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INFLATION, TEPID GROWTH MAY FORCE ECONOMIC MANAGERS TO CHANGE G.D.P. GOALS IN 2018 By Bernadette D. Nicolas

@BNicolasBM

HE economic growth target for the year may be revised downward later this month following the release of the August inflation data—hitting a new nine-year high—and given the tepid growth in the gross domestic product (GDP) in the first half. Budget Secretary Benjamin E. Diokno told reporters that the Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) might meet on

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the third or fourth week of September to discuss the possible revision of economic assumptions, including the inflation forecast for the year. “We will convene the DBCC and see if there is a need to reflect the new developments,” said Diokno, the DBCC chairman. Asked on the possibility of the DBCC’s revising downward the GDP target, since the first half is already below expectations, Diokno said: [The current GDP target is] 7 to 8 [percent], so the likelihood that it might

be revised below 7 [percent] is quite high.” First-quarter GDP growth rate was at 6.6 percent, below the government’s 7-8 percent target range. For the second quarter, the economy posted a GDP growth rate of 6 percent, causing disappointment to a number of Filipinos. With the first-half growth rate at an average of 6.3 percent, the economy needs to expand by 7.7 percent in the second half to meet the government’s target for the year of 7 to 8 percent. See “GDP,” A3

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Thursday, September 6, 2018 Vol. 13 No. 327

Nonmonetary options listed to fight inflation W

By Bianca Cuaresma @BcuaresmaBM & Rea Cu @ReaCuBM

HILE the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) weighs the need for further monetary policy action to rein in inflation, the Economic Development Cluster (EDC) on Wednesday announced several nonmonetary measures aimed at immediately easing high consumer prices.

“An unfortunate confluence of cost-push factors continues to drive consumer price inflation in August beyond the acceptable target range. Much of it has to do with food supply shocks. Rice in particular... These warrant more decisive non-monetary measures to fully address.”—Espenilla

@cuo_bm

ORE Filipinos may fall deeper into poverty this year, given the high commodity prices being experienced by households nationwide for the past eight months, local economists said, as the economy posted a nine-year high inflation rate on Wednesday. Data released by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showed inflation reached 6.4 percent in August 2018. This has brought the average inflation for the year to 4.8 percent. Economists believe more expensive commodities could make it more difficult for the government to meet its target of reducing poverty to 14 percent by 2022, from the 21.6 percent recorded in 2015. “Higher prices, particularly higher food prices—as what we are seeing now—hurts the poor households more since 60 percent of their budget is spent on food. During periods when inflation rates are high—example [in] 2009—poverty incidence did not decrease significantly [from 2006],” University of the Philippines School of Statistics Dean Dennis Mapa said. “The government will have a hard time achieving its commitment to significantly reduce poverty incidence—we will see the initial numbers from the 2018 FIES [Family Income and Expenditure Survey]—given the higher infla-

Labor and social rules for ‘industry 4.0’ Rene E. Ofreneo

LABOREM EXERCENS

The EDC unveiled measures to ease high food prices after the

Y now, it is abundantly clear that the world of business is rapidly changing under the Fourth Industrial Revolution, simply referred to by human resource managers as “industry 4.0”. In turn, the way work is organized and managed is also rapidly changing.

See “Nonmonetary,” A2

Continued on A7

PHL importing 250K MT rice to pull down rising prices

The government will have a hard time achieving its commitment to significantly reduce poverty incidence— we will see the initial numbers from the 2018 FIES [Family Income and Expenditure Survey]—given the higher inflation rate.” —Dean Dennis Mapa

tion rate,” he added. The inflation rate in August was significantly higher than the government’s full-year target of 3.5 to 4.5 percent inflation. This was also higher than economists’ expectation that inflation would reach or peak at 6 percent. Mapa said urban and rural poor households, as well as near-poor households, are negatively affected because food inflation rates are high for Metro Manila at an eight month average of 6.7 percent and areas outside the National Capital Region with 5.9 percent. This is consistent with the findings of a 2008 study of Asian Development Bank (ADB) economist Hyun Son which stated that a 10-percent increase in prices of food could lead to 2.3 million poor See “Inflation,” A8

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Higher inflation seen to plunge more Pinoys into poverty this year By Cai U. Ordinario

2016 EJAP JOURNALISM AWARDS

By Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas @jearcalas

increased. The additional employment is composed of bad-quality jobs [such as] informal sector jobs,” Fernando T. Aldaba, dean of the School of Social Science at the Ateneo de Manila University, told the BusinessMirror. “There seems to be a lot of additional service sector jobs that are of bad quality in the sense that they pay very low or arer mismatched [to the skills of workers]. They are employed physically eight hours, six days a week,” he added. By sector, PSA data showed 46.8 percent of the underemployed worked in the services sector, while 32.4 percent

ANILA will be importing an additional 250,000 metric tons (MT) of rice via open tender to beef up the National Food Authority’s (NFA) stockpile and arrest the spiking retail prices of the staple in the market. The NFA on Wednesday said the NFA Council approved half of its 500,000 MT rice-importation request last September 4. “In a meeting held at the NFA Boardroom on September 4, the Council has instructed the NFA to hold an open tender immediately for the importation of the additional rice stocks to arrive in November 2018,” the food agency said in a news release. The NFA is set to hold its open tender within the month to be able to hit the November 2018 arrival time frame, sources privy to the development told the BusinessM irror. The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said importers must bring in the volume within the whole month of November. The sources said the NFAC’s marching order to the NFA is to ramp up its market participation to about 20 percent from its current rice inventory to ensure that people would not be falling in line for cheap staple. “The additional importation can increase the NFA’s active participation in the market by as much as 20 percent,” the NFA said.

See “Pinoys,” A8

See “Rice,” A2

A MAN fixes the umbrella installed in his cart filled with plastic ware—chairs, baskets and food containers—somewhere in Makati City. Economists see more people driven to low-quality jobs such as this itinerant hawker’s, as local businesses are gouged by inflation. ALYSA SALEN

More Pinoys stuck in low-quality jobs–experts

HE country’s employment numbers may have risen on account of the increase in the number of Filipinos employed in low-quality jobs, according to local economists. Based on the results of the Labor Force Survey (LFS) released by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) on Wednesday, the country’s employment rate increased to 94.6 percent, the highest in a decade, while the unemployment rate was at 5.4 percent in July. However, the country’s underemployment rate increased to 17.2 percent in July 2018, from 16.3 percent in July 2017. More than half or 52.9 percent of these workers are considered

46.8% The proportion of the underemployed who are in the services sector; 32.4 percent were in agriculture and 20.8 percent in industry

invisibly employed or those who are already working over 40 hours a week but would like more work. “This is not so good because invisible underemployment might have

n JAPAN 0.4803 n UK 68.8342 n HK 6.8199 n CHINA 7.8203 n SINGAPORE 38.9054 n AUSTRALIA 38.4185 n EU 62.0038 n SAUDI ARABIA 14.2716

Source: BSP (5 September 2018 )

A2 Thursday, September 6, 2018

News

BusinessMirror

LLDA loses Round 1 in battle over Taguig lakeside property By Jonathan L. Mayuga

@jonlmayuga

he Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA) has lost the first round of its legal battle over a lakeside property along C-6 Road in Taguig City.

This, after the Court of Appeals (CA) ordered the LLDA to vacate the property pending the resolution of a case of alleged illegal occupancy of the subject real estate being used by a private solid waste management contractor. In a six-page resolution dated August 29, 2018, and penned by Associate Justice Priscilla Baltazar-Padilla of the CA’s Special Fourteenth Division, the appellate court, likewise, barred LLDA General Manager Jaime Medina and other officers, agents and staff “from interfering, dispossessing and intruding” with IPM Construction and Development Corp.’s (IPM) right over the property until the final resolution of the case. The case stemmed from a petition filed by IPM against the

