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Sunday, November 18, 2018 Vol. 14 No. 39

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Learning to attack the cyber attackers can’t happen fast enough

By Alina Tugend | New York Times News Service

ITTSBURGH—In a technology lab full of graduate students huddled over laptops, Marios Savvides flipped through photos on a computer screen searching for one full of people whose faces were barely recognizable to the human eye. “How about a riot?” Savvides asked. He had just come upon an image of police officers wearing helmets and gas masks and rioters covering their mouths and noses with bandannas—all trying to shield themselves from the tear gas and smoke-filled air. Savvides was delighted. It was a perfect example of where, with the facial recognition skills of artificial intelligence (AI), “we can now recognize a face from very few pixels,” he said. The episode was unfolding at the Biometrics Center, part of the CyLab Security and Privacy Institute at Carnegie Mellon University. The center was created by Savvides, who is a widely recognized expert in biometrics—the science of measuring and identifying people using facial and iris recognition systems. On any given day, the high-tech space is crowded with computers, robots, and other machines and populated with doctoral students working with him. CyLab, which includes the center, was founded in 2003 to

expand the boundaries of technology and protect people when that technology—or the people using it—poses a threat. Based in the university’s 25,000-square-foot Collaborative Innovation Center, CyLab works in partnership with roughly 20 corporations—like Boeing, Microsoft and Facebook —and government agencies to do research and education in internet privacy and security. The subject has become one of the hottest areas of research and training in the United States these days as increasingly sophisticated hackers threaten not only personal computer security but also the operation of everything from banking systems to water purification plants to nuclear arsenals. While the threats mount, the number of people qualified to confront them is far too low, experts say, and educational institutions and government agencies are scrambling to fill the gap. More than 300 researchers and graduate students are working or studying at CyLab this year,

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MARIOS SAVVIDES, director of Carnegie Mellon University's CyLab Security and Privacy Institute, holds a webcam to demonstrate facial recognition software he developed with his research team in Pittsburgh on October 17, 2018. KRISTIAN THACKER/THE NEW YORK TIMES

making it among the largest cybersecurity training centers in the world. It offers more than 50 courses in security and privacy and has trained more than 75,000 people. Biometrics, the science of using hard-to-mask physical attributes—like facial characteristics, fingerprints, retinal scans and DNA—is just one specialty.

CyLab is also engaged in broader uses for AI, cryptography, network security and an array of other cybersecurity skills. One of the first times Savvides and his group used his facial-recognition technology for something besides research was just after the 2015 Boston Marathon bombing. His lab took the blurry, low-reso-

lution, surveillance image of the suspected bomber released by the FBI and, using AI technology, reconstructed the image and sent it to the bureau. The next morning, the identity of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, who was convicted of the bombing, was revealed. Savvides does not know whether his reconstruction helped

the FBI, but “we were extremely surprised to see the resemblance to Tsarnaev that was constructed from the very low resolution, pixelated face that even our human brain cannot comprehend,” he said. Savvides was also happy to demonstrate another gee-whiz technology—long-distance iris Continued on A2

n JAPAN 0.4659 n UK 67.6294 n HK 6.7584 n CHINA 7.6267 n SINGAPORE 38.4717 n AUSTRALIA 38.5055 n EU 59.9674 n SAUDI ARABIA 14.1051

Source: BSP (November 16, 2018 )

IGOR STEVANOVIC | DREAMSTIME.COM

DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

The World BusinessMirror

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SAUDIS IMPLICATE EX-ROYAL AIDE, TOP SPY IN KHASHOGGI KILLING

FORMER Saudi royal adviser and exsenior intelligence official played key roles in the mission that ultimately led to the killing of government critic Jamal Khashoggi, and authorities will seek the death penalty for five people who confessed to the murder, according to a top official in the kingdom. Shalaan Shalaan, the deputy attorney general, said that 11 people out of 21 held have been charged over Khashoggi’s murder at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who runs the day-to-day affairs of the world’s top oil exporter, had no knowledge of the mission, Shalaan and Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir said at separate news conferences. “This was individuals exceeding their authority and going beyond their mandate, and these individuals made a tremendous mistake and for that mistake they will pay a price,” Al-Jubeir said. “The notion that somebody 6,000 miles away can determine guilt without having access to the facts, based on hearsay and based on leaks in newspapers, to me doesn’t sound fair.” The accounts presented on Wednesday appeared designed to isolate Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman from the murder, which has provoked a global outcry and tarnished the image of the 33-year-old royal, whose efforts to cast himself as a bolder reformer and trusted US ally have often chafed against his policies abroad and political crackdown at home.

US sanctions

ON Thursday the US announced additional

limited sanctions against the kingdom, restricting the access of 17 Saudi officials “involved in the abhorrent killing” to the US financial system and freezing their assets. One of the officials was Saud al-Qahtani, a senior adviser to Prince Mohammed who was removed after the killing. The latest Saudi account of what happened to Khashoggi was quickly dismissed by Turkey, with Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu calling the statements “unsatisfactory” and demanding the “real instigator” of the murder be identified. Turkey has shared an audio recording of the killing with the US, France, Canada, Germany and the UK, but it has stopped just short of blaming Prince Mohammed. On Wednesday it called for an international investigation into the case. The Saudi prosecutor said Khashoggi was killed by the injection of a “large dose” of an anesthetic drug after a fight that ended with him being restrained. He also confirmed Turkish reports that Khashoggi’s body was cut up and that a body double later threw the columnist’s clothes, watch and glasses in a dumpster.

Narrative holds

SAUDI Arabia stuck by its earlier narrative that the Washington Post columnist was killed after a mission to bring him home went awry. The deputy chief of intelligence ordered that Khashoggi be brought back to the kingdom by persuasion or by force, Shalaan said. A team of 15 people was formed to carry out the job, he added. The initial plan had been to move

Khashoggi to a safe house, but at some point that was ruled out and he was killed after efforts to persuade him to return to the kingdom failed, Shalaan said. Asked whether al-Qahtani, the aide to Prince Mohammed, had any role in the case, Shalaan said that a former royal adviser had a coordinating role and had provided information. The adviser believed that Khashoggi had been co-opted by organizations and countries hostile to the kingdom “and his presence abroad represented a danger to national security,” the prosecutor said.

Bogus reports

THE adviser was now under investigation, the prosecutor said, declining to reveal the names of any of those facing charges. The prosecution “demands the death penalty for those who ordered and executed the killing and they’re five people,” he said. The leader of the operation and others involved agreed to send a falsified report that Khashoggi had left the consulate, he added. Prince Mohammed, in his first remarks about the Khashoggi case on October 3, told Bloomberg that Khashoggi had left the premises. Saudi Arabia asked Turkey to share the results of its investigation and recordings of the killing, and is planning to sign a “special mechanism” to ensure this happens, Shalaan said. “The prosecution is still waiting for Turkey to hand over what was asked of them,” he said. Last month Turkish officials accused Attorney General Saud al-Mojeb of being uncooperative during a visit to Istanbul. Bloomberg News

Sunday, November 18, 2018

Netanyahu works to stabilize govt amid calls for elections P RIME Minister Benjamin Netanyahu canceled a trip to Europe and tried on Thursday to keep his crumbling government together, as at least two coalition partners advised him to call early elections after his defense minister quit. Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon, whose Kulanu party holds 10 of parliament’s 120 seats, urged Netanyahu to hold an early vote for the sake of the economy, Ynet reported. Interior Minister Arye Deri, leader of the seven-seat Shas party, also advised an early vote, “for the good of the country,” the web site said. Elections are currently scheduled for November 2019, but few Israeli governments survive for a full term. The coalition was thrown into turmoil on Wednesday when Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman resigned and pulled his Yisrael Beiteinu party’s five legislators out of the government, saying Netanyahu wasn’t responding forcefully enough to rockets fired into Israel by Palestinian militants in Gaza. His departure left the prime minister controlling just 61 Knesset seats, as he did before

Liberman joined the government in May 2016. The eight-seat Jewish Home party has threatened to pull out too unless its chairman, Education Minister Naftali Bennett—a Netanyahu rival who also has accused the government of being soft on Gaza—gets the defense portfolio. Netanyahu is due to meet with Bennett on Friday, Israel media reported. He also will meet mayors of Gaza border towns who wanted the army to retaliate more forcefully for Hamas’s rocket barrage, the fiercest since the two sides fought a 2014 war.

Fierce debate

PUBLIC debate on Netanyahu’s approach to Gaza continued to roil the country on Thursday. Hundreds of angry border town residents shut down a main artery into Tel Aviv on Thursday evening, and Regional Cooperation Minister Tzachi Hanegbi was forced to apologize after he seemed to suggest there was a difference between targeting towns on the periphery and targeting Tel Aviv. Hanegbi said his comments had been misunderstood.

A Hadashot News poll on Wednesday night showed that 74 percent of respondents were dissatisfied with Netanyahu’s restraint during the flare-up, while columnists in the left-wing Haaretz newspaper praised the prime minister for having avoided an unnecessary war. Netanyahu’s Likud Party would remain the dominant party if elections were held today, winning 29 Knesset seats compared to its current 30, according to the poll, which had a margin of error of 4.4 percent. The big winner would be Netanyahu’s centrist rival Yair Lapid, whose Yesh Atid party would surge to 18 seats from 12, according to the poll. Amid the political turmoil, Israel’s Foreign Ministry said Netanyahu had canceled a planned trip to Austria, where he was to attend a conference on antiSemitism and meet with Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz. The visit to Vienna—the first by an Israeli prime minister in more than 20 years—would have preceded a meeting there of the International Atomic Energy Agency. Bloomberg News

Sunday, November 18, 2018

The World BusinessMirror

China woos Pacific islands with loans, showcase projects

ORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea—As world leaders land in Papua New Guinea for a Pacific Rim summit, the welcome mat is especially big for China’s president. A huge sign in the capital, Port Moresby, welcomes Xi Jinping, picturing him gazing beneficently beside Papua New Guinea’s leader, and his hotel is decked out with red Chinese lanterns. China’s footprint is everywhere, from a showpiece boulevard and international convention center built with Chinese help to bus stop shelters that announce their origins with “China Aid” plaques. On the eve of Xi’s arrival for a state visit and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) meeting, newspapers in the country ran a full-page statement from the Chinese leader. It exhorted Pacific island nations to “set sail on a new voyage” of relations with China, which in the space of a generation has transformed from the world’s most populous backwater into a major economic power. With both actions and words, Xi has a compelling message for the South Pacific’s fragile island states, long both propped up and pushed around by US ally Australia: they now have a choice of benefactors. With the exception of Papua New Guinea, those island nations are not part of Apec, but the leaders of many of them have traveled to Port Moresby and will meet with Xi.

The Apec meeting, meanwhile, is Xi’s to dominate. Headline-hogging leaders such as Russia’s Vladimir Putin and President Donald J. Trump are not attending. Trump’s stand-in, Vice President Mike Pence, is staying in Cairns in Australia’s north and flying into Papua New Guinea each day. Australia’s new prime minister, Scott Morrison, the country’s fifth leader in five years, is barely known abroad. “President Xi Jinping is a good friend of Papua New Guinea,” its prime minister, Peter O’Neill, told reporters. “He has had a lot of engagement with Papua New Guinea and I’ve visited China 12 times in the last seven years.” Pacific island nations, mostly tiny, remote and poor, rarely figure prominently on the world stage but have for several years been diligently courted by Beijing as part of its global effort to finance infrastructure that advances its economic and diplomatic interests. Papua New Guinea with about 8 million people is by far the most populous, and with its extensive tropical forests and oil and gas reserves is an obvious target for economic exploitation. Six of the 16 Pacific states still have diplomatic relations with Taiwan, a sizeable bloc within

IN this November 15, photo, a woman crosses the street near a billboard commemorating the state visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. As world leaders arrive in Papua New Guinea for a Pacific Rim summit, the welcome mat is especially big for China’s President Xi Jinping. With both actions and words, Xi has a compelling message for the South Pacific’s fragile island states, long both propped up and pushed around by US ally Australia: they now have a choice of benefactors. AP

the rapidly dwindling number of nations that recognize the island regarded as a renegade province by Beijing. Chinese aid and loans could flip those six into its camp. A military foothold in the region would be an important geostrategic boost for China, though its purported desire for a base has so far been thwarted. Beijing’s assistance comes without the oversight and conditions that Western nations and organizations such as the World Bank or International Monetary Fund impose. It is promising $4 billion of finance to build the first national road network in Papua New Guinea, which could be transformative for the mountainous nation. But experts warn there could also be big costs later on: unsustainable debt, white elephant showpieces and social tensions from a grow-

ing Chinese diaspora. “China’s engagement in infrastructure in PNG shouldn’t be discounted. It should be encouraged but it needs to be closely monitored by the PNG government to make sure it’s effective over the long term,” said Jonathan Pryke, a Papua New Guinea expert at the Lowy Institute, a think tank in Sydney. “The benefits of these projects, because a lot of them are financed by loans, only come from enhanced economic output over a long time to be able to justify paying back these loans,” he said. “The history of infrastructure investment in PNG shows that too often there is not enough maintenance going on,” Pryke said. “There’s a build, neglect, rebuild paradigm in PNG as opposed to build and maintain which is far more efficient.” Some high-profile Chinese projects in Papua New Guinea have already run into problems. A promised fish cannery hasn’t materialized after several years and expansion of a port in Lae, the major commercial center, was botched and required significant rectification work. Two of the Chinese state companies working in the country, including the company responsible for the port expansion, were until recently blacklisted from World Bank-financed projects because of fraud or corruption. Xi’s newspaper column asserted China is the biggest foreign investor in Papua New Guinea, a statement more aspirational than actual. Its involvement is currently dwarfed by the investment of a single company- ExxonMobil ’s $19-billion natural gas extraction and processing facility. Australia, the former colonial power in Papua New Guinea, remains its largest donor of conventional foreign aid. Its assistance, spread across the country and aimed at improving bare bones public services and the capacity of government, is less visible. But its approach is shifting in response to China’s moves. In September the Australian government announced it would pay for what is typically a commercial venture—a high-speed undersea cable linking Australia, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands that promises to make the IInternet and telecommunications in the two island countries faster, more reliable and less expensive. Earlier this month, Australia announced more than $2 billion of funding for infrastructure and trade finance aimed at Pacific island nations and also agreed to joint development of a naval base in Papua New Guinea, heading off feared Chinese involvement. It is also boosting its diplomatic presence, opening more embassies to be represented in every Pacific island state. AP

