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As street parliamentarians chant protests vs FM’s burial

House leaders harp: Let’s move on

Thousands of crosses are lit with candles to pay tribute to the departed soldiers in observance of All Saints’ Day at the Libingan ng mga Bayani in Taguig City on November 1. Long-dead former Philippine dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos was buried on November 18 at the country’s heroes’ cemetery in a secrecy-shrouded ceremony, a move approved

by President Duterte that infuriated supporters of the “people power” revolt that ousted Marcos three decades ago. AP/Bullit Marquez

By Jovee Marie N. dela Cruz

F

ollowing the anti- and pro-Marcos protests, leaders of the House of Representatives reiterated the government’s stand that it is now time for the nation to move on and set aside animosities caused by the burial of former President Ferdinand E. Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani (LNMB).

ALVAREZ: “The rule of law has triumphed over partisan emotions.”

While the lower chamber is respecting the freedom of speech and of expression as protesters can freely exercise their right to peacefully assemble, Speaker Pantaleon D. Alvarez has reminded the public that the country is governed by laws.

“This cardinal principle of

a democratic system is the basis of the Supreme Court [SC] ruling allowing the burial of Marcos at the LNMB. We should respect its decision as the final arbiter of all constitutional and legal issues,” Alvarez said. “We should respect its ruling, as its sole mandate is to decide on con-

stitutional and legal questions.

The rule of law has triumphed over partisan emotions.”

The Speaker also urged both pro- and anti-Marcos to exercise restraint and refrain from any action that would serve to further inflame political passions.

Instead, Alvarez asked the public, as well as government officials, to focus on the issues addressing crime, illegal drugs and corruption.

“Also, sustaining economic growth to reduce poverty and to improve the lives of our people; and ending armed rebellion so we can achieve lasting peace vital to economic development and social progress,” he said.

For his part, House Minority Leader and Lakas Rep. Danilo E. Suarez asked the public to also “bury emotions, once and for all” on the Marcos burial issue.

House Appropriations Commit-

tee Chairman and National Unity Party Rep. Karlo Alexei B. Nograles said the SC decision favoring the burial of the former President should put to rest all legal questions pertaining to his burial at the LNMB.

“Let’s allow time to heal the wounds that divided so many people because of the Marcos issue,” he said.

Nograles, whose father former Speaker Prospero C. Nograles was a human-rights champion during martial law, said the time has come for Filipinos to set aside personal feelings regarding the Marcos burial issue and work together in nation-building.

“No law prohibits the Marcos burial in LNMB. As the President has always said, ‘Let us all just follow the law,’” Nograles added.

“This pro- and anti-Marcos political division should now be a thing of the past. What we need to do is to rally behind our present

government to ensure the success of this growing national movement to create a better and more independent Philippines,” he said.

House Committee on Appropriations Vice Chairman and Nacionalista Party Rep. Luis Raymund F. Villafuerte Jr. of Camarines Sur urged all sectors of society to accept the SC decision, saying the ruling should serve as a catalyst for the Duterte administration’s efforts to promote peace and national reconciliation.

“The President’s order on the Marcos burial shows that Filipinos can count on him to strictly adhere to the Constitution and the country’s laws, however controversial or unpopular such directives may be,” Villafuerte said.

He also noted that Marcos couldn’t be barred from being buried at the LNMB, as he has not Continued on A2

Three decades hence, PHL still can’t figure out what to do with BNPP

T

By Lenie Lectura

HE plan to revive the mothballed Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP) has been put on the back burner twice since the construction of the facility was completed in 1984. Three decades later, the plan is now in full gear to harness the power-generating capacity of the BNPP with the imprimatur of President Duterte himself.

Amid strong objections from some sectors, what could have prompted the country’s new leader to reconsider following an earlier pronouncement that no nuclear power would be utilized on his watch?

During a recent Cabinet meet-

ing, Energy Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi said he discussed with Duterte the pros and cons of such plan. After hearing him out, Cusi said “the President has spoken.”

“I explained to him what this country needs. [The DOE has the]… responsibility to look at all of these options. After I explained it, I asked clearance to proceed,” Cusi said.

Addressing an audience present to witness the recent inauguration of two new gas-fired power plants in Batangas City, the energy chief surprised many when he briefly diverted from his prepared speech to mention that he sought clearance from the President to proceed to work for the BNPP’s im-

PESO exchange rates n US 49.9680

plementation and full operation.

Cusi said he assured the President there will be safeguards in place to ensure the nuclear-power plant will be operated properly.

“But we will see, because he gave me very specific instructions on security and safety. I gave him assurance that we will not do it recklessly,” Cusi said.

The 620-megawatt (MW) BNPP is the country’s first and only attempt at nuclear-power development. It was supposed to be the first of two nuclear plants to be built in the northern province of Bataan. It was also the first nuclear power plant in Southeast Asia, and was identified as a solution to the

1973 oil crisis that had adversely affected the global economy, including the Philippines.

The project, however, was mothballed in the wake of the Chernobyl disaster in 1986. But clamor for the reopening of the BNPP was revived during the power crisis in the 1990s and the skyrocketing oil prices in 2007.

During these periods, Cusi said, the DOE actually came close to reconsidering nuclear power as a potential energy source for the country.

But then the Fukushima nuclear-plant incident happened in 2011, creating global panic and Continued on A2

620 MW

The power-generating capacity of the mothballed Bataan Nuclear Power Plant

n japan 0.4408 n UK 62.2102 n HK 6.4424 n CHINA 7.2229 n singapore 34.8866 n australia 37.0163 n EU 52.7312 n SAUDI arabia 13.3262

Source: BSP (25 November 2016 )

A2 Saturday, November 26, 2016

News

www.businessmirror.com.ph

House leaders harp: Let’s move on Continued from a1

been convicted of any crime involving moral turpitude.

“The law is the law. It has no emotions at all. It says that if you are a President [you can be buried there]. It does not say you have a record of a dictatorship or whatnot, or being a gentle despot. It does not say anything like that.”

Earlier, Duterte said he was willing to step down from his position if the people who are against the Marcos burial could answer his questions: “Was the late Ferdinand Marcos a president?” and “Was he a soldier?”

“Never mind about a hero because we are to document something like that. To document heroism requires history. That is not easy,” he said during his arrival from Peru.

Black Friday protest

Meanwhile, various groups on Friday trooped to Luneta Park in Manila for the “Black Friday” protest to condemn the “sneaky” burial of Marcos at the country’s cemetery for heroes.

These groups include students, faculty and members of the University of the Philippines campuses in Quezon City and Manila, Polytechnic University of the Philippines, Anakbayan, Kabataan Party-list, League of Filipino Students (LFS), National Union of Students of the Philippines and College Editors Guild of the Philippines.

The Black Friday protest is organized by the Campaign Against the Return of the Marcoses in Malacañang.

Councilor Ben Galil Te of the UP Diliman University Student Council said the youth must partake in the struggle of exposing the atrocities caused by Marcos and his allies before.

“We may never had a firsthand experience of martial law, but the stories of the victims of humanrights abuses and the historical records that lay proof on how the Marcoses amassed huge amounts of public funds are enough reasons for us to mobilize and show dissent,” Te said.

Anakbayan National Chairperson Vencer Crisostomo said: “We

strongly condemn the Duterte regime for burying Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani. This only exposes the prevalent fascist mindset in the state, which sings praises to a dead dictator and sees nothing wrong with massive human-rights abuses, repression of civil liberties and state terror.”

LFS National Chairman JP Rosos said that, by honoring Marcos, “President Duterte helped

propagate historical lies and whitewashed all the dictator’s crimes against the Filipino people—plunder and corruption, grandiose lifestyle built upon the poverty and hunger of our people, gross human-rights violations and brutalities, and massacre of freedom and democracy during martial law.”

Renato Reyes Jr. of Bayan congratulates the Filipino peo-

ple protesting across the nation and overseas in a historic display of indignation against the Marcos burial.

“Where politicians and the ruling system have failed, the people, especially the youth, have shown that they are not about to forget and that they will not sit idly by and watch the reversal of history,” Reyes said in a statement.

Imelda R. Marcos, in black on a wheelchair under an umbrella, the widow of the late dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos, and their close relatives follow the flag-draped casket of Ferdinand Marcos during a ceremony of his burial at the Libingan ng mga Bayani in Taguig City on November 18. Office of Ilocos Norte Governor Imee Marcos via AP

Three decades hence, PHL still can’t figure out what to do with BNPP Continued from a1

concerns about the safety and integrity of nuclear plants.

Experts needed

First on his list is the conduct of a study that will include a road map and insights from experts. Cusi said even if the facility is declared fit for commercial operation, if no nuclear experts are going to operate it, then the plan may fail.

“Kulang kasi tayo sa competence…sa nuclear [technology] kasi merong body that looks after it. We cannot just open a nuclear plant.

For us to be able to follow that, we need people na knowledgeable.

We will tap the people that we can find,” he said.

One strong possibility is to hire foreign nuclear experts since there is no longer nuclear engineering courses offered in the country. “Wala tayong human resource at capacity. ’Yung engineer nga na nasa BNPP mag-re-retire na, last of the Mojicans na [Our BNPP engineer is bound for retirement and he’s the last of the Mojicans],” he commented.

He added “people from China, Korea, Slovenia and even Japan” have signified to assist the agency.

“We are inviting experts from different countries to submit up to January or February next year,” Cusi said, referring to formal proposals.

Comprehensive study

Cusi said a study, which could be finished before the year ends, is already being undertaken.

This study could be finished within the year in hopes to keep the BNPP up and running in two to four years. The time frame, Cusi added, is similar to putting up a coal plant.

“Tumatakbo na ang study. I think by the end of the year we should know already the steps on what to do and everything,” he said.

The DOE is currently proceeding with unified and coordinated efforts and activities with the creation of a Nuclear Energy Program Imple-

menting Organization (NEPIO).

The NEPIO is headed by a Steering Committee with top DOE officials at the helm, while DOE bureaus will create technical working groups (TWGs) to ensure “effective and timely implementation” of its functions and responsibilities.

The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and its attached agencies, DOE attached agencies, other government offices and local and international partner-organizations will be asked to assist the NEPIO in its work.

Why nuclear?

During the recent International Atomic Energy Agency International Conference on the Prospects For Nuclear Power In The Asia Pacific Region, the DOE pointed out that the country should have a clear position on nuclear power.

The agency said nuclear energy is an alternative option in meeting the country’s growing energy requirements, as well as to power up the country’s economic progress.

“A well-informed decision is key to a sustainable and comprehensive energy program. With all the new findings, technological advancements and successful experiences of countries around the world, nuclear energy holds much promise for long-term energy plans.”

Cusi said nuclear power is high on productivity and reliability, low on cost and emissions, and more cost efficient in the long term. He pointed out that nuclear is among the best options for base-load power, which provides 24/7 service.

“At the moment, we have three base-load power sources. These are coal, geothermal and gas. Sometimes, hydro comes in. For nuclear, maybe it can be under the longterm plan. We are looking [into] this,” Cusi added.

The country’s power-generation mix as of end of 2015 is composed of 45-percent coal, 25-percent renewable, 23-percent natural gas and 7-percent oil. On the other hand, 2015 installed capacity mix is made up of 66-percent fossil fu-

els, 15 percent of which is in natural gas.

“Right now, nuclear energy is zero,” Cusi said. “We have to search for a proper energy mix that would secure power supply in the future.

Kailangan natin ’yung energy supply not coming from one basket, hindi lang pwede from coal, gas, or from oil. Kailangan magkaroon tayo ng proper combination,” the energy chief said.

DOE Undersecretary Jesus Cristino P. Posadas has said that a power mix will help address the economic growth, especially the industrialization aspiration of the President.

He added that the Duterte administration puts premium on the provision of quality, reliable, adequate, secure and reasonably priced energy by looking at all possible resources that the country can utilize to achieve our industrialization goals.

Too expensive

The government is currently spending roughly P40 million to P50 million in annual maintenance expense for the BNPP. Plans to revive the facility could roughly cost $1 billion. A senator has questioned this, saying it is more practical to invest $1 billion in the exploration and development of untapped indigenous energy sources rather than spend it in an asset that has been mothballed for many years.

Sen. Sherwin T. Gatchalian, who is also the chairman of the Senate Committee on Energy, is opposed to the revival of the BNPP, in the absence of a clear and intensively researched national nuclear policy.

Gatchalian said the DOE should first commission a comprehensive feasibility study on the prospects of utilizing nuclear power in the Philippines before pushing ahead with the construction or refurbishment of any nuclear plants, including the BNPP. In the absence of compelling positive findings from the BNPP study, Gatchalian maintained that

it would be more prudent to invest the $1 billion required to refurbish the plant in the exploration and development of untapped indigenous energy sources, especially within the energy-rich waters of the West Philippine Sea. “One billion dollars is a lot of money. We have to make sure that we are investing this substantial sum in cost-efficient energy ventures, which are guaranteed to make significant contributions to the long-term stability of our energy supply,” Gatchalian said.

Cusi had once said that nuclear power is expensive. However, in the long term, nuclear power rates are much cheaper than other fossil fuel.

“Sa nuclear, ito ’yung power source na ’yung presyo niya na talagang predictable. Hindi katulad ng oil na nagpa-fluctuate ’yung price. Itong nuclear, kung ang presyo ngayon, ’yun ang pwede maging presyo in the next 50, 100 years [Nuclear power is exempt from world price flucations],” he said.

Cusi added that the actual price per kilowatt-hour would be determined during the conduct of the study.

“Nuclear is still the cheapest in terms of electricity being generated. We want to be competitive with the rest of our neighbors, so we have to come up with a cheap source of energy, and that is really nuclear. The capital cost, you can spread that,” Cusi said.

Yes to BNPP

The Chamber of Commerce of the Philippine Islands (CCPI) is supportive of the plan to tap nuclear power, saying this will help address power-supply deficiency and also support the country’s economic development.

“With the spiraling high cost of energy in the country, our organization supports the operation of the 620-megawatt BNPP to accelerate the economic progress of the Philippines through industrialization,” CCPI President Jose Luis Yulo Jr., in a recent forum, said.

CCPI added that the index

poverty and unemployment in the country remains high and the only solution to this is to create jobs “by massive industrialization and agricultural development.”

“For this to become a reality in the Philippines, the cost of electricity must be brought down in the shortest possible time through nuclear energy. It is the earnest hope of the chamber that this policy recommendation be brought to the attention and political will of President Rodrigo Duterte,” it said.

Yulo also agreed with the possibility of tapping foreign experts.

“Slovenia is offering to host our people. They said to rehabilitate our plant will take 10 percent to 15 percent of the cost of a new plant, so it is cheaper to just rehabilitate what you have. Since it is a sister clone, they know how to man it.

They can teach us,” he said.

Yulo added that experts and officials from Slovenia are willing to assist in providing training in the construction and management of nuclear-power plants.

Yulo served as Slovenia’s honorary consul to the Philippines for 18 years.

Two members of the Joint Congressional Power Commission also backed the DOE’s plan.

Party-list Reps.

Jericho Nograles of PBA and Rodel Batocabe of Ako-Bicol said “Congress is ready to hear the debates.”

“The good side of the BNPP or having any nuclear-power plant is that it will invigorate our steel industry, such as car manufacturing,” Nograles said.

