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Too many laws to fund Lack of budget support stops implementation of key laws

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By Jovee Marie N. dela Cruz

HE think tank of the House of Representatives said several important laws remain unimplemented owing to lack of funds. In a discussion paper written

by Aurea Hernandez-Sempio, the Congressional Policy and Budget Research Department (CPBRD) said 62 laws remained partially funded, while 75 laws were not funded at all as of October 2015.

“Compared to an earlier report [2007] by the Department of Budget and Management [DBM], unfunded laws grew by 127.3 percent, from 33 in 2007 to 75 in 2015, while partially funded laws grew even higher by 376.9 percent, from 13 to 62 in the same period,” the CPBRD said.

“The total funding requirement to implement these laws amounted to P367.3 billion. Of this amount, only P242.1 billion was allocated, leaving a funding deficiency of P125.2 billion. The figure could even be higher, considering that there are laws on the DBM list with undetermined funding requirements,” it said.

By sector, the CPBRD said it is the economic sector-related laws that had the biggest funding deficiency of P79 billion, representing 33.1 percent of their total funding requirement.

Although General Administration, Public Order and Safety had the lowest funding deficiency (P10.4 billion), it is highly underfunded, percentage-wise, at 89.7 percent, while Social Services and Defense were also short of funding

by P15.5 billion (37.2 percent) and P20.3 billion (27 percent), respectively, the think tank added.

75

The number of laws that did not receive any funding as of October 2015

Unfunded laws

The CPBRD said some of the unfunded laws are crucial laws in

achieving economic and social objectives. But insufficient budget support has encumbered the implementation of programs—resulting in rather slow progress.

Among the major unfunded and partially funded laws include the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP), Fisheries Code, Shelter Finance, Armed Forces Modernization Program, Compensation for Victims of Human-Rights Violation and the Modernization of the Bureau of Correction.

The CARP, which expired in 2008, was extended under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program Extension with Reforms (Carper) of 2009.

“The new law [Carper] required a total budget of P150 billion for the acquisition and distribution of the remaining 1.6 million hectares of agricultural lands,” the CPBRD said.

However, the discussion paper said the law started to get funding only in 2011, such that P37.4 Continued on A2

Absence of adequate impounding space hobbles drive against smoke belchers

By Jonathan L. Mayuga

W

ith lack of an impounding area, the crackdown against smoke-belching motor vehicles may have to wait.

The National Anti-Environmental Crime Task Force (NAECTF), led

by Environment Undersecretary Arturo T. Valdez, was supposed to start impounding smoke-belching vehicles last month, but lack of an impounding area large enough to accommodate the expected number of vehicles is derailing the plan.

Mike Aragon, vice president for communications and public relations of the Coalition of Clean Air Advocates of the Philippines (CCAAP), said the NAECTF has yet to find an impounding area to sustain an intensified campaign for cleaner air in Metro Manila.

The CCAAP, a civil-society organization component of the NAECTF and the Department of

120-140 μg/Ncm

Environment and Natural Resources’s (DENR) lead partner in the campaign for cleaner air, is coordinating with the DENR and other agencies to strictly enforce the law against smoke belching to reduce air pollution, particularly in Metro Manila.

“Air pollution is a major environmental crime, because air pollution kills,” Aragon said.

Air pollution, he added, causes deadly respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, and contributes to global warming that leads to climate change.

Aragon stated that the Philippines belongs to the top most vulnerable list of countries in the planet gravely affected by climate change.

AFP nod

Aragon said the NAECTF has yet to get the nod of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to allow See “Smoke belchers,” A2

PESO exchange rates n US 48.3360

cars involved in accidents or with violations are parked at an impounding area on Edsa in Pasay City. ALYSA SALEN

The average TSP readings in Metro Manila’s air-quality monitoring station, which is way above the 90 μg/Ncm global standard

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)

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Absence of adequate impounding space hobbles drive against smoke belchers Continued from a1

the use of a portion of Camp Capinpin in Tanay, Rizal, which has been eyed as a suitable impounding area for smoke-belching vehicles.

“We are conducting follow-ups on our request to the Armed Forces to let the NAECTF use a portion of Camp Capinpin in Tanay. There are a lot of paperworks involved, and we are continuously making follow-ups,” Aragon said, adding they are coordinating with Lt. Col. Ruben Guinobaly, the AFP’s point person to the NAECTF. According to Aragon, once the AFP has given the go signal for the NAECTF to use a portion of Camp Capinpin, the crackdown is bound to spare no one.

For now, CCAAP, in partnership with the DENR’s Environmental Management Bureau (EMB), is focusing on conducting massive information campaign about the plan.

Aragon is confident that the AFP would soon grant approval of the NAECTF’s request, noting that it is a signatory to a memorandum of agreement (MOA) signed by heads of the various government agencies composing the NAECTF. “The AFP is a signatory to the MOA creating the task force.

I’m sure they would soon allow a portion of Tanay to be used for impounding,” he said. To recall, Valdez earlier bared the plan to impound smoke-belching vehicles starting last month as part of the campaign for better air quality in Metro Manila.

10 hectares

Valdez told the BusinessMirror they were looking for a bigger impounding area, measuring at least

10 hectares, where smoke-belching vehicles caught violating the Clean Air Act will be towed.

“We will need at least 10 hectares before we start the crackdown on erring motor-vehicle owners,” Valdez said.

The NAECTF had already started meeting transport groups as early as August, wherein the DENR warned about the consequence of apprehension for smoke belching.

The campaign will cover both private and public-utility vehicles, Valdez said.

The DENR senior undersecretary said the plan is to put up checkpoints in strategic locations to apprehend violators of the smoke-belching law, and tow the vehicles to the impounding area.

He said they decided to look for an impounding area outside Metro Manila so that motorists would be cautious and avoid the inconvenience of having their vehicles towed and impounded.

The NAECTF would also slap violators with stiffer penalties, such as charging owners of vehicles higher fees, from towing to impounding, and would require them to bring their own mechanic to fix their motor vehicles in the impounding area before release.

Top air polluter

According to the CCAAP, poor maintenance of motor vehicles compound the problem of air pollution in Metro Manila.

The DENR said 80 percent of the air pollution in Metro Manila comes from mobile sources (motor vehicles), while only 20 percent comes from industries and other sources.

Last year, to help reduce air

cars involved in accidents or with violations are parked at an impounding area on Edsa in Pasay City. ALYSA SALEN

pollution from motor vehicles, the DENR and the Department of Energy (DOE) issued a joint resolution prescribing the use of Euro 4 fuel.

While gasoline stations in Metro Manila have complied with the joint order imposing them to sell only Euro 4-standard fuels, it appears that air pollution did not improve at all.

CCAAP also blamed the cor-

rupt practices at the Land Transportation Office (LTO) and accredited private emission testing centers, plus the poor implementation of the smoke-belching law, for the poor quality of air Metro Manila residents breath.

Air quality

Aragon maintained that Metro Manila’s air quality remains below international standard.

Too many laws to fund Continued from a1

billion was still needed—as of 2015—to complete the land acquisition and distribution activities of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR).

“Carper’s term is supposed to have expired on June 30, 2014, since no further extension was enacted despite about 700,000 hectares of land left for distribution.

However, Section 30 of the law provided a legal ground for the DAR to continue LAD proceedings even beyond its expiry date,” the think tank said.

“After almost two decades, there remains a considerable number of agricultural lands to distribute to deserving farmer-beneficiaries under the agrarian-reform program. As of 2015, the measure still required P37.4 billion to complete the land acquisition and distribution activities of the agrarianreform program. After it got an allocation of P4.5 billion this year, the remaining budget needed to complete the land distribution to agrarian-reform beneficiaries is about P32.9 billion,” it added.

The research body said the Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998 (RA 8550), amended by RA 10654 (2015), also needs a P1.6-billion fund for it to be implemented.

“While the DBM estimated that P1.6 billion is needed to fully implement the law, only P100 million was allocated since 1998. A huge funding backlog of P1.5 billion could have possibly sidelined efforts to address the existing challenges in the management and conservation of the fishery and aquatic resources in the country,” it added.

The Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998 (RA 8550), amended by RA 10654 (2015), seeks to protect and conserve the fishery and aquatic

resources in the country.

Housing

CPBRD said the Comprehensive and Integrated Shelter Finance Act (Cisfa), which was enacted 22 years ago, also required a total funding of P37 billion.

“[However] of this amount, about P26 billion was allocated as of 2015—thus, a balance of P11 billion,” the paper said.

The think tank, citing a study, said the annual public expenditure for housing in the Philippines is one of the lowest in Asia, saying it is approximately less than 1 percent of the total government expenditures and accounts for less than 0.1 percent of the GDP.

“The shortage in housing funds partly explains the country’s housing backlog,” it said.

The think tank, citing the 20092016 study of the National Urban Development and Housing Framework, also said the housing backlog will be 5.8 million units by 2016.

In Metro Manila alone the body said the total backlog is estimated to be 496,928 housing units.

The budget for the shelter and urban development program was distributed to the various housing agencies, such as the National Home Mortgage Finance Corp.

(NHMFC), National Housing Authority (NHA), Home Guaranty Corporation (HGC) and Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).

“Despite having all these agencies in charge of the housing programs, the provision of decent homes to lower and middle brackets of society remains a big challenge,” it added.

Defense, public safety

CPBRD said the funding deficiency for the 15-year Armed Forces of

the Philippines Modernization Program (AFPMP) still stands at P20.3 billion as of 2015.

The military-modernization fund was enacted into law in 1995 (RA 7898) with a budget of P50 billion for the first five years of the program.

However, CPBRD said it was not immediately funded partly because of the Asian financial crisis in 1997.

For 2016, the government has allocated P25 billion for the upgrading of Armed Forces’s capital assets.

CPBRD also said the compensation for the victims of humanrights violations during the implementation of martial law is on hold because the Human-Rights Victims’ Claims Board will finish processing the claims only on May 12, 2018.

“The board has to deal with the martial-law victims, whose number ballooned from 20,000 to 75,730. As of 2015, only about P108 million out of the total settlement amount of P10 billion was released by the government,” it added.

