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The Chinese Tourist:

Hey, Big Spender F

By Roger Pe

or the coming Chinese Lunar New Year, a businessman from Manila is organizing a reunion of his immediate relatives, not from Binondo, but from Fujian, China. This is not going to be the usual gathering of about 10 or 15 people. It is going to reach about a thousand. He was so upbeat he even put up a travel-agency business, catering mostly to tourists in that part of the mainland.

There are approximately 1.5 million Filipinos with pure Chinese ancestry, or around 1.8 percent of the population. Most of them are still in touch with their families in China. If each of them would bring, let’s say, three people, imagine what the figure would be. Close family ties are making many Chinese plan their next clan reunions in the Philippines. There are the Ongs, the Tans, the Liaos, the Pes and many more. Suddenly, the upsurge is very evident and you can see that it is happening.

1.5M

The estimated number of Filipinos with pure Chinese ancestry Chinese tourists are similarly “invading” Paris, London, Rome, New York, Moscow, Athens and other destinations in the world. An international business maga-

Chinese tourists taking pictures at the Manneken Pis statue in Brussels, August 22, 2015. Typhoonski | Dreamstime

zine reports that “over an eightfold increase in the number of overseas trips were made by Chinese travelers—from 10 million, who traveled to other countries in year 2000”. According to the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), China was already the top tourist source market in the world as early as 2012. The outbound travelers grew by a doubledigit figure after that. By 2014, it reached 107 million, and the number breached the 120-million mark in 2015, up 16 percent over the

previous year. That was also corroborated by the China Tourism Academy, a research institution under the China National Tourism Administration. The Bank of America Merrill Lynch forecast had said outbound Chinese travelers could number around 174 million by 2019, spending about $264 billion annually. That’s roughly equivalent to the GDP of a developed country like Singapore. In the Philippines, China dislodged the United States for the

second spot, registering 90,763 and 86,017 arrivals, respectively. Korea remained the country’s biggest market, registering 132,135 arrivals for the first six months of the year. Bang the gong. Beijing apparently is making good its promise to send more tourists to the Philippines. The sharp increase of arrivals from China—a 76.48-percent growth from January last year— was worth P8.89 billion. “We are now seeing the fruits of our country’s effort in reaching out

to China. Doors to more economic opportunities and people-to-people exchanges are wider now. Ties between Manila and Beijing have seen a new day,” according to Tourism Secretary Wanda Corazon Teo.

‘Ni Hao’ from China

Chinese overseas travelers make up a sizeable group of consumers, acclaimed as the world’s largest and “most favorable spenders”. They spent $164.8 billion overseas in 2014, a fourfold increase over year Continued on A2

Duterte’s ratings drop: Is the ‘teflon’ peeling off?

I

By Elijah Felice Rosales

cause his major focus “is being able to set the clear foundations for what he calls a comfortable life for all.”

t would normally take just hours for Malacañang to issue a statement on the findings of a survey conveying the people’s trust and satisfaction on President Duterte. However, when the latest survey showed that the President’s ratings plunged, it took Palace factotums one long day before making a statement on it. Presidential Spokesman Ernesto C. Abella would later say that the drop in ratings is acceptable, as the “honeymoon period” between the President and the people is over. “This is a question of managing expectations,” Abella said in a news briefing on Monday. “That some people during this

particular honeymoon period, their expectations were high, and the actual wait for the implementation of these things may have led to the dip. However, people are, in general, still satisfied,” Abella stressed. Abella also said Duterte “is not running a popularity contest” be-

PESO exchange rates n US 51.3850

The ‘sway’

THEN-Mayor Rodrigo Duterte poses for a selfie with a supporter after voting in a polling precinct in Davao City during presidential elections on May 9, 2016. AP/Bullit Marquez

The President’s spokesman noted that the survey was conducted within a period of when a series of protests was conducted by critics of the administration, suggesting the demonstrations might have swayed public mood. Instead of mainly shoving off the results of the survey, the Chief Executive listens to the clamor of the people, Abella said. He added the drop in ratings should also send a wakeup call to key officials of the administration to deliver the reforms the President had promised. “In other words, there was a dip, and that’s to be appreciated. That’s certainly a challenge to the government in order to be able to deliver the full range, the full spectrum of public services,” Abella said. See “Duterte,” A2

n japan 0.4577 n UK 68.1571 n HK 6.5814 n CHINA 7.7978 n singapore 38.0038 n australia 40.1779 n EU 60.7987 n SAUDI arabia 13.7023

Source: BSP (13 October 2017 )

News

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A2 Saturday, October 14, 2017

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The Chinese tourist: Hey, big spender Continued from a1

2008, and 88 percent was spent on shopping, the China Tourism Academy reported. About 400,000 Chinese spent around $833.7 million in Japan in year 2015. Four million visited Thailand in the same year. But the biggest spending surprise came from Australia, where the Chinese spent $5.6 billion in 12 months. The number exceeded the spending by the British, Americans and Canadians combined. The official tourism board of the United Kingdom expects Chinese travelers to be spending more than $1.47 billion in year 2020. A Hurun/International Luxury Travel Market Asia report released in May 2015 said: “Half of all super-rich travelers flew business class in 2014, compared to one-third the previous year.” The UN WTO credits rapid urbanization, rising disposable income and the relaxation of government restrictions on foreign travel for the upsurge of Chinese outbound travel to the world. CNN also reported that China leaped to first place, surpassing both top-spender Germany and the United States (both close to $84 billion) in 2012. Though the report did not break down spending per trip among international travelers, total spend by number of trips suggests that Chinese travelers averaged $1,230 per trip. Industry observers say the growth of tourism expenditure from China and Russia reflects a growing middle class from these countries, which will surely continue to change the map of world tourism. The World Travel and Tourism Council also projects that China will be one of the 10 fastestgrowing markets for leisure travel spending through 2026. The chart at right shows the world’s 10 largest source markets for outbound tourism spending in 2016.

Philippines as hot destination

Meanwhile, the Department

of Tourism said the implementation of the Visa Upon Arrival (VUA) program could make China as a top source of visitors to the Philippines. The Department of Justice’s favorable action on the DOT’s longstanding proposal to ease the visa rules and procedures, to implement the VUA for Chinese visitors could lead to that. Teo had pressed for the DOJ’s approval and implementation of the VUA, to help push the country as a rightful competitor in the international tourism industry. “We believe this will serve as an incentive to Chinese guests who may be prospective investors wanting to prove that the country is not only a safe haven for tourists but also a lucrative business location,” Teo said. Following President Duterte’s state visit to China in mid-October 2016 and the lifting of Beijing’s travel restriction to the Philippines, Chinese arrivals surged to 675,663 by year-end, up by 37.65 percent from 490,841 in 2015. The phenomenal increase in Chinese arrivals continued into the first half of 2017 as it jumped 33.44 percent with 454,962 visitors compared to last year’s 340,958. “Accommodating our visiting Chinese friends with a visa grant upon arrival will only help keep the momentum of massive influx of Chinese tourists to the country,” Teo said.​

More global brands in DF shops

At the recently concluded 2017 Duty Free & Travel Retail Global Summit held at Cannes, France, Teo said, “The Philippines is in a position to join the ranks of countries whose duty-free industry is expected to grow by an average of 40 percent in the next decade.” She expressed optimism that the global premium brands are now looking to increase their presence in the Philippines in anticipation of the steady growth in arrival of Chinese tourists. “Bringing in an additional incentive to attract

Top 10 Markets: Outbound Tourist Spending in 2016

Rank

Country

Spending ($US)

% Growth Over 2015

1

China

$221 billion

12%

2

US

$122 billion

8%

3

Germany

$81 billion

5%

4

UK

$64 billion

10%

5

France

$41 billion

7%

6

Canada

$29 billion

0%

7

Korea

$27 billion

8%

8

Australia

$27 billion

8%

9

Italy

$25 billion

1%

10

Hong Kong

$24 billion

5%

Source: UNWTO

more Chinese tourists, particularly the luxury segment,” Secretary Teo said. The summit was a flagship event of the Tax Free World Association, a much-attended duty-free industry event that combines a shop window for premium brands, experts forum and the chance to network with key influencers. About 515 companies registered as exhibitors based on 472 booths.

Philippines-China tourism strategies

To boost renewed tourism cooperation between the Philippines and China, Filipino and Chinese tourism officials have programmed an array of activities. These are series of meetings on communications campaigns, familiarization trips for media and tour operators, tourism-related workshops and capacity-building sessions for travel professionals, as well as official visits by tourism heads and joint travel fairs, to be held in the Philippines and China. Total tourist arrivals from China to different Southeast Asian countries numbered 18.5 million, an increase of 42.4 percent compared to 2014. Total number of visitors from Asean countries to

China was 6.5 million, an increase of 6.3 percent compared to 2014. What does that mean to Philippine tourism? With the average annual growth of 15.7 percent for two-way visitor traffic between China and Asean for the past five years, it is projected that the target goal of 30 million mutual visits will be realized by 2020. The progress in the implementation of the Asean-China Air Transport Agreement and its protocol has facilitated air connectivity between Southeast Asian destinations and China. Since the agreement’s enactment, 37 cities located in the Asean member-states were connected with 52 cities in China through more than 4,900 direct flights per week. More actions among AseanChina committees concerned with aviation cooperation will further support the development of tourism in the region.

Tourist arrivals up 12.7%

Tourism is poised to become the country’s top dollar-earning industry as Philippine lawmakers rallied behind DOT Secretary Teo to mount an “all-out promotion campaign”, as she disclosed yet another double-digit increase in international visitor arrivals for the

first semester. “Amid setbacks and mounting challenges, tourist arrivals are way up. Beefing up the DOT’s war chest, at least restoring it to its previous level [P1 billion], would go a long way in boosting our branding campaign, expected to be on a par with those of our Asian neighbors,” Teo stressed. “In the face of challenges, the country continued to receive the growing influx of tourists from across the globe, desiring to see our world-class destinations and experience the renowned Filipino hospitality,” Teo said. During the congressional hearing, the DOT chief reiterated the agency’s commitment to a more competitive branding campaign as it sets higher targets for the coming year. More foreign tourists have arrived in the Philippines this year, staying for more days and spending more money, as indicated by data collected by the country’s DOT for the month of January. “We have to keep the momentum going now that we are in the implementation phase of the Tourism Development Plan for 2017-2022, which aims to unleash the potentials of our tourism industry and make it more competitive,” Teo said.

Duterte… Continued from a1

Nonetheless, Abella said “the love is still there” between the President and the people.

Sympathy

Duterte also received sympathy from former President and now Rep. Gloria Arroyo of the Second District of Pampanga, who, in her term as President, suffered heavily and lengthily from negative trust and satisfaction ratings. Arroyo said the more important thing for the President is to focus on the projects and programs of the administration because, in the end, it is the legacy that will matter, not the popularity. “The job of a President is not to make popular decisions,” Arroyo said in a news statement issued on Monday. “I had to endure this process myself when I made tough and unpopular decisions that ultimately redounded to the common good,” Arroyo added, referring to the time when her reputation was tainted by a barrage of controversies one after the other. She said the rise and drop in ratings is simply “part of the territory”. “It reflects the pulse of the people at a particular time. A drop, though, does not mean erosion of public support, but merely a sentiment on particular policies,” Arroyo told the President.

Seeing the light

However, if administration critics are to be asked, the drastic drop in Duterte’s trust and satisfaction numbers is but signifiers that more and more Filipinos are now “beginning to see the light.” Sen. Antonio F. Trillanes IV, for one, said the drop in ratings is a result of the climate of fear created by the war on drugs, which has allegedly claimed thousands of lives. As the war on drugs carries on, the senator said, he expects the numbers to continue to climb and “to be worse” in the months to come. “It’s very encouraging to know that the Filipino people are beginning to see the light. They are now seeing Duterte for who he really is: a lying, rude, amoral, corrupt and oppressive former mayor who is totally incompetent about governance at the national level,” Trillanes said in a news statement on Monday. “Worse, his bloody war on drugs has killed thousands of his own people and created a climate of fear across the country,” Trillanes added.

Young casualties

On the other hand, Sen. Paolo Benigno A. Aquino IV and Francis G. Escudero told the Chief Executive to take the drop in ratings as a wake-up call to rethink some of the administration’s major policies. “So, putting it together, this should not be taken for granted by Malacañang and the President. [It should be taken as] a wake-up call to revise our war on drugs, reform the strategy, as well as street killings,” Aquino said in an interview on Monday. “If you look at the month of the survey period, it was the time there were several cases being investigated involving young victims who should not have been killed. So, if you compare that with the survey affirming widespread concern over the wave of killings and their nagging doubts over its legitimacy, I think it is a wake-up call…that it is time to revise the strategy in waging the drug war,” Aquino added. “The administration should take it as a wake-up call and, hopefully, be less nonchalant, arrogant and cavalier, especially on the part of some Cabinet and police officials. It’s a reminder to sitting officials that nothing is permanent, everything is fleeting and will come to an end soon enough, whether it’s survey numbers or their incumbency,” Escudero said in a text message to reporters on Monday. The President might appear as a juggernaut since his rise to power in 2016, but, as pointed out by Escudero, “everything is fleeting and will come to an end soon enough”—even the once soaring ratings of Duterte.