Editor: Angel R. Calso | www.businessmirror.com.ph

U.K.’S DEFIANT MAY TELLS CRITICS IT’S HER BREXIT DEAL OR CHAOS

ONDON—Prime Minister Theresa May defied mounting calls to quit or change course on Thursday over Britain’s withdrawal from the European Union, warning that abandoning her Brexit plan would plunge the country into “deep and grave uncertainty.” Britain’s long-simmering divisions over its future in the EU erupted into turmoil just a day after the government agreed to a divorce deal with the bloc. Two Cabinet ministers resigned and some lawmakers from May’s own party called for her to be replaced. The crisis threatened to destroy the Brexit agreement, unseat the prime minister and send the UK hurtling toward the EU exit without a plan. In an evening news conference aimed at regaining some control, May said she believed “with every fiber of my being that the course I have set out is the right one for our country and all our people.” “Am I going to see this through? Yes,” she said. The hard-won agreement with the EU has infuriated pro-Brexit members of May’s divided Conservative Party. They say the agreement, which calls for close trade ties between the UK and the bloc, would leave Britain a vassal state, bound to EU rules it has no say in making. May insisted that Brexit meant making “the right choices, not the easy ones” and urged lawmakers to support the deal “in the national interest.” But she was weakened by the resignation of two senior Cabinet ministers, including Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab. Hours after he sat in the meeting that approved the deal, Raab said he “cannot in good conscience” support it. Work and Pensions Secretary Esther McVey followed Raab out the door. She said in a letter that it is “no good trying to pretend to [voters] that this deal honors the result of the referendum when it is obvious to everyone that it doesn’t.” A handful of junior government ministers also quit, and leading pro-Brexit lawmaker Jacob Rees-Mogg called for a vote of no-confidence in May. Rees-Mogg said May’s deal “is not Brexit” because it would keep Britain in a customs union with the EU, potentially for an indefinite period. He said May was “losing the confidence of Conservative members of Parliament.” Rees-Mogg called for May to be replaced by a more firmly pro-Brexit politician, naming ex-Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, former Brexit Secretary David Davis and R aab as potential successors. Under Conservative rules, a confidence vote in the leader is triggered if 15 percent of Conservative lawmakers—currently 48—write a letter to the party’s 1922 Committee of backbenchers, which oversees leadership votes. Only committee Chairman Graham Brady knows for sure how many missives have been sent, but Rees-Mogg’s letter is likely to spur others to do the same. If a confidence vote is held and May loses, it would trigger a party leadership contest in which any Conser vative lawmaker—except her—could run. The turmoil is the latest eruption in the Conservative Party’s long-running civil war over Europe. Ever since Britain joined what was then the European Economic Community in 1973, the party has been split between supporters and opponents of Britain’s membership. In 2016 thenPrime Minister David Cameron called a referendum “to settle this European question in British politics” once and for all.

He was confident the country would vote to remain, but voters opted by 52 percent to 48 percent to quit the EU, a result that left both the Conservatives and the country more divided than ever. Cameron’s successor, May, has been struggling ever since to deliver a Brexit that satisfies those who want to leave, reconciles those wanting to remain and doesn’t rock the economy—a nearimpossible balancing act. Thursday’s political mayhem prompted a big fall in the value of the pound, which was trading 1.5 percent lower at $1.2797 as investors fretted that Britain could crash out of the EU in March without a deal. That could see tariffs on British exports, border checks and restrictions on travelers and workers—a potentially toxic combination for businesses. Business groups have warned that if there is no deal by next month, companies will have to enact contingency plans that could include cutting jobs, stockpiling goods and relocating production overseas. May and her suppor ters say the alternatives to her deal—leaving the bloc without a deal or a second vote on Brexit—are not realistic options. If the agreement was abandoned, “nobody can know for sure the consequences that will follow,” May said. “It would be to take a path of deep and grave uncertainty when the British people just want us to get on with it.” News that a deal had been struck after a year and a half of negotiations was welcomed in Brussels, and EU chief Donald Tusk called for a November 25 summit of leaders so they can rubber-stamp the agreement. The deal requires the consent of the European Parliament, whose chief Brexit official, Guy Verhofstadt, welcomed it as “the best agreement we could obtain.” It also needs approval from Britain’s Parliament before the UK leaves the bloc on March 29—and even if May survives as leader, the chances of that look slim. Her Conservative government doesn’t have a parliamentary majority, and relies on the support of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) from Northern Ireland. But the DUP has rejected the deal, saying its provisions to avoid a hard border between Northern Ireland and EU member Ireland would impose new barriers between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK, weakening the bonds that hold the United Kingdom together. Opposition parties also signaled they would vote against the agreement. Main opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn said May should withdraw the “half-baked” Brexit deal and that Parliament “cannot and will not accept a false choice between this deal and no deal.” Ian Blackford, who heads the Scottish National Party in Parliament, said the deal was “dead on arrival” and urged May to “stop the clock and go back to Brussels.” An EU official warned that Britain was unlikely to get a better deal. Speaking on condition of anonymity because the process is still ongoing, the official said both sides “exhausted our margin of maneuver under our respective mandates.” In Brussels, where some EU officials hold out hope that Britain will change its mind about Brexit, officials watched the political upheaval with interest. Tusk said it was “not for me to comment on the latest developments in London.” “All I can say is that the EU is prepared for a final deal with the UK in November,” he said. “We are also prepared for a no deal scenario—but of course we are best prepared for a no-Brexit scenario.” AP

AN anti-Brexit supporter holds a European flag by a banner across the street from the Houses of Parliament in London on Thursday. Leading Brexiteer Jacob Rees-Mogg has submitted a letter of no confidence in Theresa May, as the prime minister reels from the loss of four ministers— including two from her Cabinet—in protest at her Brexit plans. AP

Journey

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BusinessMirror

Editor: Tet Andolong

Sunday, November 18, 2018

BEYOND PAGSANJAN FALLS Farm tourism

IF you want a a taste of countryside life, Villa Socorro Agri-Eco Village and Farm Resort can take you to a unique back-to-basics experience in its 11-hectare banana plantation in the outskirts of the town. Known for producing the popular Sabanana banana chips brand, the farm has opened its doors to overnight guests who want to immerse in farming and agribusiness even for a short period of time. This quaint lodging, which has the basic amenities, offers forest bathing, a trek to the Balanac River, and an ocular of the chips-making process. It also has recreational facilities for families and friends for a return to the good old bonding moments. While it may be on a par with the typical resort, it is not short on insights that will rekindle the green thumb in you. Realizing the travel market’s new-found fascination for farm-related activities, Villa Socorro will strengthen its tourism component to emphasize the vital role of agriculture.

Food crawl

PAGSANJAN’S Old World charm and its tasty home-grown dishes have made it a dining haven of sort for foodies from all over Laguna. From just a handful of restaurants a decade ago, Calle Real is emerging as a food crawl destination with diverse renditions of all-time Filipino favorites and regional dishes. Among the town’s notable dining haunts are Calle Arco, Balai Ilocos, Titadel’s Fiesta Cuisine and Terima Kasih, which breathed new life to old houses. Dining in these mid-priced restaurants is like a time travel, with their heirloom recipes, throwback ambiance and assortment of historic paraphernalia adorning the dining areas. Dining at night is romantic because of the glow of lamp posts and the imposing Royal Arch, which seems to transport you to a Castillan colony. For snacks or light meals, feast on Emin and Mila’s Canteen, El Panchito’s Fil Mexicano Resto and Aling Taleng’s Halo-Halo, which are all known for reasonably priced short orders. A couple of intimate coffee shops are coming up to cash in on the millennials’ sophisticated lifestyle.

ARCO Real of Pagsanjan

Story & photos by Bernard L. Supetran

AGSANJAN Falls in Laguna is arguably one of the most iconic images of the Philippines when the tourism industry was still in its infancy in the 1970s. “Shooting the rapids” on the way to the fabled waterfall also known as Magdapio Falls is among the mustdo countryside trips among foreign and local tourists. This adrenalinepumping activity, which has graced countless posters and postcards, remains in the bucket list of many travelers. But with its magnetic pull wearing out through the decades, local authorities have found a way bring back its to relive its magic by creating festive activities digging into its historical treasure chest, offering diverse attractions, and tickling the palate of food-loving Pinoys. The municipal government incepted the Bangkero Festival as a tribute to the boatmen who skillfully maneuver the boat all the way to the picture-perfect falls. The summer-time celebration, hatched by then under Mayor Emilio Ramon Ejercito III, showcases a wide array of cultural, artistic, musical, entertainment, culinary and sporting events to put the spotlight on every aspect of Pagsanjeño way of life. The festival makes another event-filled edition on December 6 to 12 to celebrate the town’s 350th

TITADEL’S Fiesta Cuisine

founding day and the patronal feast of the Our Lady of Guadalupe on December 9. Merry-making kicks off with the unveiling of the town’s Spanish-era Royal Arch which was declared by The National Museum as a National Cultural Treasure. The arch, one of the few remaining structures of its kind, was built in 1878 when it became Laguna’s provincial capital from 1688 to 1872. Municipal mayor Maita JavierEjercito said the festival is being renamed as Lagaslas Bangkero to put a similar emphasis on its religious and cultural heritage, as well as the town’s journey to progress over the centuries.

San Isidro Hill

Heritage zone

THE main road near the arch, also known as Calle Rizal, is a heritage rows of well-preserved ancestral homes of the local gentry in the traditional bahay na bato or stone house architecture. A number of these colonial-era houses have found adaptive reuse as restaurants and shops, while the rest are visited occasionally by their owners. The most notable of these is the

CHAPEL of the Tilma at Our Lady of Guadalupe Shrine, Pagsanjan

circa-1910 stately Don Telesforo Ejercito mansion, which is considered as a “living museum” because of its splendid state of preservation which has survived the ravages of time. The town’s pride is the Diocesan Shrine of the Our Lady of Guadalupe whose first parish was founded

VILLA Socorro Farm

in 1687. On its Chapel of the Tilma is enshrined the stone where the Virgin Mary is believed to have made an apparition in Guadalupe, Mexico. Walking around the nooks and crannies in the side streets would reveal interesting historical tidbits even in the nondescript houses.

Pagsanjan River, where the town got its name, is replete with intriguing stories handed down from one generation to the next. Perched on a riparian delta formed by the confluence of Balanac and Bumbungan rivers, it originated from the word pinagsangahan, which means juncture.

SAN Isidro Hill Religious Eco-Tourism Park

ACCORDING to Ejercito, soon to open in summer next year is the San Isidro Hill Religious Eco-Tourism Park, which is poised to become Pagsanjan’s newest tourist hotspot with its soothing panorama of Laguna de Bay. Being developed by the municipal government, the hilltop facility can be reached through a 292step landscaped staircase and will house a giant statue of the Our Lady of Guadalupe, meditation and recreational grounds, and multipurpose hall that can double as an evacuation area for calamities. Now almost two-thirds complete, guests can ascend to the top for a kaleidoscopic view of the placid lake at dusk. With more attractions and activities coming up, the lady mayor believes that people will get to unravel Pagsanjan’s hidden treasures beyond its fabled falls.

Journey

»life on the go

A6 Sunday, November 18, 2018

BusinessMirror

Editor: Tet Andolong

CELEBRATING THE GOOD LIFE

O when this quaint island province off Northern Mindanao decided to celebrate its cultural identity 39 years ago, it cannot be anything other than this tropical seasonal fruit, which is reputed to be the sweetest in the archipelago. This saccharine-tasting fruit is due to generous amounts of rainfall and sunshine, the island’s volcanic nature and the unique intercropping system of coconut and lanzones trees. This colorful revelry recently came to life once again in a weeklong festivity to celebrate the bountiful harvest of the fruit. Themed “Kinaiyahan atong Ampingan, Kalamboan alang sa Tanan [Care for Resources, Development for All],” the fest included a wide array of events, such as sporting tournaments, Festival Farm, Agro-Industrial-Tourism Trade Fair, Ag Sadya Kiraw Festival Grand Parade with the Mutya sa Buwahanan pageant candidates, music fest and Octoberfest.

The festivity’s locus is the street parade and competition as dancers in indigenous-inspired costumes converged in the capital town of Mambajao and danced all the way to the sports complex as a way of celebrating the harvest season. Swaying to the drumbeats and the indigenous kulintang, participants perform animated dance steps that infuse ethnic and contemporary melodies from lumad indigenous peoples, such as the Manobo, Bagobo, Subanen and T’bolis tribes who have made Mindanao their home since the precolonial era. Revelers also reenacted local folklore and legends, such as the origins of Mount Hibok Hibok, the province’s geological monument.

LANZONES Festival ethnic-themed dance

SUNKEN Cemetery

According to Camiguin Gov. Maria Luisa Romualdo, the festival is a golden opportunity to showcase the province’s natural endowments, which have earned raves

CAMIGUIN Volcano Houses

around the world. She said that the festival is a major event within the yearlong celebration of the 50th provincial foundation day when

it was separated from Misamis Oriental in 1968. Last year delegates to the Miss Universe 2016 pageant visited its tourist spots, most notably the icon-

ic White Island, which was named by Skyscanner as the country’s fourthmost amazing sandbar. Romualdo noted that, beyond the sweetness of the fruit and the frenzied dancing, the festivity will highlight the economic and development strides the province has attained for the past 50 years. Other must-visit attractions are Ardent Hot Springs, Santo Niño Cold Spring, Katibawasan Falls, Catarman centuries-old fortress ruins, the Sunken Cemetery, the 1,000-step Walkway to the Old Volcano and Stations of the Cross, and Mantigue Island Nature Park, which boasts of a lush scuba-diving site. A new must-try adventure activity is the breath-taking acrobatic flight across the island on a singleengine plane offered by Camiguin Aviation. Other fringe events within the festival were sports tournaments, socio-civic activities, Farmer's Day, Datu Daw Bai Ta Buwahanan and Diwata Daw Tayamtayam Showdown, Art Competition, opening of the mini provincial museum Historical Site Declaration. Spicing up the evenings were the food safari, Mutya sa Buahanan Beauty Pageant, which selected Camiguin’s ambassadors of tourism and a concert featuring top rock band Sponge Cola.