LLDA after the latter closed down and seized control of a 22-hectare property leased by the company for its garbage transfer station and materials recovery facility along C-6 Road, Barangay Calzada, Taguig City. The LLDA claimed that IPM—the authorized garbage contractor of Taguig City—is engaged in garbage dumping and illegal reclamation in the shores of Laguna de Bay, a claim that the company vehemently denies. In a news statement, IPM welcomed the CA’s injunction order, and the company maintained that it has not violated, and has faithfully complied with environmental laws, rules and regulations. It added that the operation of its materials recovery facility and transfer station is covered

by required permits and licenses. “The LLDA itself, in a cease and desist order [CDO] issued on June 13, 2018, did not make any findings as to alleged dumping of garbage in the C-6 area occupied by IPM. There is also no backfilling nor reclamation going on in IPM’s property,” the company stated. IPM insisted that the LLDA cannot use the CDO as a cover to land grab. “This is what the LLDA did to IPM. Faced with an abusive show of force by the LLDA when it took over, dispossessed and effectively deprived IPM of the pursuit of its lawful operations, the company simply availed of a remedy available to it under the law. Where else will IPM seek refuge against this act of LLDA except to resort to the courts?” the company said. The company said its CA petition puts the spotlight on whether the LLDA has the power and authority to seize and take over IPM’s property. “IPM questioned the LLDA’s jurisdiction because IPM’s leased property is titled under the Torrens System, which the LLDA cannot collaterally attack by simply claiming that it is part of the shoreland and forcibly ousting IPM thereto. Thus, the CA correctly ruled that pending resolution of conf licting claims, the parties

should maintain the status quo— the last peaceable and uncontested status—in this case, IPM being in peaceful possession of the C-6 property,” the company added. Following the court ruling, IPM said the LLDA—as a government agency—should be the first to show respect to the courts and faithfully comply with the CA’s lawful order. In a separate statement, Medina expressed dismay over the resolution. He said that an injunction was issued to stop what he described as “a legitimate environmental activity” and cited the Rules of Procedure for Environmental Cases, which states that only the Supreme Court can issue a temporary restraining order or writ of preliminary injunction against lawful actions of government agencies that enforce environmental laws or prevent violations thereof. He maintained, nevertheless, that the CA resolution is just a temporary setback and that the LLDA will not waver in its ongoing campaign to protect and develop the vast shoreland area of Laguna de Bay. The LLDA legal team and the Office of the Solicitor General are now preparing to file a motion for reconsideration of the CA resolution, he said.

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Senate leaders say Court to decide on Trillanes’s fate By Butch Fernandez @butchfBM

By Joel R. San Juan @jrsanjuan1573

he Senate leadership is leaving it up to judicial authorities to decide the fate of Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV who was ordered arrested on Tuesday after President Duterte voided the 2010 amnesty granted to the ex-Navy officer-turned-lawmaker who was linked to coup plots against former President now House Speaker Gloria MacapagalArroyo. Makati City Regional Trial Court Branch 148 Presiding Judge Andres Bartolome Soriano, meanwhile, said he is giving Trillanes the opportunity to contest the motion filed by the Department of Justice (DOJ) seeking the immediate issuance of a hold-departure order (HDO), and an alias warrant of arrest against him following the revocation of the amnesty granted to him by the Aquino administration. “Accused Antonio Trillanes IV is given a period of 5 days from receipt of this order within which to file comment to the motion. Let the motion be set for hearing on September 13, 2018, at 9 in the morning,” the order read. “It is not for us to judge,” Senate President Vicente Sotto III told the BusinessMirror on

Wednesday when asked if senators agree with lawyer Romulo Macalintal’s view that President Duterte cannot revoke the amnesty granted to Trillanes without Congress concurrence. Sotto suggested it is best left to the Supreme Court. “It is up to Senator Trillanes to pursue legal remedies if the arrest order is illegal,” Sotto said, adding that in the meantime, the Senate is keeping Trillanes in custody until an appeal process is resolve. Trillanes confirmed his lawyer had filed for legal remedy before the Supreme Court, “a petition for TRO [temporary restraining order].” Talking to reporters, Trillanes dared Duterte to “sign a waiver [on asset disclosure] to show you are clean and I will show you are corrupt.” This developed as another senator, who spoke on condition he would not be named, asserted that “together with the power to grant amnesty is the power to revoke it.” In a text message to the BusinessMirror, the Senate insider added, however, that in the case of Trillanes, there is “no need for congressional concurrence to grant or revoke the amnesty. “It was void from the beginning if Senator Trillanes did not comply with the basic conditions of filing with the requisite admission of involvement, participation and guilt,” the Senate source said.

Cebu town mayor on Duterte’s Govt posts budget deficit of P279.4B for Jan-July drug list shot dead inside office Continued from A8

By Rene Acosta

@reneacostaBM

municipal mayor who was among the politicians earlier named by President Duterte as involved in the illegaldrugs trade was shot dead on Wednesday by armed men who broke into his office in Cebu. Mayor Mariano Blanco was killed at around 1:30 a.m. by four men who barged into his office at the municipal hall of Ronda, Cebu, which is located at Barangay Langin, according to a report reaching Camp Crame. The report said that two “ job order” watchmen of Ronda municipality reported that four men

Nonmonetary ... Continued from A1

Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported on Wednesday that inflation surged to a nine-year high of 6.4 percent in August. “We believe that, when these measures take effect, inflation will moderate,” Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguz III said during the meeting held on Wednesday. The EDC recommended the following policy reforms to tame inflation: n replicate the issuance of certificates of necessity to allow imports to be distributed in the wet markets in MetroManila and to the other markets of the country; n immediately release 4.6 million sacks of rice available in warehouses of the National Food Authority (NFA) to the market across the country and allocation of 2.7 million sacks of rice to Zamboanga, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi; n import 5 million sacks of rice, which arrive over the next one-and-a half months and another 5 million sacks early next year; n to reduce the gap between the farm gate and retail prices of chicken, the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Trade and Industry will convene poultry producers and set up public markets where producers can sell this directly to consumers; and n open the importation of sugar to direct users to moderate cost to consumers. “ The economic managers have agreed to recommend to the President

suddenly arrived onboard a white van, pointed their guns at them and instructed them to drop on the ground. The two watchmen claimed they later heard gunfire from the mayor’s office before the suspects left. Apparently, Blanco was sleeping when he was shot. T he watc hmen, whom t he Ronda police did not identify, claimed they went to Blanco’s office and found his body in a pool of blood. The Cebu City Provincial Police Office said it was still investigating the killing while working to identify the killers. Blanco had been identified by Duterte as among the politicians

who are allegedly involved in the illegal-drugs trade. His inclusion into the list of the President prompted him to be wary of his safety. The National Police Commission stripped Blanco of his supervisory powers over the police in Ronda last year due to his alleged involvement in drugs. Blanco’s killing came seven months after Jonnah John Ungab, the vice mayor of Ronda and Blanco’s nephew, was shot dead by armed men just outside the courthouse in Cebu. At the time of his killing, Ungab was serving as the lawyer of confessed drug lord Kerwin Espinosa.

the issuance of a directive to further simplify and streamline the licensing procedures for rice imports of the NFA. Moreover, we urge the Senate to immediately pass the rice tariffication bill within the month,” the EDC said in a statement. Economic managers also said the Bureau of Customs will prioritize the release of essential food items in the ports.

ground, especially in this case where the rise of prices is largely driven by supply-side pressures. In response to the stubbornly high inflation in the past months, the BSP has already increased its main policy rates by a total of 100 basis points in its last three meetings, the latest of which was a 50-basis-point rate hike—its most aggressive action in about a decade. Asked to elaborate further, Guinigundo told the BusinessMirror that actions from outside the BSP’s mandate are also needed to help tame the country’s unruly inflation path. Among the policy recommendations of the BSP, Guinigundo said, are stronger implementation of cash transfers, transport cost subsidies, rice tariffication and stricter monitoring of warehouses. “We need to strengthen implementation of both Conditional and Unconditional Cash Transfer to mitigate purchasing power of the lower income class and reduce incentive to ask for higher minimum wage,” the deputy governor said in response to the BusinessMirror’s queries. He also said the Pantawid Pasada subsidy is needed to “reduce the incentive” to ask for higher fares. Converting the quantitative restriction on rice into tariffs, Guinigundo said, will make more rice available in the market, bringing down prices. The tariff revenues will also allow the farm sector to improve its productivity and competitiveness. BSP officials earlier said that, should the rice tariffication bill be enacted, it would cut inflation by 0.2 percentage points this year and as high as 0.6 percentage points in 2019. Rice is one of the

‘Nonmonetary policy agents’

BSP Governor Nestor A. Espenilla Jr. on Wednesday expressed dismay over the August inflation rate. The figure is beyond the upper of the BSP’s forecast range of 5.5-6.2 percent for the month. “An unfortunate confluence of costpush factors continues to drive consumer price inflation in August beyond the acceptable target range. Much of it has to do with food supply shocks. Rice in particular,” Espenilla told reporters. The governor also said elevated oil prices continue to put pressure on inflation, with additional impact on transport and power prices. The peso has also been affected by emerging market uncertainties and a strong US dollar, thus adding to higher prices of imported foods. Guinigundo said inflation goes up by 0.06 percentage points for every 1 percentage point of peso depreciation. Also, for every 1 percentage point of increase in global oil prices, inflation accelerates by another 0.03 percentage points. “ These warrant more decisive nonmonetary measures to fully address,” Espenilla said. BSP officials have earlier said monetary policy alone cannot pull the country’s soaring inflation back to the

numbers in 2018 confirm progress in government efforts to reduce underspending and instill public financial reforms. “Government spending is intact, and this means that our people will enjoy the benefits of government projects sooner, such as school buildings and hospitals for the poor, and road and mass transit projects for commuters,” Diokno said. Because of the Build, Build, Build program, infrastructure and capital outlays reached P84.5 billion, surging by P36.1 billion or 75 percent compared to July 2017. Disbursements included those for the implementation of infrastructure projects such as nationwide road construction, improvement and widening projects; Pasig Marikina River Channel Improvement Project, flood control, drainage and dike improvement and re-

more heavily weighted items in the Philippines’s consumer price index (CPI) basket.