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In surprise move, Samsung CEO to step down after record profit

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he chief executive officer (CEO) of Samsung Electronics Co. is stepping down in a surprise resignation after decades at the company, saying it needed new leadership following a bribery scandal that led to the imprisonment of its de facto chief. Kwon Oh-hyun, who also serves as co-vice chairman, announced his retirement on Friday as the Suwon-based company reported record operating income of 14.5 trillion won, or $12.8 billion, on booming demand for displays and memory chips. He said the company faces an “unprecedented crisis” despite the financial success. Kwon had emerged as the public face of Samsung Electronics after Jay Y. Lee, grandson of the company’s founder, was detained on corruption charges and then sentenced to five years in prison in August, amid a scandal that brought down South Korea’s president. While the latest financial results show Samsung’s business units operating smoothly, that in itself may present risks for Kwon, said Park Ju-gun, who tracks corporate executives at CEOScore. “Nobody wants to be the chief of Samsung Electronics at a time like this; it’s too risky,” Park said. “It puts that person at odds with the controlling family. Only when he is in the shadow is he playing his role properly.” Friday’s results didn’t include net income or break out divisional performance. Final numbers are usually released two weeks later. Samsung’s shares fell less than 1 percent by midday Friday in Seoul. They have climbed more than 50 percent this year. Kwon, a semiconductor engineer who turns 65 this month, has met with President Moon Jae-in and attended events both at home and abroad since Lee was detained in February on corruption charges. Kwon will resign from the management board in March next year when his term ends, the company said. “As we are confronted with unprecedented crisis inside out, I believe that time has now come for the company start anew, with a new spirit and young leadership to better respond to challenges arising from the rapidly changing IT industry,” Kwon said in the statement. Samsung has had a long tradition of stressing crisis even in good times for the business. Chairman Lee Kun-hee, who transformed the company from a copycat appliance maker to a global technology leader, said in 2010 that Samsung was entering a “real crisis,” just after the company achieved record annual sales of more than 130 trillion won. Lee has denied any wrongdoing and is appealing his conviction. Mark Newman, senior research analyst at Sanford C. Bernstein said Kwon’s top deputies, President J. K. Shin, who is in charge of mobile products, or Kim Ki-nam, president of Samsung’s semiconductor business, may be in line to succeed Kwon. “It’s definitely unexpected,” Newman said. “I think the company is going to be fine. The company just needs to find a way to fill this hole that Kwon is leaving.” Samsung Electronics is the crown jewel of a conglomerate comprised of about 60 units selling selling life insurance, cargo ships and clothes. Despite the trial, the company’s business has remained robust, helped by strong demand for memory chips. Contract prices for 32 gigabyte DRAM server modules climbed 7.2 percent in the September quarter from the June period while prices for 128 gigabit MLC NAND flash memory chips rose 4.7 percent in the same period, according to inSpectrum Tech Inc. Bloomberg News

Saturday, October 14, 2017

A3

World economy leaders say don’t botch improving growth outlook

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he world economy is enjoying a recovery that spans threequarters of global output. Trade volumes have rebounded and unemployment is falling. But the best may be still to come. That’s the message from fina nce m inisters a nd cent ra l bankers gathered in Washington on Thursday for the start of annual meetings of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF), where they expressed an increasingly upbeat outlook for their economies. “It’s going to get better,” IMF Manag ing Director Chr istine L aga rde sa id on a pa nel debate moderated by CNN anchor R ichard Quest. She spoke t wo d ays af ter t he f und lif ted its globa l g row t h out look on improved forecasts for the world ’s big gest economies. Unlike last year when emerging markets drove gains, the current upswing is more balanced, she said. “It is broader-based, it

is more solid and it should get better. But it needs to get sustainable and benefit all.” Officials from around the globe largely shared her optimism. “I am pleased to note t hat t here have been sig ns lately t hat a susta inable globa l recover y may f ina l ly be mater ia l izing ,” US Federa l Reser ve Gover nor Jerome Powel l, who is a potentia l cand id ate to r un t he centra l bank when Cha irman Janet Yellen’s term ends in Febr uar y, sa id in Washing ton. “ T his is cer ta in ly good news, a lt hough sig nif icant r isk s and uncer ta inties rema in.”

Words of caution

Pow ell’s word s of c aut ion echoed war nings f rom ot her

polic y-ma kers t hroughout t he d ay t hat pa inf u l refor ms are sti l l needed to def use politica l tensions and ensure the recover y lasts. S ome of t he world ’s le ad i n g ce nt r a l b a n k c h ie f s s a id more work ne e d s to b e done. Bank of Japan Governor Har u hi ko Kurod a told re por ters he w i l l keep up a massive stimu lus prog ram to hit a 2-percent inf lation goa l, and European Centra l Bank President Mar io Draghi sa id t hat a lt hough t here are some sig ns that, wages are finally increasing , “we’re sti l l not t here.” There are also concerns that not everyone is sharing in the global upswing. “It is not inclusive

enough,” Indonesia’s Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati said. Citing the British poet Percy Bysshe Shel ley, Lagarde said there is a “ degree of harmony” in global growth, before cautioning that a lack of economic reforms amid grow ing technological and other disruptions are limiting aspirations. T he fund in meetings this week is pushing policies that include i n v e s t m e nt i n e du c at i o n , a strengthening of safet y nets and infrastructure spending. “Our goal is turning that harmony we see into a season of action,” she told reporters earlier Thursday in Washington. “The recovery is not complete.”

I am pleased to note that there have been signs lately that a sustainable global recovery may finally be materializing. This is certainly good news, although significant risks and uncertainties remain.”—Powell

Threats include the risk of volatile capital markets and tighter financial conditions with consequences for spillover around the globe. Lagarde advocated against protectionism that could disrupt a revival in global commerce. “ This pickup in trade that we see is good for growth, and we need to secure it and make sure it continues to be so,” she said. “ Trying to reduce trade would not be helpful for that roof we want to fix.” W hile policy-makers pushed bac k aga inst ca l ls for higher tar if fs or protectionism, t hey a lso said domestic policies need s to del iver benef its to t hose who feel lef t out of t he globa l recover y. “We can’t divorce our domestic policy from our goal of having a more open and transparent trading system,” said Canadian Finance Minister William Morneau, whose country is engaged in talks this week to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement with the US and Mexico. “If people believe that trade is not going to necessarily advantage them, then why are they going to buy into it?” Bloomberg News

Asia dreams in skyscraper

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Tourists pose for a selfie photograph in the Dotonbori distric in Osaka, Japan. Buddhika Weerasinghe/Bloomberg

Osaka is Japan’s new tourist ‘hot spot’ for Asian visitors A mid the gloom and struggle that Osaka has gone through in recent years, a tourism boom has been an unex pected boon for Japan’s gritty second city. The commercial roots and boisterous and friendly people of Osaka and the surrounding K ansai region provides a contrast to the relative coolness and formality of Tokyo that’s winning favor with tourists from Northeast Asia. The boom is boosting the local economy. Duty-free sales at department stores in the region were up almost 60 percent in the first eight months of this year from the same period in 2016, according to the central bank. The area’s relatively high unemployment rate has dropped considerably, to 4 percent last year, while the number of companies in Osaka grew 16 percent in the 12 months through March, faster than in Tokyo or across the whole nation. W hile Japan as a whole has benefited from a massive increase in tourism recently, it’s especially pronounced in Osaka. Almost 10 million overseas tourists visited the city in 2016, a 363-percent jump over five years, versus the 188 percent increase seen nationally.

The city is popular with tourists from Asia, partly due to increased flights by low-cost carriers, such as Spring Airlines Co. of China and Jeju Air Co. of South Korea. This year looks to be another record, with 5.3 million visitors in the first six months of 2017, according to the city’s tourism office. Within Osaka itself, the southern part of the city around Shinsaibashi is attracting many people. The Daimaru department store in Shinsaibashi sold ¥11 billion, or $98 million, of duty-free goods in March-August this year. That was 28 percent of all its sales and more than the combined total of duty-free sales at the company’s 14 other stores in Japan. “ This inbound tourism has brought a growth chance to sectors such as the retail and restaurant business, which were shrinking due to population decline,” said Kimihiro Etoh, a Bank of Japan executive and manager of the Osaka branch. Osaka was traditionally the merchant capital of Japan, with many businesses in the earlymodern Edo period based there. The merchant spirit and tradition of bargaining is one of the

things that Chinese probably find attractive, according to Xiaoxiao Liu, a Beijing-born economist at Mitsubishi Research Institute in Tokyo. “Chinese tourists aren’t just looking to to buy stuff anymore, they want to have experiences while spending money. And on that point, Osaka is totally more fun,” she said. The whole shopping district of Shinsaibashi is entertaining, according to Masahisa Maeda, the head of the area’s shopkeeper’s association. You can eat while walking down the street, “talking to people in shop and stalls, and watching them cook before your very eyes,” he said. And the buzz is being shared online in China, where travelers have reported the attractiveness of Osaka. “Osaka has food, culture and shopping,” said 67-year-old Mok Cheong Seng from Macau, while visiting the city recently for the seventh or eighth time. Her son Peter Lee, who was traveling with her, said, “Tokyo’s too busy, but you can relax in Osaka.” The city plans to apply to host the 2025 Expo, and is also looking to host the first casino resort, when these are legalized in Japan, which would increase its appeal to Asian tourists. Bloomberg News

he skyscraper was born in the United States, but in recent years, it has grown and flourished in Asia. Countries there recognize that to be seen as a player on the global stage, it helps to have tall buildings. Over a century ago, New York and Chicago demonstrated that the skyscraper is, fundamentally, a solution to an economic problem: how to allow for hundreds, if not thousands, of people and businesses to be at the same place at the same time. Urban clustering, especially in a high-tech world, is more important than ever. By promoting density, skyscrapers confer a competitive advantage and allow a city to become a beacon of commerce. In April President Xi Jinping of China announced plans for a new city, Xiongan, not far from Beijing. A kind of Chinese field of dreams, Xiongan is to be built on what is now hundreds of square miles of farmland and towns, house millions of people and be a center for technology jobs. Like the cities it’s being modeled after—Shenzhen, near Hong Kong and Shanghai, particularly its Pudong neighborhood—it may someday claim the world’s tallest skyscrapers. The Ping An Finance tower in Shenzhen, completed this year, at 115 stories, is the fourth-tallest building in the world, while the Shanghai Tower, completed in 2015, at 128 stories, is the second-tallest skyscraper on the planet. Since the 1990s, the world’s tallest buildings have been built in the East. The current prize holder—the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (828 meters, or about 2,717 feet, 2010)—will soon be surpassed by the Jeddah Tower in Saudi Arabia (1,000 meters, or about 3,281 feet, 2020). Nine of the 10 world’s tallest buildings are in Asia. In addition, the continent now has more 150-meter (about 492 feet) or taller buildings than the rest of the continents combined. An awe-inspiring skyline is a city’s announcement that it is open for business and confident in its future growth. Supertall structures stand as “place makers” in the planning process, since they create neighborhood landmarks to draw companies, residents, tourists and foreign direct

investment. China is now a nation full of capitalists. Arab workers are no longer just oil drillers, but global traders and financiers. But just as important, cities that have record-breaking buildings are not just constructing super-tall monoliths. There is a strong correlation between the number of tall buildings of all sizes and the likelihood a city will have a supertall building; heights and frequencies are strongly related. The Burj Khalifa and Shanghai Tower, for example, are the most visible signs that a city embraces skyscrapers more broadly to enhance economic growth and the quality of life of residents and companies. Consider where these nations stand. Over the last decade, the average annual gross domestic product growth rates in India, China, Indonesia and Malaysia were, in most years, more than three times that of the United States. Furthermore, China is witnessing what is arguably the greatest internal migration in human history. In 1979, only about 19 percent of its residents lived in urban areas; today that figure is about 57 percent, and this movement shows no sign of slowing. To put this in perspective, the number of Chinese residents who have moved to cities since 1979 (600 million) is greater than the total current population of North America (580 million). By comparison, in 1900, urbanization in the United States was at 40 percent; by 1970, it was up to 74 percent, and has since inched up to 82 percent. Given this rapid growth, governments generally have two options: They can encourage tall buildings to satisfy the urban demand, or they can restrict building heights, which then increases sprawl, congestion and the distances between people. As a result, Asian governments establish land-use rules that increase density, as well as sponsor international architecture competitions, provide subsidies or simply lend support. Across China, we see a strong correlation between the heights of cities’ skyscrapers and the size of their populations and local economies.

New York Times News Service

A4

Saturday, October 14, 2017

The World BusinessMirror

China’s trade with North Korea slumps as nuclear sanctions bite

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hina’s trade with North Korea slumped in September, amid United Nations sanctions aimed at deterring Kim Jong Un from pursuing his missile and nuclearweapons program.

Exports to North Korea fell 6.7 percent last month versus a year ago, while imports fell 37.9 percent, customs admini s t r at ion s p ok e s m a n Hu a n g Songping said at a briefing in Beijing. North Korea’s deficit with China more than tripled in the first nine months of the year from the same period in 2016, to $1.07 billion, he said, without giving further explanation.

