BusinessMirror October 04, 2018

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Thursday, October 4, 2018 Vol. 13 No. 355

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PCCI: Defer coal tax to stop power-rate hike T

By Elijah Felice E. Rosales

@alyasjah

HE government should defer the scheduled next-round increase on the tax on coal under the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) law to prevent power rates from further increasing and creating a dire domino effect on all economic sectors, the country’s largest business network said on Wednesday.

In a statement, the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) said it is looking forward to seeing the government finally pull all the stops to make power cost competitive.

The group argued the country is far from being on a par with its fellow Southeast Asian economies in terms of electricity rates.

“The Asean [Association of Southeast Asian Nations] is a

dynamic location for investments, and the Philippines is competing for investments in heav y industries, manufacturing and technology against countries like See “PCCI,” A2

The Asean is a dynamic location for investments, and the Philippines is competing for investments in heavy industries, manufacturing and technology against countries like Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam.

[Their] power rates are significantly lower than that of the Philippines at between P4 to as much as P7 per kilowatt-hour.”

—PCCI

Job adjustments under the technology revolution: What will the tripartite social partners do?

Rene E. Ofreneo

LABOREM EXERCENS

A

PART from the Security of Tenure (SOT) bill pending in Congress, two other major labor-reform proposals await the government and its employer and union social partners. The first relates to the proposed law recognizing the right of workers in the huge informal sector to form associations, as well as the right of the informals to negotiate with the national and local governments on basic social and economic services. Dubbed as the Magna Carta for Workers in the Informal Economy or MCWIE, this laudable bill has been languishing in the legislature since the 13th Congress.

Continued on A7

& Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas

T

@jearcalas

HE country’s GDP likely grew by at least 6 percent in the third quarter but economic expansion would have been faster if not for the anemic performance of the agriculture sector, Budget Secretary Benjamin E. Diokno said on Wednesday.

Diokno issued the statement after he announced earlier that the government will not be able to hit its target of hiking GDP by 7 to 8 percent this year due to a number of constraints.

To hit its growth target for this year, the Philippine economy must expand by 7.7 percent in the second half. But Diokno said this would be “difficult” to meet.

World’s worst stock market is not cheap enough to buy

“The weakest link in the economy is agriculture, unfortunately. We are forecasting at least 3 to 3.5 percent and now agriculture is less than 1 percent.”—Diokno

@BNicolasBM

The chief of the Department of Budget and Management said one of the drivers of economic growth in the July-to-September period was government spending, which remained robust. Agriculture, however, remained as the laggard.

“The weakest link in the economy is agriculture, unfortunately.

We are forecasting at least 3 to 3.5 percent and now agriculture is less than 1 percent,” Diokno told reporters in a news briefing in Manila on Wednesday.

See “Diokno,” A8

PESO EXCHANGE RATES n US 54.2510

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Diokno: Agri sector a drag on Q3 growth

By Bernadette D. Nicolas

2016 EJAP JOURNALISM AWARDS

F

SUBIC Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman/Administrator Wilma T. Eisma gestures as she explains the past, present and the future of Subic at the BusinessMirror Coffee Club in Makati City on Wednesday. Subic is cell-site friendly, according to her, and does not have the kind of bureaucratic red tape that telecommunications companies figure into in other territories. Story on A8. NONIE REYES

OR some Philippine money managers, it’s still too soon to scoop up shares in the world’s worstperforming stock market.

As the Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) dipped below 7,100 during Tuesday’s session, taking its valuation to its lowest level since January 2016, Metropolitan Bank & Trust Co. is among the firms that’s staying on the sidelines. John Padilla, the head of equities at the money manager, says he’s too concerned about the high inflation level, rising oil prices, weakening peso, increasing interest rates and drying up liquidity.

“Everybody is bracing and positioning for a higher inflation, and with oil continuing its climb there isn’t anything to say that’s enticing to go bargain See “Stock market,” A2

n JAPAN 0.4773 n UK 70.4232 n HK 6.9258 n CHINA 7.8750 n SINGAPORE 39.5156 n AUSTRALIA 38.9848 n EU 62.6599 n SAUDI ARABIA 14.4673

Source: BSP (3 October 2018 )

News

BusinessMirror

A2 Thursday, October 4, 2018

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Survey shows ‘stable outlook’ for PHL banking system

B

By Bianca Cuaresma

@BcuaresmaBM

ANKS are painting a rosy picture of the lending industry in the coming years, as they pin their hopes on strong macroeconomic fundamentals, adequate liquidity, rising capital buffers and profitability of banks.

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) on Wednesday published its Maiden Report on the Banking Sector Outlook Survey (BSOS) for the First Semester of 2018.

The BSOS gathers the sentiments of the presidents/chief executive officers/country managers of 114 banks in the country related to their growth outlook and risk assessments, busi-

ness performance strategies, and insights on regulation and supervision within a two-year horizon.

The BSP’s survey results showed that about 6.7 percent of the respondents consider a stable outlook for the banking system, while the remaining 33.3 percent see the banking system as being stronger in the next two years.

“This is anchored on the respondents’ economic growth forecast of 5 to 7 percent. The stable outlook for the banking system, can be attributed to the strong macroeconomic fundamentals, adequate liquidity, rising capital buffers and profitability of banks,” the BSP said.

Further, the BSP said the majority of the respondents believe that expanding client base, deepen-

ing of customer relationships and developing new products are necessary to grow the bank.

Mandatory lending hard to comply with

MOST banks, except the rural and cooperative banks, viewed compliance with mandatory credits to agriagra and micro, small and medium enterprises as “the most challenging area in terms of compliance.”

The mandated lending to agriculture and agrarian reform, under the Agri-Agra Reform Credit Act of 2009, requires banks to allocate 25 percent of their total loan portfolio to the two sectors—10 percent for the agrarian-reform credit and 15 percent to other agricultural credit.

The MSME sector also has a credit benefit on their way—the law requires banks to set aside another tenth of their total loan portfolio to MSME lending.

Should local lenders—big or small—fail to meet the quota, they will be subject to monetary fines and penalties.

However, for years on, banks have chosen to pay the monetary penalty instead of complying with the mandatory lending to these sectors, as banks—especially those unfamiliar with MSME or agricultural clients—would rather pay the fixed fine instead of facing the many risks of lending to unknown territory.

The BSP said respondents also cited compliance with the BSP’s reportorial requirements and

anti-money-laundering regulations remain an ongoing concern.

Technology biggest opportunity

WITH the rapid pace of digital technology reshaping the banking industry, the BSP also said respondents underscore the need to optimize available technology.

Survey results reveal that 81 out of 114, or 71.1 percent, of respondent banks have plans to use technology in the banking transactions in the next two years.

“Managing reputational and operational risks, data and cybersecurity enhancement, upholding consumer protection, and increase of capital and liquidity ratios are also deemed important to protect the bank,” the BSP said.

Customs revenue collection reaches P52.420 in Sept DOE pushes for Euro

By Rea Cu

@ReaCuBM

C

USTOMS revenue collection has reached a P52.420 billion total in the month of September, with 14 ports exceeding their respective collection targets for the month, the Bureau of Customs (BOC) reported on Wednesday.

Based on preliminary data obtained from the BOC’s Financial Service Division (FSD), the bureau registered a surplus of P464 million, breaching its target for the month of P51.956 billion.

According to Customs Commissioner Isidro S. Lapeña, the September collection is 30.2 percent higher than the P40.260-billion collection in the same month last year.

“I would like to emphasize that the bureau has been consistently hitting and exceeding the monthly targets since February. We will further step up our collection efforts so that we can hit the full-year target

by December. The bureau is bent on helping the national government fuel its projects for the people,” Lapeña said.

PCCI . . .

The ports that exceeded their collection targets are, namely, the Port of Batangas, which collected P12.176 billion from its P12.029billion target; the Port of Limay collecting P3.642 billion from its P3.161-billion target; the Port of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, which collected P3.591 billion from its P3.587-billion target; the Port of Cebu with P2.669 billion from its P2.341-billion target; The Port of Davao at P2.535 billion from its P1.667-billion target; the Port of Subic collecting P2.189 billion versus its P1.870-billion target; the Port of Cagayan de Oro, which collected P1.816 billion from its P1.467-billion target; the Port of Iloilo at P388 million from its P281-million target; The Port of San Fernando, which collected P288 million from the P284-million target; the Port of Clark with P145 million from its P137-million target; the Port of Legaspi, which collected P71 million compared to its P25-million target; The Port of Tacloban with P41 million in collections versus its P23million target; the Port of Zamboanga, which collected P29 million

Continued from A1

Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam. The power rates of these countries are significantly lower than that of the Philippines at between P4 to as much as P7 per kilowatthour,” the statement read.

The TRAIN law, which took effect on January 1, imposed sequential increases on fuel excise taxes and the coal tax. It has been widely blamed for largely fueling the record inflation from which most economic sectors are now reeling, and which prompted the government to take a range of nontariff measures to stabilize supply and prices of staple foods. The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas also delivered a total 100-basis-point hike in policy rates as an inflation-busting move.

“Competitive power rate has been elusive. Sixteen years into the passage of the Electric Power Industry Reform Act and yet the goal to ensure reliable and affordable power supply has yet to be achieved,” it added.

The PCCI said the government should look closely at proposed legislations that could further power rates. It asserted that “any such attempts should be boldly avoided and rejected.”

The government was also told to remove a number of power charges, as well as halt the scheduled increase on coal tax under the TRAIN, to hold off rate hikes.

“In these concepts, the government must wear a strategic and competitive hat.

The government may have to consider subsidy really as an investment, which is designed to produce major returns instead of subsidy as a pure expense and deduction to government income,” the statement read.

“Subsidy may be in the form of tax incentives and removal of pass-through charges and burdensome tariffs, such as VAT on franchise tax, the generation rate adjustment mechanism, feed-in-tariff and others in universal charge, which

from its P25-million target; and the Port of Aparri, which collected P5.09 million from its P4.89-million target.

Meanwhile, the ports that failed to hit their respective targets for the month are the Manila International Container Port, which collected P15.609 billion, and below its P16.021-billion target; the Port of Manila, which recorded a P7.021billion revenue collection, which is below its P7.811-billion target; and the Port of Surigao collecting P1 million, which is lower than its P2-million target.

According to the BOC’s FSD, the continuous improvement in revenue performance is attributed to the increased volume and value of goods and the higher exchange rate, also made possible through the improved and correct valuation and tariff classification being implemented in all ports.

The BOC reported total collections of P435.964 billion from January to September 2018, higher by 34.6 percent than the P323.824billion collection in the same period for 2017.

T he Januar y-to-September

the government can shoulder using the Malampaya funds. And to stop or defer anything in the pipeline that would result to rate increase, including the scheduled increase on the tax on coal as provided in TRAIN,” it added.

The TRAIN imposed a tax of P50 per metric ton on both local and imported coal starting on January 1. The duty will be increased by P50 every year until January 1, 2020, when the rate peaks at P150 per MT.

Energy one-stop shop

THE PCCI also called for the immediate passage of Senate Bill (SB) 1439, filed by Sen. Sherwin T. Gatchalian, that will create the Energy Virtual One Stop Shop. If passed into law, the proposed agency seeks to cut red tape for new power-generation projects.

SB 1439 is now pending in the House of Representatives.

The PCCI is pushing, too, for the passage of SB 1950, which will reduce electricity rates by allocating net national government share from the Malampaya funds to pay the stranded contract costs and debts of the National Power Corp. The group added the Department of Energy should continue to implement and improve its competitive selection process.

“We are all aware that in most countries, power rate is somehow subsidized in one form or another simply because competitive power rate is the gateway to investments and employment. They have made that decision as a national and quiet strategy, and they are achieving their objectives and winning compared to the Philippines,” the statement read.

The Philippines trailed its Asean neighbors in terms of foreign direct investments with an average of $6.7 billion from 2013 to 2017, the PCCI said, citing figures from the World Bank. This was lower than the FDI average of Indonesia ($19.2 billion), Vietnam ($11.3 billion) Malaysia ($10 billion) and Thailand ($8.24 billion).

collection also breached the target for the period of P429.564 billion.

The BOC still needs P162.136 billion in collected revenues in order to hit its full-year target for 2018 of P598 billion.

The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) also reported that its revenue collections for the month of September reached a tentative P115.77 billion.

“For the month of September 2018, the BIR collected P115.77 billion. The said figure is tentative and is expected to rise when all collections for the month shall have been accounted for in the next two weeks,” the BIR said in a statement.

The preliminary collection data of P115.77 billion is short of the BIR’s collection target of P121.408 billion for the month based on its Revenue Memorandum Order (RMO) 8-2018.

When asked if the BIR can hit its full-year target of P2.039 trillion, BIR Commissioner Caesar R. Dulay told financial reporters that the bureau is trying its best to achieve their collection goals.

“We will [hit the target],” Dulay said.

Stock market . . .

Continued from A1

hunting at this point,” said Padilla, who helps manage

P450 billion ($8.3 billion). “It used to be that a buy-onweakness strategy works, but now, for prudence, it’s better to step aside and let the market take its course.”

The Philippine Stock Exchange has plunged 17 percent since the end of December, becoming the world’s biggest losing equity market and taking its valuation to 15 times estimated earnings for the next year, below its five-year average. The gauge fell as much as 0.5 percent to 7,095.26 on Wednesday.

The recent sell-off from emerging markets and USChina trade frictions only added to worries over the nation’s headwinds. Overseas investors have withdrawn almost $1.6 billion in 2018, exceeding inflows from the past four years.

Padilla said it’s not improbable for the Philippine stock gauge to fall below 7,000 in the near term and that it could go as low as 6,600. He said his firm will change its underweight call on the equities should consumer prices, the peso, interest rates and liquidity show improvements. September inflation data are due on Friday.

“You can get a better return with your cash in time deposit now rather than exposing it to equities, where at best you get a flat return but run the risk of losing part of your money if you buy the wrong name,” Padilla said.

The country’s shares will face more challenges before things get better, according to Michael Enriquez, the chief investment officer of Sun Life of Canada Philippines Inc. The PSEi could stay at around 7,100 this year, with earnings growth of 5.5 percent compared with 10 to 12 percent consensus, he said. To put that into perspective, the key stock gauge closed at almost 8,559 at the end of last year.

Steven Ko, who helps manage P60 billion at Rizal Commercial Banking Corp., sees further risk as limited.

While the benchmark index may drop to 6,900, he says there’s also a chance it could climb to 8,000 this year as sentiment improves. He expects inflation to peak and says the peso may have already seen its sharpest depreciation this year.

“We are still holding on to our cash, but we are selectively buying some of the oversold names that are already worth looking into,” Ko said. He favors property stocks because he sees higher earnings-growth prospects and likes banks as he deems them unduly hit by the rout. Bloomberg News

gas oil, diesel import to lower fuel price

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HE Department of Energy (DOE) is pushing for the importation of Euro gas oil or diesel in an attempt to not only source cheaper petroleum products but to also determine cost components.

Energy Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi said the planned importation is “one good measure to really help bring down the price of oil.”

Philippine National Oil Co. (PNOC)-Exloration Corp. is conducting a negotiated bid with “mostly foreign with some local partners.”

PNOC-EC’s specification for the fuel is a sulfur content of 50 parts per million (PPM), or the standard for Euro 4.

The company has set the quantity at 50,000 metric tons for the trial shipment. Subsequent shipments of up to four shipments per month and up to one year are to be mutually agreed upon by the seller and the buyer.

Once this is done, Cusi said, it would be easier to determine the cost components of petroleum products, including earnings of oil firms.

The DOE wants to issue a circular requiring oil firms to unbundle the

costs of petro fuel. However, oil firms raised concern, saying it may spark anticompetitive behavior.

The draft policy enables the unbundling of the base prices of petroleum products, namely, gasoline, automotive and industrial diesel, kerosene, jet fuel, bunker fuel oil and household and automotive liquefied petroleum gas. This is the first time that the government, through the DOE, will require oil companies to make public the breakdown of the costs that go into the pricing of fuel.

“Unbundling will be expedited once PNOC-EC imports. In the process of unbundling, there is industry take. We can’t get that from the oil firms,” Cusi said, referring to oil firms net profit after deducting all expenses when computing for actual pump prices. “We will know that once PNOC-EC opens the bid proposals.”

Cusi said the planned importation is one of the mitigating measures discussed with the oil firms.

“Suspension of excise taxes, removal of cocomethyl esther, reduction of industry take—they will all discuss these,” said Cusi. Lenie Lectura

Energy dept awaits Duterte imprimatur on PHL’s nuke power-generation option

T

HE Department of Energy (DOE) is now just waiting for the go signal of President Duterte before the department could move forward with its plan to finally tap nuclear energy in power generation.

During its budget hearing in the Senate on Tuesday, the DOE revealed it had already submitted its position paper on the matter at the Office of the President for approval.

If approved, it will allow the DOE to start a long-term capacity-building plan toward the construction of a new nuclear power plant in the country.

Energy Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi said they hope Duterte could decide on the proposal soon, since it will take them at least seven years to build a

nuclear plant.

“After we have the technology, what follows is capacity-building, identification of areas and social activities,” Cusi said. He explained the preparation for the construction of the plant will entail numerous preparation, including the tapping of capable personnel to operate it and getting public support for the project.

“We want nuclear to be part of our energy for security, sustainability and for affordability reasons,” Cusi said.

The current administration has been trying to revive the country’s aspiration of using nuclear power since 2016 with the creation of the Nuclear Energy Program Implementing Organization. Samuel P. Medenilla

Quarry . . . output

output is at P45.82 per MT in 2015, P44.62 per MT in 2016 and P45.24 per MT in 2017.

“As can be seen above, ALQC has been paying excise tax of as low [as] P3.77 million per year. This is due to the undervaluation of the limestone at around P45 per metric ton or P0.045 per kilogram, a price that is lower than that of camote [around P20 per kg in the public markets],” Calanog said in his letter, a copy of which was obtained by the BusinessMirror.

“For the sake of the Filipino people, the DENR should immediately address this matter not only for Apo Land and Quarry Corporation but for all nonmetallic mining/quarrying companies. I hope that this matter and all doubts related to it would be resolved in favor of the Filipino people, not big business interests,” he added.

Calanog’s letter was received by Cimatu’s office on September 28. A copy of the letter was also received by the DENR’s MGB on the same day at 11:45 a.m.

Cimatu and DENR-MGB Director Wilfredo Moncano have not responded to the BusinessMirror’s query as of press time.

Continued from A8

Appeal to DENR

CALANOG wrote a letter to Environment Secretary Roy A. Cimatu and urged him to look into the alleged undervaluation of ALQC limestone prices.

In his letter, Calanog claimed that ALQC’s limestone was sold at P45 per MT or P0.045 per kg, which was way cheaper than a kilo of camote that is sold at P20 per kg.

Using available data, Calanog estimated that ALQC paid P6.292 million in excise taxes in 2015, P3.899 million in 2016 and P3.77 million in 2017.

He noted that ALQC earned P189.398 million in 2015, P194.967 million in 2016 and P188.529 million in 2017. In terms of production, ALQC posted a total output volume of P4.133 million metric tons in 2015, P4.369 MMT in 2016 and 4.167 MMT last year.

Based on Calanog’s estimates, the average value per MT of ALQC’s limestone

The World

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

Thursday, October 4, 2018

A3

US warns Russia Nato could resort to strikes to ‘take out’ new missiles

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HE United States warned that it could resort to strikes against a new class of Russian missile unless Moscow complies with its international commitments to arms reduction.

The Nato (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) defense ministers meeting at Alliance headquarters in Brussels from Wednesday will discuss their concerns that Russia is building a medium-range ballistic missile in violation of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, US Ambassador Kay Bailey Hutchison said.

Russia has over “several years” refused to accept US evidence of breaches, so “we need to look for other ways to bring Russia to the table on the issues,” Hutchison told reporters on Tuesday.

“The countermeasures

would be to take out the missiles that are in development by Russia in violation of the treaty.”

The US ambassador made an “absolutely irresponsible statement,” the Interfax news service cited an unidentified Russian Foreign Ministry official as saying. “It shows that, in the present administration, there are people in very important positions who don’t understand where they are and what is required of them.”

‘Crucial’ Treaty

THE Nato issued a statement in December underscoring the so-called INF Treaty’s “crucial” role in ensuring security for 30 years by “‘removing an entire class of US and Russian weapons”— ground-launched

intermediate-range missiles—and calling on Russia to address “serious concerns” about a missile system identified by Nato members.

“Now this treaty is in danger because of Russian actions,” Nato SecretaryGeneral Jens Stoltenberg told a parallel briefing in Brussels on Tuesday.

He cited development of a new ground-launched cruise missile known as 9M729, whose existence Russia only recently acknowledged “after years of denials.”

Stoltenberg called on Russia to urgently address concerns that the new system may be in violation of the INF Treaty in a substantial and transparent manner, saying that “Russia has not provided any credible answers on this new missile.”

Aid trickling in as Indonesia quake death toll passes 1,400

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ALU, Indonesia— For some who survived the massive earthquake and tsunami on Indonesia’s Sulawesi island last week, the memories and the horror from a disaster that has left more than 1,400 people dead are both hard to erase and understand. Nature simply unleashed its fury on them.

Furniture maker Khairul Hassan recalled working at a shop near the beach in front of a row of warehouses when the earth began shaking violently last week. He ran to a nearby hill and watched as the ocean heaved up and hurled forward. Now he can’t forget.

“I saw the waves come and sweep out everything— buildings, factories, warehouses and some people who were lost, racing from the waves, some of them women and children,” he said on Wednesday.

“Also, warehouse workers who were trapped under goods, all swept by the sea.

It’s so tragic. It’s so scary to remember.”

The official death toll

increased to 1,407, with thousands injured and more than 70,000 displaced from their homes, said national disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho. He said the number of dead would increase, but that rescue crews had reached all affected areas.

Aid was slowly making its way into areas devastated by the twin disasters, with one neighborhood’s residents clapping, cheering and high-fiving in their excitement on Wednesday at seeing a stopped truck laden with supplies.

“I’m so happy,” said Heruwanto, 63, who goes by one name. He was clutching a box of instant noodles.

“I really haven’t eaten for three days.”

Food, water, fuel and medicine was still slow to reach the hardest-hit areas outside Palu, the largest city heavily damaged in Friday’s disaster.

Many roads were broken and split by the violent shaking or blocked by debris. Communications

remained limited.

The United Nations humanitarian office said “needs are vast,” with people urgently requiring shelter, clean water, food, fuel and emergency medical care.

Meanwhile, a volcano erupted on Wednesday morning in another part of Sulawesi island, about 940 kilometers (585 miles) northeast of the earthquake zone, spitting a plume of ash more than 6,000 meters (20,680 feet) into the sky.

Planes were warned of the cloud billowing from Mount Soputan because the material can be hazardous for aircraft engines, but no evacuations were ordered in the area.

Experts said it’s possible the quake accelerated the eruption, but there is no concrete evidence to prove that. Activity at the volcano had been increasing since August and began surging on Monday, Kasbani, who heads Indonesia’s Vulcanology and Geology Disaster Mitigation agency and uses one name, told an online news portal. AP

Hutchison said that “numerous occasions” had been recorded of Russian breaches, and called on Moscow to stop the violations. Russia is “on notice,” she said.

If Russia continues down the path to where they are capable of delivering, “at that point, we would then be looking at a capability to take out a missile that could hit any of our countries in Europe and hit America in Alaska,” Hutchison said.

The US is “not moving in that direction right now,” she said. Rather, the message to Russia is that “we know they have violated the treaty, and we are beginning the research capabilities that are allowed by the treaty to deter a medium-range ballistic missile.”

Bloomberg News

POMPEO TO VISIT NORTH KOREA WITH EYE ON SECOND TRUMP-KIM SUMMIT

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NITED States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will travel to Pyongyang on Sunday to meet with Kim Jong Un and prepare for a second summit between the North Korean leader and President Donald J. Trump. The State Department’s announcement of Pompeo’s trip confirmed what he promised last week—a visit soon to “make the final preparations” for another summit.

Pompeo, who would be making his fourth visit to the isolated country, is seeking a firmer commitment for Kim to give up his nuclear weapons.

Unlike Pompeo’s most recent visit in July, he will meet with Kim and not just his deputies, according to State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert. After the previous trip, the North Korean denounced US disarmament demands as “gangsterlike” and “cancerous.” Trump postponed a follow-up visit by Pompeo in August.

Trump and Kim held a first-ofits-kind summit in Singapore in June that generated tremendous attention, but only vague intentions from Kim to work toward denuclearization and peace on the Korean Peninsula. The US president, who wants to defend Republican control of Congress in November, has opened talks on a second meeting despite few concrete nuclear concessions from Kim.

Bloomberg News

Trump: Saudi king won’t last 2 weeks without US support

D

UBAI, United Arab Emirates— President Donald J. Trump says Saudi Arabia’s king “might not be there for two weeks” without US military support, further increasing his pressure on one of America’s closest Mideast allies over rising oil prices.

As crude oil prices reach a four-year high, Trump repeatedly has demanded the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) and Saudi Arabia, the world’s biggest oil exporter, push prices down. However, analysts are warning prices could go up to $100 a barrel as the world’s production is already stretched and Trump’s sanctions on Iran’s oil industry take effect in early-November.

Criticizing America’s longstanding military relationships with allies has been a hallmark of Trump’s presidential campaign and his time in office. Trump returned to that theme on Tuesday night in Southaven, Mississippi, mentioning both Japan and South Korea.

However, Trump’s comments on Saudi Arabia implied the kingdom’s Al Saud monarchy, which oversees the holiest sites in Islam, would collapse without American military support.

“We protect Saudi Arabia—would you say they’re rich?” Trump asked the cheering crowd. “And I love the king, King Salman, but I said, ‘King we’re protecting you. You might not be there for two weeks without us. You have to pay for your military, you have to pay.’”

Trump didn’t elaborate on when he made the comments to Saud Arabia’s 82-year-old monarch. Trump and King Salman last shared a reported telephone call on Saturday, in which they discussed “efforts to maintain supplies to ensure the stability of the oil market and ensure the growth of the global economy,” according to the state-run Saudi Press Agency.

There was no immediate reaction on Wednesday in Saudi Arabia to Trump’s remarks. Riyadh has worked to cultivate warm relations with Trump after having rocky moments with former President Barack Obama.

Saudi Arabia welcomed Trump for his first overseas trip as president. Trump’s administration, particularly his son-inlaw Jared Kushner, has sought a close relationship with King Salman’s son Mohammed bin Salman, the country’s crown price and next in line to the throne.

But oil prices seem to be getting in the way, especially as benchmark Brent crude oil is near $85 a barrel—a four-year high.

Trump in July tweeted without evidence that Saudi Arabia would increase its production “maybe up to 2,000,000 barrels” a day. Saudi Arabia currently produces some 10 million barrels of crude oil a day.

Its record is 10.72 million barrels a day.

Meanwhile, US gasoline prices are up ahead of November midterm elections in which Trump already faces political headwinds. The average price for a gallon of regular gasoline in the United States is $2.88, up from $2.55 a year ago, according to AAA. Trump criticized oil producers in his speech before the United Nations General Assembly last week.

“Opec and Opec nations are, as usual, ripping off the rest of the world, and I don’t like it. Nobody should like it,” he said. “We defend many of these nations for nothing, and then they take advantage of us by giving us high oil prices. Not good. We want them to stop raising prices. We want them to start lowering prices, and they must contribute substantially to military protection from now on.” AP

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TheBroa

Business

Thursday, October 4, 2018

Fourth Industrial Revolu A

By Elijah Felice Rosales | Reporter & Rizal Raoul Reyes | Contributor

S the fourth industrial revolution sweeps the West, pundits are antsy. Many are also worried local small businesses may only get charcoal bits from its promised gains and workers get burned.

Like its predecessor, this FIRe—as Jose Ramon Albert of the Philippine Institute for Development Studies coined—is beneficial for those who can tame its negative spasms. Such is the view of Carlos Korten, the Filipino-American founder and managing director of Pasig Hudson Consulting.

Korten told the BusinessMirror in an email interview that the original Industrial Revolution that clutched 18th-century England created unprecedented wealth for industrialists. Further, the University of Chicago economics graduate noted historians and economists will look back on this era and make parallels based on the transfer of wealth, influence and prestige.

If the Philippines plays with FIRe correctly, Korten said the basic benefit will be jobs and wealth creation. But more significantly, Korten believes FIRe will reshape society and ways in which people and institutions interact with each other.

Even Jose Enrique Africa of independent think tank IBON Foundation acknowledged the elements of FIRe—new technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning—seems exciting in the initial stage to the extent that they end tedious, repetitive and dangerous work.

Africa told the BusinessMirror the benefits to be derived from new technology, however, will be irrelevant if they cannot produce economic democratization.

“But if the benefits of current technology are not shared under prevailing economic arrangements, there is no reason to expect that the benefits of new technologies will be shared in the future,” the IBON Philippines managing director said.

Reduction

THE Employers Confederation of the Philippines (Ecop) shares Africa’s view. An Ecop official believes FIRe could sear the local business community and take a hit from the global economy’s transition to digitization.

Ecop Director General Jose Roland A. Moya said Philippine firms will see their competitiveness decline if they do not adapt to new technologies in the workplace.

“There is no doubt that Philippine employers are now feeling the impact of the fourth industrial revolution, with changing work environments and flexible work arrangements as one of the earliest manifestations. However, Philippine companies are having a hard time adapting these new technologies as evidenced by the country’s regional and global rank on firm level technology absorption,” Moya explained in a recent forum.

In the World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Index 2017-2018 edition, the Philippines ranked 83rd in terms of technological readiness among 137 economies. In detail, it placed 73rd in availability of latest technologies and 51st in firm level technology absorption.

This is proof of the country’s slow progress in keeping up with the changes brought about by the fourth industrial revolution, Moya explained. If this trend persists, he warned local firms could suffer

from loss of competitiveness.

He pointed to lack of resources, information and capability as leading factors for the lagging performance of Philippine firms in digitizing their operations.

“Inability to catch up with technological advancements can only lead to a decline in competitiveness due to untapped opportunities to maximize productivity,” Moya said. “This occurs both at the national and global levels, where firms not only lose to competitors within their countries who are able to adapt, but also within the context of the global supply chain.”

Employment

MOYA particularly has lamentations over the Duterte administration’s labor policies, particularly on contractualization, which employers view as inconsistent and ambiguous. He claimed it has been distracting firms from investing time and resources on upgrading their technologies.

“It is also important to note that these exponential changes in the business landscape [are] occurring simultaneously with the constant redefinition of labor standards and regulations within the country,” Moya said. “Although Ecop has never wavered in its promotion of compliance with at least minimum requirements of the law, the organization acknowledges that compliance is getting more difficult since labor regulations are getting more stringent.”

He explained that it is in this context that “the advent of the fourth industrial revolution presents another hurdle for the Philippine employer, despite the fact that new technologies can help counteract rising production costs in the long run.

“In some [Southeast Asian] countries for example, one key driver for robotic and automation deployment is increasing labor costs in the form of wage increases.”

Moya also argued that automation can maintain, if not improve, output of firms without increasing production cost.

Vitriol

AUTOMATION, a key feature of FIRe, is a double-edged sword for Moya.

“Firstly, low-skilled workers will be displaced in favor of automation, and, secondly, workers with new and specialized skills will be required to manage and operate these new technologies,” Moya said.

Moya cited the International Labor Organization (ILO) as having found that automation and robotics, three-dimensional printing and cloud coordination are the three technologies that are expected to fundamentally alter the business landscape of a few key industries in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) region.

“Automation and robotics not only enable higher productivity and output at lesser costs for the automotive, electronics and textile sectors, but also greatly reduce errors in output,” he said on September 4, citing the ILO as source.

“3D printing, partnered with new body-scanning technologies, on the other hand, allows for more exactness in design for the textile, clothing and footwear industries.”

According to Moya, these technologies are intended to perform routine functions typically done by low-skilled workers, which render them more vulnerable to job losses.

Again citing the ILO, Moya said over 81 percent of Filipino workers in the electronics sector are at high-risk displacement from automation.

“Displacement in the textiles, clothing and footwear sector, on the other hand, is gendered, because the industry predominantly employs women especially in lowskilled routine work.”

Outsourcing

FIRe is increasingly felt in the business-process outsourcing (BPO) industry as artificial intelligence (AI) technology ran its progressive course.

“AI and other technologies help companies address [a] change in customer behavior. AI allows us to ‘connect the dots’, by bringing together all customer touch points into one place for the customer service agent to then provide a more efficient and better level of service, armed with all customer data,” Sudhir Agarwal, CEO of Everise and C3/CustomerContactChannels, told the BusinessMirror. “It also allows us to automate many repetitive tasks that previously the customer service employee would undertake. This then leaves more time for higher-value, customerfacing work.”

WORKERS out on a break at a construction site in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig. NONIE REYES

Agarwal, however, believes technology will augment, not replace, human workers in the BPO industry.

“Not only will technology augment BPO employees, but it will usher in a demand for higher-value jobs, moving the sector and its millions of employees up the value chain,” he said. “With technology taking over many of the repeti-

tive, mundane tasks, employees can concentrate on what really matters—customer engagement, which leads to better customer service and outcomes.”

Africa, however, doesn’t believe so.

“New technologies that make workers even more replaceable will make this situation worse,” he said.

“Employers have in recent de-

cades also intensified their monitoring and control of workers’ actions and movements to optimize these for greater productivity and profit. New technologies will likely lead to even stricter employee monitoring and greater workplace stress for them.”

Laggard

THE benefits of FIRe to industries

aderLook ution: Are we there yet?

sMirror

Editor: Dennis D. Estopace | Thursday, October 4, 2018

corporations (TNCs) about what production arrangements are most profitable for them. Moreover, greater opening to foreign investment will mean that technologically advanced foreign capital will just dominate local education, research and development, and production systems even more,” he added.

KITTIPONG JIRASUKHANONT | DREAMSTIME.COM

Techniques

outside BPOs, however, remain a distant dream as Korten said the Philippines has historically remained a laggard in terms of adapting to new technologies and opportunities—“satisfied to consume constructs and norms developed in other nations.”

He warns that the country’s socioeconomic structures might create inequality when FIRe ultimately comes into the picture.

“In my view this is a new form of intellectual colonialism, where the Philippines has been satisfied to remain a passive consumer of global norms, rather than an independent and visionary force of its own,” Korten said.