Rate hike

Earlier, Espenilla said that inflation is seen to peak between August and September of this year before tapering off in 2019. ING Bank Manila Senior Economist Joey Cuyegkeng said the bank expects inflation to remain elevated for the rest of the year with next month’s inflation rate likely to remain above 6 percent and full-year average inflation at 5.1 percent, significantly higher than the target range of 2-4 percent. “Efforts of government to address supply issues should eventually moderate price pressures. But the impact of second-round effects would still have to be reflected in production costs and retail prices,” Cuyegkeng said. “The BSP needs to contain runaway inflation expectations and demand pull pressures. The chances of another aggressive monetary policy action have zoomed as inflation surged. Another 50-basis-point policy rate hike at the September 27 meeting is a real possibility,” he added. Economists at Australia and New Zealand (ANZ) Bank Research also said the BSP will need to implement more policy actions to bring back the inflation rate within the government’s target range. “We now expect the BSP to increase its overnight reverse repurchase rate by 50 basis points at the upcoming September 27, meeting to 4.50 percent, compared to our earlier expectation for a 25-basispoint hike,” the ANZ said in a report.

habilitation projects. Contributing to higher infrastructure and other capital spending were capital acquisition through the Armed Forces of the Philippines Modernization Program, such as the Frigate Acquisition Project and Civil Engineering Acquisition Project and capital outlay projects including procurement of machinery, aircraft, and aircraft equipment of the Department of TransportationPhilippine Coast Guard. Also, subsidies to government corporations hit P32.5 billion, nearly double or 93 percent higher than in July of the previous year. This is because of the P27.7-billion health insurance premiums of indigents enrolled under the National Health Insurance Program of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, irrigation projects worth P2 billion under the National Irrigation Administration (NIA), and another P2 billion for cash downloads to the beneficia-

Rice. . .

ries of the Tax Reform Cash Transfer Project under the LandBank. Another driver of spending growth was the sustained increase in Personnel Services owing to higher salaries of civilian government employees by virtue of the third tranche of compensation adjustment, and higher salaries of military and uniformed personnel authorized by Joint Resolution No. 1, s. 2018. Personnel Services reached P70.6 billion in July 2018, increasing by P16.9 billion or 32 percent, year-on-year. “We are doing our best to fasttrack the release and disbursement of funds for public programs and projects,” Diokno said. “We maintain our projection that underspending will be eliminated under our watch. Looking ahead, the shift to an annual cashbased system will further enhance spending efficiency as performance will be measured on concrete outputs and not just on contracts awarded.”

Continued from A1

With the additional volume, the NFA’s total rice imports this year rose to 750,000 MT following its purchase of 250,000 MT via government-to-government scheme and another 250,000 MT via open tender in the first half. Data obtained by the BusinessMirror showed that the country’s total rice inventory as of August 30 was pegged at 2.051 MMT, which would last for 64.57 days. Of the total rice inventory, about 48 percent were held by households, while 46 percent were in commercial warehouses. Rice inventory held by households reached 992,420 MT, which is equivalent to 31 days of national daily requirement. Rice stocks in commercial warehouses were pegged at 945,100, which is about a monthlong of the country’s daily national requirement. On the other hand, the rice stockpile held by the NFA was only at 114,180 MT, which is equivalent to only 3.57 days of the country’s national daily requirement. The country’s national daily rice requirement is about 32,000 MT.

Record-high harvest

The approval of additional rice importation by the NFA comes amid the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) projection of another record-high palay harvest this year. Based on the estimates of the DA, palay output this year would increase by 120,000 MT to 19.4 million MT on the

back of expanded harvested area driven by high-buying price for the staple. Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol told the BusinessMirror he is optimistic that 2018 palay production will surpass last year’s record harvest of 19.28 MMT. Piñol said farmers hit by typhoons in Central Luzon, the country’s top rice producer, were able to replant and even expand their palay areas. “We are positive that we will hit the target,” he said via SMS. “The rice farm areas have expanded because of the good buying price of palay.” For example, Piñol said rice farmers in Western Visayas planted an additional 40,000 hectares in the first semester over the previous year’s hectarage. “While rains caused by a series of tropical storms damaged a sizable area in Central Luzon and parts of Ilocos region, other parts of the country were able to expand the planted areas,” he said. Based on DA data seen by the BusinessMirror, the country’s 2018 total palay output would translate to about 12.688 MMT at a 65.4-percent average milling recovery rate (MRR). The volume is sufficient to supply the rice requirement of the country for 390 days, according to DA estimates. Given the projected full-year rice output this year, the country’s total supply would be at 16.604 MMT, or equivalent to 510 days of national requirement, according to DA data.

Economy BusinessMirror

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TRY DAVAO CITY, DUTERTE TELLS ISRAELI INVESTORS By Manuel T. Cayon @awimailbox Mindanao Bureau Chief

AVAO CIT Y—President Duterte asked Israeli investors to try putting their money in his hometown in this city, saying it would still amount to helping build the nation. Duterte made a pitch for his city of 1.5 million residents, even as he assured the Israeli investment community of a hassle and corruption-free business environment across the country. “We would be happy. Somebody like you, gentlemen and ladies, doing business in my city, contributing to the nation-building of the Republic of the Philippines,” he told the gathering of Israeli businessmen at the King David Hotel on Tuesday. He said this city “is progressing, and its agriculture sector is promising,” adding that the firing of some officials whom he had worked with since he was city mayor was a testament of his “seriousness and determination in fighting corruption in government.” “I guarantee you no corruption,” he said. In his speech during the ceremonial signing of 21 Philippines-Israel business agreements, President Duterte said he would find more ways on how to curb bureaucracy and make it easier for investors to set up businesses in the Philippines. “I’m going to make [rules in doing business]…simpler and simpler… when I go back. And I want it really to be graft-free,” he added. “I tell everybody, if you are into business in the Philippines, there

are rules to be followed. And if there is anyone of you here now, and I give you my guarantee, if anyone of you here would do business in the Philippines and you are given a hard time, especially if you are being milked or extorted, tell me. I will grant you an audience even in the middle of the night and hear you out,” the President assured. He said, “Just remember the [Philippine] official with whom you are transacting [with]. You name him, I will call him, and in front of me I will say to you, ‘slap him.’ ‘Slap him twice on both cheeks,’ because he is insulting you. He is insulting your character and for me, he puts my country to shame,” Duterte said. The President said he has made it a working ethos to refrain from dipping his hands on businessrelated matters. “And then I said, I will not dirty my hands with money in politics. My standing order to all of my Cabinet members who are here is no transaction of any kind, any contract, any agreement between the Philippines and a private person or even a government officeto-government office...they will not reach my table,” he related. “I will husband it—your project —whatever it is. There will be no corruption. There will be no harassments, no nothing,” Duterte assured. The meeting also saw the signing of 21 business arrangements, with estimated investment value of $82.9 million and expected to generate some 790 jobs for the Filipinos, a Malacañang news statement said.

