Acer remained on the top 5 vendors in PC shipments in the US, posting a 3.8-percent yearover-year growth as of the third quarter of the year, according to IDC data. Rizal Raoul Reyes

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briefs

PLDT celebrates 88th year with hackathon

PLDT Inc. announced on October 28 it will hold a hackathon to develop digital customer service solutions as part of the celebration of its 88th anniversary on November 28.

Organized by PLDT Innolab and its Public Affairs Group, the hackathon is in line with the PLDT Group’s commitment to continuously improve customer service, the company said.

Participants will be specifically tasked to come up with innovative solutions designed to enhance customers’ experience for the millions of PLDT Home subscribers and small and medium enterprises customers. The competition will have two legs.

PIoEC group holds third gab

THE Philippine Internet of Everything Consortium Inc. (Pioec), the first nonprofit organization in the Philippines that collaborates with industry leaders to help transform businesses through the Internet of Things (IoT) recently held its third founding members’ meeting. In a statement, the group said the meeting seeks to align their efforts in spreading awareness on the value of the IoT to people’s lives, work and play. Created in 2014, the Pioec aims to provide an avenue for individuals and organizations where they can access resource materials to acquire new skills, build a network of professionals, enthusiasts, educators and members of the public sector, who exchange ideas relevant to today’s needs and collaborate with industry professionals to establish successful business relationships, the group said.

Australian Bpo opens 2nd site

TSA Group, one of the many business-process outsourcing (BPO) companies in Australia, has announced the opening of its second site in the Philippines. The new site will have more than 500 employees in addition to its current 1,000 employees at its first site in Makati City. “Four years ago, TSA started its operations in the Philippines with only 15 employees,” Daniel Hill-Smith, group sales and service manager of TSA Group, was quoted in a statement as saying. “Now we are steadily expanding our operations and business portfolio.”

SonicWall severs ties with Dell Inc.

PRIVATE-equity firm Francisco Partners announced on November 1 the completion of the acquisition of the Dell Software Group and the spin out of SonicWall as an independent company. In a statement, the firm said SonicWall would be a dedicated independent security company. The company named Bill Conner, former CEO of Silent Circle and Entrust, as SonicWall president and CEO. “We are in the midst of a cyber-security arms race,” Conner was quoted in a statement as saying. “As a standalone SonicWall brand, we can act even more deftly and quickly to serve channel partners and customers by offering products and services second to none.”

Bosch notes features of digital confab system

Start-up Coins raises funds CCION Group L lc. announced on October 23 said it has raised a new $5 million round of funding for digital payments and blockchain start-up Coins. The company said the money would go to projects that target “unbanked individuals in the Philippines and throughout Southeast Asia.”

The Series A funding round was led by the Accion Frontier Inc lusion Fund, ma naged by Quona Capital and also includes a number of notable investors, the company said in a statement. “In the Philippines more people have a Facebook account than a bank account,” Coins CEO Ron Hose said. “We’d like to make access to financial services as easy and approachable

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as getting a Facebook account.”

More than 60 percent of S out he a s t A s i a’s p o pu l a tion of 600 million remains unbanked and less than 5 percent have a credit card, Coins said in a statement. At the same time, mobile Inter net penetration is rapidly increasing and bringing millions of people online ever y month. Coins has been able to capita lize on this technolog ical shift by delivering ever yday financia l ser v ices through its mobile platfor m. To date, the company has sig ned up over 500,000 users.

Leveraging the blockchain has enabled Coins to connect its services to partners with a presence in over 40 countries, and offer instant, low-cost settlement of

cross-border payments and remittances. For overseas workers who are currently paying 6 percent to 8 percent to send funds through companies, like Western Union, this means a savings of up to 80 percent in fees.

Founded in early 2014, Coins is a mobile-f irst, branchless, bloc kcha in-based platfor m that provides consumers with direct access to basic financial services, such as remittances, bill payments and mobile airtime. To provide these services, Coins has partnered with a multitude of banks, financial institutions and last-mile retail outlets, spanning a network of over 22,000 cash disbursement and collection locations in the Philippines alone. Dennis D. Estopace

ROBERT Bosch GmbH noted its “digital discussion system [DDS] redefines userfriendliness and meeting productivity in conference technology.” Compact, yet versatile, the DDS “is the ideal solution for small- to medium-sized meeting areas— including town halls, local business centers and courtrooms—as well as for mobile installations used by rental companies,” Bosch said. The system’s extension unit provides extra power, allowing venue owners, rental companies, building managers and participants to expand their DDS to up to 245 devices.