“Can the Philippines find its own point of view and assert its prerogative to self-actualize?”

For Africa, the more important matter is who is going to control these technologies. To ensure a level playing field, the government will have an important role in ensuring that the country rides the new technological wave on terms beneficial to the economy and to the people.

“Left to its own devices, the market will not create real opportunities for the country. Take the case of outsourcing. The Internet is still widely hailed and credited with the BPO and call-center boom,” he said. “Yet this has only repressed the creativity and ingenuity of hundreds of thousands of our youth who have been incentiv-

BEFORE embarking on FIRe, Jose Enrique Africa of IBON Foundation said the government must first tackle the plight of the informal sector working in backward conditions with low pay, no or low benefits, and constant economic insecurity. NONIE REYES

ized to do routine and monotonous work as cheap labor for largely foreign companies.”

Utilitarian

AFRICA said the immediate problem of automation is the possible downward pressure on workers’ wages, benefits and job security as their leverage is diminished by their growing replaceability. The

hardest impact will be felt by the lowest skilled and hence relatively least productive workers. There will be more disruptions if the state gives in to the capitalists’ demands for more flexible labor and contractual work.

“This problem reaches its peak upon the eventual steady or sudden displacement of huge numbers of workers. They will not find

other work if domestic agriculture and Filipino industry have not progressed substantially by then and if we have not been able to correct the economy’s imbalanced serviceorientedness,” he said.

“The long-term problem is that those technologies will just morph global production lines to be even more footloose according to the decisions of foreign transnational

KORTEN said increasing budgets in research and development, especially by government, is not enough to spur growth. Moreover, he said investment should be targeted into sectors with strategic value to the country, to drive secondary benefits and promote spin-off value.

“Investment should also be coupled with public policies and regulatory guidelines designed to promote the adoption of these technologies and techniques into the fabric of the country,” he added.

“The leaders of the country need to actively promote risk taking and experimentation as a cultural ideal, to be prized and rewarded.”

Nevertheless, Africa pointed out that the real issue is that the government should develop domestic agriculture and build Filipino industry as well as ensure that the gains from growth are distributed evenly. “It is not about merely embracing the [FIRe].”

Africa said he sees nothing wrong with workers rebooting and retooling themselves to become more competitive to be more productive and drive economic and social progress.

“But here lies the rub in FIRe, because in the current circumstances workers are, precisely, expected to improve not for themselves or society but so that they will be profitable to hire by firms,” he said. “These trends more than ever highlight that the government has to take charge of the economy’s direction and not let it be overly influenced by what is acceptable or desired by foreign TNCs in their rational self-interested drive for profit maximization.”

Intervention

AFRICA believes the state has to take up the cudgels of the economy under FIRe. The government should set the direction of the economy, he said. Africa added that state actors shouldn’t be overly influenced by interests of foreign investors and transnational companies.

Korten, for his part, sees the role of the government as empowering.

It should encourage its thought leaders to advance the dialogue, create opportunities for domestic entrepreneurialism to find purely Filipino applications for these new technologies, he said. The state should invest in the development of these technologies and business practices to advance the strategic priorities of the country, Korten added.

“One of the greatest assets of the country is its young and hardworking labor force,” Korten said.

How this can be mobilized is the question.

But before embarking on FIRe, Africa said the government must first tackle the plight of the informal sector working in backward conditions with low pay, no or low benefits, and constant economic insecurity.

“Tens of millions aspire to regular decent work in the formal sector but such work is already under grave threat as it is,” he said. “Absent a real change in government policy with greater intervention in the economy, the new technologies will just exacerbate already very adverse trends in the labor market,” Africa said.

Observations

WITH the coming of FIRe, Africa warned the exacerbation of the unemployment problem. As it is, for instance, Africa said the expansion of the manufacturing sector is not

A5

resulting in a commensurate increase in manufacturing jobs.

IBON’s figures noted that the country’s manufacturing sector has been growing rapidly recently and expanded 61.8 percent between 2010 and 2017. Average annual growth of 7.6 percent in the 2010 to 2017 period is also well above the historical average of some 5 percent since 1950, the IBON figures revealed. But then manufacturing employment only grew by 14.8 percent between 2010 and 2017, indicating already quite capital-intensive production.

“The likely job displacement also occurs amid very weak labor protections in particular and social protection in general. Workers will be displaced without unemployment benefits while facing increasingly expensive education, health and housing,” Africa said. “New technology is always dazzling but there’s more than enough experience from past technological ‘revolutions’ to teach us to be more measured in our enthusiasm.”

IBON has a point in viewing FIRe with skepticism. Even after 50 years in the running, Africa lamented that the so-called Third Industrial Revolution in electronics, computers and the Internet has not really benefitted the Philippines as the highest technology production in the country is being dominated by foreign firms in import-dependent export enclaves largely disconnected from the rest of the economy. “Domestic science and technology is also stifled by increasingly stringent intellectual property rights restrictions,” Africa explained.

New paths

FOR Korten, the choice in how these technologies will be applied depends on the hands of a new generation of founding fathers that will be sourced from the current generation. He said this generation of leaders will craft the design paradigm for a new era, set the rules and practices, ideals, among others.

For his part, Moya is urging the government to invest in education focused on engineering, data analytics and information technology. This way, students are matched with the needs of firms once the country adjusts to the age of digitization.

“For workers’ employability, focus on engineering, data analytics and information technology must be heightened and further promoted,” Moya said.

“Emphasis must also be made on continuous learning, upskilling and reskilling in order to lessen as much as possible [the adverse impact of FIRe].”

For Africa, the real issue is that the government should develop domestic agriculture and build Filipino industry as well as ensure that the gains from growth are distributed evenly. “It is not about merely embracing the ‘Fourth Industrial Revolution’ but about advancing national development and upholding the people’s rights and welfare,” he pointed out.

At the same time, Africa said developing Filipinos’ capacity in the most advanced technologies must be pursued because indigenous technological progress is a vital element for sustained and sustainable national economic development. “We need to aim for agricultural modernization and especially to become a high-technology industrial power,” he said.

For IBON, economic democratization must be the core of the new economy to ensure that the gains from technological and economic progress are distributed better. Worker incomes have to be increased through higher wages and benefits. He added a genuine land distribution and support to agriculture will incentivize and enable higher farm productivity.

With additional reports

by Dennis D. Estopace

A6 Thursday, October 4, 2018 • Editor: Angel R. Calso

Opinion BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

editorial

Helping Filipino seafarers

T

HE Philippines has been the world’s chief supplier of seafarers since 1987. It is common to find Filipinos navigating and working in vessels in any part of the seas all over the world.

A study made by the Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) estimates the number of worldwide seafarers today at 1.5 million, with 358,898 of them being Filipinos, the “single biggest nationality bloc” in the global shipping industry.

Last year overseas Filipino seafarers (OFS) remitted more than $5.8 billion to the country through banks, remittances that are certainly a big boost to the Philippine economy.

Dr. Conrad F. Oca, president and chairman of the Associated Marine Officers’ and Seamen’s Union of the Philippines (AMOSUP), one of the largest seafarers’ unions in the world with more than 100,000 members, said Filipinos are the most preferred seafarers because they are better trained and proficient in English, they have the capacity to learn the latest mechanics and trends in their profession and they are quite amiable and can easily adapt to the various cultures of their foreign counterparts.

But in order for the country to constantly produce world-class and globally competitive seafarers, particularly deck and engine officers, the industry needs the government’s help.

That’s why we are glad to hear from Transportation Secretary Arthur P. Tugade that the government is pressing on with its campaign to persuade the European Maritime Safety Agency not to take out the country from a socalled white list, a possibility after Emsa ticked off last year several issues on the country’s standards of training, certification and watch keeping (STCW).

Emsa has been questioning the capability of the Philippines’s Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) to ensure enforcement of the STCW, or the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers, which sets minimum qualification standards for ship masters, officers and watch personnel.

Tugade said the local maritime sector is now fully compliant with the standards set by Emsa, a body that screens seafarers from different parts of the world who aspire to work with European flag vessels.

A growing number of Filipino sailors are being dispatched to Europe, especially to the United Kingdom, Germany, Norway, Greece and the Netherlands.

There are about 100,000 Filipino seafarers deployed in European flag vessels and their deployment would be compromised if the Philippines is removed from the white list.

Marina Administrator Leonardo B. Guerrero said: “We have already submitted our initial report. We intend to submit our compliance status this month, and by the end of October, we expect that somebody from Emsa will be contacting us for us to demonstrate the proof of evidence for compliance.”

Included in the measures initiated by Marina are the extensive review and revision of seven existing national provisions and the development of six training course packages, all of which, Guerrero said, “are ready for implementation.”

But will these be enough to secure that the Philippines won’t be removed from whitelisted countries? And what is the government’s backup plan in case of failure to pass the Emsa review? Perhaps there should be one that involves not only Marina but the Labor department, the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration, the seafarers unions, manning agencies and maritime schools.

Considered among the best seafarers in the world, Filipinos need not face the threat of being removed from the white list if only the government and industry stakeholders were diligently doing their duties.

The government should review the courses being offered to Filipino seafarers to meet STCW and Emsa requirements, to check if they are really up to standards, not just moneymaking schemes for maritime schools. It must help them meet the stricter rules and standards of the global maritime industry so that more of them could be deployed as engine and deck officers in international vessels and maintain the Filipinos’ status as the “most wanted” seafarers in the world.

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Stock Market 010: Charting the Future John Mangun

OUTSIDE THE BOX

F

ROM earliest recorded history, humans discovered that there were cycles and patterns that occurred naturally and that understanding these were beneficial. Melting snow gave way to warmer temperatures. Plants would begin to grow faster, leading to a period of hotter days.

Two things were obvious. We could not change the cycle and we had to understand and follow these patterns.

A child in winter might think the world was all snow and ice. In tropical climates, every child knows that there is a rainy and dry season. But an adult that lived through the cycle could say the rain would soon end.

The child might think that the adult could see the future.

Read these two quotations. “It’s pure pseudo-science. It has zero scientific validity. It’s something that was pulled out of thin air and promoted by ‘gurus’ in an attempt to give it credibility.” “It’s not

science. No one has shown that it can be used to predict the future.”

Which one refers to stock market technical analysis (TA) and which to modern astrology? To further confuse you, astrology has its gurus also.

We have this natural inclination to look for “scientific” formulas to solve our problems and give answers from making babies to raising the children we made. Every painter knows that mixing the pigment colors blue and yellow creates green. But what is the formula for painting the woman’s sad eyes in Pablo Picasso’s Femme aux Bras Croisés?

Almost every large city in the

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Lorenzo M. Lomibao Jr., Gerard S. Ramos Lyn B. Resurreccion, Efleda P. Campos Dennis D. Estopace

The Marcos Doctrine: Constitutional Authoritarianism

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ILIPINOS who have experienced the martial-law period up close would swear that life was better then than now. They remembered lawless anarchy to which democracy was reduced from the late-1960s onward until the declaration of martial law disrupted only briefly by the suspension of the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus from August 21, 1971 to January 12, 1972, bringing a sense of pleasant relief.

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coming up to Ayala Boulevard. There is a huge shopping center at that location. It is an access point from the equally huge Bonifacio Global City, and the road narrows going through a tunnel.

TA gives you a map of price levels at which sellers were no longer willing to sell and at which buyers were no longer willing to buy. Those are called support and resistance. No magic formula; just a map.

Under certain conditions and with perhaps a crack in the spacetime continuum, you could drive through Edsa at Ayala with your eyes closed at 180 kph. Likewise, sometimes sellers and buyers completely ignore support and resistance.

When driving to an unfamiliar place, a map is a valuable tool. TA can serve the same function in the stock market and I like both tools and am excellent at using them. But you have to know when to throw the map out the window and when to disregard what the charts are saying.

E-mail me at mangun@gmail.com. Visit my web site at www.mangunonmarkets.com. Follow me on Twitter @mangunonmarkets. PSE stock-market information and technical analysis tools provided by the COL Financial Group Inc.

Martial law, human rights and other stark issues

✝ Ambassador Antonio L. Cabangon Chua Publisher

world has a circumferential or ring road that circles the city or metropolis. Washington, D.C., has its Capital Beltway and in South Africa, it is the Johannesburg Ring Road.

In Metro Manila Epifanio de los Santos Avenue does not make a complete circle, the M25 or London Orbital Motorway is a 188-kilometer motorway that goes around Greater London, England. The Kölner Ringe in Cologne, Germany, is 6 kilometers long.

If you started driving on either of those ring roads, not knowing any better and not being the brightest light bulb on the Christmas tree, you might think that you were driving on an eternal highway. However, one look at a map of the city would reveal the highway pattern and that you were driving in a circle.

Contrary to most people’s perception, TA is not a scientific formula. It is a map of price movement.

There are at least 100 different “indicators” or formulas to interpret price movement to predict the future, and, in my opinion, they are mostly nonsense.

Look at a map of Edsa. If you know how to read a map, you can “predict” that there will be heavy traffic

Martial law, Philippine style, was a “smiling martial law,” swift, efficient and firm.—Time Magazine

F

Describing the period, American historian Lewis Gleeck Jr., agreed with US Embassy political counselor Francis Underhill that “the Philippines needs a strong man to get the country organized and moving again.”

He noted: “Significant evidence of the strength of the authoritarian tradition was that the introduction of martial law was accepted with relief by most of the public, and that it proved overwhelmingly popular in the beginning. Filipinos were

fed up with the chaos produced by ‘surplundering’ congressmen, corrupted media, venalities in the bureaucracy and crime in the streets.

An approving majority applauded his abolition of Congress and even the muzzling of the press.”

Before martial law, the dominance by the oligarchy through the control of politics, mass media and economic enterprises, was an outgrowth of the licentious “freedom” of our democracy. A lifestyle that was freewheeling, individualistic

and traditional was exploited by the affluent few to retain their prestige and power.

To them the great poverty of the masses was an outcome of laziness, illiteracy, mediocrity and hard luck, and the oligarchy would attribute its own abundance to hard work, efficiency, brains and destiny.

This gap, imposed by the oligarch, manifested itself in the chasm between ethnic and regional groups. Each maintained its own set of customs, beliefs, dialects, values and aspirations. National unity was a mere phrase—it would have no real meaning. An integrated nation would be a dream under the old society. It would be impossible.

And so the different ideological groups moved. Equipped with their wealth of experience, outside financing and knowing the ignorance of the masses, the communists exploited the people’s awakened political consciousness and harped on the revolution of rising expectations.

They promised lands for all, cheaper prices of goods, the destruction of the affluent, the diffusion of wealth and justice for all, especially the poor. Violently and stealthily, they waged their deadly battle in the power centers of the government apart from luring the farmers and fishermen with grandiose schemes of wealth for all.

The rightists moved fast too.

Oriented in the extremely licentious practice of libertarian methods, they plotted for the retention of the free enterprise system under which guise they retained their powers.

Radical students, too, embarked on their own program of violence with the intention of upsetting the entire system. But Marcos, Tupaz said, outsmarted them when he launched his own doctrine on the following principles: 1. The real revolution is democracy itself in the sense that democracy is a government based on the consent of the people and, therefore, is at the very heart of the goals and aspirations of the people.

But because such a government is responsible to the people, it must restrict certain practices of freedom so that it will no longer assume to licentiousness reminiscent of the old society.

2. It is imperative that the goals and mechanisms for democratic government derive their authority from the constitution. Constitutional authority is a condition sine qua non of the Marcos Doctrine. It is the hallmark of his methods, the legality of his processes, and is foisted to protect and strengthen democracy and not to confront or debase it.

3. The military must be used See “Arillo,” A7

Opinion BusinessMirror

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Marriage for keeps BBM’s electoral protest: Making sense out of nonsense Msgr. Sabino A. Vengco Jr.

Alálaong Bagá

Val A. Villanueva

Businesswise

T

here was never a tinge of doubt in my mind that Bongbong Marcos (BBM) would not take his vice presidential defeat to Leni Robredo in the May 2016 elections sitting down.

The vice presidency could be the culmination of his and the Marcos clan’s attempt at redemption after his despot father, dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr., was ousted in a peaceful People Power revolt in February 1986.

The Marcos family took advantage of the reconciliation initiatives of the late former President Corazon C. Aquino, searched for loopholes in the democratic space that the Cory government offered that Marcos Sr. strangled for 20 years, and began the quest to refurbish its image by way of revising that defining moment for freedomloving Filipinos.

BBM was comfortably leading the 2016 race in the early tabulation. Confident of a win, he slept like a baby the night before the final tallies were done.

Boy, did he get the shock of his life! By early morning, Leni had overtaken his lead, and finally won the race by a slim margin.

BBM refused to accede. His camp filed an electoral protest before the Supreme Court, sitting as the Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET). His main beef was that the Automated Election System has been tampered with, casting doubt on vote-counting machine supplier Smartmatic, and alleged that the Robredo camp had cheated him of victory.

One of the legal maneuvers that his legal team zeroed in was on the oval-shading threshold. The threshold refers to the minimum amount of shading adopted by the Commission on Elections for the voting machines to recognize an oval as a valid vote. BBM wanted the PET to reconsider the validation of a 25-percentage threshold.

Robredo’s camp earlier filed a motion urging PET to follow the Comelec’s Random Manual Audit Guidelines and Report, which stated that the threshold percentage in determining the validity of votes during the 2016 National and Local Elections was 25 percent and not 50 percent oval shading.

I find BBM’s technicality scheme ridiculous. Whether the shading is 10 percent or less, the intent of the voters was clearly to cast their lot on their preferred candidate. Why their votes have to be invalidated just because of shading issues elicits serious questions about how PET, now possibly without unceremoniously ousted Supreme Court Justice Maria Lourdes A. Sereno, will conduct the electoral protest.

In the first place, BBM’s protest is questionable. If he were indeed cheated, then all those who won during the 2016 election were cheated as well, owing to the nature of the automated election process.

While the vote-counting machines are not perfectly tamper-proof, any form of cheating presents an insoluble task. It requires enormous resources, manpower and precise timing. For one, every vote is logged and stored into the sealed machine at precinct level. This means that there is foundation for verification. Yes, the final results are ultimately taken from the information transmitted to the Consolidated Canvassing System (CCS), but if any erroneous or anomalous transmissions were detected, such a comparison can easily be done with the results stored in the transmission chain, from the National Board of Canvassers, Provincial Board of Canvassers and Municipal Board of Canvassers, all the way down to the information stored at the VCMs at precinct level.

And speaking of “erroneous or anomalous transmissions,” a timedelayed firewall prevents any other transmissions that are not sent within a set time interval. It would be extremely difficult to synchronize any unauthorized or altered transmissions with this system, because the system will only take specific transmissions from specific VCMs at specific times.

Any mismatch among these would be

immediately reported by the CCS. In the case of failed transmissions, the system protocol is to have the results manually transmitted. While this may seem like a window of opportunity for cheating, the results must still be transmitted by transporting the entire VCM itself via a computer authorized by the system that is also under the care of the Municipal Board of Canvassers.

In its recent decision, the PET unanimously set aside the 50-percent shading threshold that BBM sought. “The court herein resolves to partially grant the subject motion insofar as setting aside the use of 50-percent threshold in the revision proceedings,” the tribunal said in the resolution dated September 18.

The PET basically affirmed that it would be fair, and it would make most sense, to count votes the same way the VCMs were configured at the time of election. It would be against protocol to count the VP race differently, when all other votes for other positions were counted with a different threshold. To apply the BBM camp’s prayer to count those that have 50 percent shading would mean that all the other votes would have to be recounted the same way.

The PET also reminded that, through human eyes, it is the intent of the voter that is being checked, not the marking. So even if the marking is less than 25 percent, in a manual count, the threshold would not matter because the human counters will check for intent.

BBM’s campaign to discredit the Comelec and, by association, the technology provider, Smartmatic, has become quite the spectacle. Although BBM’s camp will doubtlessly keep on trying to find angles to “win” him the vice presidency, the key and verified thing to remember is this: the printed election returns (ERs)—all 2.7 million of them—match the results.

The automated system was designed to check for inconsistencies in every step: from the precinct level to the national canvassing level. Any discrepancies during the process would have easily been caught.

There also have been random manual audits done by the Philippine Statistics Authority at random precincts throughout the election. And in those audits, all results and ERs matched 99.96 percent, with the remaining 0.04 percent attributed to human error. Many issues, such as the alleged early transmissions (which were tests to ping the servers to merely check for communications), and altered source codes (which were done only to fix a problem in displaying “ñ” and “Ñ”), have been raised before to cast doubt on the reliability of the automated election results. Yet again, and more important, the fact remains that the ERs and the results match. That remains unchallenged.

Smartmatic VP of Global Sales Elie Moreno said that if there was any cheating done, like bribery, intimidation or any other form or ways to coerce voters, Smartmatic is not in any position to either confirm or deny these allegations.

But for issues of cheating within the voting system, Smartmatic is confident in the technology that they have provided.

Moreno also pointed out that his company finds it shocking that BBM is pinning everything on Smartmatic, when the company is just a technology provider. The contention is as preposterous as blaming Toyota Motor Corp. if a HiAce was used in an alleged kidnapping.

Smartmatic has produced electronic voting systems for many countries around the world, but it is only in the Philippines that the Venezuelan-owned multinational has experienced bearing the brunt of blame from politicians who could not and would not accept defeat.

For comments and suggestions, e-mail me at mvala.v@gmail.com

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he man-woman relationship is as old as humanity; it is a primordial dimension of life. In the world of faith, we see in its institution in marriage the hands of the Creator, but for many, what is experienced is a human convention much buffeted by the practice of divorce (Mark 10:2-16).

Moses said The debate about divorce has been going on since time immemorial within the Jewish-Christian tradition. Inasmuch as God created the world, everything in it must be in accord with the divine will. But when a marriage between a man and a woman appears to have reached a deadend, what is to do that is in harmony with one’s faith? During the time of Jesus, two schools of thought were vying for popular acceptance, both views accepting the termination in divorce of the marital union and just differing over the justifying reason.

The proponents of the stricter view were the ones challenging Jesus to show His color, but Jesus refused to be enmeshed in their polemical hairsplitting. Immediately aiming for the heart of the matter, He demanded to know the basis for their view: What

did Moses, a prophet, their lawgiver and interpreter of God’s will, say?

Moses said, in divorcing a wife, in whom you find something unacceptable, hand her a letter of divorce (Deuteronomy 24:1). Such a bill was for the protection of the woman; it made remarriage possible. Jesus knocked off this scriptural basis from underneath His antagonists: Moses commanded that such a letter of divorce be made, not because divorce is right, but because of the hardness of heart of the people who could not be restrained from dismissing wives and getting new ones. In the face of such unyielding “cardiac sclerosis,” damage control was all Moses could regulate.

Jesus said

HE did not only make a revealing background assessment of what Moses said. Jesus, as the prophet,

Thursday, October 4, 2018 A7

the ultimate spokesman of God, reconstituted the whole subject of marriage and divorce by rerooting it in God’s plan of creation. “From the beginning of creation” provides the much-needed perspective that had been lost in the din of crashing marriages, collapsing relationships and runaway urges.

“God made them male and female” (Genesis 1:27): The complementary difference of man and woman is divinely planned. Their mutual need for, and completion in, each other is their destiny, a primeval drive hard and ineluctable, deep and fulfilling. Further, it is the setting for another level of creation, the genesis of human divinization in sharing in and reflecting forth God’s love. The union of man and wife is a priority of creation to signify and symbolize (i.e., “sacramentalize”) the endless commitment, compassion and companionship of the Creator for the creatures. Just by creating us, God identified Himself irrevocably with us, no matter the fall and sin; now intended to be the icon of this unfathomable mystery of love is the no less mysterious search and passion of man and woman for each other.

“God created man in His image, in the divine image He created him, male and female He created them,” so that the union of man and wife is yet another creation, a definitive “oneness” with each other, whereby “the two of them become one body”

(Genesis 2:24), a sacrament of their oneness with their Creator. What a vocation from the very moment of creation! To tamper with it can only result in adultery, meaning something abominable and totally abhorrent to the Creator and selfdestructive to the creatures.

Alálaong bagá, in the joys and pains, challenges and opportunities of marriage, we have indeed to be like little children, to enter the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 18:3). It is not an accident that our gospel reading concludes with Jesus’ indignation that children were being rebuked for approaching him. Assured of welcome and understanding, forgiveness and help, husbands and wives need, and should be assisted, to approach Jesus. The kingdom of God truly belongs as well to those who, with childlike confidence, remain faithful to Jesus Christ amid difficulties and failures in the married life. The lasting union of man and wife can only be lived “out of reverence for Christ” (Ephesians 5:21), who personifies to us the sanctifying mystery of marriage in his normative commitment and love for the holy, but sinful, Church—a love that does not fold up before so much imperfection but transcends it.

Join me in meditating on the Word of God every Sunday, from 5 to 6 a.m. on DWIZ 882, or by audio streaming on www.dwiz882.com.

Job adjustments under the technology revolution: What will the tripartite social partners do?

call-center operations. There is clearly a need for the DTI and Peza to revisit the government-planned program of scaling up the country’s participation in the global value chains of the multinationals at a time when these multinationals are reducing worldwide the outsourcing of laborintensive industrial processes due to the FIR or technology revolution.

For example, Adidas has managed to bring back shoe manufacture to Germany and the United States through the magic of robotization.

There are, of course, new industries that are emerging under the FIR, such as the ride-hailing transport industry and the online freelancing business. The immediate problem, however, is how to maintain and grow jobs outside these new industries, meaning how to preserve jobs in the existing businesses and industrial establishments at home, export-oriented or not.

Whether the unions like it or not, the bigger and highly capitalized firms are likely to institute job-displacing technological innovations and work-adjustment measures because of business-survival requirements in an increasingly technology-driven market. These adjustment measures raise critical policy concerns, which the government and the tripartite social partners need to address.

First, how should the tripartite social partners deal with the dislocating impact of the technology revolution on business and employment, especially in industries that are most vulnerable to automation and robotization? Can they come up with a consensus or a social agreement on information sharing, consultation with all the stakeholders and on appropriate adjustment measures, for example, modernization measures that do not lead to job displacement?

Second, has the government developed, with the cooperation and support of its tripartite social partners, a concrete road map on how the Philippines shall survive and prosper in the digital era, specifically programs promoting job creation, social protection and education/skills development for all. There are some vague pronouncements on this coming from the DTI. But there are no such announcements from the national Tripartite Industrial Peace Council (TIPC).

On the other hand, there are no Labor Code provisions dealing with the rules for ICT-related or cyberbased work. For example, should Grab drivers be treated as “independent contractors” or employees? Who pays for their social security coverage under the SSS? Where are the metrics to measure and ensure fairness in

transactions related to online freelance work? How about fairness in the work loads or assignments given to those who work from home? Can the Grab drivers, online freelancers and all those working from home outside the formal building offices also enjoy the rights to form unions and bargain collectively?

Finally, at the macroeconomic level, are there programs for the excluded, especially the unbanked and the informals who have no access to the Internet? Without a vigorous affirmative program for the excluded, social and economic inequality in the Philippines, considered one of the worst in Asia Pacific per a World Bank study, is likely to deepen.

Study after study shows that technology modernization exacerbates inequality because technologybased industrial transformation usually leads not only to less workers being hired but also, because productivity—and profits—are doubled or multiplied, with the gains going mostly to the pockets of the investors themselves.

Clearly, the DOLE needs to convene the TIPC to address varied concerns under the FIR. The unions, in particular, have urgent tasks, such as understanding how the technology revolution is affecting jobs, industry by industry. They should be able to formulate alternative policies and programs on how to preserve and create jobs while society or industry is modernizing.

But, overall, the tripartite social partners should be able to sit down together to anticipate and discuss the unavoidable technology changes and, together, forge “strategic choices” in terms of business and work adjustments. Paging Secretary Bello of the DOLE and Secretary Lopez of the DTI!

awaken in us the spirit of social responsibility, national unity and historical consciousness. We must be a people proud of our heritage. We must be one and act as one.

6. Just as important as the change of our political, social and economic institutions is the change of our inner self—the moral regeneration of our people.

7. The equalization of opportunities, most especially for the disenfranchised poor, must be the end of the government.

8. The status quo must be

changed but it must be changed through constitutional processes and, where possible, without violence. The science and art of statesmanship must be utilized to its greatest skills possible so that not a single tank, not a single bullet, not a single grenade, need be employed to effect the advent of the new order. But whatever the new direction, it must be democratic, it must lift the masses, it must be with the people. The starting point should be the democratization of wealth and property, for the benefit of collective human ends.

9. The Civil Service should be reformed, the Judiciary overhauled, the out-of-school and the unemployed mobilized for military or civic duty. The private sector can be the action agent for welfare projects such as housing and hospitalization.

In essence, the Marcos Doctrine expressed itself in many ways unique to the Third World.

Dr. Rene E. Ofreneo

LABOREM EXERCENS Continued from A1

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he other reform proposal need not be legislated. It is a proposal for the tripartite social partners to develop a social contract or partnership on how industry and workers/unions should cooperate in managing work adjustments under the Fourth Industrial Revolution (FIR), referred to these days by industrial relations practitioners as “industry 4.0.” Like productivity, union-management cooperation does not work if imposed as a law. The old productivity gain-sharing law is a dead law. The parties themselves must learn to respect one another and build up the partnership through shared values and a purposeful sharing of gains and pains.

The FIR is a fusion of “cyberphysical systems.” It weds the capabilities of people and machines.

Thus, the rise of robots, artificial intelligence and machines. Inextricably, the FIR has been ushering in changes in the way business is managed, including the way work is organized. Most of the studies point to a dismal future: jobless growth, meaning less or reduced job hiring.

Example: robots are reducing the demand for electronics and auto parts assemblers. Similarly, “sew-bots” are replacing some of the shoe and garments workers, while “chat bots” are doing part of the usual interactive work done by call-center agents.

The dilemma for the Philippines is that its industrial production is greatly dependent on the “automatable” assembly of electronics, auto parts, garments and shoes, and the leading segment of its service sector, on the “automatable” ICT-enabled

Arillo . . .

continued from A6

efficiently but it must be subordinate to civilian authority.

4. Only a strong government can confront the divisive forces of the communists and rightists and diffuse their power. This government must rid itself of the graft and corrupt practices of the old.

5. The writings of our heroes, including Quezon and Mabini, must guide our thinking and actions, and

To be continued To reach the writer, e-mail cecilio.arillo@ gmail.com.

2nd Front Page BusinessMirror

A8 Thursday, October 4, 2018

Undervalued quarry output costing govt billions of pesos

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By Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas

@jearcalas

HE government’s failure to check an apparent misdeclaration by quarrying firms of the value of their limestone output may be causing it to lose billions of pesos in revenues, according to a mining engineer.

Engr. Graciano M. Calanog Jr. told the BusinessMirror that the sector is not closely monitored and regulated by the government.

“It’s not just millions, the government is losing billions [due to undervaluation]. There are about 19 cement plants in the country and most of them are [undervaluing] their limestone,” Calanog said.

Calanog claimed that quarry-

ing firms, such as Apo Land and Quarry Corp. (ALQC), are selling their limestone at a market price of P45 per metric ton (MT) or around P0.045 per kilogram (kg).

This, according to Calanog, is more than 10 times lower than the average P500-per-MT price of Bohol Limestone Corp. He added that the average price of limestone ranges from $8 to $10 per ton.

Calanog said the Department of

₧0.045 per kg

The price at which ALQC’s limestone was sold—way cheaper than a kilo of camote that is sold at P20 per kg.

Environment and Natural Resources-Mines and Geosciences Bureau (DENR-MGB) should issue guidelines overseeing limestone sales in the country to ensure that quarries pay the correct excise taxes.

Options proposed

TO address undervaluation, he urged the government to impose an excise tax based on the ratio of limestone to the cost of cement, benchmark the local limestone prices to the prevailing international value, and impose a 5-percent royalty fee on quarries.

“What the government can do is

to tax the firms based on the percentage share of limestone to the operating costs of cement manufacturers. For example, [if] limestone is 10 percent of the cost of cement, then that should be the excise tax,” he explained.

“Another option could be for the MGB to get the actual international price of limestone abroad and then benchmark the local prices to those values,” he added.

Citing data from the United States Geological Survey, the average price of crushed limestone in 2017 is around $11.45 per MT, which is more than P600 per MT and nowhere near ALQC’s P45 per MT, according to Calanog.

Calanog said the government should impose the 5-percent royalty fee if the prices of quarrying firms are really low, similar to what is being done to mining firms with mineral reservations.

See “Quarry output,” A2

‘BusinessMirror’ named PSA’s ‘Data Champion’

By Cai U. Ordinario

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@cuo_bm

HE BusinessMirror, the country’s leading business paper, made history on Tuesday as it bagged the first Data Champion award given by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

BusinessMirror reporter Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas also won for the newspaper its first Statistical Media Award for Print category. The article that won for him the award was titled “Government needs to increase its palay support price but by how much?” published on March 5.

Arcalas’s article was also part of the entries submitted by the BusinessMirror to qualify and eventually win the Data Champion award in its inaugural year.

“The PSA is pushing for the use of big data for official statistics to fill up [data] gaps. We want to promote this that’s why we decided to have this new award in the National Statistics Month,” National Statistician Lisa Grace Bersales said.

The PSA is also seeking to improve tourism statistics especially in light of the government’s thrust to boost tourist arrivals.

National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) Undersecretary Rosemarie G. Edillon noted that the increase in tourist arrivals could put pressure on the price of local commodities.

Exhibit 1: tourism data

BERSALES said this is the reason behind the PSA’s efforts to improve tourism data. While the agency has the Tourism Satellite Accounts, she recognized that there are other types of data that the PSA should collect.

The National Statistician said

Diokno. . .

Continued from A1

Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol, asserted however, that, with a small budget for agriculture, the farm sector cannot be expected to do well. Piñol quoted Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as saying she is “determined” to increase the DA’s budget by at least P10 billion to increase food output.

“Speaker Arroyo mentioned during the budget hearing that they are not happy with the P55 billion [budget] of the DA and they are working to increase that,” Piñol said in a news briefing on October 3.

Slower than expected

THE Philippine economy grew slower

www.businessmirror.com.ph

RULES FOR CURRENCY RISK PROTECTION SCHEME APPROVED

By Bianca Cuaresma @BcuaresmaBM

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HE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) on Wednesday announced the approval of the implementing guidelines of its Currency Risk Protection Program (CRPP) Facility.