Group lauds expected enactment of extended maternity leave bill By Samuel P. Medenilla @sam_medenilla

HE extension of maternity leave benefit accorded to Filipino women workers will soon be on a par with the prevailing global standard, with the expected passage of a new measure extending such leave from 60 days to 100 days. At a news conference, labor coalition Nagkaisa Women Chairman Judy Miranda said the approval on third and final reading of House Bill (HB) 4114, or the Expanded Maternity Leave, this week will make the country more than compliant to international standards. Based on the recommendation of the International Labour Organization (ILO), maternity leave should be at least 98 days. Currently, the country’s maternity leave is only 60 days for normal delivery. “This a victory for everyone now that our maternity leave has reached international standards of 98 days. In Asia, we will no longer have the lowest maternity leaves,” Miranda said. Akbayan Party-list Rep. Tom S. Villarin, one of the lawmakers who is supporting the legislation, said the Philippines used to trail behind its Southeast Asian neighbors in terms of maternity leave. He said Vietnam currently has the highest maternity leaves with 180 days followed by Singapore with 118 days. The average maternity leave in the region are 90 days. “The Philippines has the lowest with only 60 days. The challenge now is making it beyond the ILO standard of 98 days. In Lower House there is a proposal for 100 days, while in the Senate there is a proposal for 120 days,” Villarin said. Once the bill is passed, Public Services Labor Independent Confederation President Annie Geron

said more women will be able to avail themselves of more maternity leave days. “It will cover all women regardless of their working status,” Geron said. Citing data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), she said only 0.79 percent of the estimated 35 million Filipino women workers nationwide are able to avail themselves of their maternity leaves annually. “Those who are in the informal sector are unable to avail of it despite their contribution to the economy,” Geron said. For her part, Trade Union Congress of the Philippines Vice President Eva Arcos said they expect the expected passage of the extended maternity leave bill will boost the productivity of workers since it will allow them longer recovery period and boost their morale. Bagong Henerasyon Party-list Rep. Bernadette Herrera-Dy, sponsor of House Bill 4114, said the 26-yearold proposal hurdled third and final reading in the the Lower House with the support of House Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. The counterpart bill of HB 4114 in the Senate, Senate Bill 1305, has already passed the third and final reading. Both legislations related to maternity leaves are now set will soon be tackled by the bicameral conference of Congress before it is finally presented to President Duterte for his signature. The legislation, which is expected by its stakeholders, to be passed before the end of the year, since both bills are almost similar. The Social Security System (SSS) recently reiterated its concerns on the passage of a new bill since it will be required to spend an additional P4 billion of its already dwindling fund. Miranda, said they are confident SSS will have enough fund for it they will raise their collection rate, which is currently only at 40 percent.

Editor: Vittorio V. Vitug • Thursday, September 6, 2018 A3

Neda chief foresees sustained output growth throughout Q3

By Cai U. Ordinario

@cuo_bm

HE National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) expects the double-digit output of the manufacturing sector to be sustained throughout the third quarter.

In a news statement issued on Wednesday, Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto M. Pernia said the projected output would nurture the manufacturing sector’s robust growth in the second half of the year. “This upward growth trajectory is likely to be sustained. And the whole of government continues to push for measures improving efficiency and innovation in the production sector in order to sustain this robust performance in the second half of the year,” Pernia said. Based on the latest Monthly Integrated Survey of Selected Industries, the Volume of Production Index grew 11.8 percent in 2018, from a contraction of 5.1 percent in 2017. Grow t h in t he product ion

volume of most export-oriented products was sustained in July 2018. The growth in petroleum products, textile, beverages and nonelectrical machinery offset the declines in the production volume of tobacco, footwear and wearing apparel, wood products, and furniture and fixtures. High importation of raw materials and intermediate goods supported the increase in production levels of export-bound goods. Production and sales of transport equipment recovered at the beginning of the second semester of 2018 after two consecutive months of contractions. The improvement is consistent with car manufacturers’ improved outlook on automotive sales.

Meanwhile, the Value of Product ion Inde x a lso posted a 12.2-percent growth in July 2018, from a contraction of 6 percent in July 2017. Growth in the food subsector was due to strong household consumption and efficient market operations. Food manufacturing value was mainly driven by increases in the production value of animal feeds and sugar. The double-digit growth in the value of refined petroleum products continued to push the overall increase in the value of petroleum products in July. “We expect this strong performance of the manufacturing sec-

tor this year as we continue to see stable domestic demand, as well as robust investments due to heightened infrastructure projects and consumer spending,” Pernia said. Meanwhile, the average capacity utilization rate in July 2018 for total manufacturing was recorded at 84.2 percent. Around 55 percent or 11 of the 20 major industries operated at 80 percent and above capacity utilization rates. The proportion of establishments that operated at full capacity (90 percent to 100 percent) was recorded at more than one-fourth of the total number of establishments (26.6 percent) in July 2018.

This [manufacturing output] upward growth trajectory is likely to be sustained. And the whole of government continues to push for measures improving efficiency and innovation in the production sector in order to sustain this robust performance in the second half of the year.”—Pernia

ERC aims to release net metering, micro-grid system rules this year By Lenie Lectura

@llectura

HE Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) is targeting to release the revised rules on net metering and, at the same time, issue the second draft rules governing micro-grid system before the year ends. “We are revising the net metering rules. There have been concerns raised so we are moving to refine some provisions. The complaints we received were mostly on pricing and lack of protection,” said ERC Spokesman Atty. Floresinda Digal during the Powertrends 2018 forum held in Pasay City. “We are targeting to post the refinements in the last quarter of the year for net metering,” she added. Under the net metering program, electricity end-users with renewable-energy (RE) installations—such as solar, wind or biomass—not exceeding 100 kilowatt (kW) can sell electricity they generate in excess of what they can consume directly to their distribution utility. It is a nonfiscal incentive provided in the RE law by way of granting credits earned from elec-

tricity produced net of consumption. A net metering customer is only charged for his net electricity consumption and is credited for any overall contribution to the electricity grid. The Philippine Solar Power Alliance (PSPA), led by its President Tetchi Capellan, earlier said the current payment scheme is not being followed, contrary to what the RE law states. “Electric power generated by an end-user may be used to offset electric energy provided by the utility company to the end-user during the applicable period. Thus, the net metering customer is only charged or credited, as the case may be, the difference between its import energy and export energy,” Capellan said. However, a lower kilowatt price for exported energy, the generation charge, is applied to calculate the credits due to the solar rooftop homeowners, she said, adding that her group had urged the ERC to take into account the computation of credits as the present system is contrary to law. “W hat rooftop solar owners simply ask is they receive the true value of solar and apply the true solar price to both ex-

ported and imported energy, to be consistent with the law, its IRR [implementing rules and regulations] and the ERC Rules,” she stressed. On micro grid, Digal said the commission would be able to release the second draft rules also in the fourth quarter of the year. The ERC released in 2017 the first draft of the “Licensing Rules for Distributed Energy Resources [DER] and Microgrid Systems.” “Major issues such as allowing private entities to offer this service and the threshold, among others, are being studied now. These will be taken into consideration in the crafting of the second draft which we also target to post in the fourth quarter,” added Digal. DERs are smaller power sources that could be aggregated to provide power necessary to meet regular demand. DERs also pertain to demand- and supply-side resources that can be deployed throughout the system of an electric utility to meet the energy and reliability needs of the customers served by the system, including, but not limited to RE facilities, managed loads (including electric vehicle charging), energy

storage, and other measures necessary to incorporate renewable generation resources, including load management and ancillary services. The proposed DER Licensing Ru les sha l l cover generation companies that ow n or operate any of the fol low ing: a DER that is insta l led in the premises of, and direct ly connected to the load side of an end-user w ith no interconnection to the transmission or d istr ibution system; a DER that is insta l led in the premises of, and directly connected to the load side of an end-user w ith an existing interconnection to the transm ission or d ist r ibut ion sys tem; and a micro-gr id system or a loca lized grouping of distr ibuted energ y sources, loads and storage mechanism which can operate both as par t of the centra l gr id or independent ly as an island. The ERC had said there is a need to develop the DER Licensing Rules in view of the emergence of variable renewable-energy resources and facilitate the entry of distributed energy resources into the transmission and distribution systems.

GDP. . . continued from a1

Earlier, Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto M. Pernia said that first-quarter GDP growth could have been higher were it not for high inflation, which he described as a “spoiler.” Diokno added the current inflation forecast at 4-4.5 percent will be changed upward, since the year-to-date inflation is already at 4.8 percent, with July inflation hitting 6.4 percent. “We have to change that in the light of new realities,” he said. Although the August inflation data, according to Diokno, should not be a cause for panic and is considered to be “manageable,” he called it a “wake-up call” for Congress to pass the rice-tariffication measure as soon as possible. The House of Representatives has already passed the rice tariffication bill. However, in the Senate the bill is still pending before the Committee on Agriculture and Food chaired by Sen. Cynthia Villar. The bill, which seeks to remove the quantitative restriction on rice to tame inflation, is seen to reduce the price of rice by up to P7 per kilo. Diokno also warned of the negative effect if lawmakers fail to pass the rice-tariffication measure. “We may be operating under a slightly higher inflation rate, even for 2019. Currently the contribution of rice to inflation is 0.7 percent,” he said. Diokno also hopes that the August inflation figure is “hopefully” the peak for the year. Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Deputy Governor Diwa C. Guinigundo earlier said that they expect inflation to peak by the third quarter of the year. The economic managers have since said they are expecting inflation to taper off towards the end of the year.