Taiwan promotes tourism to Filipinos T

By Roderick L. Abad

AIWANESE amusement park and hot spring operators, as well as inbound travel agencies, held a business-to-business (B2B) meeting in Manila to meet their local counterparts for a tourism exchange opportunity to help increase the number of incoming Filipino travelers to Taiwan. According to Taiwan Tourism Bureau Kuala Lumpur Office Director Abe Chou, this activity is aimed at introducing the various itineraries to 50 Filipino travel agencies to cater to their customers, including water-, theme park-, holiday resort-, ecology-, hot spring-, shopping and food-based tourist attractions. “We have different choices to offer to Filipinos,” he told the

BusinessMirror during the Taiwan-Philippines Tourism Promotion and B2B Meeting held recently at the AG New World Hotel in Manila. “I think Taiwan is very different from other countries in Northeast Asia.” The Taiwan Tourism Bureau of the Ministry of Transportation and Communication of the Republic of China, in cooperation with Mode Devi Publishing, held this event to make the participants aware that Taiwan is a “must-visit” destination with hospitable people, rich culture and heritage, and vast attractions—both natural and man-made. This activity, likewise, served as a venue for local travel agencies to connect and develop business networks and, at the same time, dis-

cover how they can promote travel packages to Taiwan for many Filipino tourists who have yet to travel to and explore this closest Philippine neighbor. With beautiful and safe environment, this small island nation boasts of natural sceneries and special events four seasons throughout the year. The Taiwan-grown participating companies were Yehliu Ocean World, West Lake Resortopia, Lihpao Land, Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village, Atayal Resort, Beigang Creek Hot Springs, Dong Fong International Travel Service, Eagle Tour Service, Edison Travel Service, Hwafu Tourism Group, Good Time Travel, and Welcome Holiday Travel Service. Chou expects that such activity

in the Philippines will help boost Filipino tourist arrivals in Taiwan by 10 to 20 percent next year. According to him, a total of 309,000 travelers from the Philippines visited Taiwan from January to September 2018. He attributed this to the visa-free initiative, multiple flights and short flying time between the two nations, wide-array of tourism spots, and ample accommodations, from international hotel chains to homestay facilities. While Taiwan is the sixthlargest source of foreign tourists in the Philippines at present, he said that the latter is their country’s third-top tourism market in Southeast Asia. “The Philippines is a very potential market for Taiwan,” he

KENNETH SUN (from left), general manager (GM), Good Time Travel; Paul So, secretary-general, Philippine Travel Agencies Association; Yu-Chin Huan, professor, National Taichung University of Education; Shi-Pi “Abe” Chou, director, Taiwan Tourism Bureau Kuala Lumpur Office; Lee Chi Tien, chairman, Taiwan Amusement Park Association and The Hot Spring Tourism Association Taiwan; Jacky Chen, GM, China Airlines Philippines; and Judy Lin, president, Eagle Tour Service

said. “Maybe next January or February, we will again organize

different activities in Manila. We will also go to Cebu.”

Journey

»life on the go

BusinessMirror

Editor: Tet Andolong

Sunday, November 18, 2018 A7

Seda Lio offers new options for El Nido’s travelers

SEDA Lio is the most complete facility in El Nido, with an all-day dining restaurant interconnecting swimming pools, a spa, function rooms and only indoor ballroom for 150 seated guests.

COMFORTABLE and well-appointed deluxe and other rooms also make lazing in the hotel a great option.

CCOMMODATION options for the Northern Palawan traveler seeking world-class facilities and services vastly improved with the recent opening of the 153-room Seda hotel in the Lio Tourism Estate in El Nido municipality. Prior to Seda Lio’s soft opening in August, visitors to this scenic town with globally renowned natural attractions were confined mostly to boutique hotels and family-run inns clustered at the center of town. At the other end of the spectrum were plush accommodations in the exclusive island resorts accessible from the mainland only by boat. Meeting groups, foreign and

domestic tourists have since been quick to book rooms at Seda Lio, the hotel carrying the homegrown Ayala Land hotel brand, according to group general manager Brett Hickey. “We are within the Lio Tourism Estate, a new development with its own community. Seda Lio is the most complete facility in El Nido that offers accommodations, an all-day dining restaurant, inter-

THE 4-hectare Seda Lio property provides access to its own 400-meter ivory beach.

connecting swimming pools, a spa and function rooms. We have the only indoor ballroom in El Nido that can comfortably seat 150 guests,” he said. Since it opened, the hotel has been a favored venue for meetings, seminars, and large celebrations of groups coming from Manila. Hickey points out that the 4-hectare property with its own 400-meter

ivory beach, likewise, offers to couples and individual travelers many quiet spots with views of the emerald bay, the scenic swimming pools or the lush mangroves. At day’s end, all are richly rewarded by the picturesque sun dramatically setting behind Cadlao island and painting the sky an array of hues. Cadlao is just across the water from the sprawling,

low-rise hotel. Hickey points out, nevertheless, that because Seda Lio is in Palawan—recently adjudged one of the best islands in the world—visitors will also want to venture to explore the world-famous Big and Small Lagoon, secret caves and beaches on Bacuit Bay known for its marine biodiversity. Seda Lio endorses its guests to reliable island-hopping tour operators that enrich the experience with interesting facts and trivia during the boat ride. Closer to the hotel is a snorkeling site teeming with marine life like the rest of Bacuit Bay. In fact, Seda Lio’s guests are encouraged to do a one-hour snorkeling session courtesy of the house and packaged with snorkeling gear and life vests. Other available water sports are kayaking, paddle boarding and pedal boating. Just a stroll away is Kalye Artesano, an artists’ village that can also easily be reached in a few minutes by bike which can be rented from the hotel. Past these stores of arts and crafts, fashion

Beyond airport comfort

www.sedahotels.com

GIVE THANKS WITH MARCO POLO ORTIGAS MANILA

HEN Belmont Manila opened in October 2015, it was looking beyond just being a comfortable airport hotel for layovers or delayed flights. Located at Newport City’s integrated leisure complex, the 470room, four-star hotel aims to be a leisure destination in the southern metropolis with first-class amenities and superb location, even for those who don’t fly. Connected to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 by the Runway Manila overhead walkway, the cozy business hotel has become an urban oasis for its features worthy of a staycation. The 10-story hotel sports a contemporary architectural design and a tropically landscaped atrium, which provides an overlooking view of the Resorts World Manila township of gaming, recreational and lifestyle establishments. It boasts of a podium garden, a 24-hour fitness center and workout area, lap pool with an in-water lounge, sunbathing lounge, massage deck and seating area, pool spa, and steam and sauna rooms. Guests can enjoy the 360-degree panoramic view of the south, as well as landings and take-offs of airplanes, while they dip in the roofdeck pool or outdoor jacuzzi. It also has an arcade at the ground level, with coffee shops, convenience stores, dining and retail outlets for guests’ convenience. Meanwhile, its dining outlet, Café Belmont, has become a getaway for a culinary journey with its wide array of delectable cuisine of all-time Filipino favorites and international delights. Guests can sink their teeth on the hotel’s specialty dishes—Blue-

and souvenir items, is a range of dining options at Shops@Lio, where sports and musical events are held regularly. But guests who just want to stay in the hotel grounds have many options, as well. They can laze in the poolside cabanas or enjoy the pool with a water feature kids will love, lounge at the Pool Bar sipping fresh coconut juice or their favorite drinks, hit the gym, dine in Misto with a choice of indoor or alfresco seating, or simply relax in Seda Lio’s well-appointed 45-square-meter deluxe rooms with strong complimentary Wi-fi and cable TV. A popular attraction is the Seda Spa offering a signature Filipino hilot treatment in private villas surrounded by lush gardens. “Seda Lio offers a full-resort experience with something for everybody,” said Hickey. “When the weather takes a turn for the worst, families can entertain themselves in our Game Room with Xbox and Playstation games and, soon, kids will have their own play areas to romp in. No one likes being confined indoors because of the weather. But when it does, Seda Lio is amply prepared to keep its guests engaged as it is ready to simply be a nurturing launch pad for great adventures.”

berry Burger of 100-percent pure US Angus beef patty, chicken pesto lasagna and crunchy crispy pata, to name a few. And true to its vision of being more than an airport hotel, Belmont was named as the coun-

try’s Airport Hotel of the Year in 2018 by the Travel and Hospitality Awards. The prestigious Londonbased group is regarded as a top global information resource for the latest travel, lifestyle and hospitality sector trends.

As part of its third anniversary treat this October, the hotel is offering the East Meets West Buffet, a dinner feast of mixed Asian and Western spread, which includes braised bone in pork loin, baconwrapped chicken, and streusels every Friday and Saturday for only P1,100 net per person. It also has a P3,333 and P3,999 net Superior room promo (without and with buffet breakfast for two, respectively), and includes a Bailey Bear stuff toy, and a 33-percent discount on food and beverage regular offers. The hotel is also positioning itself as a cozy watering hole with its nightly bottomless Heineken Draught Beer promo with a complimentary grub of choice for P1,200 net per person at Rooftop 11. It also has a monthlong barbecue and drink-all-you-can promo with a live poolside entertainment every Saturday, from 6 to 10 p.m. for P 1,100 net per person.

For power lunches, guests can choose from an array of themed executive lunch—Brunch Buffet on Tuesdays, Healthy Buffets on Thursdays and Mongolian Spread on Sundays for P500 net per person. As part of its continuing quest for excellence, Belmont forged an agreement with Geneva-based SGS, the global leading inspection, verification, testing and certification company, on its Hospitality Experience (HX) certification program, which was designed to provide solutions to issues encountered by the industry. Belmont is the world’s first hotel to undergo such new stringent certification which consists of four modules—risk, sustainability, corporate social responsibility and quality of service experience. The process is expected to be completed before the end of the year, and is envisioned to be another feather in the cap of the three-year-old hotel, which goes beyond airport comfort.

ET the Thanksgiving celebrations unfold with the most sumptuous and dishes at the award-wining Cucina in Marco Polo Ortigas Manila on November 22, 2018. With its diverse showcase of live action stations featuring a symphony of flavors from the world’s different culinary capitals, Cucina presents a well-curated spread of international cuisine that is heavy on flavors and is made from superior ingredients. From the Seafood Station, Asian Noodles and Pasta, Carving, Cheeses and Cold Cuts and Desserts, Cucina promises to be a one-stop shop for all the finest flavors that diners’ palates are looking for. This Thanksgiving, enjoy a selection of the holiday’s staples. Start off the meal with Pumpkin Soup and Corn Bread. The carving station will not be complete with the Roast Turkey with Rosemary Gravy and Cranberry Jelly with the side of Roast Sweet Potatoes with Cinnamon and Maple Syrup, Mashed Potatoes with Cream and Monterey Jack Cheese, and Green Beans with Bacon and Onion. Classic Pumpkin Pie, Pecan Pie and Peach Cobbler are up for the sweet tooth. Give thanks this November 22, for lunch and dinner. To know more about Cucina and the other signature dining outlets of Marco Polo Ortigas Manila, visit www.marcopolohotels.com. Follow the Hotel in Facebook at facebook.com/MarcoPoloOrtigasManila or @MarcoPoloManila on Twitter or Instagram.

Journey BusinessMirror

»life on the go

Sunday, November 18, 2018 • Editor: Tet Andolong

The other side of Palawan SHELL Foundation’s Tandikan program has provided livelihood trainings and other projects aimed at improving community members’ quality of life.

THE TOURISM ADVOCATE Part One

Advocacy projects empower Palawan communities

UCH has been said about Palawan being one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country, with its captivating seascapes, its pristine waters, stunning beaches and breathtaking lagoons. Interestingly, little has been said about the advocates who help keep Palawan inhabitable while empowering its communities and taking care of its indigenous people. These advocates have been silently doing their work behind the scenes, valorizing the province and its people in ways that truly matter. Pilipinas Shell is one such advocate and, through its social investment arm Pilipinas Shell Foundation Inc. (PSFI), the company continuously pursues projects that have helped protect or revive Palawan’s surroundings and helped its communities and families in more ways than one.

Environmental protection as crucial to tourism and investment

ONE of the programs that Shell is spearheading for environmental sustainability is the Turismo at Negosyo Dulot ng Ingat Kalikasan (Tandikan) project, which aims to mobilize community involvement, create alternative income opportunities for locals, and protect and conserve Palawan’s biodiversity. The Tandikan community-based

enterprise development and biodiversity program includes support for Unesco World Heritage Sites, Tubbataha Reefs and Natural Park (TRNP) and the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park (PPSRNP). The challenge is clear, however. Shifting the indigenous people’s and locals’ mindset from exploitative (since they needed to earn and ensure their survival, but at the expense of the environment) to participative (becoming partners in conservation) is always a slow process. In this case, PSFI took calculated steps, beginning with Tandikan’s recognition that degradation of Palawan’s environment was caused mainly by a swelling population dealing with unemployment. Then, PSFI met with the management of the Puerto Princesa Subterranean National Park, one of the protected areas in the Philippines with surrounding communities reliant on the forest products in the area for both their livelihood and personal consumption. PSFI was able to identify barangays

THROUGH the Isip program of PSFI, the Batak tribe in Puerto Princesa Palawan has learned to make handicrafts that they now sell as part of their livelihood.

that needed conservation interventions based on environmental issues monitored. It then prioritized those with the highest and most alarming issues. Assistance was provided for start-up enterprises or communitybased sustainable tourism sites. Environmental awareness and conservation training were incorporated into the CBSTs, and the information passed on to their patrons. Among the identified local communities/beneficiaries that were empowered to be partners in the conservation of vast community resources while utilizing them for ecotourism and enterprise development were those situated around the PPSRNP. Tandikan’s success was hinged on the willingness, openness and cooperation of the target communities. Increasing awareness, appreciation and accountability of the general population rested largely on these factors, alongside the strong partnership that was forged—together with local government units and organizations—with the Shell Group. The Tandikan program has provided livelihood trainings and other projects aimed at improving community members’ quality of life. Alternative livelihood seminars, such as handicraft-making, as well as integrated bio-farming system, were held for budding CBSTs vulnerable to lean season business fluctuations. A CBST site that has gotten PSFI’s support is the Hundred Caves in Barangay Tagabinet. Birds’ nest collectors used to frequent the site and caused adverse damage to the sensitive limestone cave and cliff ecosystem with their unsustainable birds’ nest harvesting. Before the damage became irreparable, Tandikan intervened and educated community members on the harm being done and presented them with alternative livelihood solutions.