Under Circular No. 1014, the monetary board set the final implementing guidelines for the recently reactivated facility.

The Central Bank in early-September announced that it is reopening the CRPP after the peso broke to trade into 12-year lows during the week.

The facility was first introduced as an aid to excessive foreign exchange swings during the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis.

In particular, the CRPP is a BSPoffered hedging facility through universal/commercial banks for clients seeking to hedge their borrowings denominated in foreign currency.

“The implementing guidelines set the mechanics, pricing, and requirements of the CRPP Facility. The availment process of the CRPP Facility has been rationalized to facilitate access to the same,” the BSP said in a statement.

The circular also provided for simplified documentation needed to support an application to access the Facility.

According to the BSP, this is in line with the BSP’s efforts to liberalize the foreign exchange market.

“Said documents need not be submitted to the BSP but shall be made available to the BSP during on-site examination or off-site verification, if necessary,” the BSP said.

Also, the BSP removed the daily reporting requirement on executed and preterminated CRPP contracts.

In exchange, the BSP said the new implementing guidelines now require universal and commercial banks to submit to the BSP a notarized certification and deed of undertaking stating that the bank’s CRPP transactions are in compliance with the regulation.

Corresponding sanctions have also been prescribed to promote adherence to the CRPP guidelines.

“Importantly, banks are expected to conduct the necessary client suitability assessment procedures, discuss the product information, and disclose the risks and costs associated with the non-deliverable FX forward transaction and the CRPP Facility with their clients,” the BSP said.

Former US senator and Navy Secretary Webb at Rotary Club

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THE BusinessMirror made history on Tuesday as the first Data Champion at the National Statistics Month Media Awards sponsored by the Philippine Statistics Authority. (From left) BusinessMirror Editor in Chief Lourdes M. Fernandez; Agriculture & Commodities Reporter Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas, who also won for the BusinessMirror its first award in the Statistical Media Reporting Print category; and Publisher T. Anthony C. Cabangon. NONIE REYES

there is a need for the PSA to gauge the sustainability of the Philippine tourism sector. She said this would better guide government policymakers and planners.

Measuring sustainable tourism means determining how the country’s resources fare against meeting the needs of tourists such as water, food, energy, and others.

“Three or four decades ago, tourism was for the affluent. Tourism is no longer for the wealthy, but for every Juan and Juana,” Bersales said. “We want to be able to give information for our policy-makers and planners to do

appropriate action to help us enjoy the Philippines more.”

Established in 2005, the BusinessMirror is a multiawarded leading national business daily that aims to provide a “broader look at today’s business.”

The newspaper was founded by the late Ambassador Antonio L. Cabangon-Chua, and is staffed by an interesting mix of veteran practitioners and young, spirited award-winning reporters—multimedia workers sharing a passion for excellent journalism. Arcalas has covered agriculture and commodities for the BusinessMirror

since August 8, 2016.

At only 22, Arcalas is regarded as the youngest reporter to be named the Best Agriculture Reporter of the Year and Best Agri-Beat Reporter at the 2017 Philippine Agricultural Journalists Inc.-San Miguel Corp.

Binhi Awards in March.

He also made history in the 11th Br ight Leaf Agr iculture Journalism Awards for being the first journalist to win two awards in the same year. Arcalas bagged the Best Agriculture Feature Story (National) of the year and Best Agriculture News Story (National) of the year in 2017.

than expected in the second quarter at 6 percent, with agriculture recording 0.2-percent growth. Meanwhile, first quarter GDP expanded by 6.6 percent.

This brought the average for the first half of the year at 6.3 percent, lower than the previous year’s 6.6 percent. Diokno said the national government has provided the Department of Agriculture (DA) enough resources to boost output and improve its performance. “ The major drawback of higher agricultural sector is the agrarian reform program. We have turned big land estates into small farms,” he said. “You don’t have the benefit of economies of scale…[which] is very important in agriculture. You need large farms, so you can mechanize, use modern seeds so to me that is the biggest drawback in agriculture.”

He also said that it would be wrong to assume that a bigger allocation for the agriculture sector would immediately translate to higher output.

The tight supply of agricultural products, such as rice, was tagged by economic managers as a major factor behind the surge in inflation.

Diokno said, however, he remains confident that inflation will taper off in the fourth quarter amid concerns over rising oil prices.

He said the government’s decision to remove nontariff barriers and streamline administrative procedures governing the importation of food items would help bring down prices. Because of the nonmonetary measures rolled out by the government, Diokno expressed confidence that inflation in the fourth quarter will be tamer.

The September inflation data will be

released on Friday. The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas earlier projected that the September inflation rate will accelerate to 6.8 percent but the Department of Finance said it would likely hit 6.4 percent.

Higher DA budget

ACCORDING to Piñol, “[Rep.] Joey Salceda, one of the economic confidants of Speaker Arroyo, told me that they’re expecting additional budget for the DA because they’re not happy with the P55 billion especially at a time like this when food prices [are high]. If the budget for agriculture is small then you can’t expect it to perform well.”

Piñol said he expects the DA’s budget for 2019 to increase by P20 billion, half of which would come from the conversion of the quantitative restriction on rice into tariffs.

FORMER United States senator and Emmy Award-winning journalist, filmmaker and author who once served as secretary of the Navy and assistant defense secretary will address the Rotary Club of Manila today (October 4) at its regular luncheon meeting—an event that organizers said is the first time a US senator will speak at any rotary club in the Philippines in its 100 years of existence.

Sen. James H. Webb Jr. represented Virginia for six years in the US Senate, where he served on the Foreign Relations, Armed Services, Veterans Affairs and Joint Economic committees, including four years as chairman of the Armed Services Subcommittee on Personnel, and of the Foreign Relations Subcommittee on East Asian and Pacific Affairs.

As legislator he guided to passage the Post 9/11 GI Bill, the most significant veterans’ legislation since World War II. Despite strong opposition by the Bush Administration and Republican leaders, Webb conceived and implemented a bipartisan approach and accomplished passage of the landmark legislation in

WEBB just 16 months.

He was also the leading voice in the US Congress in reforming America’s broken criminal justice system, and coauthored legislation that exposed $60 billion of waste, fraud and abuse in Iraq and Afghanistan wartime-support contracts.

The Atlantic Magazine once spotlighted him as one of the world’s “Brave Thinkers” for possessing “two things vanishingly rare in Congress: a conscience and spine.”

SBMA chief’s assurance: Subic cell-site friendly

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UBIC is cell-site friendly, according to Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman Wilma T. Eisma, noting that the coastal municipality does not have the kind of bureaucratic red tape that telecommunications companies figure into in other territories.

She said that telcos do not have a problem on building cell towers in Subic, given the reduced number of permits needed to build them, complemented by a one-stop shop that it has set up to facilitate the fast security of license and permit.

“Easily, three or a maximum of four permits for telcos. We also have one regulatory body, so we have a one-stop shop for permits,” Eisma said in the BusinessMirror Coffee Club held on Wednesday.

Competitors Globe Telecom Inc. and Smart Communications Inc. are one in saying that securing permits from local government units (LGUs) has long been a roadblock in setting up more infrastructure in the Philippines. Globe, in particular, said that on the average, it needs to secure 28 permits from some provincial governments before it could build a single cell site.

This resulted in the low cell site

density in the Philippines.

Based on a study made by TowerXchange, an independent community for operators, tower companies, investors and suppliers interested in emerging-market telecom towers, the Philippines lags behind its neighbors in Asia when it comes to cell-site build.

The number of unique physical cell sites in the Philippines is one of the lowest in Asia, with a combined 16,300 cell sites. Demand for cellular towers in the country is pegged at 70,000 sites.

China has the highest number with 1.18 million cell sites, followed

by India with 450,000 and Indonesia with 76,477 cell sites, while Vietnam has 55,000, Thailand with 52,483, Pakistan with 28,000, Bangladesh with 27,000 and Malaysia with 22,000 sites.

With 113 million mobile subscribers and only a combined total of 16,300 towers from PLDT Inc. and Globe servicing them, the Philippines has the lowest tower density score in Asia, with a meager 0.14 to Asia’s current giant China’s 1.43.

“It’s such a wrong strategy not to have connection now,” Eisma said.

“Everyone needs Internet connection.” Lorenz S. Marasigan

Companies BusinessMirror

Editor: Efleda P. Campos

Thursday, October 4, 2018

B1

‘Price bubbles’ seen in real-estate buying in PHL’s booming cities

By Manuel T. Cayon

D

@awimailbox Mindanao Bureau Chief

AVAO CITY—A price bubble is seen emerging in real-estate transactions in the country’s booming cities. A local economist has warned this may develop into a heating of local economies leading to pocket economic crisis.

“Prices of lands and other realestate properties are becoming runaway. Price bubbles are forming in this sector right now,” said Adrian Tamayo, formerly of the University of Mindanao’s research and survey unit, Institute of Popular Opinion, before he moved to the government’s socioeconomic planning unit for Mindanao, the Mindanao Development Authority.

He said the bubble could be as big as “100 percent,” or what he referred to as the price already at the level of speculation “that is several folds higher than the market price.”

“The negotiation price is much beyond the observed increase of land prices, which have ballooned to 50 percent or 75 percent than the publicly known rates,” he said.

“If you don’t control this one, skyrocketing prices are hurting the local economy," Tamayo said.

His warning followed a previous revelation by business leader, Ma. Lourdes G. Monteverde, currently the president of the Chamber of Real Estate and Builders Association (Creba) Inc., who said prices of commercial lands in many cities and capital towns in Mindanao have inceased by 75 percent on the average, with prices much higher in the downtown districts of major cities.

The BusinessMirror found out that in the Island Garden City of Samal, where Mayor Sara Duterte announced she was pursuing a bridge project, what used to sell at P100,000 per 100 square meter (sq m) residential area was now

P1 million, rising 1,000 percent.

Along its beach side, the price was 70 percent to 80 percent higher.

In the Dahican Beach, the “Boracay” of Davao Oriental in Mati City, the lots now sell at P10,000 to P12,000 per sq m from P1,000 and P1,500 per sq m only three years ago. Prices also rose by about 1,000 percent. In some towns, however, the increase was only about 20 percent to 50 percent.

Along the main street going to the city hall in Koronadal City, the capital of South Cotabato, the lots used to sell at P5,000 per sq m in 2017. Now it sells at P6,000 per sq m.

In General Santos City, some lots being sold at P10,000 per sq m two years ago now carried a purchase price of P12,000.

Here in Davao City, the northern suburb of Bajada, with a row of shopping malls, an area almost 1 hectare was then tagged at a price of P20,000 to P25,000 per sq m only five years ago. Now it is selling at P80,000 per sq m.

In the southern suburb of Bangkal, where a Jesuit-ran school was finishing the construction of its senior high-school campus in a 5-hectare area, the owner was selling it then at P10,000 to P12,000 per sq m. Right now, the surround-

Archipelago PHL Ferries gets loans from AUB, UCPB to build 4 new FastCat ferries

I

N line with its goal to bridge the country’s 7,000-plus islands through reliable vessels, Archipelago Philippine Ferries Corp.

(APFC), the shipping company that operates FastCat, received a $12.7-million funding from Asian United Bank (AUB) to finance the construction of two new ferries, and $13.28 million from United Coconut Planters Bank (UCPB) for the construction of two more new ferries.

The ceremonial signing was attended by executives and officers from AUB, UCPB, the ship builder Guandong Bonny Fair Heavy Industry Ltd. (Hong Kong) General Manager Wang Tao, and the ship design company Greenbay Marine Group (Singapore) Managing Director Raymond Toh. APFC aims to provide safe, fast, and convenient sea transport of goods and passengers by offering efficient vessels designed to withstand the country’s unpredictable weather conditions. With four new vessels

under way, FastCat opens additional routes that include Batangas to Marinduque, Lucena to Marinduque, Cebu to Masbate, Cebu to Leyte, and Mindoro to Palawan.

“We’d like to thank our partners for supporting and believing in us.

It gives us the assurance that what we’re doing is helping build a better Philippines, and helping our countrymen to have better options in moving people and goods all over the country without compromising safety,” FastCat CEO Christopher Pastrana said.

The upcoming four vessels are set to be improved iterations of the existing APFC’s fleet, which will have better amenities, such as reclining seats with food tray provisions, a snack bar, a toilet at the economy section, new design for better sea handling and passenger comfort, a special area for persons with disability at the main deck, environment-friendly engines and so much more.

“We find and support projects

that can impact the lives of people, as well as develop businesses that impact our goals, and the shareholders,” AUB Senior Vice President Andrew Yap said. “We celebrate the memories, partnerships and the future that we are helping to bring about. We thank you for that and we encourage everyone to do your best because this is really something worth the full effort.”

These initiatives are still part of the company’s modernization program to achieve its goal of “30 FastCats by 2020 vessels,” which APFC believes is a necessity for an archipelagic country like the Philippines.

“We are very proud to be part of this expansion program. This is the second time that we’re doing this [partnership]. We believe that this business is very important to the Philippine economy because [APFC will] connect provinces and make many businesses more efficient by cutting travel time,” UCPB President and CEO Higinio Macadaeg said.

IMI to invest ₧2B in its facilities in Serbia

By VG Cabuag

A

@villygc

YALA-LED Integrated Micro-Electronics Inc. (IMI) on Wednesday said it is spending €33 million (around P2.07 billion) for a period of 10 years in Serbia after opening its manufacturing facility in the eastern European country late last month.

The facility is located in the city of Niš and is expected to boost the manufacturing of electronic car components in the region and further develop the Serbian economy, contributing to that country’s competitiveness as an investment location, the company said.

“With IMI, we now open the doors to the future—the 21st century— and we are now part of the global

trends,” Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić said at the opening of the 14,000-square-meter factory.

“As a partner-of-choice in building technologies like sensing cameras, advanced driver-assistance systems, lighting, body-control modules, battery management and displays, IMI will be a significant contributor to the digital car of tomorrow,” IMI and AC Industrials CEO Arthur Tan said.

“This investment also forms part of the continuing effort of IMI and AC Industrials to assemble a global manufacturing platform capable of capitalizing on key megatrends, such as increasing electronics in vehicles, autonomous driving, the shift to electric power and shared mobility,” Tan said.

He said the new manufacturing site will be an extension of IMI Bulgaria.

IMI’s Serbian facility will be its 21st factory worldwide, and will complement production facilities in the Philippines, China, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Germany, Japan, Mexico, the United Kingdom and the United States. This is in addition to the production facilities of other AC Industrials companies in Germany, Thailand, the United States and the Philippines.

AC Industrials seeks to develop, commercialize and scale up businesses in industries, such as automotive, that are ready to be disrupted by the emerging megatrends of mobility, connectivity and smart energy.

ing areas are selling their lots for as much as P100,000.

“That’s what the public only knew of the current prices. But in the negotiations, the prices could still double,” Tamayo said, adding this may be used by scrupulous speculators to spike further the prices and keep investors discouraged.

Price bubbles were the indicators of global economic crisis, such as the Asian financial meltdown in 1997 and the global recession in 2008, and were directly related to the real-estate mortgage activities.

The skyrocketing price was primarily due to speculation among owners of the land, who were erstwhile known to be difficult to be persuaded to open up their spaces for locators of business-process outsourcing and some few manufacturing companies.

“They know that locators from outside are scrambling for any available space here in the city, not only because the President comes from here, but because movement

of businesses going to Davao City has been going on for several years already,” he said.

The Anvil Business Club, a group of Metro Manila-based young Filipino-Chinese businessmen, has also noticed the sharp improvement in the business climate, from the ease of doing business to actual business operations.

“We are amazed at how the roads have been widened to four and six lanes from the city to the production areas outside the city and across the island of Mindanao,” said a member with a manufacturing operation outside Manila.

Wilson Y. Lee Flores, chairman of the Anvil Business Club, said the club members would not like “to be left behind” in the exodus of economic activities down South.

Tamayo said the city could rein in its land-use ordinance.

“The key is in the managing of its Comprehensive Land Use Policy to stop the loss of potential lands for commercial and agriculture use,” he said.

SMC to convert clean-coal plants to biomass power facilities

S

AN Miguel Corp. (SMC) said on Wednesday its power unit will convert its clean-coal plants utilizing CFB (Circulating Fluidized Bed) technology to biomass power facilities.

Currently, SMC Global Power operates two new clean-coal power facilities in Limay, Bataan, and Malita, Davao. The capacity of each power plant is 600 megawatts and 300 MW, respectively.

These facilities utilize the CFB combustion technology. It is among the world’s most advanced pollution-mitigating technologies for power plants, yielding significantly lower emissions.

The emissions of these power plants are way below the limits set by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), and even the standards set by the World Bank.

SMC President Ramon Ang said SMC Global Power is looking to replace coal with rice husks as fuel for its CFB power plants to help boost farmers’ income while it transitions to renewable and sustainable energy generation.

“Instead of burning or dumping rice husks, we want to fully utilize this agricultural waste product both as energy source for our power plants and income source for our rice farmers,” Ang said.

He added: “This way, we reduce our emission further, encourage more farmers to increase rice production, make their lives better, and help address a perennial food-security challenge.” Lenie Lectura

B2

Companies BusinessMirror

Thursday, October 4, 2018

PSE STOCK QUOTATIONS

October 3, 2018

Net Foreign Stocks Bid Ask Open High Low Close Volume Value Trade (Peso) Buy (Sell) FINANCIALS

ASIA UNITED 58.5 58.6 59 59 58.5 58.6 23500 1376550 BDO UNIBANK 119.5 119.8 120.8 121 118.2 119.5 2486790 297706987 BANK PH ISLANDS 82.35 82.4 83.5 83.55 82 82.35 879510 72356916 CHINABANK 28.45 28.5 29.2 29.2 28.45 28.45 704800 20173890 EAST WEST BANK 12.5 12.56 12.58 12.62 12.5 12.56 371100 4647912 METROBANK 67.9 67.95 67.5 67.9 66.95 67.9 2704880 183344816 PB BANK 11.12 11.76 11.74 11.76 11.74 11.76 3000 35260 PHIL NATL BANK 43 43.8 43.4 44.2 43 43 2300 100580 PSBANK 80.1 86 86.5 86.5 78 79.05 930 76807 RCBC 25.45 25.7 25.5 25.9 25.45 25.7 44800 1148840 SECURITY BANK 146.2 147.5 150 152.5 145 146.2 1009500 148915393 UNION BANK 66 66.6 66.6 66.6 66 66.5 24200 1600420.5 BDO LEASING 2.56 2.57 2.54 2.56 2.5 2.56 33000 84400 COL FINANCIAL 16.08 16.1 16.18 16.18 16.08 16.08 80700 1299846 FERRONOUX HLDG 4.27 4.28 4.07 4.3 4.07 4.3 179000 749450 FILIPINO FUND 8.59 8.97 8.59 8.59 8.59 8.59 5400 46386 IREMIT 1.67 1.78 1.62 1.79 1.62 1.78 298000 510940 MEDCO HLDG 0.51 0.53 0.53 0.53 0.53 0.53 12000 6360 MANULIFE 825 848 806.5 830 806 830 870 712375 PHIL STOCK EXCH 185 188.8 190 190 185 185 2590 481056 SUN LIFE 1900 1920 1870 1940 1870 1900 920 1746550 VANTAGE 1.18 1.2 1.21 1.21 1.19 1.19 15000 18010

INDUSTRIAL ALSONS CONS 1.26 1.27 1.29 1.32 1.26 1.26 1775000 2251530 ABOITIZ POWER 33.5 33.95 34 34 33.4 33.95 1840400 61688410 BASIC ENERGY 0.217 0.224 0.224 0.224 0.216 0.217 1650000 359020 ENERGY DEVT 7.07 7.08 7.08 7.09 7.06 7.07 2585900 18305907 FIRST GEN 16.22 16.5 16.02 16.5 16 16.5 1028100 16718036 FIRST PHIL HLDG 63.5 64 64 64 63.45 64 43180 2745164.5 PHIL H2O 4.78 4.85 4.9 4.9 4.73 4.85 95000 455760 MERALCO 341.6 342 331.8 345 330 342 247850 83911522 MANILA WATER 24 24.6 25 25 24 24 249000 6043880 PETRON 8.57 8.67 8.6 8.69 8.5 8.67 2781400 23931851 PETROENERGY 4.15 4.21 4.19 4.25 4.15 4.15 40000 168460 PHINMA ENERGY 1 1.01 1 1 1 1 599000 599000 PHX PETROLEUM 10.8 10.88 10.96 10.96 10.78 10.8 21700 234476 PILIPINAS SHELL 53.15 53.4 53.85 53.85 53.15 53.4 238830 12765785 SPC POWER 5.48 5.5 5.6 5.68 5.5 5.5 99000 545853 AGRINURTURE 18.24 18.26 18.16 18.3 18.12 18.26 1310400 23845578 CNTRL AZUCARERA 17.24 17.6 18.34 18.34 17.6 17.6 3500 61674 CENTURY FOOD 13.5 13.52 13.2 13.52 13.2 13.5 1816700 24264452 DEL MONTE 7.2 7.47 7.48 7.49 7.4 7.4 19800 148060 DNL INDUS 9.68 9.69 9.9 9.9 9.55 9.68 15624200 151142469 EMPERADOR 7.03 7.04 7.09 7.09 7.02 7.04 1266700 8931832 SMC FOODANDBEV 98 98.15 99.45 99.5 97.2 98 400480 39263566.5 ALLIANCE SELECT 1 1.01 1.03 1.04 0.98 1.01 11370000 11448490 GINEBRA 27.75 27.8 29 29 27.5 27.75 56900 1578100 JOLLIBEE 249.8 250 252.2 255 248.8 250 913210 228700450 MACAY HLDG 11.52 12.48 12.5 12.5 12.5 12.5 10000 125000 MAXS GROUP 11.54 11.6 11.64 11.64 11.52 11.6 105900 1227536 MG HLDG 0.177 0.184 0.177 0.185 0.177 0.185 30000 5390 PEPSI COLA 1.8 1.83 1.81 1.85 1.8 1.8 89000 161760 SHAKEYS PIZZA 12 12.04 12 12.1 12 12 216100 2594412 ROXAS AND CO 2.4 2.42 2.46 2.51 2.42 2.42 1024000 2498810 RFM CORP 4.85 4.92 5 5 4.85 4.92 84200 412492 ROXAS HLDG 2.99 3.1 3.1 3.1 3.1 3.1 4000 12400 SWIFT FOODS 0.124 0.128 0.128 0.128 0.124 0.124 510000 63280 UNIV ROBINA 136 136.5 144 144 135.5 136 460780 63727098 VITARICH 1.98 1.99 2.06 2.08 1.98 1.98 9165000 18493210 VICTORIAS 2.43 2.45 2.45 2.45 2.45 2.45 10000 24500 CONCRETE A 66.8 69 67 67 67 67 130 8710 CONCRETE B 80.3 89.95 80.25 80.25 80.25 80.25 10 802.5 CEMEX HLDG 2.48 2.5 2.59 2.67 2.47 2.48 10153000 26067290 DAVINCI CAPITAL 2.33 4.5 4.5 4.5 4.5 4.5 6000 27000 EAGLE CEMENT 15.16 15.2 15.2 15.3 15.14 15.16 67500 1022432 EEI CORP 8.32 8.33 8.5 8.5 8.33 8.33 60300 505294 HOLCIM 6.77 6.8 6.81 6.81 6.77 6.78 255200 1,733,079( MEGAWIDE 15.2 15.22 15.98 16 15.2 15.22 1257000 19483584 PHINMA 9 9.16 9 9.16 9 9 85400 770040 TKC METALS 0.97 1 1 1 1 1 257000 257000 VULCAN INDL 2.14 2.15 2.17 2.25 2.13 2.14 12342000 27120700 CROWN ASIA 1.71 1.73 1.71 1.73 1.71 1.73 15000 25790 LMG CHEMICALS 4.82 4.96 4.82 4.82 4.82 4.82 25000 120500 PRYCE CORP 5.6 5.7 5.75 5.75 5.7 5.7 105300 602710 CONCEPCION 38 38.5 38.5 39 38.1 38.5 1356700 52215950 INTEGRATED MICR 12.56 12.6 12.4 13 12.38 12.56 913400 11497890 IONICS 1.89 1.9 1.85 1.92 1.85 1.9 684000 1288130 PANASONIC 5.58 6.34 6.37 6.37 6.34 6.34 1500 9520 SFA SEMICON 1.55 1.58 1.58 1.58 1.55 1.55 7000 11030 CIRTEK HLDG 33.55 33.9 33.8 34 33.75 33.9 485600 16453045

HOLDING & FRIMS ABACORE CAPITAL 0.42 0.425 0.43 0.435 0.42 0.42 9870000 4200600 ASIABEST GROUP 26.8 26.95 26.95 28 26.7 27 57000 1556780 AYALA CORP 910 925 910 925 901 925 235780 215208700 ABOITIZ EQUITY 47 47.9 48.25 48.25 46.15 47.9 1307800 61445755 ALLIANCE GLOBAL 12.12 12.14 12.48 12.48 12.06 12.14 3228000 39198776 ANSCOR 6.11 6.14 6.1 6.11 6.1 6.11 13000 79400 ATN HLDG A 1.3 1.31 1.3 1.33 1.3 1.31 6057000 7952420 ATN HLDG B 1.3 1.32 1.31 1.33 1.29 1.32 2266000 2972490 COSCO CAPITAL 5.84 5.87 5.9 5.98 5.8 5.84 1786700 10441858 DMCI HLDG 11.52 11.8 11.7 11.8 11.22 11.8 8208800 96464872 FILINVEST DEV 7.02 7.2 7 7 7 7 4900 34300 GT CAPITAL 798.5 800 815.5 815.5 797.5 800 124370 99422625 HOUSE OF INV 6.04 6.11 6.5 7.8 6.04 6.04 51300 329869 JG SUMMIT 51.5 52 53.8 53.8 51.5 51.5 1006660 52306806 LODESTAR 0.55 0.57 0.57 0.57 0.55 0.57 4000 2240 LOPEZ HLDG 4.37 4.39 4.49 4.49 4.33 4.39 416000 1812860 LT GROUP 14.62 14.88 15 15.2 14.4 14.62 5233600 77034048 MABUHAY HLDG 0.56 0.57 0.57 0.59 0.56 0.57 1573000 887950 METRO PAC INV 4.66 4.69 4.74 4.74 4.56 4.69 19715000 91802230 PACIFICA 0.038 0.039 0.04 0.04 0.038 0.038 2100000 80100 PRIME ORION 2.44 2.45 2.46 2.48 2.41 2.44 581000 1416390 PRIME MEDIA 1.21 1.24 1.21 1.26 1.21 1.24 289000 359050 SOLID GROUP 1.38 1.42 1.43 1.43 1.38 1.38 102000 141220 SM INVESTMENTS 871 875 881 882 870 875 455700 398613990 SAN MIGUEL CORP 169.5 170 173 173 169.8 170 251290 42921229 SOC RESOURCES 0.76 0.82 0.76 0.82 0.76 0.82 50000 40780 TOP FRONTIER 278 281 280 281 279 281 2030 567650 WELLEX INDUS 0.255 0.26 0.27 0.275 0.26 0.26 2960000 774750 ZEUS HLDG 0.19 0.2 0.214 0.215 0.214 0.215 200000 42900

PROPERTY ARTHALAND CORP 0.64 0.65 0.65 0.66 0.64 0.64 688000 445040 ANCHOR LAND 11.5 12 11.98 12 11.98 12 1700 20368 AYALA LAND 39.25 39.3 40.6 40.6 39 39.3 11436200 451009615 ARANETA PROP 2.05 2.06 2.06 2.06 2.06 2.06 20000 41200 BELLE CORP 2.44 2.45 2.41 2.49 2.39 2.44 1492000 3637430 A BROWN 0.83 0.84 0.88 0.88 0.84 0.84 963000 816300 CITYLAND DEVT 0.91 0.93 0.92 0.93 0.91 0.93 80000 72860 CROWN EQUITIES 0.221 0.232 0.235 0.235 0.221 0.232 1530000 341300 CEBU HLDG 5.27 5.37 5.25 5.29 5.25 5.27 160000 842920 CEB LANDMASTERS 4.31 4.34 4.34 4.4 4.34 4.34 37000 160640 CENTURY PROP 0.435 0.44 0.44 0.44 0.435 0.44 2270000 997600 DOUBLEDRAGON 19.26 19.34 19.2 19.5 19.2 19.26 262100 5050392 DM WENCESLAO 8.34 8.35 8.3 8.35 8.28 8.35 64400 537122 EMPIRE EAST 0.55 0.56 0.55 0.55 0.55 0.55 59000 32450 FILINVEST LAND 1.43 1.44 1.44 1.46 1.42 1.43 5035000 7264310 GLOBAL ESTATE 1.1 1.15 1.11 1.12 1.09 1.1 1213000 1338530 8990 HLDG 7.11 7.22 7.29 7.36 7.1 7.22 549800 3980067 IRC PROP 2.48 2.49 2.43 2.54 2.36 2.48 26198000 64,666,460( CITY AND LAND 0.93 0.94 0.94 0.94 0.94 0.94 100000 94000 MEGAWORLD 4.16 4.17 4.38 4.38 4.16 4.16 13088000 55141220 MRC ALLIED 0.62 0.63 0.62 0.64 0.62 0.62 28444000 17896710 PHIL ESTATES 0.44 0.445 0.455 0.455 0.44 0.445 750000 330600 PRIMEX CORP 3.86 3.99 3.98 4 3.85 3.99 798000 3134390 ROBINSONS LAND 19.9 20 20.25 20.25 19.6 20 864600 17213151 ROCKWELL 1.93 1.94 1.95 1.99 1.9 1.93 156000 304450 SHANG PROP 3.17 3.19 3.2 3.2 3.19 3.19 38000 121290 STA LUCIA LAND 1.09 1.11 1.17 1.17 1.1 1.11 4580000 5091980 SM PRIME HLDG 33.85 33.9 35.4 35.4 33.5 33.85 19400400 663366435 STARMALLS 6.35 6.45 6.6 6.6 6.35 6.45 223400 1437792 SUNTRUST HOME 0.75 0.78 0.75 0.75 0.75 0.75 48000 36000 VISTA LAND 5.98 6 6.05 6.09 5.98 6 1722900 10360365

SERVICES ABS CBN 21.75 21.8 21.8 22.1 21.5 21.75 19800 431655 GMA NETWORK 5.32 5.37 5.36 5.37 5.32 5.37 112400 600572 GLOBE TELECOM 2174 2200 2200 2208 2160 2200 34745 76365890 PLDT 1388 1399 1409 1409 1380 1399 45080 62782900 APOLLO GLOBAL 0.042 0.044 0.041 0.044 0.04 0.044 15400000 616500 DFNN INC 8.42 8.7 8.4 8.4 8.4 8.4 12100 101640 IMPERIAL 1.95 2.08 1.95 2.08 1.95 2.08 15000 29380 ISLAND INFO 0.115 0.116 0.116 0.116 0.116 0.116 290000 33640 ISM COMM 2.42 2.45 2.47 2.47 2.3 2.45 6814000 16230930 JACKSTONES 3.17 3.35 3.35 3.38 3.19 3.36 52000 169890 NOW CORP 7.4 7.45 7.24 7.47 7.23 7.4 1557600 11423005 TRANSPACIFIC BR 0.57 0.58 0.57 0.58 0.56 0.58 25384000 14528170 PHILWEB 4.21 4.26 4.3 4.3 4.16 4.27 362000 1527500 2GO GROUP 10.9 11 11.2 11.2 10.9 11 10900 120010 CEBU AIR 67 67.15 66.1 67.85 66.1 67.15 306630 20395341.5 CHELSEA 5.46 5.5 5.52 5.53 5.46 5.5 626800 3442221 INTL CONTAINER 91.8 94.15 92 94.65 90.6 94.15 562700 52025247.5 LBC EXPRESS 14.2 14.5 14.2 14.2 14.2 14.2 200 2840 LORENZO SHIPPNG 0.92 0.95 0.95 0.95 0.95 0.95 1000 950 MACROASIA 16.2 16.24 16.2 16.66 15.98 16.2 1239100 20049382 METROALLIANCE A 1.49 1.5 1.54 1.54 1.44 1.5 31000 45670 METROALLIANCE B 1.4 1.55 1.55 1.65 1.55 1.65 19000 29550 PAL HLDG 8.27 8.67 8.67 8.67 8.67 8.67 2000 17340 HARBOR STAR 2.69 2.7 2.75 2.82 2.7 2.7 1458000 4033580 ACESITE HOTEL 1.4 1.43 1.43 1.43 1.43 1.43 5000 7150 BOULEVARD HLDG 0.063 0.064 0.063 0.064 0.061 0.063 21360000 1340640 WATERFRONT 0.66 0.67 0.68 0.69 0.65 0.67 2054000 1363500 CENTRO ESCOLAR 8 8.29 8.15 8.15 8.15 8.15 100 815 IPEOPLE 12.24 12.62 13.2 14.8 12.12 12.24 167300 2251668 STI HLDG 0.9 0.91 0.9 0.95 0.89 0.91 24450000 22599690 BERJAYA 1.88 1.89 1.96 1.97 1.89 1.89 4798000 9144530 BLOOMBERRY 8.2 8.23 8.4 8.4 8.1 8.2 9677900 79200403 PACIFIC ONLINE 10.7 11 11 11 11 11 2000 22000 LEISURE AND RES 3.61 3.64 3.66 3.66 3.61 3.64 426000 1547980 MANILA JOCKEY 5.59 5.6 5.84 5.91 5.6 5.6 375900 2177723 MELCO RESORTS 7.02 7.04 7.01 7.14 7 7.02 8461900 59444119 PREMIUM LEISURE 0.85 0.86 0.85 0.86 0.84 0.85 4188000 3550570 TRAVELLERS 5.19 5.2 5.18 5.2 5.16 5.19 1859500 9645122 METRO RETAIL 2.38 2.4 2.4 2.4 2.39 2.4 145000 347790 PUREGOLD 43 43.15 44.5 45 42.55 43.15 1666800 71986925 ROBINSONS RTL 80.65 81.8 79.8 81.8 79.3 81.8 702120 56256028 PHIL SEVEN CORP 99.2 99.5 99 100 99 99.5 145920 14446858 SSI GROUP 2.23 2.25 2.22 2.27 2.22 2.23 5526000 12376320 WILCON DEPOT 10.6 10.88 11.08 11.08 10.54 10.6 5866600 63642236 APC GROUP 0.465 0.475 0.475 0.48 0.465 0.475 970000 456250 EASYCALL 22.45 22.5 22.95 22.95 22.5 22.5 35400 799520 GOLDEN BRIA 301.4 312.8 310 313 303 312.8 7450 2302676 IPM HLDG 7.7 7.79 7.75 7.75 7.75 7.75 5000 38750 PAXYS 3.04 3.29 3.05 3.3 3.04 3.3 35000 106680 PRMIERE HORIZON 0.37 0.375 0.375 0.375 0.37 0.37 500000 186750 SBS PHIL CORP 7.45 7.5 7.8 7.8 7.5 7.5 294100 2225182