No to nuclear

Civil-society organizations and environmental advocates expressed apprehension over the plan, citing safety issues.

“The revival of the BNPP is an environmental disaster waiting to happen,” Sanlakas Party-list Secretary-General Aaron Pedrosa Jr. said.

“A nuclear plant, especially one in the Philippines, carries with it a number of hazards, which ef-

fects could prove irreversible for a developing country like ours. First and primary of these effects are the inevitable nuclear waste produced by nuclear-power reactors,” he added.

Center for Energy, Ecology and Development convener Gerry Arances, meanwhile, cited the case of Fukushima I Power Plant in Fukushima, Japan, which in 2011 saw a nuclear meltdown and release of harmful radioactive material after the country was hit by a tsunamitriggered earthquake.

“The Philippines’s sudden move toward nuclear energy is baffling, given how it is a country that is less technologically equipped than, but similarly vulnerable to, environmental disasters as Japan, a developed country which has started to move away from nuclear power,” Arances said.

Meanwhile, industry stakeholders also stressed the need for the conduct of a through study before proceeding with the plan.

Federico Lopez, chairman of First Gen, said, “It pays to study the plan first before any final decision is made.”

“At the end of the day, the safety issues are what’s important, especially because we are located in the Pacific Ring of Fire.

If we do address the safety issues, then that’s a good thing,” he said in an interview.

For the Manila Electric Co. (Meralco), the company’s president awaits a more detailed plan from the government.

“We have to look at the entire package. We will see how this plan of the government progresses. In the end, if it delivers competitive, safe, reliable power, then it may just work. We will take a look at it,” Meralco President Oscar S. Reyes said in an interview.

AC Energy President John Eric T. Francia said social acceptance is a major concern. “Apart from anything else, government must work on this. It is really important for the public to understand this,” he said in an interview.

The World BusinessMirror

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Saturday, November 26, 2016

A3

Asia currencies rout set to sideline central banks

A

sian currencies’ drop to the weakest this decade will probably deter regional central banks from easing monetary policies as the prospects of higher US rates spurred capital outflows.

Indeed, they are more likely to be stepping in to smooth declines in their currencies—the rupee’s drop on Thursday reportedly prompted intervention from the Reserve Bank of India. The Bloomberg-JPMorgan Asia Dollar Index has tumbled to the weakest since 2009, the Philippine peso cracked 50 per dollar for the first time since the global financial crisis and forwards traders are expecting Malaysia’s ringgit will drop within a week to levels last seen in 1998.

Bank Negara Ma laysia on Wednesday kept its benchmark interest rate unchanged at 3 percent, signaling policy-makers are focused on protecting the ringgit rather than spurring growth. It has said it intervened in foreign-exchange markets.

Bank Indonesia Governor Agus Martowardojo said last week the monetary authority sees narrowing room for further easing. His central bank also sold dollars this month.

“Depreciating currencies are making it very hard for the regional central banks to ease monetary policy, as falling FX rate raises con-

cerns about inflationary pressure and acceleration of fund outflows,” Toru Nishihama, an emerging-market economist in Tokyo at Dai-ichi Life Research Institute Inc., said in a phone interview. “Most regional central banks will probably have to stay on hold for quite some time.”

International investors sold more than $12 billion of equities and bonds in Asia’s emerging markets after Donald Trump won the US presidential election, which spurred higher Treasury yields and a dollar rally on expectations of his fiscal plans. The Bloomberg-JPMorgan Asia Dollar Index reached 103.29, the lowest level since March 2009, as futures traders see a 100-percent chance that the Federal Reserve will raise US interest rates in December.

That’s up from about 70 percent at the end of October. One-month implied volatility for 10 major Asian currencies, excluding the yen, climbed to the highest level this month since February, deterring investors from taking risks in developing economies.

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‘Greater uncertainties’

Before the market volatility triggered by Trump’s victory, Bank Indonesia was on an aggressive strategy to boost an economy that’s growing well below the government’s target of 7 percent. The central bank had cut interest rates six times this year. In Malaysia new Governor Muhammad Ibrahim surprised markets with a cut in July to spur growth.

Bank of Thailand said capital flow and foreign-exchange volatility are set to increase and the monetary

authority needs to preserve policy space as Thai economy “would still be facing greater uncertainties,” according to minutes of November 9 meeting released on Wednesday.

Malaysia’s central bank said it will continue to provide liquidity for the nation’s currency market.

“Based on domestic economic developments, we see fundamental justification for policy-rate cuts in Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia, but they are likely to be deferred as weaker currencies place a constraint

on policy,” said Mark Baker, portfolio manager for emerging-markets fixed income in Hong Kong at Standard Life Investments.

Korea, Philippines

Among regional central banks that delivered interest-rate cuts this year are Bank of Korea and Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. Both central banks have said they stand ready to act if volatility becomes excessive.

The Philippines central bank is probably watching the peso, which

pulled back after breaching 50 for the first time since June 2008, though it is hard to say if policy-makers stepped in, Manila-based chief market strategist Jonathan Ravelas said.

The rupee dropped as much as 0.4 percent to an unprecedented 68.865.

State-run banks sold dollars, probably on behalf of the Reserve Bank of India, three Mumbai-based traders said, asking not to be named. That came as the rupee halted its opening slide, before resuming its decline to fall past the 68.8450 reached in August 2013.

Those keenest to ease, such as Indonesia and Malaysia, may be less able to do so under external and foreign-exchange stress, while those that were reluctant, like South Korea, Taiwan and Singapore, perhaps will need more easing, according to a Deutsche Bank AG note dated November 18.

For Masakatsu Fukaya, a Tokyobased emerging-markets trader at Mizuho Bank Ltd., Malaysia is the most vulnerable with a possibility of not being able to halt fund outflows that will keep the option of a rate cut “so far away”. Bank Indonesia will also struggle to lower the benchmark rate when the rupiah is sold-off and outlook is uncertain, he said.

By contrast, Fukaya expects the Bank of Korea to ease policy in the first half of next year despite the market volatility.

“Korea may even welcome certain weakness in the won and they don’t probably worry so much about fund outflows,” he said. Bloomberg News

WTO chief: Details needed to gauge impact of US pullout from TPP deal G ENEVA—The impact of Donald Trump’s threat to pull the United States out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal will depend on what the president-elect lays out as the alternative, the head of the World Trade Organization (WTO) said on Thursday.

WTO Director General Roberto Azevedo said he is “ready for a conversation” with the president-elect, but hadn’t had any indication Trump also wants to withdraw the US from the trade body he once called a disaster.

Azevedo, who is running for reelection next year in a process in which the United States holds important sway, said he wouldn’t speculate about future US policies.

“I am convinced that the WTO can continue to be a very important partner of the United States,” Azevedo said. But he said the trade body would continue its work even if Trump withdraws the world’s biggest economy.

“The organization will continue doing what the organization does,” he said.

Director General of the World Trade Organization Roberto Azevedo speaks during the Making Trade an Engine of Growth for All panel at the World Bank/IMF Annual Meetings at the International Monetary Fund headquarters in Washington. The impact of President-elect Donald J. Trump’s threat to pull the United States out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal will depend on what the president-elect sees as the alternative, the head of the head of the World Trade Organization said on Thursday. AP

However, WTO Spokesman Keith Rockwell clarified later that Azevedo had been referring to the US pulling out of agreements like the Nafta or TTP—not the WTO as a whole.

Azevedo acknowledged having heard concerns about some types of trade, and suggested that more could be done to help small businesses benefit, but “I haven’t heard, at this point in time, anybody say that trade is bad for the United States.”

All countries complain about trade rules, he said.

“Every single country says that the other side is subsidizing too much, or is introducing barriers, or is not trading fairly. I mean, really, is that the first time we hear that?” Azevedo said. “Trade is not for amateurs. Trade is tough. And negotiating trade deals is as tough as it gets.”

In a short video on Monday,

Trump said he plans to withdraw the United States from the TPP, calling it “a potential disaster for our country.” He said he would instead negotiate “fair, bilateral trade deals that bring jobs and industry back onto American shores.”

During the presidential campaign, Trump also called the WTO a disaster.

Azevedo said the impact of losing the US from TTP or another trade pact would vary based on the terms the Trump administration proposes.

“So is that a renegotiation of the TTP, is that a substitution of the TTP with another network of agreements, is that the launching of another initiative to have other trade deals?” he said.

Overall, the WTO chief said the outlook for world trade was “dismal.” He said the trade body had revised its forecast for trade growth down to 1.8 percent this year, compared to 2.8 percent previously.

That would be the slowest growth rate since 2009, and is “a reason for concern,” he said. AP

Oil trades near $48 as OPEC negotiates cut with Iran, Russia

O

il traded near $48 a barrel as Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) negotiators worked to convince Iran and nonmember Russia to cut output after Iraq’s prime minister signaled his country will curtail production.

Futures were little changed in New York. Algeria’s Energy Minister Noureddine Boutarfa will travel to Tehran on Saturday in an effort to bring a deal closer, said a person familiar with the matter. Opec ministers scheduled a breakfast with nonmembers, including Russia, prior to the group’s November 30 summit, two people said. Iraq will participate in a deal to shrink production, Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi said, reversing his country’s previous opposition and calling for total Opec cuts of 900,000 barrels a day.

“At the end of the day, we are probably going to get about a million barrels a day of cuts from Opec and that’s going to drive the market into deficit,” Bart Melek, the head of commodity strategy at TD

Securities in Toronto, said by phone from Toronto.

“We are seeing communications from Iraq that they would be happy to participate.”

West Texas Intermediate futures for January delivery gained 2 cents to $47.98 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange at the 1 p.m. halt to trading. There was no settlement because of the Thanksgiving holiday in the US. The contract had slipped 7 cents on Wednesday after gaining $2.61 the previous three sessions. Total volume traded was 82 percent below the 100-day average.

Brent for January settlement rose 5 cents to $49 on the London-based ICE Futures Europe exchange. The global benchmark crude fell 17 cents to $48.95 on Wednesday.

Iran, Opec’s third-largest producer, is insisting it should be allowed to keep increasing output to pre-sanctions levels of about 4 million barrels a day.

Russia’s offer to freeze production at record levels— if Opec does a deal—isn’t good enough for some members who are asking for a cut. Bloomberg News

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Saturday, November 26, 2016

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‘Korea’s Trump’ rises in polls as voter anger fuels opulism

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by Sam Kim | Bloomberg News

e respects Donald Trump and enjoys being compared to Bernie Sanders.

accelerate. If Park were to resign or be removed from office, an election would be held within 60 days.

“Lee’s fast rise does seem to suggest that his supporters are sick of business as usual in the Blue House,” said Steven Ward, who teaches political science at South Korea’s Chosun University. “Voter discontent with the establishment very well might be high enough to propel a populist into office on the protest vote, and Lee could be that person.”

as Naver Corp., the nation’s biggest portal website.

Lee and Trump both use social media to harangue critics and communicate with supporters. During a public speech in September, Lee told a woman her son would die as tragically as the victims of the Sewol ferry disaster, after she complained about a yellow-ribbon pin he wore in memory of the catastrophe.

In 2004, when he was working as a lawyer, Lee got into a scuffle in the city council chamber when he was protesting a decision not to build a hospital. He went into hiding in a cramped church basement room, where he said he decided to seek office. He received a fine after turning himself in.

After running unsuccessfully for mayor in 2006, Lee was elected in 2010.

Lee invoked Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte in saying that, if he became president, he’d eliminate an “establishment cartel” that had catered to dictators including Park’s father, Park Chung-hee, and which survived the country’s shift to democracy.

His proposal for a “revolutionary” change includes dividing up family-run conglomerates, known as chaebol, and expanding welfare payments for workers. He blames slowing growth on the chaebol-led economy, likening the nation to a man whose heart has grown so big that other parts of the body die from a lack of blood.

lie in talking North Korea out of advancing its nuclear arms and selling them to others.”

While the US-South Korea alliance should strengthen, he said, Japan should be dubbed a security foe because it hasn’t shown enough contrition for its aggression against Korea in the early 20th century.

He called Park a “haughty” criminal who belongs to the establishment. Park has denied she coaxed conglomerates into donating tens of millions of dollars to foundations controlled by her friend, Choi Soon-sil. She has admitted to allowing Choi to interfere in government affairs and apologized twice to the nation.

While there’s no sign Park is considering resigning, parliament has agreed to appoint a special prosecutor and is moving to impeach her.

She has about 15 months left in her single, five-year term.

“We need to make sure people see Park handcuffed and jailed the moment she leaves the Blue House,” Lee said. “We need to show graphically that all men are equal under law and must be prosecuted for wrongdoing.”

Lee Jae-myung, mayor of a city near Seoul, is rising in opinion polls with about a year to go until South Korea’s next presidential election. He wants to break up the country’s biggest companies, meet unconditionally with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, and throw President Park Geun-hye in jail over an influencepeddling scandal.

“Americans impeached their establishment by electing Trump,” Lee, 52, said in an interview on Wednesday at his office in Seongnam city.

“Our own elections will mirror that.”

With populist movements gaining traction globally, Lee is tapping into anger in South Korea over corruption and a lack of jobs. In recent weeks Seoul has seen some of the biggest protests since the 1980s, as ordinary Koreans decry the links

between politicians and big business that have stifled competition in Asia’s fourth-biggest economy.

Park’s approval dropped to a record low of 4 percent this week, Gallup Korea said on Friday.

L e e — n ic k n a me d “ K ore a’s Trump” by some of his supporters—moved into third place in presidential polls released in the past week, behind United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and front-runner Moon Jae-in, the runner-up to Park in 2012. While Lee has declared his candidacy, neither Ban nor Moon have committed to running. Lee expects to compete with Moon to be the candidate for the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea.

While an election is currently a year off, the timetable could quickly

New ‘game changer’ for auto industry emerges–Fiat CEO

Parade of retired generals raises questions in Washington

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resident-elect Donald Trump’s critical stance toward free trade could affect Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV’s business in North America, according to the Italian automaker’s chief executive officer Sergio Marchionne.

Trump’s election “certainly is a game changer, mainly because I think that there are a number of conditions in the US which are not yet spelled out,” Marchionne told Bloomberg Television at an Alfa Romeo plant in Cassino, Italy. Statements Trump has made about trade are “a big issue” because of the North American Free Trade Agreement’s (Nafta) impact on Fiat’s operations in the US, Mexico and Canada. Trump frequently slammed Nafta during his campaign, describing it as the worst deal ever and blaming it for US job losses.

The President-elect has singled out Ford Motor Co. for making cars in Mexico and has called for imposing a 35-percent tariff on products made by companies that move their production from the US to other countries.

Since 2010, nine global automakers, including General Motors Co., Ford and Fiat have announced more than $24 billion in Mexican investments.

Fiat, which generates the lion’s share of its profits in North America, assembled about 17 percent of all the vehicles it made in that region in Mexico in the first 10 months, according to Kevin Tynan, Bloomberg Industry senior analyst. Almost all of those cars were sold in the US and Canada. “The company would incur hefty costs if the Trump administration is able to enact a 35-percent levy on vehicles and parts imported into the US,” Tynan said.

Marchionne warned in June that a Trump victory could impact the carmaker’s production options in North America, depending on the way he manages Nafta and whether he supports protectionist views. The Fiat CEO said he hasn’t spoken with Trump, but will work with the new administration.