A must-visit site, Hundred Caves boasts of interesting rock formations, maze-like and interconnected passages, and multiple chambers inside the cave system. There is also the Jungle Trail, a 3.56-kilometer trek from Barangay Cabayugan going to the Underground River from the Mangrove Paddle Boat Info Center. The project is managed and protected by a Tagbanua community. Offering Palawan locals and travelers a stunning panoramic vista of Ulugan Bay is the Buenavista View deck, a deep channel in the midwestern coast of Puerto Princesa City. Prominently seen inside the Bay are Isla Rita, Manyukos Island and the striking Tres Marias rock outcrop guarding its entrance. The residents of Barangay Buenavista, organized a community-based tourism cooperative named Magayen et Buenavista. There are other ecotourism sites assisted by PSFI that aim for sustainable and inclusive development. At a time when the Philippines is racing with time—along with other countries—to stave off the catastrophic effects of global

warming, it is heartening to find corporate social responsibility projects such as those geared toward an island ecosystem like Palawan. It is clear that the Tandikan advocacy program successfully mitigated threats to ecological integrity by empowering the townsfolks.

Integrated support for indigenous people

ANOTHER noteworthy undertaking with principal sponsorship from PSFI is the Integrated Support to Indigenous Peoples (Isip), which has enhanced the way of living of the beneficiaries and opened opportunities for many of them. Working with indigenous people in the most remote impact areas of Palawan presented its own set of challenges—such as remote locations and even the vulnerability of the indigenous groups. However, as shown by the success of the Shell-Department of Education (DepEd) partnership in Sitio Kalakwasan, home of the Batak ethnic group, commitment and persistence pay off. Isip successfully equipped the communities of indigenous people in Palawan with access to energy and education, and improved farming system and food production, paving the way for higher family income, as well as proper health care and sanitation.

On April 5, 2016, Batak men and women, most of whom are parents and elders, graduated from the DepEd Alternative Learning System. That was the first ALS graduation in Sitio Kalakwasan, conducted by Heaven’s Eyes Tribal Missions Academy, under PSFI’s Isip program. Tagbanua and Batak parents and their children were also oriented on health, water sanitation and hygiene. Among the livelihood projects launched and participated in by Batak parents in recent months is the Native Gatherer's Training on bees and products. Training for handicraft and basket-making was also conducted.

Harnessing the potential of communities

THE two programs of PSFI truly harness the potential of target communities—with the help of relevant government units and civil society organizations—to better utilize resources and commit to positive ideals with far-reaching impact. Pilipinas Shell has been a key partner in addressing the larger, systemic challenges that loomed before the communities in Palawan. More than this, however, is Shell’s overall contribution to nation-building.

Science

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

BusinessMirror

Sunday

Sunday, November 18, 2018

Space launch firms start small today to go big tomorrow A

SMALL rocket from a littleknown company lifted off last week from the east coast of New Zealand, carrying a clutch of tiny satellites. That modest event—the first commerc ia l l aunc h by a US New Zealand company known as Rocket Lab—could mark the beginning of a new era in the space business, where countless small rockets take off from spaceports around the world. This miniaturization of rockets and spacecraft places outer space within reach of a broader swath of the economy. The rocket, called the Electron, is a mere sliver compared with the giant rockets that Elon Musk, of SpaceX, and Jeffrey Bezos, of Blue Origin, envisage using to send people into the solar system. The Electron is just 56 feet tall and can carry only 500 pounds into space. But Rocket Lab is aiming for markets closer to home. “We’re FedEx,” said Peter Beck, the New Zealand-born founder and chief executive of Rocket Lab. “We’re a little man that delivers a parcel to your door.” Behind Rocket Lab, a host of startup companies are also jockeying to provide transportation to space for a growing number of small satellites. The payloads include constellations of telecommunications satellites that would provide the world with ubiquitous Internet access. The payload of this mission, which Rocket Lab whimsica l ly named “It’s Business Time,” offered

a glimpse of this future: two shiptracking satellites for Spire Global; a small climate- and environmentmonitoring satellite for GeoOptics; a small probe built by high-school students in Ir v ine, California, and a demonstration version of a drag sail that would pull defunct satellites out of orbit. Space Angels, a space-business investment firm, is tracking 150 small launch companies. C h ad A nde r son , Space A n gel ’s c h ief e xec ut ive, sa id t h at a lt hough t he va st m ajor it y of these companies w i l l fai l, a sm a l l g roup possess t he f i na ncing and eng ineer ing wherew itha l to get of f t he g rou nd. Each company on Anderson’s list proffers its own twist in business plan or capability: Vector Launch Inc. aims for mass production; Virgin Orbit, a piece of Richard Branson’s business empire, will drop its rockets from the bottom of a 747 at 35,000 feet up; Relativity Space plans to use a 3D printer to make almost all pieces of its rockets; Firefly Aerospace will offer a slightly larger rocket in a bet that the small satellites will grow a bit in size and weight; and Gilmour Space Technologies is a rare Australian aerospace company. There’s also Astra Space Inc., which is operating in stealth mode like a Silicon Valley start-up, saying nothing about what it is doing.

Business is getting smaller

ROCKETS are shrinking because satellites are shrinking.

In the past, hulking telecommunications satellites hovered 22,000 miles above the equator in what is known as a geosynchronous orbit, where a satellite continuously remains over the same spot on Earth. Because sending a satellite there was so expensive, it made sense to pack as much as possible into each one. Advances in technolog y and compute r c h ips h ave e n a ble d smaller satellites to perform the same tasks as their predecessors. And constellations of hundreds or thousands of small satellites, orbiting at lower altitudes that are easier to reach, can mimic the capabilities once possible only from a fixed geosynchronous position. “It’s really a shift in the market,” Beck said. “What once took the size of a car is now the size of a microwave oven, and with exactly the same kind of capabilities.” Some companies already have launched swarms of satellites to make observations of Earth. Next up are the promised space-based Internet systems like OneWeb and SpaceX’s Starlink. Until now, sma l l spacecraft ty pically hitched a rocket ride alongside a larger satellite. That trip is cheaper but inconvenient, because the schedule is set by the main customer. If the big satellite is delayed, the smaller ones stay on the ground, too. “You just can’t go to business like that,” Beck said. The Electron, Beck said, would

have been capable of lifting more than 60 percent of the spacecraft that headed to orbit last year. By contrast, space analysts wonder how much of a market exists for a behemoth like SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy, which had its first spectacular launch in February. A Falcon Heavy can lift a payload 300 times heavier than a Rocket Lab Electron, but it costs $90 million compared with the Electron’s $5 million. Whereas SpaceX’s standard Falcon 9 rocket has no shortage of customers, the Heavy has announced only a half-dozen customers for the years to come. The US militar y—a primar y customer for large launch vehicles—is also rethinking its spy satellites. The system would be more resi l ient, some a n a lysts t h i n k , if its c apabi l it ies were spread among many smaller satellites. Smaller satellites would be easier and quicker to replace, and an enemy would have a harder time destroying all of them.

Pit stops in the space race

SPACEX could have cornered this market a decade ago. Its first rocket, the Falcon 1, was designed to lift about 1,500 pounds. But after just two successful launches, SpaceX abandoned it, focusing on the much-larger Falcon 9 to serve National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (Nasa) needs to carry cargo and, eventually, astronauts to the International Space Station.

Jim Cantrell, one of the first employees of SpaceX, said he did not understand that decision and left the company. In 2015 he started Vector Launch Inc., with headquarters in Tucson, Arizona. Its goal is to make the Model T of rockets— small, cheap, mass-produced. Vector claims that it can send its rockets into orbit from almost any place it can set up its mobile launch platform, which is basically a heavily modified trailer. That trailer was inspired by Cantrell’s hobby, auto racing, and many of the company’s employees come from the racing world, too. The company is still aiming to meet its goal of getting the first of its VectorR rockets to orbit this year, but Cantrell admitted that the schedule might slip into early 2019. The flight termination system—the piece of hardware that disables the rocket if anything goes wrong—is late in arriving. “There are a lot of little things,” Cantrell said. “It drives you crazy.” A prototype was planned for suborbital launch from Mojave, California, in September, but it encountered a glitch, and the test was called off. The crew put the rocket in a race car trailer and drove it to Vector’s testing site at Pinal Airpark, a small airport a half-hour outside of Tucson that is surrounded by 350 acres of shrubby desert. Vector built test stands for firings of individual engines, as well as completed rocket stages. During a reporter’s recent visit to the site, engineers were troubleshooting the launch problems of both the prototype

rocket and a developmental version of its upper-stage engine. Soon the team will head to the Pacific Spaceport Complex, on Alaska’s Kodiak Island, for the first orbital launch. Next year, Cantrell said, the company hopes to put a dozen rockets into space. Within a few years, he added, it could be launching 100 times a year, not just from Kodiak but also from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California and Wallops Island in Virginia, where Rocket Lab agreed in October to build its second launch complex. Vector is also looking for additional launch sites, including one by the Sea of Cortez in Mexico.

Resurrected rocketry

TOM MARKUSIC, another veteran of SpaceX’s early days, also sees an opportunity in getting smaller satellites to space. “I didn’t feel there was a properly sized launch company to address that market,” he said. Markusic said that the need for stronger antennas and cameras would ultimately prompt the construction of slightly bigger small satellites and that it would be beneficial to be able to launch several at a time. He started Firefly in 2014, aiming to build a rocket, Alpha, that would lift a 900-pound payload to orbit. The company grew to 150 employees and won a contract from Nasa. But in the uncertainty surrounding Britain’s exit from the European Union, a European investor backed out. New York Times News Service

Faith

Sunday

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

A10 Sunday, November 18, 2018

THIRTY-THIRD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME: ‘MARK 13:24-32’

HOW TO MAKE GOD’S JUDGEMENT EASIER MSGR. JOSEFINO S. RAMIREZ SUNDAY GOSPEL IN OUR LIFE

HE gospel of today’s Mass presents two different events for our consideration. One of them is the destruction of Jerusalem—something that indeed took place a few decades later when Romans legions destroyed the Holy City. The other one is the end of the world, together with the second coming of Christ and the judgment that will be meted out to all men. We do not and cannot know when the end of the world will happen. Christ himself says, “But of that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only” (Mark 13:32). This statement could mean either that Jesus Christ, as man, does not know when the end of the world will come; or that even if he knew it, because He is God, He cannot disclose it to us. The important thing to consider is that we do not and we cannot know when the last day will be. It is imperative then that we are always ready for it. Actually, we can say that, at least for each of us individually, the “last day,” the “day of judgment” will be when we die. At that moment, our time for meriting will come to an end. We receive the reward or punishment that our life and works have deserved. Therefore, we should indeed “take heed, watch and pray” (Mark 13:33), and be always ready to face our God and Creator. How can we do this in a practical way? How can we make sure that our last day does not catch us unaware, and that we will be ready to face our judgment? The Church has always recommended a ver y practical way of doing this—the daily examination of conscience. At the end of the day, we should make a kind of evaluation of how we

have behaved. A spiritual classic says. “Examine your conscience. A daily task. Bookkeeping never neglected by anyone in business. And is there any business worth more than that of eternal life?” (Msgr. Escriva, The Way, 235). If one has had a bad business break, one does not wait until the end of the fiscal year to apply the remedy. Something similar happens with the spiritual life. We should not wait until New Year, for example, to resolve to become better or to cut off a hindrance to our spiritual growth. If we examine ourselves daily, at the end of the day before going to sleep, we can resolve to improve on some specific points where we need to improve. In the examination of conscience at night, we have to determine what were the bad and the good things we have done during the day. We could try to pay special attention to more sensitive areas, like some virtues that we are trying to acquire or some defect that we are trying to eliminate. At the end of it, so that the examination of conscience does not degenerate into a mere unhealthy psychological introspection, we must see these good and bad points in the light of our faith. Have I offended God? Have I been ungrateful for all the benefits that He has given me? Am I corresponding to Christ`s love and sacrifice for me? Then our examination will end in a sincere sorrow and contrition for our sins, together with a resolution to right our wrongs and to improve our “rights.” By making that daily “judgment” of ourselves and of our ac tions, we have no need to fear for our own judgment before God, and We will then put into p r a c t i c e C h r i s t ` s a d v i c e t o “ wat c h and pray.”

Rohingya fearful of doctors, keep faith healers in business

UTUPALONG, Bangladesh— Abul Kalam sits cross-legged on the floor of his tiny mud hut and whispers prayers into a small plastic bottle filled with water, creating what he says is a potion that will cure stomach cramps. “I got these powers in my dreams,” he said. “People come to me because I heal them.” Kalam is a boidu, or faith healer, and for decades has been treating fellow Rohingya Muslims, first in Myanmar’s northern Rakhine state and now in a squalid camp in Bangladesh, where 700,000 Rohingya took refuge last year after escaping a campaign of government violence at home. Faith healers have long been sought out in Rohingya society to treat physical and mental ailments. Their trade has thrived in part because of traditional beliefs and in part because Rohingya have lacked access to modern medical care in Buddhist-majority Myanmar, where they are one of the most persecuted minority groups in the world. Access to medical care has changed for the better in Bangladesh, where thousands of aid workers offer Rohingya everything from vaccinations to psychological support. Doc tors W it hout B orders, which runs four inpatient hospitals and a dozen medical centers in the area, says it has provided

S the Blessed Mother opened her hands, light emanating from them unfolded a scene: a sea of fire. Devils in unknown forms of animals and the souls of the damned in the forms of “transparent black coals bronze” floated and swayed by flames fell like sparks in the fires “without weight or equilibrium.” Shrieks, cries and groans of pains and despair complimented the scene. So terrified, Lucia dos Santos, Jacinta and Francisco Marto trembled in horror. This often-cited scene of hell occurred on July 13, 1917, in Fatima.