MINING & OIL ATOK 16.42 18.4 18.4 18.4 18.4 18.4 100 1840 APEX MINING 1.46 1.48 1.47 1.5 1.45 1.48 2302000 3370130 ABRA MINING 0.0023 0.0024 0.0023 0.0025 0.0023 0.0024 319000000 772300 ATLAS MINING 2.95 3 3.01 3.01 2.95 3 208000 624240 COAL ASIA HLDG 0.29 0.3 0.295 0.295 0.295 0.295 100000 29500 CENTURY PEAK 1.93 1.94 1.93 1.93 1.92 1.93 194000 373700 DIZON MINES 7.14 7.17 7.16 7.2 7.15 7.16 3500 25178 FERRONICKEL 1.83 1.85 1.85 1.85 1.8 1.85 924000 1691460 GEOGRACE 0.205 0.206 0.206 0.208 0.205 0.206 100000 20610 LEPANTO A 0.109 0.114 0.109 0.109 0.109 0.109 570000 62130 LEPANTO B 0.113 0.115 0.111 0.115 0.111 0.115 600000 66640 MANILA MINING A 0.007 0.0077 0.007 0.0071 0.007 0.007 37000000 260000 MARCVENTURES 1.23 1.25 1.23 1.25 1.23 1.25 13000 16150 NIHAO 1.1 1.14 1.15 1.18 1.1 1.14 35000 40520 NICKEL ASIA 4.33 4.36 4.3 4.39 4.3 4.35 449000 1937770 OMICO CORP 0.67 0.68 0.68 0.68 0.66 0.68 173000 117350 ORNTL PENINSULA 1.12 1.13 1.12 1.15 1.12 1.12 438000 494040 PX MINING 3.28 3.3 3.31 3.34 3.28 3.28 917000 3028500 SEMIRARA MINING 24.5 24.65 26 26.15 24.45 24.5 2611800 65015940 ORNTL PETROL A 0.013 0.014 0.013 0.014 0.013 0.014 34000000 442600 PHILODRILL 0.012 0.013 0.012 0.012 0.012 0.012 61800000 741600 PHINMA PETRO 3.5 3.55 3.45 3.59 3.45 3.55 44000 153140 PXP ENERGY 16.12 16.14 15.82 16.32 15.58 16.12 4760600 76582168

PREFFERED

HOUSE PREF A AC PREF B1 AC PREF B2 DD PREF SMC FB PREF 2 FGEN PREF G FPH PREF C GLO PREF P GTCAP PREF A LR PREF MWIDE PREF PNX PREF 3B PCOR PREF 2B SMC PREF 2B SMC PREF 2C SMC PREF 2D SMC PREF 2E SMC PREF 2F SMC PREF 2H SMC PREF 2I

95.2 481 491 99 981 101 461 490 905 1.02 100 102.2 1020 75.05 76 72.25 73.3 74.9 73.1 72.75

PHIL. DEPOSITARY RECEIPTS ABS HLDG PDR GMA HLDG PDR

18.8 5.11 2.31

SMALL & MEDIUM ENTERPRISES

ITALPINAS 5.33 MAKATI FINANCE 1.65 XURPAS 2.31

107

5355 -9629065 -6373380 -9102264 79400 434350 1103095 26031240 9800 -40865340 -18560788 -538930 4645442 24640 -4126960 -123420 533290 -2815957 -2650 54600 -51901360 -37080 141930 -86800 -4400 -1486950 4183220 -264284 2,775,210.0002) -18001430 -100800 -39610 -5691987 54200 -98890 -292732405 -329060 -8704619 37177730 -2551735 -0 211590 -14820 -95760 175269.9999 16500 10636488.5002 5500 5200900.5 665237.9997 -299620 -66150 -290660 -4333170 90310 -12654493 -237920 -1249523 -48733941 -797520 -15570 14420 6562880 8954320.5 -51980 2853720 13145802 -1693436 -413628 146000 -35960 -25090 -247690 -65490 -1100 -540350 -522330 -37884495 13325298

95.5 485 495 99.9 995 101.1 480 490 906 1.04 103.5 103.1 1040 75.5 78.1 75 75.45 75 75 75

95.5 485 495 100 1000 101.1 480 490 906 1.04 103.5 103.1 1040 75.5 78.1 75.25 75.45 75 75 75

95.4 485 495 99.9 995 101 480 490 905 1.04 103.5 103 1040 75.05 76.1 74.5 75 74.95 73.7 73.45

95.5 485 495 100 1000 101 480 490 905 1.04 103.5 103 1040 75.05 76.1 75 75 75 75 75

890 1690 340 25900 2620 2000 1000 10000 4110 16000 30 180 105 2370 66480 108410 47200 3690 119600 95840

84976.5 819650 168300 2588708 2614110 202010 480000 4900000 3719660 16640 3105 18548 109200 178125 5095727 8123750 3542925 276675 8935100 7169200

-1258248.5 -

20.6 5.13

19 5.13

19 5.13

18.8 5.13

18.8 5.13

50600 81600

956972 418608

-956972 -418608

2.38

2.37

2.39

2.3

2.37

94000

220210

-116710

5.34 2.85 2.32

5.28 - 2.25

5.45 - 2.39

5.28 - 2.25

5.33 - 2.31

921600 - 2740000

4945301 - 6376200

3847 -356550

EXHANGE TRADE FUNDS FIRST METRO ETF

-459520 9395870 -733662 -1363756 -206312 44911888 885785 17128331 3307743 1683 5093832 22155528 -9436365 -304596 7271326.5 -100430 -13406142 -736460 -45570 -922506 103364.9997 974802 -7345560 -9223240 -147060 1,242,360.9997) -12598534 63700 10320 -57000 -2138650 5492618 -231360 -979385

96 485 502 99.9 1000 103 - 495 969.5 1.04 101 109.7 1044 75.5 77 75 75 75 75 75

WARRANTS LR WARRANT

1361904 40841808 -20819117.5 -7372670 -1562746 19484450.5 9080 -577710 -57481870 -151968 5040 -

107.5

108.2

108.2

107

107

33710

3630874

-

www.businessmirror.com.ph

UK firm Vodafone interested to become third telco player

B

By Bernadette D. Nicolas

@BNicolasBM

RITISH telecom giant Vodafone “appeared to be interested” in becoming the country’s third telco player in the country, Budget Secretary Benjamin E. Diokno said on Wednesday.

Diokno noted that he, Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto M. Pernia and Trade Secretary Ramon M. Lopez met with Vodafone officials when they were in London, the United Kingdom, to attend the Philippine Economic Briefing from September 24 to 28.

“We went to their headquarters, and we had a discussion of our interest to introduce the third party in a duopolistic market, and so they raised serious questions,” he told reporters.

However, Diokno quickly clarified that there is still no categorical expression of interest from Voda-

fone, but noted the company wants to “come in a big way.”

“They can join with someone else or maybe they can participate in the selection of the new major player,” he added.

Diokno also said they told Vodafone there is a pending measure to amend the country’s Foreign Investment Negative List (FINL), allowing up to 100-percent foreign ownership in Internet business.

The 11th FINL has already been submitted to the to the Palace and is already up for President Duterte’s signature.

With Vodafone’s capacity and abil-

EVWealth eyes fleet mgt program for Boracay

By Jun N. Aguirre Correspondent

B

ORACAY ISLAND, Malay, Aklan—EVWealth Inc. is eyeing to establish a fleet-management program of Electronic Tricycles (e-trikes) in this resort island.

Hernando Esquivel, EVWealth general manager, said they are partnering with the Department of Energy in this endeavor. The DOE is reportedly eyeing to give 200 units of e-trikes to Boracay under a conditional donation scheme.

Esquivel presented the program during the regular weekly council

session of the Sanguniang Bayan of Malay on Tuesday.

“Under the scheme, each driver should pay P649 a day for three years to be under the fleet-management program. The fee includes provision of spare parts, passenger-hailing program and installation of battery charges in their residences, among others,” he said.

“E-trikes could boost the drivers’ income in Boracay, since it is cheaper to use compared to traditional tricycles using gasoline. Based on our computation, drivers would only spend P30 pesos worth of fuel compared to the P70 per liter of gasoline,” he said.

SMART TRAVEL SALE FAIR 2018 P.L.D.T. Global Corp. has partnered with events management company AFTPH Corp. to stage the Smart Travel Sale Fair at the World Trade Center, Pasay City from October 12 to 14. The event gathers airlines, travel agencies, hotels and resorts, and tour operators to offer some of the biggest travel deals and discounts, as well as special perks and treats for Smart Prepaid and Smart Postpaid customers booking their local and international getaways. Present during the deal signing are (from left): Vincent Bryan Co, AFTPH Corp. managing partner; Nicole Go-Cedenio, AFTPH Corp. marketing director; Katrina Luna-Abelarde, FVP and group head of International Roaming and Carrier Business for PLDT and Smart; and Alice Ramos, VP and department head of International Roaming and Carrier Business for Smart.

briefs

Double Dragon ramps up devt of flagship project in Pasay

DOUBLE Dragon Properties Corp. on Wednesday said it topped off its sixth office tower in its flagship development in Pasay, which it will turn over to its tenants by the end of the year. The company said it held a ceremony for the Double Dragon Center West, which is part of its DD Meridian Park complex. VG Cabuag

Energy boss lauds Solar Para Sa Bayan

Energy Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi said the entry of a private company to provide electricity to unserved and underserved areas, which should have been done by electric cooperatives, is “a positive, disruptive activity.” He said Solar Para sa Bayan is a positive disruptive activity. The company is seeking a legislative nationwide franchise to construct, install, establish, operate and maintain distributable power technologies and minigrid systems throughout the Philippines. Lenie Lectura

ity, Diokno also did not rule out that Vodafone will still be able to come in time for the selection of the third telco player by December. On Tuesday the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) said the deadline for the submission and opening of bids is on November 7.

After the memorandum circular on the selection process becomes effective on October 6, the invitation to bid will be held on October 7 while prospective bidders can purchase bidding documents on October 8.

Based on the memorandum circular released by the DICT, the third telco player will be selected based on its highest committed level of service or its financial and technical capability

mutual funds

to efficiently deliver communication services to the public. The selection criteria include national population coverage, capital and operating expenditures, and minimum average broadband speed.

Some companies who have expressed interest to join the bidding are Philippine Telegraph and Telephone Co., Now Corp., Converge ICT Solutions, TransPacific Broadband Group International Inc. and Easy Call Communications Philippines.

As for the foreign investors, those who have expressed interest include China Telecom, Surya Telecom of India, LG Uplus Corp. of South Korea, KDDI Corp. of Japan and Viettel Group of Vietnam.

October 3, 2018

NAV One Year Three Year Five Year Y-T-D per share Return* Return Stock Funds ALFM Growth Fund, Inc * 245.81 -13% -0.17% 1.31% -16.16% ATRAM Alpha Opportunity Fund, Inc.* 1.3933 -14.54% 4.79% 2.38% -12.74% ATRAM Philippine Equity Opportunity Fund, Inc.* 3.8229 -13.33% 1.3% 0.27% -16.76% Climbs Share Capital Equity Investment Fund Corp.* 0.8754 -13.03% n.a. n.a. -13.92% First Metro Consumer Fund on MSCI Phils. IMI, Inc. * ********* 0.8078 n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a.

First Metro Save and Learn Equity Fund,Inc.* 5.1142 -10.76% -1.18% 0.67% -14.95% MBG Equity Investment Fund, Inc. * ****** 116.72 n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a.

One Wealthy Nation Fund, Inc.* 0.8151 -16.42% n.a. n.a. -17.89% PAMI Equity Index Fund, Inc.* 47.8017 -11.53% 0.86% n.a. -15.23% Philam Strategic Growth Fund, Inc.* 497.2 -12.7% -0.55% 0.04% -15.51% Philequity Dividend Yield Fund, Inc.* 1.2243 -9.74% 1.26% n.a. -12.82% Philequity Fund, Inc.* 35.6625 -9.25% 1.82% 3.16% -13.22% Philequity PSE Index Fund Inc.* 4.8058 -11.45% 1.56% 3.23% -15.3% Philippine Stock Index Fund Corp.* 802.08 -11.43% 1.33% 2.97% -15.19% Soldivo Strategic Growth Fund, Inc. * 0.8299 -11.31% -1.09% n.a. -14.19% Sun Life Prosperity Philippine Equity Fund, Inc.* 3.958 -10.13% 1.16% 1.7% -13.58% Sun Life Prosperity Philippine Stock Index Fund, Inc.* 0.9253 -11.68% 1.39% n.a. -15.37% United Fund, Inc.* 3.3984 -8.09% 2.37% 1.48% -12.73% Exchange Traded Fund First Metro Phil. Equity Exchange Traded Fund, Inc.* *** 107.2731 -10.93% 2.55% n.a. -14.83% ATRAM AsiaPlus Equity Fund, Inc.** $1.0169 -2.02% 5.74% 1.33% -8.25% Sun Life Prosperity World Voyager Fund, Inc.* $1.3053 9.36% n.a. n.a. 3.17% Balanced Funds Primarily invested in Peso securities ATRAM Dynamic Allocation Fund, Inc.* 1.6257 -10.53% -2.74% -1.64% -12.76% ATRAM Philippine Balanced Fund, Inc.* 2.1764 -9.33% 0.37% 0.47% -11.42% First Metro Save and Learn Balanced Fund Inc.* 2.4891 -7.82% -2.78% -2.24% -10.14% Grepalife Balanced Fund Corporation* **** 1.2923 -9.63% n.a. n.a. -11.18% NCM Mutual Fund of the Phils., Inc* 1.8093 -6.51% 0.4% 0.5% -9.19% PAMI Horizon Fund, Inc.* 3.4375 -10.6% -1.39% -0.63% -12.27% Philam Fund, Inc.* 15.4317 -10.68% -1.36% -0.65% -12.11% Solidaritas Fund, Inc.* ******** 2.0278 -7.8% 0.28% 1.96% -9.56% Sun Life of Canada Prosperity Balanced Fund, Inc.* 3.5935 -7.67% -0.17% 0.55% -10.08% Sun Life Prosperity Dynamic Fund, Inc.* 0.917 -7.63% -0.44% n.a. -10.12% Primarily invested in foreign currency securities Cocolife Dollar Fund Builder, Inc.* $0.03506 -2.64% -0.01% 2.21% -2.88% PAMI Asia Balanced Fund, Inc.* $0.9851 -2.18% 4.42% -0.27% -5.91% Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Advantage Fund, Inc.* $3.6871 5.4% 6.89% 3.75% 0.95% Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Wellspring Fund, Inc.* $1.0955 0.64% n.a. n.a. -1.5% Bond Funds Primarily invested in Peso securities ALFM Peso Bond Fund, Inc.* 341.54 1.49% 1.78% 1.74% 1.31% ATRAM Corporate Bond Fund, Inc.* ******* 1.8578 -2.5% -1.1% -0.23% -1.82% Cocolife Fixed Income Fund, Inc.* 2.9364 5.53% 5.31% 5.35% 4.05% Ekklesia Mutual Fund Inc.* 2.1188 -0.16% 1.04% 1.09% 0.79% First Metro Save and Learn Fixed Income Fund,Inc.* 2.2158 -0.09% -0.01% 0.4% -0.02% Grepalife Fixed Income Fund Corp.* P 1.5755 -2.23% -1.51% -1.35% -2.11% Philam Bond Fund, Inc.* 3.8147 -7.03% -1.97% -0.96% -5.81% Philequity Peso Bond Fund, Inc.* 3.4667 -0.58% -0.49% 0.13% -1.09% Soldivo Bond Fund, Inc. * 0.8795 -5.72% -2.22% n.a. -4.73% Sun Life of Canada Prosperity Bond Fund, Inc.* 2.7601 -0.25% 0.15% 0.44% -0.61% Sun Life Prosperity GS Fund, Inc.* 1.532 -1.17% -0.38% -0.21% -1.14% Primarily invested in foreign currency securities ALFM Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. * $445.52 0.25% 2.32% 3.16% -0.09% ALFM Euro Bond Fund, Inc. * Є213.25 0.5% 1.4% 1.67% -0.22% ATRAM Total Return Dollar Bond Fund, Inc.** $1.1209 -0.94% 1.06% 1.83% -1.16% First Metro Save and Learn Dollar Bond Fund, Inc.* $0.0248 -0.8% 0.82% n.a. -0.8% Grepalife Dollar Bond Fund Corp.* $1.6997 -4.34% -0.06% 1.49% -4.05% MAA Privilege Dollar Fixed Income Fund, Inc. N.S. N.S. N.S. N.S. N.S. MAA Privilege Euro Fixed Income Fund, Inc. ЄN.S. N.S. N.S. N.S. N.S. PAMI Global Bond Fund, Inc* $1.0303 -4.5% -1.23% -2.59% -4.02% Philam Dollar Bond Fund, Inc.* $2.1693 -3.1% 1.09% 2.81% -3.63% Philequity Dollar Income Fund Inc.* $0.0568809 -0.9% 0.97% 2.05% -0.56% Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Abundance Fund, Inc.* $2.8932 -4.06% 0.91% 1.97% -3.97% Money Market Funds Primarily invested in Peso securities ALFM Money Market Fund, Inc.* 119.82 2.26% 1.65% 1.44% 1.88% Philam Managed Income Fund, Inc.* 1.1733 1.69% 0.35% 0.37% 1.37% Sun Life Prosperity Money Market Fund, Inc.* 1.2086 2.41% 2.13% 1.38% 1.95% Primarily invested in foreign currency securities Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Starter Fund, Inc.* ***** $1.0108 n.a. n.a. n.a. 1.21%

* - NAVPS as of the previous banking day ** - NAVPS as of two banking days ago *** - Listed in the PSE.

**** - Re-classified into a Balanced Fund starting January 1, 2017 (formerly Grepalife Bond Fund Corp.).

***** - Launch date is November 6, 2017 ****** - Launch date is January 08, 2018 ******** - Renaming of the fund was approved by the SEC last April 13, 2018. ********* - Became a member since April 20, 2018. ******* - Adjusted due to cash dividend issuance last January 29, 2018

The World

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

Thursday, October 4, 2018

B3

US warns Russia Nato could resort to strikes to ‘take out’ new missiles

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HE United States warned that it could resort to strikes against a new class of Russian missile unless Moscow complies with its international commitments to arms reduction.

The Nato (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) defense ministers meeting at Alliance headquarters in Brussels from Wednesday will discuss their concerns that Russia is building a medium-range ballistic missile in violation of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, US Ambassador Kay Bailey Hutchison said.

Russia has over “several years” refused to accept US evidence of breaches, so “we need to look for other ways to bring Russia to the table on the issues,” Hutchison told reporters on Tuesday.

“The countermeasures

would be to take out the missiles that are in development by Russia in violation of the treaty.”

The US ambassador made an “absolutely irresponsible statement,” the Interfax news service cited an unidentified Russian Foreign Ministry official as saying. “It shows that, in the present administration, there are people in very important positions who don’t understand where they are and what is required of them.”

‘Crucial’ Treaty

THE Nato issued a statement in December underscoring the so-called INF Treaty’s “crucial” role in ensuring security for 30 years by “‘removing an entire class of US and Russian weapons”— ground-launched

intermediate-range missiles—and calling on Russia to address “serious concerns” about a missile system identified by Nato members.

“Now this treaty is in danger because of Russian actions,” Nato SecretaryGeneral Jens Stoltenberg told a parallel briefing in Brussels on Tuesday.

He cited development of a new ground-launched cruise missile known as 9M729, whose existence Russia only recently acknowledged “after years of denials.”

Stoltenberg called on Russia to urgently address concerns that the new system may be in violation of the INF Treaty in a substantial and transparent manner, saying that “Russia has not provided any credible answers on this new missile.”

Aid trickling in as Indonesia quake death toll passes 1,400

P

ALU, Indonesia— For some who survived the massive earthquake and tsunami on Indonesia’s Sulawesi island last week, the memories and the horror from a disaster that has left more than 1,400 people dead are both hard to erase and understand. Nature simply unleashed its fury on them.

Furniture maker Khairul Hassan recalled working at a shop near the beach in front of a row of warehouses when the earth began shaking violently last week. He ran to a nearby hill and watched as the ocean heaved up and hurled forward. Now he can’t forget.

“I saw the waves come and sweep out everything— buildings, factories, warehouses and some people who were lost, racing from the waves, some of them women and children,” he said on Wednesday.

“Also, warehouse workers who were trapped under goods, all swept by the sea.

It’s so tragic. It’s so scary to remember.”

The official death toll

increased to 1,407, with thousands injured and more than 70,000 displaced from their homes, said national disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho. He said the number of dead would increase, but that rescue crews had reached all affected areas.

Aid was slowly making its way into areas devastated by the twin disasters, with one neighborhood’s residents clapping, cheering and high-fiving in their excitement on Wednesday at seeing a stopped truck laden with supplies.

“I’m so happy,” said Heruwanto, 63, who goes by one name. He was clutching a box of instant noodles.

“I really haven’t eaten for three days.”

Food, water, fuel and medicine was still slow to reach the hardest-hit areas outside Palu, the largest city heavily damaged in Friday’s disaster.

Many roads were broken and split by the violent shaking or blocked by debris. Communications

remained limited.

The United Nations humanitarian office said “needs are vast,” with people urgently requiring shelter, clean water, food, fuel and emergency medical care.

Meanwhile, a volcano erupted on Wednesday morning in another part of Sulawesi island, about 940 kilometers (585 miles) northeast of the earthquake zone, spitting a plume of ash more than 6,000 meters (20,680 feet) into the sky.

Planes were warned of the cloud billowing from Mount Soputan because the material can be hazardous for aircraft engines, but no evacuations were ordered in the area.

Experts said it’s possible the quake accelerated the eruption, but there is no concrete evidence to prove that. Activity at the volcano had been increasing since August and began surging on Monday, Kasbani, who heads Indonesia’s Vulcanology and Geology Disaster Mitigation agency and uses one name, told an online news portal. AP

Hutchison said that “numerous occasions” had been recorded of Russian breaches, and called on Moscow to stop the violations. Russia is “on notice,” she said.

If Russia continues down the path to where they are capable of delivering, “at that point, we would then be looking at a capability to take out a missile that could hit any of our countries in Europe and hit America in Alaska,” Hutchison said.

The US is “not moving in that direction right now,” she said. Rather, the message to Russia is that “we know they have violated the treaty, and we are beginning the research capabilities that are allowed by the treaty to deter a medium-range ballistic missile.”

Bloomberg News

POMPEO TO VISIT NORTH KOREA WITH EYE ON SECOND TRUMP-KIM SUMMIT

U

NITED States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will travel to Pyongyang on Sunday to meet with Kim Jong Un and prepare for a second summit between the North Korean leader and President Donald J. Trump. The State Department’s announcement of Pompeo’s trip confirmed what he promised last week—a visit soon to “make the final preparations” for another summit.

Pompeo, who would be making his fourth visit to the isolated country, is seeking a firmer commitment for Kim to give up his nuclear weapons.

Unlike Pompeo’s most recent visit in July, he will meet with Kim and not just his deputies, according to State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert. After the previous trip, the North Korean denounced US disarmament demands as “gangsterlike” and “cancerous.” Trump postponed a follow-up visit by Pompeo in August.

Trump and Kim held a first-ofits-kind summit in Singapore in June that generated tremendous attention, but only vague intentions from Kim to work toward denuclearization and peace on the Korean Peninsula. The US president, who wants to defend Republican control of Congress in November, has opened talks on a second meeting despite few concrete nuclear concessions from Kim.

Bloomberg News

Trump: Saudi king won’t last 2 weeks without US support

D

UBAI, United Arab Emirates— President Donald J. Trump says Saudi Arabia’s king “might not be there for two weeks” without US military support, further increasing his pressure on one of America’s closest Mideast allies over rising oil prices.

As crude oil prices reach a four-year high, Trump repeatedly has demanded the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) and Saudi Arabia, the world’s biggest oil exporter, push prices down. However, analysts are warning prices could go up to $100 a barrel as the world’s production is already stretched and Trump’s sanctions on Iran’s oil industry take effect in early-November.

Criticizing America’s longstanding military relationships with allies has been a hallmark of Trump’s presidential campaign and his time in office. Trump returned to that theme on Tuesday night in Southaven, Mississippi, mentioning both Japan and South Korea.

However, Trump’s comments on Saudi Arabia implied the kingdom’s Al Saud monarchy, which oversees the holiest sites in Islam, would collapse without American military support.

“We protect Saudi Arabia—would you say they’re rich?” Trump asked the cheering crowd. “And I love the king, King Salman, but I said, ‘King we’re protecting you. You might not be there for two weeks without us. You have to pay for your military, you have to pay.’”

Trump didn’t elaborate on when he made the comments to Saud Arabia’s 82-year-old monarch. Trump and King Salman last shared a reported telephone call on Saturday, in which they discussed “efforts to maintain supplies to ensure the stability of the oil market and ensure the growth of the global economy,” according to the state-run Saudi Press Agency.

There was no immediate reaction on Wednesday in Saudi Arabia to Trump’s remarks. Riyadh has worked to cultivate warm relations with Trump after having rocky moments with former President Barack Obama.

Saudi Arabia welcomed Trump for his first overseas trip as president. Trump’s administration, particularly his son-inlaw Jared Kushner, has sought a close relationship with King Salman’s son Mohammed bin Salman, the country’s crown price and next in line to the throne.

But oil prices seem to be getting in the way, especially as benchmark Brent crude oil is near $85 a barrel—a four-year high.

Trump in July tweeted without evidence that Saudi Arabia would increase its production “maybe up to 2,000,000 barrels” a day. Saudi Arabia currently produces some 10 million barrels of crude oil a day.

Its record is 10.72 million barrels a day.

Meanwhile, US gasoline prices are up ahead of November midterm elections in which Trump already faces political headwinds. The average price for a gallon of regular gasoline in the United States is $2.88, up from $2.55 a year ago, according to AAA. Trump criticized oil producers in his speech before the United Nations General Assembly last week.

“Opec and Opec nations are, as usual, ripping off the rest of the world, and I don’t like it. Nobody should like it,” he said. “We defend many of these nations for nothing, and then they take advantage of us by giving us high oil prices. Not good. We want them to stop raising prices. We want them to start lowering prices, and they must contribute substantially to military protection from now on.” AP

B4 Thursday, October 4, 2018

YOUR GUMS ARE JUST AS IMPORTANT AS YOUR TEETH

W

HILE it’s a fact that taking care of your teeth is important to keep you healthy, most people don’t realize that their gums are just as important to their overall health. After all, your gums are an essential part of your mouth.

Periodontitis, which is a common gum disease, is the leading cause of tooth loss and has also been associated with a risk of serious diseases. This starts from swelling of gums and redness to complete destruction of the tooth’s bones, which is responsible for tooth loss. It has also been discovered over the years that people with periodontitis have a higher risk for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, dementia and even pregnancy complications.

There are many ways to easily prevent gum disease.

Brush your teeth twice a day. Not only does it help you maintain a fresh breath, but also prevents bacteria build up in the mouth, which can cause gum disease and other various mouth problems.

Floss daily. Flossing does about 40 percent of the work

to remove plaque from your teeth that your toothbrush can’t reach and is a very essential part of good oral health. Plaque causes cavities, irritates the gums, and leads to gum disease.

Don’t smoke. Smoking is strongly associated with gum disease. It weakens your immune system, making it harder to fight off gum infection. Not only does it increase the chance of developing gum disease, but also makes treatment much more difficult.

Have a dental checkup every six months.

Your dentist can detect if you have early symptoms of gum disease and can treat them right away before they get serious. It’s important to have a regular checkup and dental cleaning every six months to keep your teeth and gums healthy in the long run.

Take Sensedol every day. Sensedol is the first and only food supplement for the gums in the Philippines.

It helps strengthen the gums to prevent oral problems, such as gingivitis, periodontitis, receding gums and mouth sores, to name a few. It also lessens oral pains and aids in minimizing gum bleeding from tooth extraction, adjustment of braces and excessive brushing of teeth. Sensedol can be purchased in leading drugstores nationwide for 18 pesos by piece, 180 pesos by 10 pieces, and for 1,080 pesos by box of 60 pieces.

Looking after your oral health means taking good care of your teeth and gums.

When you have healthy gums, you reduce the risk of dental decay, bad breath and a lot of other harmful diseases. Follow these simple tips to prevent having oral problems in the future.

MITSUBISHI PARTICIPATES AT 7TH PHILIPPINE INTERNATIONAL MOTOR SHOW

T

HE Seventh Philippine International Motor Show (PIMS), one of the country’s

biggest motor shows, is set to happen from October 24 to 28 at the World Trade Center. Mitsubishi Motors

Philippines Corp. (MMPC) is pleased to announce its participation in this most anticipated motor show of the year.

With this year’s PIMS theme “Future in Mobility”, MMPC promises to wow the public as it displays the future and the latest Mitsubishi models. An all-new concept car, the Mitsubishi e-evolution concept will be flown to the country to allow PIMS visitors to get a glimpse of this concept car, which made its world premiere at the recent Tokyo Motor Show. This concept car perfectly delivers MMPC’s new tagline “Drive your Ambition”. Moreover, it describes the brand’s adventurous and progressive mindset in developing its vehicles. MMPC will be revealing its PIMS lineup in the coming days.

PIMS is a biennial motor show organized by the Chamber of the Philippines Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines Inc.

US players (from left) Webb Simpson, Tiger Woods and Patrick Reed attend the post Ryder Cup press conference. AP

Patrick Reed didn’t get to play with Spieth, the only partner he has had in two previous appearances. He said he was blindsided when Jordan Spieth was paired with Justin Thomas, a longtime friend making his Ryder Cup debut before a European crowd.

S

By Doug Ferguson The Associated Press

AINT-QUENTIN-EN-YVELINES, France—What the Americans need is a Ryder Cup team filled with guys like Patrick Reed.

As long as Patrick Reed isn’t one of them.

Three days on Le Golf National went bad enough for a powerful US team that lost its way off the tee and on the scoreboard. Europe won eight consecutive matches, built a four-point lead going into Sunday’s singles session and never gave the Americans much hope on its way to another victory on home soil.

And then Reed managed to make them look even worse.

In a telephone interview with The New York Times later Sunday, Reed blamed Jordan Spieth for them not playing together and US captain Jim Furyk for twice leaving Reed on the bench.

“The issue’s obviously with Jordan not wanting to play with me,” Reed told the Times. “I don’t have any issue with Jordan. When it comes right down to it, I don’t care if I like the person I’m paired with or if the person likes me as long as it works and it sets up the team for success.

He and I know how to make each other better. We know how to get the job done.”

Reed doesn’t care about relationships forged

BROOKS KOEPKA offers a golf glove to a spectator he injured when his ball hit her on the sixth hole during his fourball match on the opening day of the 42nd Ryder Cup. AP

No leaderboards in Ryder Cup in France

S

AINT-QUENTIN-EN-YVELINES, France—The Americans needed to overcome a four-point deficit on the final day of the Ryder Cup and got off to a reasonable start, enough that US captain Jim Furyk had a flicker of hope.

Justin Thomas won on the 18th hole. Brooks Koepka halved his match. They were ahead comfortably in two matches, and two others were tight—Dustin Johnson was 1 up through 11 holes, and Tiger Woods was all square in his match through 12 holes.

The idea was to fill the leaderboard with American red to create momentum for one side, perhaps a little panic in the other.

Except there were no leaderboards at Le Golf National.

So even if the Americans had taken leads in earlier matches, there was no way of seeing the status of the other matches unless the video boards happened to show the leaderboard on the screen.

It was an unusual sight across a magnificent stage for the Ryder Cup—video of matches, but no sense of how the matches were going.

That wasn’t the case at Hazeltine in 2016, and it won’t be the case at Whistling Straits in 2020.

“We’ve always had leaderboards. We think it’s an integral part of the Ryder Cup,” said Kerry Haigh, the chief championships officer for the Professional Golfers Association of America. “We have a lot of spectators, players and people watching who want to know the status of players throughout the day for each session. All Ryder Cups I’ve been involved in have had video boards and leaderboards, and I would anticipate something similar.”

C1

Sports

| Thursday, October 4, 2018

BusinessMirror

mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph Editor: Jun Lomibao

POISON REED

during the week.

He cares only about winning.

That’s the European way. That’s what America needs.

Sam Torrance, who won the clinching match in 1985 when Europe won for the first time since 1957, said in one of the inspirational videos for Team Europe leading up to the matches: “It’s not about taking part. It’s about winning. Nothing else.”

They win as one. They don’t lose very often.

European captain Thomas Bjorn said poignantly after Europe built a 10-6 advantage going into singles: “This is 12 players, and we do this together.

We’ve been playing with eight in every session, but it’s about 12, and we felt like we’ve been a whole team on the golf course every session.”

But the passion of Reed came off as poison with his remarks to the Times.

He made it clear that he is one of 12 only if he gets his way.

Reed didn’t get to play with Spieth, the only partner he has had in two previous appearances. He said he was blindsided when Spieth was paired with Justin Thomas, a longtime friend making his Ryder Cup debut before a European crowd.

Read between the lines of his rant and Reed complained about getting stuck with Tiger Woods, his idol.

“Any time you get to tee it up with Big Cat, it’s always

fun,” Reed said when the pairings came out.

Except when you lose.

They were 3 up through 10 holes when Francesco Molinari and Tommy Fleetwood made five birdies over the last seven holes to win on the 17th hole. The next morning against the same European juggernaut, Reed was in the water, constantly in the rough, out-of-bounds and usually in his pocket. The match lasted 14 holes. Woods went back out with Bryson DeChambeau. Reed sat again. His performance on Saturday morning would not have provided much help in alternate shot on Saturday afternoon.