For the modernization of the Bureau of Corrections, the research body said the proposed budget was P478.1 million, but only 20 percent was allocated or released leaving a funding backlog of P382.5 million as of 2015.

“Shortage of funds has apparently worsened jail congestion and prison conditions,” it said.

“Adequate logistical support needs to be in place in order to address serious issues concerning drug syndicates, prostitution and other illegal activities in national penitentiary,” it added.

Reasons

CPBRD said these laws passed by Congress were not enforced owing to nonavailability of government resources, low priority given by im-

plementing line agencies, no costing estimates or indicated funding requirements, and nonexistence of implementing rules.

“Some laws deserve immediate enforcement but are relegated to the backseat by national agencies and local governments. Heads of executive offices may have found these laws unimportant, especially when they are not consulted in the policy-formulation process. Without a sense of ownership, agencies can easily set aside efforts to operationalize these unfunded laws in favor of more familiar pet programs,” it added.

Also, CPBRD said political relationships also affect the local government’s decision on which mandates should be prioritized for enforcement.

“Usually, local governments are not motivated to implement some laws due to existence of partisan differences. Most of these laws pertain to the declaration of some areas as tourism development areas, and declaration of some churches and plazas as Cultural Heritage Tourism Zones,” it added.

Also, CPBRD said without an estimated budget requirement and considering its limited resources, the concerned agency may find it difficult to assign the right budget for enforcement, “the situation may also give the agency an option to delay the necessary implementation of the law.”

Solutions

ACCORDING to CPBRD, the 17th Congress can address the issues of unfunded laws by refiling the deficit-neutral bill, mandating the development of a costing framework similar to the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (Umra) of the US. It said unfunded laws can also be addressed by calling the atten-

The average total suspended particulates readings in Metro Manila’s air quality monitoring station show pollution level at varying degrees from 120 to 140 microgram per normal cubic to meter (ug/Ncm). This is way above the international standard of 90 ug/ Ncm, or “safe” level, he said.

Recently, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) came up with a department order (DO

2016-017) that will take effect on October 1, which reverts back to the DOTr the power of the LTO to authorize and monitor the motorvehicle emission-testing centers in the country.

Hopefully, Aragon said this will address the problem at the level of the motor-vehicle registration. The next step, he said, is to start enforcing the antismokebelching law.

tion of agencies required to produce the implementing rules and identifying problematic provisions, which create implementation issues; and utilizing the LegislativeExecutive Development Advisory Council (Ledac) as a platform for policy reforms.

The research body said Congress needs to capacitate itself in order to make objective assessments of the funding requirements of proposed laws.

“An agency may be mandated to perform cost estimates in support of legislation. A costing framework similar to that of the Umra may be adopted to help Congress determine the financial implications of proposed laws so that no new laws will end up unimplemented,” it said.

During the term of former President Benigno S. Aquino III at least 79 proposed laws have been vetoed primarily owing to funding problems.

CPBRD said Congress can call the attention of agencies to facilitate the issuance of implementing rules so that newly enacted laws will be implemented.

“[Also] regular meetings of the Ledac as a consultative and advisory body to the President can also be instrumental in ensuring that the legislative agenda and national development plan complement each other,” it said.

Through the Ledac, the policy body said the Executive department and the Legislature can mutually identify a common legislative agenda that both can support by way of enactment of laws, formulation of IRR, appropriation of funds, and timely implementation of programs.

Other unfunded laws include amendments to the Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines;

imposition of penalties to persons driving under the influence of alcohol, dangerous drugs, and similar substances; Product Development and Filipino Design Center Act; conversion of some Land Transportation Office (LTO) extension offices into regular LTO district offices; conversion of some municipal and provincial roads into national roads; institutionalizing open distance learning in all levels of tertiary education; regulating and modernizing the practice of chemistry in the Philippines; barangay Livelihood and Skills Act of 2008; strengthening the ladderized interface between technicalvocational education and training, and higher education; establishing elementary/primary schools, city schools, farm school, national high schools, national vocational high schools, and conversion of some high schools into independent national high schools in some regions.

Granting survivorship benefits to spouse of deceased retired members of the Commission on Audit, the civil Service Commission, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and the Ombudsman; creating the National Privacy Commission to protect individual personal information and communication systems in the government and private sector; providing for local absentee voting for media; authorizing Comelec to establish precincts exclusively for persons with disabilities and senior citizens; providing for a system of overseas absentee voting for Philippine citizens abroad; creating additional branches of Regional Trials Courts; strengthening the Comprehensive Dangerous Act of 2002; and amending the law that standardizes and upgrades the benefits for military veterans and their dependents.

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China carfentanil trade thrives as seizures top 400 in US

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By Erika Kinetz & Raphael Satter | The Associated Press

HANGHAI—Seizures of the deadly chemical carfentanil have exploded across the United States, with more than 400 cases documented in eight states since July alone, The Associated Press (AP) has found.

Fueled by a thriving trade out of China, the weapons-grade chemical is suspected in hundreds of drug overdoses in the US and Canada. An AP investigation last month showed how easily carfentanil can be purchased online from China. Of the 12 companies that initially offered to export carfentanil around the world, just three have stopped since the report was released. Nine continue to offer carfentanil for sale, no questions asked, and the AP identified four additiona l companies w il ling to sell the drug, some of which claimed to have US addresses.

Asked for comment, most denied they’d ever made the offers.

Jilin Tely Import and Export Co. initially boasted in an e-mail that carfentanil was one of its “hot sales product.” After being named in AP’s story, the company’s web site vanished and it denied ever producing carfentanil.

All these vendors profit from a loophole in the global regulation of a substance whose toxicity has been compared with that of a nerve agent. Carfentanil is a controlled substance in the US, where it can be used legally to immobilize large animals like elephants.

But it is not controlled in China, the top source of fentanyl-related compounds that end up in the US, Canada and Mexico, according to the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

“It’s a loophole that needs to be closed because even small quantities can have a terrible lethal effect,” said Andrew Weber, who served as US assistant secretary of defense for nuclear, chemical and biological defense programs from 2009 to 2014. “Terrorists could acquire it commercially as we have seen drug dealers doing.”

Some 5,000 times stronger than heroin—and 100 times stronger

than fentanyl itself—carfentanil is so toxic that an amount smaller than a poppy seed can kill a person. It was researched for years as a chemical weapon and used

by Russian forces to incapacitate Chechen separatists in 2002.

The AP did not buy carfentanil from the vendors and did not test whether the products on offer were genuine. DEA and State Department officials have discussed carfentanil’s dangers with Chinese authorities, who have already controlled 19 fentanyl-related compounds, and urged them to blacklist it. But China has yet to act.

The DEA says the carfentanil spreading through illicit drug markets in the US is not being diverted from legal domestic supplies. “The carfentanil that has been seized in multiple US states is believed to be arriving from foreign sources via illicit networks,” Russell Baer, a DEA special agent in Washington, said by email. China’s Ministry of

Public Security did not respond to requests for comment.

Since July, when carfentanil was first identified in the US drug supply, the DEA has confirmed at least 407 carfentanil seizures in eight states, according to data obtained by the AP that did not include details on quantities seized. Dealers cut carfentanil and other synthetic opioids into illicit drugs like heroin, cocaine and fake prescription pills to boost profit margins.

The main geographic cluster centers on Ohio, which has been hardest hit, with 343 confirmed carfentanil seizures. The drug has also spread through the surrounding states of Kentucky, Indiana, Michigan and Illinois. Carfentanil has been seized at least 34 times in Florida, the second-hardest hit state, and has been identified in Georgia and Rhode Island. DEA is waiting on confirmation from cases in West Virginia, New York and Pennsylvania.

It’s a loophole that needs to be closed because even small quantities can have a terrible lethal effect. Terrorists could acquire it commercially, as we have seen drug dealers doing.”—Weber

The resulting wave of human misery has been overwhelming.

In just 21 days in July, paramedics in Akron, Ohio, logged 236 overdoses, including 14 fatalities, with suspected links to carfentanil, according to the DEA. In the first six months of this year, in contrast, they dealt with a total of 320 overdoses of all kinds. In September, the Ohio coroner’s office confirmed eight carfentanil overdose deaths in Cincinnati, the DEA said.

The true scope of the problem is likely bigger. The seizure data from the DEA only reflects samples confirmed as carfentanil by federal, state and local forensic laboratories. Some local authorities may not have tested specifically for the drug—not all labs even have the capacity to do so—and toxicology tests can lag for months as coroners struggle with a backlog of autopsies, according to the DEA. Direct exports of fentanylrelated chemicals from China arrive in the United States as air cargo or postal shipments, but are difficult to identify, according to congressional testimony obtained by the AP. “Standard field kits do not accurately detect fentanyl,” US Customs and Border Protection Commissioner R. Gil Kerlikowske said in answers to committee questions. He added that information from Chinese authorities on shipments destined for the US could

help customs more effectively intercept illicit packages.

For now, vendors appear brazenly confident about their ability to evade customs. Some even guaranteed delivery.

Shanxi Jinwei Technology Co. offered carfentanil and other drugs for export to the US and Europe. “Please don’t worry,” the company said in an e-mail. They added that they’d hide everything in aluminum bags and reship packages that failed to arrive. The company didn’t respond to requests for comment.

Carfentanil vendors also take advantage of loose oversight on major trading platforms like South Korea’s EC21.com and China’s LookChem.com marketplaces.

EC21 claims to host 3 million products. Among them are carfentanil, heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine and ketamine, the AP found. A spokesman for EC21 who refused to give a name said the site screened more than 700 keywords.

“Every day we spend lots of time and effort to block” illegal products, EC21 said by Skype chat.

But companies evade those keyword controls with the lightest touch of subterfuge. Like misspelling. A search for “fentanyl” yielded zero results. But “fentanyll” yielded 806 products from 422 suppliers on EC21. A search for “cocainee” tapped 35 suppliers and “heroinn” produced 21 suppliers.

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Sunday, November 6, 2016 • Editor: Lyn Resurreccion

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US military memorial, wildlife at odds in new Battle of Midway

By Caleb Jones & Josh Lederman | The Associated Press

M

IDWAY ATOLL, Northwestern Hawaiian Islands—The Battle of Midway was a major turning point in World War II’s Pacific theater.