The change in US leadership is not only impacting carmakers’ trade prospects. Fiat shares have gained 14 percent since the November 8 vote, with a jump three days later after Trump chose a prominent climate change skeptic to lead his Environmental Protection Agency transition team. That fueled speculation that the new administration may loosen fuel-economy rules, which would benefit makers of conventional engines. In addition, gains by the US dollar since the election are positive for Fiat, Marchionne said. Bloomberg News

Working-class

Unlike US President-elect Trump, Lee, a former lawyer, comes from a working-class family. His left arm remains twisted after it was pressed under a machine in a factory accident when he was a teenager.

He entered politics a decade ago after working as a human-rights lawyer in Seongnam—a city that grew with an influx of workers unable to afford homes in Seoul during the country’s high-growth years.

With a population of 1 million, the city now generates some of the highest tax revenue in the country and houses technology companies such

‘Revolutionary’ change

Lee said growing income disparities offered him a chance and that South Koreans shouldn’t repeat the mistake of American voters, who chose Hillary Clinton over Sanders in the Democratic primary.

Northern neighbor

Lee said he wouldn’t hesitate to seek a summit with North Korea if he became president, and would be able to work with Trump should he open negotiations with the isolated nation.

“I’m hopeful about Trump,” Lee said. “He sounds brash, but I expect him to be a rational man sensitive to his interests at the end of the day, and he will know America’s interests

W

ASHINGTON—The military parade for Donald Trump has come early.

Two months before Inauguration Day festivities, an extraordinary number of recently retired generals, including some who clashed with President Barack Obama’s administration, are marching to the president-elect’s doorstep for job interviews.

It’s not unusual for an incoming administration to consider a retired general for a top position like CIA director. But Trump has turned to retired officers so publicly and in such large numbers that it raises questions about the proper balance of military and civilian advice in a White House led by a commanderin-chief with no defense or foreignpolicy experience.

The tilt toward military officials may reflect a limited pool of civilian options. Many officials from previous Republican administrations politically disowned Trump during the campaign, calling him unqualified.

And Trump suggested he wouldn’t want many of them, as he vowed to “drain the swamp” by running establishment figures out of town.

Robert Goldich, a retired government defense analyst who has watched administrations for 44 years, says Trump’s focus on retired generals might be unprecedented.

The only one announced for a top job, thus far, is Michael Flynn, a retired three-star Army general.

Trump appointed Flynn as his national security adviser, a post that does not require Senate confirmation but is central to a president’s decision-making process. Flynn was forced out as Defense Intelligence Agency director in 2014. Afterward, he strongly criticized the Obama administration’s approach to fighting the Islamic State group and threw his support to Trump.

Among others under consideration are two retired four-star Marine generals—James Mattis for defense secretary and John Kelly for homeland security secretary.

Other names surfacing include retired Army Gen. Jack Keane and David Petraeus, the retired fourstar general who was Obama’s CIA director in 2011 and 12 before resigning, amid disclosure that he had an affair with his biographer and shared highly classified information with her.

In remarks to the New York Times on Tuesday, Trump spoke about the Pentagon post in ways that offer insight into why he is attracted to former generals like Mattis.

“I think it’s time maybe, it’s time for a general,” Trump said, suggest-

Retired Lt. Gen Michael Flynn talks to media as he arrives at Trump Tower in New York. The military parade for Donald Trump has come early. Two months before Inauguration Day festivities, an extraordinary number of recently retired generals, including a few who clashed with President Barack Obama’s administration, are marching to the president-elect’s doorstep for job interviews.

ing he favors a military mind-set.

“Look what’s going on. We don’t win, we can’t beat anybody.”

Kelly retired this year after a storied career capped by commanding the US Southern Command, where he differed with the White House over closing the Guantánamo Bay prison and expressed doubts about the administration’s moves to open all combat jobs to women.

Bing West, a Vietnam War veteran and former assistant secretary of defense, said Trump’s outreach to retired generals is wise.

“Our country is fighting a long war. It’s common sense to seek the experience of those who have proven they know how to fight,” he said in an email exchange.

The concern about undue military influence derives from a long US tradition of civilian control of the military, which is the basis for a

ban on active-duty officers running the Pentagon. The Constitution affirms civilian control by making the president the commanderin-chief and giving Congress the authority to declare war and fund the military.

The appointment of too many generals to high civilian positions could prompt fears that Trump is on a path to militarizing US foreign policy or giving the military too much sway in decisions about war and peace.

But that view was rejected by Richard Fontaine, president of the Center for a New American Security, a Washington think tank. In an interview, he noted that it was President George W. Bush’s civilian advisers who pushed hardest to launch the 2003 Iraq invasion.

“In my experience, veterans have been less likely than the civilians to advocate for military intervention

abroad,” said Fontaine, who was among dozens of Republican national security figures who signed a letter during the campaign warning that Trump would be a dangerous president.

Still, some retired generals are leery of Trump stacking his national security team with warriors.

“The biggest fear is too many generals in politics. That’s not a good thing,” said Mark Hertling, a retired three-star Army general who opposed Trump. “But given the lack of knowledge of a president who knows nothing about diplomacy or the military, they might provide some very good advice.”

Hertling credits Mattis with an unusual knack for leadership and strategic thinking. Trump met with Mattis last weekend but has not said if he will nominate him. If he does, Trump would need Congress to pro-

AP

vide an exception to a law requiring a military officer to have been out of uniform for at least seven years before becoming defense secretary.

That exception has been sought only once since the position of defense secretary was created in 1947.

George C. Marshall, who retired as a five-star Army general and then served as secretary of state after World War II, was tapped to be defense secretary in 1950 by President Harry Truman.

The law Congress passed allowing Marshall to lead the Pentagon was meant to be a one-time exception.

It said it was “not to be construed as approval by Congress of continuing appointments of military men to the office of Secretary of Defense in the future.” It said that after Marshall’s term ended, “no additional appointments of military men to that office shall be approved.” AP

Sports BusinessMirror

mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph

MANNY WANTS FLOYD IN 2017

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OKYO—Manny Pacquiao says his next fight will be in April or May next year, as that best fits his schedule as a senator for the Philippines. And he would like a rematch with Floyd Mayweather Jr. Pacquiao, who defeated Jessie Vargas for a welterweight title earlier this month, told reporters on Friday that the opponent for his next fight is still undecided.

But he is confident he will beat Mayweather, if there is a next time. His right shoulder, which had been injured for the fight last May, is now in “100 percent” condition.

“It will help a lot,” he said in Tokyo, where he launched a boxing gym named after him, plastered with a giant photo of him on its outside wall.

Pacquiao, appearing dapper in a gray suit, flanked by two Japanese champions, Naoya Inoue and Akira Yaegashi, promised to visit often to advise younger boxers, and demonstrated with Inoue how best to punch so the other fighter can’t duck.

He said he has not spoken to Mayweather since the Vargas fight, Pacquiao’s 22nd title bout.

Officially, Mayweather is retired, but speculation is rife about his coming out of retirement. The Mayweather-Pacquiao match was the richest in boxing history. Pacquiao reportedly earned $100 million.

Pacquiao, 37, who started as a boxer at 16, acknowledged it wasn’t easy staying champ in eight divisions, and he has to “keep on eating and training hard.”

He recommended consuming a lot of well-done beef, skipping rope and doing 30 rounds a day to stay in shape.

“Don’t let laziness come to your mind,” said the boxer, who is 59-6-2.

When asked why he had returned to boxing after just several months in retirement, he said: “I felt lonely inside.”

“I can still fight. My body is still OK. And I’m here,” Pacquiao said. AP

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By Joel Orellana

TENEO de Manila Head Coach Tab Baldwin is prepared to face a monster as the Blue Eagles shoot for the second finals slot and arrange a “Dream Showdown” with archrival De La Salle in the finals of Season 79 University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) men’s basketball tournament.

Armed with a twice-to-beat advantage, the No. 2 seed Ateneo seeks a return trip to the finals for the first time since Season 75 with a win over the defending champion Far Eastern University (FEU) at 4 p.m. on Saturday at the Mall of Asia Arena.

“I think FEU is going to be a monster. Their players have experience and their coaching staff is experienced out there in these situations,” Baldwin said.

“Yes, we are in a great position, but just let one game slip and it all goes down to one game. We got to prepare like we have been preparing and we got to stay focused on FEU now and not think about anything else,” Baldwin added.

There’s no doubt Ateneo has the momentum going into their Final Four game, as the Loyola-based dribblers have won their last six games to steal the No. 2 seed from the Tamaraws and Adamson University and grab the twice-to-beat incentive.

The Tamaraws, on the other hand, appeared to have the second seed in their hands after an 8-2 winloss record, but the wards of Head

Saturday, November 26, 2016 A5

EAGLES VS TAMS Coach Nash Racela dropped three of their last four games, including a tough 67-73 loss to De La Salle to land at No. 3 spot.

Racela admitted they were disappointed to lose their final elimination-round game to the Green Archers, as they wanted to enter the Final Four with a victory.

“It was a struggle. It was really hard, mentally for the players. At least, our adversity quotient got better.

Learning to play through,” Racela said. “I know they were struggling. The message we had for this team is to do the right thing and continue looking for that consistency.”

The pro-bound Racela said fatigue overtook the Tamaraws, who played four games in a span of 10 days to close out the elimination round.

But he is confident that his players could overcome adversity and get back on their title-retention bid to abort the “dream matchup” between Ateneo and De La Salle in the finals.

“We’ll try ourselves to deny them that dream because I have a different dream,” said Racela, who will be pitted against his former coach at Gilas Pilipinas.

Baldwin’s Blue Eagles are peaking at the right time, with Isaac Go and Thirdy Ravena leading the way.

Go was a big revelation in the

IT will be a battle of wits on the bench between Far Eastern University’s Nash Racela and Ateneo de Manila’s Tab Baldwin.

BACK TO THE FUTURE

By Kevin Baxter Los Angeles Times

Olympic champion tries hand at MMA

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SIAN mixed martial arts (MMA) superstars Christian and Angela Lee took time off from their busy schedules to impart their vast knowledge of the sport with Singaporean Olympic gold medal-winning swimmer Joseph Schooling.

Schooling was the special guest of the MMA seminar that was led by the Lee siblings at the Evolve MMA Gym in Far East Square in Singapore recently.

Schooling beat his childhood hero, the legendary Michael Phelps, for the 100-meter butterfly gold medal at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in August.

Christian and Angela taught Schooling some basic MMA techniques, as the swimming prodigy engaged in a plethora of both striking and grappling drills.

Christian handled the striking aspect of the public workout, teaching Schooling the proper execution of landing various kicks and punches.

Angela, on the other hand, shared the trade secrets of her highly regarded submission skills to Schooling, as the reigning One Women’s Atomweight World Champion holds five submission wins in her pristine 6-0 record.

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Christian and Angela Lee teaches Joseph Schooling some basic mixed martial arts techniques.

Angela, who highlighted her prizefighting career under the One Championship banner in 2015, sees potential in Schooling as an MMA fighter. Personally holding the punch mitts for Schooling, Angela revealed that the 21-year-old Olympian possesses power in both hands.

“Joseph [Schooling] is a strong athlete, which I find very impressive. I know Olympic swimming doesn’t involve anything even remotely near fighting, but he just has that natural power. I was able to feel it while I was holding the pads,” she said.

According to Angela, Schooling is a natural athlete who can easily adapt to any sport, which has convinced her that if he so chooses, Schooling can pretty much accomplish anything.

FIGURE SKATING TILT

Alexa Dominique Gonzaga competes in the Basic Novice A Free Skating category of the Philippine Skating Union’s National Figure Skating Championships on Thursday at the SM Skating rink at Megamall. The field included 2014 Winter Olympics veteran Michael Martinez. The event is sanctioned by the International Skating Union (ISU) and the best skaters will represent the country in ISU competitions. STEPHANIE TUMAMPOS

SOLANE GOLFEST

Isla LPG Corp. (ILC), an LPG Solutions company carrying the brand Solane, holds its Third Solane Golf Tournament at Ayala Alabang Country Club to demonstrate the company’s appreciation for its customers and commitment to nurture camaraderie and long-term business relationships. Photo shows IPG Executive Committee Chairman Ricky Delgado Jr. (second from right) with (from left) IPG Chief Finance Officer Willie Sarmiento, former Philippine National Police chief Gen. Edgar Aglipay, Leo Obias, Adam Laker and Isla Petroleum and Gas CEO Shoichi Watanabe.

Massa waves good-bye, Button won’t return

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BU DHABI, United Arab Emirates—Brazilian Felipe Massa is definitely retiring after the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (GP) this weekend and British driver Jenson Button has no plans to come back.

With more than 550 races between them, the highly popular 30-somethings will be missed on the F1 circuit.

The 36-year-old Button is making way for Belgian driver Stoffel Vandoorne, who will partner Fernando Alonso at McLaren next year.

Button retains an option to race in 2018 if both parties agree, although at this stage that seems unlikely.

“I go into this weekend thinking it’s going to be my last. I don’t want to be racing in Formula One beyond this

second round, while Ravena has been a spark off the bench for the Blue Eagles.

“It’s huge. Nobody could say that it’s not big if you only have to win one game. But having said that, it does not decide anything yet. It only decides how many games you have to win,” Baldwin said.

“It’s going to be tough, that’s what everyone told me. I’m a rookie here. This has been a great learning experience for me and I’m still learning,” he added.

Baldwin said big man G-Boy Babilonia is out of the Final Four because of an ACL injury and hopes Go and Chibueze Ikeh could provide stability in their frontline.

The Green Archers of Head Coach Aldin Ayo clinched the first finals slot after beating the fourth-seeded Falcons, 69-64.

Game One of the best-of-three championship series is on December 3 at the Mall of Asia Arena.

race,” said Button, who will be in a consultancy role with McLaren next year. “This is the way I think about it. But, who knows, this could change in six months or one year.”

Button won the F1 title against the odds in 2009 for the Brawn team, and has 15 GP victories overall.

“You get to Formula One with many dreams and you aspire to be something,” Button said on Thursday at a news conference ahead of Sunday’s race. “I’ve raced with two of the teams I dreamt of racing with as a kid: Williams and McClaren—and when I did win the championship, it was with a privateer team.”

After his first F1 race at age 20, Button is set to

start his 305th GP on Sunday, putting him just one behind seven-time F1 champion Michael Schumacher of Germany.

“I will definitely step away from Formula One happy with what I’ve achieved,” said Button, who hopes F1 will become more competitive when rule changes aimed at making cars faster come into play next season.

“The main reason to turn on and watch Formula One is the fighting. Basically Mercedes is doing too good a job and no one else is doing a good enough job,” Button said.

“Hopefully the rule changes will help teams find a new direction.” AP

DECADE ago, US Soccer Federation President Sunil Gulati decided Bruce Arena wasn’t the man to lead the national team anymore and declined to renew his contract as head coach.

On Tuesday Gulati had a change of heart, prying Arena away from the Los Angeles Galaxy to rescue a struggling US program in danger of missing the World Cup for the first time in 32 years.

“I don’t view it as Bruce 2 but sort of Bruce 2.0,” Gulati said in naming Arena to replace Jurgen Klinsmann, who was fired as the national team coach on Monday. “He’s got far more experience than he did when he had the national team the first go-around and has proven...many times and at all levels, that he is an extraordinarily capable and successful coach.”