“For somebody as successful in the Ryder Cup as I am, I don’t think it’s smart to sit me twice,” Reed said.

Looking back, maybe he’s right. Furyk should have sat him three times.

That “Captain America” nickname is going to be hard for Reed to earn back, if he ever does.

The loss was not Furyk’s fault. All a captain can do is get players in position to perform. The performance is up to them. Three of his wild-card picks—Woods, DeChambeau and Phil Mickelson—combined to go 0-9.

No one was complaining about his picks on the way to Paris.

They should call this the Hindsight Cup. No one mentioned problems with the US system after the Americans won two years ago in a home game at Hazeltine. If anything, Europe was having a transition

year in the Ryder Cup with six rookies, none of whom qualified or were picked for this team.

Yes, the Americans have a problem in the Ryder Cup: They have to play Europe.

And now they have another one.

Steve Stricker is the likely choice to be the next US captain when the Ryder Cup goes to Whistling Straits, about an hour from where he grew up in Wisconsin.

What does he do with a player who publicly puts his own interests ahead of the team?

Not that Reed cares what he says.

He caused a buzz in Boston when he took to Twitter after going to Fenway Park to sarcastically thank the Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) Tour for free tickets that put him, his wife and her sister in the “line drive section.” Reed, who earned just short of $5 million this year, said he paid $650 to upgrade the tickets and ended up in the same section as the rest of the PGA Tour at the game.

He took a dig at Spieth this year at Bay Hill while asking for relief from a palmetto bush. When denied free relief, Reed said, “I guess my name needs to be Jordan Spieth.” He then asked for a third opinion “from an unbiased source.”

Reed doesn’t mind being portrayed as the Ugly American as long as it means winning the Ryder Cup. It won’t make that any easier when he’s ugly to his own team.

‘FOR AS LONG AS NECESSARY’

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ARIS—Ryder Cup organizers say they will support “for as long as necessary” the spectator who was hit by a tee shot and has reportedly lost sight in her right eye.

The injured spectator, who has been identified as 49-year-old Corine Remande in French press, was hospitalized after being hit on the head by an errant drive from Brooks Koepka on the sixth hole at Le Golf National last Friday.

She’s reportedly said she is considering legal action after doctors told her she lost vision in her eye.

The European Tour said in a statement on Tuesday: “We have been in communication with the family involved, starting with the immediate on-course treatment and thereafter to provide support, helping with the logistics of repatriation, including providing a transfer for the family from Paris to Lyon. We will

On the first day, a leaderboard ran down the side of the broadcast on the video board. But that shrunk the size of the board, and fans across the course were watching from far away. By the weekend, that was gone.

The video boards provided one other oddity of these matches.

While they provided a great service to the

continue to offer support for as long as necessary.

“It is distressing to hear that someone might suffer long-term consequences from a ball strike.”

According to reports in French media, Remande also blamed Ryder Cup organizers for the lack of protection on the course. She said a course official did not shout when he noticed the ball was headed toward the crowd.

The Tour said: “Ball strikes are an occasional hazard for spectators but this kind of incident is extremely rare.

We can confirm that ‘fore’ was shouted several times but also appreciate how hard it can be to know when and where every ball is struck if you are in the crowd.

We are hugely sympathetic and will do everything we can to support the spectator, insofar as that is possible under very difficult circumstances.” AP

fans by showing moments from other matches, the broadcast never ended. It was not unusual to hear a burst of cheering from what was shown on the video board as players on both teams were getting ready to hit.

Players often will look over at the next green before hitting their shot to make sure another shot isn’t being played, which could lead to cheering. In this case, players on occasion were having to look at video boards to see what was going on, or what was about to happen.

“We’ve been very conscious of that,” Haigh said. “Our policy has been to switch off a board, wherever that board may be and show a leaderboard or a logo, but something that isn’t changing. This time, for the first time, they kept the board going no matter who was on the green. It was interesting.”

Cheers could have come from anywhere around Le Golf National even without the video boards because of the nature of the layout, particularly the 15th, 16th and 18th greens being so close to one another. AP TOMMY FLEETWOOD celebrates after Europe wins the Ryder Cup. AP

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ARCHERS BEAT AYO, TIGERS

By Ramon Rafael Bonilla

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E LA SALLE sent a strong message to its former coach and now University of Santo Tomas (UST) tactician Aldin Ayo as the Green Archer made an easy target of the Growling Tigers, 99-72, in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines Season 81 men’s basketball tournament on Wednesday at the Mall of Asia Arena.

Thanks to Justine Baltazar and Aljun Melecio, De La Salle devoured the hapless Tigers right from the get-go to improve to a 3-2 won-lost record.

“That’s the primary game plan for today, for us to play 40 minutes at a high level,” Green Archers Coach Louie Gonzales said.

Gonzales also believed that the blowout win served them well in preparation for a heavyweight clash with archrival Ateneo on Saturday.

“This victory is important because we will be facing Ateneo. There will always be pressure but a win will put us on a better standing,” he added.

Baltazar scored a career-high 22 points and grabbed 10 rebounds and blocked three shots to anchor his team on both ends. Despite misfiring from the three-point line, Melecio still tallied 19 points that went with eight boards.

De La Salle got off to a fiery start as Baltazar and Melecio conspired for 18 of their team’s 28 points in the first quarter.

UNIVERSITY of Santo Tomas’s Joshua Marcos tries to stop De La Salle’s Florencio Serrano. ROY DOMINGO

Red Lions, Perpetual Altas eye crucial wins

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HE race to the semifinals gets tighter as Final Four hopefuls San Beda University and University of Perpetual Help battle separate foes in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Season 94 seniors basketball tournament on Thursday at the Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan City.

The defending champion Red Lions (13-1 won-lost) try to chase leader Lyceum Pirates (141) for a chance to arrange at least a playoff for the twice-to-beat incentive in the semifinals.

In a game marred by unsportsmanlike fouls, the Pirates showed composure to eliminate the Mapua Cardinals via a 92-76 thrashing on Tuesday.

With the win, Lyceum booked not only a semifinals appearance, but also the opportunity

The squad led by as many as 25 in the first half and the gap ballooned to 88-59 on a 15-3 rally that put the game out of reach with less than four minutes to play Henri Subido topscored for UST with 16 points, while Marvin Lee and Zachary Huang added 13 points apiece.

Ayo’s team may have dropped to its fourth loss in five games, but still praised his young guns and his decision to leave Taft.

“I’m contented that I’m on the other side because I know the feeling of coaching them [Green Archers],” Ayo said. “So even though this was the outcome, I’m very happy that I’m here at UST.” Wendell Comboy, meanwhile, scattered 10 of his game-high 18 points in the fourth quarter to tow Far Eastern University (FEU) to a 73-68 victory over National University (NU).

The Tamaraws now share the third spot with the Green Archers, while the Bulldogs fell to 1-4.

Comboy buried five straight points to hike their lead to 61-53 with six minutes left in the game. But the Bulldogs countered with five points of their own to pull to within three with four minutes remaining.

NU’s Dave Ildefonso and John Lloyd Clemente tried to keep the game close, but Comboy was just too much to handle and sank a jumper with 1:43 remaining to seal the win for FEU. Kenneth Tuffin, Arvin Tolentino and Louell Gonzales contributed nine points each for the Tamaraws.

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and WIM Maria Florencia Fernandez on boards one and two, respectively, that hastened the Filipinas’ downfall.

WIM Marie Antoinette San Diego provided the lone win for the Filipinas, whose trip is bankrolled by the Philippine Sports Commission and sanctioned by the National Chess Federation of

Ramon Rafael Bonilla

‘Angas ng Tondo’ makes statement, wrests Player of the Week award

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FILIPINAS BOW TO ARGENTINES HE Philippine women’s team lost to higherseeded Argentina, 1.5-2.5, to slip outside the top 40 after eight rounds of the 43rd World Chess Olympiad in Batumi, Georgia, on Tuesday.

Woman Grandmaster (WGM) Janelle Mae Frayna and Woman International Master (WIM) Catherine Secopito fell to IM Carolina Lujan

to earn the bonus come the Final Four.

In order for San Beda to at least tie the tournament leader, it must hurdle a big test, College of Saint Benilde (8-6) at 4 p.m.

The Red Lions beat the San Sebastian Stags, 82-75, six days ago to assure themselves of a playoff for the Final Four berth.

San Beda Coach Boyet Fernandez knows that Saint Benilde will go hard on them.

“We are wary about Saint Benilde. We know their backs are on the wall, for sure they will come out with guns blazing,” Fernandez said.

The Atlas (9-5), meanwhile, will try to extend their winning run to bolster its bid for a semifinals ticket when they take on the already eliminated Stags (4-10) at 2 p.m.

the Philippines headed by Rep. Prospero Pichay, by beating WIM Ayelen Martinez on board three.

WIM Bernadette Galas drew with WIM Marisa Zuriel on board four.

Galas had a chance to salvage a draw after winning a queen for a rook and bishop but couldn’t convert it to a full point.

It was the Philippines’s second straight defeat after succumbing to Georgia 2, 1-3, the day before that sent it to a share of 45th place with nine match points.

Interestingly, the men’s squad has overtaken the women as it whipped Uruguay, 3-1, to climb to a share of 33rd spot with 10 points.

GM Julio Catalino Sadorra and IM Haridas Pascua delivered the decisive wins over GM Andres Rodriguez Vila and FIDE Master Rafael Muniz on the first and fourth boards, respectively, while GM John Paul Gomez and IM Jan Emmanuel Garcia drew with FM Nicolas Lopez Azambuja and IM Luis Ernesto Rodi on boards two and three, respectively.

The Filipinos racked up three straight wins after suffering an embarrassing 1.5-2.5 defeat to lowly Lebanon in the fifth round that sent them sweeping the floor outside the top 100.

The Philippines played Zambia, which smashed Jamaica, 4-0, in the ninth round on Wednesday.

PAUL LEE returns to Magnolia in fighting form.

RESH from his stint with Gilas Pilipinas in two international tournaments, Paul Lee returned to Magnolia in fighting form as evidenced by back-to back strong performances this past week.

The “Angas ng Tondo” averaged 25 points, 3.5 assists, 3.5 steals and 2.5 rebounds to grab the Cignal-Philippine Basketball Association Press Corps Player of the Week for the period September 24 to 30.

The 29-year-old Lee presided over Magnolia’s frenetic offensive against his former team Rain or Shine to post a runaway 92-76 win on Wednesday.

Lee finished with all-around numbers of 22 points, seven assists, four steals and two rebounds, while lacing his performance with three triples against the Elasto Painters.

The former PBA Rookie of the Year upped the ante of his game four days later, including the game-winning basket to lift Magnolia to a cliffhanging 109-108 win over San Miguel Beer on Sunday.

Lee, who played in the Jakarta Asian Games and the Fiba World Cup Asian qualifiers last month, led the Pambansang Manok with 28 points, spiked by two triples. He added three rebounds and three steals for Magnolia, which tied Blackwater at for a share of second spot in the standings at 4-1.

Barangay Ginebra leads the team standings with its 5-1 card.

Lee and the Pambansang Manok will try to keep their winning ways going on Wednesday when they collide with winless Columbian Dyip in the opening game at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Caidic sets new dates for 3x3 tilt

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HE 3x3 Golden League Manila has been moved to October 26 to 28 following the postponement of games because of Typhoon Ompong.

Tournament commissioner Allan Caidic said the event will be held at the Dumlao Sports Center in Mandaluyong City on October 26 and 27 with the playoffs and finals to be held on October 28 at the Circuit Makati.

The Dumlao Sports Center is one of the first basketball gyms that was built in Metro Manila, while the brand-new Circuit Makati is one of the finest malls built by the Ayala group that also encourages sports activities after building a football field near the area.

The tournament was originally slated last September 13 to 15.

“We decided to postpone the tournament on a later date for the safety of not just the players who will be competing but also our technical officials and even fans. Their safety is our top priority,” Caidic said.

Caidic added the moving of the date will also give the participants time to prepare for the tournament as slots are still open. There will be a maximum of 128 teams participating in the tournament.

Registration is still open. To register, call 09178982489. For more details, go to the Facebook page of NBL Philippines.

WORLD CHAMPIONS The Philippine Canoe Kayak Dragonboat Federation (PCKDF)

team pays a courtesy call to Presidential Spokesman Harry L. Roque Jr. (seated, center) at Malacañan Palace after bringing home five gold medals from the International Canoe Federation World Dragon Boat Championship in Georgia, United States. Go For Gold top Executive Jeremy Go (standing, seventh from left) made the trip possible for the women’s team that helped the Philippines win the overall seniors title. Also in photo are PCKDF President Jonne Go (seated, second from left) and Head Coach Len Escollante (seated, right).

SENATE PASSES TRAINING CENTER ACT

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STATE-OF-THE-ART sports complex may soon be accessible for the country’s athletes after the passage of a Senate bill on third and final reading on Wednesday.

Senate Bill 1716, or the Philippine Amateur Sports Training Center Act, was sponsored and authored by Sen. Manny Pacquiao, chairman of the Senate Committee on Sports, and was cosponsored

by Sen. Sonny Angara.

Besides Pacquiao and Angara, the bill was also authored by Senators Bam Aquino IV and Joel Villanueva. The bill was approved with 18 affirmative votes, no negative votes and zero abstention.

“We believe that it is high time that our athletes be given the state-of-the-art facilities needed for the nourishment of their talents. Now is the best opportunity for us to give the best support to our athletes,” Pacquiao said.

The bill, he said, would mandate the creation of the “Philippine Amateur Sports Training Center,” which is envisioned to be a “state-of-the-art and

highly scientific sports complex.”

“It will include facilities and amenities, which would include different equipment and courts necessary for bringing out the best in our athletes,” Pacquiao said.

The training center would serve as the primary venue for the development of athletes in the National Team and its corresponding training pools.

Likewise, the center would also be mandated to contribute to sports science and research, accommodate training of coaches and referees, and host local and international competitions.

“Research states that ‘a viable environment and standard sports facilities’ have a positive effect on the development of the performance of athletes and promotion of sports,” Pacquiao said.

Pacquiao said that such a training center would build Filipino athletes’ competence and character, and would help bring the country to its dreams of dominating the Southeast Asian Games and bagging the gold medals in the Olympics.

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Ramos, Orchard bets lead field in Cangolf Open

Thursday, October 4, 2018

Big field joins Consumer Fun Run PRINCESS SUPERAL (right) trails Taiwanese amateur Chia Yen Wu by three shots.

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EAN RAMOS carded a three-under 69 to lead the early charge of the Orchard bets in the first round of the Canlubang Amateur Open at Cangolf’s North course in Laguna on Wednesday.

Ramos actually missed turning in a lower output with a bogey on the par-5 17th but his 35-34 proved enough to net him a three-stroke edge over Kim Tae-s oo, who matched par 72, with Joachim Yu holing out with a birdie to save a 73 and make it a 1-2-3 start for the Dasmariñas City, Cavite-based shotmakers.

Club bet Carlo Villaroman kept Ramos within sight all throughout but blew a oneunder card with a double-bogey on the last hole as he dropped to joint third with Yu in the event put up annually by the Yulo family to provide the country’s leading players and budding golfers a venue where they could hone their talent and skills.

Perry Bucay of Camp Aguinaldo, Army’s Josh Jorge, Paolo Barro and Jaehyun Jung of Southwoods shot identical 74s for joint fifth, while Bong Brobio of Forest Hills hobbled with a 75 to trail Ramos by six in the 54-hole championship backed by the National Golf Association of the Philippines as gold sponsor and MUST Consultancy and Pacsports Phils.

Inc. (bronze).

Paolo Wong stayed in the mix with a one-under card with three holes to go but the John Hay bet dropped three strokes on the par-4 16th then double-bogeyed the next and limped with a 76 in a tie with Aguinaldo’s Masaichi Otake in the tournament supported by hole-in-one sponsor The Turf Co. and Texas Eagle (Golf Cars and Utility Vehicle).

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BOUT 180 personnel of the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) spiced up the second Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) “Consumer Fun Run” held recently at the SM Mall of Asia Concerts Grounds.

Director Ronnel Abrenica, DTI Consumer Protection and Advocacy Bureau, thanked PSC Chairman William Ramirez for the agency’s continuous support for other government agencies in sporting activities.

“The PSC was a big help in staging this event, given that most of us have no expertise in conducting a fun run,” Abrenica said.

The PSC provided technical, logistics, documentation and transportation services in the fun run that attracted 3,500 participants from national government agencies, local government units and private sectors.

“Last year we had 700 runners but for this year, we went to 3,500 registered participants in the 3K, 5K and 10K races,” added Abrenica, a former senior executive assistant of Ramirez at the PSC. The fun run was held in celebration of the Consumer Welfare Month held every October through Proclamation 1908 of 1997.

WINDY FIRST ROUND P

RINCESS SUPERAL bucked howling winds that blew from all over all day on Wednesday with a gutsy backside charge, shooting a two-under 70 and trailing local amateur Chia Yen Wu by three at the start of the Party Golfers Ladies Open at the National Golf Country Club in Miaoli County in Taiwan.

Working on 2- to 3-club adjustments in tough conditions, Superal overcame a bogey start with a tap-in birdie on the par-5 third then came through with superb iron play at the back to sink three birdies, including another “gimme” on the closing hole that negated her other missed green miscue on No. 15.

“I actually didn’t expect to go under given the windy conditions and a bad start. But I was able to adjust in time

and hit some solid iron shots and made the putts,” said Superal, who birdied the 150-yard par-3 11th from 10 feet off a 5-iron tee shot and tapped in for birdies on Nos. 13 and 18.

Aside from blustery condition at the punishing up-and-down layout, the starting 105-player field also had to deal with the layout’s unpredictable surface where flubbed short putts came aplenty, ruining a number of players’ bids in the $100,000 tournament, the Ladies Philippine Golf Tour’s (LPGT) first co-sanctioned event with the Taiwan LPGA. Like Superal, back-to-back winner at LPGT Highlands and Riviera in March, Cyna Rodriguez stumbled with back-to-back bogeys to start her title drive in the 54-hole championship also serving as the kickoff leg of LPGT’s 2019 season. But the former threetime LPGT winner and Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Tour veteran fought back with two birdies in the next three holes only to fumble with three more bogeys against a birdie in a five-hole stretch from No. 8.

She, however, matched Superal’s closing birdie to salvage a 73 for joint 15th with four others, six strokes behind Wu, who rammed in four straight birdies from No. 13 on her way to shooting a 67 and grabbing a one-stroke lead over Thai Wanchana Poruangrong, who fired an eagle-spiked 68.

Another Thai and former LPGT winner Renuka Suksokont put in a 69 to join current Taiwan LPGA Order of Merit leader Chen Yu Ju at third with Taiwanese Yu Pei Lin and Thai Saraporn Langkulgasettrin, also a former LPGT winner, matching Superal’s 70.

While Superal and Rodriguez stayed in early contention, Mia Piccio limped with a 76, her closing 39 marred by a triple-bogey 8 on the par-5 16th off an out-of-bounds drive for joint 48th, just within the top 50 plus ties cutoff line after 36 holes.

Daniella Uy opened with an even par card at the back but struggled at the front and skied to a 41 for a 77, while Marvi Monsalve tottered with a seven-over 79 for a share of 86th.

‘EMOTIONALLY FRAGILE’ L

By Ken Ritter

The Associated Press

AS VEGAS—A lawyer for a Nevada woman alleging that soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo raped her in Las Vegas in 2009 said on Tuesday her client was “emotionally fragile” and agreed to an out-of-court financial settlement nine years ago because she never wanted her name made public.

Kathryn Mayorga is out of the US and is not speaking with media about the lawsuit she filed last week seeking monetary damages from Ronaldo, attorney Larissa Drohobyczer told The Associated Press. Drohobyczer didn’t say where Mayorga was. She lives in the Las Vegas-area city of Henderson.

AP does not typically identify alleged victims of sexual assault, but Drohobyczer said Mayorga gave permission on Tuesday for her name to be used.

“She’s not going to be interviewed,” the attorney said. “At this time she’s emotionally fragile.”

The civil lawsuit filed in state court in Las Vegas alleges Ronaldo raped Mayorga, who was then 24, in his penthouse suite at a Las Vegas hotel and hired a team of what the document called “fixers” to shape the monetary settlement, obstruct a police criminal investigation and trick Mayorga into taking $375,000 to keep quiet.

An attorney for Ronaldo, Christian Schertz in Berlin, did not immediately respond to e-mails from AP. It was not immediately clear if the player had an

attorney representing him in the matter in the US after the German magazine Der Spiegel reported about the lawsuit last week, Schertz threatened to sue, saying the article violated Ronaldo’s personal rights “in an exceptionally serious way.”

In an Instagram video posted hours after the suit was filed, Ronaldo appears to deny the allegations.

“Fake. Fake news,” said the five-time world player of the year. “You want to promote by my name. It’s normal. They want to be famous, to say my name. But it is part of the job. I am a happy man and all good.”

Drohobyczer, who said she did not represent Mayorga in 2009 negotiations with Ronaldo’s representatives, acknowledged Mayorga accepted the settlement money.

No court document was filed, and Drohobyczer declined to identify the lawyers who handled the case at that time for Mayorga and for Ronaldo.

An attorney who may have represented Mayorga in 2009 did not respond on Tuesday to messages from AP. Drohobyczer said Mayorga, now 34, became worried that her name would

become public after a 2017 media report apparently referred to the June 2009 incident at the Palms Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. Mayorga was not a source for the article, Drohobyczer said.

Her client also was influenced in recent months by the #MeToo movement of women making public allegations of prior sexual assault, the attorney said.

Mayorga met Ronaldo at a nightclub, according to the lawsuit, and went with him and other people to his suite, where the alleged attack took place in a bedroom.

“She came to us and we had concerns with what happened in 2009...with the police investigation and the circumstances around the settlement and how the negotiations were conducted,” Drohobyczer told AP. “We don’t believe she had the capacity to enter an agreement at that time due to her emotional state,” Drohobyczer said. She characterized Mayorga in 2009 as emotionally damaged, fearful, depressed and humiliated after the alleged attack and pressure from Ronaldo’s representatives.

“We asked police to reopen the investigation and they did,” Drohobyczer said.

Sports BusinessMirror

JUVENTUS PREVAILS SANS RONALDO

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| Thursday, October 4, 2018 mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph Editor: Jun Lomibao

NAOMI OSAKA drinks from her bottle after defeating Danielle Collins of the United States. AP

PLOT thickens in Cristiano Ronaldo rape case. AP

EAL Madrid is having trouble scoring with Cristiano Ronaldo no longer on the team. His new club, Juventus, did just fine without him on Tuesday.

For the first time in more than a decade, Madrid has gone three straight games without a goal after losing, 1-0, at CSKA Moscow in an early setback to the Spanish club’s title defense in the Champions League.

Madrid is running into some problems in the postRonaldo era, having won only two of its last six games in all competitions. They arrived at Luzhniki stadium— where Spain lost to Russia in the last 16 of the World Cup having also failed to score in its last two Spanish league games.

Not since January 2007 has Madrid gone scoreless in three consecutive games.

Ronaldo, who joined Juventus from Madrid in a deal worth €112 million ($131.5 million) this offseason, was missing for the Italian champions for their match against Young Boys after his sending-off against Valencia in the opening round of group play.

Paulo Dybala stepped up in the Portuguese star’s

Officer Aden Ocampo-Gomez, a Las Vegas police spokesman, said that because the investigation is open, the department would not make public a police report that Mayorga filed the day of the alleged attack. The lawsuit said Mayorga also went to a hospital, where a sexual assault medical examination was conducted.

However, Mayorga refused to tell police the location of the alleged attack or to identify a suspect other than to say he was a European soccer player, Ocampo-Gomez said.

Ronaldo, 33, is a Portuguese citizen. He went from Manchester United to Real Madrid in 2009 for a then-record sum of €94 million, or about $130 million. He now plays for the Italian club Juventus.

The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages of at least $200,000. It makes 11 accusations against Ronaldo or those working for him, including conspiracy, defamation, abusing a vulnerable person, battery, infliction of emotional distress, coercion and fraud, racketeering and conspiracy, breach of contract, abuse of process and negligence for allowing details of the confidential settlement to become public.

absence by scoring a hat trick in a 3-0 win to put Juventus top of its group.

Another of Ronaldo’s former clubs is struggling, too.

Manchester United’s bus got stuck in traffic—leading to a delayed kickoff against Valencia—and the team never got going on the field either in a dull 0-0 draw at Old Trafford.

The stalemate comes after a week when United lost at home to second-tier opposition in an English League Cup game and to West Ham in the Premier League.

CSKA’s winning goal against Madrid came after 65 seconds, but it wasn’t the quickest strike of the night.

Hoffenheim scored even earlier—after 44 seconds, to be precise—against Manchester City, which fought back to win 2-1 and revive its Champions League challenge after opening with a loss.

Madrid and Man City, two of the main contenders for the top prize in European club soccer, were handed early wakeup calls and only one managed to react.

Nikola Vlasic intercepted a stray pass from Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos to score what proved to be the winner for CSKA. Madrid struck the goal frame on

three occasions but couldn’t find an equalizer on a night the titleholders were without the rested Sergio Ramos, the injured Gareth Bale (thigh) and Marcelo (calf), and also Francisco “Isco” Alarcon after he underwent surgery for appendicitis last week.

With Roma beating Viktoria Plzen 5-0 on the back of Edin Dzeko’s hat trick in the other game in Group G, CSKA is the surprise leader on four points ahead of Madrid and Roma on three each.

The pressure was on City after its 2-1 home loss to Lyon in the opening round of Group F and it got worse for the English champions when Ishak Belfodil scored inside the first minute for Hoffenheim.

City hit back quickly through Sergio Aguero’s equalizer but left it late for the winner, David Silva showing speed of thought to pounce on a loose ball ahead of defender Stefan Posch and shoot home low in the 87th.

Lyon recovered from two goals down to draw 2-2 against Shakhtar Donetsk at home, but no one was there to see it.

As a punishment for the crowd disorder and racism that marred their run in the Europa League last season, Lyon was playing its opening home game in the group stage in an empty Groupama Stadium.

Lyon leads on four points, one more than City. AP

Kerber, Osaka on track; Halep has herniated disk B EIJING—Wimbledon champion Angelique Kerber came back from a break down twice in the first set to beat Carla Suarez Navarro, 7-6 (4), 6-1, in the second round of the China Open on Tuesday.

“The conditions with the shadow on court were not so easy to play in the first set,” the third-ranked Kerber said.

Defending champion Caroline Garcia survived another tough match to book her place in the

NO. 1-ranked Simona Halep has a herniated disk in her back, putting the rest of her season in doubt. AP

third round when she defeated Polona Hercog, 7-6 (2), 6-3.

Garcia was stretched to three sets in her first-round win over Yafan Wang.

Garcia will next face new Wuhan Open champion Aryna Sabalenka, who saw off Garbine Muguruz 7-5, 6-4 on her third match point.

No. 8-seeded Naomi Osaka celebrated qualifying for her first Women’s Tennis Association Finals next month by beating Danielle Collins of the United States, 6-1, 6-0. Osaka was broken in the first game and won the next 12.

She faces No. 10-seeded Julia Goerges for a place in the quarterfinals.

Qiang Wang blanked No. 12-seeded Jelena Ostapenko, 6-0, 6-0. Ostapenko struggled with a left arm injury.

No. 9-seeded Sloane Stephens qualified for the round of 16 for the second time when she beat Saisai Zheng, 6-1, 6-3.

No. 1-ranked Simona Halep, meanwhile, has a herniated disk in her back, putting the rest of her season in doubt.

Halep wrote on Twitter on Tuesday that she had an MRI exam that revealed the injury.

She retired from her firstround match at the China Open on Sunday, citing a back problem that has been bothering her.

The season-ending WTA Finals begin in Singapore on October 21.

Halep has lost her past four matches, including at the US Open. She became the first topseeded woman to lose in the opening round in New York in the 50-year professional era.

The Romanian, who turned 27 last week, is 46-10 with three titles in 2018. Halep won her first Grand Slam championship at the French Open in June, and was the runner-up at the Australian Open in January. AP

The opportunities

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EAR God, help us see how we can be as useful as we are to those we serve. Give us the strength to walk into the opportunities You have set before us. May they hear Your Word as we speak. May Your wisdom be clear to them as we talk with one another in the name of Your Son, Jesus Christ, the way the truth and the life. Amen.

GIVE US THIS DAY, SHARED BY LUISA LACSON, HFL Word&Life Publications • teacherlouie1965@yahoo.com

Editor: Gerard S. Ramos • lifestylebusinessmirror@gmail.com

Life BusinessMirror

How to actually eat like a local while traveling ILLUSTRATION BY LARS LEETARU FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES

By REBECCa HOLLaND New York Times News Service

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HEN looking for restaurant recommendations at home, we rely on friends, magazines and review sites.

Yet when abroad, we fantasize about a mystical “local,” someone who will guide us to the best meal of our lives, preferably somewhere “authentic” and “off the beaten path.” Though we would never expect this of a stranger on the street at home, we expect it abroad from citizens just like us.

Chicago, where I live, has a fantastic food scene.

That doesn’t make every Chicagoan an expert. If you asked 100 random people where to eat, you would receive dozens of different answers.

If we don’t expect locals in our own city to be food experts, there’s no reason to assume locals everywhere else are.

But if the all-knowing local doesn’t exist, and we don’t want to resort to overpriced, chain restaurants, how can you actually find the best local food while traveling? Here are some tips.

DO YOUR PRELIMINARY RESEARCH BEFORE you go, do some research on the types of cuisine your destination is known for, its local ingredients and its most-beloved dishes. Then do a quick search for places to eat, keeping in mind that review sites aren’t always accurate (more on this later). Eater is usually a reliable source, and places like Bon Appétit, Saveur, Roads & Kingdoms, and of course, The New York Times’s Food section are all good options that use locals or experienced international journalists who have gone through these steps for you.

Curiosity Magazine, a publication I started specifically to help travelers find their way and get advice like this, hires exclusively local writers eager to share their local food culture with visitors. Local food blogs, which you can often find with a quick Google search, are also great resources. If you see a few places showing up again and again in a variety of publications and sources, that’s a good sign.

SIGN UP FOR A FOOD TOUR FOOD tours are one of my favorite things to do while traveling. They give an outsider a great overview of the must-eats in a city, and are easy to find. Ask your hotel concierge, search the Web for vacation packages that include food tours, check with a travel agent, or check with a local or regional tourist office. Sure, the portions are small and you’ll wander around amid a group of tourists, but you’ll also learn something and try a variety of foods in an effortless way. Most important, your guide is a local who obviously loves food. Ask where she eats when not working and you’ll get plenty of tips to try once the tour is over.

TRUST BAR AND RESTAURANT STAFF “BARTENDERS know best” is my motto for drinking around the world. Bartenders work with and drink with other bartenders, who work and drink in other bars. Whether you’re looking for a dive bar or a fancy cocktail, your bartender—whether it’s at a hotel bar or a restaurant you stumbled into—will point you in the right direction.

The same goes for your restaurant server, who works all night with people in the food world. The advice from your bar and wait staff is some of the best you’ll get. Tip accordingly.

DON’T (BLINDLY) TRUST ONLINE REVIEWS I SPENT a few years living in Rome and was always

Thursday, October 4, 2018

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TIGERAIR TAIWAN ANNOUNCES NEW ROUTE TO THE PHILIPPINES

TIGERAIR Taiwan, the only low-cost carrier in Taiwan, recently announced its new route to Cebu, Philippines. The mounted flights to Cebu is the first destination of the airline to the country.

“We’re happy to let everyone know in the Philippines that we will soon be serving flights from Cebu to Taipei. Tigerair Taiwan’s presence in Cebu shall give Filipinos more access to fun, affordable and memorable flights to Taipei. We look forward to this development before the year ends,” says Tigerair Taiwan Commercial Director and Spokesman Bernard Hsu. The Taiwan-based carrier is scheduled to take off with its first flight from Cebu on December 1, and will fly four times weekly. The new route will operate between the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport and Mactan-Cebu International Airport.

The addition of the new route to Cebu boosts Tigerair Taiwan’s network to 20 destinations, with 27 routes to and from the Philippines, Korea, Japan, Macau and Thailand.

Flights can be booked via www.tigerairtw.com/en.

ENGKANTO Beer at Anya Resort Tagaytay

baffled with some of the top-rated restaurants on sites like TripAdvisor or Yelp. “This is the best pizza I’ve ever had in my life,” someone would write about a mediocre restaurant outside the Vatican, while my favorite (and very popular among locals) pizza spot was way down around No. 200.

But keep in mind that TripAdvisor reviews are written by tourists, not locals. Maybe it is the best pizza that person has ever had, because he’s on vacation and atmosphere matters when it comes to taste. That doesn’t mean it’s the best pizza in Rome. Reviews can help you pin down suggestions in a region, or if you have specific dietary needs or preferences, but that’s about it. If you must read, look past the stars. If someone has given a place a two-star rating because of “a misplaced fork,” or something else you know wouldn’t be an issue for you, disregard the review. Service speeds, for example, are cultural, and prone to bias. Look for reviews from locals, especially those who comment on certain dishes.

“This Bolognese is as good as my grandma’s.” That’s what you’re looking for.

DON’T SHY AWAY FROM STREET FOOD, ESPECIALLY WHEN THERE’S A CROWD STREET food is usually cheap and widely available, and can give you insight into the local food culture.

Just as with hot dogs in Chicago, most people can tell you where to go. However, while street food can be delicious, it can also carry the risk of foodborne illness. Watch how its prepared and handled, and follow our tips. If you’re skeptical—either of

the location or the ingredients, or in a country where food-borne illness is a common problem for travelers—don’t risk it.

If you see lines of locals waiting outside a street cart, though, that’s a good sign that turnover is high and food is popular and good.

At restaurants, make note of long lines of tourists waiting for the No.1-rated place on TripAdvisor, but also look for crowds of locals spilling out into the streets, and eating happily at local restaurants or cafés where the lines are long before the doors even open. There are a few food experiences worth waiting for, but for the most part a comfortably crowded spot beats a long line any day.