Fiery furnace

HELL is a place where souls of the wicked go after death. A place of “eternal and unquenchable fire” (Matthew 13:12), it is a “fiery furnace” (Matthew 18:8) where there is “weeping and grinding of teeth” (Matthew 13:142). A place of total darkness, devils and damned souls see each other. Souls are raised into the heights by flames, and fall amid terrifying shrieks and groans of pains and despair because they were obstinate to “choose the ways of God” (Psalm 138:8-10). Saint John Bosco was accompanied by his angel to a large cave ablazed with leaping tongues of fire. They passed along a thousand walls, which increased in heat. He pressed his hand against the first wall, with the least heat. He woke up with the “skin of his palm peeled off.” Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich also saw the huge cave of thousand walls. Inside are “dismal dungeons, dark caverns, frightful desserts, fetid swamps where poisonous reptiles abound.” The anguish and despair of the residents reflect God’s power and justice.

Care for the soul

R E N A I S S A N C E philosophers said that it is “the soul that makes us human.”

What is a soul logically ought to be th e nex t que st io n. And, ho pe fu ll y, finding the answers inspire man to live his faith beyond humanly desires and ear thly passions. Sadly, narcissism through the years prevailed and has reached its peak. Like Narcissus, who saw his image in the water and “yearned to possess its form fell in love with his reflection” and exclaimed “what I long for I have.” Present- day man boasts that his t a s te s a re m o re s o p h i s t i c ate d a n d sensual. The permissiveness and “irreligion prevailing in society lessen interest on eschatological topics on man soul, last judgment, heaven, hell and purgator y. So Pope Francis, before Angelus on May 14, in Vatican, said: “The soul is God’s temple, not your own,” the pope warns. “It is a common temptation to want to take advantage of some good and necessary activity in order to cultivate ‘private if not even illicit interests. It is a serious danger, especially when it exploits God himself and the worship due to him, or service to man who is made in God’s image.” Once the soul is in hell, nothing can be done about its plight. Forever and ever it stays in hell. What profit is there for one to gain the whole world and lose his own soul? (Mark 8:36) Care for the soul then is man’s number one agenda in life, a never-ending challenge until his last breath. Care of the soul is “not solving the puzzle of life...but an appreciation of the paradoxical mysteries that blend light and darkness into the grandeur of life,” Thomas Moore said. Damo-Santiago is a former regional director of the Department of Education National Capital Region. She is currently a faculty member of Mater Redemptoris Collegium in Calauan, Laguna, and of Mater Redemptoris College in San Jose City, Nueva Ecija.

ROHINGYA faith healer Abul Kalam (center) whispers prayers into a water bottle for his patient in Kutupalong refugee camp in Bangladesh on August 24. Access to medical care has changed for the better in the refugee camps in Bangladesh, yet many Rohingya still seek out their faith healers. AP/ALTAF QADRI

like cholera and diphtheria. And in the case of mental illness, she says, many believe it is a reflection of evil forces and is best countered by a faith healer invoking prayer. “They don’t have any doctors to prescribe psychotropic drugs. So, they believe in the boidus to overcome their problem,” Saha says. She says beliefs in the camps are slowly changing. A li Nesa has never know n what’s wrong with her teenage daughter, who spends her days in the refugee camp lying on the floor of her family’s thatch hut, unable to talk, walk or eat on her own. Nesa says her daughter has been this way since she was three, when she had epileptic fits for nearly two weeks straight. “I don’t know if her disease is due to an evil spirit or because of difficulty in breathing,” Nesa says.

“If this is because of an evil spirit, then only a boidu can treat her. If it is a breathing problem, then a doctor may be able to help her.” Nesa says none of the many boidus she has visited has been able to help her daughter, and she is losing her faith in them. She’s now interested in seeking medical help. Climate extremes, harsh land and unsanitary conditions make the camps a breeding ground for diseases and mental stress. That means there’s plenty of work for doctors. It also means there’s plenty of business for faith healers like Kalam, who says he’s doing Allah’s bidding and isn’t bothered by people who don’t believe in his powers. “I can’t be worried by what people have to say,” he says. “Maybe the doctor will say, what does a boidu know? I don’t want to answer them. I don’t need to fight them.” AP

Pope declares Bishop Obviar ‘venerable’

HELL, AN INDESCRIBABLE TERROR By Corazon Damo-Santiago

more than 800,000 outpatient con s u lt at ion s a nd ad m it te d more than 15,000 patients since August 2017. Yet many Rohingya still seek out their faith healers. Kalam, a 60-year-old who arrived in Bangladesh in 2012 in an earlier exodus of Rohingya, says he receives more than five clients each day. “People come to me because they benefit from my power,” he says. “That’s why they keep coming back.” Myanmar officials have said they expect the repatriation of Rohingya to start this week, a move criticized by rights groups who say it is not yet safe for them to return. Anita Saha, a clinical psychologist who has worked in the camps since August 2017, says Rohingya refugees’ dependence on faith healers stems from a lack of exposure to doctors and a suspicion of scientific medicine. She says many refugees mistakenly believe they will lose their Islamic faith and be converted to Christianity if they take vaccinations for diseases

BISHOP Alfredo Obviar, who was born in Lipa, Batangas, in 1889 and died in 1978, has been declared venerable.

OPE Francis issued a decree recently advancing the sainthood cause of Bishop Alfredo Obviar, declaring him “venerable.” The pope recognized that Obviar, the first bishop of Lucena, lived the Christian virtues in a heroic way. The announcement makes the bishop, who died in 1978 at the age of 89, two steps closer to sainthood. The pontiff would have to recognize a miracle attributed to the late bishop’s intercession in

order for him to be beatified. A second miracle would be needed for canonization. The cause for sainthood of Obviar was introduced by the Lucena diocese. The Congregation for the Causes of Saints granted the “Nihil Obstat” (nothing hinders) to the diocesan inquiry of his life in 2001. Few years later, the decree of validity was issued in 2007 marking the start of its “Roman Phase.” In 2014 the “Positio” was submitted, and the review of Theolo-

gians was concluded early last year. Born in Lipa, Batangas, Obviar was ordained a priest in 1919. In 1944, he was named as the first Auxiliary Bishop of Lipa. He was known as the founder of the Missionary Catechists of Saint Therese, a religious congregation of nuns with missions across the Philippines and in some countries. In 1969 he was appointed as bishop of Lucena, a post he served until his retirement in 1976. Roy Lagarde/CBCPNews

FTSFI sponsors 5th mass wedding for SM employees

T was a momentous occasion for 29 couples from 14 SM branches, including SM Hypermarket and Sanford Marketing Corp., as they exchanged vows during the fifth mass wedding organized and sponsored by the Felicidad T. Sy Foundation Inc. (FTSFI). The Eucharistic Celebration was held at the National Shrine of Saint Michael and the Archangels in San Miguel, Manila. It was presided by Rev. Fr. Reynaldo Reyes, SSP, with Rev. Fr. Genaro Diwa as Mass co-presider. The wedding ceremony was solemnized by the two priests with the assistance of six other priests. The occasion was attended by no less than the Chairman of the Board of FTSFI Felicidad T. Sy; Imelda I. Elido, who spearheaded the event; friends of the FTSFI; priests; and families of the couples. Many of the couples also brought their children. It was followed by a short program, gift-giving , pictorials and dinner reception at the shrine’s patio. The mass wedding is an annual activity of the Foundation in pursuit of its religious advocacy.

THE couples who exchanged vows pose for a souvenir photo after the mass wedding sponsored by the Felicidad T. Sy Foundation Inc. The Chairman of the Board of FTSFI, Felicidad T. Sy (second from left, seated), also attended the event.

Tourism&Entertainment BusinessMirror

Editor: Carla Mortel-Baricaua

Sunday, November 18, 2018 A11

Nurture Wellness Village introduces local wellness tourism to the world Nurture Wellness Village has been acknowledged worldwide as one of the best places to get a massage and spa treatments in Asia.

Wellness treatments for the Wellness Intervention Program include acupuncture.

Guests can also learn about healthy juice preparation.

Nurture Wellness Village President Cathy Turvill

than education. “Nurture would like to be part of change,” she says. “Our Wellness Intervention Program works with conventional medicine to prevent and address chronic diseases.” Turvill introduces the incorporation of lifestyle medicine awareness, through personalized programs that focus on prevention, recovery and rejuvenation. Led by Dr. Sam Dizon, a known expert in natural medicine with more than 20 years of practice, the Wellness Intervention Program has different packages which cater to the wellness needs covering kidney health, diabetes prevention, healthy heart, and immune boost and transformation programs. Complete with services that are holistic and evidence-based, Turvill says the program includes executive checkups, diagnostics tests, computerized health scans, healthy juice preparations, healthy cooking classes, fitness and exercises, detoxification and immune-boosting therapies, as well as yoga and tai chi gong sessions. With packages offered to the international market, Turvill stresses that Nurture hopes to introduce Filipino hospitality, coupled with quality wellness care and services, as a key boosting factor for tourism. Tourism Assistant Secretary and Director for Medical Travel and Medical Tourism Roberto Alabado III, who dubbed Turvill as the

Story by Gelyka Dumaraos

rom being a massage spa tucked in a quaint barangay in Tagaytay City, Nurture Wellness Village has turned itself through the years as one of the best destinations for a relaxing and rejuvenating wellness experience. For more than a decade, Nurture spearheads the promotion of wellness in the country with deep detoxes, spa treatments, alternative medicines and personalized health programs, with its founder and president Cathy Turvill at the helm. This year, as it welcomes its 17th anniversary, Nurture Wellness Village takes on a bigger role—to introduce what wellness tourism in the Philippines can offer to the international market. Dubbed as one of the most relaxing spas in Southeast Asia by CNN Travel and a pioneer in Philippine spa and wellness industry, Nurture is taking a step forward wellness with its recent launch of the Wellness Intervention Program. Turvill says Nurture’s Wellness Intervention Program is its answer

to the Department of Health (DOH) and World Health Organization’s (WHO) call to the private and public sector to work together and address the epidemic of noncommunicable diseases or lifestyle diseases that continue to plague the globe. Based on DOH reports, the prevalence rates of lifestyle diseases such as diabetes, heart diseases, hypertension, kidney failure and obesity have been soaring for years, posing a threat to the socioeconomic status of the country. Turvill says, “The country ranks very low on health and wellness. We have a young population, but they are not very healthy.” She adds that with sickness comes financial ruin, resulting in resources being allotted for the care of sick rather

“champion for the wellness tourism industry,” says that Nurture’s efforts are leading the country to become a known wellness destination. “We are looking at medical tourism and wellness as one of the key products we have in the Philippines,” he says. Alabado adds that the trademark Filipino hospitality is known to the world; one of the best assets of tourism. “When we take care of our tourists, we nurture them. We don’t treat them as guests. Most of the time, we treat them like family. Sometimes, it’s not the destination, but the experience of being well taken care of,” he says. Aside from the Wellness Intervention Program, Nurture also offers holistic weight loss and detox program, and holistic health services for guests who are looking for a relaxing weekend treat. The village offers wellness activities all day and amenities that are enriching to both body and mind. To start off one’s stay, guests can avail themselves of free tai chi class to release negativities and boost happy hormones. Throughout the day, they can also avail themselves of massages, coffee-roasting demo, healthy cooking classes, healthy juice demos or have a farm tour. Nurture also has glamping sites and Filipino-themed garden and forest view rooms to choose from.

AAP holds Iloilo-Guimaras Fly-Drive Caravan SO/ Auckland, the city’s newest design

hotel, brings the WORLD to New Zealand

he Automobile Association Philippines (AAP), the country’s National Auto Club, recently held the IloiloGuimaras Fly-Drive Caravan as part of its program of rediscovering the culture, farm tourism and culinary heritage of the countryside. Now on its 14th edition, the four-day tour was themed “A Culinary, Heritage and Farm Expedition,” which visited wellloved historic spots in Iloilo City, Iloilo province and Guimaras. According to former Tourism Secretary and AAP trustee Mina Gabor, the caravan is a series of road-tour packages put together by the auto club for its members to explore the charming destinations across the archipelago for a worry-free trip. The caravan visited Spanish-era churches and ancestral mansions in Iloilo City, the farm tourism and heritage spots in Iloilo province, and scenic and historical attractions in Guimaras. Previous caravans have visited the provinces of Rizal, Cavite, Quezon, Laguna, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Bulacan, Pangasinan, Ifugao, Batangas, Oriental Mindoro, Negros Occidental, Batanes and Bohol, among others. The event is copresented by the Tourism Promotions Board and the Department of Tourism Region 6, with official fuel partner Petron Corp., official carrier Philippine Airlines and official residence Seda Atria Hotel. The caravan is also supported by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp., province of Iloilo, province of Guimaras, city of Iloilo and the municipality of Miagao.

Petron at AAP Iloilo-Guimaras Caravan.