Arena, 65, who signed a two-year contract, is considered a short-term solution to get the US qualified for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. The US hasn’t missed the tournament since 1986 and failing to do so would not only mark a big step backward for the development of soccer in the US, it probably would cost US Soccer millions in sponsorship dollars, as well.

Arena has already coached a record 130 games with the national team, guiding the US to the 2002 and 2006 World Cups before winning three Major League Soccer (MLS) titles with the Galaxy.

More important, he has a history of turning teams around. In his first stint as US coach, he inherited a program that had lost three straight games in the 1998 World Cup and took it to the tournament quarterfinals four years later. With the Galaxy, where he was coach and general manager, he took over a team that would win a franchise-low eight games in 2008 and guided it to the MLS Cup final the next season.

Arena faces a similar challenge in his return to the national team, which is last in the six-team standings two games into the final round of World Cup qualifying.

The 10-game tournament resumes in March with the US playing Honduras and Panama.

And while the new coach said he doesn’t expect massive changes to the roster, he does think the team needs a change in attitude.

“We need to build the chemistry of the team and have a common goal and really work on the team concept,” said Arena, who had already begun reaching out to players before he was officially, announced as the new coach. “Individually and positionally we have good players. We just have to get them working together as a team.”

Arena also walked back some comments from

BRUCE ARENA is expected to rescue a struggling US program in danger of missing the World Cup for the first time in 32 years. AP

a 2013 interview in which he said players on the national team should be native born. That would have ruled out four of the players Klinsmann started in his final two games.

“Anyone who has a passport in the United States is eligible to play for our national team,” Arena said on Tuesday. “I embrace all players that are eligible to play and I just want to make sure their heart is in the right place and when they put that US jersey on, that they’re playing for that crest that’s on their shirt.”

Gulati said the decision to replace Klinsmann was made on Sunday night. He and federation CEO Dan Flynn then began formal talks with Arena’s agent and the Galaxy to get Arena released from a two-year contract extension he had signed with the team this fall.

Gulati said Klinsmann’s firing was triggered by more than this month’s World Cup qualifying losses to Mexico and Costa Rica. Since the 2015 Gold Cup, in which the US finished fourth, “we had some very up and down results,” Gulati said.

Klinsmann’s refusal to take ownership of those failures reportedly was also an issue.

“That wasn’t easy on a personal or a professional level,” Gulati, who hired Klinsmann in 2011 after a yearslong pursuit, said of his dismissal. “But [it was] something I felt we had to do in order to put ourselves in the best possible position going forward.”

Klinsmann, who went 55-27-16 in five years with the national team, had two years left on a contract that reportedly pays him a US-record $3.2 million annually.

For the Galaxy, Arena’s departure creates openings for both a coach and general manager. It could have a wider impact on the coaching staff because longtime associate head coach Dave Sarachan—who resigned last week—and current Galaxy assistants Matt Reis, Pat Noonan and Kenny Arena could follow Arena to the national team.

Among the internal candidates to replace Arena as the Galaxy’s coach is Curt Onalfo, manager of the franchise’s USL Pro affiliate and the former head man with the Kansas City Wizards and D.C. United. Peter Vagenas, who captained the Galaxy during a 13-year playing career, is expected to receive consideration for the GM post. Vagenas is currently the team’s vice president of soccer operations.

BusinessMi

A6 Saturday, November 26, 2016

ARIANA WEAVES WONDERS T

HE Philippines’s Ariana Thea Patrice Dormitorio lived up to her billing as a rising star in mountain-bike racing after she ruled the women’s elite marathon race of the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI)-sanctioned Nuvali Dirt Weekend in Santa Rosa, Laguna.

Dormitorio won in five hours, 12 minutes and 12 seconds, while Melissa Jaroda (5:16:45) finished second and Avegail Rombaon (5:19:45) third in the event that lured 1,500 cyclists.

Japan’s Motoshi Kadota pedaled his way through obstacles and mud over a technical course to rule the 90-kilometer men’s elite race in 5:06:17.87 over Alvin Benosa (4:09:13.92) of Team BMC Philippines and former Southeast Asian Games gold medalist Eusebio Quiñones (4:11:05.79).

The race served as the Asian qualifying leg of the 2017 Cross Country Marathon World Championship in Germany.

The top 3 finishers each received P50,000, P20,000 and P10,000, respectively.

“We were excited to be back here in Nuvali for the Dirt Weekend. This year we took the competition up a notch with new and longer routes to 90 km from 70 km last year, designed to challenge the local and international cycling community with a noteworthy qualifying race,” UCI technical delegate Geoff Kronenburg said.

Stunt superstar leads ‘Revolt’

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“We are honored to host such a prestigious event. Aside from the fun and excitement it will bring to the participants, we also advocate clean energy through biking. We promote healthier lifestyle and be a platform for Filipino athletes to be exposed to a big tournament,” Nuvali General Manager John Estacio added.

Darwin Espallo topped the men’s 35-km open category with Melchor Abejuro and Froilan Veranga completing the podium, while Tatiano Cobrador dominated the women’s open division, followed

by Lela Charise Angeles and Rica Mae Monggao.

Dirt Weekend also featured its signature 35-km Dirt Weekend Cross Country Fun Race, which had over a thousand participants. Ramon Rafael Bonilla

THE Philippines’s Ariana Thea Patrice Dormitorio flashes the No. 1 sign.

NONIE REYES

WATCH OUT FOR FELIPE! A

FILIPINO, sooner or soon, could be seeing action in the World Cycling Championships.

Marcelo Felipe, 26, has showed consistency in all races his continental team, Team 7 Eleven-Sava Road Bike Philippines, has been participating in and is now the bestplaced Filipino on the International Cycling Union’s (UCI) Asia Tour rankings.

A fifth-placer in the Seventh Le Tour de Filipinas in February, Felipe is currently No. 118 on the Asia Tour rankings, a position that is expected to improve as his team competes in more races in the season.

“Marcelo is thus far the rising star of Philippine cycling,” Team 7 Eleven-Sava Road Bike Philippines Manager Ric Rodriguez said. “He has a future as a world championship, if not an Olympics qualifier.”

No Filipino has raced in the Olympics—or the world championships— since the UCI implemented strict qualifying standards after the 1984 Los Angeles Games.

Felipe—who finished third in a stage during in Tour of Singkarak and Tour of Borneo and was sixth in the general classification—of the previous season amassed 67 points with his performances.

7 Eleven’s other riders also fared in the Asia Tour—former Le Tour de Filipinas champion Mark Galedo was ranked 280th with 18

points and one-time Asian juniors road bronze medalist Ruston Lim at No. 372 with nine points.

Another Le Tour de Filipinas former champion, Jonipher Ravina, made the rankings table at 656th

with one point, a graceful exit for the certified climber who is bound to retire in 2017.

“Marcelo’s consistency and strength makes him a strong contender at next year’s Southeast Asian Games,” Rodriguez added.

Malaysia is hosting the Sea Games in 2017.

7 Eleven-Sava Road Bike Philippines is the country’s only UCI continental team that competes in regional and continental races.

The team is expected to carry the country’s campaign, along with the PhilCycling National Team, in the 2017 Le Tour de Filipinas scheduled from February 18 to 21 next year.

FELIPE MARCELO is a cycling star in the making.

CYCLE ASIA

More than a thousand riders answered the gun in the Fourth BGC Cycle Asia at the Bonifacio Global City last weekend with Australian star Robbie McEwen, a 12-time stage winner at the fabled Tour de France, gracing the event. The event catered to cyclists of all ages and abilities with The Tricycle Ride, The Kids’ Ride, The Community Ride (20-km), The Challenge (40km) and Ride with Robbie (40-km) categories. STEPHANIE TUMAMPOS

WIGGINS RECONSIDERS B

RADLEY WIGGINS hinted that he might extend his cycling career after winning what was expected to be his final professional race.

Wiggins, the most decorated Olympian in British history, won the Ghent Six Days event in Belgium with Mark Cavendish on the boards of the ‘t Kuipke velodrome where, as a child, he had watched his father compete.

After his victory, the 2012 Tour de France winner hinted he might not hang up his bike for good after coming out on top of a thrilling three-way battle in the final Madison race of the cycling marathon.

“I always said that this would be my final send-off, to come here and race Ghent for one last time,” said Wiggins, who also won the race in 2003 in the city where he was born 36 years ago.

“This will be the last time we race together [with Mark] for sure. Maybe not my last individually, but together as a pairing. I am not sure about my future yet, but at this moment I’ve still got really good legs, so I don’t want to say that is 100 percent it. I will make an announcement next week, but at the moment I am just going to enjoy today.”

If Wiggins decides to retire, he will have

closed out the final lap of his career with a victory in a race suiting his nostalgia-tinged personality perfectly.

The Ghent Six Days, which dates back to 1922, is a race for pairs of riders competing on the track. Past winners include Belgian legend Eddy Merckx, and the event still has an old-school feel.

The International Cycling Union (UCI), meanwhile, said Brazilian second-tier team Funvic Soul Cycles-Carrefour faces being suspended after two more riders tested positive for doping since July.

The UCI said it provisionally suspended Ramiro Rincon Diaz of Colombia and Joao Marcelo Pereira Gaspar of Brazil.

Both tested positive for the CERA version of blood-boosting hormone EPO during the Tour of Portugal in July.

Teammate Kleber Ramos of Brazil tested positive for CERA in training before the Olympic road race in Rio de Janeiro in August, said the UCI. He was later disqualified.

The UCI said it will refer the team’s case to its disciplinary commission. Under UCI rules, Funvic Soul Cycles-Carrefour can be suspended from between 15 days and 12 months. AP

BRADLEY WIGGINS rides the derny race in Belgium. AP

YALA Land furthers its thrust of promoting a healthy and active lifestyle by rallying a new breed of athletes through the Vermosa Active Revolution set on December 3 and 4 inside the 700-hectare master-planned, mixed-use estate development in Cavite.

The two-day event will be headlined

by Drop and Roll, led by world-renowned street trials rider Danny MacAskill and his crew, to highlight their first visit to the Philippines and Asia as part of their world tour.

Vermosa Estate, along Daang-Hari Road, will host to a high-octane extravaganza with Vermosa Active Revolution’s Kinetic, Inspire and Refresh activity zones.

At the Kinetic Zone, MacAskill’s jaw-dropping Drop and Roll exhibition performance is expected to rouse local riders and enthusiasts. The Drop and Roll show is set on December 3 at 4 and 7 p.m. and on December 4 at 4 p.m.

Participants will also get the chance to grab exciting freebies and personally meet and greet the stunt bike superstar and his team composed of Duncan Shaw, Fabio Wibmer and Ali C. Various cycling clinics and bike rentals will also be available, while the motocross track will host an activity for riders.

The Ninja Academy will also mount a parkour obstacle course for festival-goers to try out together with other surprises, while a poi LED exhibition performance by Planet Zips will cap off a night of activities.

The Inspire Zone will host one of the South’s biggest sports and lifestyle expos, where attendees could jump-start their active living through great deals and finds from the country’s hottest retail brands.

The Refresh Zone will provide good eats and sound beats to revitalize one’s mind, body and soul. And with acoustic artists and DJs to keep the celebration alive, as well as food-truck concessionaires rolling in at Cavite’s first Gastro Food Truck Park to energize the festival-goers, the Vermosa Active Revolution will truly be a one-of-akind, pre-Christmas present for everyone.

41 men, women complete UCI Sport Directors course F ORTY-ONE men and women from 20 countries have just completed a course for sport directors at the International Cycling Union (UCI) World Cycling Centre (WCC)

in Aigle, Switzerland.

Depending on their previous experience, the participants attended a three-and-a-half-day or eight-day course to prepare them for the final exam that arms them with the qualification necessary to work as a sport director.

This UCI Sport director Diploma is compulsory for anyone exercising the profession with a UCI World Team and open to everyone working as a sport director across all divisions of cycling.

From team audits, to the sporting control of road races, anti-doping, equipment, leadership and driving in races, the topics covered on the course equip sport directors with the necessary knowledge and skill to carry out their work professionally and efficiently.

For the second year running, the UCI WCC offered scholarships to women wishing to become UCIcertified sport directors. Ana Vivas, of Colombia, and Charline Joiner, of Great Britain, were among the eight women to benefit from this scholarship. Their backgrounds could not be more different.

Joiner is only a few months into retirement from Elite cycling. Winner of multiple Scottish titles and a two-time Commonwealth Games competitor—with a silver medal in the team sprint in 2010, she decided the time was right to take up a new challenge.

She currently works as a personal trainer and coach—one of her athletes is none other than former UCI Hour Record holder Alex Dowsett—but she does not want to stop there.

“I have been under good Sport directors and bad ones so I know how important the job is.”

“My dream is to start a women’s team or help a team grow,” she said. “I don’t want to jump into anything prematurely, but by 2018 I would like to direct a team.

“This course has been amazing. We have learned so much, even things that as riders we didn’t know.

It’s a lot of information and I don’t think I have ever been so tired, even riding a stage race! But it is all so important. It’s a question of making people more aware of the rules and regulations. We are the new generation of sport directors who will be able to say, ‘well, no, actually you cannot do that’.”

With no practical cycling background, Vivas started working at the Federación Colombiana de Ciclismo as a specialist in communications and new media. Her command of English soon saw her doing a great deal more—she became the federation’s contact person for the UCI, was dealing with all the logistics for the national team, organizing international events, and learning the UCI Regulations so she could explain them to the riders. To her, the athletes, including Nairo Quintana, are part of the family.

“In Colombia the cyclists are getting better and better, so we should get better, too,” Vivas said. “I am not a sports person but more of a book person.

I know the regulations very well, but I have a lot to learn from other people on this course who have so many stories to tell of their racing careers. It is amazing when you think about it. We have all come here [to the UCI World Cycling Centre] from the world over because of cycling.” UCI News

irror CYCLING

Saturday, November 26, 2016 A7

N PRU LIFE U.K.’S PRURIDE TO LONDON

PHL CYCLING BIG WINNER

ATIONAL team members Marella Vania Salamat and George Oconer won big time and are flying to London next year, but the biggest victor was Philippine cycling and the Filipino cyclist—competitive or not, enthusiast or beginner—during the recent Pru Life UK’s PRUride to London.

More than a thousand riders of all ages and shapes and sizes, and on practically all types of bicycle that are hitting the road these days, answered the gun for Pru Life UK’s first criterium race staged at the McKinley West and Uptown Bonifacio in Taguig City.

With the thrust of making life better for Filipinos, the event was a blockbuster among race enthusiasts—the slots were filled out within the first two hours of opening the registration. Another thousand—composed of families and friends— attended the bike community day in Uptown Bonifacio and enjoyed various exciting activities, such as ramp and cone courses, carless bike lanes, assembling and disassembling a tire, and photo booths.

The participants were treated to snacks and exciting raffle prizes, such as bluetooth speakers and foldable bikes.

The main treat, however, were four all-expense-paid trips to London—two of which were given to the grand prize winners of the Road Bike Male and Female Elite Open categories—Oconer, who rode for the national team in last February’s Le Tour de Filipinas; and Salamat, gold medalist in the women’s individual time trial of the Singapore 2015 Southeast Asian Games.

Pru Life UK partnered with the National Bicycle Organization (NBO) and Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) for the event, which aims to promote safe cycling in the Philippines. All proceeds raised will be used to fund NBO’s bike-friendly initiatives in road safety, bike lessons and bike commuting.