The remote atoll where thousands died is now a delicate sanctuary for millions of seabirds, and a new battle is pitting preservation of its vaunted military history against the protection of its wildlife.

Halfway between the United States and Asia, Midway’s three islets are surrounded by vibrant coral reefs and are home to the biggest colony of Laysan albatrosses on Earth. The large, white and black seabirds pair off and mate for life, nesting and raising their young on Midway.

President Barack Obama recently traveled here to announce the expansion of the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument, now the world’s biggest oceanic preserve.

“I look forward to knowing that 20 years from now, 40 years from now, 100 years from now, this is a

place where people can still come to and see what a place like this looks like when it’s not overcrowded and destroyed by human populations,” Obama said. But Midway is a place where many people have lived, and perished—almost 3,000 in the historic conflict with Japan, which took place mostly in the waters north of the atoll. And the public hasn’t been allowed to visit the refuge or the battle monuments for years.

About 50 agency staff and volunteers live on the atoll at any given time, staying in renovated military housing. During its military prime, up to 5,000 people were stationed on Midway. A

“I look forward to knowing that 20 years from now, 40 years from now, 100 years from now, this is a place where people can still come to and see what a place like this looks like when it’s not overcrowded and destroyed by human populations.”—Obama

public visitation program in the late-1990s allowed 100 people per week, plus support staff, to stay on the island.

Today only volunteers, researchers and journalists can request a permit to visit the remote atoll. Approval can take up to a year and isn’t guaranteed. Exceptions are made, such as for the battle’s upcoming 75th anniversary, when about 25 people will attend a ceremony.

“Fish and Wildlife has every right and obligation to protect the wildlife, but they also have an obligation to protect the historic sites and the meaning of Midway,” said James D’Angelo, founder of the International Midway Memorial Foundation. “It is precisely because of the men that lived and died that that memory should never be forgotten.”

Six months after the Pearl Harbor attack, American forces turned away the Japanese at Midway and went on the offensive. In all, 2,500 Japanese and 307 Americans were killed in the battle.

The Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1988 when the atoll was still under Navy

control. In 1996 management was transferred to the wildlife agency with a mandate to maintain and preserve not only the wildlife but the atoll’s historical significance.

Since 2000, the site has been designated as a National Memorial to the Battle of Midway. The original seaplane hangar is rusted and has shrapnel pockmarks. Behind it, a huge pile of desks, bicycles and broken speedboat engines await removal.

Midway sits amid a collection of man-made debris called the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.

Along Midway’s paths are piles of feathers with rings of plastic in the middle—remnants of birds that died with the plastic in their guts. Each year the agency removes about 20 tons of plastic and debris that washes ashore.

The critically endangered shorttailed albatross can be found only on Midway and one other small Pacific island. Endangered Hawaiian monk seals and green sea turtles also frequent Midway’s shores.

In 1996, the government reached an agreement with the Georgiabased Phoenix Midway Corp. to help operate the island’s visitor program, with lodging, a restaurant, a dive shop and bowling alley, at no cost to taxpayers.

But, in its six years of operation, the company had only one profitable month, according to a document submitted to Fish and Wildlife and provided to The Associated Press by the memorial foundation.

In mid-2001 the company pulled out. After that, there was either no visitor program or a limited one.

“It’s financial suicide for anybody to think that they can go in unless they were given the carte blanche rights to run the island,” said Bob Tracey, Phoenix Midway’s former executive vice president.

In 2014 the Congressional Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, Oceans and Insular Affairs held an oversight hearing about Midway.

“Objective observers can certainly question whether it was a mistake to transfer this sacred ground to an agency that is far better equipped to maintain birds than visitors,” said the chairman, Rep. John Fleming, a Republican from Louisiana The Government Accountability Office (GAO) concluded in 2016 that the wildlife agency maintained most historic properties but tore down seven others without the required public notice.

But the GAO noted funding has been slashed from $4 million annually to less than $3 million, resulting in the end of public visitation in 2012. Officials say more than $1 million a year would be required to reestablish a visitation program, excluding startup costs.

Matthew Brown, Fish and Wildlife’s superintendent for the marine national monument, said sustainable tourism is feasible despite the challenges. “It’s a very logistically challenging place to do anything,” he said.

Its World War II-era structures weren’t built to last, and some are coated in lead paint, Fish and Wildlife Spokesman Megan Nagel said, noting Laysan albatross ingest the paint chips, causing illness.

Too many visitors could disturb the delicate ecosystem, Nagel said.

Some contend a private company could easily profit from a Midway visitation program, but “evidence shows that is historical fiction,” Guam Rep. Madeleine Bordallo said at the 2014 congressional hearing. “Preservation of historic resources is expensive. If we value it as a country, we should pay for it.”

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

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Elephants shine at Sri Lanka’s processions but...

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OLOMBO, Sri Lanka—In Sri Lanka an elephant in the backyard has long been a sign of wealth, privilege and power. But these days it may also be a sign that someone is breaking the law.

Capturing wild elephants has been banned for decades here.

Registration records indicate there should be only 127 elephants in captivity, most of them older.

Yet, they are a staple of the South Asian island-nation’s 400 or so yearly processions—traditional ceremonies honoring a marriage, calling for peace or praying for rain—and in each, there are always a few young elephants clumsily cantering to keep up.

“In Sri Lanka people measure the success of the processions by the number of elephants,” said the Rev. Magalkande Sudantha, a Buddhist monk.

Despite concerns that the animals may be abused, spectators always expect a parade of elephants wearing jangling ornaments, and babies are a special attraction.

“There is no beauty in processions without elephants,” said Janaka Alwis, a 48-year-old city council employee in Gampaha, north of Colombo. “People go to watch because of the elephants, and to count them.”

Aware of the ongoing elephant racket, authorities have been cracking down. In the last two years, the government has confiscated 39 elephants whose ow ners produced either false permits or none at all. Some had paid as much as $200,000 per captured animal when a previous government was in office, according to Wildlife Minister Gamini Jayawickrama Perera.

Those facing prosecution for illegally keeping elephants include one judge and a Buddhist monk.

The police are also considering

3,000

The estimated number of Sri Lankan elephants before hunting and capture were banned, down from 14,000 in the 19th century charges against people suspected of rounding up wild elephants for profit.

The practice of taming wild elephants includes starving, beating and scaring them into submission, while keeping them chained up at all times, conservationists say. “ Taming a wild elephant is an extremely cruel experience for the animal,” said Prithviraj Fernando, who runs the Center for Conservation and Research in Sri Lanka. “W hether it’s a temple or a private person, that’s how it is done.”

The Sri Lankan elephant is one of three subspecies of Asian elephant and is found only on the teardrop-shaped Indian Ocean island. In the 19th century there were believed to be up to 14,000.

That number fell to fewer than 3,000, before hunting and capture were banned. But while the population has grown since then to nearly 6,000, according to the island ’s first official elephant census in 2011, they are still considered endangered and under threat from habitat loss and degradation. They are

Sri Lankan police officers march with a ceremonially dressed elephant calf during a Victory Day parade in Matara, about 165 kilometers south of Colombo, Sri Lanka, in 2015. The use of baby elephants in parades is proof that Sri Lankans have been flouting a decades-long ban on capturing the animals in the wild, experts say. AP/Nishan Priyantha

confined to small, isolated pockets of jungle and pasture in the north and the east.

For Buddhists, who make up 70 percent of the island ’s 20 million population, elephants are believed to have been servants of the Buddha and even a previous incarnation of the holy man himself. Sinhalese kings rode elephants into battle. And every year, colorfully decorated tuskers carry an ornate box containing a replica of one of the Buddha’s teeth.

“The elephants carrying sacred relics are very fortunate.

Even we don’t have that opportunity,” said housewife Kanthi Sriyalatha, 53. She said the sight

of the animals is also a thrill.

“Children wait in anticipation to watch processions because they want to see the elephants.”

Conser vationists said that, given the importance given to using elephants in religious ceremonies, the government should be stepping in to manage their care while ensuring no more are captured in the wild. “We need to impose some restrictions on ourselves. There are about 30,000 Buddhist temples,” Fernando said. “If every temple wants to have a procession with an elephant, it is not possible.”

The government is planning to set up its own pool of captive animals to be hired out to tem-

ples for ceremonies. “We have to create a pool of elephants” for processions, sa id Perera, the wildlife minister. “We are creating a process now for how to issue permits, how to release some of the elephant babies” to temples for their upkeep and use in processions. Under the plan, some would be kept in a so-called elephant orphanage. But some would go to families or temples that are financially capable of feeding and caring for them.

Some elephant owners say those who claim mistreatment are acting on Western notions of conservation and animal welfare.

“Elephants living with us do better than the animals in the

Missouri agency considers ban on unlimited turtle hunting

Scientists exploring techniques to save dying Great Barrier Reef

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EW YORK—Several biological scientists are exploring ways to restore the beauty of the world’s most famous reef— the Great Barrier Reef—which is dying.

According to Australia’s Nat iona l Cora l Bleac hing Taskforce, about 93 percent of the Great Barrier Reef has suffered some degree of bleaching.

Biologists have found that an increase of just 1 degree or 2 degrees of the water temperatures can cause coral reef to reject the colorful algae that reside inside, turning the coral white.

“How much worse that gets will depend on how we deal with global warming,” Mark Ea k in, Cora l Reef Watch coordinator with the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, said in a statement.

Besides restraining global warming, several scientists are tr y ing different methods to directly work on the coral, according to recent reports by different ne w s papers. Rut h Gates, a coral biologist from the Hawaii Institute of Marine

Biolog y on Oahu, is looking for stress-tolerant cora ls and breeding them to create a strain of coral that can stand changing water temperature, according to reports by Gloucester Times, a US media group.

Phi lippe Cousteau, t he of fspr ing of a prominent family specialized in environmenta l a nd conser vation protection career, was repor ted to be sea rc hing techniques for transplanting reef micro fragments to replace the damaged section of the reef.

Meanwhile, in a report

by US newspaper Greensburg Daily News, Peter Harrison, scientist from Southern Cross University in Lismore, Australia, is using the sperm and eggs of healthy corals to create numerous larvae, and then use the insects on the reefs in the Philippines to restore local marine life.