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH D.P.W.H.

BusinessMirror-Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) third technical working group (TWG) meeting for the “Infrastructure Support Award” of “Mission:PHL,” the BusinessMirror Envoys & Expats Awards. (From left) Virgilio Bonsol, project manager, DPWH Unified Project Management Office; Nerliza Nobleza, Mission:PHL secretariat staff; Psyche Roxas-Mendoza, Mission:PHL special projects director; Angel R. Calso, BusinessMirror Opinion and World editor and representative to the DPWH TWG; DPWH Assistant Secretary Maximo Carvajal; Nelson Graza, project manager, DPWH Unified Project Management Office; and Danyella Santiago, DPWH media relations officer.

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Thursday, September 6, 2018 | Editor: Dennis D. Estopace

LABOR CAUTIONED: STRIKES COUNTERPRODUCTIVE, RISKY FOR ECONOMIC PROGRESS

‘Workers’ Spring’ looms amid govt b T By Samuel Medenilla

@sam_medenilla

HE seeds of a “Workers’ Spring” have been sown on the fertile garden of labor-only contracting, with business raising the alarm bells over how much the government’s crackdown on illegal contractualization could adversely impact key sectors of the economy. Labor groups expect that more strike notices will be seen in the coming months with hundreds of thousands of contractual workers likely to join the fray as the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) ramps up its campaign against errant employers. However, some groups frown upon this course of action as counterproductive to the economy. In previous months, several workers’ protests have sprung up after the DOLE published a list of top 20 companies engaged in illegal labor-only contracting, with some resulting in a landmark win for contractual employees. One of the high-profile cases are those of 7,300 workers from PLDT Inc., all of whom are scheduled to be regularized. The case comes with a few caveats, however. The DOLE said PLDT, a publicly listed firm, has so far not acted on regularizing the said workers despite the labor department’s “clarificatory” order on July 11. The case is now pending at the Court of Appeals. PLDT has insisted it broke no law. Another publicly listed firm, Jollibee Foods Corp. (JFC), has severed ties with two contracting agencies after these have been found guilty of illegal labor-only contracting. The DOLE has ordered the fast-food giant to regularize 14,960 workers in June. The Samahan ng Manggagawa sa JFC (SMJFC) claims there are tens of thousands more workers under the company’s shadow that need to be regularized. The group has initiated a series of protests over the past months. So far, the bloodiest-reported recent protest related to labor-only contracting would be at NutriAsia Inc.’s (NAI) Bulacan plant, where local police and workers clashed after a religious service.

Bandwagon effect

IN an interview, Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU, May One Movement) National Chairman Elmer C. Labog said the rising cost of living is one of the contributing factors for the increasing number of workers protesting against contractualization. Contractual workers usually get a much lower pay and enjoy fewer benefits compared to their regular counterparts. “The severe insufficiency of their wages can’t keep up with [the rising] price of goods and services,” Labog said. He explained that the biggest driver of the growing labor mobilization against contractualization is the DOLE’s regularization orders. The orders have given hope to workers that the Duterte administration shows seriousness in going after companies allegedly violating government regulations on laboronly contracting. “It’s going to increase because of a bandwagon effect, like if others can defend their regularization, other contractual workers will gain inspiration,” Labog said. He said the militant Left-leaning group KMU is now organizing more contractual workers. “One problem, however, is

that [the DOLE] do not know how to push for their regularization,” Labog said. “So it’s very important that they establish relations with established unions.” Labog added that service sectors, along with manufacture and agriculture, may strike in the coming days, crediting the problem to companies not following the regularization order of DOLE.

Growing trend

DATA from the National Conciliation and Mediation Board (NCMB) showed there were more labor strikes but fewer threats of work stoppage after President Duterte was elected in 2016. In 2015, there were only five declared labor strikes. This grew to 15 incidents in the following year. In 2017, the NCMB reported a similar number of strikes in 2016. The number of notices of strikes in the same period, in contrast, showed a declining trend with 194 (2015), 175 (2016) and 150 (2017). This changed after DOLE released its list on contractualization. During the first eight months of the year, there were already six recorded strikes. However, several labor unions have since then held or threatened to conduct more work stoppage. Among those that filed notices of strike are two groups of workers related to PLDT: the Gabay ng Unyon sa Telekomunikasyon ng mga Superbisor-PLDT and PLDT Organization of Workers and Employees for Rights. A notice of strike was also recently filed by the Philip Morris-Fortune Tobacco Corp. Labor Union, but the company stressed this was not related to the campaign against illegal contractualization. The tobacco firm had been hard hit by high tobacco taxes, and volumes are down the past few years as a result. Meanwhile, employees of the Japanese firm Takeda Healthcare Employees’ Union-Federation of Free Workers have been on strike since August. The number of notices of strikes (NOS) is also expected to exceed last year’s. As of August, there were already 124 new NOS—39 percent higher compared to the 89 cases in the same period last year. Most of these cases are due to unfair labor practices followed by deadlocks in collective bargaining agreement negotiations.

Data gaps

DESPITE data from the Philippine Statistics Authority, Sentro ng mga Nagkakaisa at Progresibong Manggagawa (Sentro) Secretary-General Joshua Mata claimed numbers “don’t necessarily capture the reality” of the rising number of strikes. “[This is so] because the DOLE tends to downplay strikes so as not to affect its performance,” Mata said. “Remember, there was a time when the government was actually claiming that we have zero strikes. Though in reality, there never was a year when we didn’t have a strike.” The Sentro secretary-general added that the umbrella organization had filed more notices

MILITANT labor groups stage a rally on Mendiola near Malacañang in Manila during Labor Day.

of strikes this year compared to 2017, noting there were at least four companies, including CokeFEMSA, with pending strikes from their workers. Meanwhile, FFW President Jose Sonny G. Matula said the organization has around 200,000 members with only 80,000 paying dues and having collective bargaining agreements. He added that the labor group had filed around 10 NOS this year, including those for Boie Takeda Chemicals Inc., IRM Aviation Security Agency Inc., Coca-Cola logistics handler Redsystems Co. Inc., and Central Azucarera de San Antonio, among others. Labog, meanwhile, noted that the organization had 31 ongoing NOS mostly in the National Capital Region and Southern Tagalog Region, claiming that the number of strikes this year rose in comparison to 2017’s figures. The KMU website claims it has 115,000 members nationwide, with many in the industrial, service and agricultural sectors.

Better legislation

NONOY LACZA

FORMER Labor Undersecretary Rene E. Ofreneo noted in an interview in June that companies often exploited legal loopholes to save on labor costs. Ofreneo, dean of the University of the Philippines’ School of Labor and Industrial Relations (SOLAIR), added that the government should either fix the current rulings on contractualization or implement new rules to strengthen the gaps in the law. Many of the initiatives of the government to amend the labor code and stamp out the practice of labor-only contracting still remain pending. While House Bill 6908, or the “Security of Tenure Bill,” sponsored by Akbayan Rep. Tom S. Villarin, hurdled third and final reading in January, its counterpart bill, Senate Bill 1826, is still on second reading. The twin bills, once harmonized and signed into law, will still allow the practice of labor-only contracting but will restrict its

practice by further defining its illegal forms. Among the salient points of the SOT bill version of the Senate is that it will require service contractors to be licensed rather than being merely registered, according to Labor Assistant Secretary Benjo S. Benavidez. Benavidez added the new law will also impose fines against companies violating the new restrictions. Labor groups called on the Duterte administration to certify the SOT bill as urgent to realize his campaign promise of ending widespread contractualization. In his third State of the Nation Address, Duterte urged Congress to pass laws to end contractualization “once and for all.”

Largest employer of contractuals

LABOG, however, noted that the passing of the SOT bill won’t stop workers from waging work stoppages. He cited existing laws are pockmarked by holes that the SOT bill couldn’t plug.

“Even if there’s an SOT [bill], it can’t cover all labor standards, [improve] the condition, which is why it can’t obstruct the deluge of protests,” the KMU president said. “The government needs to lead in implementing the regularization of workers and, in the long run, ensure the security of livelihood and jobs.” This is very significant as the government itself is the largest employer of contractual workers for its offices, he added. “There’s a larger [percentage] of contractual employees in the government so the government itself must set the example to regularize the many contractual workers in government institutions like the DSWD [Department of Social Welfare and Development], DAR [Department of Agrarian Reform] and many local government units,” Labog explained. According to the Civil Service Commission, 660,390 of the 2.4 million government workers in 2017 were employed as “job order” or “contract of service” employees.