ASK THE RIGHT LOCALS, NOT JUST ANY LOCAL IF you’re going to do it, let’s talk about how to do it right. Keep in mind that, especially when visiting a non-western country, American tourists will often be pointed toward the most “western” place, which also tends to be the most expensive. The intentions are often good—avoidance of funky flavors or spice, for example—but the results are often disappointing.

Instead, get specific. Ask where to try a certain type of food. This is where your preliminary research comes in. Discuss your price range and the atmosphere you’re looking for, and convince them you really, truly do want to try local dishes, regardless of ingredients. Plus, there’s always a chance you’ll get lucky and run into the local who is passionate about and really does know a lot about food, and then you’re in for a treat. n

Rwanda fee hike to visit gorillas leads to drop in tourists VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK, Rwanda— Gorilla tourism is an important income source for Rwanda, but a recent increase in permit fees for safaris meant a steep decline in visitors.

Earlier this year the WWF conservation group said the mountain gorilla subspecies was making a comeback, with numbers above 600 from an estimated 480 in 2010 in the Virunga Massif, a mountainous area encompassing parts of Rwanda, Uganda and Congo.

REELING: DATELINE: BUSAN D4

In Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park, tourists routinely trek to see gorillas in their natural habitat. Conservation is big business in the East African nation, where tourism is the top foreign-exchange earner.

In May 2017 the government doubled the price of a permit to visit the gorillas from $750 to $1,500, making the fee the highest in the region. A similar fee is $600 in Uganda and $400 in Congo.

Since then Rwanda has lost some tourist

business, with some in the hospitality industry saying they have lost income.

“It was chaotic. I can’t estimate the percentage of tourists we lost but it was very bad,” said Parfait Kajibwami, manager of Le Bambou Gorilla Lodge near the park. The lodge estimates it lost more than 40 percent of its clients. Some tourists, however, have said they are happy to pay.

“I will only be able to do this once in my life,” said Diege Joost from Germany. AP

ANYA’S Executive Chef Jonathan Bouthiaux is more than ready to impress the guests with a Germanthemed menu available for the whole month of October

OKTOBERFEST

BY WAY OF TAGAYTAY

OCTOBER is definitely one of the most exciting months of the year. While you may have outgrown the Halloween festivities (even though no one’s too old for candy), there’s one event that gets everyone going: Oktoberfest.

The infectious positive energy of Oktoberfest has made the event travel far and beyond its German roots, with people lining up to munch their way through thousands of grilled sausages, chickens and giant pretzels...and drink beer of course. Now, there’s no need to fly to Germany to participate in its beer-drinking contests and experience the amazing food as Anya Resort Tagaytay (www.anyaresorts.com) has prepared a monthlong German-themed menu for everyone to enjoy. Find the same free-flowing German beer, traditional Bavarian food prepared by Anya’s Executive Chef Jonathan— sausages, pretzels, schnitzel and many more. “We have a wide range of local and imported beer you may pair with the food options on our menu for the whole month of October.

With roasted pork knuckle, a selection of veal bratwurst and Frankfurt sausages on the list, everyone is sure to leave with big smiles on their faces,” says Chef Jonathan.

Of course, to keep you cozy and warm during this “ber” month, Anya has also prepared special suite rates to complete the celebration with the family. The special Oktoberfest menu will be available throughout the month. Special weekday overnight rates are offered until the end of the month for only P6,600+, inclusive of an overnight stay at a Junior Suite (single/double occupancy), breakfast for two, complimentary drinks and snacks at Amra Deli Bar, two happy hour coupons, special turndown treats and a free Anya umbrella.

TOURIST Stephen Fernandez (center) takes photos of a male silverback mountain gorilla from the family of mountain gorillas named Amahoro, which means “peace” in the Rwandan language, in the dense forest on the slopes of Mount Bisoke Volcano in Volcanoes National Park, northern Rwanda. AP

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Entertaining BusinessMirror

Thursday, October 4, 2018

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Today’s Horoscope

BEERS AND THRILLS AWAIT From

left: Randy Santiago, Bar 360 regular performer; Joee Guilas, Resorts World Manila (RWM) corporate communications director; Reb Atadero, host; Tanya Manalang, lead actress of the upcoming musical of Air Supply songs titled All Out of Love; Candy Gamos, host; Gerald Magtoto, RWM integrated marketing director; and Rox Puno, guest performer

www.businessmirror.com.ph

By Eugenia Last

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Alicia Silverstone, 42; Liev Schreiber, 51; Christoph Waltz, 62; Susan Sarandon, 72.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Put more into home, family and getting ahead. Refuse to let setbacks of the past hold you back. Use your ingenuity, strength and courage to bring about positive changes that will improve your life on all fronts. Share your thoughts and create a stir about your future plans; you will be given the green light to chase your dreams. Your lucky numbers are 8, 11, 21, 23, 32, 34, 46.

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RWM kicks off its Oktoberfest celebration that carries the Filipino ‘inuman’ spirit

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By Jt Nisay

ESORTS World Manila (RWM) joins in on the fun of beer drinkers around the world as they clink their glasses together in celebration of Oktoberfest.

The pioneering one-stop, nonstop entertainment and leisure destination in the Philippines that opened in 2009 is running its own take of the beloved Bavarian tradition through the first-ever “Beers and Thrills Festival.” Since the celebration’s launch late last week, RWM and Newport Mall restaurants are offering a wide selection of local and foreign beers to go with a slew of beer-matched cuisines and beerinfused dishes in the spirit of a truly Filipino inuman practice of drinking and eating.

“What we present to you is a fusion of the wellloved European tradition that comes to life at this time of the year, and the signature Filipino inuman— an inuman that’s going to be done in the world-class facilities of Resorts World Manila,” said Joee Guilas,

RWM corporate communications director, during the festival’s launch at the Newport Mall.

Guilas added the Beers and Thrills Festival carries RWM’s revised corporate vision, “To thrill the world every chance we get,” as well as its mission company to create “world-class experiences with a Filipino touch.”

Among the participating signature outlets in the festival is Cantonese restaurant Passion, where diners can get the spicy Szechuan wok-fried chicken dish with a bottle of iconic Tsing Tao beer, both large enough for two persons to share, for P588+.

What’s an Oktoberfest celebration without some sausage to go with the booze? On one end, Café Maxims offers a sausage and mash special, a traditional German wurst grilled to perfection then smothered in rich onion gravy and served with a side of mashed potatoes for P390+. On the other, Franks sports bar gives its all-American hot dog a German flavor with the bratwurst sandwich, a meaty sausage on a bun loaded with customizable toppings that go with a side dish and

beer or soda, all for P335+.

For those who want to celebrate Oktoberfest in style, RWM’s fine-dining restaurant Impressions has Recipes for Cheers, a platter loaded with 200 grams of authentic bratwurst, strips of grilled pork belly, biscuits, special pie and ice-cold beers for P1,400+.

Also part of the festivities is Belmont Hotel with a promo called “Barbeque and Beer All You Can,” available on all Saturdays of October from 8 to 11 pm for P1,500+. Likewise, Marriott Hotel Manila’s CRU Steakhouse offers a deal on its German beef slider, a homemade meatloaf garnished with tomato, onion and quail egg for P390+.

Other signature RWM outlets like Ginzadon, Victoria Harbour Café, Silogue, and The Terrace also have their own Beers and Thrills specials. Meanwhile, hardcore beer drinkers can roam around the property and take advantage of deals on various lagers and pilsners from around the world, including Asahi, Hoegaarden, Stella Artois, Heineken, Corona, Tsing Tao, Budweiser, and San Miguel, to name a few. n

A New York state of mind FAMOUS pizza brand Yellow Cab embarks on another gastronomic adventure to delight pizza lovers and more with the launch of not just one, but five new flavors to join its roster of legendary pizzas. Aptly called 5 Boroughs Pizza, the relatives of the iconic pizza joint’s all-time best-seller, New York’s Finest, bring to the table the unique pizza flavors that capture the essence of each of New York City’s famed boroughs: Bronx, Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island.

“If you love our New York’s Finest, you will definitely enjoy the 5 Boroughs Pizza.

Generously topped with edge-to-edge flavors that represent the diversity of New York, 5 Boroughs is your palatable gateway to the Big Apple,” said Elise Veloso, senior brand manager for Yellow Cab Pizza Co. Bronx Creamy Mushroom Pizza, Yellow Cab’s first white sauce-based pizza brings to fore the intense flavor of the tough and edgy community of the Bronx. This tasty variant is a creamy mix of mushroom, chicken, olives and green bell peppers.

For those craving for something more sophisticated, there’s the Manhattan Steak & Eggs Pizza. Reminiscent of the borough considered as the “center of the universe,” this variant brings together a classy mix of steak strips and eggs doused in steak sauce and topped with onions and green bell peppers.

The hip culture of Brooklyn is captured in a hefty serving of Brooklyn Spicy Seafood Pizza. It is loaded with spicy Jalapeño peppers, shrimps, crabsticks, onions, green bell peppers, tomatoes and capers.

The Queens Oriental Chicken Pizza brings to the palate a unique flavor profile with its combination of chicken, mushrooms, onions and pineapple, topped with spring onions and cilantro, with a sweet and tangy Oriental sauce base.

Finally, there’s Staten Island Basil & Ricotta Pizza, which features crushed tomatoes topped with three cheeses and basil. This hefty mix is Yellow Cab’s Margherita Pizza with a twist, and is

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Mix and mingle. It will do you good to get someone else’s perspective on what’s happening.

Listen and offer an objective point of view to gain the most knowledge. An unusual prospect will give you something to think about. HHHHH

b

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): You’ll be up against someone who is inconsistent and who tends to make a mountain out of a molehill. Ease into conversations and source out what’s behind the comments being made. Don’t let someone’s emotional tactics mislead you. HH

c

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Stick close to home in order to control situations that have the potential to veer out of control. Know what and who you are dealing with. Use your knowledge and intelligence to keep the peace. HHHH

d

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Take note of what others are doing and contributing.

Offering praise will help develop a strong relationship with someone who can help defend you when faced with opposition. Learn by engaging with people from different backgrounds. HHH

e

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Someone will cause a fuss or provoke you to make one. A steady pace forward and a positive attitude will help you ward off controversy that will put a dent in your time and ability to achieve what you set out to do.

HHH

f

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Pick up the pace and keep going until you reach your destination. Surround yourself with interesting people who inspire and motivate you. A change in the company you keep or the places you congregate will result in new possibilities. HHH

g

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Don’t give in to anyone muscling into your affairs. The less transparent you are, the better the outcome.

Stick to what you know, and finish what you start. It’s what you leave undone that will come back to haunt you. HHHH

h

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Stay in the background and observe. The way others carry on will be a telltale sign of the way they will treat you if you let them get to know you better.

Play it safe and you won’t be sorry. HHH

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SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Take care of personal business. Get your finances in order and any paperwork that needs updating signed, sealed and delivered. How you conduct your business will be what others notice. HHHHH

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CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Hold on to your thoughts. Sharing with someone who tends to be a blabbermouth will cost you emotionally.

Look at the big picture and you’ll know exactly what you have to do in order to bring about positive change.

HHH

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AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Don’t get angry with someone for taking advantage of you; get angry with yourself for falling for his or her devious ways. Protect against those asking for too much or trying to tempt you into something that isn’t right for you. HHH

reflective of the more laid-back and chill atmosphere of the suburban community that has been the trademark of Staten Island.

The 5 Boroughs Pizza can be enjoyed in all Yellow Cab branches including Yellow Cab’s newest branch in Paseo

de Magallanes until January 31, 2019.

These are available for dine-in, takeout and delivery. Best of all, these all-new flavors can be savored at only P499 for regular size pizza, P759 for large and P999 for the New Yorker size.

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PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): A closer look at what others are doing will give you an idea on how to handle a situation you face. Turn a negative into a positive by using someone or something from your past to negotiate your way to victory. HHH BIRTHDAY BABY: You are dynamic, adaptable and sensitive.

You are smart and trendy.

‘subject matter’ BY TIMOTHY E. PARKER The Universal Crossword/Edited by Timothy E. Parker

ACROSS 1 “Graph” attachment 5 Not in town 9 ___ Rica 14 Hair salon action 15 Extinct bird 16 Heretofore 17 Restrain 18 Loud laugh 19 Lather, ___, repeat 20 Your Majesty or madam, e.g.

23 X or Y 34-Down 24 Monopoly piece 25 Very sudden 28 Conquest of Caesar 30 Also mention 33 Rate 34 Behind everyone else 35 The Buckeye State 36 Tools for the organized 39 Ars Amatoria writer 40 Burden 41 Plains Indian 42 Matched an “I do”

3 Get ready, casually 4 44 Quarreled 45 Gore and Roker 46 Columbian craft 47 Common info 54 Dance with dips 55 Like sunbaked land 56 List unit 57 Metallic fabrics 58 Opinion measurer 59 Brownish color 60 Be a noisy sleeper 61 View from a pew 62 Carpet variety DOWN 1 Whispered cut-in 2 Prefix with “trust” 3 Mob scene 4 Gave a performer her due 5 What a klutz is not 6 Pet sounds 7 Shevat follower 8 Yesteryear kin 9 ___ tunnel syndrome

0 Purple willow, e.g.

1 11 In ___ (attuned) 12 Word with “blood” or “math” 13 Had scallops 21 Evict 22 Armadillo’s plate 25 Incandescent 26 U-turn from chicken 27 Like crazy-wild fans 28 Top off the tank 29 Hieroglyphics snakes 30 How to leave Vegas 31 Somber song 32 Gave medicine to 34 Word with “dotted” 35 Bone receptacles 37 Animal backs 38 “...with ___ in sight” 43 Inquiry with “pretty” 44 Country instrument 45 Honey-colored 46 Symbol of hardness 47 Indian bread 48 It gives a shoot

9 Big name in auto parts 4 50 Be clumsy 51 Cut into deeply 52 E.R. fluids 53 Obviously self-righteous 54 A Mercedes-Benz type

Solution to yesterday’s puzzle:

Parentlife BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Thursday, October 4, 2018

HALLOWEEN ‘GOOSEBUMPS’ AT F1 HOTEL MANILA MAKE way for spookier nights with Halloween just around the corner, and F1 Hotel Manila (www. f1hotelmanila.com.ph) in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig, presents packages so you can share this season’s scariest stories and the most bone-chilling moments with your family and friends amid comfort and luxury.

Halloween monsters come alive as F1 Hotel Manila invites children of all ages to experience and enjoy a Trick or Treat Halloween Party, themed “Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween,” in partnership with Columbia Philippines at the Infinity Ballroom on October 27, from 10 am to 3 pm. Kids can dress up as a Wharewolf, Witch, Dracula, Frankenstein, the Mummy, or be their own favorite monster character for a spooktacular celebration. For only P1,700 per person, indulge your little monsters to participate in the hotel’s inclusive activities, such as face painting, trick-or-treating and many more fun activities sure to delight kids.

Meanwhile, there’s the Fright Night Room Package that includes an overnight stay in a City Suite for the package promo of P5,600 net inclusive of buffet breakfast for two persons and 20-percent discount on the Trick or Treat Halloween Party.

FROM left: Meagan as a toddler learning Mandarin through this Two Little Tigers Song, a book that comes with the audio CD, which allowed me to teach Meagan the song while looking at the colorful photos that describe the song. These kinds of tools helped me lessen screen time at my kids’ young age. Meagan’s first trip to Shanghai at the Xintiandi area, here with Grace Wee, a longtime business colleague and friend who was kind enough to explain to Meagan the importance of Chinese language.

‘Screen time’ issue is real: Part II MOMMY NO LIMITS

MAYE YAO CO SAY

mommynolimits@gmail.com

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INFLUENTIAL moms pose for a group photo with life coach Ning Tadena.

Lecture for a healthy, stress-free lifestyle for moms AS we all know by now, stress is the inevitable consequence of fast-paced work environments. While we need peace of mind and equilibrium to function well, it’s the competitive spirit that gets the job done.

Given that stress is unavoidable in our day-to-day life, how do we avoid a toxic lifestyle?

This was the central theme of the closing lecture in Ascof for Kids and The Parenting Emporium’s (TPE) series of classes that sought to spark people’s awareness on natural alternatives for health remedies, and on the total wellness of moms and their families. The previous three classes focused on “How to Jumpstart a Healthier Lifestyle,” “Dealing with Common Concerns the Natural Way,” and “Helping the Body Heal [Your Road to Holistic Wellness].”

Ascof is the country’s top natural cough remedy, while TPE, in New Manila, is a store and social enterprise that provides a venue for learning and support in creating communities that foster better parenting.

The cap-off event, held recently at the TPE, was highlighted by an enlightening discussion led by life coach and makeup artist Ning Tadena, who underscored the importance of changing one’s overall perspective and boosting one’s positive energy in order to avoid stress.

In her talk, titled “How to Release Toxic Stress,” Tadena explained how stress is a cause of many illnesses and misunderstandings. “Even your relationships suffer when you live in a toxic environment,” she said. “But in everything that we do, we have two ways to look at it—it can either stress us or stretch us.

She also identified what she considers the three most toxic emotions: resentment, rejection and regret.

Then she cited the three “most nourishing” ones: forgiveness, acceptance and gratitude.

Tadena believes that we can live stress-free and healthier lives by nourishing our mind, body and heart, and getting rid of the toxins in them.

“And part of nourishing your body,” Tadena asserted, “is eating healthy and using natural and organic products like Ascof for Kids.”

AST week I shared how real the effects are of screen time to both our physical and mental health. This week, I will share helpful views from experts, as well as my personal struggles and wins on applying these principles with my kids.

There was an interesting article I read written

by Anya Kamenetz, titled, “What the Screen Time Experts Do With Their Own Kids,” at www.npr.org. She shared the views and real-life tips from pediatricians.

For research pediatrician Dr. Jenny Radesky, who is the lead author of the most recent revision of the guidelines on media and children from the American Academy of Pediatrics, she says, “We’re not a techaverse household.” For her kids, her rule is “no media on weekdays.” Being an example of the principles of her own research on “joint media management”, she suggests family movie nights on Fridays.

For Lauren Hale, who is a sleep researcher at Stony Brook University in New York, she sums up her findings from over a decade of research: “As kids and adults watch or use screens, with light shining in their eyes and close to their face, bedtime gets delayed. It takes longer to fall asleep, sleep quality is reduced and total sleep time is decreased.”

For Tom Warshawski, an anti-obesity pediatrician from Canada and founder of the Childhood Obesity Foundation there, he promotes the formula 5-2-1-0.

That means five servings of fruits and vegetables a day, no more than two hours of screen time, one hour of physical activity, and no sugary beverages.

Since my 10-year-old daughter was an infant, the technology issue has been a dilemma for me.

I remember reading an article saying no screen time for ages below two years old. And yet on the other hand, there are videos made especially for infants. My first conclusion was: Let technology serve my intended productive purpose. My “litmus test” for using technology is: “Is it the only medium available?” For example, I wanted my babies to be exposed to different foreign languages before they were two years old. I’m able to expose them to Fukien, Mandarin and Filipino at home, but I’m not fluent in other languages. In a quest to prevent screen time, I was lucky to find an audio material for Japanese.

For French and Spanish, I found Brainy Baby VCDs. I concluded that my productive purpose for screen time was content.

This carried on after they were two years old. I remember being gifted with a Tigger and Pooh DVD from Taiwan. I found the little girl character, Darby, to be a good example of being curious, polite and caring for Meagan. I would watch the English version with her every morning before I left for work. I noticed she loved the melody. After a few weeks and seeing her understanding the stories, I converted the viewing to the Mandarin version. I saw Meagan enjoying it even in Mandarin. I recalled she learned “lemon” in Mandarin, among other words, because of this. I discovered my second principle about screen time: Personally screen content and identify its purpose for that age. Third: Joint screen time with kids is a great tool for bonding and knowing your kids more.

When Meagan entered a highly traditional Chinese school when she was three years old, I felt her ease in Mandarin class. Her tone was fairly accurate.

Up to this day at 12, she brings up this Tigger and Pooh video and remembers the introductory song.

Today, she values learning Mandarin and trying to discover colloquial words of expressions when we visit different cities in China. I realized because I was watching Mandarin videos with her, she associates these fond memories to learning Mandarin.

This is an example that screen time in itself isn’t bad. People invented these gadgets for information and support. It’s only when it is used as a “pacifier” or used excessively that problems may arise.

I have experienced this to a certain extent with my son today. I was able to properly utilize and monitor screen time through “phygital activities” when he was younger. I will share more of this next week. But when he turned six, I was a bit more lenient. Since his schoolwork was heavier, and like I shared before that I didn’t spend as much time with him when he was younger, I fell into that “guilt” that Claire Gagne mentioned in her article. I would allow his screen time to go unlimited during weekends.

My basic rules for both kids ever since were no gadgets during weekdays and all content must be preapproved by me. This means I would watch the cartoon series or the YouTube channel with them and have the final say. Kids are very good in negotiation.

I have a mental note for myself. I would sometimes be flexible on time but my kids know that content is nonnegotiable. If they violate it, I follow through on the consequence. For example, Sponge Bob, Adventure Time and We Bare Bears were some of the content I refrain my kids from watching.

I discovered with my two kids that each differ in their reaction to screen time. Because my daughter has more diverse hobbies like reading and sports, screen time is more peripheral for her. For my son, since he is a “character” and “toy” person, he gravitates toward screen time more. From Disney’s Cars, Marvel’s Avengers, Yokai, “Skylanders” to “Fortnite,” screen time means a lot more to him. It’s a bigger struggle for us in preventing him from “binge” playing his games.

More next week... n

Studies in healthy older people aim to prevent Alzheimer’s

By MaRiLyNN MaRCHiONE The Associated Press PHOENIX—It may be too late to stop Alzheimer’s in people who already have some mental decline. But what if a treatment could target the very earliest brain changes while memory and thinking skills are still intact, in hope of preventing the disease? Two big studies are going all out to try.

Clinics throughout the United States and some other countries are signing up participants—the only studies of this type enrolling healthy older people.

“The excitement in the Alzheimer’s field right now is prevention,” said Dr. Eric Reiman, executive director of the Banner Alzheimer’s Institute in Phoenix, which is leading the work.

Science so far has failed to find a drug that can alter the progression of Alzheimer’s, the most common form of dementia; 146 attempts have failed over the last decade, a recent industry report found. Even drugs that help remove the sticky plaques that clog the brains of people with the disease have not yet proved able to stave off mental decline.

It may be that they were tried too late, like lowering cholesterol after someone has suffered a heart attack whose damage can’t be undone, Reiman said. “What we have been learning, painfully, is that if we really want to come up with therapies that will modify the disease, we need to start very, very, very early,” said Dr. Eliezer Masliah, neuroscience chief at the National Institute on Aging.

His agency is funding the prevention studies with

the Alzheimer’s Association, several foundations, and Novartis and Amgen, makers of two experimental drugs being tested.

The goal is to try to block the earliest steps of plaque formation in healthy people who show no symptoms of dementia but are at higher risk for it because of age and a gene that makes it more likely.

To participate, people must first join GeneMatch, a confidential registry of folks interested in volunteering for various Alzheimer’s studies who are ages 55 to 75 and have not been diagnosed with any mental decline. They are checked for the APOE4 gene, which doesn’t destine someone to develop Alzheimer’s but raises that risk. About 1 in 4 people have one copy of the gene and about 2 percent have two copies, one from each parent.

More than 70,000 people have signed up since the registry began three years ago, said Jessica Langbaum, one of the Banner study leaders.

“Most of them have been touched by the disease personally,” either by having a family member or close friend with it, she said.

Langbaum’s 67-year-old mother, Ivy Segal, gave a DNA sample through a cheek swab and joined the registry in August. Her father was a patient at Banner and died of Alzheimer’s in 2011 at age 87. Watching him go from a mild-mannered man whose smile could light up a room to what he was like when he died was devastating, she said.

Being in GeneMatch doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll find out if you have the gene—folks with and without it may be contacted about various studies. But

to be in one of the two prevention studies, people must agree to learn their APOE4 status and have at least one copy of the gene.

Participants get periodic brain scans and memory and thinking tests every six months. They are given experimental drugs or placebo versions of them for several years.

One study is enrolling people with two copies of the gene. They are given either shots every few months of a drug intended to help the immune system clear plaque from the brain or daily pills of a drug intended to prevent first steps of plaque formation, or placebo versions of these experimental treatments.

The other study is in people who either have two copies of APOE4 or one copy of the gene plus evidence on brain scans of plaque starting to build. They will get one of two doses of the drug to prevent plaque formation or placebo pills.

Larry Rebenack, 71, of the Phoenix suburb of Surprise, Arizona, joined GeneMatch in August.

“I have a lot of friends and acquaintances I’ve seen deteriorate,” including one who started blowing through stop signs on a route to a golf course they had safely traveled for years, and another who forgot not only where he had parked his car but even what kind of car it was, Rebenack said. “It’s a disease that takes a little part of you away each day.”

Rebenack has decided to learn whether he has the gene if researchers give him the chance to find out.

“It’s like any other piece of information. It helps you plan your life and you owe it to all your loved ones, too.”

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Show BusinessMirror

Thursday, October 4, 2018

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Dateline: Busan REELING

TITO GENOVA VALIENTE

titovaliente@yahoo.com

B QCinema gives homage to French cinema classics QCINEMA International Film Festival (QCinema) pays tribute to the richness of French cinema by highlighting classic titles for the Filipino cinephile.

The sixth edition of QCinema casts a spell with Diabolique, And God Created Woman and Five and the Skin, all of which are influenced by the French New Wave (La Nouvelle Vague), a significant movement in the history of cinema.

Considered a classic on the horror genre and one of the greatest films in the 1950s, Diabolique made waves with its original release that gave recognition to Henri-Georges Clouzot.

Clouzot was best known for his works in the thriller genre, which made him one of the greatest French film directors.

In the suspenseful Diabolique, a wife and the mistress of a loathed school principal hatch a plan to murder him while having the perfect alibi. They successfully carry out the plan but things take a turn for the worst when his corpse mysteriously disappears. Diabolique won the Best Foreign Film Award at the 1956 Edgar Allan Poe Awards, and the Best Foreign Language Film at the 1955 New York Film Critics Circle Awards.

And God Created Woman pushed the boundaries of sexuality in American cinema. It is a seductive story of an 18-year-old woman who teases her husband, his brother and a Riviera millionaire.

Creating 25 motion pictures over his 40-year career, French filmmaker Roger Vadim was able to showcase his appreciation of beautiful women, which defined his personal life by featuring them in his films.

Five and the Skin, slated as a French-Filipino production directed by Pierre Rissient, was shot entirely in Manila with the cast and crew consisting of Filipinos.

It tells the story of a writer who comes back to Manila with no specific reason as to why he returned. He travels in the fascinating city in search of its past while also looking for the meaning of his existence. Pierre Rissient was an influential filmmaker in Cannes and brought many unknown directors to the international limelight, including Filipino filmmaker Lino Brocka. He played a significant role in bringing Philippine cinema to the French Riviera.

The films are set to show under the French Classics section from TF1, one of the most viewed French television channels in Europe.

QCinema will feature the films from October 21 to 30 at Gateway Mall, Robinsons Galleria, and Ayala Malls Cinema in Ayala Malls TriNoma and UP Town Center.

Y the time you read this, I would already be in South Korea for the Busan International Film Festival. The 23rd edition of the festival in the second most populous city of South Korea will focus its spotlight on the Philippine cinema, which is celebrating its centenary. As such, some actors and filmmakers are traveling to that seaside city to stand proud among Asian cinemas and world cinemas.

If there is one economic product that we can call a cultural commodity, it is, without question, our cinema in its mainstream form and more so in its independent, alternative reincarnation. If we as a people, community and country are discussed positively abroad, it’s because we are sending each year—almost each month—to the world our films.

These works have the capacity to narrate a nation in all its movement, in all its flux and flaw. Filipino cinema, at its most candid, celebratory and subversive proportion, is our real ambassador of goodwill.

Good cinemas don’t lie; they can subvert, negotiate, contest realities of all kinds. When a film ends, it gives always an audience the truth—the truth about the lies of the nation, the truth about the crimes in our surroundings, the truths as they are slowly being diminished and compromised by our leader.

But always, it’s truth that shakes us to look back and remember the images on the screen and the stories they have told us.

South Korea should be of particular interest to Filipinos not because of the Hallyu wave, those films and TV programs where men look a lot lovelier and more delicate than all the women in the stories. We should look at South Korea because it shares us with us histories of wars. Two wars—the Second World War and the Korean War. The last would lead to the making of the 38th Parallel, the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), an area, which for all its labeled claim is one heavily militarized place. This is the slice of land which dramatically and with such poignancy divides the South from North Korea.

From the Second World War, the comfort women of South Korea were among the first in Asia to come out and protest what the Japanese Imperial

Army did to them during those horrible years. Our grandmothers who were unfortunate to be kidnapped and conscripted to this terrible practice of Japanese military as well would come out later, to our outrage and shock.

The practice of the comfort woman was discovered to be part of the tradition or practice of the Japanese Imperial Army, in which they would force women to sexually service the soldiers coming from the warfront or battlefield. The idea was that these sexual activities would relieve a platoon or company of soldiers of stress. All at the physical and moral expense of women who needed to be with 10 or more soldiers each session.

With due respect to our dear grandmothers and all the others from different places in Southeast Asia who became victims of these atrocities, the South Korean comfort women retain their most vociferous protest each year, or whenever there is an occasion to do so.

When the Korean War took place in 1950, it was just some five years after the Second World War had ended. The Philippines, still recovering from the deaths and destructions of the war with the Japanese, would send its young men again to battlefield. Our soldiers would compose the fifth-largest contingent fighting under the command of the United Nation.

There would be 50 allied forces in that war.

The Filipino troop was called the Philippine Expeditionary Forces to Korea (PEFTOK). In many accounts, our soldiers had to fight two wars: that against the enemy and the other against the harsh winter of 1950.

There were many heroes of that war, the very first war waged by a huge Filipino military force abroad.

There were battles fought and won in Korea. But it was the life of Boni Serrano, after whom a street in Quezon City near Cubao, that was made into a film. The movie was written by a very young war correspondent named Benigno Aquino Jr. Said to be all of 17 years of age, Aquino would send photos and stories about this war. In one of those dispatches was the story of Serrano. The tale told of a soldier who swam across an icy river and captured enemies.

Directed by National Artist for Film, Lamberto Avellana, the film is Korea 1952. It stars Jaime de la Rosa, Tony Santos, Gil de Leon and Nida Blanca. The film would have many nominations, including those for Best Picture and Best Screenplay (for Aquino). The film would win Best Supporting Actor and Actress for Gil de Leon and Nida Blanca, respectively.

LVN, which produced Korea 1952, would produce two more anticommunist films: Kontrabando (1950) and Huk sa Bagong Pamumuhay (1953). The former was directed by Gregorio Fernandez and the latter, by Lamberto Avellana. History would simplify the war in Korea as a conflict between the communist and the

democratic forces. Reality and geopolitics would be more complex.

Interestingly, there are postings on the Internet stating that Huk sa Bagong Pamumuhay was shot on location in Kapatagan, Lanao del Norte. This tells us that it was more difficult to film in the Central Luzon area, where the Huk presence was dominant, than shooting in Lanao in Mindanao back then. How times have changed. Mindanao was indeed a land of promise in the 1950s for those in Luzon and the Visayas.

It would’ve been significant to screen the three films in Busan this time, particularly Korea 1952, but there are problems with their copies. Korea 1952 is said to be a lost film. There is a mention of another film about the 1oth BCT, the troop that demonstrated gallantry in the Korean War. This film is called The 10th Battalion: SAF 38th Parallel Korea. We should alert SOFIA, the Society of Film Archivists, to look for this film.

The problems of locating these films reveal more really a problem of film preservation and archiving. It cannot be underestimated what these lost films can bring to us about technologies, history and memory.

As for history and memory, Busan is more than a festival site. In 1950 0ne of the fiercest battles in that war reached this now fabulous site of world cinemas.

It was called the “Battle of Pusan Perimeter,” a battle that saw the United Forces being almost defeated.

As for my memory, Busan was Pusan, a harbor that in the 197os saw young exchange students like me fight difficulties with visa regulations. Entering Japan in the 197os was very difficult for many. The exchange program, of which I was a part, used the strategy of allowing students to get a tourist visa or some such document, which allowed them to stay for 60 days. When the visa was about to expire, the students were sent to South Korea. There, they applied for the proper student visa, one that would allow them to finish the exchange program for a year. The students who had problem with their visas would be luckier to have two countries to experience—South Korea and Japan.

Pusan then could be reached by way of a ferry that crossed from Hiroshima to the South Korean port. Pusan was like good news for those young adventurers from all over the globe. It meant seeing Korea and then going back to Japan to have more of it.

As for my other memory, Busan was “Pusan” in the song of Cho Yong-pil, a South Korean pop singer who sang about “Pusan han e,” or “Come back to Pusan.”

Tsubaki saku haru nano ni/Camellias bloom although it is only spring....

A war, a song, and passionate, fervid youth— Busan was fabulously cinematic then. It is, like love, splendidly lovelier the second time around. n

GIL CUERVA ADDS ZEST TO ‘TASTE BUDDIES’ AS SOLENN HEUSSAFF’S NEW COHOST BEGINNING October 6, GMA heartthrob Gil Cuerva is off to a different adventure when he joins multi-hyphenate actress Solenn Heussaff as the new cohost of GMA News TV’s lifestyle show Taste Buddies.

A self-confessed foodie and travel enthusiast at heart, Gil is sure to add fun and new flavor to the program as its first-ever male cohost. See the other side of Gil as he shares with viewers insights about the food and activities he tries his hand at.

Together, Solenn and Gil live up to the tagline of the show, “Basta masarap, go!” where they dish out fun activities and delicious meals every week.

Having previously guested on the show, Gil looks forward to joining Solenn on Taste Buddies. “This is my

first hosting project. In the past, I really enjoyed being a guest on the show. Now that I am officially part of it, I am excited to join Solenn in her adventures,” he says.

For her part, Solenn said having a male cohost is a breath of fresh air. “I’m sure having Gil in the show will really be fun. He will bring a new dynamic since he is a guy and I cannot wait for our adventures together. It will be an interesting mix and viewers should watch out for it,” she shares.

For his first episode as the new Taste Buddies cohost, Gil brings Solenn to Novotel Araneta’s Sabor Bar de Vinos.

The two hosts enjoy a fine dining experience over savory Spanish tapas and extensive wine varieties.