A lthough all the above methods have not been massively applied to the Great Barrier Reef, the scientists’ efforts offered a glimmer that our descendants may have the day to enjoy the beauty of the reef, like us. PNA/Xinhua

wild,” said Harsha Dharmawijaya, whose family has kept at least one elephant for 96 years. “We scrub their bodies and bathe them, feed them and treat their illnesses.... In a way this is a noble act.”

Some critics, however, note that Buddhism is a faith that preaches compassion for nature. “ If t he Budd h a wa s a l ive, would he condone what’s going on? I don’t think he would,” said Sumith Pilapitiya, a former World Bank environmental specialist who argued that the government should focus on the animals’ welfare rather than religious norms.

“In the name of Buddhism...we are ill-treating animals,” he said. AP

S IUCN, ACB tie up to boost Asean’s conservation efforts

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ox’s Bazar, Bangladesh— International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the Asean Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) are strengthening ties to support Asean countries in achieving their biodiversity targets through a new memorandum of understanding.

IUCN and ACB, both regarded as international centers of excellence for biodiversity conservation, are building on mutually shared objectives in biodiversity conservation and sustainable development. This is particularly in the context of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 and the recently adopted Sustainable Development Goals 2030 (SDGs).

As a partner, ACB joins the Regional Steering Committee (RSC) of the Mangroves for the Future Initiative (MFF), a partnershipbased regional initiative cochaired

by IUCN and United Nations Development Programme, which promotes investment in coastal ecosystem conservation for sustainable development. MFF focuses on the role that healthy, well-managed coastal ecosystems play in building the resilience of ecosystem-dependent coastal communities in Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Maldives, Myanmar, Pakistan, Seychelles, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam.

As a member of the MFF RSC, ACB shall work with Asean member-states, particularly those that are MFF members to ensure that Asean’s principles are reflected in MFF’s programs.

The partnership also calls for IUCN and ACB to identify and implement collaborative projects and activities. Potential areas for collaboration include: protectedareas management, particularly

in relation to the Asia Protected Areas Partnership, the Asean Heritage Parks Program and transboundary protected areas.

Both organizations also share an interest in strengthening the capacity of Asean member-states on access and benefit-sharing measures, including the Nagoya Protocol. In addition, IUCN and ACB will seek to develop synergies through the exchange of best practices and information related to regranting mechanisms, species conservation and the illegal wildlife trade.

To achieve these aims, both organizations will collaborate on fund-raising to support new biodiversity-conservation initiatives in the Asean region. ACB was welcomed as MFF’s newest institutional partner at the 13th meeting of the MFF RSC at Sayeman Beach Resort in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, on October 25.

AINT LOUIS—At the request of environmental advocates, the Missouri conser vation agency says it will consider amending the state regulation that allows for unlimited commerci al hunting of wild turtles.

In August the Center for Biological Diversity and Great Rivers Environmental Law Center filed a petition with the state’s Department of Conservation asking the agency to ban the unlimited commercial trapping of snapping and sof tshell turtles because of its detrimental impact on turtle populations.

Commercial hunting of the two kinds of turtles can intensify water pollution, habitat destruction, road mortality and incidental fishery devices, the groups said in a letter to the depar tment.

Ag e n c y l e a d e r To m D ra p e r s a i d o n Monday in a statement the department agrees the unlimited collection of the turtles “should be addressed through the rule-making process.”

Th e t u r t l e s c o n t r i b u te to l o c a l economies and can be a source of food for some, according to the department.

Turtles are harvested and sold abroad for food, medicinal purposes and can serve as pets. Under current state regulations, a person with a commercial fishing permit can take unlimited numbers of common snappers, spiny softshells and smooth softshells from parts of the Missouri and Mississippi rivers without season restrictions, the groups said. They said tur tles are helpful in maintaining a balanced ecosystem. TNS

Faith

A6

Sunday

Sunday, November 6 2016

Editor: Lyn B. Resurreccion

Priest to laity: ‘Do your part, God takes care of the rest’

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ILANG, Cavite—“You are responsible for your tasks, God is responsible for the outcome.” Fr. Francis Salcedo made this statement before 92 worship ministers and other parish leaders of San Fernando de Dilao, Paco, Manila, at a retreat and team building held on October 29 at The Oasis of Prayer in this town.

The priest added: “Who you are is as important as the ministry which you do and always use care in how you measure success.”

Salcedo stressed the importance of having regular retreats, saying it does not only mean “to surrender.” It simply means “I need to rest,” “to recharge” and “to be healed” from the routinary and day-to-day service in the parish, he explained.According to Salcedo, a retreat is “God’s heart-to-heart resuscitation.”

“Remember to care for your spirit, emotions and body so that there will be something left to give,” he said. The Worship Ministry of San Fernando de Dilao Parish, under the pastoral leadership of Msgr. Rolando de la Cruz, with Fr. Carlo del Rosario, the ministry’s spiritual adviser, comprised

92 The number of worship ministers and other parish leaders of San Fernando de Dilao, Paco, Manila, who attended a retreat and team building

nearly a hundred Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, Lector and Commentators’ Ministry

members, greeters and collectors, as well as members of the Mother Butlers’ Guild.

Fr. Francis X avier Salcedo, chaplain of White Cross Orphanage, who facilitated this year’s retreat themed “Liturgical Spirituality: Deepening Faith and Commitment to Service,” underscored the significance of being renewed in the worship ministry during the Year of Mercy and of managing stress as a means to “more effective witnessing” as a worship minister.

The attendees also participated in team-building activities, which emphasized on cooperation, communication, listening and sensitivity among the members of the different ministries.

Elders told: ‘Be examples to youth’

Meanwhile, in a Mass to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Parish of Saint Anne as national shrine, a bishop called on the older generation to follow in the footsteps of the Blessed Virgin’s parents, Saint Joachim and Saint Anne, by being models to young people.

“You, older ones, be an example to the youth,” said Malolos Bishop Jose F. Oliveros, who concelebrated the Mass w ith Caloocan Bishop Deogracias S. Iñiguez and 26 priests of the Diocese of Malolos.

He encouraged the devotees

of Saint Anne to be an example to the youth by drawing inspiration from the lives of Saint Anne and Saint Joachim when guiding the younger generation in developing and nurturing their faith in God. In his homily, the prelate also highlighted the significance of remembering all the graces and blessings the Church has received t hrough Sa int A nne and her spouse, Saint Joachim. “We remember things so as to somehow transport the past to the present,” Oliveros said in Filipino.

He also called on the youth to follow and respect the elderly not because they are weak, but because they are “the developers and the nurturers of faith.”

“You, youth, respect your elders,” Oliveros said.

In 1991 the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines declared the Parish of Saint Anne in Hagonoy, Bulacan, a national shrine, choosing it among many other parishes dedicated to the saint. Before the Mass, 25 benefactors were awarded in recognition of their endless support to the National Shrine and Parish of Saint Anne that helped the shrine remain a center of popular devotion in Luzon.

After the Mass, Oliveros asked for the faithful’s support, particularly for the projects under the Annual Bishops’ Appeal. Angie Gonzales

and Manuel Geon Dela Cruz/CBCP News

Pope rules out women’s ordination forever

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ATICAN CITY—Pope Francis has ruled out women’s ordination, saying the “last word” on the question was delivered by Saint John Paul II and that no changes are foreseen.

Francis was asked en route home on Tuesday from Sweden, where the Lutheran church is headed by a woman, if the Catholic Church might ordain women priests.

Francis said: “The last word was clear and was given by Saint John Paul II and this remains.

This remains.”

John Paul ruled out female ordination in his 1994 apostolic letter “Priestly Ordination.”

In the document, John Paul declared “the Church has no authority whatsoever to confer priestly ordination on women and that this judgment is to be definitively held by all the Church’s faithful.” AP

Gracing the recent book launching of Drs. Luke and Corazon Santiago (third and fourth from left) are (front, from left) Nila Regala, Adolfo Paglinawan, Glo Ocampo and book printer Erlinda Tan. Also in the photo (standing) are Bro. Albert Salvacion, Fr. David Ma. Villamor, Dr. Donna Santiago and other friends. Stephanie Tumampos

Braving Karen signal No. 2 for book launching

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he launching of the respective books of husband and wife Drs. Luke and Corazon Santiago in Makati was a success, despite Typhoon Karen’s signal No. 2 lashing Metro Manila and, worse, at signal No. 3 in northern Philippines recently. Mrs. Santiago’s book, Drawn into the Light,

is a collection of her articles printed on BusinessMirror’s Faith page.

Mr. Santiago’s two books are The Crux of Public Relations and Steward—Where Art Thou? The friends of the couple from Our Lady of the Abandoned Church Parish in Santa Ana, Manila; religious from

Oblates of the Alliance of the Two Hearts; friends of Mrs. Santiago from the Department of Education National Capital Region, where she was a former regional director; her former pupils from Rafael Palma Elementary School; and publicist friends of Mr. Santiago graced the occasion.

Kids as saints, not scary characters, on Halloween The Santisima Trinidad Parish in Estrada, Manila, celebrated Halloween with children dressed as their favorite saints. After the afternoon procession on October 30, the children posed for a photo inside the church with Parish Priest Fr. Joselito Buenafe (back, right). The children in costumes as Saint Therese of the Child Jesus, Saint Mother Teresa and Saint Aloysius Gonzaga received special prices. Joris June Villaruz

Portrait of Saint Martin de Porres, 17th century, Monastery of Rosa of Santa Maria in Lima. This portrait was painted during his lifetime or very soon after his death, making it probably the most true to his appearance. Wikimedia Commons

Saint Martin de Porres, patron saint of social justice

By Corazon Damo-Santiago

S

aint Martin De Porres was born in 1579 in Lima, Peru.

His father, Don Juan de Porres, was a Spanish nobleman who became governor of Panama. His mother, Anna Martin, was a freed black slave.

Don Juan, embarrassed at the dark complexion of his illegitimate son, a mullato who took after the features of his mother, abandoned them, but years later acknowledged Martin as his son.

Anna provided Martin a Christian education. At 12, he apprenticed to a barber-surgeon, making him work with combined basic medical and surgical skills.