Part of the proceeds will fund bike projects, such as racks and lanes in the cities of Taguig, Pasig, Makati and Marikina. Pru Life UK’s also donated helmets to the MMDA, which the agency could use in its cause to promote safe cycling.

Pru Life UK President and CEO Antonio de Rosas led the ceremonial turnover of the donations and thanked the partners and participants in making the first PRUride to London a success.

Besides sharing his experience at the 2014

NATIONAL team members Marella Vania Salamat and George Oconer proudly pose with a giant replica of their plane tickets to London during the well-attended PRUride to London.

Prudential RideLondon, he also highlighted the need for a more bike-friendly community in the Philippines.

“We have a thriving community of cyclists here in the country, but the need to create a bike-friendly environment is still here. We hope to see the day when we won’t have to fear anymore of getting hit by speeding cars or parking our bikes in open spaces, and when more people would appreciate the benefits of cycling as a means of commuting,” de Rosas said.

“Through programs, such as Pru Life UK’s PRUride to London, we hope to support and increase awareness on safe cycling so we can all work toward having a safe and environment-friendly community not only for us but also for our children and the generations to come,” de Rosas added.

Prudential RideLondon is the world’s greatest festival of cycling, with more than 100,000 cyclists expected to participate in the event set from July 28 to 30, 2017. The festival was developed by the Mayor of London, London & Partners and Transport for London

in partnership with Surrey County Council. The event is managed by the London & Surrey Cycling Partnership.

It combines the fun and accessible element of a free family ride in central London with the excitement of watching the world’s best professional cyclists race.

Taking a cue from the London Marathon, amateur cyclists also participate by riding a 100-mile or 46-mile challenge on the same closed roads as the professional men, with the added incentive of raising money for good causes. The best action is broadcast live on TV both on BBC TV in the UK and internationally.

PRUride to London is part of the celebration of Pru Life UK’s 20th anniversary in the Philippines. In 1996 the Insurance Commission granted the British subsidiary a license to operate and sell life insurance in this country.

Since then, Pru Life UK has expanded its reach to over 80 branches in the Philippines, with the biggest life agency force of 16,000 licensed agents, and has emerged as one of the top 5 life insurers. Pru Life UK is headquartered in Uptown Bonifacio, Taguig City.

OurTime BusinessMirror

A8 Saturday, November 26, 2016 • Editor: Efleda P. Campos

news@businessmirror.com.ph

AFP allows reservation area to be North Cotabato seniors get free eye planted with local trees to benefit IPs checkup, eyeglasses

A MILITARY reservation area at Fort Magsaysay in Palayan City will be planted with local trees to benefit indigenous peoples (IPs). Signing the agreement to turn over the area to IP groups are Judge Virgilio DG. Caballero (seated, from third from left), president of Bacao Ecological Systems and Technologies Inc.; Ecosystems Research and Development Bureau Director Dr. Henry A. Adornado; and Lt. Col. Eugenio S. Batara Jr. of the Seventh Infantry Division, Philippine Army, on behalf of Maj. Gen. Angelito de Leon of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

A

240-HECTARE military reservation area at Fort Magsaysay in Palayan City will be replanted with indigenous trees under a tripartite agreement that will benefit indigenous people (IP) in the uplands of Nueva Ecija.

The agreement was signed on September 6 by Ecosystems Research and Development Bureau (ERDB) Director Dr. Henry A. Adornado; Judge Virgilio DG. Caballero, president of Bacao Ecological Systems and Technologies Inc. (Besti); and

Lt. Col. Eugenio Batara (Seventh Infantry Division, Philippine Army or PA) on behalf of Maj. Gen. Angelito De Leon of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

The partnership has significant ecological enhancement and livelihood

benefits to Aytas. It is in compliance with Executive Order (EO) 26 (National Greening Program or NGP) whose implementation has been extended to 2028 under EO 193 signed by former President Benigno S. Aquino III. “Provision of food security and additional income to the community will be strengthened by intercropping agricultural crops in the NGP sites. The katutubo here, similar to the indigenous forest species, are very resilient. The project will be a means for katutubo to help us attain biodiversity conservation and climate-change mitigation and adaptation,” Adornado said.

Also attending the signing agreement were representatives from the local government unit of Doña Josefa, the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (PENRO) of Nueva

Ecija and the IP planters.

“Judge Caballero sees the project as an act of stewardship on the environment and as a milestone, especially for the IP community that will be involved in plantation establishment,” Rio Christine P. Bustamante of the NGP Operations Center said.

The PA is committed to secure the project area and to screen laborers who will participate in the plantation.

Fort Magsaysay, the country’s largest military reservation covering a total of 35,000 hectares, has become the training ground of the PA as a replacement to the Fort Bonifacio military reservation since it began to be modernized in 1983.

The NGP was extended to 2028, as the Food and Agriculture Organization, in its 2015 Global Forest Resources Assessment, ranked the Philippines as fifth worldwide in the greatest forest-area gain from 2010 to 2015.

“There are still an estimated 7.1 million hectares of unproductive, denuded and degraded forestlands, which contribute to environment-related risks, such as soil erosion, landslides and flooding.

Consistent with the updated Master Plan for Forestry Development [2016-2028], there is a need to harmonize all forest development activities to encourage and enhance development of forest plantations,” according to EO 193.

ERDB has an existing bamboo-plantation project in Fort Magsaysay. The reforestation project in Fort Magsaysay is eyed as an agroforestry area that may also house livestock raising as productivity livelihood program for target beneficiaries.

The ERDB has already conducted training of PA officers on different bamboo-propagation techniques, proper selection and cutting of planting materials and step-by-step procedure on plantation establishment.

Training also involved application of a mycorrhizal fungi that act as a natural or organic fertilizer and has been proven to accelerate growth of forest-tree seedlings by as much as 400 percent. The ERDB produces its own brand of this mycorrhiza, the HI-Q VAM 1.

C

OTA BATO CI T Y—T housa nd s of senior c it i zens in Nor t h Cot abato benef ited f rom t he out reac h prog ra m conducted by t he prov inc i a l gover nment on November 21 in d if ferent mu nic ipa l it ies, of f ic i a ls sa id.

Jessie Enid, focal person on health and legal matters, said the program includes free eye checkup and the corresponding distribution of reading glasses under the “Antipara para kay Lolo and Lola” program, part of the early gift-giving program of the provincial government this Christmas season.

He said the provincial government recognizes the necessity for senior citizens to wear eyeglasses to help them in their daily activities.

Enid said as in previous years, eye specialists from both public and private hospitals were invited as partners, and the provincial government has again coordinated with local government units (LGUs) to make the program even more effective.

Today’s outreach program came after a series of similar activity in the towns of Carmen and Kidapawan City last week.

The activity in Carmen was conducted as the town celebrated its 60th founding anniversary.

Carmen Municipal Mayor Rogelio T. Taliño said the eyeglasses will help many elders to cope with their activities and, in return, will make them more active.

“Our beloved senior citizens’ lives will now change for the better, especially those who cannot afford to see an ophthalmologist to have their eyes checked,” said Taliño of about 250 elders who availed themselves of the program.

In M’lang, North Cotabato, 324 senior citizens were beneficiaries of the outreach program. Last week the team dispersed eyeglasses and free eye checkup in the towns of Matalam, Kabacan, Alamada, Tulunan, Banisilan, Pigcawayan, Libungan, Midsayap, Aleosan, Pikit, Arakan, Antipas, President Roxas, Makilala, Kidapawan City and Magpet.

First initiated “Serbisyong Totoo” program in 2013, the Antipara para kay Lolo at Lola” has become a prominent activity every Christmas season along with other programs, such as the much-awaited “Pamaskong Handog Alay sa mga Bata”.

Provincial officials hope a greater number of senior citizens will benefit from this year’s free eyeglasses and once again make a positive impact on their lives.

Also in the pipeline are free medical-dental outreach programs, animal and seedling dispersal, technical training, workshop and scholarship program, among others. PNA

Tribal school’s students share catch with elders

As rural Americans grow old, volunteers give them a hand

By Jennie Bergal Stateline.org (TNS)

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ARPSWELL, Maine—Dianna Haller loved her small, one-story home in this coastal fishing town, but it didn’t love her back. The living room floor was sagging. Snakes and mice were wriggling in through a gap under the front door. Mold was seeping in through a crawl space full of standing water.

Haller, a 65-year-old widow with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease who uses an oxygen generator, was taken to the emergency room several times this year because of breathing problems her doctors said were exacerbated by the mold.

She badly needed help, but couldn’t afford repairs.

The Harpswell Aging at Home team came to Haller’s rescue. The volunteers in their 60s and 70s, called the “Dream Team”, went to work insulating and shoring up the floor, sealing the foundation, rebuilding the front door, installing rain gutters and storm windows, replacing ceiling lights that were fire hazards, and doing other work—all free.

Across Maine, volunteers are stepping up to help rural seniors, like Haller, who want to remain in their homes. Some work with local governments or nonprofit groups.

Others have simply gotten together to offer help. Many of them are seniors themselves. Maine’s rural population is older than that of most

other states. Demographers project that a third of the state’s population will be 65 or over by 2032. And the challenges confronting Maine as it deals with an aging population are turning up elsewhere.

The number of seniors in Rural America is increasing faster than in its urban counterparts, as fewer children are born and younger, working-age adults move away.

John Cromartie, a US Department of Agriculture geographer, said the problems would be particularly severe in New England, the Great Plains and Midwest farming states.

“The rural areas are the canary in the coal mine,” he said. “In lots of cases, older people don’t have the means to leave, even if they wanted to. And many want to stay because it’s where they were born or settled down and raised a family.”

Local governments cannot afford to pay for all the services needed to help seniors stay in their homes.

State governments have the same problem. Retrofitting a house for aging people can be expensive. It can cost $800 to $1,200 to widen a doorway to accommodate a wheelchair; $1,600 to $3,200 for a ramp; and up to $12,000 for a stair lift.

That’s what makes Maine’s growing volunteer network so valuable.

“There isn’t enough money in Maine to deal with this problem,” said Jess Maurer, executive director of the Maine Association of Area Agencies on Aging. “It’s going to have to be community by com-

By Christina Henry

Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, Wash./TNS

S

photo exhibit

Gabriel Espina, 87, views and poses with a photo exhibit of him and his senior-citizen friends at the Baguio City Hall. MAU VICTA

munity, using volunteers and public and private resources.”

More than 60 communities throughout the state have started or are in the process of starting programs to help seniors stay in their homes, Maurer said. Some volunteers offer rides. Others grow and donate fresh fruit and vegetables.

Some offer respite to caregivers.

And many, like the Harpswell Aging at Home team, perform home maintenance or do chores that residents ca’'t do themselves.

Sandy Markwood, CEO of the National Association of Area Agen-

cies on Aging, called what’s going on in Maine a model for other states.

“These are really small communities doing incremental changes that make a huge difference to the people who live there. They’re doing it with existing resources and the human capital they have there.”

As in other rural areas, many of Maine’s seniors live in multilevel homes without bathrooms or bedrooms on the first floor. When they can no longer drive, there’s little, if any, public transportation available, and grocery stores, pharmacies and doctors can be far away. Experts

say older adults who stay in their homes often do less maintenance as the years go by, so their houses often deteriorate.

“The challenges in rural areas are probably the most severe,” said Susan Reinhard, a senior vice president at the AARP Public Policy Institute. “Isolation is a serious problem. Depression goes up.

Physical health declines.”

For Haller, the Dream Team not only improved her house, but also improved her health. She is breathing better and hasn’t been to the hospital since they did the work.

UQUAMISH—Linda Napoleon answered a knock on her door on a recent afternoon and got a pleasant surprise.

“Would you like some crab?” asked Kaylayla Ives, 17, a student from Chief Kitsap Academy.

Ives and other students had spent the morning out on the water hauling crab pots and, now, were hauling a tub full of fresh crab through the Suquamish Tribe’s elder housing neighborhood. Napoleon took three crabs for herself and her sister.

“This is so cool. I’m so happy,” she said. “They’re going to get eaten really quick.”

The crabbing trip, hosted by a tribal member, was part of the school’s Ocean-to-Table curriculum that combines marine biology and cultural studies with hands-on experience in seafood processing and preserving.

For three years now, students have caught salmon in late fall and prepared it for smoking and canning, sharing it with their families and giving some as gifts to elders and guests.

The crabbing was new this year, and there are plans to add geoduck processing next year.

The Ocean-to-Table initiative grew out of a conversation between Randi Purser, who teaches language and culture at the academy, and Suquamish Tribal council member Jay Mills, who grew up catching and smoking fish with his family on Phinney Bay in Bremerton.

news@businessmirror.com.ph

The Millennials BusinessMirror

Rely on credible sources of news, Millennials urge

Manases Evasco, Learashane Austero, Sheilamea Austero and Krezil Estuaria pose for a photo after a discussion about the fake news flooding social media on November 16.

Story & photo

by Oliver Samson

F

Correspondent

AKE news pieced together by counterfeit and malicious news sites flood the social media today with unrestrained quantity, as well as frequency, targeting millennials.

The agenda is to spread false information to manipulate public opinion in favor of some people by exalting their names while, at the same time, assassinating the character of others who are critical of their views and actions.

Two longtime buddies who saw the conditions of people in a coastal town in Sorsogon while growing up began to notice the torrents of fake news on social media during the searing weeks of the 2016 national and local elections campaign period.

Manases Evasco, a nurse at a Capuchin friary in Mandaluyong, and Emil Estuye, a technical support at a business-process outsourcing in Pasay, saw the online misinformation campaigns as “Goebbels Strokes.”

Paul Joseph Goebbels, a Nazi propagandist and politician who helped the German dictator Adolf Hitler rise to power, argued that by telling the lies over and over again people would eventually accept them as true.

Goebbels, who spoke with arms akimbo to demonstrate superiority, controlled the supervision of Germany’s radio, press, cinema and theater.

Aside from anti-Semitism, his propaganda included attacks on Christian churches. Over half a century after his suicide together with his wife and children on May 1, 1945, Goebbels’s psychological propaganda to shape public opinion proves still working in the present time, at least in the Philippines, particularly on social media.

Trolls

MANASES and Emil saw a spike in fake news as early as election campaign period hyping the bid of particular candidates while, at the same time, demolishing the reputation of opponents.

Deceived into thinking that the fake news were legitimate stuff, some of Manases and Emil’s friends, neighbors and workmates bashed every individual who dared challenge the validity of make-believe news, which had been their truth, since they do not check facts and allow themselves to be tricked.

After the 2016 national and local elections, fake news sites still strew the same and newly fabricated stories on social media, spawning and escalating misinformation and outrage among the young and old, as well as the educated and uneducated, who make no effort to validate details.

They boldly and glaringly repost fake news on Facebook, thinking that they are helping others get informed on issues by sharing the malicious pieces that shamelessly masquerade as legitimate news.

To make the malicious articles more convincing, trolls bombard comment boxes with statements in rabid support of the agenda of fake new sites and, at times, throw out expletive and burst out threats to neutralize critics.

Counterfeits

THE numerous reinforcing comments from trolls are taken by an audience who cannot distinguish legitimate news from the fake as an overwhelming expression of support from people vocally and passionately sympathizing with the posts, which were actually counterfeit information.