Hitachi unit rolls out flash storage lineup

HITACHI Data Systems (HDS) Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Hitachi Ltd., announced on October 26 new systems and software. Powered by the Hitachi “storage virtualization operating system” (Svos), the expanded proprietary virtual storage platform (VSP) lineup delivers performance, resiliency and workload scalability beyond what is offered by other platforms, the company said. For businesses that need to drive IT consolidation and support both open-system and mainframe applications, HDS is offering two new high-end VSP models, Hitachi said. HDS said its all-flash VSP is built on high-density flash modules with raw capacities of up to 14 terrabyte. The VSP delivers over 4.8 million input/output operations per second and up to 40 petabyte of effective flash capacity.

BusinessMirror

A12 Saturday, November 5, 2016

Lenovo sees warming PHL-PRC M relations good for I.T. industry M

HP Enterprise to help get partners certified

By Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz

@joveemarie

ACAU—Executives of the Chinese firm that bought American company IBM Corp. believes warming relations between the Philippines and the People’s Republic of China (PRC) will ultimately redound to good business.

At the sidelines of the recently concluded Canalys Asia-Pacific Channels Forum here, Lenovo Corp.

Asia Pacific Region Regional General Manager Ivan Cheung said improving relationship of the Philippines and the PRC will bring development to commercial cooperation between the two countries.

“There’s a lot of good things happening between the Philippines and China. The PRC’s improving relationship with other countries, including the Philippines, may enhance consumer confidence to support the business,” Cheung told reporters flown here from the Philippines.

“In this kind of change we have some opportunities.”

Last week Chinese government

said President Duterte’s visit to Beijing has restored the “friendship” between the Philippines and China.

However, Cheung said Philippine distributors have expressed concern over the currency fluctuation. The peso’s depreciation against the greenback has a big effect to distributors.

“I think the currency fluctuation is one of the concerns to our business partners in the Philippines,” Cheung said. “Second, they want a more stable and predictable channel policy so that they will know whether they will invest or [be] a little bit more conservative.”

Innovation

Cheung’s optimism comes as the

International Data Corp. (IDC) said in an October 31 statement that the worldwide tablet market continued its slump as vendors shipped 43 million units in the third quarter of 2016, a year-over-year decline of 14.7 percent.

Lenovo continued to maintain its stronghold in Asia/Pacific (excluding Japan), as well as Europe, Middle East and Africa, according to IDC. “Though the company has many aspirational products across all its entire consumer electronics portfolio, none were enough to raise the company’s profile in the tablet market, resulting in a 10.8-percent decline this quarter.”

Still, Lenovo Asia Pacific Chief Marketing Officer Nick Reynolds said the Chinese technology firm will continue to innovate products for their consumers and partners in the Philippines.

“Our core business is PC [personal computer], but we have two growth engines—mobile phones and data center,” Reynolds said. “So globally, that’s where we’re going to see greater growth coming from.”

He added that Lenovo “still seeks a bigger market share in terms of PC and the tablet business.” Reynolds said Lenovo’s goal, globally, is to reach 30-percent market share for PC.

Moto

LENOVO has officially brought back the Motorola brand to the Philippine market.

Reynolds said the Philippines has a healthy demand in the smartphone category.

“We’re really excited that we brought back Motorola in the Philippines because it is iconic brand.

When we looked at markets like the Philippines, we’ve seen how strong the brand is,” Reynolds said. “We’ve got a lot of growth potential with our existing portfolio because it’s new for the Philippines. This is [an] exciting time for us.”

In 2014 Lenovo bought the Motorola mobility smartphone business from Google.

Reynolds said the reentry into the mobile-phone segment in the Philippines will make Lenovo among the most recognized smartphone makers.

“Wehavethreepremiumbrands— ThinkPad, Yoga and Moto. Moto has the lowest market share among the three, so we are looking at exciting growth from our handset business,” he said.

Cheung said Lenovo will continue to enhance its Moto phones.

Expansion

Cheung said Lenovo is eyeing to

Ayala semiconductor unit cites success in chip deals

By Rizal Raoul Reyes @brownindio

I

NTEGRATED Microelectronics Inc. (IMI) always raises the bar in terms of manufacturing to remain a key electronics manufacturing services (EMS) company in the global market.

Although the company is operating in the Philippines, IMI Laguna 1 General Manager Jawaharlal Milanes said the company is, in a way, promoting the Philippines through the export of its electronics products.