Caravan participants at Miagao Church in Iloilo.

nternational luxury lifestyle hotel brand SO/ will open its first hotel in Auckland with renowned Kiwi fashion innovators WORLD announced as the signature design partner. Located in the heart of the city and occupying the former Reserve Bank, SO/ Auckland will join an artistic portfolio of just seven very individual hotels worldwide. SO/ Auckland will shatter conventional hotel norms and is set to become the city’s hottest destination for locals and visitors alike. “The arrival of SO/ brings a new level of design audacity and boldness to the Auckland hotel scene,” said SO/ Auckland General Manager Stephen Gould. “The decision to launch SO/ in Auckland comes at a time when tourism in New Zealand is booming and reinforces that this stunning natural beauty is also a bustling metropolis and the must-visit destination of the South Pacific,” he said. Each SO/ hotel is an artistic vision brought to life by celebrated names from the world of fashion and design. In Mauritius there is Kenzo Takada; in Bangkok, Monsieur Christian Lacroix; renowned duo Viktor & Rolf in Berlin; and in Singapore, Karl Lagerfeld, the emblem creator. In New Zealand WORLD will bring the same spirit of extravagance and boldness to what promises to be one of New Zealand’s most exciting hotels. “We needed a designer with an approach as bold and enterprising as the SO/ brand; energetic, social, bursting with individual character but also inherently a reflection of Auckland. WORLD is a playful mix of sophistication and dynamic style and therefore was an obvious choice. SO/ Auckland is an avant-garde masterpiece imaginatively inspired by WORLD,” explains Stephen. Forget traditional uniforms: WORLD has been on a journey with the SO/ Auckland team

for more than three years to create an emblem, a signature design print, artwork, wallpaper designs for the signature suites, cushions for the chauffeur cars and attire for the staff that encourages individual expressionism. The emblem reflects the volcanic history of Auckland, the natural beauty of New Zealand and the history of the building itself, the former Reserve Bank, which at one time housed the country’s gold reserves. Benny Castles, designer and director for WORLD, explains, “We created a stylized topographical map of Auckland and overinflated the role of volcanoes. The emblem needed to be both nostalgic and futuristic, appealing to Auckland’s mythical past but setting itself in the future of what this city will become. The swirling, hypnotic effect feels as though you’re looking directly into the eye of a volcano, reflecting that feeling of stepping into a boutique hotel; a hypnotic experience where the outside world is left behind and a new experience begins.” The ground floor of the hotel has been creatively fitted out by Dutch design house, Moooi, and is inspired by founder and renowned creative, Marcel Wanders, who is famous for creating multilayered sensory experiences. Challenging traditional hotel concepts and with a “just say SO” attitude, Stephen says guests can expect service excellence with contemporary flair. There is no dull lobby but rather a bar that looks like it might be the meeting spot for celebrities, the fashion elite and rockstars, Stephen said. “Staff don’t wear name tags, and you can help yourself to the minibar because everything’s free! “The HI SO rooftop transports you to another world and in equal parts feels like you’re no longer in Auckland while offering the best

vista of Rangitoto and the city of sails. Finally, Auckland will be able to offer somewhere both locals and visitors will want to hang out, see and be seen,” he said. SO/ Auckland will offer a taste of French inspiration at Harbour Society restaurant on the 15th floor, helmed by French Chef Marc de Passorio, former owner of Michelin-starred restaurant, L’Esprit de la Violette. Marc sold L’Esprit de la Violette before choosing Auckland as his next culinary home. “In 2012 I visited New Zealand for the first time and fell in love with the country. It offers so many things, from fantastic produce and wine to amazing scenery wherever you go, fresh air and generous, friendly people. I had never visited a place like this before, and since then, it has been my dream to return,” says Chef Marc. “When Stephen invited me to join SO/ Auckland as the head culinary designer, I felt it was fate and an offer impossible to refuse. I am excited to start this culinary adventure and feel this is the perfect opportunity to share my experience, ideas and techniques,” adds Chef Marc. Inspired by its surrounds, the 130-room hotel will also feature a café, Club Signature lounge, SO Spa, SO Fit and indoor heated pool.

Benny Castles, designer and director for WORLD

A12 Sunday, November 18, 2018

Sports BusinessMirror

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

A WORKER grooms the snow after installing a set of Olympic Rings on the ski jump hill at the 2018 Winter Olympics at the Alpensia Ski Jumping Center in Pyeongchang, South Korea, in February. AP

ARE THERE NO TAKERS?

After being rejected in yet another public vote, the International Olympic Committee is down to two candidates to host the 2026 Games—Stockholm, Sweden and a joint Italian bid from Milan and Cortina D’Ampezzo.

By Eddie Pells

The Associated Press

OES anyone really want to host the Winter Olympics? Residents in Calgary answered that question with a resounding “No,” and now the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has some soul-searching to do. Again. After being rejected in yet another public vote, the IOC is down to two candidates to host the 2026 Games—Stockholm, Sweden and a joint Italian bid from Milan and Cortina D’Ampezzo. Both of those bidders also have issues, and organizers are scrambling to hand the next available Winter Games to one of them before either bid gets derailed. They will award the Games next June. If either of those candidates work out, it will be a victory in that Sweden or Italy will break a string of three straight Winter Games in Asia, two of which—Sochi (2014) and Beijing (2022)—have been run by authoritarian governments that didn’t have to answer to the public for the money they spent to host. But that’s not to

say Western democracies are falling back in love with the movement. Despite the IOC’s attempts to streamline the bidding process and control the costs of the Games, no fewer than eight Western cities and countries have rejected the idea—either through elections or government action—of bankrolling what is increasingly viewed as a bloated, expensive sports festival with little upside for the city that takes them on. “I think Calgary is another example of a democracy, more specifically, voters in a democracy, deciding that the hosting of the Olympic Games is just not in their best interest—and they have other things to focus on,” said Chris Dempsey, who spearheaded Boston’s opposition to hosting the 2024 Games. Here’s a look at some of people, places and things in the bidding

SALT LAKE CITY—They have kept venues intact and, in many cases, improved on them, and there is no significant public opposition. To sum it up, the 2002 hosts could probably hold another Olympics in a few months, if pressed. IOC President Thomas Bach would be wise to award them 2030 right now—that is, only if they don’t want 2026.

YON, Switzerland—European soccer leaders came to Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) on Wednesday seeking answers about Real Madrid’s plan for a breakaway Super League that threatens the game’s historic structure. They got no new details from officials representing top clubs, according to people familiar with the meeting of UEFA’s strategy council. Instead, the latest plans for an elite breakaway league—which were revealed on November 2 in the “Football Leaks” series—were said to be driven by “one-and-a-half clubs,” referring to Madrid and

will ensure that the athletes of Kosovo can participate under the same conditions as all the other athletes from the 206 National Olympic Committees recognized by the IOC.” The statement said the decision by the Spanish Government was communicated to the IOC by the president of the country’s Olympic committee, Alejandro Blanco, and was supported by Spain Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez. The Spanish government had earlier said it never denied visas to Kosovo athletes, and that it had done everything to allow them to compete in Spain despite not recognizing the country’s independence. Spain is one of the few European countries that do not recognize the former province, which declared independence from Serbia in 2008. AP

are just an unbelievable amount of nonprofit organizations working to support the veteran and military community,” says Anna Isaacson, the NFL’s senior vice president of social responsibility. “There are some reports of 40,000 such organizations. “We hear from these organizations and we want to help every one we can, but that is sometimes difficult. The commissioner had a relationship with the Bob Woodruff Foundation [BWF] and learned about the process they go through to determine which organizations should receive grants, and that there could be

STOCKHOLM — Only three days after the IOC put the Swedish capital on its short list of finalists, a newly formed government in the city announced it would not provide funding to host the Games. Negotiations are ongoing.

Olympics, for 1976, only to turn around and reject them, is officially in the running to be the US candidate for 2030. But it’s not much of a contest. Not helping matters: Colorado’s incoming governor, Jared Polis, recently channeled his inner Richard Lamm—the then-governor-to-be who led the opposition in the 1970s—calling the Olympics “fun things for millionaires and business people” that leave others paying the bill.

THOMAS BACH—The president of the IOC looks more brilliant by the day for his decision to award two Summer Games—2024 to Paris and 2028 to Los Angeles—in one shot at last year’s IOC meeting. Acknowledging there were “too many losers” in the bidding game, he took the only two suitors he had left for the more-expensive, more-grandiose Summer Games and gave them both a victory. He might consider a two-for-one approach on the Winter side, as well. CASEY WASSERMAN—Bach might be the president, but it would be difficult to find someone who wields more power in the movement than the head of the LA 2028 organizing committee. He’s had a major role

WHAT SUPER LEAGUE? N

Bayern Munich, multiple sources told The Associated Press. They spoke on condition of anonymity because the meeting was confidential. Bayern’s internal documents from 2016 detailing an earlier breakaway plan was revealed by German magazine Der Spiegel, which has spearheaded the publication of confidential documents and e-mails from clubs and soccer bodies. UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin was joined on Wednesday by players’ union officials and European league delegates asking questions about the Super League plans at the most significant European soccer meeting since

REAL Madrid’s Karim Benzema scores the first goal during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between RC Celta and Real Madrid at the Balaidos Stadium in Vigo, Spain. AP

NFL, Woodruff Foundation help veterans on many levels OR decades, the National Football League (NFL) has had a strong bond with the military. That relationship stretches far beyond the pregame and halftime ceremonies that honor veterans, and particularly ratchets up in November with the league’s Salute To Service. This year, the NFL and the Bob Woodruff Foundation have partnered to find and grant funds to organizations helping former military members. So far, 38 organizations have received grants, some in the spring and others this fall. “One of the things we have come across

ITALY—The nation’s federal government has vowed not to pay a penny after Turin was removed from this multicity bid. It means regional governments will foot the brunt of the bill. Rome has bailed on two previous bids for the Summer Games, most recently in 2024, which certainly isn’t a comforting thought for the IOC.

DENVER—The only city to be awarded the

Spain reverses stance on Kosovo athletes ADRID—The Spanish government has decided to grant athletes from Kosovo the same rights as other nationalities when participating in international competitions held in Spain. A joint statement from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Spanish Olympic Committee on Wednesday welcomed the decision, which comes after Spain prohibited the use of Kosovo symbols during the Karate World Championships in Madrid last week. The country’s flag and name were not displayed, being replaced by the initials of the World Karate Federation. “The Spanish Government will provide the Kosovan sports delegations competing in Spain with the relevant visa and will authorize them to use their own national symbols, anthem and flag, in accordance with Olympic protocol,” the IOC statement said. “This

game, and where they stand after the vote:

an awesome partnership as a grant referral pipeline. They can take our salute dollars and put them to use with the organizations doing the most impactful work in this landscape.” The Woodruff Foundation was founded in 2006 after reporter Woodruff was hit by a roadside bomb while covering the war in Iraq. Its $2-million affiliation with the NFL bolsters the grant work done by the foundation. “We have now been through...basically a whole year of granting with the NFL,” says Dr. Margaret Harrell, the director of programs and partnerships for BWF. “The

Woodruff Foundation brings our expertise to help the NFL select the most effective and important programs that are serving the post-911 veteran population. It’s a really nice partnership to ensure an increasing number of veterans benefit around the country. “There hasn’t been a huge learning curve because it’s been such a delightfully smooth partnership; we have a shared interest.” Adds Isaacson: “This came together in our world somewhat quickly. There already are [22] organizations receiving a grant from the NFL and BWF, and some organizations we may not have partnered with have had the opportunity to engage in a partnership.” One of those groups is the Furniture Bank

of Atlanta, a relatively small local company with a full-time staff of 11 that received a grant in October. Furniture Bank serves about 40 families a week, providing furniture to veterans and others who had been homeless and have now found a place to live. A bed for each person, plus tables, chairs, a sofa, a dresser—as many as 14 pieces, mostly used, that have been donated to the company—are supplied. But the group takes it several steps further for those vets. It puts them to work. Some of the former military members become interns and load and unload Furniture Bank trucks. Others who show the initiative and know-how can become drivers, which allows the bank to increase its delivery schedules. AP

in shaping the new US Olympic Committee, signing off on the hiring of the new CEO and CFO. Because he agreed to take the consolation prize, 2028, in what began as a contest for the 2024 Summer Games, he brokered an advantageous marketing deal with the USOC. And his blessing—and only his blessing— would be crucial to pushing Salt Lake City into the 2026 slot—a move that is currently untenable because of how it would impact the LA marketing arrangement. ROTATING CITIES—The fantastical notion of rotating Olympics between three or four cities—say Sydney, London and Beijing on the Summer side, and Salt Lake City, Sochi and Vancouver on he Winter side—suddenly doesn’t seem so outlandish. Given the current trend, there’s no guaranteeing any city will want to host this behemoth past 2030. Dempsey, the Olympic skeptic, concedes the Olympics provide plenty of magic and power, “but that magic and power would be just as strong if there were one Winter and one Summer location for the Olympics, or some other process that allows you to host the Games without making exorbitant promises that lead to exorbitant costs.” “Football Leaks” started. Still, the sources said leaders of the European Club Association (ECA)—from Juventus, Barcelona, Manchester United, Paris SaintGermain (PSG) and Celtic—claimed in the meeting that they had not known of the Super League proposal being drafted in Madrid. No one from Madrid attended the UEFA-hosted talks, though the club’s vice chairman, Pedro Lopez, is a vice chairman of the 232-member ECA group. Juventus President Andrea Agnelli, the ECA chairman, declined to comment after the twohour meeting. The FIFPro union and European Leagues group had previously criticized the Super League plan, which was revealed in e-mails from Madrid-based consultants to the Spanish club. It suggested a 16-team lineup to kick off in 2021, with 11 founding clubs to get ownership stakes and risk-free membership for 20 years. Five more clubs would be invited to play in what would effectively be a replacement for the Champions League, which shares more than $2 billion each season among 32 clubs but is controlled by UEFA. The plan seemed to betray ECA leader Agnelli’s repeated promise of no changes being made to the Champions League before 2024. “All parties underlined their commitment to working together toward the development of club competitions under the leadership of UEFA,” the European soccer body said in a statement about Wednesday’s meeting, which did not mention the breakaway project. European media reports have also detailed how some clubs—including Manchester City and PSG, backed by owners from royal families in Qatar and Abu Dhabi—evaded UEFA rules on sponsor deals and spending on transfers and wages. AP

HENRY CHOI and his wife, Sandy Lin, at the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music, a nonprofit venue supported by former and current executives of some of the worldâ€™s biggest banks. BLOOMBERG

Bankers find balance, creative outlet at Brooklyn music school

ENRY CHOI runs his family office from the top floor of his Park Slope brownstone, where it can get lonely after years as a portfolio manager at hedge funds and an investment banker at Goldman Sachs.

The 42-year-old finds solace down the street, not at a bar serving vermouth on tap but at the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music, where classical, jazz and singing voices pour out of the windows and Choi is a board member, working to expand the 121-year-old nonprofit and feel like part of something bigger. “It wasn’t a midlife crisis,” Choi said on a recent night at the conservatory as children’s bows moved back and forth on “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.” Instead, “it was do I want to be in finance the rest of my life or do I want to pivot where there’s something tangible and good for the community?” Choi’s lifestyle choices reflect significant cultural shifts: the influence of millennials seeking work-life balance, changes on Wall Street after the 2008 financial crisis—and what happens when the affluent move to progressive Brooklyn. Choi and his wife, Sandy Lin, a tech start-up veteran, switched from a Lower East Side apartment to a renovated brownstone when their 4-year-old was an infant; they’ve since added a daughter, as well as a chandelier by it-designer and neighbor Lindsey Adelman.

‘Become independent’ SHIFTING gears was also personal. He was “getting on the other side of 40 in a young man’s or young woman’s business.” He was a new par-

THE entrance to the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music, a nonprofit venue supported by former and current executives of some of the world’s biggest banks. BLOOMBERG ent, in a borough teeming with them. “You want to be there” before your kids “become independent and want nothing to do with you,” he said. As a sign of his commitment to family, when he set up his office he named it Blue Bird Partners, after the street he grew up on in Huntsville, Alabama. And there was the singular fact of Chad Cooper, the executive director of the conservatory, with whom he found a kinship. Cooper came to the school in 2016, straight from a 16-year stint at Deutsche Bank, where he was an investment banker covering real estate and private equity. His goal: to bring the school out of the red and turn a lifelong passion for music into a day job. Two years later, enrollment and donations are up, the school is operating at a surplus, and Cooper, who’s making plans with his board for expansion of space and programming, has cashed his first paycheck in the high five figures.