Wit h China’s suppor t, t he UN has agreed on two rounds of sanctions since the beginning of August, including bans on North Korean exports of iron, coal, lead, seafood, textiles, and oil-import restrictions. The UN stepped up sanctions after Pyongyang fired missiles over Japan and tested its sixth and most powerful nuclear bomb last month. The breakdown of trade with

6.7% The estimated decline of China’s exports to North Korea last month versus a year ago, while imports fell 37.9 percent

North Korea was given in response to a reporter’s question at a briefing following publication of China’s overall trade statistics for September. The Customs agency doesn’t usually break out North Korean trade data until later in the month. There are no records of seafood imports from North Korea, while

shipments of coal, iron ore and clothing all declined, according to Huang. Around 90 percent of North Korea’s documented trade was with China in 2016. Beijing has been under pressure from the US and others to show it is complying with UN sanctions designed to put an economic squeeze on Kim’s weapons programs. Still, Beijing is reluctant to trigger an economic collapse and chaos over its shared 840-mile border. US President Donald J. Trump, who has given a mixed response on the effectiveness of China’s efforts to curb North Korea, will visit Beijing in November. Earlier this month he admonished Secretary of State Rex Tillerson for “ wasting his time” in seeking negotiations, a goal that the sanctions are designed to help achieve. Though North Korea’s exports

declined via official channels there is evidence that the country is smuggling shipments to and from China. North Koreans use boats, cars, trucks and several rail lines to carry everything from seafood to diesel fuel and mobile phones back and forth across the border, according to a report by Bloomberg News. China’s overa l l trade w ith North Korea for the first nine months of the year rose 3.7 percent from a year ago to $4.03 billion, slowing 3.8 percentage points from January through August. China’s exports to North Korea from January to September rose 20.9 percent to $2.55 billion while imports dropped 16.7 percent to $1.48 billion. The customs agency said it will publish details its trade in specific products with North Korea on October 23. Bloomberg News

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House panel making ‘progress’ on Trump Russia dossier inquiry

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he chairman of the House Intelligence Committee said he’s making progress getting the Justice Department to turn over documents on a salacious dossier that asserted Donald J. Trump’s presidential campaign colluded with Russians. Republican Devin Nunes said in an interview that he met privately on Thursday with Justice Department officials to discuss when and how they’ll provide documents sought in committee subpoenas he signed in August. He declined to identify those officials. “It seems like we’re making progress. I don’t want to say there’s a breakthrough yet,” said Nunes of California. “We’ll know more next week.” Nunes has been seeking information on whether US intelligence agencies directly supported or helped pay for any of the compilation of the dossier on Trump, or whether the FBI relied on information in the document as part of its probe into Russian meddling in last year’s election. If the agencies did rely on some of its information—compiled mostly by former British spy Christopher Steele—Nunes has said he wants to know what steps were taken to verify its accuracy. Bloomberg News

Californians under siege try to fight fires, find loved ones

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ONOMA, California—They are trying to find lost loved ones, to sift through the remains of lost homes, to count, identify and mourn the dozens of dead—all while the fires rage on. The communities of Northern California were preparing for another day under siege on Friday, despite being driven to exhaustion by evacuations, destruction and danger amid the deadliest week of wildfires the state has ever seen. “It wears you out,” said winemaker Kristin Belair, who was driving back from Lake Tahoe to her as-yet-unburnt home in Napa. “Anybody who’s been in a natural disaster can tell you that it goes on and on. I think you just kind of do hour by hour almost.” The death toll had climbed to an unprecedented 31, and was expected to keep rising. Individual fires, including the Oakland Hills blaze of 1991, had killed more people than any one of the current fires, but no collection of simultaneous fires in California had ever led to so many deaths, authorities said. “We had series of statewide fires in 2003, 2007, 2008 that didn’t have anything close to this death count,” said Daniel Berlant, a deputy director with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Hundreds more were injured or missing. Real recovery would have to wait for firefighters to bring under control the 21 wildfires spanning more than 777 square kilometers. Most were less than 10 percent contained. New evacuations were still being ordered for fires that broke out on Sunday night. “We are not even close to being out of this emergency,” said Mark Ghilarducci, director of the state’s Office of Emergency Services. Choking smoke hung thick in the fire counties and drifted all over the San Francisco Bay Area, where masks to filter the fumes were becoming a regular uniform and the sunsets were blood-red from the haze. “It’s acrid now,” said Wayne Petersen in Sonoma. “I’m wearing the mask because I’ve been here two or three days now, I live here, said Wayne Petersen in Sonoma. “It’s starting to really affect my breathing and lungs so I’m wearing the mask. It’s helping.” Even some members of the Oakland Raiders were wearing

the masks during workouts on Thursday. T he fires drove hundreds of evacuees nor thward to beaches, some sleeping on the sand on the first night of the blazes. Since then, authorities have brought tents and sleeping bags and opened public buildings and restaurants to house people seeking refuge in the safety and clean air of the coastal community of Bodega Bay, where temperatures drop dramatically at night. “The kids were scared,” said Patricia Ginochio, who opened her seaside restaurant for some 300 people to sleep. “They were shivering and freezing.” California Highway Patrol Officer Quintin Shawk took relatives and other evacuees into his home and office, as did many others. “It’s like a ref ugee camp,” Shawk said. Teams with cadaver dogs began a grim search on Thursday for more dead, resorting in some cases to serial numbers stamped on medical implants to identify remains in charred ruins. Sonoma County Sheriff Robert Giordano said officials were still investigating hundreds of reports of missing people and that recovery teams would begin conducting “targeted searches” for specific residents at their last known addresses. “We have found bodies almost completely intact, and we have found bodies that were nothing more than ash and bones,” said the sheriff, whose office released the names of 10 of the dead, all age 57 or older, on Thursday. Some remains have been identified using medical devices uncovered in the scorched heaps that were once homes. Metal implants, such as artificial hips, have ID numbers that helped put names to victims, he said. Distinctive tattoos have helped identify some. Since igniting Sunday in spots across eight counties, the fires have transformed many neighborhoods into wastelands. At least 3,500 homes and businesses have been destroyed and an estimated 25,000 people forced to flee. Fire officials were investigating whether downed power lines or other utility failures could have sparked the fires. Some lucky evacuees returned to find what they least expected. Anna Brooner was prepared to find rubble and ashes after fleeing Santa Rosa’s devastated Coffey Park neighborhood. AP

An anti-Brexit demonstrator waves a Union flag, also known as a Union Jack, with a European Union flag outside the Houses of Parliament in London, on September 5. UK Prime Minister Theresa May used a speech in late-September to try to force the pace of Brexit negotiations as an October showdown with her European counterparts looms. Simon Dawson/Bloomberg via Getty Images

UK told: Reveal secret Brexit report or face suit

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pponents of Brexit said they would sue the British government if it fails to release internal reports into the impact of leaving the European Union (EU) on different parts of the economy. The Good Law Project, run by tax attorney Jolyon Maugham, and Molly Scott Cato, a member of the European Parliament, have written to the Department for Exiting the EU asking for the studies to be released within 14 days. “It is not right that they be hidden from public view,” said Maugham, a vocal opponent of Brexit who has already filed lawsuits over the government’s plans for quitting the 28-nation bloc. “We must be able to see what Brexit means.” The UK’s talks with the EU

have reached a deadlock, increasing the risk of a no-deal, which may cost as much as $15,000 per worker, according to estimates by Rabobank. Meanwhile, ministers in Theresa May’s government have tried to sound upbeat about both the negotiations and the country’s economic prospects outside of the EU. While the EU has held fast to its position that the ball is in the UK’s court, May’s government is pinning hopes on European leaders at a summit in Brussels next week making concessions that would break the deadlock. For the EU, the UK still hasn’t clarified sufficiently enough how it plans to protect EU citizens’ rights in the UK and what future role the bloc’s top court will play. T hese rema in key stumbling

blocks and EU officials already dashed any hopes the UK may have had that European leaders next week would give her approval to start negotiating the two sides’ future relationship.

Florence speech

With the UK’s departure from the EU 18 months away, officials have yet to come to an agreement even on the priority separation issues, let alone what a post-Brexit future will look like. While Prime Minister May’s speech in Italy last month started to break through the deadlock, EU officials say they are still in the dark about many details on where the UK might be willing to compromise. T he G o o d L aw P ro j e c t i s seeking the publication of 57 studies that cover 85 percent

of the economy, referred to by chief Brexit negotiator Dav id Dav is in December, and also a Trea su r y Depa r t ment repor t comparing the predicted economic benefits of alternative free trade agreements. A prom i ne nt t a x l aw y e r, Maugham has emerged as one of the most potent voices against the UK’s looming European exit. Last year he raised £10,000, or $13,300, in a crowdfunding campaign for an ultimately successful challenge to May’s plan to start the formal process for Brexit, an Article 50 notice, without first holding a vote in Parliament. His next project, a lawsuit in Ireland that sought to establish a last-minute Brexit-escape clause, was abandoned in May. Bloomberg News

Sports PERIOD OF SOUL-SEARCHING BusinessMirror

Saturday, October 14, 2017

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

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By Noah Trister The Associated Press

HE 2018 World Cup will be a unique test of soccer’s appeal in the United States. Will Americans still watch if their national team isn’t there? Fox is certainly hoping so. The US failed to qualify for next year’s World Cup in Russia when it lost at Trinidad and Tobago on Tuesday night, and the effects of that defeat may be felt for quite some time. The team, and indeed the whole US Soccer Federation, faces a period of soul-searching— but broadcasters, sponsors and tournament organizers could also be impacted by the Americans’ absence. Fox, which broadcasts next year’s World Cup, offered only a statement on Wednesday—which did provide some insight as to how the network will likely promote a World Cup without the US. “Last night’s World Cup qualifying results do not change FOX Sports’ passion for the world’s biggest sporting event,” the statement said. “While the US was eliminated, the biggest stars in the world, from Lionel Messi to Cristiano Ronaldo, stamped their tickets to Russia on the same day, and will battle teams ranging from Mexico to England that have massive fan bases in America.” Fans in the US are familiar with stars like

Messi, Ronaldo and Neymar. Top European club teams now have American followings, which suggests that soccer in the US can withstand a short-term slump for the national team. An estimated 26.5 million people in the US watched Germany’s victory over Argentina in the 2014 World Cup final in Brazil, and the 2018 final figures to be a major draw as well. But a US-Portugal match in the group stage of the 2014 tournament had 24.7 million viewers—and that’s the type of interest that might be absent from earlier games in 2018. “It’s going to hurt a little bit,” said Austin Karp, an assistant managing editor of SportsBusiness Daily. “You’re not going to have any buildup there toward the summer, with the US team playing either friendlies—or talk about how the US team is going to do, promotion of the US team on Fox properties like baseball or other spring stuff they might have.... The US matches were some of the strongest audiences for ESPN-ABC the last couple of iterations of the tournament. The final will still be OK.” Fox broadcast the Women’s World Cup in 2015, but next year will be its first time carrying the men’s tournament since winning US English-language World Cup rights back in 2011. Now Fox’s 2018 tournament won’t have the Americans, and ratings for the 2022 event in Qatar could be affected by the fact that it is set to be held in November and December, instead of its usual calendar spot

midway through the year. The US team’s failure to qualify for 2018 dented shares of Twenty-First Century Fox on Wednesday. The stock fell 66 cents, or 2.5 percent, to $26.11. But concerns over Fox’s outlook may be overblown, according to a report from Pivotal Research Group. According to the group’s study, the US team accounted for about 20 percent of ESPN’s total viewing for the 2014 tournament—a significant figure but not an overwhelming one. Fox will certainly miss having the Americans in 2018, but the US played only four games in Brazil last time. “While it might make a difference for the lay viewer who is only going to watch the U.S. games, that’s just a small subset of the total viewing,” said Brian Wieser, a senior research analyst for Pivotal Research Group. So the show must go on for broadcasters—and sponsors are trying to make the best of the situation, as well. “Like all American soccer fans, we are disappointed the team will not be participating in the World Cup, but still recognize the huge growth opportunity for soccer in the US,” said Ricardo Marques, a vice president of marketing for Budweiser. “As the official beer of the World Cup and a longtime International Football Federation [Fifa] partner, Budweiser will continue to tap into

and more improved NU as the Lady Bulldogs shoot for their third straight title in the league organized by Sports Vision. “This PVL season is symbolic for me as a coach because we don’t only want to win the championship but provide a better perspective and trademark for the team,” he said. Ateneo, like NU, is after a third straight crown in the PVL. The Blue Eagles won Game One, 2522, 25-20, 25-19. The Blue Eagles Head Coach Oliver Almadro said they need to keep their chemistry to prevent the Tamaraws from extending the series. “Energy is FEU’s bread and butter. They live and die with their energy, with their intensity,” Almadro said. “So if we will match their intensity, we will win this one.” Lance Agcaoili

Fifa should spend on spreading tech, not itself

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ONDON—If International Football Fedration (Fifa) had spent as much money on goal-line technology as it splurges on self-indulgent meetings, the United States might be going to the World Cup. The Americans will be missing from next year’s tournament in Russia in part because of the lack of goal-line detection systems in the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (Concacaf) regional qualifying. Whatever the American failings during a shocking loss to Trinidad and Tobago on Tuesday—and there were plenty—a lifeline could have been provided if Panama had not profited from a phantom goal against Costa Rica. Panama scored an equalizer that never crossed the line. A draw against Costa Rica would still have kept the US on the path to Russia, but the Central American nation went on to win, 2-1. The US is out and has no recourse for protest against its absence from a World Cup for the first time since 1986. While the American debate immediately centered on the litany of shortcomings during a dismal qualifying campaign, the spotlight could swiftly fall on US Soccer Federation President Sunil Gulati. Not only on his command of a national game in decline, but why, as a member of the ruling bodies at Fifa and Concacaf, he is not known to have demanded goal-line technology was used in all stadiums during the final group stage. So much is at stake when a World Cup spot worth at least $10 million is on the line, and the reality is that $1.8 million would have enhanced the referees’ decision making in those six countries. At a cost of up to $300,000 per stadium, Fifa leaves every region to decide whether to adopt goal-line technology in qualifying. But the governing body is the ultimate organizer of the games and in charge of whittling 210 teams into 31 finalists, all of whom will benefit from technology in Russia.