“Hopefully, in the future, we will be exporting products made by IMI that will create an impact on the Philippines soon,” he said.

IMI is currently handling marquee projects geared for the developed world. On the European front, IMI is doing an impressive job of bagging major manufacturing jobs for major clients. It is manufacturing a leading-edge automated security system that is getting a warm response from the American and European markets.

The big opportunity came when Siemens Security, a subsidiary of the German technology giant Siemens, was sold to American firm Vanderbilt.

Since the acquisition of Vanderbilt, all the business requirements were moved to IMI’s unit in the Czech Republic.

Vanderbilt is a company manufacturing security products and systems encompassing access control, intruder detection, closed-circuit television and integrated security management. The firm also provides security systems used in dozens of industries: banking, telecommunications, finance, manufacturing, health care, education, legal, accounting, government and more.

“Getting Vanderbilt has become a significant business for IMI operations in the Czech Republic amounting to $7 million to $10 million annually,” Milanes said. “We also won $1 million additional annual transaction for the Philippines for the intrusion-alarm system project.”

Furthermore, IMI also designs

expand its business in the country through channel partners.

Currently, he said 100 percent of Lenovo’s business—PC, tablets and data center—is handled by eight channel partners.

“There are a lot of things going on quickly right now, such as hyperconverged infrastructure and flash technology, which our existing partners may not have the capability to pick up; and if we see that capability gap, we will consider adding more partners,” he said.

However, Cheung said the company will evaluate first whether adding more distributors will benefit the overall business.

For Lenovo channel partners, Reynolds said it will provide within six months a business-partner portal, where Lenovo partners in the Philippine and other countries can get information on latest pricing, promotions, rebates and understand how much their partners are earnings.

“The portal will also have things that are useful to help sell, like marketing content, whitepapers, case studies and deal registration,” he said. “It will be coming to the Philippines within six months.”

Reynolds said the portal is currently being used in Australia, New Zealand and Japan.

Play Park taps ePLUS for gamer payment O NLINE gamers can now enjoy cashless transaction, as ePLUS and Play Park recently formed a partnership to enable enthusiasts to have more conveniences in their gaming and other activities. “ePLUS decided to partner with Play Park to making gaming convenient to our huge number of gamers,” ePLUS Assistant Vice President Sahara Garnica said in a recent interview in Makati City.

To avail oneself of the privilege, a gamer must first get an ePLUS card under his or her account. Furthermore, an ePLUS cardholder can also use their online credits to buy SM Cinema

Milanes

and builds testers for Vanderbilt, which makes IMI a notch above other electronic manufacturing services (EMS) providers.

Building the box

IN their joint business activity, IMI in the Philippines will develop the printed circuit board assembly (PCBA), while the Czech team will manufacture what is called the “box builder.” IMI also handled the manufacturing of the PCBA of Branson’s ultrasonic plastic chargers when it bought Emerson.

IMI has also entered a codevelopment scheme with a major technology company to manufacture dosimeters. A dosimeter measures exposure to ionizing radiation. It functions as human-radiation protection and for measurement of dose in both medical and industrial processes.

Dosimeters are used in hospitals, nuclear plants and military installations.

Milanes said IMI is currently developing an app-based dosimeter that enables a user to access the data on the mobile phone and show graphically the dose of radiation.

It has acquired a nuclear calibrating source machine that can measure the accuracy of dosimeters. It is manned by three Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI)-certified engineers to handle cissium source in a leaded container and calibrate

the reading, functional testing procedures done in Laguna.

“We just don’t manufacture devices, but also test them. We even have one customer who came here to transfer its manufacturing business to IMI,” Milanes said.

Russia is the biggest client, followed by France, while Canada is ranked third. Furthermore, nuclear plants in the three countries are also using it for determining radiation levels.

Reverse engineering

MILANES also recalled that his team is required to do a reverse engineering program for their new client because the other EMS did not want to turn over all the materials needed for the design of the product.

“I assigned a team composed of three engineers to visit the plant of the EMS,” he said. “They stayed in the plant for three days to absorb as much as possible information and in fact, my team achieved the objective.”

“We rewrote the entire design so we can manufacture it,” Milanes added.

Recently, IMI was tapped by the Ayala conglomerate to assemble the Austrian KTM motorcycle brand in the country.

The challenge is new for Milanes and his team, because the company does not assemble motorcycles. Although they do not have a single

experience in the assembly of motorcycles, Milanes and his team are looking forward because it is a significant assignment. Of course, it helps the project is getting 100-percent support from the Zobel brothers and IMI President and CEO Arthur Tan, all bike enthusiasts.