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www.businessmirror.com.ph | Thursday, September 6, 2018

bias against labor-only contracting

“For those who don’t comply, we request the DOLE for an inspection.” He sees a bigger clamor from workers because of the anti-contractualization campaign. “The positive thing there is there’s awareness to actually regularize the people, especially those who’ve [been working] for two years, three years, who are still contractual. There are already people who benefited from it, so the campaign must continue,” the FFW president said. As of July, DOLE reported it was already able to regularize 321,964 contractual workers since August 2016. Matula said the increase in the number of protest rallies should be considered as a benchmark of the success of the anti-contractualization campaign. “At least the workers are now aware that they have rights,” Matula said. “Before, only FFW members applied for cases. But now, there are outsiders [seeking our help]. At least there’s a rise in awareness, especially in Duterte’s campaign, which is why many people voted for him because they now have hope in being regular [workers], right?” He noted that current laws don’t have heavy penalties. Like Mata, Matula is banking on the SOT bill to force companies to end contractualization. “The companies don’t follow because there are no heavy penalties; the law is not a deterrent.” He noted the penalty—only P1,000 is the penalty or P10,000 at the maximum—as mere pittance. “If you have P400,000 on hand, you would’ve no obligation, but other companies do, it’s okay because [they] saved [money],” the FFW president explained. He recommended an increase in the penalty to P30,000 per employee for labor-only contracting in order to weaken resistance.

Rule of law

Labog added that the government must in turn implement true land reforms and national industrialization in order to absorb not just the large amounts of unemployed and underemployed workers, but also migrant workers who wish to come home. “If more jobs are created [as a result], there are lesser unemployed, [plus] an increased reduction in labor export policy, then the total value of the labor force increases. So those without jobs or lacking them wouldn’t be exploited,” he said. “That’s the logic.”

Wrong message to investors

FOR Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) Chairman George Barcelon, labor strikes are “sending the wrong message” to foreign investors. Barcelon added even the striking workers would suffer since they will not be paid during their lockout. “You are already giving the signal of labor unrest; it doesn’t do anybody well, whether for the labor or for the country. You’re send-

ing the wrong message,” he said. The business leader added that contrary to the belief of workers, even employers are against the practice of illegal contractualization like “end of contract” (endo). But, he said, labor groups should accept the fact that if a worker is employed by a contractor then he is considered as a regular employee of that service provider. Philippine Association of Legitimate Service Contractors Inc. (Palscon) President Rhoda Caliwara noted that the Philippines might lose its competitive edge if government forces companies to regularize contractual workers. “The problem here is if the principal companies can’t handle regularization,” Caliwara said. “They might leave the country.” She warned that businesses could migrate to other countries offering flexibility in hiring and lower labor costs and are less highly regulated as the Philippines. “The mere fact that the principal companies are outsourcing [means] probably they cannot handle the functions that are fulfilled by service providers, like recruitment, hiring of people, processing and payment of wages, control and supervision and disciplining of people,” the Palscon president said. “Which is why they outsource.” She pointed out that with the advent of digitalization and artificial intelligence, any company now could automate, resulting in the steady loss of jobs. “Any company now could automate instead of hire, so that they won’t face regularization. The problem there is the slow de-

crease of jobs and it’s my personal worry. Slowly we are killing jobs if we forced [to do] that [regularization],” Caliwara said. She concedes that workers wield strikes as their prerogative due to concerns left unaddressed. Caliwara said strikes are nothing to worry about. “However, as far as we are concerned, we employers, as long as we give the right wages, the right benefits toward the workers, then we have nothing to worry about,” she said. “That is why as an organization, we at Palscon are really advocating legitimate service contracting.”

Contractuals vs regulars

LABOG noted there was previously a rivalry between contractual workers and regular workers, adding that the feud had been tempered once Duterte stepped in office. “Today [regular] workers have been educated; [they’re now aware] that contractual workers are not their rivals when in fact they are all part of production,” Labog said. “I would say that when Duterte took office, the regular workers’ consciousness was elevated.” He added that that was a big step forward for regular workers. “Undeniably, there is the situation in the past where the regular workers feel that they are of another race compared to the contractual workers,” Labog added. “It’s not absolutely erased, but it’s a huge leap, a huge improvement.” Mata noted that the idea that contractual workers rob regular workers of jobs is “patently wrong.” “I don’t know where that view comes from,” he said. “It assumed

that contractual workers are consciously out there to steal jobs from regular workers. This does not reflect reality. The truth is, no one wants to be a contractual worker.” Mata added that all workers prefer to be regular ones, noting that contractual workers have no way of controlling whatever job is assigned to them. “There is no way they [contractual workers] can consciously steal jobs of regular workers—nor would they even want to do so. So what’s the reality? Employers are wantonly abusing the use of contractual labor to avoid regularizing workers,” the Sentro secretarygeneral explained. He added that this was the reason companies tend to hire contractual workers to fulfill the jobs of regular ones. “That’s not the fault of the contractual workers—that’s the fault of the employer wanting to avoid regularizing workers,” Mata concluded.

Lightly taken

MATA said 10,000 of Sentro’s members are still waiting to be regularized. It’s not acceptable that employers promise regularization and are breaking that promise. “On the contrary, they also lose their jobs. That’s the reality,” he said. “So workers will not have to take that lightly; necessarily, they will become desperate to do something.” Mata cited NAI and UniPak as examples of options that workers were forced to take. “That’s the problem. They have a regularization order, but

the workers weren’t regularized, and instead fired,” the Sentro secretary-general explained. “That’s what’s happening with [JFC] then, last year, early this year. They threatened them. They removed the workers immediately.” Mata claims the government’s current campaign against contractualization won’t halt the advance of the “Worker’s Spring,” as businessmen stick to their guns, anchored on a firm belief that, as the law now stands, they are not violating anything. “We explained [that] to Bello over and over again. Unless the law is actually changed, all these campaigns, reported campaign of the [DOLE] would come to naught. It’s going to fail. It’s doomed to fail,” Mata said. He banks on the Security of Tenure bill as the solution. “There is really a need to amend the law. And the only way that the law can be amended effectively is if you can have the certification as urgent the SOT bill, which they promised anyway,” Mata said. “But that was months ago.” Meanwhile, he expressed fears on the push by Duterte for federalism as this may allow regional provinces or states to have separate labor codes.

‘Awareness’

MATULA, however, disagreed with Labog and Mata, saying Duterte’s bias against labor-only contracting brought about positive change. “I think it’s good, because there are companies that already volunteered to regularize, although there are stubborn ones,” he added.

LABOR Undersecretary Joel B. Maglunsod dismisses as wrong the perception that the DOLE regularization order is anti-employer. The DOLE order, he said, prompts companies to absorb contractual workers if they are engaged in illegal contractualization. “Now, if the job of one worker is directly related, meaning directly necessary in the [principal’s] business, you can’t contractualize that. Those contractors feel threatened here because they are engaged in practice; that’s against the law,” Maglunsod said. “It’s natural that the campaign against contractualization does not look and smell good because [for them, since] they violated the law. It’s like they defy the campaign promises of the President,” he added. Maglunsod added employers could always avoid the ordeal of being issued a regularization order if they would voluntarily follow the DOLE order. He also dismissed the use of automation as a bargaining chip to justify illegal contractualization. While economic progress through automation must be encouraged, employers must comply with the law, Maglunsod explained. He wondered aloud whose interests are being given primordial concern: “The interests of the Filipino people? Of the workers? Or the interests of the management and investors?” Given the still wide divergence in views between labor, government and the business sector on whether contractualization is a necessary cog in globalization’s wheel or an “evil” to be cut down, the “labor spring” may well come at a steep price, and also usher in, to paraphrase the clichés on seasons, a winter of discontent among many. With Cris Eugene T. Gianan