At 15, he applied as a lay helper at a Dominican monastery and was assigned to do menial tasks: sweeping the cloisters, cleaning the latrines and also as a wardrobe keeper.

Dominican friars then had a policy that “no black person may be received to the holy habit or profession of our Order.”

His charity, obedience and humility impressed the community that after nine years they insisted that he become a lay brother—a full religious—and dropped the racist rule. When he was assigned to take charge of the infirmary in the monastery, his ingenious knowledge about herbal treatments and homemade medicine was discovered. His reputation grew because of his mysterious diagnostic skills and his power to heal by his mere touch.

A brother confronted him when he took a sick and worn-out beggar for treatment in his cell. Confident that it was a charitable act, he retorted: “Compassion, my dear brother, is preferable to cleanliness. Reflect that with a little soap, I can easily clean my bedcovers, but even with a torrent of tears I would never wash from my soul the stain that my harshness toward this man would create.”

Charity to the core

Saint Martin de Porres’s life reflected God’s compassion for the poor, the powerless, the weak and the little ones.

He cared for the poor in the slums and children in the hospitals. He had a special ministry for Indians and Africans who were looked down upon as undesirables, cognizant not only of their basic needs, but their miserable bondage, as well.

The black slaves from Africa who were brought to Peru had wretched lives since the owners had the power of life and death over them. He relieved everyone who approached him for healing through his miraculous touch and prayers.

His remarkable charity also included dogs, cats, turkeys, donkeys and even mice that he founded a shelter for stray animals.

Robert Ellsberg in All Saints narrated how Martin caught a mouse in the monastery and talked to it respectfully. He requested it to lead others out of the monastery into the garden and promised to feed them.

Within minutes, a horde of mice abandoned the monastery. The saint kept his promise and brought food for them in the garden.

Admonished by his superior for overdoing charity, he knelt and said: “Forgive my error and please instruct me, for I did not know that the precept of obedience had precedence over that of charity.”

Martin Relph, who wrote Martin’s biography, considered him to be a saint for people of mixed races, too, an inspiration to people who advocate racial harmony.

Indeed, like Saint Francis of Assisi, “he was a living parable of the reign of God,” Ellsberg noted.

Spiritually gifted

Martin heard stories about martyrdom and desired to work in foreign missions. Not destined for martyrdom, he “made a martyr of his body,” attuned to the excessive spiritual practices of the 16th century monasteries.

He lived on water and bread and never ate meat. He slept on ground and subjected himself to a nightly flagellation and levitates during his rigorous prayer life. Asked why he had to be harsh with himself, he would mumble that there were many sins to atone for.

His life was a witness to how God endowed him with spiritual gifts. In addition to his miraculous healing power, he had the power to be invisible at will, pass through locked doors and bilocate himself.

There were authenticated cases that he assisted sick people in “Mexico, Algiers France, China, Japan and the Philippines” although he never left Lima, Peru.

Witnesses also have claimed that they met him in “China”, Mexico and North Africa.”

Endowed with prophetic gift, he could see through the future and read the hearts and desires of people “even in great distances.”

So he was requested to help resolve theological problems in his Order and of bishops, as well.

Although he tried to conceal his miraculous favors, “God permitted friars to see Martin accompanied by angels, enveloped in light during ecstasy,” A.J.M. and J.K. Mausolfe noted in Saint Companions for Each Day. Even in his tomb, miraculous happened.

Martin, the charitable

When Martin died on November 3, 1639, Peru mourned, from the Viceroy to beggars. On the 25th anniversary of his death, his body was exhumed and found still supple and incorrupt.

Beatified in 1837 by Pope Gregory XVI, he was canonized by Pope John XXIII on May 6, 1962. Martin, the charitable, was acclaimed the Patron of Social Justice because he worked for the equal rights of all classes of people.

Santiago is a former regional director of the Department of Education National Capital Region. She is currently a faculty member of Mater Redemptoris College in Calauan, Laguna.

Tourism&Entertainment Editor: Carla Mortel-Baricaua • tourism@businessmirror.com.ph

BusinessMirror

Glimpse of Dinagat Islands

Sunday, November 6, 2016

I’M Hotel redefines the concept of luxury

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’M Hotel is a property of many firsts. It is the first five-star hotel in the Poblacion district of Makati City and houses the first onsen spa in the Philippines, which is incidentally the largest urban spa property in the country, as well.

It is exceptionally located with close proximity to malls, entertainment centers, and a mere 800 meters away from the Makati Central Business District.

Slated for soft-launch in November 2016, I’M Hotel aims to redefine the concept of luxury, by removing dated and irrelevant excesses to focus on elements that deliver the highest levels of utility. Every customer touchpoint is carefully curated and tailored to the guests’ preferences. The name itself is an homage to the guest, an invitation for them to project their personalities and preferences onto the hotel so that they can truly call the experience their own.

Signature elements and facilities

There are six signature elements that work together to exemplify the property and provide an unprecedented hospitality experience.

The rock formations reminded the author of some of the islands in Coron and El Nido.

I

Story & photos

by Joshua Berida

was not so sure about what I would see when I planned my trip to Dinagat Islands, which is off the coast of mainland Surigao.

I kept an open mind as the van parked inside the station in Surigao City. The familiar hustle and bustle, coyness but friendliness of the locals and the fresh air coming from the sea greeted me like many of the provincial towns I have been to in the country.

When I boarded the boat bound for San Jose, Dinagat Islands, I thought I was late as the scheduled departure was at 1 p.m. The boat did not leave until almost 4 p.m.; it was my first surprise of many.

Journey to Dinagat

The seascapes transformed into small makeshift houses made of patches of wood and concrete. It was clear that I was the lone tourist in town, as most of the people aboard were returning residents.

Atop the hill from the shanty-

town of concrete and wood was a white castle, with red spires, kitschy and discordant with everything else on the island. Typical. The symbol of the Philippines, we are unlike you, we are above you. I brushed off the brazen show of power and affluence, and looked for a boatman for the next day’s activities.

I have learned from experience that solo travel is expensive, especially when no one else is doing the same tour or heading in the same direction. A place like Dinagat is not exactly a tour-

ist destination where flocks of people and competing boatmen would drive the price down for tours to the other islands. I was in luck as the habal-habal (motorcycle) driver who took me to a nearby guesthouse had a boat.

Island-hopping

A tropical country like the Philippines has an abundance of fine, white-sand beaches and cerulean waters, and Dinagat was no exception. I hopped on the small boat I rented as three generations joined me; the grandfather, father and son.

The placid waters were mirror-like, reflecting the sun and our tiny boat. It did not take long before we reached our destination, Cab-Ilan Island.

It was a scene I was familiar with, white sand and clear waters with coconut trees swaying.

The difference is that there were no hoards of people, aside from a handful of locals eating, and my boatmen and I. There was no shuttling in and out of tourists, no booming music and no concrete structures. It felt like we were interfering with nature’s ruminations with our noise and footsteps.

There was a nearby barangay on the same group of islands; life is simple here, townspeople fish or make boats. Their smiles were genuine, and stares curious, filled with questions. We did not stay long before we headed to the next deserted white-sand beach.

Biray-biray and Bita-og were similar to many of the Philippines’s popular tropical islands with their glass-like waters, pow-

dery, bone-white sand and karst formations. I took my time savoring each island with the handful of locals on their fishing boats.

The mirror-like waters reflected pictures of the islands of Palawan, the beaches of Bohol, but when I took my eyes off the water, I was here in Dinagat, in some faraway province with only a handful of tourists curious enough to visit.

We went back to San Jose and made Santa Cruz beach our last stop. Locals doused the heat by swimming in the waters; its proximity to town made it a popular destination.

I found it surprising that Kuya Jojo and his son (the father and son who accompanied me to Cabilan, Biray-biray and Bita-og) explored those beaches we have just been to for the first time. It would come as no surprise that the locals enjoy the beach in Santa Cruz and, consequently, never discovered the islands just an hour boat ride away from their homes.

Very few tourists visit; limited accommodations in town and very few selections of places to eat outside of carinderias you can easily find in the countryside. No signature dish or a memorable souvenir to take back with you.

There was still plenty to see, but time was a luxury, as I had to head back home. Dinagat Islands is a province filled with secrets from the gated castle looming over the shantytown, the depths of its waters, the legends behind its islands and behind the smiles of its people.

I only caught a glimpse of what the province is, and what it could be.

n The largest urban spa in Manila with an ‘onsen’ concept

Spanning an expansive 3,800 sq m over six stories, I’M Onsen Spa is the largest state-of-the-art spa facility in the Philippines featuring a unique carbonated bath with technology imported from Japan. The spa houses 69 beds. Guests can choose to avail themselves their treatments in a wide variety of rooms, from communal beds to couple rooms with suite Jacuzzis or steam rooms, or executive and VIP rooms fit for small exclusive gatherings. It also features relaxation lounges and a buffet restaurant featuring the most exquisite seasonal ingredients handpicked by renowned Chef King Fonacier. Prices are all-inclusive and come with access to all the above facilities.

All stays come with free access to the spa’s facilities.

n Architecture, room design

and commissioned art

Designed by renowned Singapore-based interior designer Suying Metropolitan Studio, the property is a picture of sophistication and elegance. The hotel features 434 spacious guestrooms, including 91 suites equipped with a Bosch-fitted kitchenette, living room and dining area. Soak in unparalleled views of the skyline while enjoying canapés and an ateliers oil bath, carefully curated by bath ateliers. Artwork has been supplied by the resident artist—Bai Tian Yuan, and has been exclusively created to suit the theme of the hotel. Tian is trained in Fine

Glass-like waters of one of the islands the author visited while island hopping in Dinagat.

Dinagat’s nearby white-sand beaches have yet to see mass commercialization.

White-SAND beach with no other tourists

Arts and Interior Design, and is a recipient of the highly prestigious UOB Painting of the Year Award.

n Acrylic-bottomed infinity pool

Swimming is an elevated and sensorial experience at I’M Hotel.

The infinity pool is both suitable for laps and lounging, and is an iconic element of the property. The pool can be seen upon entering the lobby as one looks up because it is acrylicbottomed, hence serving as an interactive medium between guests who are swimming and guests who are just about to enter the complex.