Manases and Emil noticed friends, colleagues and even individuals they look up to reposting on Facebook fake news and confidently and loudly sharing twisted opinions, which were shaped by the same fake news.

The fake news sites, which weave

stories with ugly spatter of grammatical errors, are also trying to establish themselves as more credible than the legitimate media, including the most respected international media outlets, by discrediting them as bias. With fake news without bylines, making no person accountable for any breach of journalism ethics as a result, the fake and malicious sites are also trying to dismiss as inferior some of the most respected media practitioners, who earned the respect not only of the public but also of the finest of fellow journalists through years of work, learning and experience.

Without bylines, people behind fake news and news sites can easily write all the fake news imaginable.

They used a photo of a crime abroad and claimed it happened here to discredit an institution. They grabbed a photo published few years ago by a leading news outlet and used it to accompany a fake story of a relief operation this year to build the image of another institution. They quoted what a foreign statesman did actually not say to make a good projection of a patron.

Lies

SINCE the nature of cyber space is lenient to the use of even the most brilliant lie and the most offensive language, these people can continue spreading lies on social media and remain unpunished for screwing the brains of unsuspecting people, especially the young.

Manases thinks a person becomes misinformed as soon as he assumes the content of posted fake news or memes as true without checking facts.

With the quantity and frequency of posts, he also thinks the barefaced people behind these fake news and fake news sites are paid, as well as the trolls who make them believable, by shelling the comment boxes with reinforcing reactions. If the fake news sites and trolls really are paid, the guys who finance and benefit from keeping the public deceived are reaping bigger rewards.

And while the people, who assume fake news as legitimate, think they become well abreast of issues, the brains who manufacture these lies are raising their middle finger as gesture of victory over other people’s ignorance and over journalists who work hard as heralds of truth.

Meme

EMIL also reflects that the moment a person reposts a malicious article or meme he becomes an accomplice in a plot to assassinate the character of an individual or a group of people.

Manases and Emil wish online millennials, who seem one of the most vulnerable members of the society to misinformation campaigns, could soon distinguish news from fake news and legitimate news sites from counterfeit new sites, which are actually malicious blog sites.

An opinion shaped by false information is simply ironic in today’s age when everyone has unlimited access to the Web, which is an immense source of free, easily and instantly accessible references for checking facts.

Posting on social media an opinion manipulated by lies is irresponsible, especially when the welfare of the public is in question.

Manases and Emil, who both grew up in Tagdon, a tiny barangay in Barcelona, Sorsogon, encourage fellow millennials to validate posted stuff before assuming them as true.

They also recommend turning to newspapers, especially those that have been reporting for several years, as the real source of news.

“Their reporters talk face toface with people; they are real people, not anonymous posters of information that we later on learn fake,” Manases said.

Saturday, November 26, 2016

A9

Oreo marketing chief bares tack to longevity

F

By Mia Rosienna Mallari Correspodent

OR a century-old cookie, Oreo has learned to continuously put a twist to itself and dunk its way to the digital platform.

Born in the same year luxury cruise ship as Titanic sank, the brand has moved forward from marketing its intricately designed tin cans in the early 20th century to television commercials in the post war period. Its first TV ad in the 1970s showcased a young boy enjoying a pack of Oreos, setting its market focus on children. By the 2000s, gears shifted toward a familycentric approach through the “Better Together” campaign. Now the world’s top-selling cookie has cast a wider net for a bigger audience, where else, through social media.

“I think the way we approach our market right now is we try to cast a wider net for everyone, everybody,” Anna Sapitan, Mondelēz Philippines Biscuits category manager, told the BusinessMirror in an interview. “That’s one of the shifts we made right. So from kids we made ourselves relevant to everybody.”

At present, Oreo considers itself a global digital powerhouse with 42 million followers on Facebook alone. The cookie’s YouTube channel has over 15 million subscribers, while its Instagram and Twitter account has 19 million and 830, 000 followers, respectively.

Animated marketing

ACCORDING to Sapitan, for a

company to continuously shape itself and create a voice in the digital space, a significant percent of budget should be allotted to the digitization of its leading brands.

Without disclosing numbers, the executive emphasized that Oreo’s return of investments across all digital platforms have been faring well, as investments in digital media are continuously encouraged.

Oreo Philippines Brand Manager Princess Pacannuayan elaborated how the brand has emerged to become one of the fastest growing in the Philippine market through its Wonderfilled animated marketing campaign. The company has identified one of the largest occupants and users of cyber space— millennials—and has anchored on the audiences’ extensive consumption of digital media.

“Right now, millennials are setting the tone...I don’t have their exact figures right now but from what I’ve [known], it’s really quickly growing. In five years they’re the main decision-makers of the family,” she said.

Sapitan added, “Millennials spend six hours a day on the digital space and their TV consumption is becoming less and less. The trend is really there. I think we should just embrace this trend.”

Anna Sapitan, Brand head of Oreo, Mondelez, speaks at a forum on marketing on November 11, where she emphasized connections with young consumers like herself. ROY DOMINGO

Meanwhile, Pacannuayan said the cookie’s growth in the country for the past decade “speaks for itself” and has translated to great sales for the company along with its continuous improvement.

At present, the brand has been measuring their digital success in terms of reactions, a combination of comments, likes and reach their posts have.

Key metric

ALMOST half of the Filipino population are on social media, with some 47 million having accounts on several social-media sites, and Paccanuayan sees this as a leverage for the brand.

“Being a global brand, we always make sure that were relevant locally. We’re doing that now through social media. We make sure that whatever is trending locally, we ride on with that trend. We make sure that we’re on top of it,” she said.

For its Ms. Universe 2015 homecoming post on Facebook alone, the post celebrating the victory of Filipina Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach gained over 3.37 million impressions online, twice the reach of Oreo’s congratulatory post for Leonardo DiCaprio’s Oscar win that garnered only 1.32 million. “Reach is our key metric and it translates back to our goal of expanding our market and that more people see us and our ads,” Sapitan said.

Oreo has posted $2.9 billion in global annual revenues for 2015, making it one of Mondelēz International’s “billion-dollar” brands. Every year, more than 40 billion Oreo cookies are being produced in 18 countries around the world. Its Facebook community represents Oreo lovers in more than 200 countries and ranks among the top 10 brand Facebook pages in the world.

Youth leaders talk about Federalism Story & photo

By Alessandra Anonas

in different youth organizations and universities so that we are able to expand the presence and that we’re able to provide more education on federalism to as many people as possible.

D

ESPITE misconceptions about young people getting involved in politics, many of them showed up at a conference on federalism. The BusinessMirror talked to two of the organizers of the forum on how they ended up leading FedUP, a youth organization focused on federalism.

One of them is Jan Emil Langomez, who is also associated with the Youth Reform Movement Ph, formerly known as Youth for Miriam.

So how did this start with FedUp?

The forum to Federalism” group. I found [their contact information] online and I contacted their head [lawyer] Raul Lambino. I attended the [group’s] first general assembly, which was around three months ago [July] in Intramuros.

Some of us thought that we wanted to engage more with the youth and that’s how FedUP was formed.

FedUp is sort of a subsidiary organization of Conform to Federalism, except that its target is educating and empowering the youth…on federalism and constitution[al] reform.

A lot of people would mistake this [October forum] as Pro-federalism conference. What would you say about that?

It would look like a pro-federalism conference because of the guests we invited [who are] pro-federalism but, really, our target goal is how we polish the event. It’s usually non partisan.

The questions and issues that we raise, we’d like to keep [these] as objective as possible, so even if many of the participants disagree with our point, we don’t mind. The aim of FedUp is to find out what the youth thinks about federalism and, at the same time, also make sure that we educate

How would you advise the youth about taking on federalism in the future?

FedUp leader Jan Emil Langomez talks at a conference on federalism on October 27.

them on what it, federalism, is about so they are able to make their own opinion if they are agreeable with or they are against constitutional reform.

So now that you’ve seen the effects of the conference, what can you say about their reaction?

It was wonderful. I honestly did not expect that they would be this excited about constitutional [reform], because the challenge about constitutional reform is that it’s a highly technical topic and is sometimes even controversial. And you know, I guess we live in that very advantageous point right now. Not all of us are super pro-supporters of the President, but we do recognize the fact that it helps a lot that the President is pro-constitutional reform and that he currently has this high approval rating and, at the same time, this relationship between federalism and the President’s support has allowed us to, at least, have this opportunity to educate others about federalism.

Unlike before, when we talk about constitutional reform, the tendency is they tend to have this negative connotation or view about constitutional reform. Right now, there’s still that negative connotation but it’s

more on the fact that it’s because a lot of people are still unaware of what federalism is. They’re also unaware of what constitutional reform is and we believe that if we educate them about these topics, they tend to have a more informed opinion.

So far, from what we’ve experienced, when they get a basic knowledge about federalism, they seem to be more open about the idea of shifting to a federal form of government.

But we didn’t do so in a way that we forced them to support federalism.

It was more of [based] on their own informed choice. I guess this is an interesting trend that when someone is informed about a certain topic, the tendency is that they are more open in supporting it and, so far, we still have a lot of work to do in educating the youth about federalism, constitutional reform and other topics.

What are your plans for other conferences? Do you have any events after this?

We are still finalizing the other workshops. We plan [to hold] similar workshops in Cebu and Davao. But we are also open to making conferences in colleges and schools. Part of the objectives of our first workshop on FedUP is to also create longer linkages

My advice is to be proactive with regard to constitutional reform, especially if next year when the government decides to tackle or debate about shifting to a federal government because it’s the youth, the millennial generation, who will be affected the most, whether good or bad, you don’t know. It’s our generation who will be the benefactors with regard to the change of the form of government.

In 10 to 20 years it will be our generation who will be running and managing this government. It’s a personal goal for our generation to make sure to participate in the discussions in any event related to constitutional reform and, if possible, we can have linkages with congressmen and have key influences if you can meet them up and talk about constitutional reform or send them some proposal, then that’d be great. Finding out about it in the Internet is nice but we have to go beyond the Internet and take action in real life.

If federalism is already set up, what do you think would be your ideal contribution?

My ideal contribution would be that, at the very least, when the plebiscite comes, the decision of our country on whether to shift to a federal government, I hope that our contribution is that when the youth decide to vote on it, they do so with an informed opinion and not just because it’s a trend but rather because they believe in it. That is the contribution that we are pursuing to make.

A10

BusinessMirror

Saturday, November 26, 2016

Financial phishing threats to spike as Christmas nears

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By Oliver Samson | Correspondent

HE holiday season may experience rise in the number of financial phishing attacks, Kaspersky Lab ZAO announced in a statement on Wednesday.

“Retrospective research by Kaspersky Lab specialists shows that “over the last few years, the holiday period was marked by an increase in phishing and other types of attacks, which suggest the pattern will be represented this year,” the cyber-security firm said.

“A peak season for sales is obviously is also a peak season for cr imina ls: retailers of fer lots of hard-to-resist deals and people plan on spending money on gifts for themselves, their friends and relatives.”

Cyber criminals see the holiday season as an opportunity, the firm explained. During this t ime, e - commerce customers flood retailers, who store more goods in anticipation for growth in demand.As banks and payment s ystems a re e x pec t i ng rise in the number and value of transactions, “cyber criminals

are preparing, too,” Kaspersky Lab said. “At least, that was the case in previous years.”

In 2014 and 2015 the number of phishing pages tracking credit-card credentials in the fourth quarter (Q4) covering the holiday season was 9 percent higher than the annual average, the firm said.

“In particular, the result for financial phishing in all of 2014 was 28.73 percent, while the result for Q4 was 38.49 percent,” Kaspersky Lab said. “In 2015 34.33 percent of all phishing attacks were financial phishing, while in Q4, that type of phishing was responsible for 43.38 percent of all attacks.”

Cyber cr imina ls use a number of plots to stea l pay ment data, the fir m ex plained. Some develop counterfeit versions of pay ment pages of know n and leg it pay ment systems. “ T hey copy leg itimate online retailer

sites or even create 100-percent fa ke shops w ith incredibly attractive offer ings,” K aspersk y Lab said. T he fir m conducted investigations into the phishing threat landscape during the hol id ay sea son, sa id A nd re y Kostin, the fir m’s senior webcontent ana lysts. “ T he nu mber of at t ac k s against particular targets—payment systems and famous retail networks—increased during the Black Friday and Cyber Monday period,” he noted. “In 2015 the situation repeated itself, and this makes us think that in 2016 it will happen again. So we urge users to be as cautious as possible when shopping online this season.”

Meanwhile, the threat to legitimate online retailers in the Philippines is grow ing, Isaac Sabas, CEO of Pandora Security Labs, a homegrown cyber-security provider, said in a recent interview. Some of the attacks were traced to other countries, which include China, Romania and Germany, Sabas said.

Small enterprises are facing threats, since attackers assume these organizations do not employ state-of-the-art cyber-security measures or no safeguard at all, he added.

The holiday season had started on November 25, and would continue through Cyber Monday and Christmas.

New TV technology promises better picture for mainstream consumers S

AN JOSE, California—If all you want for Christmas is a TV whose picture hops off the screen, this could be your year.

Telev isions that promise a significantly improved picture will be available this holiday season at mainstream prices for the first time. Using a technology called HDR, or high-dynamic range, the sets can display more dynamic colors than older TVs and will allow you to see more details in both bright and dark areas of the screen.

HDR is only available on TVs that offer 4K—or ultra-high definition—resolutions. It promises to do what 4K generally doesn’t— offer a noticeable difference in picture quality.

“You’ll know it when you see it as to how good the 4K-HDR combination looks,” said Paul Gray, a London-based principal analyst with market researcher IHS Market Technology. “The display is very arresting when done properly.”

When HDR sets debuted last year, the technology was limited to premium models. That’s no longer the case. In preholiday sales, you can find 4K HDR sets for as little as $450. To be sure, that was for a 40-inch model from Hisense, a second-tier Chinese brand.

But even sets in bigger sizes from top manufacturers are available at affordable prices. Best Buy was recently offering a 55-inch Samsung HDR TV for $900, a 65inch Sony model for $1,200 and a 75-inch Sony set for $3,000.

Prices

BESIDES the low prices, another thing that could drive sales of HDR TVs is the growing amount of movies and TV shows optimized for HDR. Netflix, Amazon and Vudu all offer HDR-enhanced videos.

Consumers also will find a growing number of HDR movies available on Blu-ray disc.

“We are starting to get into this

Global average internet connection speed up 14 percent Y.o.Y.–Akamai

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ONTENT delivery network (CDN) services provider Akamai Technologies Inc. said its report revealed that global average connection increased 14 percent year over year (YoY).

“The continued increase in average connection speed is a reassuring trend, as online retailers prepare for the busy holiday-shopping season,” said David Belson, editor of Akamai’s Second Quarter 2016 State of the Internet Report.

“However, recent Internet disruptions caused by everything, from government-ordered blackouts to a lone monkey sparking a widespread outage, are reminders of the many factors that can affect access to and use of the Internet that is so often taken for granted.”

The report also revealed that global average peak-connection s peed i nc rea sed 3.7 percent to 36.0 megabytes per second (Mbps) in the second quarter, rising 2.5 percent YoY.

According to Akamai, average mobile-connection speeds ranged from a high of 23.1 Mbps in the United Kingdom to a low of 2.2 Mbps in Venezuela.