A6 Thursday, September 6, 2018 • Editor: Angel R. Calso

Opinion BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

editorial

The last laugh

HE worsening US-China trade war could reshape the global economy and undo most of the gains brought about by trade globalization, unless it ends sooner than later. The problem is, as the trade war heats up, neither side wants to look like a loser by trying to get out. But there’s a general consensus: When both sides feel the economic and political pain this trade hostility brings, they would ultimately choose to negotiate. Michael Froman, former United States trade representative under President Barack Obama and fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, told Emily Stewart of Vox.com that there’s always a way of backing down from this kind of tit-for-tat trade action if the US and China can reach an agreement. But he added: “Having said that, if we look back historically, once tariffs are in place, they tend to be pretty sticky and constituents begin to defend the tariff itself. We, the United States, have a 25-percent tariff on imported trucks that goes back to the “Chicken War” of 1963 with the European Union, where the European Union kept our chicken out of their market, and in retaliation we imposed a 25-percent tariff on trucks. And that continues today.” In a recent story, Bloomberg said Donald J. Trump’s protectionist stance has upturned the world’s long-standing way of doing business, leaving export-reliant industries exposed to heightened apprehension about the future and increased costs. Confidence has deteriorated markedly since the start of the year and there may be more reason to fret, with Bloomberg reporting last week the US president wants to move ahead with a plan to impose tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese exports. A survey of purchasing managers from around the world showed confidence at manufacturers is continuing to weaken. China’s outlook is “lackluster” and the European Union also saw the mood darken. “There’s a bit of a new world order where uncertainty and volatility have become a little bit the new normal,” said Pernod Ricard Chief Executive Officer Alexandre Ricard. This dark “new normal” has alarmed policy-makers to review trade priorities. For example, after the US pulled out of the TransPacific Partnership, 11 countries on both sides of the Pacific signed a new pact, dubbed Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership. In Asia the Regional and Comprehensive Economic Partnership is being prioritized as a major step toward Asia’s economic integration. The trade war that Trump ignited is forcing nations to form wider economic integration outside the United States. Luckily for the Philippines, this is also accelerating the shift of global economic center of gravity toward Asia. The indicators are clear: Trade between the EU and Asia is growing. Last year total EU exports to Asia was bigger than that to the US. On the other hand, Asia’s exports to the EU in 2017 was still slightly lower than that to the US, but it is exponentially growing, making the EU increasingly more important to Asia, according to the International Monetary Fund’s Direction of Trade data. From a perspective of market size, Asia is currently far more important to the EU than the US, and the EU will soon be more important to Asia than the US. Given this picture, Trump, with his protectionist policies that continue to reject free trade, may not have the last laugh, after all. Since 2005

BusinessMirror A broader look at today’s business

Stock Market 007: License to kill John Mangun

OUTSIDE THE BOX

T is interesting that we often use two particular phrases to describe our stock-market investing. “I made a killing in the market” and “my stock portfolio killed me”.

Obviously, it is not a life or death situation even financially. But when we push the “sell” button to close a position, it is final and finished. To the same extent, James Bond carried the 007 designation, a license to be put in situations to both kill and to be killed. What made Bond a super successful secret agent—other than the busty Bond girls—was “Q”, the weapons expert, and his laboratory. A pen gun was interesting. But the crown jewel was the famous Aston Martin DB5. You might have noticed if you watch the films, that Bond never had any problem using these devices. Johnny English—starring Rowan

Atkinson (Mr. Bean)—had trouble getting out of the laboratory without blowing up things. We saw Bond easily take out his evil pursuers using all the gadgets that the Aston Martin gave him. What we did not see was Bond learning to drive. To be a world-class secret agent, you need all the tools of the trade. But first you need to know how to use those tools. That takes hard work and practice. Just like for the stock market. In spite of all the high-tech weapons, it is the humble pistol— a Walther PPK produced since 1930—that is the foundation of Bond’s arsenal. We never see the

Political idolatry

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Part Two

Objects of fondness for some, rather than heroes for all

ICTIONARY definitions of heroism, obviously, leave plenty of room for the imagination, which Ninoy’s and Cory’s followers can exploit. But if we interpose the qualification that a hero is someone who is worthy not just of admiration, but emulation, they’ll be having real problems. After all, what are heroes for, if not to serve as role models? Interestingly, Asuncion David Maramba herself observed that “our youth need heroes badly, for as almost everyone observes, they have no role models.” Unfortunately for Maramba, this functional definition of a hero would reduce Ninoy and Cory to what they truly are: objects of fondness for some, rather than heroes for all. The plain truth is, they cannot serve as role models, except among the few who are situated as they were—born and grown rich among families with political clout, served by the poor. They cannot be role models, even for the middle class. As to outstanding deeds that

benefited the people, what do they have to show? Ninoy distinguished himself as a political entertainer, with his bombastic exposés on the Senate floor. He refused to operate against Huk rebels in Tarlac when he was the governor of the province. While claiming that he himself never advocated violence as an instrument for change, he admitted helping insurgents materially. This admission lent moral support to the insurgency as well: “If I have gone out of my way to meet insurgents, if I have given them shelter and medical aid when they came to me, bleeding and near death, it was because I was convinced these dissidents were freedom-fighters

listed firms’ official disclosures are found at edge.pse.com.ph and here you often find the bad news that never shows up in the newspapers. Most investors never look at a company’s Financial Statement. It is too hard and too long. But the FS is the only way for you to know what is going on, and there are only two pages that are important. The Income Statement is simply “money in”, “money out”, and what is left over (profit) or not (loss). Then read the Balance Sheet, which tells you how much the company owns and how much it owes. In both documents, read the footnotes. This is where the company buries the bodies they really do not want you to know about but that they must reveal. Make a killing or get killed. Those are the only options. Information is your most basic tool as an investor. If you are not using the available information, then you have only yourself to blame.

hours at the firing range sharpening the skill. For the stock market, the basic “weapon” every investor has is information. It is not a “stock market” but a “market of stocks.” It is individual companies that we buy and sell for profit. For that we need to know the macroeconomic situation both here and abroad. We need to know trends in industries and what pushes revenues. We need to understand if, how and why companies are making money or not. Back in the days before the Internet—yes there was a stock market then—every stockbroker and many investors read the Wall Street Journal daily, and Barron’s every Monday morning. Brokers would pay a messenger to have a copy of Barron’s delivered straight from the printer or from the airplane before dawn. Now, investors turn to Facebook, which says much about the way the markets now trade. We should read every corporate press release not only for what it says but for what it does not tell us. If the company went from loss to profit, was it because of increased revenue or pared expenses? All the

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

first—in their own light—and if they were communists at all, they were communists last… If this is treason, if this is subversion, I am ready to be punished.” Did his support for the communist rebellion benefit the Filipino people? Not during his lifetime, not to this day. The rebellion he nurtured once continues to bleed the Philippines today. Many of the “freedom-fighters” he supported, after being liberated from detention by Cory in 1986, have become free to fight the freedom of others, rather than for everyone’s freedom. The atrocities they continued to commit have forced juveniles to join an insurgency that keeps our people divided and destitute. Ninoy did have medals which, his fans would have us believe, were given in recognition of his courage as a war correspondent in Korea and as a government spy in Indonesia. Those who know Ninoy better doubt the quality of the courage he supposedly showed in these roles; Ninoy was notorious for liberally embellishing bare facts with fiction, as columnist Conrado de Quiros of the Philippine Daily Inquirer remarked in his 400page addition to the hate-Marcos bookshelf, Dead Aim: How Marcos Ambushed Philippine Democracy. But Ninoy himself had also clarified that these medals were for “services” rather than explicitly for courage:

“I was awarded three decorations by three Presidents: Quirino [the Philippine Legion of Honor, Degree of Officer, for services during the Korean War]; Magsaysay [the Philippine Legion of Honor, Degree of Commander, for negotiating the return to the government of Luis M. Taruc, erstwhile Huk supremo, in 1954]; Garcia [First Bronze Anahaw Leaf to the PLH-Officer, for services in the peace and order campaign; Presidential Merit Award for intelligence work in Indonesia, in 1958, ‘classified’].” Indeed, what courage was needed to cover the Korean War in the safety of the rear lines? What courage did Ninoy need to deal with the Huks, who had been his friends? How difficult was it to negotiate the surrender of Taruc, who was then already on the way out, having been demoted in the insurgency for advocating peace? And later as a politician, what courage did he need to raise any sensational accusations he wanted to, shielded as he was by parliamentary immunity? Cory, too, has received awards, local and international, for debatable reasons. The most common credits are for having restored democracy in the Philippines. This presupposes that during the Marcos presidency, democracy disappeared. Well, who established the barangays as the See “Arillo,” A7

Opinion BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Can legal interest be charged on delayed grant of tax refunds? Atty. Jomel N. Manaig