Even if Fifa committed $63 million to equipping a stadium in each country with goalline aids, that is still less than the $72 million spent over the last three years on congresses. It would also leave a legacy for domestic competitions, too, that outlast the bars, buffets and vanity entertainment funded by Fifa at gatherings of soccer leaders. Spending that would ensure that soccer is fairer, with fewer errors that can prove so costly. If Fifa had its way, the US would be at the World Cup, being a lucrative television market and home to sponsors Budweiser, McDonald’s and Visa. But that’s not going to happen. If any good comes out of Panama’s ghost goal, it will be a reexamination by Fifa of the limited way goal-line technology is being spread across the world, just as the goal from Frank Lampard that was denied for England at the 2010 World Cup turned Fifa overnight into champions of technology after years of opposition. But the focus of Fifa’s leadership has already moved a step beyond goal-line technology. The priority at headquarters now is fast-tracking video replays—despite the high volume of glitches—in time for the World Cup, where the technology will be used for far more than determining whether a ball landed in the goal. Soon, though, the use of video-replay assistants will expand the divide between wealthy nations and those teams with more meager resources. The US will rightly feel aggrieved that a refereeing mistake has contributed to its World Cup disappointment. But, as a wealthy federation, the Americans need to be part of a solution. Soccer leaders took long enough to break their long-standing resistance to technology. Now they have to ensure it is rolled out universally, especially in some of Fifa’s biggest games outside of World Cups. AP

our fans’ passion for soccer here and globally.” Over in Russia, meanwhile, the reaction to the US ouster was muted. American fans have attended the World Cup in droves recently— over 200,000 tickets for games in Brazil were purchased by US residents. Fifa said on Tuesday that the US was among the top 10 countries for ticket applications so far for 2018, along with other nonqualifiers like China and Israel. Some applications by US residents are likely to have been made by supporters of other teams, such as Mexico. Still, many in Russia focused instead on the failure to qualify of neighboring Ukraine, which had occasionally threatened to boycott the tournament over Russia’s backing for separatist groups in eastern Ukraine. Vyacheslav Koloskov, the Russian Football Union honorary president, said the US’s absence was a missed opportunity to improve Russia-US relations. “The nonparticipation of the US reduces the chances of players, and indirectly of American fans, to see the transformations taking place in our country,” he told Russian agency R-Sport. Koloskov added that the US team was “nothing special”, and so its absence “won’t have any effect on our World Cup in a sporting sense”.

THE US’s Christian Pulisic (right) is comforted by a member of the team staff after the US lost to Trinidad and Tobago. AP

Ateneo stakes record against Adamson U U

LADY BULLDOGS, EAGLES SHOOT FOR PVL CROWNS N ATIONAL University (NU) and Ateneo de Manila go for all the marbles as they try to sweep their respective championship series today in the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) Collegiate Conference at the Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan City. The Blue Eagles target the same goal also against an Far Eastern University (FEU) side earlier in the day at 10 a.m. The Lady Bulldogs—behind the towering Jaja Santiago 23 points marked by 15 spikes, four blocks and four service aces—beat the Lady Tamaraws in Game One, 25-22, 21-25, 25-18, 26-24, of the best-of-three series. NU Head Coach Babes Castillo said that the composure of the team was the key to their victory, their seventh straight in the season. Castillo, who replaced Roger Gorayeb before the conference, said he wants to establish a new

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‘NOT UP FOR DISCUSSION’

QATAR’S Government Communications Office says the attempt by Emirati officials to link the 2022 Fifa World Cup to the dispute shows that the boycott “is founded on petty jealousy, not real concerns”. AP

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UBAI, United Arab Emirates (UAE)— Qatar strongly criticized Emirati officials for questioning Doha’s hosting of the 2022 International Football Federation (Fifa) World Cup, saying that the tournament “is not up for discussion or negotiation” amid a diplomatic crisis engulfing the region. Four Arab nations, including the UAE, have been boycotting Qatar for months, in part over allegations that it supports extremists and has overly warm ties to Iran. Qatar, which hosts a major United States military base, has long denied supporting extremists. Qatar’s Government Communications Office said the attempt by Emirati officials to link the games to the dispute shows that the boycott “is founded on petty jealousy, not real concerns”. “This demand is a clear attempt to undermine our independence. The World Cup,

like our sovereignty, is not up for discussion or negotiation,” it added. Organizers of the Middle East’s first World Cup urged regional rivals to rally behind the “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for us all” and stop the blockade. “We’ve always taken the simple position that sport is elevated from conflict and that the 2022 Fifa World Cup in Qatar will be a platform to bring people together, separate from any political ideology,” the supreme committee said in a statement. “We also see the tournament as a powerful tool for Qatar and the region to counter extremism and reject terrorism.” Lobbying firms and interest groups funded by the boycotting Arab nations increasingly have focused on Qatar’s hosting of the soccer tournament. They’ve pointed to allegations of corruption surrounding Qatar’s winning bid, as well as the conditions that laborers working

in Qatar face in building infrastructure for the games. Such conditions are prevalent across Gulf Arab nations. Last Sunday a Dubai security official wrote on Twitter that the only way for “Qatar’s crisis” to end is if Doha gives up the tournament. Lt. Gen. Dhahi Khalfan later said his “personal analysis” of the financial pressure Doha faces in hosting the games had been misunderstood. On Tuesday, Emirati Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash followed up by writing on Twitter that Qatar’s hosting of the games should “include a repudiation of policies supporting extremism & terrorism”. Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the UAE began their boycott of Qatar on June 5. Mediation efforts by Kuwait, the US and others, so far, have failed to resolve the diplomatic crisis, the worst to hit the Gulf since Iraq’s 1990 invasion of Kuwait. When Qatar’s sole land border with Saudi

NBEATEN Ateneo de Manila opens its second round campaign against streaking Adamson University in Season 80 Universiy Athletic Association of the Philippines men’s basketball action today at the SmartAraneta Coliseum. The Blue Eagles are hoping to extend their domination of the Soaring Falcons this season when they take the floor at 4 p.m. Ateneo won, 85-65, in the first round. National University and University of the East (UE) clash at 2 p.m. The Bulldogs were 4-3 won-lost in the first round, which they wrapped up with a 7770 victory over University of the Philippines last week. The Red Warriors, on the other hand, are brimming with confidence from their 96-91 conquest of University of Santo Tomas behind Alvin Pasaol’s 32-point explosion. The win was UE’s first of the season. Ateneo highlighted its sweep of the first round with a vengeful 76-75 escape over arch rival De La Salle through Matt Nieto’s defensive stop and two free throws at crunch time last Sunday. But for Ateneo Coach Arespacochaga, the team has yet to achieve. “Right now, our mind-set is we’re done with the first round, and we’re looking forward to our next game. It’s still a long way to go,” Arespacochaga said. Arespacochaga warned the Blue Eagles that they would be facing an inspired Adamson University side, despite beating them by 20 points in the first round. “It’s bad news for us because Adamson University is on a roll, so they have the momentum,” he said. “And in the first round, Papi Sarr didn’t play.” The Falcons started the season at 1-2, but went on a roll and are now 5-2 won-lost. Sarr sat the first round against because of a groin injury. Falcons Head Coach Franz Pumaren said the team remains focused on becoming a legitimate title contender. “What’s important right now is for us to be within striking distance of the top two teams,” Pumaren added. “I’ll be a hypocrite if I tell you we’re not aiming for a better finish than last season.” Lance Agcaoili

Arabia was closed and sea traffic cut off by the boycott, World Cup organizers were forced to instigate a “Plan B,” including bringing in supplies from Turkey. Qatari authorities say their efforts at building stadiums and infrastructure for the tournament remain on track. “Even today, when we are faced with the current illegal blockade, we stand resolute that everybody will be welcome when the first ball is kicked on 21 November 2022,” Qatar’s World Cup supreme committee said. AP

BusinessMi

A6 Saturday, October 14, 2017 | Editor: Jun Lomibao

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LBERTO CONTADOR said he would ban the use of power meters in races in order to provide for more aggressive racing. In a wide-ranging interview with Marca, the recently retired Spaniard also revisited and reiterated his call for a salary cap to be introduced in professional cycling. Although Contador will line up at the Japan Cup and a criterium in Shanghai later this month, he effectively signed off on his professional career with stage victory atop the Angliru on the final weekend of the Vuelta a España, where he finished fourth overall in Madrid. Contador was one of the principal animators of the Vuelta, but throughout the three weeks winner Chris Froome’s imposing Team Sky squad succeeded in tempering the aggression of most of his rivals, as they did for much of July’s Tour de France. Contador maintained that riders were dissuaded from attacking by the information emanating from their power meters. “The earpiece restricts invention less than the power meter, which I’d eliminate from use competition,” Contador told Marca. “If you’re going up a climb and you know that you can’t go over 400 watts and Sky are at the front of the peloton going at 400 watts, you don’t dare to attack because you’ll blow up inside 2 kilometers. But if you don’t see the numbers, your sensations might lead you to attack. Riders block themselves when they see the numbers, especially on gradients of 6 or 7 percent.” During a rest day press conference at the Vuelta, Contador said that he believed cycling should introduce a salary cap for fear the rising costs of running a toplevel team would dissuade sponsors from entering the sport. Speaking to Marca, he also pointed out that big-budget teams could dominate certain races. “If a team has four times the budget of others, it will have a lot of riders who could be leader on other teams. With teams like that, the race gets blocked and doesn’t

Contador calls for ban on power meters

ALBERTO CONTADOR says riders are dissuade from attacking by the information emanating from their power meters.

break up,” Contador said. Contador’s initial comments on the salary cap were met with skepticism by his old teammate Lance Armstrong. “Pfft.. Easy to say in his final press conference,” Armstrong wrote on Twitter. Contador insisted that his impending retirement and his calls for a salary cap were not linked. “It has nothing to do with it,” he said. “The wage limit can be high, but not stratospheric. A leader can have a high salary, and then you can make a good and competitive team around him, and balance things much more in the races, like they’re doing now by having eight riders [instead of nine – ed.] in the Grand Tours.” Although Contador’s attack on the road to Fuente Dé in 2012, which netted him Vuelta victory on his return from his doping ban, is often viewed as the stand-out

No major changes in Wada’s 2018 list

MARCO PANTANI died on February 14, 2004, after barricading himself in a hotel room in Rimini under the effects of cocaine and antidepressants.

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he World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) released its 2018 Prohibited List three months before it takes effect, but unlike 2016 when the ban on meldonium caught many athletes off-guard, forcing the agency to offer amnesty for positives early in the year, there were no major changes to the list for the coming season. “Wada is pleased to publish the 2018 Prohibited List,” Wada President Sir Craig Reedie said. “Updated annually, the list is released three months ahead of taking effect so that all stakeholders—in particular athletes and their entourage— have sufficient time to familiarize themselves with the document and its modification. “It is vital that all athletes and entourage take the necessary time to consult the list; and that, they contact their respective anti-doping organizations (ADOs) if they have any doubts as to the status of a substance or method.” The full list can be found on the Wada web site. There were minor changes to some examples for the various classes of prohibited substances. In good news for Floyd Landis and his new cannabis business, hemp seed oil (Cannabidiol) is specifically allowed unless it contains THC, the psychoactive component of marijuana. The prohibition on alcohol in certain sports (archery, motorsports, air sports and power boating) was removed, leaving those sports to police its use as they see fit. Wada also upped the allowed volume and timing of intravenous infusions from 50 mL per six-hour period to no more than 100 mL per 12-hour period “in order to allow greater flexibility for the safe administration of non-prohibited therapeutic substances.” In the monitoring program, the adaptogen bemitil and the opioid painkiller hydrocodone were added to the list, while mitragynine and telmisartan were removed. The monitoring program continues to include caffeine, nicotine, tramadol, glucocorticoids and beta-2-agonists. Cyclingnews

performance of his career, the Spaniard said he had gleaned equal pleasure from ultimately unsuccessful raids, such as his long-range attack on the Alpe d’Huez stage of the 2011 Tour, or his attack on the final stage of this year’s Paris-Nice. “It [Fuente Dé] was beautiful because it had a very big prize, the stage and the overall, but there have also been similar attacks that did not have the same end, yet I enjoyed them as much as that, and so did the public,” Contador said. “There was the attack on the Télégraphe, 5 kilometers into a stage with another 100 kilometers to go [in 2011 – ed.] or the attack from distance this year on the Croix de Fer [on stage 17 of the Tour – ed.], or even when everyone expected me to attack, like at ParisNice. They may have not have had a finish like Fuente Dé, but for me they were just as satisfying.” Cyclingnews

Italian Supreme Court affirms Pantani was not murdered

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TALY’S Supreme Court of Cassation has dismissed a final appeal against a ruling that Marco Pantani was not murdered, and ordered his family to pay the costs of their appeal. The court described the verdict of the latest investigation carried out by Rimini police, which showed Pantani’s death was caused by a cocktail of cocaine and antidepressants, as being “solid and like granite.” Pantani died on February 14, 2004 after barricading himself in a hotel room in Rimini under the effects of cocaine and antidepressants. He had suffered greatly with substance abuse and mental problems since being disqualified from the 1999 Giro d’Italia due to a high blood haematocrit. In the previous year, he won the Giro d’Italia and Tour de France but was investigated several times for doping and never returned to the level of success that earned him the nickname of “Il Pirata” and global admiration for his daring attacks in the mountains at Grand Tours. Pantani’s mother Tonina has always defended her son’s honor while admitting that he may have used blood-boosting EPO during his career. She hired high-profile Italian lawyer Antonio De Rensis to investigate all the circumstances of Pantani’s death and managed to spark a new investigation in 2014 that was fueled by media reports in Italy that played on the heartstrings of Pantani’s enduring popularity among the tifosi. In August 2014 La Gazzetta dello

Sport filled its front page with the headline “Pantani was killed” as they openly backed Tonina’s position. The Italian sports newspaper has now accepted the Supreme Court verdict, and on Thursday published a small story entitled “Pantani was not killed.” Pantani’s family and lawyer tried to argue that someone may have somehow entered Pantani’s room and forced him to consume a lethal dose of cocaine. They questioned every part of the original 2004 police investigation that resulted in the drug dealers going to jail. They even backed wild claims by a famous Italian mobster Renato Vallanzasca that Pantani was killed by the mafia to avoid paying out on massive illegal bets on his eventual victory at the 1999 Giro d’Italia. New investigator Paolo Giovagnoli responded to every doubt raised by De Rensis with new medical evidence, which led judge Vincio Cantarini to confirm that Pantani was killed by “serious acute heart failure, a toxicological effect caused by [the antidepressants] trimipramine and venlafaxine, and cocaine”. Cantarini added that the last months of Pantani’s life had been characterized by “a compulsive and increasing use of cocaine.” He dismissed claims that Pantani was murdered as “a fantastical hypothesis, mere conjecture.” Despite that verdict, the Pantani family appealed to the Supreme Court but a final appeal was thrown out, ending 13 years of doubts and suspicions about Pantani’s death.