The company added that the number of unique Internet protocol version 4 (IPv4) addresses connecting to the Akamai Intelligent Platform was just over 800 million, which is 1 percent less than the first quarter of the year.

“Belgium remained the clear global leader in IPv6 adoption, with 38 percent of its connections to Akamai occurring over IPv6, up 5.1 percent from the previous quarter,” the company said. “Cable and wireless and mobile providers continued to drive the largest volumes of IPv6 requests, with Verizon Wireless, T-Mobile and Sky Broadband topping the list with 74 percent, 61 percent and 56 percent of their requests to Akamai being made over IPv6 in their regions, respectively.” Rizal Raoul Reyes

Kaspersky Lab solution secures tech award

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A S PE R S K Y L a b Z AO ’s cyber-security platform topped 14 other solutions at the 2016 World Leading Internet Scientific and Technological Achievement Award at the third World Internet Conference in Wuzhen, China, this week.

The Russian firm’s solution stood out among 15 “exceptional scientific and technological breakthroughs,” out of some 60 technological innovations from across the world, Kaspersky Lab ZAO announced in a statement.

The 14 other technological solutions include Huawei’s Kirin 960 SoC Chipset, IBM Watson 2016, Microsoft Hololens, SAP Industry 4.0 Connected Manufacturing Solution and Samsung Multi-Bio Processor.

The event, themed “Innovation-driven Internet Development for the Benefit of All—Building a Community of the Common Future in Cyberspace,” touched on global

collaboration on the Internet, cyberspace governance, Internet economy, Internet innovation and Internet culture.

“Our continuous investment in threat research and development has led us to innovate our cybersecurity technologies and expand our portfolio of specialized solutions to mitigate new industrial cyber risks of our customers,” Andrey Suvorov, Kaspersky Lab head of business development, was quoted in a statement as saying.

K a s persk y L ab ’s solut ion, called “Industrial CyberSecurity” platform, is “a specialized solution to secure critical infrastructure and industrial facilities.” It was launched worldwide early this year.

“This is the first time that Kaspersky Lab has been included in the Wuzhen Summit awards and is the only cyber-security company on the 2016 list,” the statement said. Oliver Samson

Intel poll: Few consumers act to protect new gadgets

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Using a technology called HDR, or high-dynamic range, the new television sets can display more dynamic colors than older TVs and will allow you to see more details in both bright and dark areas of the screen. Dave Johnson/Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group/TNS

virtuous cycle of new technologies being available to consumers, new formats being offered to give you something to watch on your brandnew TV set,” Gray said.

While more programming and cheaper TVs are hitting the market, analysts are skeptical that a consumer rush on HDR sets is imminent. While the 4K HDR sets offer dazzling pictures, the increase in quality is not nearly as dramatic as the leap from older TVs to the first generation of flat-screen sets.

“The experience is noticeably better, but it’s not a gigantic, dramatic difference,” said Ben Bajarin, a principal analyst with Creative Strategies, which tracks the tech sector. “‘Do I really need this?’ is the question that consumers will ask themselves this holiday.”

Plus, while the number of HDR videos is increasing, they are still few and far between. Apple’s iTunes doesn’t offer any HDR videos. Nor does Hulu or most of the other major streaming services.

Standards

ANOTHER factor that could hold up sales is a nascent standard war between different flavors of HDR technology. Some sets and online video services support a standard pushed by Dolby called Dolby Vision.

Other TVs and video services support a standard called HDR10 that was developed by a coalition of set manufacturers. Dolby Vision promises even a wider range of colors and far greater contrast than HDR10, but right now HDR10 is more widely supported.

Netflix and Amazon support both standards. Blu-ray DVDs right now only support HDR10. But video-streaming service Vudu only supports Dolby Vision. Making the right choices for a 4K HDR set won’t necessarily be easy. First of all, what about an ideal price point?

One other complication: Even if a TV set is marketed as “HDRcompatible,” it may not actually offer you a better picture. In some

cases, that label may simply mean it can display content in that format, albeit in an unenhanced fashion.

Nits

ONE item to look for: nits. The more nits, which refers to the brightness of a display, the better. Consumers should seek TVs with a spec of at least 1,000 nits, said Paul Gagnon, San Diego-based director of TV research with IHS. Plus, there’s the old rule of thumb for buying a TV: Experts recommend shoppers seek out high-end models produced by wellknown manufacturers. “There are a lot of claims made by companies around specifications, but the consumer needs to make those judgments in person,” Gagnon said. “It really pays to go into a store and look at demonstrations. We all perceive images differently.

“You really need to be there in person to see if it’s worth the difference in price.”

George Avalos/The Mercury News/TNS

recent survey by an Intel Corp. subsidiary revealed that only 45 percent of consumers move to protect their new gadgets. While a majority of consumers are aware of the vulnerabilities in older connected devices like laptops (73 percent), mobile phones (70 percent) and tablets (69 percent), they lack awareness about the potential risks associated with emerging connected devices, such as drones (20 percent), children’s toys (21 percent), virtual-reality tech (18 percent) and pet gifts (11 percent), according to the Intel Security Group (ISG).

“As technology continues to evolve, it is essential consumers understand the risks associated with even the most unassuming devices,” the wholly-owned subsidiary of Intel said on November 23. “While 75 percent of consumers believe it’s very important to secure their online identities and connected devices, nearly half are uncertain if they are taking the proper security steps.”

According to the company formerly known as McAffee Associates Inc., the No. 1 most hackable gift category included laptops and PCs, followed by smartphones and tablets. The ISG survey results revealed that 64 percent of consumers plan to purchase either a smartphone or

tablet this holiday season. Other hackable devices are media players and streaming sticks, smart home automation and devices and drones. According to ISG, drone sales are expected to grow to more than $20 billion by 2022.

“They can provide unique perspectives when it comes to shooting video and photos,” ISG said.

“However, not properly securing the device could allow hackers to disrupt the GPS [global positioning system] signal, or hijack your drone through its smartphone app.”

“Unsurprisingly, connected devices remain high on holiday wish lists this year,” Gary Davis, ISG chief consumer security evangelist, was quoted in a statement as saying. “What is alarming is that consumers remain unaware of what behaviors pose a security risk when it comes to new devices.”

According to Davis, the risks come because of the eagerness of consumers to use their new gadget as soon as they get it and forgo ensuring that their device is properly secured. “Cyber criminals could use this lack of attention as an inroad to gather personal consumer data, exposing consumers to malware or identity theft or even use unsecured devices to launch DDoS [distributed denial of service] attacks,” Davis said. Oliver Samson

BusinessMirror

Saturday, November 26, 2016

A11

Singaporean firm believes mobile aids entrepreneurs

In this February 25, 2014, file photo, the Samsung Galaxy S5 is displayed at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain. Leading tech companies are increasingly nudging consumers to use their own fingers, faces and eyes as digital key to unlock phones and other gadgets. AP

Why fingers make handy, if not foolproof, digital keys

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AN FRANCISCO—It sounds like a great idea: Forget passwords, and instead lock your phone or computer with your fingerprint. It’s a convenient form of security—though it’s also perhaps not as safe as you’d think.

In their rush to do away with problematic passwords, Apple, Microsoft and other tech companies are nudging consumers to use their own fingerprints, faces and eyes as digital keys.

Smartphones and other devices increasingly feature scanners that can verify your identity via these “ biometric” signatures in order to unlock a gadget, sign into Web accounts and authorize electronic payments.

But t he re a re d r aw bac k s: Hackers could still steal your fingerprint—or its digital representation. The police may have broader legal powers to make you unlock your phone. And so-called biometric systems are so convenient they could lull users into a false sense of security.

“We may expect too much from biometrics. No security systems are perfect,” said Anil Jain, a computer science professor at Michigan State University who helped the police unlock a smartphone by using a digitally enhanced ink copy of the owner’s fingerprints.

Bypassing the password

BIOMETRIC security seems like a natural solution to well-known problems with passwords. Far too many people choose weak and easily guessed passwords, like “123456” or “password.”

Many others reuse a single password across online accounts, all of which could be hacked if the password is compromised. And, of course, some use no password at all when they can get away with it, as many phones allow.

As electronic sensors and microprocessors have grown cheaper and more powerful, gadget makers have started adding biometric sensors to familiar products.

Apple’s iPhone 5S, launched in 2013, introduced fingerprint scanners to a mass audience, and rival phone makers quickly followed suit. Microsoft built biometric capabilities into the latest version of its Windows 10 software, so you can unlock your PC by briefly looking at the screen. Samsung is now touting an iris-scanning system in its latest Galaxy Note devices.

All those systems are based on the notion that each user’s fingerprint—or face, or iris—is unique.

But that doesn’t mean they can’t be reproduced.

Lifting prints, faking faces

JAIN, the Michigan State researcher, proved that earlier this year when a local police department asked for help unlocking a fingerprint-protected Samsung phone.

The phone’s owner was dead, but the police had the owner’s fingerprints on file. Jain and two associates made a digital copy of the prints, enhanced them and then printed them out with special ink that mimics the conductive properties of human skin.

“We tried the right thumb and it worked right away,” Jain said.

Researchers at the University of North Carolina, meanwhile, fooled some commercial

face-detection systems by using photos they found on the socialmedia accounts of test subjects.

They used the photos to create a three-dimensional image, enhanced with virtual-reality algorithms. The spoof didn’t work ever y time, and the researchers found it could be foiled by cameras with infrared sensors. (The Microsoft face-recognition system uses infrared-capable cameras for extra precision.)

But some experts believe any biometric system can be cracked with sufficient determination. All it takes are simulated images of a person’s fingerprint, face or even iris pattern. And if someone manages that, you can’t exactly change your fingerprint or facial features as you would a stolen password.

To m a ke suc h t hef t more d if f icu lt, biometr ic-equipped phones and computers typically encr y pt finger prints and similar data and store them locally, not in the “cloud ” where hackers might lift them from company ser vers. But many biometrics can be found elsewhere. You might easily leave your fingerprint on a drinking glass, for instance. Or it might be stored in a different database; Jain pointed to the 2015 computer breach at federal Office of Pers o n n e l M a n a g e m e nt , w h i c h compromised the files—including fingerprints—of millions of federal employees.

Compelled to unlock

MOST crooks won’t go to that much trouble. But some experts have voiced a different concern— that biometrics could undermine important legal rights.

US courts have ruled that authorities can’t legally require individuals to give up their passwords, since the Fifth Amendment says you can’t be forced to testify or provide incriminating information against yourself. In the last two years, however, judges in Virginia and Texas have ordered individuals to unlock their phones with their fingerprints.

There’s a legal distinction between something you know, like a password, and something you possess, like a physical key or a fingerprint, said Marcia Hofmann, a San Francisco attorney who specializes in privacy and computer security.

While you can’t be forced to reveal the combination of a safe, she noted, the Supreme Court has said you can be required to turn over a physical key to unlock a door.

“Getting your thumb print or iris scan is not the same as making you speak,” agreed Orin Kerr, a law professor at George Washington University. “In practice it’s another way of getting access to the computer, but through a very different means.”

The issue hasn’t been tested yet in higher courts, though it’s likely just a matter of time.

Even with vulnerabilities, some analysts say the convenience of biometric locks is a plus—not least because it may give the passwordaverse another easy option to secure their devices. “It’s bringing secure authentication to the masses,” said Joseph Lorenzo Hall, a tech policy expert at the nonprofit Center for Democracy and Technology.

Brandon Bailey/AP

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INGAPOREAN firm Vende Pte. Ltd. believes a platform-based mobile application is a good vehicle to launch an enterprise.

“We would like to be Grab Taxi [of mobile buying and selling],” Vende COO Terence Woo told the BusinessMirror.

Woo said Vende, an eponymous mobile application for electronic commerce, was inspired by the rise of start-ups in the Philippines.

Hence, it was launched in Manila in September, just only seven months after it was registered in Singapore.

Woo believes Vende can fill the gap in the start-up landscape by using mobile technology to jumpstart young people’s plan to become entrepreneurs.

“What we like to do is help the average Filipino earn money by using an app,” Woo said. “The other side of the coin is amazing businesses with amazing products.”

He said they believe products before Vende’s arrival suffered from infrastr ucture and distr ibution problems. “By using Vende, we are going to correct this because they are going to have an army of users using t hei r produc t ,” Woo sa id to differentiate themselves from other platforms, like Lazada.

Right now, Woo said Vende is consolidating its position in the local market.

Our priority is to enter the consciousness of the Filipinos and build the emotional connection, he explained. So far, Woo said they received registrations from over 2,000 Filipinos who expressed to be “ambassadors”.

He added that they also received

“strong intentions” from a wide group of suppliers who want to use Vende to distribute their products and services.

Woo said he is bullish on the prospects of social commerce in the countr y. This attitude is based on their belief a lot of Filipinos “are quite enthusiastic on e-commerce.”

The Filipino-Singaporean Woo thinks barangay-based businesses could catapult their products into the mainstream market by enlisting in Vende. But they have to meet our criteria, he explained, to qualify as a merchant.

Once a product has passed the company’s screening process, Ve nd e ’s a m b a s s a d or s w ou l d choose the product they want to promote.

It is a very organic system and quite market driven, Woo explained. Vende’s ambassadors earn their income on commission basis, he added.

Woo believes the company qualifies as a “disruptive technology,” a label reserved for Uber and Grab.

“We are looking for products [that] embrace innovation and alternative means of bringing the product to market,” he said.

“We are looking at pricing below the retail level. The reason why we suggest [this] is because we are not multilevel marketing [firm]. We have one person talking about a product. There is no chain.”

With Vende’s setup, Woo said they are eliminating the middlemen. Doing so, he believes enables merchants to offer a lower price to buyers.

In case the product does not fly successfully initially in the market, Vende has a waiting process for the product, Woo said. He said they will talk to suppliers and discuss the things that need to be done to boost their sales.

“The feedback from the market would help the supplier assess the performance of the product.”

We want to put our full attention to the Philippines and help local entrepreneurs, Woo added.

Rizal Raoul Reyes

PAL taps Sabre’s analytics solution briefs

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ABRE Corp., a technology provider to the global travel industry, announced on November 17 that Philippine Airlines (PAL) will use its aviation commercial analytics (CA) solution “in order to see daily revenue performance more consistently and accurately.”

“This new solution simplifies and enables consistent decision making across several commercial planning divisions by bringing all the data to one place and in realtime,” the company said.

When airlines collect data, they are challenged with deriving meaningful insights from the data, the Southlake, Texas, US-headquartered Sabre explained.

“Commercial analytics delivers unique and actionable insights that create a competitive

advantage and a llow airlines to make more informed decisions,” the firm said. “In today’s e x t reme ly compet it ive env ironment, it is critical that all commercial departments draw f rom t he sa me i nfor m at ion.

This drives consistent actions across the sales, revenue management, pricing and partnership departments to ma ximize revenue opportunities.”

Sabre Vice President Dasha Kuksenko said his firm’s solution is expected to allow allow PAL “to make more actionable decisions.”

Kuksenko, who is also Sabre Asia Pacific Airline Solutions regional general manager, said that, by using CA, the Philippines flag carrier will have the ability to look at customer segments instead of simply fare purchases.

“This gives the airline more insights into their customers’ purchase propensities and the ability to recommend actions to best suit the business needs of the airline.”