At the same time, Solenn gets to

know more about her new cohost as they play a fun Q&A game.

Will Gil survive the “grilling” of his new food buddy?

In an upcoming episode, Solenn and Gil will head on to Instagram-worthy restaurant Perry’s where they will jump into a food adventure and sample Perry’s specialty teas.

The 2018 Comguild Media Awardee for Best Lifestyle Program, Taste Buddies airs every Saturday at 8:45 pm on GMA News TV.

Envoys&Expats BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph | Thursday, October 4, 2018 E1

Playing his part in this side of the world Argentine envoy essays his best role yet: Strengthening ties with a longtime ally in the Asean

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By Recto L. Mercene

@rectomercene

EHIND the aristocratic bearing of Ambassador Jose Nestor Ureta lies an interesting persona: that of an aspiring thespian.

Like any good dramatist, the Argentinian envoy to the Philippines could display a range of emotions and personalities so entirely different from his reserved demeanor.

If not for the intervention of his wife, however, the clarion call of the stage would have prevailed over the hand of diplomacy that beckoned and eventually prevailed.

“I loved theater. I’m not a professional, but I participated in several plays. Just before I came here, I did it for seven years,” admitted the dashing diplomat, who was still full of enthusiasm in narrating the time he briefly embraced the limelight.

“Why did you not pursue it professionally?” this reporter queried Ureta during their dialogue inside the embassy of Argentina in Makati City.

The ambassador explained in

detail his aborted dream of becoming the next Laurence Olivier or Ian McKellen: “I attended theater classes from 8 to 10 p.m. after working the whole day. My classmates were very young: They ranged from 25 to 35 years old…”

He reminisced, with a chuckle, “Sometimes I asked myself then: ‘What am I doing here?’”

As he came to savor his newfound love, his professor said to him: “Jose, you’re becoming better and better; you might not finish your diplomatic career...”

One day he told his better half of his theater classes and becoming enamored to it, wondering if he would be able to pursue his ambassadorial dream.

“Are you crazy?” she exclaimed, and Argentina’s future Rex Har-

rison gave up his theatrical ambitions, thus ending his brief affair with the stage.

Transitioning from the world of make-believe to the daily grind of ordinary life, and playing on the “real” stage he was also aspiring to becoming part of, Ambassador Ureta explained the difference between being an actor and being a diplomat.

“You know, they’re entirely different, because diplomacy somehow gets inside of you; while acting is the opposite—you express yourself outwardly.”

Ureta explained that, on stage, “one assumes about 85 percent of a personality, but the remaining [part] is actually yourself controlling that character.”

He said, it is good if the “15 percent” prevails, “but if the line [that separates] is very narrow, and the character you’re playing is predominant, like 95 percent, and the remaining 5 percent controls the character, that’s an absolutely incredible [kind of acting].”

Ureta was queried: “Did you ever reach that point of being an entirely different character?”

“No, no, you have to have a lot of experience, and you have to be

very introspective,” was his reply, to which he segued to the subject of Argentina’s cinematic accomplishments.

The salt-and-pepper-haired envoy from South America was passionate in telling that his country remains one of the top countries in terms of movie output: “Historically, we have been one of the three most-developed film industries in Latin America, and today we are very well-known—especially in the Spanish-speaking world.”

Currently Argentina has more than 50 film-production companies.

The country holds several international festivals annually, the most important being held in Buenos Aires. Ureta boasted that Argentina was also the first Latin American country that won an Oscar award in 1985, with the film The Official Story; and in 2009 won another for The Secret in Their Eyes.

He said he was able to talk with some personalities engaged in the film industry here in the country and would like to improve cooperation with them. The envoy had a recent exchange with officials of the Film Development Council of the Philippines and the former

Liceo Cervantes.

Italian lineage

OUR man from Argentina claimed his family is of Italian descent, as with all his compatriots, whose roots are European.

“My mother’s family is Italian, [and so is half] of our bloodline, because Argentina is more than 90-percent European in origin—the ‘most European’ of all Latin American countries.”

On the contrary, however, he revealed that few Argentinians could speak Italian. “That’s because the first immigrants from Italy in the 19th century came from different parts of the [said country], and spoke their own patois.”

According to the envoy, in the 19th century, the Italian language was not so widespread like it is today. So, in the course of his career, he spoke more in Italian than Spanish in his various postings as Nigeria, as he conversed with fellow ambassadors in that tongue.

On the other hand, as an offshoot of migration, he said there are many Italian dialects that inserted themselves into their everyday language in Argentina, such as apetito for ap-

petite, and gambas or gambe for legs.

“Not piernas,” as it should have been in Spanish, Ureta pointed out.

Like in the Philippines where English is the second language, it is the same for Argentina, although the BusinessMirror pointed out that since we were colonized by Spain for 300 years, its Castillan tongue should have been our second language.

He readily agreed and noted that one of his goals is to spread the teaching of Spanish in our schools, and send promising Filipino students to study such in his native country.

Reviving Spanish

THE ambassador from Argentina flew in some two months ago, and has been very active in the local diplomatic circle in promoting Argentina’s many cultural achievements.

One such was the photographic exhibition at the Lyceum of the Philippines University (LPU) in Intramuros, Manila. Many photographs were on display, and “most of the photos were taken by Filipino tourists in Argentina.”

Continued on E2

Envoys& BusinessMirror

E2 Thursday, October 4, 2018

EFFORTS IN EDUCATION

Euro education fair opens doors to Filipinos

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ILIPINO students are being encouraged by the European Union (EU) to explore further learning in its member-states through the 2018 European Higher Education Fair (EHEF) on October 10 at the Shangri-La Plaza.

Organized by the Delegation of the EU to the Philippines, together with its member-states’ embassies as well as cultural groups, and in partnership with the Commission on Higher Education, EHEF 2018 will feature universities and higher education institutions (HEIs) from the bloc.

This year’s theme, “Sustaining Innovation and Excellence,” continues to promote the EU as an outstanding melting pot of quality higher education.

EU Ambassador Franz Jessen said, “The universities and educational institutions in Europe offer the charm of Europe’s history, as well as cutting edge, innovative education. The EHEF aims to bring both excellence and diversity to

a growing number of prospective Filipino students.”

Participating universities and HEIs for students from the Philippines aspiring to specialize in business, engineering, sciences and the arts are the following: Belgium: Ghent University, University of Antwerp and University of Hasselt.

Czech Republic: Masar yk University, Mendel University in Brno, Study in Prague Consortium, made up of the following institutions: Czech University of Life Sciences; Czech Technical University; Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design; Academy of Performing Arts; Charles University; University of Economics; and University of Chemistry and Technology, and

AMBASSADOR of the European Union to the Philippines Frank Jessen NONOY LACZA

the Technical University of Liberec.

Denmark: Aarhus University and the International Business Academy.

France: Audencia Business School, IESEG School of Manage-

ment, INSEEC Business School, Universite Catholique de l’Ouest, and Vatel Hotel and Tourism Business School in Bordeaux.

Ger m any: T U Dor t mu nd , Rheinland Institute, University

of Regensberg and WHU–Otto Beisheim School of Management.

Hungary: Central European University.

Italy: Universita Cattolica del Sacro Cuore and Istituto Marangoni.

The Netherlands: IHE Delft Institute for Water Education, Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies-Erasmus University Rotterdam, International Institute of Social Studies, Maastricht School of Management, and TIAS School for Business and Society.

Spain: IE Business School, Universidad Catolica San Antonio de Murcia and Universidad de Navarra.

Sweden: Lund University and Stockholm University.

United Kingdom: Joint Development of Niche Programs through the Philippines-United Kingdom linkages.

Those interested can learn more about the EU educational system and way of life through lectures and direct interaction with university and HEI representatives, alumni volunteers and past Erasmus+ scholars. There will also be country presentations from each member-state to showcase all the best reasons to pursue higher education in the European Union.

Admission to the fair is free. Interested parties can preregister online via www.ehef–philippines.com.

For more information, visit @EHEFPhilippines on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

EU invites students to pursue higher studies abroad I

N today’s fast-changing world, a global education is just the right tool to keep up and adapt with the times.

This is why the Delegation of the European Union (EU) to the Philippines encourages young Filipino students to pursue higher education in the countries that make up the said bloc.

EU Ambassador Franz Jessen emphasized this point by saying that studying abroad—especially in the EU—“allows one to gain a different perspective, which can be incredibly useful especially for the Filipino youth.”

Jessen said that the European Higher Education Fair (EHEF) 2018 can serve as the gateway for the Filipino youth to find out about higher education opportunities in Europe.

EHEF 2018 is designed to enable students to get quick yet comprehensive information on higher education

and mobility programs.

Here are some of the reasons to consider EU for higher education:

Building a career

HAVING a degree from the EU is undoubtedly attractive on one’s résumé, as employers all over the world seek an international study experience when recruiting.

A European education guarantees gaining the skills, knowledge and experience that will be valuable in the international business community, as well as in the creative and research sectors.

Learn global languages

ASIDE from the fact that most European countries have high proficiency in English, EU also offers thousands of study programs in the said language.

This means that one could get by with English in everyday communi-

cation and situations, but this stop should not hinder the excitement of learning other global business languages like French, German, Spanish, Italian and more.

Experience world-class education SIMPLY put: Many of the world’s best universities are in Europe. A student will be right at the center of an international community with a history of and passion for learning.

World-class teaching, top facilities, cutting-edge research programs, as well as an emphasis on creativity, innovation and support will help you reach one’s true potential.

Top-notch research community

FOR ambitious academics looking to boost their careers, EU is the perfect place to explore research opportunities.

In fact, the EU is actively looking to attract an additional 1 million

researchers over the next decade.

Feel right at home

AS a center of education, the EU is naturally a welcoming, friendly place for international students.

Universities and colleges offer support and social activities to help one feel right at home.

Making friends around the world and staying in touch with a network of peers will make a student feel like he or she is part of an international community—one that shares goals, dreams and aspirations.

Unique cultural adventure

STUDYING in the EU means that one gets to travel while pursuing a prestigious degree. It is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to discover European countries and to immerse oneself in the many wonderful cultures in Europe.

Get a fill of Instagram-worthy locations from the snowy mountains

up north, to the paradise beaches of the south—not to mention the many historical places all across the continent.

Europe as a hub

EASY access to other cities and countries, with cheap flights and trains in the Schengen area, allows moving through borders easily.

Value for money

CONTRARY to the perception that an international education costs a lot, EU universities and higher education institutes invest in their study programs to make education affordable for students, while still maintaining high-quality standards.

Aside from this, the EU offers a lot of academic scholarships and financial support options, particularly the Erasmus program. The bloc believes that one’s financial situation should not be a hindrance in

the pursuit of quality education.

Diversity in education

WITH all these options, studying in the EU really gives one a lot of choices when it comes to higher education. The educational and cultural diversity that the bloc offers is beyond comparison. Studying in the European Union is really a lifedefining moment for students looking to shape their future.

Specialized programs

THROUGH a wide range of specialized programs and specific subjects offered in some of the best European universities, one can study in any area of interest. With the harmonization of most Europeans programs (via the Bologna Treaty), it easily allows mobility within Europe for a study program (between bachelor and master’s degrees, or PhD, for example); thus, it is easy to find a job.

Playing his part in this side of the world Continued from E1

It was there that Ureta presented the International Certification to LPU, which recognized the teaching of Spanish. The credential is recognized by Argentina, Italy and Brazil.

“We want to give them a venue to take those examinations in the Philippines,” and added that Argentina has two such other places in East Asia: one in Thailand and another in Singapore.

We both agreed on the seeming shortcomings of this nation to be truly proficient in Spanish, the way other former colonies of Spain have adopted to it, such as the whole of Latin America.

“Spanish is our common heritage,” he volunteered, and said the dialectal of Don Quixote “is increasingly becoming the second-most important language in the world and in the whole of Latin America.”

‘Ultra-cooperation’

ARGENTINA’S envoy had his first taste of Asia by way of the Philippines, and found himself in “familiar territory” because of the warm and friendly people he got to be acquainted with.

Ureta said he had been to Tagaytay City and some parts of Batangas, as well as in Davao, but would also like to visit other cities like Cebu.

He delved into the bilateral relations between Argentina and the Philippines, and said, “We have been friends for the last 70 years.

[Your country is our] main bridge to other Asian countries.”

The Argentine ambassador said there had been “ultra-cooperation” in several fields, such as in the technical field, as well as programs on

dairy products and livestock. In fact, an Argentine delegation came to town in July to participate in several workshops in Quezon province, where they met with about 30 producers.

“Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol visited Argentina twice last year. We had memoranda of agreements [signed] in agriculture, as well as in sports.”

Ureta admitted that there is room for improvement. The Philippines could tap into his country’s main exports, such as soya beans, dairy and wine.

“Argentine wines are very famous in the world,” he averred, which is backed up by the fact that his compatriots celebrate annually what they call “Malbec Day” in April.

(Malbec World Day commemorates the proclamation of then-President Domingo Faustino Sarmiento, when he officially made it his mission to transform Argentina’s wine industry. On that day in 1853, he commissioned French soil expert Michel Aimé Pouget to bring over new vines from Europe, according to Wikipedia.)

The diplomat also intimated that, despite the distance that separates them, there exists the possibility of developing tourism between our two countries, “since the Philippines was the first country from Asean that Argentina [established] diplomatic relations with.”

Line of lawyers

WE told the good ambassador that he would feel at home in the Philippines because it has a surfeit of lawyers, who include our very own president, Rodrigo Duterte. Ureta had

URETA speaks to members of the local media at the opening of Cine Argentino.

the chance to be acquainted with the Chief Executive during the presentation of his credentials at the Malacañan Palace just recently.

The Argentine envoy volunteered that he came from a family of lawyers. He said he practiced the profession for 14 years.

One of his sons and his wife are attorneys, and so is his brother, whose former wife also shared the same vocation.

Ureta was an associate professor of international public law at the Belgrano University and the National University of

Buenos Aires. He is a member of the Argentine Association of International Law. He revealed that his specialty is the Law of the Seas within the United Nations— something that rang a bell with this reporter because for several years, starting in 2012, the Philippines has been arguing before the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos) on our territorial claims in relation to other countries.

“It was one of the most important conventions signed on April 30, 1982 in Mon-

tego Bay, Jamaica,” he said and proudly claimed, “I was part of the negotiations that were two years in the making.”

The Argentine ambassador said he had met many Filipino sailors when he was still working on the Law of the Sea matters, particularly in Jamaica, the headquarters of the International Seabed Authority.

“I used to work a lot there, and [some] of the best experts on the law of the sea were Filipinos and Indonesians.”

Ureta was a political counselor at the Ar-

&Expats

envoys.expats.bm@gmail.com | Thursday, October 4, 2018 E3

Korean War vets’ scions awarded scholarships

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HE Embassy of South Korea in the Philippines, along with Lotte Chilsung Beverage Co. Ltd., one of the largest beverage makers in South Korea, recently awarded scholarships to descendants of Filipino veterans of the Korean War. The said awarding was in commemoration of the 68th anniversary of the Korean War with the Department of National Defense and the Philippine Expeditionary Force to Korea Veterans Association Inc. (PVAI).

College scholarships were extended to 50 students through the Lotte Scholarship Foundation. The beverage giant is also one of the many Korean businesses heavily investing in the Philippines, which bought 43 percent of the local Pepsi bottling company, Pepsi-Cola Products Philippines Inc. (PCPPI), in 2010.

“The Lotte Scholarship Foundation was founded by [the] Lotte group to give a helping hand to domestic and international students who need financial assistance,” said PCPPI CEO You Yong-sang, who stood as representative of the Lotte Founda-

not be enjoying its peace, democracy and economic prosperity without the noble and great Filipino Korean war veterans,” he added.

The Republic of Korea (ROK) and the Philippines have developed deep bilateral relations through the years, ever since 7,420 Filipino soldiers came to the aid of their war-stricken neighbor in 1950.

Numbers, investments

tion, and added, “This scholarship program is our way of honoring veterans of the Korean War by helping their descendants build their future through education.”

Friends, indeed

PVAI veterans and their families attended the event held in the Korean Pylon Heroes cemetery in Taguig CIty, and was graced by the Ambassador of South Korea to the Philippines Han Dong-man.

In his address to the Filipino veterans, Han underlined the importance of the Philippines’s role in his country’s democracy: “A friend in need, is a friend indeed. [The Republic of] Korea has a debt of gratitude to the Philippines because of your sacrifice and wonderful heroism.”

He went on to say, “Korea would

PHILIPPINE Expeditionary Force to Korea Veterans Association Inc. President Col. Sixto P. Belen, PA, GSC (Ret.) (from left), one of the scholarship recipients, Ambassador of South Korea to the Philippines Han Dong-man and Pepsi-Cola Products Philippines Inc. CEO and representative of the Lotte Scholarship Foundation Yong-Sang You

Common IELTS misconceptions debunked

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HE International English Language Testing System (IELTS) test has been providing opportunities to people around the world for almost 30 years, taking them closer to their dreams of studying, working or immigrating abroad.

But while the test has been around for a long time, there are still a lot of misconceptions surrounding it. The items below debunk seven of these to help potential takers understand the test and take them closer to their dreams.

IELTS is a “pass or fail” test: Many examinees mistake the IELTS for being such. That is not the case, as it is just an accurate indicator of one’s English language skills, using a nine-band scoring system to identify proficiency level: from non-user through to expert.

IELTS is only for study purposes: The IELTS is not just for studying abroad.

In fact, it is recognized by more than 10,000 organizations around the world: not just educational institutions, but employers and immigration bodies, as well.

Test takers can score higher if they take the test outside their country: All IELTS test centers around the world follow the same set of standards when it comes to the content and delivery of the test, so it will not matter whether it is taken within or outside of one’s home country.

Face-to-face interviews can be unfair and biased: The speaking section of the test entails a face-to-face interview delivered by a trained examiner, enabling real-life, two-way interaction as in the real world. This makes it an effective means of assessing speaking skills, because it prompts a more realistic performance from test takers.

Using English and American accents in the speaking test yields a higher score: The speaking test is not marked according to the accent used. Test takers can speak in whatever accent they feel comfortable with, and scoring is based on fluency and coherence, lexical resource, grammatical range and accuracy and pronunciation.

The test taker’s opinion can affect the results of their speaking and

writing test: The IELTS is not a test of opinion, but an assessment of English language skills. Examiners evaluate the test taker’s ability to express their opinion fluently, coherently and accurately using the right words.

IELTS is not recognized by US institutions: This is false, since there are more than 3,000 US universities that recognize IELTS. In addition, according to the 2016 US Admissions Officers Online Survey, 83 percent of admission officers in the country recommend IELTS as reliable evidence of English language proficiency.

To learn more about organizations recognizing IELTS in the US, visit www. takeielts.britishcouncil.org.

The British Council-Philippines regularly conducts the IELTS test, available in paper-based and computer-based formats.

The first one is held four times a month in 17 testing centers in the country, while the latter is held once a day in selected testing centers. To learn more about the test and the British Council, visit https://www.britishcouncil.ph/.

AMBASSADOR Jose Nestor Ureta (right), with Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter S. Cayetano

gentine Embassy in Rome, Italy from 1989 to 1994. He then moved on to become his country’s ambassador to Nigeria between 1999 and 2002.

In 2009 the diplomat was posted at the embassy of Argentina in Canada, where he served as Charge d'Affaires beginning October 2011 until two years later.

A writer as well, the Argentine diplomat had produced a book. Ureta contributed many articles related to international politics and international law to several

magazines and newspapers in his country.

He was also conferred the Commendatore dell’ Ordine al Merito della Republica Italiana by the president of Italy.

Armed with sufficient knowledge of law, the envoy entered the diplomatic academy and went through months of grueling examinations in language, international law, economy, geography and many more.

It took him three months to undergo those sets of examinations before he went through two more years of full study to

qualify in the Argentina Diplomatic Academy, where he started his career.

He was a deputy legal adviser at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for five years and participated in several foreign conferences, while he had been in different negotiating teams of his country.

The ambassador capped off the conversation as he gesticulated in his well-cut suit that, “I have been in this business for 40 years,” with polished manners and a sense of accomplishment.

TODAY the ROK has a flourishing economy and is contributing greatly to Philippine tourism by providing the most number of tourists from January to July 2018.

The ambassador also mentioned that as part of repaying ROK’s debt of gratitude to Filipinos, he promised President Duterte that he will increase the number of South Korean tourists who will visit the Philippines: from 1.6 million to 2 million, and encourage more companies from his homeland to invest in this country.

“I also made a promise to him to increase our trade volume from $14.3 billion to $20 billion during my term,” Han said. “It’s very ambitious, but we can make it, because whenever I meet Korean businesses like Lotte, I ask them to invest, invest and invest—complimenting Duterte’s ‘Build, Build, Build’ slogan.”

Envoys&Expats BusinessMirror

E4 Thursday, October 4, 2018

NEW ENVOYS TO PHL President Duterte receives at the Malacañan Palace on September 25 the credentials of Ambassador-designates to the Philippines from the Republic of Belarus, Valery Kolesnik (left photo), and of Norway, Bjørn Staurset Jahnsen. ROLANDO MAILO/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

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COURTESY CALL President Duterte greets Rosoboronexport Special Assignments Director Sergey Goreslavskiy on September 27. TOTO LOZANO/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

La Cámara holds speed-networking night

T

By Leony R. Garcia

HE La Cámara (Spanish Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Navigation in the Philippines Inc.), in collaboration with the Dutch, French, German, Italian and British chambers, recently held its fifth speednetworking night, which was one of the biggest networking events of the year.

The chamber was founded on July 16, 1899, shortly after the American occupation of Manila. As one of the

first established in the Philippines, La Cámara aims to increase business opportunities among its members,

VARIOUS scenes from the recent speed-networking night of La Cámara.

as well as perpetuate business ties and economic conditions that have existed for centuries between Spain and the Philippines.

La Cámara is made up of both

corporate partners and individual members with an interest of fostering economic relations between both countries. The profile of its members are diverse: Spaniards who

have established their businesses in the Philippines, those looking for new business opportunities or expanding their companies in the archipelago, and even the ones who

simply feel attracted by its culture and historical ties with their motherland.

There are also Filipino societies and individuals, as well as other nationalities whose businesses have a representation in Spain, or are interested in expanding to the Spanish market. Several of its partners are associated by the attraction they feel toward the Philippines, or the blood ties that they may have.

The speed-networking night was well represented with the presence of chamber heads Bas Hugendort (Dutch), Cristina Raya (Spanish), Vanessa Hans (French), Lorenz Ziller (Italian), Ariana Salazar (German) and Sarah McLeod Trestee (British).

Atty. Tony Abad hosted the event.

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KEEPING YOUR CHILD’S SKIN

INFECTION-FREE P

ARENTS are more than ever concerned about their child’s welfare, especially their health.

Since they won’t be around to look after them all the time, they are naturally wary. Kids interact with other kids and do activities that will most likely get their hands dirty and make them prone to certain skin infections. With their fragile skin in their young age, children will need protection from infections, and parents will do everything to ensure this.

Dr. Maria Lourdes Palmero, FPDS, explained that there are three forms of skin infections that parents should watch out for in their kids: bacterial, fungal and viral. She said the infections are based on etiology or the kind of organisms that cause it.

Bacterial infection is the most common, she said, caused mainly

by Staphylococcus aureus, with minor skin infections such as impetigo or mamaso that usually has noticeable golden-yellow crusting that multiplies over time. There can also be folliculitis or small deposits of pus, usually in the hair follicles; then there’s furunculosis or pigsa in the vernacular, plus carbunculosis.

For fungal infections, there’s ringworm that is common to children; on the feet, it is called alipunga or tinea pedis; on the hands, tinea manum; on the face, tinea faciale; and on the groin, tinea cruris or hadhad.

In terms of viral infections, it’s the common warts or verruca vulgaris, known in the vernacular as kulugo that may be seen more often in children.

Palmero explained that the most common mode of transmission is through contact with an infected person, but of course there are other factors. “Food is not a factor, but the environment, specifically the heat or moisture, may be associated to development of fungal infections. A child’s immune status can also be a factor; or if a child has skin barrier issues, like eczema or extremely dry skin, infection may be more easily acquired. These factors make the child prone to infections since organisms can easily enter the skin.

Infectious agents may also come from other sources, such as ani-

2 Health&Fitness October 4-10, 2018

mal or pet fur, or even from soil.”

As interactions among kids happen mostly in school, Palmero said awareness and hygiene are key.

“Kids in school who touch things everywhere should have a habit of frequent hand washing to lessen transmission of skin infection. Moisturization also helps to guarantee the skin’s barrier function so they don’t get infected easily.”

To know if a child has bacterial skin infection, parents can look for blisters with golden-yellow crusting that’s slightly moist. If there are small deposits of pus in the skin, that may be folliculitis; or if with nodules, child may have boils. For fungal skin infection, there’s usually a round patch with central clearing (ringworm). For viral warts, there’s usually rough lesions on the hands or feet.

“These are the common presentations to watch out for; but if there’s increasing severity, parents may notice symptoms like loss of appetite, fever or body malaise, where the child feels tired or weak.

This means the infection is progressing. Fever is the most important sign of worsening infection,” Palmero said.

She emphasized that parents should have basic ideas on the form of treatment for skin infections. For superficial bacterial skin infections, best options are topical medications that contain mupirocin such as the brand “Foskina,” or fusidic acid. But if the infection comes with fever or if it prolongs, Palmero said it’s best to see a doctor. “Depending on the severity, seek doctor’s advice for systemic treatment, which can be oral or through IV [intravenous] that is administered directly through the bloodstream.”

Fungal infections merit a different

medication, mostly the antifungals, such as clotrimazoles or the allylamines. For viral warts, salicylic acid may be used. Again, the treatment depends on the severity of the infection.

Palmero stressed one piece of advice for parents, though. Aside from teaching the kids proper hygiene, she said there are pediatric dermatologists in the Philippines that they can consult and rely on for advice to keep their kids infection-free if they really have no idea what to do. She said for the most effective and safe medical, surgical and cosmetic treatments for the skin, hair and nails, it is better to

consult a dermatologist, preferably a member of the Philippine Dermatological Society (PDS), the country’s dermatology authority.

“The problem is many parents resort to self-diagnosis and selfmedication. They give drugs that’s most of the time not really warranted. What’s scary is that what they’re doing may worsen the situation and prolong the child’s suffering from infection,” Palmero stated.

For more about Foskina, visit www.glenmarkpharma.com, or follow them at Instagram (firstaidforkidsph) or www.facebook.com/ firstaidforkidsph.

Health&Fitness

is published and distributed free every Thursday by the Philippine Business Daily Mirror Publishing Inc. as a project of the BusinessMirror.

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FOODS TO LULL YOU TO SLEEP

Story & photos by Henrylito D. Tacio

D

OES it often take you more than 30 minutes to fall asleep at night? Or do you wake up frequently during the night—or too early in the morning—and have a hard time going back to sleep? When you awaken, do you feel groggy and lethargic? Do you feel drowsy during the day particularly during monotonous situations?

If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, you may have a “sleep debt” that is affecting you in ways you don’t even realize. Until the 1950s, most people thought of sleep as a passive, dormant part of our daily lives. We now know that our brains are very active during sleep.

Moreover, sleep affects our daily

4 Health&Fitness October 4-10, 2018

functioning and our physical and mental health in many ways that we are just beginning to understand.

“To sleep—perchance to dream,” wrote William Shakespeare in his masterpiece play, Hamlet. It’s a nice concept. However for many men, women and children, the elusive road to slumberland is anything but

a dream. If you have a hard time getting a good night’s sleep, perhaps a little help from foods may do the trick. Consider the following:

Banana: “In one form or another, raw or cooked, more bananas are consumed daily than perhaps any other fruit in the world.” That’s what the bookTropical and Subtropical Agriculture said.

Unknowingly, banana is one of the most healthful fruits the world has known. Alexander the Great was so fascinated by the virtues of this fruit that he described it as “the heavenly fruit that tasted like nectar sweetened in honey.”

The fruit is fully packed with magnesium and potassium. According to Michael Breus, author of The Sleep Doctor’s Diet Plan: Lose Weight

Through Better Sleep, magnesium helps relax muscles and nerves and promotes healthy circulation and digestion. Potassium, on the other hand, calms restless legs and helps prevent nighttime leg cramps.

Not only that, it also contains the sleep-inducing amino acid tryptophan, which ultimately turns into serotonin and melatonin in the brain.

“Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that promotes relaxation; melatonin is a hormone that promotes sleepiness,” explained Angela Haupt in an article which appeared in US News and World Report. “It takes about an hour for tryptophan to reach the brain, so plan your snack accordingly.”

Pineapple: Like most fruits, pineapples are loaded with vitamins and minerals, including vitamin A,

us fall asleep faster,” wrote Teresita Tanalas-Balbuena, a registered nutrition dietitian.

Downing a warm glass will encourage sweet dreams, points out Dr. Donald Hensrud, a preventive medicine specialist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. “If you can’t sleep or if you’re waking up in the middle of the night, get out of bed and have some milk,” he suggested.

Fish: Omega-3 fatty acids found in fish—notably DHA—have been linked to all kinds of mellowing health benefits. And now new research shows they might also affect the quality of your sleep. In an article which appeared in Prevention, it was found that “higher levels of omega3s are associated with fewer sleep problems in children and adults.” In addition, DHA has also been linked to reduced severity of sleep apnea.

According to Dr. Paul Montgomery, professor of psychosocial intervention at University of Oxford, DHA helps release melatonin. “In turn, that helped with the onset of sleep and the stabilization of it,” he was quoted as saying.

Eggs: Eggs also contain protein, vitamins and minerals. “Eggs are considered to be one of the best sources of protein available,” reported

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vitamin C, calcium, phosphorus and potassium. It is also rich in fiber and calories. On top of it all, this fruit is low in fat and cholesterol.

Dr. Martin D. Fried, a nutrition specialist, wrote about researchers’ findings that the levels of melatonin increase by more than 266 percent after eating pineapple.

Seaweed: Unknown to many, seaweed possesses some medicinal values. They are used to treat or prevent goiter, glandular troubles, stomach disorders, intestinal and bladder difficulties, unusually profuse menstrual flow, high blood pressure and high plasma-cholesterol level.

Some studies have found that seaweed can promote weight loss. For this reason, seaweed extract is used in some diet pills. But what most people don’t know is that seaweed is also a sleep inducer. In an article which appeared in seniorsite.com, seaweed has been described as having a “chock-a-block full of melatonin.”

Milk: Dairy products like yogurt are rich in melatonin-boosting calcium, and a number of studies have found that calcium deficiencies are due to poor sleep quality. “Drinking milk before bedtime also evokes memories of mom’s love and warmth when we were young, which make

James McIntosh in an article which appeared in Medical News Today.

“One medium-sized egg weighing 44 grams typically contains 5.53 grams of protein. Around 12.6 percent of the edible portion of an egg is protein.”

So eating eggs before bedtime may be a good thing. “Eggs are a highprotein snack that can help keep your blood sugar levels stable so you can sleep through the night,” one American scribe wrote.

Rice: Not just any kind of rice but Jasmine rice. In a study done in Australia, it was found that Jasmine rice is a good sleeping aid. The research, published in the American

Journal of Clinical Nutrition, said that “people who ate a meal that included Jasmine rice fell asleep faster than when they ate other rice types.”

Honey: “This sweet stuff is the bee’s knees when it comes to helping you get to sleep,” wrote Michelle Ullman. “Honey’s sugar raises insulin slightly, allowing tryptophan to more easily enter the brain where it works its magic in helping induce restful sleep.”

The Greek philosopher Sophocles once remarked that “sleep is the only medicine that gives ease.” So, have a good night’s sleep after eating those aforementioned foods.

Health&Fitness October 4-10, 2018 5

SPECIAL REPORT

Malunggay is one of the most useful tropical trees. Its young leaves are commonly cooked and eaten like spinach or used to make soups and salads; its dry seed can be ground to a powder and used for seasoning sauces; its flowers can be eaten after being lightly blanched or raw as a tasty addition to salad; and the oil content of its kernel is used as lubricant for fine machinery and also as vegetable cooking oil.”

—Sen. Loren B. Legarda Story by Henrylito D. Tacio

N

OT too many Filipinos know it but the nutritious malunggay has joined the formidable list of country’s icon that included the Philippine Eagle, carabao, bangus, narra, sampaguita, mango, anahaw and jeepney.

Although not mentioned in the popular “Bahay-Kubo” song, malunggay was named as national vegetable by the House of Representatives last year. House Bill 2071 also designated November as the “National Malunggay Month.”

It was Pangasinan fourth District Rep. Gina de Venecia, an Ilocana who grew up eating the

6 Health&Fitness October 4-10, 2018

vegetable several times a week, who authored the bill.

In her bill, she cited the economic, nutritional and medicinal benefits of malunggay. “For the past years, malunggay in the Philippines has been considered as a backyard tree.

Now, we can say that malunggay can save lives, increase incomes, generate millions of jobs, utilize vast tracts of

agricultural lands, make the Philippines globally competitive, impact local and international market and help attain socioeconomic equity,” she said.

“Malunggay is one of the important plants that deserve national and international promotion due to the many biomedical endowment and numerous socioeconomic benefits that can be derived from it,” she added.

The “miracle vegetable,” as some scientists called it, has been promoted by no less than the World Health Organization (WHO) as a low-cost health enhancer in poor countries around the globe. The “natural nutrition for the tropics” is how the Florida-based Education Concerns for Hunger Organization

described malunggay.

“We have always had problems with the classical approach to treating malnourished children,” said a West Africa doctor in Senegal. “This was based on industrial products: whole milk powder, vegetable oil and sugar. All these things are expensive.

When you tell a parent to go out and buy these things—this can be truly costly for him.”

But in the case of malunggay, it’s a different story. “It is locally available and the people themselves can produce it,” the doctor added. “We have done experiments in treating malnourished children with this plant and the results have been really spectacular.”

Malunggay can also be used as a weapon against poverty and malnu-

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‘MALUNGGAY’: THE COUNTRY’S VEGETABLE ICON

trition in the Philippines. It must be recalled that during the administration of Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr., there was a craze about malunggay as a solution to the malnutrition problem in the countryside. Marcos himself was a malunggay addict, consuming soup littered with green leaves in every meal in addition to the legendary saluyot and labong (bamboo shoots) as his main fare.