Cyclingnews

BANKRUPT OVER BERG T HE 2017 World Road Championships in Bergen, Norway, were widely hailed a roaring success, with staggering crowds, gripping racing and spectacular scenery combining to serve up a festival of cycling that seemed to do justice to the International Cycling Union’s (UCI) flagship event. However, with the barriers dismantled and the paint washed off the roads, the party atmosphere has made way for a more sober picture of bills, debt and the looming threat of bankruptcy. Event manager Helge Stormoen confirmed to Cyclingnews that the organizing body ended up spending significantly more than they budgeted. “We are definitely going to be in the red,” he said, explaining that it will take two to three weeks for the full extent of the damage to become clear. While Stormoen and his colleagues are considering going to the Norwegian government for rescue funds, with bankruptcy now a very real prospect facing the Norwegian Cycling Federation, they have been handed a lifeline of a more surprising variety: crowdfunding. Kristin Solhaug, a cycling fan from Askoy who attended the worlds, came up with the idea, highlighting the value the tens of thousands of fans derived from what was a free event. “We were treated to an unmatched event, a glorious thing,” she told NRK. “I think there are many like me who would like to give a little back.” She wasn’t wrong. Since the launch of the campaign—on an app-based platform called Vipps—on Tuesday morning, no less than 3.5 million Norwegian Kroner (NOK), the equivalent of €375,000, has been raised. “This is an incredible story,” Stormoen said. “It shows that the public enjoyed fantastic moments and that the championships really did something for the people of Bergen.”

Even if the Vipps account is in their name and the money goes straight to their account, the organizers are keen to insist that this is purely a fan initiative after some critical reactions in Norway. Either way, even if the donations continue to roll in, it is unlikely they’ll be enough to bail out the federation, with the Bergens Tidende newspaper suggesting the final bill could come to a whopping 220 million NOK.

WHERE DID THE MONEY GO?

Stormoen confirmed that the initial budget for the 2017 Worlds was 156 million NOK— equivalent to approximately €16.5 million. That figure, however, was reduced to 135 million NOK more than a year before the championships as the organizers battled with an unfavorable sponsorship market. The oil and gas industry, from where they expected to source the bulk of their sponsorship revenue, had fallen on hard times, and they had to look elsewhere and downgrade their projections. They knocked the 21 million NOK off the budget and decided not to go ahead with certain outlays, such as removing all the speed bumps from the race route. As well as a shortfall in sponsorship revenue, it is feared the organizer failed to sell sufficient hospitality packages for the nine-day event—a key source of income given the majority of fans watch for free. In terms of spending, Stormoen points to security as the major area where costs soared above projections. The spate of terrorist attacks in Europe over the past few years have meant that large-scale sporting events must be heavily policed, and in Bergen there were concrete barricades and military trucks out in force. “After what happened in Barcelona and elsewhere, police and private security costs have gone up massively,” Stormoen said. The weakening of the krone against the euro and the Swiss franc hardly helped, either. The

awarding of the worlds to Bergen in September 2014 came with a €7-million licensing fee, but the organizers decided not to pay it off immediately and all in one go. In the end it cost them 15 million NOK more than it should have. They have since faced criticism over not hedging their funds so as to protect against foreign-exchange fluctuations. “They have not been prudent enough and have fallen right into the classic luxury trap. They have not been in control,” Arild Salte, an economic advisor who also runs the Norwegian Bicycle Riding Association, told NRK. “It is easy to be an outsider and speak about these things without having the facts or figures,” is the comeback from Stormoen.

WHAT NOW?

While BT suggested the bill may be as high as 220 million NOK, they, like Salte, do not have the full and final numbers. Neither do the organizers. “It’s still hard to say exactly,” Stormoen said. “We still do not have the final figures for the hospitality sales and costs, for things like the sound systems, police, everything—the list is long.” The picture should become clearer in a couple of weeks’ time, and even then a governmental tax compensation scheme means it could be 2018 before the figures can be seen in black and white. The crowdfunding may be heartening but the organizers know it won’t be enough on its own, and they are preparing to ask the Norwegian government for extra funds. Along with the Norwegian Cycling Federation and the municipality of Bergen, the government was one of the main sources of cash for the event, putting in more than 50 million NOK. The organizers maybe shouldn’t be so confident, if the words of Bard Folke Fredriksen at the Ministry of Culture are anything to go by. “The Cycling World Championships was a brilliant event, but I would like to remind you that they have already received 52 million

irror CYCLING

mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph | Saturday, October 14, 2017 A7

French veteran racer defends his use of mechanical doping

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HE French veteran racer caught with a rudimentary form of mechanical doping at a local race in the Dordogne region has played down the seriousness of his cheating, claiming he decided to cheat after suffering with a sciatic nerve problem in his right leg. French police seized the bike and the veteran rider was questioned last Sunday following a race in Saint-Michel-de-Double, near Bordeaux. He was competing in a race for veterans and juniors, with just 16 riders in action. “I tried and I lost,” the 43 year-old told radio station France Bleu. “I don’t sell drugs and I didn’t kill a child, I put a motor in my bike. I’ll serve as an example but I think it will do good to cycling because I am not the only one doing it.” According to L’Equippe, which revealed the identity of the rider and attended a press conference held by police in Perigueux, the veteran used the bike fitted with a hidden motor five times in recent weeks, earning around €500 in prize money thanks to his success. He reportedly bought the rudimentary downtube motor from a French web site and fitted it to a frame bought online from China. He suggested that the French site sells

between 20 and 30 motors a month. L’Equipe reports that the rider told public prosecutor Jean-Francois Mailhes that he used mechanical doping to “compete equally” with his local rivals, suggesting that some of them use “various methods of doping.” “I did it because I’ve suffered with a herniated disc since March and I didn’t ride my bike for three months. I tried to compete again but I had trouble because of sciatica in the right leg, I did it to have less trouble at the end of the race,” France Bleu reports the veteran, who works as a wall plasterer, as saying. “I didn’t want to be a champion of the Dordogne, to win all the races, it was just to feel good again. I am at the end of my career, I do not want to compete anymore. I want to enjoy life, my wife and of my daughter on weekends.” The veteran was placed under investigation by French police and could be charged with sporting fraud due to the prize money he earned while using the mechanical doping in his bike. He is also facing a lengthy ban from competition. He was caught after a tip off from other riders, with police and representatives from the French Anti-Doping Agency (AFLD), including former professional rider Christophe Bassons, involved in discovering

the hidden motor. Bassons actually drove after the veteran and blocked his escape when he quit the race early. Bassons is famous for his stance against doping in the peloton in the 1990s and for being bullied by Lance Armstrong when he spoke out. “I’ll serve as an example but I think it’ll be good for cycling because I am not the only one doing it,” the veteran rider argued to France Bleu. “If it can allow young kids who want to win not to be beaten by people who use this cheat, then so much the better.” This is the second reported case of mechanical doping among veteran racers this year. An Italian rider was caught in the summer with a similar, rudimentary device in a race near Brescia. Belgian cyclo-cross racer Femke Van den Driessche was caught with a hidden motor in a bike at the 2016 Cyclo-cross World Championships. She was subsequently banned for six years. New UCI President David Lappartient has promised a crackdown on mechanical doping after doubts were raised about the efficiency of the UCI’s magnetic tablets. He said that heat guns and x-rays will be used alongside the UCI’s tablet device at future professional races.

Cyclingnews

Aqua Blue Sport goes pink for Breast Cancer Awareness month.

ORGANIZERS of the 2017 World Road Championships in Bergen, Norway, ended up spending significantly more than they budgeted. AP

TCY LOOMS GEN from the state,” he told NRK. “They last received 10 million before the summer. The total amount is 12 million more than they originally sought.” The municipality of Bergen, too, is said to be reluctant to add to the 25 million NOK it put in. If the government does not step in, and BT’s estimations are accurate, the Norwegian Cycling Federation faces bankruptcy.

PRICELESS?

The financial picture may be bleak, but, in the eyes of the organizers, it hasn’t taken the gloss off the event. Hundreds of thousands of fans, and nearly as many Norwegian flags, were out in force, setting up camp in the center of Bergen, on Salmon Hill—the centerpiece of the road race—and on Mount Fløyen for the finish of the men’s time trial. Based on mobile-phone signals, it is estimated that there were 100,000 people out on the roads on Sunday alone for the elite men’s road race. “This has been enormous. You have to look at it from two perspectives. Firstly, you have the nine days of racing and everyone who enjoyed them, but also if you look at the wider perspective, we opened the eyes of the rest of the world—in terms of the tourism industry I believe this has been invaluable for the area,” Stormoen said. “Here in Norway, we have Edvald Boasson Hagen and Alexander Kristoff but hopefully this will open up the sport of cycling in Norway—as a sport but also in terms of transport, and the benefits for public health.” As such, no matter how bad the damage, there are no regrets. “Anyone can count it as a loss or as a profit, but it has done something special for the people of Bergen. We have written a new story for Bergen; you cannot put that in the accounts.” Cyclingnews

GOING PINK T

Soigneur, interpreter, radio tour speaker, assistant to the President of the Commissaire’s Panel—Ana Vivas carries out many different roles throughout the year. But to the Colombian athletes the title that sums her up best is “Mom.” UCI NEWS

A DREAM JOB A

NA VIVAS doesn’t have a job title. It is just too difficult to put a concise label to the vast array of different roles she carries out within the Colombian Cycling Federation. One week she will be in her office doing administrative tasks, the next she could be sitting in the Commissaire’s car at a race calling for assistance for a rider. She can just as easily be seen counting and packing national jerseys for the team competing at the Pan-American Championships, as she can be spotted anywhere around the world grocery shopping and doing laundry for the national team at the International Cycling Union (UCI) Road World Championships. Soigneur, interpreter, radio tour speaker, assistant to the President of the Commissaire’s Panel—Vivas carries out many different roles throughout the year. But to the Colombian athletes the title that sums her up best is “Mom.” “I used to joke that I would never have my own children because working for cyclists is enough for my heart and nerves. I love them so much.” She tries to keep calm when the unexpected happens, for example, when Rigoberto Urán called her from his hotel room at 6 a.m. the day of the Elite Men’s road race at the 2016 UCI Road World Championships in Doha. He had a high fever, and Vivas was quick to contact two doctors, both of whom confirmed that he should not get on his bike.

“I tried not to show how sad and worried I was because you have to keep things rolling. He stayed in bed and watched the race on TV.” The same day Ana was in the convoy when the radio announced several riders had crashed, among them Fernando Gaviria. “When the car reached him, I saw him leaning on the railing grabbing his arm. That is the kind of moment that you immediately know what has happened but you don’t want to believe it...” Despite the disappointments, the nerves and the emotions running high, September is Vivas’s favorite month of the year. It is the month where she packs her bags and travels with the national team—usually around 24 riders and eight staff—to the UCI Road World Championships. “I’ve always been a passionate cycling fan and my job is like a dream come true. When I was a child, going to watch the Vuelta a Colombia was a family ritual. But I never imagined I would become so involved in Colombian cycling.” She initially worked at the federation in a communications role, and quickly found herself in a “pinch-me-to-make-sure-I-amnot-dreaming” situation at the UCI Road World Championships in Florence, Italy, in 2013. “I found myself at the dinner table with Nairo Quintana, Carlos Betancur, Rigoberto Urán

and Sergio Henao, among others. I couldn’t believe this was my job!” Ana certainly made an impact on her first Road Worlds. Eight days before the start of competition, they were all staying in Cecina, 80 km from Florence. One day, the riders proposed cycling into town for a post-lunch gelato. “It was a dream for me to be riding a bike with the national team...and then I crashed! It was my first big event and I found myself in a hospital emergency room crying and praying that my foot was not broken.” Fortunately it wasn’t, but damaged tendons meant she spent the next week hopping around on one leg. Although her first two UCI Road World Championships were more “relaxed” as press manager for the Colombian team, the evolution of her job means that now her days are much longer. She starts by setting out breakfast according to the riders’ different dietary requirements then, depending on the race schedule, she organizes a pasta meal for later in the day with the hotel chef. After breakfast, she is at the races as radio tour interpreter for the team staff, before going back to the hotel to pick up the laundry bags and do the shopping for the next day. If someone is sick, she takes them to the doctor, she also

accompanies the younger riders to the UCI Junior Conference and the federation representatives to the UCI Congress. “It can be stressful but it is a positive stress. It’s exhausting, but I love it. I am working for athletes I admire. It’s an honor for me. Seeing how our riders perform around the world is my main motivation. I’m convinced it’s my duty to be at their level.” That conviction saw her apply for the sport director training at the UCI World Cycling Centre, and obtain, a scholarship to travel to the UCI World Cycling Centre in Aigle, Switzerland, in November 2016 to complete the UCI sport director training program. “It was a perfect opportunity to improve my skills, learning straight from the source. One of the things I love most about my job is having such diverse responsibilities which make me capable of understanding how things work from different standpoints: for a federation, a race organizer, a team staff member and as a sport director. The course made me aware of what we were doing wrong, how far we can go, what we can improve, and how. It has given me more confidence in how I do my job.” The young woman is aware that she is working for a sport that is gripping the imaginations of an ever-increasing number of Colombian fans: “I had a beautiful experience recently in the waiting room of a medical center. The Tour de France was on, and everyone stopped their activities to watch the last kilometers. It was as if time was standing still: doctors, nurses and patients were all in front of the TV watching Rigoberto Urán.” An important event for Colombians is the Vuelta a Colombia (August 1 to 13 in 2017), for which Vivas works with the organization on sponsor proposals. During the event, she acts as assistant for the Commissaire’s Panel President and as radio tour speaker. The National Championships represent another important part of Ana’s job. “This is a big event because we do our best to have all our UCI WorldTeam and UCI Pro Continental team riders participating. It’s the only opportunity of the year for Colombians to see their big idols riding in our country. We make the Nationals a very big event,” she said. “We’re living in a new era of cycling fever in Colombia and it’s so exciting. Lots of people are riding their bikes at the weekend or using their bikes to get to work. I’ve only been part of this world for the last five years, but during that time I’ve seen more Colombian flags flying around the world than ever before.” UCI News