Lounging beds are positioned at an elevated platform above the pool, serving as a fantastic vantage point for sunbathing and people-watching.

n Thoughtful

and modern dining options

I’m Hotel has an array of dining options to cater to every taste, utilizing fresh local produce and organic herbs grown on the hotel’s garden. Empress Jade features modern Chinese cuisine and a contemporary take on traditional dimsum. Bloom restaurant serves up international fare with dishes that will satisfy the most discerning of taste buds. On the 40th floor rooftop, Antidote bar features bespoke cocktails and tapas. The highlight of the bar is a luminescent jellyfish tank, where diners can enjoy the ambient glow of these elegant creatures in the backdrop of the stunning cityscape.

n I’M Hotel Club Lounge The Club Lounge is a privilege reserved for a select few. Guests who book direct on the web site or book the suite rooms will be accorded immediate access to the Club Lounge. Fashioned as a gentleman’s library, the Club Lounge is an enchanting and inspiring space to conduct meetings, or simply indulge in a round of complimentary tapas and beverages.

Amenities exclusively customized

n

Amenities available at I’M Hotel include a Bathtub Menu, for guests who book premium rooms will have access to a dedicated bathtub atelier who prepares a bath with scents of your choice, accompanied with a variety of light bites and beverages; Free Shuttle Service, for staying guests visiting important landmarks within the Makati City center; Complimentary refreshments, welcome drink, cookies, turndown chocolates, and complimentary mini bar will be given to all guests at varying points of their stay, and Designer Bathroom Amenities, guest will be able to use CrabTree & Evelyn bath amenities in all rooms and suites.

Genting Hong Kong announces river conveyance of ‘Genting Dream’

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The sunset turned the skies orange with a tinge of red.

A7

enting Hong Kong, a leading global leisure, entertainment and hospitality company, announced the official river conveyance of Genting Dream, the newest ship for the Dream Cruises line, that began on September 18 in Papenburg, Germany. The river conveyance marks the official start of Genting Dream’s journey from her birthplace at the Meyer Werft shipyard to her first home in Guangzhou, China, where she will begin service on November 13, 2016.

From the covered shipyard of Meyer Werft, where the first steel cuts were made to begin construction of Genting Dream in February 2015, the ship will travel the river Ems en route to its first destination in Eemshaven, the Netherlands, to undergo initial testing and then further to Bremerhaven, Germany, for additional sea trials.

After Genting Dream’s official handover ceremony from Meyer Werft to Dream Cruises on October 12, the ship begun its epic ocean voyage from Germany to Gibraltar, through the Mediterranean Sea and the Suez Canal,

across the Indian Ocean with visits to India, Singapore, Vietnam and Hong Kong, and ending at her new homeport in Guangzhou, China, on November 13.

Upon completion, Genting Dream will be able to accommodate 3,400 guests in 1,674 staterooms—attended to by 2,000 crew members, the leading crew-to-guest ratio in cruising in Asia. For the ultimate in luxury, “Dream Mansion” will offer a “ship-within-a-ship” experience with two floors of lavish suites featuring European-style butler service and exclusive privileges.

Guests will also enjoy discovering an eclectic array of over 35 restaurant and bar concepts where they can indulge in the very best of Chinese regional, Asian and international cuisine, with an emphasis on quality and authenticity.

Entertainment options onboard Genting Dream will feature China’s Got Talent—The Dream Experience, a 45-minute theatrical representation of the worldwide hit TV series and also legendary Singaporean nightspot Zouk, which is bringing its unforgettable parties to the sea for the first time.

Sports BusinessMirror

A8 Sunday, November 6, 2016

LONG TITLE WAITS T

mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph

CHICAGO Cubs fans waited a long time for this one. AP

HE World Series ended one of the longest title droughts in sports after the Chicago Cubs, last champions in 1908, beat the Cleveland Indians in extra inning, 8-7.

Here are some other teams and players who had to wait a long time between major titles.

BRITAIN WINS DAVIS CUP

ANDY MURRAY ended Britain’s wait for the Davis Cup at 79 years when his lob finished off Belgium’s David Goffin in the final in Ghent a year ago. Murray, who became Britain’s first men’s Wimbledon champion in 77 years, starred in its first Davis Cup triumph since Fred Perry and Bunny Austin beat Australia in the 1936 final, when King Edward VIII wore the crown.

RAPHAEL BANAL gets his chance to show his wares with the Elite. ROY DOMINGO

Banal brings family pride to pro league

CHELSEA

CHELSEA won at Bolton, 2-0, to capture the English football title in 2005, 50 years after its first. In Manager Jose Mourinho’s maiden season, Chelsea won with three games to spare. The team’s hallmark was defense and goalkeeper Petr Cech, who kept 25 clean sheets. They conceded only 15 goals, and lost just once.

SPAIN

SPAIN won the 1964 European Championship on home soil, beating the Soviet Union in the final, then flattered to deceive on soccer’s biggest stages for 44 years until Euro 2008. Germany was outclassed, 1-0, in the final, and Spain began its reign of football, also grabbing the 2010 World Cup and Euro 2012.

REAL MADRID

When Real Madrid upset Juventus, 1-0, in the 1998 Champions League final in Amsterdam, it ended a 32-year drought in the competition it cherishes most. Madrid’s players were past their prime, while Juventus tore up the league, including putting six goals past Monaco over two legs in the semifinals to reach its third straight final. Madrid’s win didn’t help Coach Jupp Heynckes, who was sacked eight days later.

INDIA

THE shock 1983 Cricket World Cup triumph boosted the sport’s appeal in India, but the national team wouldn’t win another World Cup for 28 years. India was host in 2011 when it knocked out titleholder Australia in the quarterfinals, and archrival Pakistan in the semis. Before a home TV audience of 135 million, India chased down Sri Lanka’s 274 score in the final with 10 balls to spare.

KEN ROSEWALL

KEN ROSEWALL was banned from the tennis Grand Slams in his prime for 11 years after becoming a professional in 1957, but remarkably remained injury-free after tennis opened up in 1968. He won the Australian Open 16 years after his last, the French Open 15 years after his last, and the US Open 14 years after his last. He’d win the Australian again, and reach the Wimbledon and US finals at age 39. AP

By Patrick M. O’Connell Chicago Tribune

W

ITH each extra-inning out, Cubs fans from the box seats to the bleachers held their breath.

One out.

Was it really going to happen? In blue Cubs caps and “W” tattoo stickers on their cheeks, they waited, biting nails and gasping for air.

Two outs.

Fans throughout a soggy Progressive Field braced themselves, leaned on friend’s shoulders, turned giddy with nervous anticipation.

When the ball landed in Anthony Rizzo’s glove at 12:45 a.m. in Ohio, it all came pouring out: 108 years worth of elation.

“Oh, my God! They did it!” fans yelled in the din of Progressive Field early Thursday morning in Ohio, as the Cubs charged the mound to celebrate what for decades had been so painfully elusive: a World Series championship.

“I’m having trouble still believing it,” said Bob Ashby, 52, of LaGrange, as he watched the celebration on the field from beyond the rightfield fence.

Nearby, John Kerpiniotis wept and embraced his friend, tears streaming down his face. He was wearing the jersey that belonged to his brother Pete, who died six months ago.

“I’ve been thinking about him the whole time,” Kerpiniotis said. “It means the world. One hundred and eight years? We’ve been waiting a long time.”

In the upper deck, Laurie Holmes, a longtime Cubs fan who was standing directly behind Steve Bartman on that fateful night in 2003 at Wrigley Field, couldn’t miss a chance to see the title drought come to an end.

“I hope Steve Bartman is somewhere in here tonight, not looking at all like Steve Bartman, because he deserves to see a championship,” Holmes said.

After the final out, fans from the box seats to the bleachers unfurled W flags. They chanted “Go Cubs Go” and danced in the aisles. They hung their

‘OH, MY GOD! THEY DID IT!’ feet over the outfield fence, yelling and screaming.

“I know it’s cliche, but I always think they’re going to blow it. There’s always another shoe that drops. This is the first time that shoe hasn’t dropped.”

The Brown clan was among the thousands of Cubs fans who made the trip to northeast Ohio for Wednesday night’s game against the Indians, ramping up for a day many had been dreaming about for a lifetime.

“I said I wanted to see the Cubs win the World Series before the good Lord takes me, so here I am with my grandson and my son,”Tom Brown, 84, said as he rested beneath the Progressive Field marquee near the home plate gate.

Brown, who grew up in the Chicago suburbs and now lives in Lincoln, Nebraska, shelled out $8,000 for the three tickets. He and his son, Jeffrey, and grandson Patrick left the Kansas City, Missouri, area at 3 a.m. on Tuesday, boarded a flight to Detroit, rented a car and stayed the night in Toledo, Ohio, before heading to Cleveland. It was worth it, they said.

“I decided I don’t really have the money, but we’re going,”Tom Brown said. “I sold a little stock.”

With the excitement level rising with each tick of the clock at the iconic Tower City Center, aglow in red and blue spotlights, fans made their way to the ballpark.

In one of the plazas between a busy East 4th Street and the stadium, Indians fans mobbed actor Charlie Sheen

as he exited a black SUV, on his way to a rally to pump up the local fans. Sheen played fictional Indians pitcher Ricky Vaughn, nicknamed “Wild Thing,” in the baseball movie Major League.

Sheen had been angling to throw out a ceremonial first pitch before one of the Series games in Cleveland, but the Indians selected former stars, including Jim Thome for Game Seven.

That didn’t stop Sheen from high-fiving surprised Tribe fans, then giving an expletivefilled speech to the crowd.

“It’s the wrong night to be from ChiTown!” Sheen said. He criticized the Indians for bypassing him, then said it was going to be Cleveland’s night on the field.

The plaza beyond the left-field gate was a popular gathering spot for fans, many who didn’t have tickets to the game but wanted to soak in the moment.

Ryan Koehneke, 41, of Saint Charles, drove to Cleveland on Tuesday and was searching for a ticket on the street after attending Game Six. A

few moments before, someone nearby beat him to a pair of standing-room tickets.

“We’re hoping for a miracle, man,” Koehneke said. “We’re hoping for magic.”