C A will help PAL optimize revenue per passenger instead of the historically used revenue per seat model—a key component of achieving total revenue optimization. Sabre said the solution ana lyzes histor ica l and f uture revenue trends through integrated air fare, ancil lar y product and par tner revenue metr ics w ith predictive intelligence, Sabre ex plained.

T he compa ny f u r t he r e xplained that CA solves business challenges through a combination of intuitive role-based user experience, advanced analytics and integrated data. Rizal Raoul Reyes

Digital entertainment tech firm AVSC promotes ‘Pulse’ AUDIO-Video Solutions Corp. (AVSC) showcased its digital entertainment solution the privately held firm calls “Pulse”, which stands for “Professional, Unique Light and Sound Experience.”

In a statement, AVSC said it bared the solution at Musik Manila, the country’s premier exhibition of the biggest brands in entertainment design and technology. The AVSC provided exhibition participants a show that featured lighting systems from the brands (Czech Republic), SGM (Denmark) and Cameo (Germany). With the latest innovations in the lighting technology, creating lighting designs for technical setups is only limited by one’s imagination, AVSC said in a statement. This makes any event— from formal corporate gatherings to parties—look more exhilarating, it added. Rizal Raoul Reyes

Volvo selects Inmarsat as partner for ’17 race

INMARSAT Plc. said on November 21 it has been selected for the Volvo Ocean Race 2017 and 2018 as official global satellite communications partner.

The ongoing partnership advances the possibilities of onboard satellite communications and powers the Race’s digital-content delivery from the oceans, while supplying crucial safety and tracking services. Inmarsat’s fleet of satellites, some 36,000 kilometers out in space, deliver the Race communications technology. Inmarsat FleetBroadband provides an “alwayson” connection for teams allowing applications, such as Internet access, e-mails, calls, weather reporting and telemedicine. It also features streaming IP available on demand, for live applications such as high-quality video streaming. Rizal Raoul Reyes

Sutherland names head of digital unit

Vivo enters IDC’s top five global smartphone brands

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I VO Mobi le Communications Co. Ltd. is now the world’s fifth-largest smartphone manufacturer, the Chinese company said, citing the International Data Corp. (IDC) “Q1 2016 Worldwide Quarterly

Mobile Phone Tracker” report.

In a statement, Vivo Mobile said the IDC regarded the firm’s “fast growth as one of the biggest catalysts for change in the worldwide smartphone market in the first quarter of 2016.” Vivo was able

to ship 14.3 million units in the period—a year-on-year increase of 123.8 percent—achieving 4.3 percent of global market share.

Vivo began its global expansion in 2014, establishing a presence in Southeast Asia and India.

SUTHERLAND Global Services Inc. (SGS) announced on November 14 the appointment of Andy Zimmerman as president of the business-process outsourcing (BPO) firm’s digital division. In a statement, SGS said the appointment comes after the technology-enabled services company recently acquired “Big Data” analytics firm Nuevora Inc. “Our focus on digital, with [Zimmerman]’s leadership, will allow customers to grow their assets—their relationships with their customers,” SGS Chairman and CEO Dilip Vellodi was quoted in a statement as saying. “Sutherland Digital is a critical differentiator and will cement our position as a strategic business partner for clients.”

BusinessMirror

A12 Saturday, November 26, 2016

Mobile seen boosting e-commerce adoption

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By Rizal Raoul Reyes

@brownindio

OBILE technology has empowered the Filipino shopper and helped them become more informed and more efficient than before, as well as help them make quick decisions.

“There is so much you can do with the smartphone,” Gabriel Roxas, Google Philippines Inc. head of marketing, said in a recent forum it and Ipsos organized in mid-November.

“Brands have to be prepared for moments that matter.”

“As a result, we now have a mobilepowered supershopper who has the ability to instantly discover, research

and purchase, making them more informed and more efficient than ever before,” Roxas added.

He said the four attributes of a supershopper are the following: n Supershoppers are superfast: Google and Ipsos noted that 88 percent of Filipino shoppers using smartphones noted online research has a big role in purchasing decisions faster now compared to a few years ago; n The group keeps their options open and keep on researching before buying an item. About 82 percent of the smartphone shoppers agreed to this report, according to Google Philippines. After they are done with their online research, 72 percent of

the mobile shoppers in the Philippines (compared to the 33 percent in the US) bought a item which they didn’t consider if they did conduct a smartphone research. n The mobile phone is their muse and prime source of information when they shop. Fifty-one percent of the Filipinos surveyed said they use mobile before going to the store to shop. n Mobile is their door to the store.

Although a big number of Filipinos are willing to buy on mobile, 78 percent of the Filipino shoppers use mobile as a door to the store, aside from using the locator function to guide them in going to the store. Furthermore, 80 percent of the shoppers still

consult their phones while in stores.

“We all have that friend—the one who somehow knows the latest brands, the season’s must-have products and where to find the best deals at the snap of a finger,” Roxas said.

“In the past years, this friend was an enigma, making us wonder how does he or she do it? Today, through the power of smartphones, we can all be that friend.” Roxas added that as Filipinos move to mobile fast, “we’ll see the shift in how consumers engage with brands this Christmas season.”

“Brands need to make sure they are present on mobile and now is the perfect time to get Christmas campaigns in shape for the shopping peak.”

IFS, ProV International ink deal for PhL expansion bid

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WEDISH enterprise applications company IFS AB announced on November 21 that its long-standing partner, ProV International Inc., is expanding the former’s footprint in the Philippines.

The partnership, according to IFS AB, will focus on growing sales of the firm’s applications suite called IFS Applications. The suite, IFS AB said, enables businesses to handle service and asset management, manufacturing, projects management and supply-chain management (SCM).

IFS added that it and the Tampa, Florida-headquartered ProV International will focus on opportunities in the manufacturing and utilities industries in the Philippines.

“Agility and reducing complexity is key to our business,” ProV International CEO Ajit Nair was quoted in a statement as saying. “I look forward to developing this partnership in the Philippines market. We’ve had great feedback from our global team about IFS and we would love to have the same impact in the Philippines.”

IFS AB’s announcement came after International Data Corp. (IDC) forecast technology spending in the manufacturing sector in the Asia Pacific excluding Japan (APeJ) region will reach over $36 billion by 2020, or a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.34 percent from 2016 to 2020.

“High levels of industrial automation and the push for increased op-

erational efficiencies have resulted in technology investments that aid in mitigating productivity-related challenges,” IDC Manufacturing Insights Research Manager Sampath Kumar Venkataswamy was quoted in a November 22 statement as saying.

“Systems integration and consolidation remains one of the top investment areas for most manufacturing organizations that are on the path of implementing smart manufacturing platforms.”

Venkataswamy added that “the push to increase visibility on the shop floor and across the value chain will continue to drive the corresponding technology investment efforts in applications, such as SCM and predictive analytics.”

According to IDC, APeJ information technology spending in manufacturing is dominated by the hightech equipment sector, followed by chemical and the automotive industry. From a technology perspective, the spending on IT services is expected to reach over $14 billion by 2020, while software-related spending is expected to grow 6.91 percent CAGR for the same period and reach over $12 billion.

Software spending includes engineering applications, operations management and SCM software.

However, IDC expects lower growth for hardware-related spending and is expected to reach only $9.4 billion by 2020. Rizal Raoul Reyes

Online recruiter urges Pinoy developers to ramp up skills

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CTjob Philippines Inc. said there is a need for Filipino developers to continuously harness and improve their skills.

“There is an abundance of jobs for technology support and PHP [Personal Home Page] in the country, but lesser job posts for languages that are in demand in the IT [informationtechnology] job market,” ICTjob said in a statement. “This illustrates the Filipino developers’ necessity to improve their skills.”

The firm that runs its eponymous web site ICTjob.ph said IT professionals need to train and learn “in order to become experienced developers and gain in strategic knowledge.”

“Constantly upgrading their skill set and keeping a record of their past developments in github [a web-based Git, open source code project, repository hosting service] in an online résumé were seen as the key success criteria for candidates to attract the best companies to hire them, may it be locally or internationally,” ICTjob said.

The company added that finding the right candidate for their IT

openings is one of the difficulties faced by companies seeking professionals. Alladin S. Diega This infographic, courtesy of ICTjob Philippines Inc., shows the “Job Openings by Skill in the Philippines” tree.

Asia Pacific biz seen focused on achieving digital maturity

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ITACHI Data Systems (HDS), a wholly owned subsidiary of Hitachi Ltd., recently released its key Business and Technology Trends for Asia Pacific in 2017.

According to Hubert Yoshida, HDS chief technology officer, and Russell Skingsley, HDS Asia Pacific CTO, digital transformation will continue to dominate enterprise information-technology strategies in 2017, as trends in a number of areas emerge.

“With digital transformation rising up the agenda of chief information officers across the world in 2016, we expect to see an increasing number of organizations striving to reach digital maturity in 2017,” Skingsley was quoted in a statement as saying. According to the findings of an upcoming research survey sponsored by HDS, enterprises in Apac generally believe they are further ahead in their digital transformation journeys than their global counterparts. “A belief that is likely to be validated in 2017,” HDS said.

In line with the survey, Yoshida and Skingsley have identified five trends for the technology market in 2017.

1

Productivity gains will be more about people, process and business outcomes. Despite the explosion

HIGH-TECH GAB HUB Kathleen Muller, SAP AG Southeast Asia Head of Analytics and Insight, presents to members of the Philippine media the features of the German firm’s digital boardroom. Looking on is Ryan Poggi, SAP Philippines Inc. managing director. The digital boardroom features a floor-to-wall touchpad screen. NONIE REYES

Get ready to build! Hands-on toys that teach are hot items

By Bree Fowler

The Associated Press

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EW YORK—Toys that teach aren’t a new thing, but a growing number are calling for kids to build with blocks, circuits or everyday items before reaching for a tablet screen.

Play is how kids learn about the world around them, whether it’s a toddler throwing a ball or teens playing video games. It’s about seeing how things work and what happens when they do something. And over the years, toys have gotten more high tech to keep screen-obsessed children engaged with such play.

But there’s growing worry among parents and educators that toys are moving too far in that direction. Educational toys that have a math and science bent—marketed under the umbrella of STEM—are now trying to get back to the basics: less screen time, more hands-on activities.

“When kids use their hands, your outcomes are much higher,” said Pramod Sharma, CEO of one such toy company, Osmo. “It’s very different than if they’re just staring at a screen watching TV.” With Osmo, kids learn everything from spelling to coding not by touching a screen, but by snapping together magnetic blocks. A screen is still part of it; an image is beamed onto an iPad through its camera. But the idea is to have kids learn first with their hands, then see their creation move to the screen.

Learn by building

EDUCATORS agree that whether you’re talking about a toddler playing with blocks, or a teen building a computer from scratch, the act of putting something together helps educational concepts sink in.

“The way the world comes to us is actually through tactile activities, so tactile toys where we build stuff are incredible helpful,” said Karen Sobel-Lojeski, who studies the ef-

This photo provided by Anki shows the Cozmo Memory Match game. Whether you’re looking for something educational or a toy that’s just for fun, there are a lot of choices for the holidays. New toys include little robot friends full of personality and magnetic blocks that snap together to teach the basics of computer programming. AP

fects of technology on children’s brain development at Stony Brook University on Long Island, New York.

Bloxels attempts to bridge the physical and the digital. Kids build their own video games by putting plastic blocks in a special tray, instead of writing out code. Using a phone or tablet’s camera, an app transforms the shapes created with the blocks into digital characters and scenery.

Makey Makey, a start-up founded by a pair of MIT students, asks kids to come up with their own electronic creations by combining software, circuits and everyday items like bananas and doughnuts.

Good, but popular?

SOBEL-Lojeski said toys are most educational when kids can learn how things work by building. But Juli Lennett, a toy industry analyst at NPD, said such toys are rarely on kids’ wish lists.

On the other hand, tech toys that have subtle educational value, but aren’t specifically marketed as such, can be strong sellers. Lennett cites Fisher-Price’s Think & Learn Code-aPillar, which introduces basic coding concepts by letting preschoolers assemble segments that each tells the

caterpillar to do something different, such as “turn left” or “play sound.”

“I’m not sure that kids are asking for it, or that their parents just want their kids to go to Harvard, but it’s definitely one of the top-selling toys this holiday,” Lennett said.

Tracy Achinger, a former automotive engineer in Shelby Township, Michigan, said her 8-year-old son got interested in coding after starting computer programing classes this year. So for Christmas, she’s buying him an Ozobot, a golf ballsized robot that kids can program by drawing different colored lines or using a kid-friendly, block-based programing language.

Tech has its limits

ACHINGER’S 3-year-old son will be getting an iPad this year. She said she isn’t against screen time, but believes parents need to keep an eye on what their kids are watching and playing. She said her older son has been playing creative games such as “Minecraft” for a few years.

“We try to keep it educational,” Achinger said. “I really think those kinds of games get their imaginations going as they create their own worlds.”

of new technology over the past decade, productivity has declined compared to the previous 10 years, according to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. According to Yoshida, this is because new processes have not kept up with new technologies.

In the hospitality business, Airbnb has had access to the same technology as traditional hotels, but it has created a new business model that has enabled it to grow to a market valuation of $30 billion in less than 10 years.

Digital transformation is about transforming the business through people and process, as well as through innovative use of technology. As a result, agile infrastructure, cloud and the benefits of development and operations (DevOps) will gain greater attention as a way to speed up the development and deployment of applications and services with less defects and wasted effort.

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Accelerating transition to cloud.

Cloud-first strategies are the foundation for staying relevant in a fast-paced world, according to Ed Anderson, research vice president at Gartner. The Asian market has been quick to embrace this approach, with Asia leading the world in this year’s Cloud Readiness Index by Asia Cloud Computing Association.

“It is clear that the predominant cloud model for the foreseeable future will be hybrid, as most understand the agility benefits of cloud but are not willing to move entirely to public cloud at this point,” Skingsley said. “We expect this to continue throughout 2017.”

As a result, IT managers across Asia Pacific will be focused on developing skills in cloud monitoring, cloud workload performance and security management, and cloud capacity management. Instead of buying infrastructure from different vendors and knitting them together with management software, IT will want access to the converged systems required to deliver infrastructure-as-a-service.

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Bimodal IT. In the same way that hybrid cloud will continue to be the predominant model for years to come, so, too, will bimodal IT continue to be necessary.

While many may wish for the ability to simply do away with legacy application stacks and start afresh, the reality of the need for business continuity built on well understood and supported mission-critical systems continues. IT must be able to manage both modes and implement systems that can bridge between them.

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A centralized data hub. Data is becoming increasingly valuable. Recent research by the International Data Corp.

(IDC) revealed that 53 percent of organizations in the region consider big data and analytics important and have adopted or plan to adopt it in the near future.

Companies are finding new ways to correlate and merge data from different sources to gain more insight, while repurposing old data for different uses.

“It is a clear lesson learnt from the highly disruptive Internet-based businesses that the ability to wield data effectively is extremely valuable,” Skingsley said. “Traditional enterprises realize now that they have not used their valuable data as effectively as they might have.”

5

Growing awareness of Internet of Things (IoT) in the data center.While

the networking of things may not become a major trend for Apac next year, according to Yoshida, the decisions made in IT in 2017 should be made with an eye to IoT. Alladin S. Diega