HE Aqua Blue Sport team will add dashes of pink to their bikes and racing kit in October as they look to raise the profile of International Breast Cancer Awareness month. The Irish Pro Continental team made the announcement in a press release issued recently. Team owner Rick Delaney said that his wife Lisa Delaney, who is also a director of the team, was a survivor and added that the team would be helping to take charity donations via their team web site. “This cause is very close to my family’s heart,” Rick Delaney wrote in the press release. “Every family has been touched by cancer—we are no different. Lisa has won her battle against breast cancer but other people, from all corners of the world, have not been so lucky. We hope that, through our simple gesture, and with the help of our sponsors, that we can again bring the fight against breast cancer into the public consciousness. If this helps one person get an early diagnosis then that is a success.” For the month of October the team will wear specifically designed pink helmets from their supplies Catlike. They will race with Fizik pink bar tape and matching socks from Rapha. The team will also collect donations on their site for charity. On the road, the team have enjoyed a successful debut campaign. Larry Warbasse claimed US road titles and a stage of the Tour de Suisse, while Stefan Denifl picked up the team’s maiden Grand Tour stage win when he was victorious on stage 17 of the Vuelta a España in September. The Austrian also won the overall at Tour of Austria. The team have strengthened for next year, with Casper Pedersen, the Under 23 European road champion, signing for the next two seasons. Cyclingnews

OurTime National Artist A8

Saturday, October 14, 2017

BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Frank Sionil Jose

leads 2017 Dangal Awardees By Psyche Roxas-Mendoza | Special to the BusinessMirror

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Photos by Stephanie Tumampos

ational Artist for Literature Frank Sionil Jose led this year’s sterling list of awardees at the 5th Dangal (Dakilang Adhikain ng Ating Lahi) Awards for Elderly Care.

The annual awarding ceremony—made possible through the partnership of United Laboratories Inc. (Unilab), the BusinessMirror, RiteMed Philippines Inc. and United Bayanihan Foundation. Inc (UBF)—recognizes the dedication and efforts of the nation’s senior citizens to actively serve their communities and the nation. T. Anthony C. Cabangon, publisher of the BusinessMirror, presented Jose with the Ambassador Antonio L. Cabangon Award, the highest Dangal recognition bequeathed to senior living legends in Philippine society. “It is with great pride and honor that we are giving the first Ambassador Award to Mr. Jose, who is certainly one of our country’s treasures. It is equally meaningful for us, since the Dangal Awards is annually held during the anniversary month of the BusinessMirror.”

Jose, who will be 93 this December 3, is a prodigious and multiawarded writer of novels, short stories and nonfiction. His works have been translated in 22 languages and has won for him various accolades, including the R amon Magsaysay Award for Literature and Journalism in 1980, the Nationa l A rtist Award for Literature in 2001, the Pablo Neruda Centennial Award in 2004 from the government of Chile, and the Officer in the French Order of Arts and Letters in 2014. At this year’s Dangal Awards, Jose was joined by six outstanding senior citizen leaders and five organizations for the elderly. These included: Indidual winners—Ruben Cornelio, Valenzuela; Josephine Gaviola, Makati; Bonifacio Dazo, Las Piñas; Estrelita Evangelista, Pasig; and Alejandro Santi-

ago, Pasig; and Crisogono Ermita from Parañaque, who was also the RiteMed Awardee for 2017. Group winners—Tina Cares Saving Lives Program (San Mateo, Rizal); Xavier School Association of Retired Colleagues (Xavier School, Greenhills, San Juan); UP Los Baños Elderly Development Program (UP Los Baños); Office for Senior Citizens Affairs of Mexico (Mexico, Pampanga); and the United Pampanga Senior Citizens Organization or UPSCO (San Fernando, Pampanga). Cabangon noted that it was his father, the late Ambassador Antonio L. Cabangon Chua, “who ordered us that we should dedicate a page in our paper for the elderly, and to ensure that proper recognition is given to them. Five years ago we launched the Dangal Awards in collaboration with Unilab, RiteMed and UBF.

Half a decade later, we continue to pursue this advocacy just as my father wanted us to do.” For her part, Claire D. Papa, director for external affairs and social partnerships of Unilab, said that the “invaluable cont r ibut ion s of ou r e lderly i n preserving the Filipino culture and values are significant stories that must be re-told most especially to the young generation. They are our pillars of strength and determination to rise up and continuously strive to improve our society. Notwithstanding their physical limitations, our senior citizen awardees have shown us that age is not a hindrance in serving our country.” Gracing the event to give updates on congressional bills pertaining to senior citizens were Sen. Bam Aquino and Laguna Rep. Sol Aragones.

The Millennials BusinessMirror

news.businessmirror@gmail.com

Saturday, October 14, 2017

Working in Dubai great experience for two Filipino womEn Millennials By Rizal Raoul S. Reyes

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overseas. She said she has been fascinated with start-ups since her college days. Although she worked with a startup for a brief period, she though it was time to seek other options. “Though it was only for a short period, I had a good foundation as a developer because of it.”

@brownindio

S far as Ann Cyndel Abilon and Chazel Mae Arizabal are concerned, working in Dubai is a great experience, so much so they encourage millennials like them to mimic them if given the same opportunity. Abilon, who is married, said working in the oil-rich emirate will teach millennials to become independent, competitive and develop one’s maturity because of the environment. Just like the typical Filipino seeking a better life for their loved ones, Abilon, 26, went to Dubai to help her family in beefing up their financial standing, especially when her mother experienced a mild stroke while working in Dubai. “It was just right timing. After gaining experience in the Philippines, my sister and I decided to try our luck in Dubai to enable our mother to go home after working there for several years,” Abilon said. “All of these sacrifices and, at the same time, motivation in working here in Dubai is for our family, especially to my younger siblings.” Abilon was initially reluctant to work in Dubai because she was enjoying her job as a software engineer in a major company in the Philippines. Nevertheless, the offer to work in a foreign land was too hard to resist, she said, because of the financial gains, a diverse

Cake walk

environment that will broaden her environment and meeting a lot of people. “It was a good start and helped me build my foundation in the corporate world,” she said. “In all honesty, I am a bit lucky because my sister went in Dubai a couple of months ahead of me. So, when I arrived here in Dubai, she helped me cope up with this fast-paced city and, a couple of weeks after, my then-boyfriend, now-husband, followed me here in Dubai.

Arizabal’s bid

ARIZABAL, also 26, concurs with Abilon that Dubai is going to provide a good working experience to a Filipino millennial, as lots of opportunities have emerged for the “Expo 2020” event. “A lot of opportunities have opened because of it, especially in the field of information technology,” she said in an e-mail interview with the BusinessMirror. “Also, being one of the most multicultural cities in the world, it’s the perfect place to explore and enhance your career.” Arizabal, also married, is a web

abilon

developer and also a graduate of BS computer science at the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB). She thinks she was fortunate she was able find her first job, which is related to her background. “From then, I worked hard to be able to climb up and get the position as project manager,” she said. “I believe I’m starting to get my career fulfillment.” Arizabal initially worked with a start-up company for just a little over a year before trying her luck

ABILON admits finding the proper job in Dubai is not a walk in the park whether one has experience or not. Abilon, a BS computer science graduate of the UPLB and working as a project manager, said building one’s career path is quite challenging, especially when someone is a new kid on the block. “Dubai is a cultivating pot of different nations with different experiences, so the competition is really high. As I’ve heard on different stories of our fellow kababayans [compatriots], some opted to take jobs that do not fit their profiles, while some accepted with a low salary,” she said. “Some took the path where they can gain some experience, even [if the job is] not related to their background but might be useful for future searching.” Going overseas required a big adjustment for Arizabal, especially when she realized that she has been out of the Philippines for several months. For her, it means leaving her comfort zone and making big adjustments on a new home. “You don’t have someone to run to, and you cannot go home by just riding a jeepney or bus,” Arizabal said. “You also realize you don’t even know when you can come

back, or if you will find a better job that will justify the reason you left [the Philippines].”

Exciting, scary

ARIZABAL described her experiences in Dubai as exciting and scary at first. She was a bit scared during her first plane ride and seemed lost when she landed at the airport. She credits her boyfriend, best friend and cousins in her adjustment period. “They’ve taught me everything I needed to know about Dubai, so I really didn’t have a hard time adjusting. I was fortunate that I got a job as a developer on my first week. It was a good start,” she said. “I still felt home sick though; I still do.” Abilon plans to work in Dubai to gain more experience and to be able to save for her own family’s future. She and her husband have started investing in a business that can hopefully become financially stable in the coming years. Arizabal said she doesn’t plan to stay for long. In two to three years, she plans to go home for good and work on the start-up she’s planning to build. “I’ve been dreaming of having my own social enterprise, and I always have my heart toward overseas workers being that my dad was one as well,” she said. “Now that I already have the first-hand experience of working abroad, and I’ve seen most of the problems Filipinos are having while away from home, I can now start working on this dream project that would hopefully help a lot of our fellow Filipinos fighting the homesickness just to give their families the better life.”

Biking to work, arriving in style

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ITH the subways faltering and Citi Bikes expanding, biking is now an established part of New York City’s commuting culture. But there’s a conundrum: How do you bike to an office job without looking like a messenger all day? Most offices still expect a modicum of sartorial decorum, even if they’re run by millennials with a laid-back Silicon Valley ethos. That leaves stylish men searching for ways to arrive looking fresh, despite having already logged a few miles on their morning ride. For the architect Alex Lightman, 30, who bikes 9 miles each day from his home in the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn to his office in midtown Manhattan, a full change of clothes is helpful. “I don’t commute in what I’m going to be wearing to work,” Lightman said. “I wear a pair of shorts and a T-shirt, and I’ll change at the office. I have shoes and a couple blazers at work so I can just pack a pair of pants and a shirt in my bag.” Additionally, Lightman wears a cycling cap under his helmet, to help with the dreaded helmet hair. He places his backpack in his bike’s front basket, as opposed to wearing it on his back, to avoid unseemly sweat. There are downsides. “It takes some forethought to stash some stuff at work,” he said. “I just wear one or two pairs of shoes at work, so if you want to wear something different every single day, it’d be kind of difficult.” And he once forgot to bring his work clothes, which meant he had to buy an outfit before starting his day.

A9

Enzo believes Millennials want to walk a tightrope

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CTOR Enzo Pineda believes millennials are generally risk-takers because they want to experience a certain situation that will test their mettle and character when the time comes. “As millennials, we have to take that risk to know how it feels to put ourselves in a certain situation. I think millennials want to try walking a tightrope. It is not only for personal achievement but also to be help people and innovate toward the benefit of society,” Pineda said during the announcement of his endorsement of the Allegra’s Kitchen restaurant. Millennials always want to think out of the box, according to the 26-year-old. As energetic individuals, Pineda said people like him are always looking for solutions to prevailing problems, sometimes in unconventional methods. On the issue of entitlement, Pineda said millennials like him only want to assert their uniqueness. Pineda relishes the experience of being the endorser of the restaurant owned and operated by Allegra’s Resource Food System (Arfs) Corp. He said it was his childhood dream to promote a food brand. ARFS said they tapped Pineda to attract the millennials market. The management believes people like Pineda have a following among the youth. “I love food, and I am very honored to be chosen as the ambassador of Allegra’s Kitchen,” Pineda said. “Besides tasting its delicious food, knowing the history of Allegra’s Kitchen and meeting the people behind its success were some of the best moments for me. I’m proud to be part of a family that focuses in providing good food and good service to its customers.” Daiby Anne Bonifacio, Arfs marketing group head, explained they got the lanky Pineda as endorser because of his positive and youthful image. “His career is just taking off, and we can see how he works hard to keep his momentum and reach greater heights. We can easily identify with that,” Bonifacio said. “Allegra’s is still new in the industry, but we are about to expand our operations in other provinces and, very soon, in Metro Manila. These are exciting times for us.” “In the same manner, we are excited about Enzo’s TV show and his new project, as he is our new endorser,” she added. Bonifacio said the Arfs aims to be a major player in the casualdining segment of the industry. The Arfs pioneer restaurant was founded on September 8, 2015, in the Lifestyle Strip of Santo Tomas, Batangas, by Gerry Malvar Castillo, an anesthesiologist at the Makati Medical Center and a direct descendant of the revolutionary General Miguel Malvar. Backed by the enthusiastic patronage of its food offerings, Allegra’s Kitchen quickly grew to branches in Lipa City, Batangas City, Santa Rosa and San Pablo City, both in Laguna, in less than a couple of years.

Coca-Cola, Twitter launch campaign targeting youth

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Alex Lightman, an architect, commutes to work on a bike, in New York, on September 27. Sam Polcer/The New York Times

Cesar Villalba, 31, a designer at Coach who bikes 6 miles to his office in Hudson Yards from Brooklyn’s Williamsburg neighborhood, finds versatility in an unexpectedly quotidian piece of clothing: a button-down shirt. “I wear it around my waist in case I have to go to the theater, or if it gets colder,” he said. “Or, if I get sweaty, I can hide it.” Villalba also advises against a backpack (he has been using a cross-body bag lately) and to think about fabrics. He prefers linen in the summer and breathable merino wool for the rest of the year.