As Corey Kluber delivered the first pitch, Indians and Cubs fans stood and cheered. Cubs fans made their presence known early, erupting from the box seats to the nosebleeds when Dexter Fowler led off the game with a home run.

Cubs fans appeared to make up close to half of the fans in the stands.

And this was an unprecedented moment not to be missed for loyal Cubs fans.

“I lived at Wrigley Field as a kid,” Tom Brown said. In the 1940s, he’d buy a bleacher ticket for 25 cents. He said he once got in trouble for skipping school to attend a Cubs home opener.

As a baseball-crazed teenager, he scurried for the latest editions of the newspapers, scouring the box scores and memorizing player statistics.

His favorite Cubs are Ernie Banks and Phil Cavarretta—“He was a hell of a first baseman.”

He said he’s been a die-hard fan for 72 years.

Most Cubs fans were not alive the last time the team won the National League pennant, in 1945, let alone when the team won its last championship in 1908, facts not lost on the waves of fans who headed to the ballpark, giddy anticipation apparent on their faces.

Indians fans have been longsuffering as well, the team’s last title coming in 1948.

“As far as the game tonight, let the best team win,” Brown said. AP

Alabang Eagles unblemished; CBRE Mavericks also sparkle

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YOUNG FOOTBALLERS Kids display their wares in the recent Yellow Cab Football Cup, which Yellow Cab Pizza Co. staged in partnership with Kaya Futbol Club at the Blue Pitch Circuit Makati.

HE Alabang Eagles finished the 2016 JML 7s League undefeated, recently beating Baguio Highlanders, 38-0, and Clark Jets, 21-0, in the cup semifinal and final, respectively.

The Eagles were a class above the rest, conceding only 36 points throughout the seven weeks of competition.

In the finals, they outplayed the Highlanders and Jets and never allowed either team to get into the game, starving them of the ball.

“It has been a great campaign for the Eagles, undefeated for the entire tournament. We will use this momentum leading into our next tournament in Cebu in November,” Alabang Eagle and Philippine Volcano Jake Robrigado Letts said.

The Albay Vulcans sealed a comfortable 17-5 victory over the Manila Carabaos in the Shield Final.

But it was the CBRE Mavericks who stole the show, beating their rival Alabang teams in the finals of the Plate, Bowl and Women’s divisions.

Philippine Under-18 Volcanoes Bryan Tan, Wiremu O’Regan-Brown and Ryan Santos all showed glimpses of class but it was Santos’s younger brother and Philippine Under-16 Volcano, Reed Santos, who shone, earning him the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award in the Bowl division.

The Mavericks won the Bowl final over the Alabang Loros, 14-12.

The Plate final was also a very close encounter, with the Mavericks beating the Alabang Ibons, 10-7.

The strength and power of the Ibons and Volcano players Christopher Hettel and Timothy Kong weren’t enough to counter the speed and

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HE recent Rookie Draft of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) saw Mac Belo expectedly emerging No. 1 pick

by Blackwater and Raphael Banal also being tabbed high on the list also by the Elite.

Belo, of course, is the former Far Eastern University King Tamaraw who buried a coldblooded shot from deep corner that pulled the fangs out of the University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers in the Finals. He, too, did the rounds and was a standout in the Gilas cadets team.

So, Banal who?

The family name rings a bell. His dad, Joel, was a former hotshot as a pro in the Philippine Basketball Association. The elder Banal, of course, is also remembered for steering Ateneo de Manila to consecutive University Athletic Association of the Philippines crowns in the early 2000s and a former coach of Alaska and Talk ‘N Text.

There was another Banal in the PBA, his brother Gabriel, who played for GlobalPort in the previous season.

Raphael Banal had a short stint for the Ateneo Blue Eaglets before his father whisked him to play in the US and hone his skills the American way. The 24-year-old played for Hope International University in California.

During the draft, Banal was expected to be drafted high on the list, and he was, by the Elite.

“I want to enjoy the moment,” the 6-foot-2 combo guard told the BusinessMirror. “A lot of scouts watched me during the Draft Combine.

But I just kept my mind open for possibilities.”

“It was hard at first. But Raffy is really determined,” the elder Banal said, when asked how it was when Raphael pursued a collegiate basketball career in the US. “I knew he will be a better player.”

When Banal returned to the country, he was immediately tapped by Racal Tile Masters in the PBA Developmental League.

Banal drew the attention of scouts during the Draft Combine, where the 53 aspirants were tasked to showcase their skills and physical abilities.

“I just feel grateful to Blackwater for picking me. It’s a great chance for me to continue my professional career,” Banal said.

“I’m excited to play with Belo and the rest of the guys.”

They are expected to join a mix of young guns and veteran players at Blackwater— former Tamaraw Denok Miranda, Reil Cervantes and Art de la Cruz.

“My job since day one is to keep on working hard. I just want give my 100 percent each time I hit the court,” he said.

Also working Banal’s way is Leo Isaac, the Blackwater coach out of Mapua, the same school his father played for in college.

“I know Raffy will be in good hands. Leo has the desire to win and has the passion for basketball,” the elder Banal said.

Ramon Rafael Bonilla

agility of the Mavericks and Volcanoes Alexander Aronson and Lito Ramirez.

“It has been an exciting finish to a busy domestic competition, it is amazing to see more and more homegrown players embracing and excelling in the sport,” Jovan Masalunga, rugby development manager of the Philippine Rugby Football Union, said. “We now look forward to the international season starting in December for our National U-19s playing Korea, Singapore and UAE.” In women’s action, the CBRE Lady Mavericks edged the Alabang Lady Eagles, 12-7. Lady Volcano Sylvia was named MVP. CBRE Lady Mavericks edge »theTHE Alabang Lady Eagles, 12-7.

RegionsSunday BusinessMirror

A9 | Sunday, November 6, 2016 | Editor: Efleda P. Campos

THE façade of the Santa Catalina de Alexandria Parish Church in Porac, Pampanga

Porac, Pampanga, folk raise P2.7M for Church ‘retablo’

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By Joey Pavia | Correspondent Photos by Leo Villacarlos

ORAC, Pampanga—Residents of this town raised P2.7 million in four months to fund the creation of a retablo (altar centerpiece) at the Santa Catalina de Alexandria Church, Parish Priest Fr. Roland Moraleja said in an interview last week.

He said Porac is one of the oldest parishes in Pampanga, but its church in the Poblacion doesn’t have a retablo. It is 416 years old.

“All the old parishes—Lubao, Minalin, Guagua and Apalit—have their own retablo. Porac got its own only last year,” Moraleja said.

Moraleja added that from June 27

to November 21 last year, the residents of Porac raised the amount needed through the “second collection”.

“It was the collective dream of the previous parish priests and the people to have a retablo. I am glad it happened. We did not seek loans or made fund-raising projects,” Moraleja said.

“It is one of the miracles of Apung Tali,” he added, referring to the town’s patron saint.

The retablo has seven holy images representing the 11 villages under Moraleja’s parish. The retablo was made by Rod Santos and designed by a certain “Tet,” Moraleja said.

On October 15 Moralejea invited Pampanga Archbishop Florentino Lavarias, Mayor Carling de la Cruz, Vice Mayor Dexter David and Board Member Fritzie David-Dizon, town councilors, municipal and local officials for the blessing of the twoside altars costing P450,000.

The event coincided with the birthday of both Moraleja and David-Dizon.

“I want to thank Father Bogs Moraleja for inviting us all here. It’s my birthday, as well. I am happy for the people of Porac, especially my fellow parishioners.

“We finally have a retablo for Apung Tali and the six other holy images,” David-Dizon said.

BIRTHDAY celebrants Fr. Roland Moraleja (right) and Fritzie David-Dizon flank Pampanga Archbishop Florentino Lavarias at the blessing of the two-side altars at the Santa Catalina de Alexandria Parish Church in Porac on October 15. Behind them is the retablo.

THE holy image of Apung Tali or Saint Catalina de Alexandria

A10 Sunday, Sunday,November November6, 6,2016 2016

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CHILDREN listen quietly to instructions from barangay officials as they await the culmination of the emergency drill in Barangay Tinabanan.

Samar caveS provide protection

when diSaSter StrikeS

By Elmer V. Recuerdo | Correspondent

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Photos courtesy of the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities

ARABUT, Samar—Preparing for the next disaster, in many communities, is looking for the sturdiest building nearby where people can evacuate to when the need arises.

But in a fishing community in this southernmost town of Western Samar, the safest refuge is a cave bearing the name of the village where it is located. For centuries, the Tinabanan Cave has protected local residents from wars, typhoons and other calamities.

Ahead of its third anniversary,

survivors of Typhoon Yolanda commemorated the disaster by conducting an evacuation drill in Tinabanan Cave. This cave has saved the lives of villagers during the onslaught of Yolanda, and the more recent typhoons Ruby and Senyang.

Early on October 28, the sun was up and many men in the coastal vil-

lage of Tinabanan were just mooring their boats from a long night of fishing when barangay leaders, armed with a blaring megaphone, asked the people to prepare their belongings and prepare for evacuation.

Barangay Kagawad Erma Dejilla, head of the barangay’s disasterwarning team, went house to house to ensure that everybody was aware of the impending typhoon and gave the command: Evacuate to Tinabanan Cave, like what they did in previous disasters and threats to their community. It was a drill to simulate how the community should prepare for an evacuation in times of calamities.

Tinabanan Cave, like many other caves in Samar, has served as a safe refuge for thousands of residents and its forefathers for hundreds of years. It is said that during the Spanish era, the caves were the haven of the resistance movement.

During World War II, the elders

RESIDENTS listen as a barangay official announces instructions inside the Tinabanan Cave, powered by solar panels.

said they would run to the caves to seek protection whenever Japanese warplanes were heard approaching.

Two days before Yolanda hit on November 8, 2013, Tinabanan Cave was already teeming with residents of the barangay seeking shelter from “the strongest typhoon to make a landfall in modern history.” At least 15 caves in Samar are known to have provided shelter during Yolanda.

“Previous evacuation centers were school buildings, day-care centers and caves around the area,” Marabut Mayor Ely Ortillo said.

Bringing with them solar panels and lighting equipment, villagers trooped to Tinabanan Cave, where a simulation of what to do in case of medical emergency also happens.