Malunggay is so rich in nutrients and vitamins that its image is used as the official logo of the Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI) of the Department of Science and Technology. “If Manny Pacquiao shows how a Filipino fights in the ring,” said one commentator, “malunggay is the symbol of Filipino fight against malnutrition.”

Nutritionists aver that 100 grams of malunggay leaves yield the following: 75 calories of energy (higher than ampalaya, squash, tomatoes or carrots), 5.9 grams protein (higher than cauliflower, lettuce or mustard), 12.8 grams carbohydrate (higher than okra, papaya or watermelon), 353 milligrams calcium (higher than gabi leaves, mung beans, squash and camote tops), 3.7 milligrams niacin (higher than other vegetables analyzed). And for thiamin, phosphorus and ascorbic acid, malunggay is at the top of the list.

In addition, nutritionists affirm

that 200 grams of malunggay leaves would give a nutritive value roughly equivalent to four eggs and two glasses of milk. Its iron compound prevents deficiency of red blood cells known as anemia. And being a very rich source of calcium, it aids in maintaining healthy bones and teeth.

Malunggay is also rich in vitamin A (higher than red and green mung beans, radish or eggplant), thus helping prevent xerophthalmia, a disease of the eye. Adults are urged to eat malunggay leaves as its vitamin C content is higher than those of ampalaya leaves. Vitamin C may protect against declining mental ability and stroke. In studies with elderly people, researchers found that low vitamin C levels contributed to slower reasoning skills, which was a strong factor in their dying from stroke.

Filipino women consider malunggay as ally in nurturing babies. In fact, they dubbed malunggay as their “best friend.”

For lactating women, malunggay aids in the production of vitaminrich milk for the newly-born baby.

The calcium content of malunggay, nutritionists claim, is four times those found in milk.

Because malunggay is a very nutritious plant, the Department of Agriculture urges farmers to increase its production so they could have a weapon against hunger and malnu-

trition, especially in the rural areas.

The department’s Bureau of Agricultural Research (BAR) has included malunggay in its indigenous plants for health and wellness program and identified the development of malunggay as priority project.

In Bicol the BAR-funded program has found ways to integrate malunggay in various preparations as well as package it into different product lines. These include malunggay tea, instant juice, and malunggay powder.

Malunggay leaves are separated from the stalks and are either ovendried or sun-dried. The dried leaves become malunngay tea. The pounded dried leaves are turned into malunggay powder, which can be mixed into common Filipino delicacies, such as soups, sauces, instant noodles, cookies and chocolates as an added ingredient.

“In this way, Filipino children who are not very fond of vegetables get to eat essential nutrients present in malunggay without knowing it,” the Bicol researchers said. The newly developed products have shelf lives of six months at the most, depending on the packaging materials used.

If “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” in the United States, malunggay can be used as such. After all, the malunggay leaves are good for curing headache, bleeding from a

shallow cut, and can be used as antiinflammatory, or cure for gastric ulcers and diarrhea.

“Due to its high vitamins A, C and E, which are very potent antioxidants, malunggay is a very good quencher of unstable free radicals that can react with and damage molecules that cause aging,” said FNRI’s Dr. Lydia M. Marero. “Antioxidants reduce the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines. They also prevent the onset of various chronic diseases like arthritis, cancer, and heart and kidney diseases.”

In rural areas, Filipinos without good source of water can rely on malunggay to purify the water they are drinking. “The crushed moringa seeds can clear very turbid water,” said Dr. John Sutherland of Leicester University’s Department of Environmental Technology.

By using malunggay, people can get away from using chemicals like aluminum sulphate, which is expensive and poses risks to people and the environment. The seed powder can remove between 90 percent and 99 percent of bacteria in water.

The oil extracted from matured malunggay seeds is a high-value oil that can be used as cooking oil, industrial oil and ingredient for cosmetics, bath soaps and shampoos, perfume, shortening and lubricants, among others.

CROSSFIT ENCOUNTER

By CJ Lampad Photos by Faith Paguirigan, Jiggs Monzales and Christine Tan

W

HEN we talk about military workouts, most of us would imagine their training to include push-ups, pull-ups, running while carrying logs, climbing and mud crawling.

Basically, we all do the same in CrossFit, well, except the mud crawling part.

CrossFit has always been linked to the military workouts, not just because of the training similarities, but also of some distinct traits and values that CrossFit athletes and military men have in common; such are discipline, camaraderie and honor. In addition, it is a tradition in the CrossFit community to honor fallen military and police officers by naming workouts after them and recounting their stories. To name a few are “Murph”— named after Michael Murphy, died in Afghanistan in 2005, “Randy”—named after Randy Simmons, died in the line of duty February 2008; and “White”—named after

Ashley White, died in Afghanistan in 2011.

CrossFit’s goal is to strengthen 10 fitness domains: cardio, strength, stamina, flexibility, power, coordination, speed, agility, balance and accuracy. These are the very same aspects in which military and police officers are expected to be in their peak level, in order to perform their tasks efficiently.

“The great advantage of CrossFit is that its high-intensity workouts increase the heart rate and burn fat rapidly, which means spending less time at the gym. Officers often have sedentary duties, such as sitting in a patrol vehicle or writing detailed reports at a desk. These duties can have a negative effect on an officer’s physical health, but CrossFit workouts can help to counteract any weight gain from their sedentary duties. The highintensity workouts combine cardio and weightlifting to reduce body fat and remove excess weight,” said Matthew Loux of American Military University.

It is a must for military or police men to equip themselves of the knowledge of the law and the use of different weapons, but it is equally imperative for them to secure physical fitness. And with proper CrossFit training, anyone could fit any encounter.

Primal Ape CrossFIt holds “Hero WOD Saturdays” every week to pay special tribute to our fallen heroes by suffering together and performing Hero WODs. Join them for an exhilarating workout by dropping by their box at Chino Roces. For more information, you may visit their website: www.primalapecf.com

Health&Fitness October 4-10, 2018 7

8 Health&Fitness October 4-10, 2018

The link between aromatherapy and stress

I

F stress is a brand, unquestionably, it could have won many marketing and sales awards because it has already become a household name that even a kid who just learned to speak a word already knows what stress is.

Kidding aside, stress as defined by Medicine.Net, it is “a physical, mental, or emotional factor that causes bodily or mental tension. Stresses can be external [from the environment, or psychological, or social situations] or internal [illness, or from a medical procedure]. Stress can initiate the ‘fight or flight’ response, a complex reaction of neurologic and endocrinologic systems.”

Stress makes our lives complicated. Most of us don’t know our stressors because there isn’t a clear line from trigger point to physical stress response. But one thing is for sure stress takes toll on our health and wellbeing.

But do you know that our stress should not be sustained over prolonged periods?

According to www.apa.org, “Prolonged exposure to stress hormones can have extremely detrimental effects on all vital biological systems, from our hearts to our stomachs, to our lungs and beyond. Chronic mental stress affects all aspect of our health and wellness.”

With this fact we need to keep our stressors at bay, and this is where aromatherapy comes handy. Aromatherapy means “treatment using scents.” Oils extracted from variety of herbs, roots, plants, flowers, fruits, bark, grasses and seeds with distinctive therapeutic, psychological, and physiological properties, which can improve and prevent illness are the foundation of aromatherapy.

And if you don’t have anything to use for aromatherapy, it is time for you to grab Dannarra Aromatherapy Oil, which comes in six variants that can surely ease your stress in just a few drops of this great and relaxing aromatherapy oil.

Danarra is derived from the word “Nadar-

ra,” which, in the Scottish Gaelic vocabulary means “natural.” Celtic knots were chosen to become its symbol because Danarra and the Celtic knots connote interconnectedness between a person and nature.

Danarra Aromatherapy Oil when inhaled works on the brain and nervous system through stimulation of the olfactory nerves.

The aromatic scents can affect the mood, alleviate fatigue, reduce anxiety and promote relaxation.

Choose from any of these scents to shoo your stress away. n Danarra Classic Menthol (Destress)— gives instant relief in the traditional and familiar camphor scent. It can provide sinus care and help with motion sickness and itchiness due to insect bites. n Danarra Green Tea (Clear Mind)—helps to relax, calm and soothe you making you feel fresh and energized. n Danarra Lavender (Relaxing Sleep)— help eliminates nervous tension and aids in providing relaxing sleep. Perfect for insomniacs. n Danarra Young (Cool and Fresh)—has the cool wind effect and freshness of air. It is perfect for moments when your senses are hit by unpleasant aromas. n Danarra Flowery Citrus (Energy Giving)—uplifts your spirit with a hint of citrus and flowers. n Danarra Sports (Mood Booster)—perfect for your active lifestyle.

Stress can affect us in many ways and at different levels, learning how to manage our stress will help lot in improving our health.

Don’t let your stressors ruin your day, don’t let stress damage your health. Let Danarra be your handy aromatherapy companion.

Danarra Aromatherapy Oil is available in Mercury Drugs and Watsons nationwide. For more information and to know more about its latest promotions like https://www.facebook.com/danarraph/.

Health&Fitness October 4-10, 2018 9

FITNESS RULES

By Greggy H. Romualdez

Tips for safe gym workouts

T

HE gym is indeed a wonderful place where magical transformations take place. We go for a variety of reasons; to be healthier, transform our bodies, train for a sport, or to simply sweat it out and be active.

However, a gym or fitness center is filled with various machines, contraptions, bars and plates that may also pose a danger and cause harm if we are not careful.

Here are some gym tips for safer workouts:

machine to dropping a weight plate on their feet, accidents are likely to happen if we let our little children have their way in the gym. If we must bring them inside, have an adult keep an eye on them at all times.

Do not leave children unsupervised— Letting a

Return weights, equipment to their proper places—Not only is it rude to

toddler or young child wander into an adult gym unsupervised may end up being an unpleasant experience. Naturally curious and energetic, kids will have a grand time running around, pulling on levers, jumping on machines, and playing with objects such as dumbbells that may somehow end up hurting them—or others. From hurting their fingers on the chest press

10 Health&Fitness October 4-10, 2018

leave your weights scattered all over the place, but it also sets the stage for preventable accidents. An unracked barbell left on the floor can cause someone to trip; a dumbbell left on a bench can fall on someone’s foot. Simply return equipment to their designated positions, and not where they can result in unwanted gym accidents.

Use a spotter—For sure, with each workout we want to push ourselves hard to accelerate results.

This pushing, however, must be done in a safe manner. If, for instance, we

Stay hydrated—Sure, this is a no-brainer. But in the heat of a frenzied workout where you may be sweating more than you are taking in water, dehydration can strike hard.

While mild dehydration is quite manageable, being severely dehydrated can have serious consequences on your health. From mild heat cramps to a life-threatening heat stroke, the possible consequences of dehydration are a serious matter. The simple fix is to drink a glass of water (around 6 oz.) every 15 minutes while working out.

For good measure, drink even before you feel thirsty.

For a workout to be productive and fulfilling, it must always be a safe one. Let’s all embrace the grind and stay safe, and injury free.

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want to load more plates while doing bench presses, make sure to use a spotter. Ask a friend or a gym staff to spot you if you think you are using more weight than what you can possibly handle. Rather than being crushed under the weight of an overloaded barbell, it is best that a spotter help you crank out that extra repetition and usher you to safety. If no spotter is in sight, stick to a weight that you’re sure you can handle.

8 MOST STICKY BAD EATING HABITS AND

HOW TO OVERCOME THEM

minders on their phones to prompt them to eat every few hours. I also suggest that rather than beating themselves up for not honoring their hunger, that they use the experience as a learning opportunity to adjust for next time.”

— Kara Lydon, RD, LDN, RYT, Intuitive Eating counselor and blogger at The Foodie Dietitian

overin5Healthfully dulging.

“I love eating super healthy foods, but even superfoods cause weight gain when you eat too much of them. I try to teach clients to retrain their eyeballs by weighing and measuring food for three days to recalibrate their perspective on proper portion sizes of even the healthiest foods.”

—Dawn Jackson Blatner, RDN and author of The Superfood Swap

6Not hydrating.

E

ATING healthy can be challenging even for nutritionists. Here are tips from nutritionists for overcoming the eight most difficult bad eating habits.

Here are eight bad eating habits even nutritionists are guilty of:

1

Desktop dining. Eating

food as the side dish to a keyboard can prevent you from enjoying the taste, texture and temperature of the meal. This habit can potentially lead to gaining weight and losing appreciation for the food in front of you.

I know, leaving the desk seems impossible at times, but it’s important to detach from your screen while you’re eating, even for 15 minutes. A pause will likely improve digestion, beat bloat and help you to enjoy your meals more fully.

2Mindless munching.

“I have to admit that when I’m looking for an ‘official’ snack to eat, I’m guilty of grazing through the pantry or refrigerator—snacking— as I look around. A handful of popcorn here or a few nuts there, and before I know it, it starts to add up to mindless munching. As a mom to two little girls, I’m trying to set an example of how to eat more mindfully, and to put food on a plate and to actually sit down and eat it. But some days...I need to do a better job

of listening to my own advice.”

—Holley Grainger, MS, RD, nutrition and lifestyle expert, and blogger at Cleverful Living

3Speed eating.

“One negative eating behavior that I have been working on changing forever is that I eat too quickly. I can literally finish my meal so quickly that by the time I’m done, others aren’t even halfway through with the dish in front of them. This behavior can lead to overeating and feeling way too stuffed. When clients report the same habit, I tell them to focus

on chewing their food very slowly, putting down their fork (or spoon) after bites, and taking sips of water during their meal. Now if I could only adhere to my own advice.”

—Keri Gans, RDN, nutritionist, certified yoga teacher and author of The Small Change Diet

4Delaying dining.

“I go too long without eating. There are times when I run out of snacks at the office or my client sessions go over and I don’t have time to fit in a snack. I feel awful when I don’t eat every few hours and yet I still let this happen from time to time.”

“To combat the dreaded ‘hanger,’ I advise clients to keep a variety of grab-n-go snacks in their bag to avoid running out of fuel. If they easily forget to eat, it might be a good idea for them to set re-

“I don’t drink enough water, which causes me to be hungry—it zaps my energy and it clouds my thinking.

My advice to others includes: Have a water bottle filled and in sight as a reminder to drink; use a water reminder phone app to help; drink water at set times during the day to make it more of a habit—such as first thing in the morning and before each meal—and have a variety of options to choose from, such as unsweetened infused water, unsweetened iced tea and sparkling water.”

—Dawn Jackson Blatner, RDN and author of The Superfood Swap

7Not planning.

“No matter how many times I tell people that planning and prepping are the keys to healthy eating throughout the week, I still find myself, particularly during busy weeks, scrambling to put together a balanced plate. This happens especially at lunch when I’m overly hungry and ready to raid the pantry. I know I need to aim to be intentional about cutting up veggies ahead of time for snacking during the week but inevitably I end up grabbing for a bag of chips instead!”

— Regan Jones, RD, podcast host at This Unmillennial Life

in to sweet 8Giving cravings.

Yes, nutritionists struggle with a sweet tooth, too.

“I struggle with always feeling the need to eat something sweet after a meal. Even though I’m not hungry, I just have to have something...Even if it’s just a little piece of chocolate.

In reality, a little piece wouldn’t be so bad, but sometimes a little piece turns into four or five pieces of chocolate. When clients complain to me about the same bad habit, I give them a variety of ways to control it by suggesting that they instead chew gum, suck on mints or stay busy until the craving passes.”

Source: www.bewellbuzz.com

Health&Fitness October 4-10, 2018 11

BULLETIN BOARD

CLARK MARRIOTT HOTEL RELEASES OPENING OFFER WORTH EXPERIENCING FIRST BE one of the first to experience Clark Marriott Hotel. The only internationally branded fivestar hotel inside Clark Freeport Zone delights visitors with its incredible opening offer—just P6,500+ for an overnight stay in a Deluxe Room.

The opening offer includes a sumptuous buffet breakfast for two in Goji Kitchen + Bar, plus 10-percent discount on lunch and dinner.

Upgrade your stay to a Deluxe Suite by adding P10,000+ or an additional of P2,500+ and P3,500+ for an all-day access to the Executive Lounge for 1 to 2 persons respectively.

Artworks throughout Clark Marriott Hotel are inspired by Pampanga’s Christmas lanterns, or parul in Capampangan, and photographs that depict the manufacture of lanterns can also be found displayed on walls as Marriott’s way of establishing its affinity with the local community.

The opening promo is valid until October 31 only. The Clark Marriott Hotel is the second Marriott Hotel in the Philippines, which opened on September 14. It is strategically located at the Clark Freeport Zone, making it the perfect destination for business meetings, life events,

or to simply satisfy one’s staycation desires.

Bookings and reservations can be made through the hotel web site, www.clarkmarriott.

com. And to keep up on their latest offerings, follow Clark Marriott Hotel on Facebook and @ clarkmarriott on Instagram.

C.E.O. RUBY PACIS RECEIVES AWARD FOR 100 MOST INFLUENTIAL FILIPINA WOMEN

A taste of Istanbul at Marco Polo Ortigas Manila

RUBY C. PACIS, CEO and founding president of Faith in God Ruby Pacis Montalbo Professional and Technical Services Corp. (FIGRPMPTSC), was recently honored as one of the 100 Most Influential Filipina Women in the World by the Filipina Women’s Network held in a gala ceremony in London, UK, on September 14.

The Global FWN100 Awards recognizes women who have risen to the most influential and/or highest positions in corporations and nonprofit/government institutions in Africa, North America, South America, Asia, Australia, Antarctica and Europe, and use their influence to better the lives of the communities where they live and work.

Pacis received the award under the “Builders” category, which recognizes women who have demonstrated exceptional impact at a large workplace environment.

Builders demonstrate high potential and skill with measurable results. “Buildership” is about developing better organizations, leading broken organizations to adjust, repair and realign views redefining traditional methods.

Pacis established FIGRPM PTSC after working as an HR practitioner for a decade and seeing the need for a job subcontracting company that will provide a standard of employment readiness through behavioral and technical training that will give permanent and long-term employment to Filipino workers. “I have worked with several manufacturing companies and have handled different employees with various grievances and employment needs,” said Pacis. “I have both been in the shoes of employees and have empathized with different employers.”

Starting in 2003 with a capital of only P65,000, Pacis wanted to build a company that was more than an ordinary

SAVOR the true flavors of Istanbul at the world’s kitchen, as Marco Polo Ortigas Manila’s Cucina celebrates the capital city’s vibrant taste and sensual aromas with guest Chef Gürsel Keleş from October 3 to 15.

Born and raised in Turkey, Chef Gürsel has always been an advocate of his hometown’s cuisine. His experience ranges from different world-class hotels and restaurants such as Sheraton and The Grand Blue Sky Hotel. He is currently the chairman of Eurasian Chefs Association, and has organized multiple cuisine festivals across Turkey, Germany, Lebanon and Belgium, to name a few. Twenty years after working in different hotels and restaurants, he opened Fish of North in 2005, which showcases the finest catch from the sea.

Alongside Cucina’s expert culinary team, Chef Gürsel features a menu that transports foodies to the heart of Istanbul. Start the meal with Circassian Chicken Salad, followed by hot-off-the-grill skewers of chicken, red snapper, lamb and eggplant. Signature dishes include Steamed Sea Bass in Paper with Vegetables and Herbs (Kagritta Levrek), Pan-Roasted Lamb with Smoked Eggplant Puree (Hunkar Begendi) and Spiced Chicken with Olive Coriander Relish. Top it all off with the staple Pistachio Baklava (Ore Baklava) for dessert, Candied Pumpkin with Walnuts (Kabak Tatlisi) and Fried Dough Balls in Rose Scented Syrup (Lokma).

For more information and reservations for “A Taste of Istanbul,” email Cucina via restaurant.mnl@marcopolohotels.com.

Cucina is located at the 24th level of the Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star Award Winner, Marco Polo Ortigas Manila.

To know more about Cucina and the other signature dining outlets of Marco Polo Ortigas Manila, visit www.marcopolohotels.com.

12 Health&Fitness October 4-10, 2018

workplace but one that instilled values along with the commensurate monetary benefits. She was going to accomplish this by incorporating behavioral training and spiritual coaching. “I wanted employees to serve the Lord by serving others,” Pacis said of her vision for the company. ”I wanted to transform the lives of Filipinos by motivating them to do their best work and encourage productivity.” She believes a highly trained work force will encourage more employers to build businesses. “The higher employment rate in our country will result in a better quality of life for everyone.”

Pacis herself counts her strong faith in God and steadfast belief in herself as keys to her and the company’s success. “When I started my company at only 32, my siblings and friends did not believe in my capacity because they thought I was still young and inexperienced,” Pacis said.

“But I persisted despite the lack of support system.”

While it may have been prudent to avoid naming her company something overtly religious lest it be mistaken for an actual religious organization or a cult, for Pacis it represented her commitment and she threw conventional wisdom out the window. The FWN award reinforces the belief Pacis had in herself from the beginning. “The FWN award is really inspiring and a very big blessing because it is something a Filipina woman cannot buy nor engage in power play to achieve,” she emphasized. “FWN recognizes the efforts and deeds an individual has done for the benefit of other people. It recognizes the Filipina woman and her impact in the lives of other people across the world by her actions, decisions and passion. It is not about being “famous” or “powerful”, but it is about how you transformed lives and changed perspective of people through your beliefs, words and actions.”

BULLETIN BOARD PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE OFFICE COWORK + LIFE AND NETWORK FOR ENTERPRISING WOMEN (N.E.W.)

OFFICE Cowork + Life Cofounder and Vice President Kogie Angeles (Seated from right); NEW Founding President Myren Garcia; and May Tiburcio de Vera, owner of Sweet Blooms and (standing, from right) Managing Director of Mode Devi Ana Manansala; The Office Cowork + Life Business Center Manager Melanie Aquino; and Marketing Director of Mode Devi, Ruby Asoy Lebajo. The Office Cowork + Life is the largest and most unique provider of WAYS “Workspace at Your Service,” in the Central Business District of Bonifacio Global City. It has flexible serviced office and coworking space combined, a perfect fit for start-ups, SMEs, as well as huge corporate companies. It is at Tower 1, 8th Floor, Highstreet South Corporate Plaza, 9th Avenue, corner 26th Street, BGC, Taguig. For inquiries, e-mail inquire@theoffice.ph, check its website at www.theoffice. ph or call +639453071749, +6328780747. Like and follow its social-media accounts: Facebook page: The Office Cowork + Life; and Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theofficebgc/.

NEW aspires to build a group of empowered women leading entrepreneurial lives by collaborating with others, helping the community and practicing right business ethics toward their own and their fellow women’s successes. Please check its website, https://new.com.ph/.

E-mail at info@new.com.ph, or call 632-400-4038.

23 magical years at Enchanted Kingdom THE 1990s was a magical decade. It was in October 1995 when Enchanted Kingdom opened its doors to the public, allowing millions of Filipinos to experience world-class magical entertainment. It has then since remained as the first and only theme park in the country.

This year, to celebrate its 23rd Anniversary, Enchanted Kingdom invites everyone to join in remembering the magic of that special decade.

We will take a trip down memory lane and relive the magical decade when Enchanted Kingdom started. Mark your calendars, there’s an oBERload of magical events in store for everyone.

6th Sky Wizardry Fireworks Competition (October 13/6 p.m. at the Spaceport)

THE most awaited annual fireworks competition is back and ready to paint the night sky again with magical colors. This will feature local fireworks manufacturers. Angel Aquino and Joshua Colet will host the event.

GMA Kapuso Show (October 20/6 p.m. at the Spaceport)

HAVE a blast with your favorite Kapuso stars from Onanay, Victor Magtanggol, and Asawa ko Karibal Ko as they conquer Enchanted Kingdom’s stage for a spectacular, high-energy performance. No less than our homegrown

artist from Santa Rosa, Alden Richards, will be featured as Victor Magtanggol.

23rd Anniversary Concert (October 27/6 p.m.)

REMEMBER the 1990s as Popstar Princess Sarah Geronimo sings the best throwback hits from that decade along with James Reid, The Juans and Janine Teñoso. This will surely be another magical event for all the members of the family.

Enchanted Kingdom Story: The Musical (November 11)

FIND out the magical story of Faeryland and fall in love with Princess Victoria, Princess Maphista and of course, our favorite wizard Eldar, as we launch for the first time the Enchanted Kingdom Story: The Musical.

Watch out for more enchanting events in the park! Check out our website for more details on Enchanted Kingdom’s Anniversary: https://www.enchantedkingdom.ph/ekremember-the-magic-23/.

Health&Fitness October 4-10, 2018 13

HEALTHY FINDS

MARKING 15 YEARS OF BETTER HEALTH Ayala Corp., and serves as the portfolio company for health-care businesses. Its vision is to build a synergistic ecosystem that links every patient to a seamless health-care experience. Its portfolio includes Generika Drugstore, the pioneer in generic retail pharmacies, and FamilyDOC, a chain of community-based primary care clinics.

AC Health is also investing in health technology through its HealthTech arm, Vigos, and MedGrocer, an FDA-licensed online pharmacy.

“Our partnership with Generika is a key pillar in our vision to provide accessible, affordable and quality health care to a greater number of Filipinos,” shared Fernando Zobel de Ayala President and COO of Ayala Corp.

“With Generika, we have an established retail health footprint that serves as the first point of care in the community. With this, we see the enormous potential for Generika to become an enabler of preventive health and wellness,” he added.

Nationwide Libreng Konsulta

FIFTEEN years ago, there was less traffic.

Jeepney fares were only P4. Gasoline was around P23/liter. Food was more affordable. The economy was growing. BPOs were called “call centers” because we didn’t know the difference.

And 15 years ago, generic medicine was perceived to be low-class quality, knock-offs and inferior compared to the pricey “branded” medicines we’ve been accustomed to.

But, 15 years ago, that did not stop the founder, Ted Ferrer - a retired Ayala Executive, and co-founder Julien Bello, a French social worker to make their vision of making quality health care affordable and accessible to the Filipinos with the introduction of Generika Drugstore. As the country’s pioneer in the retail of high-quality generic medicine from well-known pharmaceutical manufacturers from around the world, Generika Drugstore changed the game of the retail pharmaceutical industry.

And through the years, Generika Drugstore ex-

14 Health&Fitness October 4-10, 2018

panded nationwide with growing 750 stores in major cities in Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao, and in the hundreds of neighborhoods or barangays.

Generika Drugstore continues to build its house brand offerings under the brand names of Actimed Generics for high-quality and affordable generic medicines and Nutrawell for their exclusive line of high-quality and affordable food supplements that will enable their customers to achieve and sustain a healthier lifestyle.

Generika Drugstore also institutionalized in-store value-added services or PLUS Services, such as MEDPadala, an electronic gift certificate used for medicine purchase; Gamot Guide, an instructional reminder given to customers for proper consumption and storage of the medicines; free BP checkups; affordable Mobile Laboratory Tie-ups, and Libreng Konsulta to provide free medical consultation.

Today, Generika Drugstore is a proud member of AC Health, a wholly owned subsidiary of the

AS Generika Drugstore celebrates an impressive milestone of serving the Filipinos for 15 years, a simultaneous Nationwide Libreng Konsulta was conducted on September 22 for the benefit of thousands of Filipinos across the country.

This was conducted in over 400 Generika stores nationwide where partner doctors offered free medical consultation, free BP checkups, plus more. This is Generika Drugstore’s way staying true to its commitment of safeguarding its customers’ overall health.

“Our customers continue to inspire us in driving our business. The mere thought of helping a fellow man live a healthy life feels very rewarding. It may be simple as it sounds, but it is our contribution to building a progressive nation,” said Dino Francisco, president and CEO of Generika Drugstore.

Celebrating 15 years of health can only get better. Dito sa Generika Drugstore, hindi ka lang gagaling, sisiguraduhin naming Bubuti Ka. To know more about Generika Drugstore, visit www.generika.com.ph or on Facebook @ Generika.com.ph

HEALTHY FINDS

The hotel is also offering “Think Pink Meetings” packages for October meetings booked at the hotel inclusive of pink lemonade, Passionately Pink edition of Fil the Bear, pink-themed snacks for coffee breaks and a donation to STAGEZERO. For more information or reservations, visit www. crimsonhotel.com/manila or email info.alabang@ crimsonhotel.com.

n ‘PASSIONATELY PINK’ LAUNCHED CRIMSON Hotel Filinvest City, Manila, is painting the town pink this October as it commemorates National Breast Cancer Awareness Month with “Passionately Pink,” a monthlong campaign that aims to spread awareness about breast cancer and bring together every mom, daughter and sister to take action against the disease.

Crimson Hotel Filinvest City’s “Passionately Pink” campaign will include special promotions, events and activities for the benefit of STAGEZERO

by Project Pink Support Group, a nonstock, nonprofit organization that provides assistance and support to cancer patients and their families.

STAGEZERO aims to encourage and empower patients, families and the community to conquer cancer through knowledge, emotional, social and spiritual support.

“We have started our awareness campaign against breast cancer last year in line with our efforts to give back to our community. It is also alarming to know that the Philippines has the highest incidence of breast cancer in Asia, with 3 out of 100 Filipino women are at risk of getting it in their lifetime. Both mom and the daughter are at risk of getting a breast cancer. However, cancer prevention is possible if they know how to beat it. In addition to spreading word of mouth for this meaningful cause, our main goal is to raise funds that will benefit our partner foundation—the Stagezero by Project Pink Support Group,” Mr. Gerhard Doll, general manager of Crimson Hotel Filinvest City, Manila, stated.

In line with the Passionately Pink campaign, the hotel will stage In the Company of Pink, a concert for a cause featuring renowned vocal group The Company and acoustic act MYMP on October 12, 7 p.m., at the Crimson Grand Ballroom. Ticket rates start at P2,500 net, inclusive of cocktails. Proceeds will benefit STAGEZERO. Guests may also avail themselves of special “Bloom in Pink” room packages from October 1 to 31. Overnight stay is available at P4, 999 net for Deluxe Room, P5, 999 net for Premier Room. Overnight stays with breakfast will be at P5, 999 net for Deluxe Room and P6, 999 net for Premier Room. Both packages include Pink Surprise room amenity and a donation to STAGEZERO by Project Pink Support Group.

n IMMUNOTHERAPY IMPROVES LUNG-CANCER SURVIVAL AND QUALITY OF LIFE, SINGAPOREAN EXPERT ATTESTS IT may surprise many people to know that, even in Singapore, where smoking restrictions are tighter than anywhere else in the world, lung cancer remains to be the second most common cause of cancer-related deaths among men and one of the top 5 among women. This is according to Singapore’s Cancer Registry 2015 Annual Registry Report.1 Dr. Daniel Chan, senior consultant medical oncologist at the Icon SOC Mount Elizabeth Medical Centre in Singapore, explained, “Singapore’s smoking prevalence fell dramatically, from 20 percent in 1984 to 13.3 percent in 2013. However, the decline in the proportion of smokers had plateaued over the last 10 years, hovering around 23 to 24 percent in males, and 3.5 to 4 percent in females, and has not budged since. This means that the proportion of new smokers has gone up to equal or ‘replace’ that of those who have died from or quit the habit, suggesting more aggressive efforts are needed to stop people from picking up smoking.”

Dr. Chan was one of the doctors who spoke at a recently held cancer-treatment symposium that focused on immunotherapy as a new way of treatment that fights cancer by harnessing and augmenting the abilities of the body’s own immune system. Dr. Chan has treated a number of Singapore and South-East Asian patients using immunotherapy, applied through an immune checkpoint blocker called pembrolizumab.

“In 2014, when pembrolizumab was first approved for use in the United States, there was a lot of skepticism in the medical community that something as gentle as immunotherapy could work for something as aggressive as cancer,” Dr. Chan said.

“But from recent clinical trials, we now know that it could be effective in the right circumstances.”

As a medical oncologist, Dr. Chan is especially concerned with cancer-drug efficacy and safety, because lung cancer specifically is often diagnosed in its late stages and usually at a time when the patient is already in a frail state. This makes the cancer harder to control, not only because it has already spread to other parts of the body but also because the sick patient is often already beset with other health conditions that make the body more vulnerable to the rigors of conventional treatments, as in the case with chemotherapy.

Unsurprisingly, in the past, a lung-cancer diagno-

sis was considered by many to be a death sentence.

“Before immunotherapy came around, the median survival of stage 4 lung cancer patients was just a little over a year. And in that remaining time, the patients endured repeated chemotherapy, so their quality of life was very poor,” Dr. Chan said.

In contrast, studies on immunotherapy where pembrolizumab was used have shown median survival rates of 2.5 years and above. As the observation period for immunotherapy patients continues, researchers are finding that many patients are staying alive longer than they would have been expected to, had they undergone chemotherapy instead.

Quality of life with the immunotherapy treatment is much better.

“The most common side effects I see with pembrolizumab are rash, fatigue, and thyroid gland dysfunction,” Dr. Chan said.

In lung-cancer chemotherapy, patients normally experience nausea, vomiting, hair loss, low blood counts and a host of other adverse effects from their treatment.

“Pembrolizumab infusion is also fast. You get it once every 3 weeks and it takes half an hour, unlike chemotherapy for lung cancer, which includes hydration and antiemetics. This takes easily three to four hours,” Dr. Chan added.

Not all lung cancer patients are ideal for an immunotherapy treatment. Researchers have found that non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients who respond best to pembrolizumab are those whose cells show a high level of a protein biomarker on the cancer cell surface called PD-L1.

Therefore, PD-L1 testing proves to be an invaluable screening tool to determine the chances of treatment success with each individual NSCLC patient on pembrolizumab. It also improves the costeffectiveness of the drug.

At present, immunotherapy treatment costs are not yet covered by PhilHealth, but are subsidized up to 55 percent by the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office upon confirmation that the patient is qualified for health care subsidy.

“I always muse that immunotherapy is really taking a leaf from traditional Chinese medicine, where they are always talking about keeping the immune system strong.

“Even in this day and age, people are still very resistant to chemotherapy because they hear it will weaken the immune system—and thus weaken the body. They think it is the chemotherapy—not the cancer—that will kill them. So when they get immunotherapy instead and see how it is more tolerable for the body, it is really a load off their minds,” Dr. Chan said.

In the Philippines pembrolizumab is already approved for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer, head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, melanoma, gastric cancer, urothelial cancer and classic Hodgkin lymphoma. Potential patients may consult their medical oncologist to learn more about immunotherapy.

Health&Fitness October 4-10, 2018 15