He also notes that having a reputation as the resident bike fanatic helps. “Many times things have happened, like, I’ve gotten a flat before an important meeting and arrived with my hands covered in oil and grease,” he said. “Most of the people in the company know that I’m a cyclist. I’m that sweaty person with his hair always wet.” W hile some office workers might not want such a reputation, Nick Rosser, 30, an account manager at the creative agency King and Partners, isn’t bothered by it. He bikes two-and-a-half

miles from the Clinton Hill section of Brooklyn to NoHo, and often arrives drenched. “I’m really sweaty,” he said, laughing, “and then I’ll stand in front of the air-conditioner for like five minutes. Everyone in my office just understands that I have to do that because I ride my bike to work.” Sometimes, he’ll even throw his t-shirt over the air-conditioner, whether or not his coworkers mind. “Everyone’s staring at me, but that’s the only way to cool down,” he added. “You either do that or splash cold water on your face.”

On the occasions when appearance matters more, Rosser has a stick of deodorant and pomade in his bag, so he can step into the bathroom and quickly freshen up before starting the day. The best advice may be Lightman’s. “You don’t have to ride fast,” he said. “I do the 9 miles, but I’m cruising, I’m not going for a personal best.” After all, part of the pleasure of the morning bike commute is the scenery and the fresh air. “I’m cruising,” he added. “I’m enjoying it.” New York Times News Service

RIGINAL Pilipino Music (OPM) fans can get first dibs to see their favorite Pinoy music icons live as Coca-Cola Corp. and Twitter Inc. collaborate to launch unique activities targeting young people. The first of its kind in the Philippines, the softdrinks manufacturer said in a statement it has launched “Coke Studio”, a weekly television show focused on OPM. Twitter, on the other hand, said it unveiled a customized emoji with the hashtag #CokeStudioPH that fans can use in their tweets. “Teens spend quite a significant time on social media everyday—from watching videos, listening to music, discussing, sharing content or even creating their own,” Stephan Czypionka, Coca-Cola Philippines vice president for Marketing, was quoted in a statement as saying. “We need to be a part of that, to continually encourage them to express themselves and be open to others. Working with Twitter will enable us to achieve just that.” “Twitter is about what’s happening real time in our community. Filipinos have always been known for their love toward entertainment, making this an exciting collaboration for Twitter, as it enables us to provide a stage for teens in the Philippines who are passionate about music,” said Tina Pang, Twitter head of Sales for Southeast Asia. “We are proud to be part of a community that encourages meaningful collaborations that empower the Filipino music industry.” The campaign features artists like Sandwich and The Ransom Collective. Shows are aired every Saturday at 7 p.m., according to Twitter.

A10 Saturday, October 14, 2017

BusinessMirror

Fintech is more than just remittances

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TRUEMONEY agents receive a POS and Agent Card they can use for transactions.

PRIMETIME

DINNA CHAN VASQUEZ @dinnachanvasquez luckydinna@gmail.com

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FIRST encountered the term “fintech” while editing a copy for a company I do consultancy for. Apparently, fintech, short for financial technology, is a very hot sector right now. For instance, there are online-only banks that offer higher interest rates and lower handling fees. Other fintech companies are into asset management. Fintech is a very broad category that cuts across several segments, including lending, financial advice, investment management and even bills payment. Of course, fintech companies use mobile data and other technologies to make their services available to a greater number of people. Start-ups and traditional financial companies, like banks, are some of those who are into fintech. In the case of start-ups, they usually offer targeted solutions such as money transfers or credit rating, depending on the market where they’re in. TrueMoney, a new fintech player in the Philippines, has rates that go as low as only 2 percent of the transaction amount, without any additional charges to the recipient. For remittances of P1,000, the total cost of sending is only P20. The recipient also gets the entire amount without any additional charges. On the consumer side, there are no fears or

apprehensions because fintech companies, like TrueMoney, are regulated by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP). Fintech services “underbanked” or “unbanked” Filipinos, which is still around 70 percent of working adults today according to data from the BSP. “Our mission is to provide affordable and innovative financial services to those who are underbanked and underserved today,” TrueMoney Philippines CEO Xavier Marzan said. “That means going beyond a purely digital UI [user interface] and being present in the physical world where these segments are transacting today.” For example, if you are working in Metro Manila and you need to send money to your sister who lives in Baguio City and she doesn’t have a bank account, fintech would be the way to go. Fintech has also made it easier for entrepreneurs to start their own businesses. The good thing about TrueMoney is that, unlike many fintech companies in the world, it has many face-to-face transactions. So for those who are uncomfortable with doing everything online, you may go to a TrueMoney center. TrueMoney centers in the Philippines provide convenient payments and financial services to provinces and far-flung areas, including Albay, Bataan, Benguet, Bohol, Bukidnon, Cagayan de Oro, Camarines Sur, Cavite, Cebu, Davao, Ilocos, Isabela, Laguna, La Union, Metro Manila, Misamis Oriental, Nueva Ecija, Nueva Vizcaya, Pampanga, Pangasinan, Quezon, Rizal, Tarlac, Zambales and many more. In less than a year, TrueMoney has grown from a small company into an organization with hundreds of employees across the country and a distribution network comprised of 5,000 TrueMoney centers. These centers perform remittance transactions, bills payment, gaming credits and even payments for e-commerce purchases.

TRUEMONEY Philippines CEO Xavier Marzan

If you are a TrueMoney agent, you will receive a POS and Agent Card that you can use for transactions. The POS gives you a receipt for every transaction. To know more about TrueMoney and how to become a TrueMoney partner agent, visit www. truemoney.com.ph or call 718-9999. You may also text them at 0977-8063775 (Globe) or 0998-565999 (Smart). ■

How to give your office network a boost BUILDING a business system isn’t easy—and building one that’s robustly connected is even harder. Today’s tech-savvy world means that businesses need to step up their game constantly in order to beat the

competition, and without high-performance wireless connectivity, it’s impossible to emerge on top. Thankfully, the DAP-2230 Wireless N PoE Access Point from D-Link International Pte. Ltd. (www. dlink-intl.com) lets you extend your network and enjoy wireless speeds of up to 300 Mbps for all your highdemand business applications. Now, boosting your small-to-medium enterprise environment has never been more efficient and more secure. With its strong security and authentication features, the DAP-2230 Wireless N PoE Access Point (AP) boasts of MAC address filtering, wireless LAN segmentation, SSID broadcast disable, rogue AP detection and wireless broadcast scheduling so that you can rest assured that your business wireless network is fully protected. Network Access Protection further lets network administrators determine customized levels of network access depending on a client’s specific need, and with a more manageable quality of service (QoS), network administrators have the option to select customized priority rules. The Wi-Fi Multimedia QoS feature uses the level of interactive streaming to determine which network traffic activity to prioritize, whether the activity is VoIP or streaming high-definition movies. No longer will your different department teams have to vie for

Internet access when they’re conferencing—this type of load balancing can limit users per access point, ensuring maximum capacity performance for each dedicated user. Not only can the DAP-2230 Wireless N PoE Access Point function as a wireless distribution system (WDS) with AP, but it can also be configured to be used as a WDS/bridge or a wireless client. This type of flexibility can also be seen in its simple and easy-to-use mounting brackets, whether you want your access point to be on the ceiling, on the wall or on a desktop. The device can also be installed in locations where power outlets may not always be readily available— you can use the DAP-2230 PoE feature (Power over Ethernet) where data and power are transmitted through a UTP cable. The D-Link Central Wi-Fi Manager (CWM-100) can also provide network administrators with remote means to manage and monitor their wireless APs on the same network or through Internet. This is a free software to help manage the DAP2230 and other D-Link Business APs, up to 1000 APs without any license charges. Finally, the innovative Wireless Scheduler can turn off wireless broadcast when a schedule is set—say, between 9 pm and 7 am when the office is closed—to save power.

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LENOVO MBG and Motorola Mobility Philippines Marketing Manager Vincent de la Cruz (left) and Lenovo MBG and Motorola Mobility Philippines Country Manager John Rojo graced the fashion launch of Moto G5S and Moto G5S Plus.

NEW SPECIAL EDITIONS TO THE MOTO G FAMILY UNVEILED SOLAIRE Resort & Casino in Pasay City saw the tech media gather last week, as Motorola unveiled the latest results in its continuing effort to bring unique and intuitive user experiences that Filipinos love: the Moto G5s and Moto G5s plus. The two new additions to the company’s Moto G family come with the latest innovations in camera technology, battery and design. These special-edition devices offer consumers affordable options that fit their lifestyle with the premium features that matter most to Filipinos. For those who want the best Moto G has to offer, the special-edition Moto G5s plus is perfect, with even more top features, such as dual cameras that let users do more. Dual 13-MP rear cameras, combined with special photo-enhancement software, make it easy to do more with photos. Selective focus mode makes it easy to take professional-looking outfit of the days on the phone, adding a beautiful blurredbackground effect. Moto G5s plus users can have fun trying selective black-and-white coloring or replace background mode to give their photos a whole new look. If users are tired of the same old selfies, the 8-MP wide-angle front camera has an LED flash and a new panoramic mode to capture even more. The Moto G5s plus comes with the size and precision-crafted look expected of a premium device. It features an impressive all-metal unibody design and a 5.5-inch full-HD display perfect for watching movies on the go. The phone also boasts of a blazingfast Qualcomm Snapdragon 2.0GHz octa-core processor, powerful graphics capabilities and support for 4G LTE, so users can run favorite apps without slowing down. Filipinos can use the Moto G5s plus from morning till night with its 3000mAh all-day battery, which packs more than enough power to last throughout the day. Users can also fuel up their battery quickly with the TurboPower charger, which provides up to 6 hours of battery life in just 15 minutes. Meanwhile, its smaller twin, the Moto G5s is a smart, fast phone that’s built on the concept of more. Starting from the outside, it offers an all-metal unibody design crafted from a single piece of highgrade aluminum, making it not only beautiful but also stronger than ever. There’s the 3000mAh all-day battery, a high-resolution 16-MP camera with phasedetection autofocus so the user won’t have to worry about missing the perfect shot. Moreover, users don’t have to spend a ton to get a world-class display, as the Moto G5s brings stunning 1080p entertainment to life on a vibrant 5.2-inch full-HD display. “Motorola takes on the challenge of continuously innovating to bring only the best of what technology can offer. We translate that innovative technology into meaningful experiences that all Filipinos are familiar with. And now, with these newly launched smartphones, we strengthen our commitment to bring the premium features that matter the most,” said John Rojo, country manager for Lenovo Mobile Business Group and Motorola Mobility Philippines. Earlier this year, Motorola opened four retail stores in the Cyberzone areas of SM City North Edsa, SM Megamall, SM Mall of Asia and SM City Batangas, the last being first Motorola store outside Manila. Its retail store-expansion plans include the simultaneous opening of six new locations both in and out of the Metro area, namely, in Glorietta, SM City Santa Rosa, SM City Dasmariñas, SM City Calamba, SM City Cebu and Gaisano Mall of Davao. In line with its goal of further broadening its retail footprint, Motorola now has 10 retail locations to serve Filipinos nationwide.

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BusinessMirror

Saturday, October 14, 2017 A11

Cloud adoption can make or break your company

THE Kaizala app

Microso�t introduces mobile app Kaizala for secured communication needs BY RIZAL RAOUL REYES

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ICROSOFT Philippines on October 10 introduced its mobile app Kaizala to address the communication needs of the so-called frontline workers in the country working in banks, services, manufacturing plants, department stores and other industries “Most businesses work with several partners, distributors and stakeholders who are not on the company’s e-mail address list, so communication can be slow and unsecured. With Microsoft Kaizala, they can better connect and coordinate with the entire team. As Internet usage increases, we believe it will be easier for organizations to communicate with all their stakeholders wherever they are in the Philippines,” Bertrand Launay, Microsoft Philippines managing director said in his presentation to the media held in Pasay City. Developed in India, Launay said Kaizala is positioned to be a communication enabler for large, distributed groups. By downloading Kaizala for free, he added users can communicate with their friends and relatives in a seamless manner. The free app could be deployed by small and medium enterprises and start-ups as part of their cost-effective methods in managing their business. Meanwhile, the Microsoft Kaizala Pro geared for enterprise-level organizations provides full administrative control of their groups. It has additional features that include user and group management, system integration and automation using Microsoft Kaizala APIs, advanced reporting and analytics, ability to publish custom actions, ability to create public groups and organizational profile and directory. Microsoft Kaizala enables managers to easily reach very large numbers of users within and outside their organization, using a simple and intuitive chat interface. Furthermore, organizations can broadcast information—such as announcements, photos, videos

or documents, collect data from the field through polls or surveys, and see real-time analytics as results come in. Users can be quickly onboarded by using just their phone number as a unique ID. “For management, the reviewing process becomes a lot easier online. What used to take seven to 10 days to compile is now happening on a real-time basis. They are able to get information in real time, and can also give feedback to the team in the field, consequently increasing productivity or allowing them to give better solutions to their customers,” Launay pointed out. Rajiv Kumar, corporate vice president for Microsoft, said Kaizala represents an emerging trend how things are being done in the business world. Since the country has a 28 million work force, he said it makes sense for Microsoft to push Kaizala in the country. Furthermore, the large number of millennials in the work force is a good platform to push the product into the local market. With Kaizala being used in their operations, Kumar said office personnel can now have an easier time to connect with large groups of people inside and outside their organization. Kaizala’s scope can cover employees, customers and suppliers. Moreover, he pointed out that the mobile app enables organizations to manage work with their extended teams through a single, unified platform—all on their mobile phone. Kumar added the entry of Kaizala will enable several Philippine businesses to tackle several challenges, such as managing staff in the field, capturing operational data from remote staff to ensure that things are running as they should. With Kaizala, Kumar said field workers can send the important data to the office in a seamless manner. He said Microsoft has also ensured Kaizala will be operating on secured platform. He added Microsoft Kaizala provides the controlled access and data security that customers require. Through Azure Active Directory services

RAJIV KUMAR, corporate vice president for Microsoft

authentication, Kumar said there is secured access to the Kaizala Management Portal where informationtechnology administrators can control membership of all groups, remove users in one instance, and control user access to sensitive data. Microsoft Kaizala maintains user privacy and stores data in Azure data centers that adhere to industry standards and compliance. ■

Study reveals original HP inkjet print cartridges more reliable than refilled ones SMALL businesses and households can count on original HP inkjet print cartridges to produce 180 percent more pages than refilled ink cartridges.