Part of the drill involved lighting the main portion of the cave, the toilets and makeshift kitchen using the TekPak, a portable solar device capable of powering lights,

mobile phones and medical devices.

Portable solar-powered electricity, like the TekPak, is currently being proposed to become an integral component in disaster-preparedness programs and humanitarian work. In the aftermath of Yolanda, many communities suffered when they lacked immediate access to electricity or ran out of fuel to power their generators and light their kerosene lamps.

“Our Yolanda experience three years ago taught us that access to a better energy source is an urgent need in vulnerable communities.

Renewable energy should become a vital component in disaster-risk reduction and humanitarian work because it is easy to deploy and is not reliant on complicated logistics during disasters,” said Arturo Tahup, project coordinator of the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities (ICSC).

ICSC is a policy group in the Phil-

RESIDENTS of Barangay Tinabanan in Marabut, Samar ,carry their most precious belongings to Tinabanan Cave, following a call to evacuate during an emergency drill.

ippines promoting low-carbon development initiatives, sustainableenergy solutions and fair-climate policy in vulnerable countries.

The institute has provided training on solar installations and troubleshooting to hundreds of Yolanda survivors, including those from Tinabanan, under its Solar Scholars program, which aims to turn Yolanda survivors into first responders in times of disaster.

The ICSC is also involved in providing renewable energy in off-grid island communities of Samar.

The evacuation drill was organized by ICSC, in partnership with the local government of Marabut, Food for the Hungry and other civil-society organizations.

In Barangay Suluan, an island barangay in Guiuan, Eastern Samar, where Yolanda first made landfall, ICSC has provided solarpowered street lights that benefit the whole island.

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Sunday, November 6, 2016 A11

THE OGPI Emergency Response Team conducts clearing operations in Enrile, Cagayan.

OceanaGold heeds call for aid up north

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Story & photos

by Leonardo Perante II | Correspondent

RONICALLY, it needed two devastating typhoons—Karen and Lawin—for people like us in the media to reach and cover Peñablanca, Cagayan, home of the famous Callao Caves located at the northern Sierra Madre mountain range. It was hardest-hit by Supertyphoon Lawin, since the powerful storm directly hit the riverside town located alongside the Pinacanauan River.

Armed with my reliable Nikon D3S alternately mounted with AF-S Nikkor 14 -24mm f/2.8G ED Ultra-Wide Zoom Lens and Nikkor 28-300 f3.5-5.6 VR lens, I explored the place with my son Nonie.

Peñablanca is 24 kilometers east of the capital city of Tuguegarao and 580 kilometers north of Metro Manila.

The Peñablanca Protected Landscape, formerly the Callao Cave National Park, is the largest protected area in the province of Cagayan, covering 118,781.582 hectares of forest under conservation. But this time, it did not escape nature’s wrath. Lawin’s fury proved to be unfriendly.

The park is well known for its numerous limestone formations found within cave systems. It is traversed by the Pinacanauan River, a major tributary of the Rio Grande de Cagayan. The seven-chamber Callao Cave has a Catholic chapel for visitors who may want to meditate. It is naturally quiet.

Of the 24 villages in Peñablanca, Barangay Sisim was identified by the Cagayan Valley

Regional Development Council (CVRDC) and National Economic and Development Authority Director Mary Anne Darauay as badly hit and severely devastated.

“Other villages that suffered the same fate, but are within the bounds of Tuguegarao City are more accessible for immediate assistance unlike Barangay Sisim, which is void of electrical power and geographically isolated by the river, needs more relief support,” Darauay said.

It was in this emergency situation the Regional Statistic Committee (RSC) and OceanaGold (Philippines) Inc. (OGPI) entered the picture—to render relief assistance to the villagers.

Hundreds of food packs were shared by OGPI and RSC, while the RDC provided portable lamps convertible as flashlights, which could be charged through solar power.

“As part of our corporate social responsibility [CSR], we are always there ready to help our brothers and sisters in such times of calamities and disasters,” said Chito Gozar, OGPI senior vice president for communi-

WHILE it is a tourist attraction, the Callao Cave in Peñablanca, Cagayan, serves as a unique place to meditate as it hosts a chapel in its main chamber.

AFTER Supertyphoon Lawin hit Peñablanca, Cagayan, a grove of defoliated timberland stands out against the blue sky.

JUST to get to the other side of the river, local residents Peñablanca, Cagayan, take an improvised raft made of typhoon-toppled bamboos

THE composite team of OceanaGold (Philippines) Inc. and the Regional Development Council distributes relief packs for victims of Lawin in Barangay Sisim, Peñablaca, Cagayan, the hardest-hit village in Cagayan Valley.

cations and external affairs.

As we travel deeper to the village where locals are waiting for their relief goods, we passed by a number of fully defoliated timberland, orchard trees with fruits scattered on the ground and corn crops flooded. Massive destruction to agriculture was beyond retrieval.

Director Mario Ancheta and Cagayan Gov. Manuel Mamba, immediately after Lawin left the town of Enrile with massive devastation to infrastructure, disconnected power lines and uprooted trees along road network, the OGPI Emergency Response Team (OGPI-ERT) came to the rescue and conducted

At the end of the road is a broken concrete bridge that compelled residents to make an improvised raft made of bamboos toppled by the typhoon just to get to the other side of the river.

Earlier, Cagayan was placed in a state of calamity. Heeding the call of Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) Region 2

days of clearing operations.

On October 17, a few days before the typhoon, OGPI-ERT was cited for its excellence in disaster risk reduction and management during the 18th Gawad Kalasag Awarding Ceremony from the Office of the Civil Defense in Region 2. It was immediately put to test.

A12 Sunday, November 6, 2016

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EXOTIC Ayta dishes are laid out in bamboo tubes.

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DISHES cooked in coconut milk.

Grubs, bats and boar topbill exotic Ayta mountain cuisine Story & photos by Henry Empeño | Correspondent

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ASTOLAN VILLAGE, Subic Bay Freeport—The ethnic cuisine of the Ayta tribe appears to be an ode to the mountain and the austere way of life that a wild environment engenders.

Yams and grubs in the earth, crayfish and snails in the river, lizards and boars in the forest, and bees, birds and bats in the sky—these bounties become staple mountain fare that has fed generation upon generation of these indigenous people in the rugged hinterlands.

And even as modernity slowly crept in into the Ayta heartland, sometimes tearing

asunder traditions dearest to the old mountain folk, those who remember the ways of the past take it upon themselves to pass on some of the collective tribal wisdom to their forebears.

On the last Saturday of October, as the Ayta tribesmen of Pastolan joined in the final celebration of this year’s Indigenous Peoples Month, this upland village, 15 kilometers from the heart of the Subic Bay Freeport, became the venue for such remembering.

That day, eight groups, armed with the secrets passed on from clan to family, from mother to daughter, and from father to son, prepared food the old Ayta way— ironically in a modern cookfest concocted by Jobin SQM, a business locator in the Subic free-port that is putting up a solar-powered generating facility in the foothills near the Ayta village.

The resulting event was a veritable demonstration of Ayta ingenuity in the culinary arts: From how the wild boar, monitor lizards, fruit bats and labuyo (wild chicken) are slaughtered and prepared for cooking, to how the meat and accompanying herbs are packed into bamboo tubes and cooked over wood fire.

The dishes were downright exotic: Grilled wild chicken stuffed with bilukaw, a grass used as souring agent; wild boar meat in sour soup; river snails and crayfish cooked in coconut milk; bayawak (monitor lizard), as well as bayakan (fruit bat), also in sour soup base and cooked with green papaya in bamboo.

There were also powdery white grubs, which turn crispy on the outside andsucculent on the inside when cooked lightly over embers.

For just desserts, the womenfolk prepared boiled banana and cassava, and a pandan-tanglad combination juice drink laced with natural mountain honey.

The judges, who were invited over to rate the cookfest entries, were unanimous in their verdict that the native cuisine was simply extraordinary.

“This is a revelation,” said Amethya de la Llana, manager of the SBMA Ecology Center, who was among the judges. “I never knew that we could cook this way and make it so flavorful, too! I mean, they’re not using vinegar or soy sauce, not even onion and garlic.

It’s really amazing.”

Of course, the secret behind the distinctive f lavor of Ayta cuisine is the ingredients that go into each dish, said Marietta Pabayan, a Pastolan council member whose group was acknowledged the best during the cookfest for their rendition of the sinigang na bayawak.

“The dishes are simply prepared,” Marietta affirmed, “but

TRIBESMEN skin a slaughtered wild boar.

AYTA women show youngsters the culinary traditions of the tribe.

the native herbs provide a flavor you won’t taste elsewhere.” To make the sinigang, for example, the natives use alibangbang leaves, which just give a hint of sour taste to tickle the taste buds.

Ayta elders said some of the tribal food favorites are really hard to get, like the kated grubs, which are dug from among the roots of the akleng parang tree, and the buloy, a root crop that is often cooked in gata or coconut milk.

“The buloy is a very special dish for the Aytas because you have to dig sometimes up to 5 feet deep in the forest before you can find it,” Kap Bonifacio Tolentino said.

“Also, it takes one full cycle of rains and dry weather before it can be harvested.”

Tolentino said for this cookfest, the Ayta tribesmen had to scour the forest just to come up with the ingredients used in traditional tribal cooking.

“It is not often we cook these things these days, simply because we can easily get food from the market,” Tolentino said. This was the same

Ayta elder who, reacting to a news report in 2011 that Subic fruit bats are being hunted by tribesmen to extinction, said: “W hy do we have to hunt fruit bats when we have Jollibee?”

Still, the cookfest was an effective exercise in tribal education, said Pastolan tribal chief Conrado Frenilla, who reminded the tribal youngsters to watch closely how the cooking was done.

“We fear that our children may no longer follow the practices of the tribe because of the overwhelming influences of modern culture,” Frenilla said. “And so we thank the organizers of this event for helping us revive our traditions and, in the process, teach our children these important aspects of Ayta life.”

As the first Ayta cookfest was deemed “a huge success,” de la Llana said the sponsors are planning to make it an annual event.

Indeed, the learning experience—and the extraordinarily delicious mountain fare—will surely be something to look forward to for both the tribesmen and the visiting lowlanders.