All this progress was reflected in the money brought in at the third annual house party: $185,000, or more than double the year it started.

Brooklyn mansion THE party puts music and libations in every room of the conservatory’s 1881 mansion, with its fireplaces and crown moldings. At the latest one, on November 8, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Peter Sarsgaard sang harmonies with a bluegrass band on the first floor. In the attic, a Smashing Pumpkins cover band played. Brooklyn Gin was poured in one room and coffee brewed in copper vessels in another. Cooper, 45, started the party shortly after joining the conservatory. “I figured I had a window of about three months after I left the bank to hit up relationships for donations,” he said. “With banking, your banker’s gone, it’s out of sight, out of mind.” Since then, his network on Wall Street has only expanded. On the second-floor landing, Cooper greeted Tony Roche, who oversees JPMorgan Chase’s Brooklyn campus; Whitney Bull of Autonomy Capital, who took a Beatles-themed guitar class at the conservatory; and Dan DiPietro, who invests in biotech companies. Pals from Deutsche Bank were there, too: Neil Gupta, chief investment officer of Rudin Management Co., who said Cooper used to whistle in the office they shared together; and Rick Grellier, who’s still at the bank.

Cathartic vibe

THE first house party took place two days after Donald Trump was elected president. “It was cathartic,” Cooper said. “Everyone was like, ‘Oh! Human beings! There’s hope for the future.”

SOME parties offer coffee brewed in copper vessels. BLOOMBERG

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NOVEMBER 18, 2018

That vibe was still going strong after the midterms. “Music is not Republican or Democrat. It’s not pro-gun or pro-choice. It’s American,” Kamesh Nagarajan, an executive director in private wealth management at Morgan Stanley, said. A Manhattan resident, he’d come to the party to see Preetha Nooyi, a vice president at Lindsay Goldberg, sing bluegrass. Sarsgaard said supporting the school is a salve “given what’s going on in the world right now. In order to deal with the absurdity and hopelessness, we need to really go to the most local level and look for ways that we can reach out to other communities around us, form those connections that can’t be broken.”

Bouncy castle THAT rings true for Choi, who met Cooper at a block party with a bouncy castle and a potluck (married in Hawaii, the Chois brought kalua pork). Discovering a connection over music—Choi had played the French horn in his high-school marching band—Cooper invited Choi for a coffee at Cafe Regular, to tell him more about the conservatory. Choi’s son was about to enroll in the Suzuki program, so he was familiar with the lessons for talented, privileged kids. But he hadn’t heard about the music therapy and instruction in public schools and community centers, or Cooper’s vision of music as an agent of change. After Trump’s travel ban, for example, the conservatory joined with other institutions to create a World Refugee Day Festival with musical acts from all over the world. “I couldn’t sleep that night,” Choi said. “I was thinking of all the things I could do to help.” Bloomberg News

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MUSIC

PHOTO BY JUN DIVINAGRACIA

BLACK WOLF GYPSIES

LEARNING, SURVIVING, GROWING

by Darwin Fernandez

ERHAPS, nothing is more uncertain than the career of a musician. The comings and goings of trends, the fans, and the industry have always commanded a go-big-or-go-home situation. Despite this, indie band Black Wolf Gypsies continues to love the craft no matter how hard it hits back. Formed in 2010, the trio of Mike Twain (guitars and vocals), Bryan Pernis (bass and backing vocals) and Jun Divinagracia (drums and also backing vocals) were brought together by the harshness of music making. “We came from two separate bands,” Twain narrated. “Jun and

Bryan used to play for a band called Timog, and they [they were] with Hey Moonshine’s current singer Gian Sison.” He continued, “I used to [be with] a band called House of Ravens. During those days I would substitute for their guitar player whenever he was in Canada. Eventually, both bands disintegrated due to personal and professional differences, and we simply ended teaming up to form

Black Wolf Gypsies.” In the band’s name, “Black” references to The Black Crowes whom they take influence from. “Wolf” is inspired by a character from George R.R. Martin’s novel A Song of Ice and Fire (a.k.a. Game of Thrones), while “Gypsies” serves as a tribute to rock and roll Hall of Famer Jimi Hendrix. Like their name, the band is also influenced by a mix of new school and classic groups like Metallica, AC/DC, Guns N’ Roses, Aerosmith, Sound Garden, Foo Fighters, and the Eraserheads, resulting in a unique combination of blues and hard rock that is fresh, yet at the same time, feels like a blast from the past.

Death of art

OPM has always been compared to foreign artists. With Filipino musicians going overseas as well as various genres reaching the country in many different forms and styles, the band can’t help but question the current mindset of the music industry. “The younger generation is not

exposed to the wider spectrum of music that the Philippines has to offer,” Twain described. “I think the reason for this is the cultural implications or mindsets of the corporate music industry, and what it is supposed to be, and what it should represent. I believe that the current arbitrary lacks openness and risk-taking.” “Atradition of over-conservativeness is the death of art,” Twain emphasized. “That is why, maybe, majority [of songs] is about heartbreak, because heartbreak songs have always been easy to sell, and relatively ‘safe.’” Though radio stations are required to play local artists, only musicians with the backing of a record label can take advantage of the current practice. “The situation is that, the mainstream is really exposed to just a fraction of what is out there,” Twain said. “And it is really limiting the growth of musical tastes locally.” “OPM is always there,” Pernis opined. “Millennials just need to notice Continued on page 6

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1-ON-1 WITH FIL-AM

HARDCORE LEGEND JOE SONGCO by Rick Olivares (Part 1)

HEN American filmmaker Drew Stone released his independent film The New York Hardcore Chronicles, one of the musicians he featured was Joseph “Joe” Songco. Songco is the Filipino-American drummer for legendary New York hardcore punk band Outburst that came up in the late 1980s and is still performing today. Although Outburst never released a full-length album of their own, they did come out with an extended play album, “Miles to Go,” and was featured in seven

classic hardcore compilation records, including the wildly popular Where the Wild Things Are. Their peers, Cro-Mags and Warzone, to name a few, were more edgy and gritty in their view of life as translated through their songs. Others like Gorilla Biscuits and Judge exhorted a more straightedge lifestyle. As for Outburst, theirs was more about maintaining one’s individuality, a mutual respect for people, and doing things your way. The original members of Outburst—vocalist Brian Donohue, guitarists George D’Errico and Fil-Am Jay Rufino, bassist Mike Welles (including original Chris Bruno), and drummer Songco—all met at St. John’s Preparatory School in Astoria, PHOTOS BY DANIELLE DOMBROWSKI

Queens, New York. They also had among their classmates AJ Novello who later formed Leeway and joined CroMags, as well as Anthony Communale from Killing Time. It was Novello who turned them into punk and hardcore as he let everyone listen to records of the Dead Kennedys, the Circle Jerks, and Black Flag to name a few. The effect was instantaneous. They all started listening to hardcore and going down to CBGB’s to watch shows. When they decided to form a band, they covered songs from Murphy’s Law, Ludichrist, Attitude Adjustment, and Nuclear Assault. Outburst eventually recorded some original songs their for Miles to Go EP. And despite the lack of a long and comprehensive discography, Outburst made its presence felt not just in New York, but across America. In fact, rising Dallas, Texas hardcore crew Power Trip named Outburst along with Sick Of It All, Leeway, Breakdown, Killing Time, Cro Mags and all these other New York hardcore (NYHC) bands as a major influence. We spoke with Songco, whose daytime job is working in the legal and compliance field of the securities industrysincehegraduatedfromcollege, about life for Outburst today—some 30 years after they debuted. Outburst had just played the Bold Breakdown show at the Brooklyn Bazaar. We spoke on November 7 about the band standing the test of time, of Songco being a Filipino in the legendary and

famous NYHC scene, and the possibility of a triumphant Manila homecoming for the band. The drummer was game for every question thrown his way. SoundStrip: Immigrant families usually do not allow their children to get into sports, music, and the arts—at least not right away, as they try to find their footing in another land. Was it easy growing up and liking punk and hardcore in a Filipino family in the US?

Songco: Yes, it was fairly easy. I

grew up on music my parents liked: The Beatles, The Carpenters, Barry Manilow, lots of soft rock [and] radio stuff, like that. When I got my introduction to punk (The Clash, The Police, Ramones, Sex Pistols, etc.), I was already learning about hard rock and heavy metal, so it wasn’t that far of a musical stretch for me. It wasn’t until my high school years that I started listening to hardcore.

Were there any objections on you being in a band?

NO, not really. There may have been some objections to the noise we’d make in our garage at first though. But my parents were cool with it. Growing up, my mom insisted that I take piano lessons. She would always tell me how we came from a musical family where everybody played an instrument, and she wanted me to follow tradition. I wasn’t too bad at piano either. I would compete in recitals and win medals but around high school, I

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asked my parents if I could switch to another instrument. I didn’t enjoy lessons and reading sheet music any longer. So my parents bought me a drum set. Not too long after, the guys and I would jam together in my garage. Eventually, we formed the band and the way my mom saw it, I was still musically involved.

What is it about punk rock that appealed to you?

I LIKED the upbeat rhythm and melody. There was a definite energy to early punk rock music. As for hardcore, one of my friends who grew up on the same block (Novello of Leeway) was always buying hardcore records and playing them for us when we were hanging out. He introduced us to bands like Zero Boys, Bad Brains, Circle Jerks, DRI, Dead Kennedys, and Kraut, to name just a few.

What is it about the music that makes you still involved to this day?

FIRST, we are very fortunate to have the luck of geography on our side. We all grew up in [New York City (NYC)] and met each other as high school classmates. We were able to join and be a part of the NYHC scene that exploded in the 80’s and 90’s. I don’t think that would be possible if my parents had chosen Florida orArizona to start their lives in America. To this day, the NYHC scene was, and still is, probably one of the most influential hardcore scenes, and there’s a whole new generation of fans and bands making their presence felt to this day.

Where were you playing back then?

OUR first official show was at a place out in Long Island called the Right Track Inn. We played all the usual places our band friends on the scene played: CBGB, Lismar Lounge, Pyramid Club, Anthrax (Connecticut), City Gardens (New Jersey), Safari Club, and the BBQ Iguana (Washington DC). If I recall correctly, the band released a single and a cassette and appeared on a bunch of compilations? Why didn’t the band record a proper LP? Any plans for that now? The “discography”, if you want to call it that, goes like this: The demo, New Breed Tape Compilation, the NYHC: Where The Wild Things Are compilation, and then the Miles To Go 7” EP. I think we had enough material to do an LP, but Bill Wilson from Blackout went with the idea of the 7” because at the time, even “inches” were still kind of an “in” thing. Plus, it was the next logical step right after a demo tape. Blackout has special plans for 2019—that’s all I can really say right now.

Who is on the current lineup of Outburst? How often do you perform or tour in NYC or the Tri-State area?

IT’S Brian on vocals, Mike on bass, me on drums and George and Mike Dijan on guitars. After our farewell gig at CBGB in 2006, our bandmate and my fellow Pinoy Jay Rufino called it a day as far as the band [was concerned]. Dijan (Show of Force, Crown of Thornz, Breakdown, Sai Nam, and King’s Bounty) grew up in Astoria with me, and George and he actually auditioned to join the band back

when we were looking for a new bass player after Chris left. Dijan’s already achieved legend status on the scene, so it’s been a lot of fun playing with him. In the past 12 months, we’ve done a handful of shows with so many great bands like Killing Time, King Nine, Krimewatch, Crown of Thornz, Sheer Mag, Buried Alive, Power Trip, Breakdown and Bold. These shows have all been in the NYC/New Jersey area, but maybe that might change… Who knows?

Any chance we can get Outburst to play in Manila?

AS the old saying goes “Que sera, sera… Whatever will be, will be.” (In next week’s Part 2, Songco talks more about his family and the NYHC scene.)

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SoundSampler | by Tony M. Maghirang

Pump up the volume with Acid Mothers Temple, Hilera, Squid 9, Eyedress, Against the Current

SQUID 9 Circuit Shorts

QUID 9, a name that suggests descent to some inky void, is an electronic trio led from head Sandwich Raimund Marasigan. The latest album is released on cassette. Tracks like Sakura Leaves and Asthma Trax attempt to work up something sublime from a mesh of pop hooks, funky strut and repetitive beats that remind of Kraftwerk in their “Computer World” incarnation. The image of a moving train waltzing on its tracks gives Railways its comic undertow underscored by a cartoonish pulse and a feverish synth line. More effective is Frog Rest, which succeeds in conveying altered consciousness in a song cycle of quiet and disquiet. I am Milk is even better, all sunshiny gleam bathing in wispy textures, soft percussion and easily engaging melodies. There’s no shortage of surprising connections and connotations in Circuit Shorts.

EYEDRESS Alone Time

ANILA-BORN recording artist Eyedress, aka Idris Vicuña,has been seducing an international fan base since the release of his sensational Shapeshifter album in 2015. He is currently signed to a major indie label in the UK.

Black Wolf...

His Bandcamp page cites his music to straddle punk, jazz, psychedelic and rap. His newest four-song EP entitled “Alone Time” actually showcases all of those influences and then some. No Fun revels in old school punk or ‘60s garage rock—take your pick—flailing in Jonathan Richman Roadrunner rhythm. The electro-pop whoosh of Xenophobic is darkened by hints of descent to a Gothic underworld. Be a Better Friend grafts The Chameleons to the Depeche Mode bandwagon. The tinny-sounding guitars keep the song floating in new wave bliss rather than post-punk gloom. In a review, a UK publication noted that Eyedress music comes from the future. Eyedress is currently on tour in the US.