EFFICIENCY is the biggest factor in assessing the performance of most modern machines and equipment. In printing, this equates to having the most printouts without sacrificing quality. According to a recent study, small businesses and households can rely on HP printers because of its unmatched productivity, thanks to its original HP inkjet print cartridges. In a comparative page yield study conducted by Buyers Laboratory Llc. earlier this year, original HP black and color inkjet print cartridges were tested alongside refilled cartridges from leading refill service providers in the Asia-Pacific region. The study revealed that original HP inkjet print cartridges significantly outperformed refilled-ink cartridges by producing 180 percent more pages. Separately, original HP black-inkjet print cartridges produced 173 percent more

pages on average than the refilled cartridges, while the original HP color-inkjet print cartridges produced 188 percent more pages on average than the refilled cartridges tested. In the study, 252 original HP inkjet print cartridges were tested alongside 576 refilled-ink cartridges using 36 old, previous and current-generation HP printers to ensure the study covers a wide range of HP products that most users may own. Before conducting the test, each black and colored cartridge was inspected for leaks or damages. Each cartridge was then tested in parallel and printing was performed continuously until cartridges failed to print or stopped printing. With the results of the study, household and small business HP users can be sure to get the most out of their original HP inkjet print cartridges.

IN this day and age of cost cutting, many businesses that used to run their applications strictly on site are now moving their information-technology (IT) systems to the cloud. This makes for a better fiscal sense since an on-site IT entails huge investments. Migrating to the cloud, on the other hand, means that costs can be kept down without necessarily compromising the integrity of the company’s IT systems. In a recent study, BMI Research, a market-analysis firm, said that local corporate spending on the cloud is expected to yield an annual growth rate of 31.7 percent over the next years until 2020, reaching up to P14.9 billion. However, while cloud computing has all the ideal advantages, Cricket Santiago, CEO of Fujitsu Philippines Inc., said moving to the cloud can either make or break your company. “Cloud computing offers an array of benefits. However, companies should also consider the security of all the data that they store or manage in its platform. For cloud-service providers, this issue boils down to their capacity in delivering risk-management strategies and processes,” Santiago added. Before subscribing to a cloud-service provider, it is important to know the different cloud platforms that it offers, especially that each of them has different capacities in terms of security, bandwidth and costs. Most of the providers offer services based on a public cloud. This type of cloud eliminates upfront costs intended for purchasing and maintenance since the service provider delivers all of its requirements— hardware, application and bandwidth costs. However, the security risks of this platform are high, as several organizations share in the utilization of its resources. Thus, it is unsafe for processing sensitive data. For companies that need a higher level of security and control, providers also offer services based on a private cloud. This cloud platform provides flexibility, scalability, provisioning, automation and monitoring features for a single customer only. However, because of the various demands for the cloud, another type, called the hybrid cloud, has also developed. This type of cloud has both the capabilities of the private and public cloud, making it applicable for lowering costs in utilizing private cloud by integrating some public cloud services for all nonsensitive operations. Aside from these platforms, businesses should also check where the data will reside since the storage location significantly impacts privacy and confidentiality. Some cloud-service providers also deliver their platforms in different locations, which have different legal obligations in processing and storing the data, given the various regulatory frameworks in different legal jurisdictions. For companies in the Philippines, Fujitsu, a leading information and communications technology (ICT) company from Japan, offers an array of trusted cloud solutions, which are focused on delivering reliable and secure services to its clients. Among its products and services is an array of trusted Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) cloud solutions, spanning compute services, storage as a service and data and application management that deliver a high level of flexibility and security suited to address the needs of the organizations. These include: Fujitsu Cloud IaaS Private Hosted Solution, which eases the integration of IaaS with the existing ICT systems of the business enterprise. It delivers standardized on-demand virtual or physical computer, as well as highly secure, private data-storage services, and also is ideal for running the enterprise software to enable applications like Oracle and SAP; and Fujitsu Private Cloud Infrastructure, which allows the SMEs to meet their ideal working environment without worrying about security, delivering a combination of virtual and physical servers developed as preconfigured and pretested IT infrastructure solutions needed to deploy and run powerful consolidation, virtualization and IaaS cloud platforms. To know more about the cloud-service offerings of Fujitsu Philippines, visit www.fujitsu.com/ph.

Microsoft introduces mobile app Kaizala for secured communication needs A11

BusinessMirror

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

Zuckerberg sorry for virtual tour of devastated Puerto Rico MOUNTAIN VIEW, California—Mark Zuckerberg has apologized for showcasing Facebook’s virtual-reality (VR) capability with a tour of hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico. The Facebook founder and another executive discussed the platform’s VR project through avatars in a video recorded live on Monday. The video begins with the avatars pictured on the roof of Facebook’s Mountain View, California, headquarters before heading to Puerto Rico by using a 360-degree video recorded by National Public Radio as a backdrop. Zuckerberg later responded to critics, writing that his goal of showing “how VR can raise awareness and help us see what’s happening in different parts of the world” wasn’t clear. He says he’s sorry to anyone who was offended. Facebook is also working to restore Internet connectivity on the island and has donated money to the relief effort. AP

TAKING IT TO THE STREETS

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ON Kimi Juan, Pink Zero Nine One Seven T-shirt

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ON Kevin, Yellow Zero Nine One Seven T-shirt; on Kimi, Pink Zero Nine One Seven T-shirt

AFTER a successful launch of the spring/summer and fall collection, The Bloc Parade, 0917 by Globe Lifestyle Anniversary Collection dropped last month and it is giving off a lit and legit retro vibe. The much-awaited Bloc Parade fashion collection signals the entry of Globe Lifestyle into the world of fun fashion, inspired by the elements of marching bands, as it seeks to advocate unity and camaraderie. Leah de Guzman, Globe Lifestyle head, shares, “With the launch of the exclusive 0917 fashion collection, Globe adds another dimension of connecting with the customer, this time as a lifestyle brand. We want to be able to offer our customers the tangible experience of being able to engage with them and enrich their lives in ways that expand beyond our telecommunications services.” The apparel line’s diverse offerings of coordinates, dresses, outerwear and tees sport a gender-fluid and streetsmart appeal that’s perfect for the days when you are just kicking it and keeping it real. The comfortable cuts match a vibrant-colored palette composed of blues, maroons, mustard yellows and millennial pinks to make you stand out in a crowd. The exclusive 0917 pieces add a dash of pizzazz to your wardrobe with eye-catching graphics and chic picks that allow you to be experimental and edgy, or go perfectly preppy depending on your mood. Check out 0917 by Globe Lifestyle The Bloc Parade, which is available in select Globe stores and via shop.globe.com.ph.

Saturday, October 14, 2017 A12

Smartphone battle royale gets fiercer with return of Moto and Nokia THE TECHNIVORE ED UY

whereiseduy@gmail.com

“Nostalgia is a powerful feeling; it can drown out anything.”

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—TERRENCE MALICK

EFORE the rise in popularity of Huawei, Samsung and the first iPhone, the two most talked about brands by the “OG” tech geeks were Motorola and Nokia. Who could forget Motorola and its crazy-beautiful RAZR series, and Nokia for just about any new phone that it released almost every month? But with the transition to smartphones and the entry of more Chinese manufacturers, the oncemighty “M” and “N” brands quickly faded into the background. Thankfully, Moto fans had a lot to cheer about as the brand made a triumphant return after an almost decadelong absence with its well-received Moto Z series and its innovative Moto Mods. The company, now owned by Lenovo, started with a premium lineup, but has since launched its own entry-level and midrange series. We got to chat a bit with Vincent de la Cruz, marketing manager, Lenovo MBG and Motorola Mobility Philippines, at the launch of their new G5S and G5S Plus phones and he gave us an update on how the brand continues to gain momentum in the local market. “In less than a year, we now have 10 exclusive Moto Stores in the country and we are in about 700 outlets nationwide. When we launched, we started with our premium lineup, then a few months ago we brought in our entry-level series, the moto C, and now we’re completing it with our midrange offerings: the G5s and G5S Plus—phones with great specs at very competitive price points.” “These special-edition devices offer consumers affordable options that fit their lifestyle with the premium features that matter most to Filipinos,” he added. The Moto G5S Plus is the first Moto phone to feature dual cameras, allowing users to experiment and unleash their creativity. Unlike other phones with a two camera setup, the G5S Plus has two 13-MP rear cameras. Selective focus mode makes it easy to take professional-looking outfit of the days with the phone, adding a beautiful “bokeh” or blurred-background effect. It also allows users to trying selective blackand-white coloring, or replace background mode to give their photos a whole new look. The 8-MP wideangle front camera, on the other hand, can fit more people in the frame, as well as a new panoramic mode and LED Flash. Besides making you look good, the Moto G5S Plus also looks exceptionally good, with that stylish precision-crafted look you’d expect from a premium device. It features an impressive all-metal unibody design and a 5.5-inch full-HD display, perfect for watching movies on the go. The phone also boasts of a blazing-fast Qualcomm Snapdragon 2.0-GHz octa-core processor, powerful graphics capabilities and support for 4G LTE, so users can run favorite apps without slowing down. Last, you don’t have to worry about forgetting your powerbank as the Moto G5S Plus has a 3000mAh all-day battery and by using the TurboPower charger, you can get up to to six hours of battery life in just 15 minutes. Equally as stylish is the Moto G5S. Offering the same all-metal unibody design, this special edition, likewise, features a high-resolution 16-MP rear camera with phase-detection autofocus, and a 5-MP wide-angle front camera with an LED flash, which makes captured moments look good day or night. The vibrant 5.2-inch full-HD display has a 1080p resolution and its 1.4-GHz octa-core processor lets users run their favorite apps smoothly, watch

KIKO TORNO (left), marketing head of HMD Global and Shannon Mead, Philippine country manager of HMD Global

videos with stutter-free playback and browse the Web at high speed. The Moto G5S also utilizes TurboPower charging. The Moto G5s Plus is at priced at P14,999, while the Moto G5S retails at P10,999. We will try to do a review once we get our hands on the two devices. Oh, and if you want a more premium device, the Moto X4 is rumored to be coming in the next few months or before the year ends.

NOKIA’S BACK—BACK AGAIN THEY say you never forget your first, and for a lot of Pinoys, their first phone was a Nokia. I still have all my Nokia phones—the 5110, 7110, 3650, 7650, 6610, 5530 and the most expensive one, the 7710, all complete with box and accessories. I never sold them and I even regret giving away my 3210. But I must admit that I was very disappointed when Nokia chose Windows over Android and, as much as I tried to love my Lumia phones, it just wasn’t the same. So imagine my excitement when HMD Oy brought Nokia back again, and this time with an Android OS—I just knew I wanted one. Nokia’s comeback to the smartphone market has to be one of top tech stories this year; and while HMD Oy released several solid entry level and midrange phones a few months ago with the Nokia 3, 5 and 6, it was the Nokia 8 that everyone was really waiting for. Launched a few weeks ago, around 250 media guests filled the Intramuros Ballroom of Manila House in Taguig City, each one eager to be among the first to see and experience the Nokia 8. And from the initial reviews and news stories, the Nokia 8 certainly does not disappoint. The Nokia 8 brings mobile-communication technology to a new level and marks several firsts for Android smartphones. The phone features the first-ever Dual Sight camera, allowing users to capture or livestream moments in both first- and second-person perspective. The 13-MP front and rear cameras, codeveloped with Zeiss, a renowned German manufacturer of optical systems, can run simultaneously and show images in split-screen mode, inspiring everyone to “Be less Selfie, be more Bothie”. The Nokia 8 smartphone pioneers the use of OZO audio to deliver immersive 360-degree spatial surround sound. This high-fidelity playback complements 4K videos and brings Hollywood technology in mobile technology. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 835-powered phone features a seamless unibody with a full-length graphite shielded copper cooling pipe for better heat dissipation, especially when running demanding applications. It runs on Android Nougat 7.1.1 and comes in single- and dual-SIM variants. “The Philippines has always been a strong market for Nokia. Filipinos, particularly those in the provinces, have a strong affinity for Nokia phones,

THE Nokia 8 in Polished Blue, a flagship Android smartphone that should delight old and new Nokia fans

which have always delivered on quality, reliability and innovation. We want to continue broadening and deepening our reach here, especially in untapped provinces that need high-quality mobilecommunication technologies,” said Shannon Mead, HMD global country manager, Philippines. “This marks the coming of Nokia on Android, which is clearly the dominant OS with its 94-percent share of the global market. Nokia phones are futureproof to support new Android OS versions, making it even easier for users to optimize the phone’s features and functions,” Mead added. But the biggest surprise of the night has to be the price: P29,990. By staying below the P30,000 mark and offering the best specs and features, the Nokia 8 instantly becomes a top contender among flagship phones.

/ TECH THOUGHTS: “It’s is no longer a battle of devices; it is a war of ecosystems.”—STEPHEN ELOP