The spare parts of KTM will be coming from India. The midrange bikes (299cc) will be assembled in the Philippines. “I sent five engineers from the team to India to familiarize the process of making the bike,” Milanes said.

Motivated work force

AT the heart of the manufacturing operations, the people must always be motivated in their work, not only because they are carrying the company’s name, but, more important, representing the Philippines, according to Milanes.

He said he always tells his team the products that they assembled and designed are a reflection, not only of the stature of the company, but of the country, as well.

“If we can always maintain that high level of engineering and content made in the Philippines, IMI will be in the forefront of promoting the country as an excellent producer of quality electronic products,” Milanes said. “It is more than a legacy and building up the future. You are promoting the Philippines.”

ACAU— Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co. (HPE) plans to help its channel partners to be certified so the other half of the split HP can “move forward.”

HPE Asia Pacific (Apac) and Japan Vice President for Indirect Sales, Enterprise Group Neeraj Sharma told reporters flown here last week “certification is a key thing for us to move forward.”

“We feel that we need to go down the solution path even stronger,” Sharma said at the sidelines of the Canalys Apac Channels Forum. He added that, in addition to certification, HPE is introducing “competencies for specific solutions [where] partners can engage in.”

Sharma said HPE would assist its channel partners also because the firm believes the people selling HPE’s products and services should also develop their skills, especially in Cloud computing and hybrids. Transformation is definitely important for the partners in terms of growth perspective, according to him.

“The transformation [in the fabric of information technology] is forcing the partners to look at new models,” Sharma said.

“It’s creating pressures on their cost margins and, hence, they have to change their skills to align them [on this transformation]. We are seeing partners maturing from just being hardware sellers and support service providers to advisors. This transformation is highly driven with hybrid IT [information technology].”

Sharma said more than 90 percent of the company’s business is being handled by its channel partners in the Philippines.

“We also make sure we pay them on the objectives we want to focus. We will also be launching a service provider program in some countries, [including] the Philippines,” he added. “For us, compensation, transformation and enablement of business partners is very, very critical.” Jovee Marie N. dela Cruz

movie tickets and enjoy Play Park games.

To make its newest online-payment system more convenient, ePLUS Online partnered with Openbucks, an online cash-based payment-solutions company that provides online-payment platforms to some of the world’s biggest brands. ePLUS Online will soon include food, retail shopping, gaming, leisure and entertainment merchants to extend more day-to-day convenience to its valued cardholders and to further promote the reach of the cashless-payment innovation in the Philippines. Rizal Raoul Reyes

Don’t think of Amazon Echo as just a speaker

By Tracey Lien

Los Angeles Times/TNS

S

AN FRANCISCO—Stephanie Palermo wasn’t interested in living in a “smart home” outfitted with Web-connected appliances controlled remotely by phone or computer. She didn’t need her fridge to have Wi-fi or her blinds to close themselves.

But when Amazon temporarily discounted its voice-controlled Echo speaker to $99 for Amazon Prime members, there was “a low barrier to entry,” and the 28-yearold from Belmont, California, was willing to take a risk.

She started using the cylindrical device as a hands-free speaker. Then as a kitchen timer and weather checker. During board game nights, she’d tell Alexa—the artificial intelligence that powers the Echo—to play themed music from Pandora. She’d ask it trivia questions, too.

“We use it every day,” Palermo said. “She...it’s also weird I just called her a she!”

This is how smart-home adoption will start, according to tech experts, who see lower-end devices, such as the Echo and Google Home, as important bridges for the average consumer between

today’s “dumb” homes and a Jetsons-like future. With tech firms and appliance makers betting that everything in our homes eventually will get connected, the key, analysts said, is to help consumers feel comfortable with the idea now so they can be nudged along to make bigger investments in the future.

“The Echo is the smart home Trojan horse,” said Patrick Moorhead, principal analyst at Moor I n sig ht s a nd St r ateg y. “ You bought it to do a few simple things and be a speaker, then they get you comfortable and send you weekly updates to let you know what you can do with it and ultimately, once you go out and get those smart lights or smart door locks, you will be comfortable telling it to do things.”

That was the case for Erik Keto, 35, from New York, who picked up an Echo because he was in the market for speakers, and ended up buying Echo-compatible smart plugs, which let him turn off devices remotely, and Echo-compatible lightbulbs.

“It definitely is a gateway,” said Keto, who, like Palermo, also uses the Echo to check the weather, get news updates and now, turn things off and on throughout his house.