HILERA The Other Way Around

NCE upon a time, then-teen trio Hilera burst out into the local scene brimming with the rush of punk rock and innocence of early rock and roll. Their debut sounded fresh, fun and vital. Their music stood in opposition to the predictability of the legendary masters as well as the copycat mentality of indie rockers. Now older and wiser, Hilera has put out an EP that will likely be dismissed as their coming-to-terms with the music business. Five of the six new tracks display a kind of vulnerability usually associated with confessional singer songwriters. The narrative passing from song-tosong is about the nature of young love, raised somewhat above the banality of boy band cuteness by Chris Padilla’s squeaky-thin voice. Just as you’re ready to give up on them comes Rule The World, declaring that the past is fading fast, and they are the sons of no one, and the children of the world. There may be a clever reference to an ‘80s song by The Replacements, but what sticks out most is a peculiar

it. I think underground artists like us should be given a chance to be played on radio for them (millennials) to realize that there are a lot of local talents to get around.” “OPM is alive,” Divinagracia assured. “I think the younger audience still loves Pinoy artists. If you look in social media, a lot of them still go to watch them live.” “I’D rather be hated for who I am, than be loved for who I am not...” So goes a quote by Kurt Cobain which may have been the words that stand true for the band and its music. A lot of indie bands may relate to Twain when he said that they won’t stop playing music even if they don’t become part of the “lucky ones” that made it mainstream. But until they stop, that dream does not fade.

THE band continues to profess their dedication to music as they unveil the video for their single “Agos.” First would be on November 29 at The Quarry in Las Piñas City, then on December 1 at Cafe Huh in Ortigas, and on December 7 at the Motorista Bar in Quezon City. In the unveiling, they hope to show the product of being long-time performers, as well as the kind of music they make and offer to OPM rock fans.

Honest but bankable

around the creative aesthetics behind those three songs, slicing and dicing their major riffs to come up with mid-tempo songs with their own distinct appeal. It’s one clever way of avoiding saccharine overload. Have fun. Against The Current comes alive in Manila at the SM North Edsa Skydome on November 25.

AGAINST THE CURRENT Past Lives

“The ultimate form of selfexpression,” Twain stated, “is to be an honest but bankable artist. Honesty and money placed together in a sentence seem to be a ‘taboo’ in the music world. But imagine the happiness of doing what you love and earning from it—so why not?” “We want to be recognized,” Pernis declared. “As a band that composes originals, we hope to be a part of the OPM rock scene.”

from page 3

shift in attitude at the end of the record. It’s a curious turn-around among the sad laments and heartbreakers.

‘Agos’ launch

FEMALE-FRONTED outfit, Against The Current displays the dazed romanticism of pop-punk’s best years. Loads of mid-tempo tunes highlight the band’s ability to craft attractive hooks while the affecting voice of lead singer Chrissy Costanza channels Britney Spears by way of Paramore’s Hayley Williams. In an interview, Costanza was quoted, “In general, our music has progressed so much. We’re a singer, a drummer and a guitarist but we no longer felt bound by those three things. We opened so many doors for ourselves because we stopped boxing ourselves in and being like ‘this is the formula.’” If she’s referring to the conventional power trio set-up, her band has certainly moved away from the “power” factor and replaced the resulting “vacuum” with a very strong commercial pop sensibility. What’s on show is supreme allegiance to catchiness—pop’s trump card—as evinced by the admirable melodies of The Fuss, the disarming refrain in Scream and the slow burn of Personal, which finds pouring her heart out to a cathartic conclusion. Melody, introspection and musical color frame this lissome triad. They deal with the usual stuff bedeviling the thinking millennial like love and loss, existence, emotional disaster (and no, nothing on global warming) and Against The Current splashes these themes with musical clarity and warmth to place above the rest in more ways than one, or past their precedents in the pop-punk totem pole. Granted, the other eight songs revolve

“We don’t limit ourselves in terms of themes,” Twain explained. “But if there is a message we want to deliver, it is peace, love and tolerance, and [their] relationship to critical thinking. Our songs are for anyone who would be willing to listen.”

Life as indie

IN the eight years they have been together, the Black Wolf Gypsies carries the dream of many other independent artists. And like them, they continue to find the lessons in the struggle, and improve along the way. “For us, it’s [all about] continuous learning,” Divinagracia described the journey as a group. “That’s the adventure we face as a band.” “Erratic, volatile, crazy, exciting, fulfilling, but also disappointing,” Twain seconded. “It is [about] survival, and growth.” He further elaborated how “music affects the musicians” themselves, as

ACID MOTHER TEMPLES AND THE MELTING PARAISO U.F.O. Electric Dream Fantasy

ITHIN the context of progressive rock’s long and tangled history, Acid Mothers Temple & The Melting Paraiso U.F.O. plays the ‘70s traditionalist, refusing to be drawn into deathcore’s depressive tones or post-rock’s immersive spirals. With more than 120 albums under their belt, Japan’s prolific space explorers retain a knack for ornamental layering, but without obscuring that there’s an actual song underneath the dynamic superstructure. From Planet Orb with Love Part 1 moves in gently played acoustic guitar, only to be swallowed by a cacophony of free jazz blasts, Hendrixian blow-ups and electronic squiggles. Sycamore Trees opens in dirge-like slowness then fast-forwards to some brain-melting orchestral maneuvers. Album standout Pink Lady Lemonade (Electric Dream Ecstasy) is intergalactic disco beamed from Mars circa 2075 AD. Electric Dream Ecstasy is just a quick introduction to Acid Mothers Temple currently composed of master guru/guitarist Kawabata Makoto, drummer Satoshima Nani, bassist Wolf, synth man Higashi Hiroshi and vocalist Jyonson Tsu. More space rock weirdness will be coming your way when these Japanese cosmonauts land on La Fuerza Plaza 1 in Makati City on November 27.

the process of making and performing music transforms from just mystery and romance, to general-life philosophy. “The longer and deeper we got immersed, we learned more, and became more self-aware. And learning takes away a certain [level of] naivety. It becomes who you are. Your behavior and attitude change, and [they] transcend to your every day, from family to work. From a sense of accomplishment to a deeper sense of conscientiousness, in dealing with people, family and work, I think that having a craft does that to you.” On a general note, when asked what its like to be a band, especially one without advertisements and PR teams, Pernis simply proclaimed, “Rock and roll lang.” (For more on independent OPM rock, follow Black Wolf Gypsies through their Facebook page and YouTube channel under the band’s name.)

Millennials seen paving way for blockchain, emerging tech By Rizal Raoul Reyes Contributor

ILLENNIALS have a big role to play in new technology. So says 29-year-old Andrea de Francisci, the chief operating officer of Elpis Investments Corp. In a teleconference held at the Bonifacio Global City, the University of Buckingham alumnus told the BusinessMirror the emergence of blockchain and other emerging technologies suits millennials’ working style of having no intermediaries because they trust each other. “As long as we have the blockchain system, we feel we can trust each other. If you don’t have an intermediary or the middle man, it will lower cost in doing business and create a more efficient economy unlike the traditional one, which has prevailed over the past 50 years in Europe and the US,” de Francisci pointed out. “We feel that the old financial ecosystem has to be changed and blockchain, AI [artificial intelligence] and cryptocurrency can help humanity evolve into the next stage,” he added. The Swiss national stressed that the government will have a major role in developing an ecosystem involving blockchain, AI and cryptocurrency. He believes that the government must spearhead the buildup because allowing the people to be in the front without the proper guidelines will result in confusion in the market, especially in the ecosystem. Being an underdeveloped country, the Philippines needs to use blockchain, AI and cryptocurrency to attract investors because these three promote efficiency and greater transparency, according to de Francisci. He plans to visit the Philippines in the next five months to check the prevailing market conditions.

Vibrant crypto ELPIS’S Philippine market partner Veronica Andrino told the BusinessMirror in an e-mail interview the country is in a good position to build a vibrant crypto market. “We do believe we are in a good position to achieve the goal, thanks to the recent announcement by President [Rodrigo] Duterte, which has created a massive positive impact on the Filipino crypto industry,” Andrino said. She added that, “as a result, the number of people looking to invest is growing rapidly.” From 2014 to 2018, the number of people buying and selling Bitcoin and similar

ANDREA DE FRANCISCI, Elpis Investments Corp. COO

COURTESY OF ANDREA DE FRANCISCI

cryptocurrencies grew from a ratio of 2:10 to 7:10, which, in turn, has led to more exchangers and active peer-to-peer trading in the country, Andrino said. In addition, there are numerous initial coin offerings and product launches and crypto events actively running in the community, from smaller meet-ups to large company events, she added.

Asia,” de Francisci said. He added that the Philippines and the rest of Southeast Asia are the best places for using blockchain and other related technologies because they can easily adopt them. “The Philippines has an advantage because it can go directly implementing it,” he said.

Retail markets

Public ledger

DE FRANCISCI said Elpis also plans to invest in Southeast Asia’s retail markets because of high consumer spending. He noted that millennials can maximize the opportunities in the current retail environment because of the emphasis on connectivity of several businesses, such as Lazada, Zalora and Shopee, among others. The professional potential for millennials in the retail market is great, because they can work in an environment that is connected. “The opportunity is there to lead because they are exposed to the technologies. We want to offer a good product but, at the same time, we want to educate people in

DE FRANCISCI said they developed Elpis because they don’t want intermediaries or middlemen in the hedge fund industry. “It is common sense to start a project that gives value to the people,” he said. “We have this millennial mentality that says if it doesn’t have value, then I don’t trust it.” Elpis, a Swiss-registered fintech company, has pioneered in building the world’s first AI-powered asset trading platform that can manage both traditional and crypto assets for higher returns and greater transparency. It conducted a road show in Singapore in September to promote its pioneering initiative to more potential investors and partners, while seeking possibili-

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ties to set up a regional center for further and long-term engagement. Through the effective use of its proprietary AI technology, the Elpis platform can remove human bias from investment practices, and deliver tailored and transparent strategies with lower costs and higher returns. The platform also exploits blockchain technology to bridge the gap between old and new finance by trading both crypto and traditional assets. The Elpis platform will put every trade and transaction on the blockchain public account ledger for ultimate accountability, so “every client will be able to clearly see returns and trading activities.” Unlike traditional asset management funds, Elpis will open up its platform and strategies to not only institutional and/or professional investors but also to nonprofessional and/or retail investors, de Francisci claims. “Even the ones with no trading expertise will be able to get access to our trading signals and mirror our trades allowing them to manage their assets more efficiently and safely,” he added.

Netflix generation not impressed by Indonesia’s ‘dirty’ politics

NDONESIA has a millennials problem. They’re the largest voting bloc in the country’s presidential election and yet they are the generation most profoundly disenchanted with the political establishment. Struggling with an unemployment rate as high as 17 percent—while the country enjoys a jobless rate near the lowest in two decades—young voters are in danger of being left behind. Reaching Indonesia’s roughly 80 million millennials—about 40 percent of eligible voters—is proving tough for all sides of politics as the world’s third largest democracy gears up for next year’s presidential election, while a lack of progress in tackling corruption has seen many switch off politics altogether. Born in the lead up to a period of upheaval that saw the Asian financial crisis and demise of Suharto in 1998 after 32 years of authoritarian rule, the country’s millennials have come of age with Indonesia’s young democracy. While the economy is in a much better place—it’s on track to grow at about 5 percent this year—the unemployment rate among those aged 20-24 last year was more than three times the national average. In a poll that will pit incumbent President Joko Widodo, a former furniture maker, against an ex-special forces general Prabowo Subianto, internal research shows half of millennials are unlikely to vote because they see politics “as too dirty and too boring,” according to Prabowo’s running mate Sandiaga Uno. Both sides are trying to connect. Jokowi, as Widodo is known, has deployed pop culture references and put the digital

JOKO WIDODO, Indonesia’s president, speaks at the International Monetary Fund and World Bank Group Annual Meetings in Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia, on October 11, 2018. SEONGJOON CHO/BLOOMBERG economy at the forefront of his policy platform, while Prabowo’s campaign is focusing on issues that play well with young voters including the environment and unemployment. “They watch Netflix,” Uno said in an interview. “But they do care about other things.”

Graft concerns ONE issue they do care about is corruption. Indonesia fell six places to be ranked 96th out of 180 countries in the latest corruption report released by the Berlinbased Transparency International. It

found while 64 percent of people viewed efforts to fight corruption positively, 65 percent thought corruption had increased in the previous 12 months. An election commission ban on those convicted of graft running for office has been overruled by the Supreme Court, underscoring the lack of progress in combating entrenched corruption. “I’m not really into politics,” said Gizela Cindy, a 25-year-old producer who works in a Jakarta-based startup, expressing a sentiment shared by many her age tired of the country’s ruling elite. “I still follow big political news that goes viral in social media, but I’m not routinely looking for it.”

Game of Thrones

JOKOWI has become adept at leaning on popular culture. In October, he borrowed a line from the fantasy epic Game of Thrones and warned global financial chiefs gathered in Bali that “winter is coming,” evoking loud cheers. He has also explained the threat from rising protectionism with a reference from the Avengers movie franchise. “Fortunately, Pak Jokowi’s approaches are suitable for millennials,” said Abdul Kadir Karding, the deputy chairman of Widodo’s campaign team. “He likes to wear jeans and sneakers, ride a big motorbike or make vlogs.” Still, Jokowi’s choice of a 75-year-old as his running mate has raised questions about his ability to appeal to the younger voters. The president will go into the elec-

PRABOWO SUBIANTO, presidential candidate, speaks to supporters after submitting his nomination papers to the General Election Commission in Jakarta, Indonesia, on August 10, 2018. DIMAS ARDIAN/BLOOMBERG

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tion alongside Ma’ruf Amin, who until recently was the leader of the world’s biggest Muslim organization, in a move designed to head off questions about his own religiosity. “He is indeed old,” Karding said. “What we need to push are his ideas, notions and commitment to millennials.” That may prove tough. The Islamic scholar is known for a conservative bent. He was at the forefront of efforts to bring down Jakarta’s former governor, an ethnically Chinese Christian who was jailed for blasphemy—after months of unrest in the capital—and remains popular among moderate Indonesian voters.

Disengaged, disenfranchised IF it’s a challenge for Jokowi and Amin to engage with millennials, it may be even harder for Prabowo, a former general under Suharto who was married to one of the former president’s daughters. Internal polling from the Prabowo campaign shows half of all millennials don’t even want to vote, according to Uno. “About 50 percent of millennials are pretty much disengaged, they are disenfranchised and not too interested in politics,” Uno said. “We need to continue to work hard and pound the issues that are relevant to them and we need to convince them,” he said. “Otherwise, they won’t come to the voting booth.” Bloomberg News Service