TAX LAW FOR BUSINESS

MPOSITION of interest is a fairly common concept. The cases of Eastern Shipping Lines Inc. and Nacar take it a step further by familiarizing us with what legal interest is. In those cases, the Supreme Court clarified that when the judgment of the court awarding a sum of money becomes final and executory, legal interest may be imposed. In cases where the court grants a tax refund, which represents an award of sum of money to a taxpayer, may legal interest be likewise awarded? This question was explored by the Tax Court in the recent case of South Luzon Tollway Corp. v. CIR (Court of Tax Appeals [CTA] Case 9272, July 27, 2018). Here, the South Luzon Tollway Corp. (SLTC) sought to recover from the Bureau of Internal Revenue deficiency taxes paid under protest with legal interest. The Tax Court granted the refund but denied the imposition of legal interest. Interestingly, while it denied the legal interest, the Court offered a spirited discussion on why it should be imposed on tax refund. Surprisingly, the imposition of legal interest on tax refund is not a novel theory. The case of Carcar Electric & Ice Plant Co. Inc. v. Collector of Internal Revenue (GR L-9257, November 27, 1956) held that, under the then Internal Revenue Code, the Collector of Internal Revenue may be made to answer for interest at the legal rate on taxes improperly collected. The Supreme Court then restricted the rule in the case of Collector of Internal Revenue v. St. Paul’s Hospital of Iloilo (GR L-12127, May 25, 1959) wherein the Court held that legal interest may not be imposed on tax refunds unless there is a clear statutory authority clearly or expressly directing or authorizing such payment. The rule was further modified in subsequent Supreme Court cases by declaring that tax refunds are not subject to legal interest in the absence of statutory authority and when there is no arbitrariness in the denial of the refund by the Commissioner of Internal Revenue. Despite the Supreme Court’s pronouncements, the Tax Court, by way of an obiter dictum in the SLTC case, believes that the rule should be revisited. The Court believes that pertinent provisions of the Civil Code

Arillo . . .

continued from A6

country’s official government at the village level? Who introduced the practice of frequently asking the people to express their will through plebiscites and referenda? Who allowed citizens as young as 15 to make their voices heard? Who introduced the barangay justice system, to bring the justice system down to the barangays? It was not Ninoy, and it was not Cory. It was President Ferdinand E. Marcos. Contrary to Ninoy’s claim that Marcos strangled democracy in order to save it, President Marcos popularized democracy to give the masses a greater stake in defending it against the communist threat. It was in defense of democracy that President Marcos imposed martial law from September 21, 1972, to January 16, 1981, when the imperatives of democratic survival required the temporary curtailment of some civil liberties, which were gradually restored as the security situation improved. What democracy did Cory restore? The question harks back to the democracy of the pre-martial

constitute as statutory authority in the imposition of interest. Also, while the pronouncement in the Eastern Shipping Lines Inc. and Nacar cases is confined to “loans or forbearance of money,” the amount of tax refund which the taxpayer is entitled to, and which the government is obliged to pay on the basis of a final and executory judgment, is no different from a “forbearance of money.” There being no specific provision in the NIRC, as amended, categorically stating that the payment of refund is without interest, a tax refund may be considered as subject to the legal rate of interest upon finality of judgment until its satisfaction. The CTA further reasoned that unreasonable delay in the payment of refund to the taxpayer, sans any adverse consequence to government, should no longer be countenanced. However, despite its extensive and profound discussion, the CTA’s recognizes the role of the Supreme Court as the final arbiter of any justiciable controversy. Since the prevailing doctrine, as pronounced by the Supreme Court, prohibits the imposition of interest on tax refunds, the CTA is thereby bound. Now that the CTA has given its proverbial two cents on the issue and called for a revisiting of the current doctrine, will the Supreme Court listen when a pertinent case comes to its hallowed halls? Will it stand firm and uphold the doctrines from its decisions past? Only time will tell. The author is a junior associate of Du-Baladad and Associates Law Offices (BDB Law), a memberfirm of WTS Global. The article is for general information only and is not intended, nor should be construed as a substitute for tax, legal or financial advice on any specific matter. Applicability of this article to any actual or particular tax or legal issue should be supported therefore by a professional study or advice. If you have any comments or questions concerning the article, you may e-mail the author at jomel.manaig@ bdblaw.com.ph or call 403-2001 local 370.

law years. What kind of democracy was it? Congress was so embroiled in politicking and vested interests that its output came mostly in the forms of campaign-type privilege speeches and legislation renaming schools and hospitals. In the streets, anarchy reigned, with mass protest rallies and transport strikes taking turns in preventing the nonpartisan majority from going to school or work. In the regions, warlords with their private armies instituted a reign of terror. Oligarchs, not content with their economic and political power, reached for the future by insidiously establishing mind control through their newspapers and broadcasting stations. If it was a democracy, it was so only in name and not in its dynamics. If it adhered to the system of checks and balances characteristic of liberal democracies, it was all a ritual made pointless by counterproductivity and paralysis; it made the pursuit of major reforms by the Executive confusing and frustrating. To be continued To reach the writer, e-mail cecilio.arillo@ gmail.com.

‘Ephphatha!’ Msgr. Sabino A. Vengco Jr.

ALÁLAONG BAGÁ

OMING down from the north-west outside Galilee, Jesus and His group crossed over to the eastern side of the Jordan River into the region of the Hellenistic league of 10 cities, the Decapolis. It was a purely pagan territory, and what Jesus did in opening a deaf man’s ears and also His lips tells us today vital truths about evangelization (Mark 7:31-37).

A deaf-mute JESUS singled out a deaf man with a speech impediment from among the sick and the needy brought to Him by people. Taking the man aside, Jesus deliberately put His finger in the man’s ears and ostensibly touched his tongue with saliva. He groaned looking up to heaven, as with deep emotion He commanded the man: Ephphatha!—“Be opened!” The Aramaic word, like some sacred formula, was instantaneously effective; the man’s ears were opened and his speech difficulty removed. This somewhat disconcerting procedure (similar to the cure of the blind man in Bethsaida, Mark 8:22-26) invites us to a meditative reflection. The healing of this unknown deaf-mute appears to be a parable for the cure of another type of deafness and speech impediment. It is an ancient usage in Christian

baptism that one is commanded Ephphatha! Touched at the ears, then on the lips, the one reborn in the sacrament of new life is ordered “Be opened!” This ritual of opening the ears and the lips symbolizes the important consequence of being initiated into the life of communion with the Triune God that one is open to the Word of the Father through the Son in the Holy Spirit. The Christian is basically one open to divine communication and receptive of the life-giving Word. The Gospel of Jesus Christ as the Word of God is life, the two-edged sword that shapes the believer and gives substance to authentic Christian discipleship.

Evangelized and evangelizing

“THE deaf hear and the mute speak”—that is what Jesus does, and the astonishing acts of God are proclaimed ir repressibly.

Thursday, September 6, 2018 A7

It is an ancient usage in Christian baptism that one is commanded Ephphatha! Touched at the ears, then on the lips, the one reborn in the sacrament of new life is ordered “Be opened!” This ritual of opening the ears and the lips symbolizes the important consequence of being initiated into the life of communion with the Triune God that one is open to the Word of the Father through the Son in the Holy Spirit. Evangelized and reborn in God’s Word, the opened ears find completion in the opened lips that signify proclaiming in faith the good news of divine love and mercy, evangelizing others especially in the eloquent language of praise and thanksgiving. A life of dialogue now becomes the norm. This is what happens in our sacred liturgy. In the Eucharist particularly, the Liturgy of the Word formalizes to us God’s Word in the readings from Scripture and, as the community of the baptized, we are all ears to what God is saying to us. We borrow the words of the psalmist in the response of faith already to the initial reading. But the interactive celebration of God’s Word in the liturgy reaches its high point in the homily that follows the biblical readings. We move deeper into the mystery of God’s Word by passing from mere external listening (naririnig) into

Labor and social rules for ‘industry 4.0’

Now that humanity is in the cusp of a new era of technology, alias the Fourth Industrial Revolution, can policy-makers continue to ignore the exclusion of the many and the lack of social justice in many places? Shall they wait for the Technology Revolution to be transformed into a Social Revolution? A review and institutionalization of appropriate social and labor rules in the digital era are in order.

The reality is that these triple issues of inclusion, social protection and social justice in the digital era are somehow relegated to the background by the numerous media accounts on how business and jobs shall be “disrupted” or “displaced,” on what are the new robots invading the work place such as the 7-Eleven robot cashiers in South Korea and the robot waiters developed by Nepal’s techies, and on the stream of estimates on the “automatables” in various countries. A study by McKinsey Global Institute asserts that 40 percent, out of 50 percent of all occupations in the United States, are “automatable.” In Southeast Asia a 2016 ILOAsean study involving five Asean countries (Cambodia, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam) claims that many sectors in the economy are highly vulnerable to the endless advances in automation, digitization, apps development and cloud computing. In manufacturing, the auto, electronics, textileclothing and footwear industries are at risk due to robotization, 3D printing and CAD/CAM processes. These industries are witnessing the rise of coworker robots or “cobots” at the work place, robots that can sew or stitch things together or “sew-bots,” and robots that can do various functions going around the shop floor or “locobots.” The problem here is that these industries happen to be the major industries that have been fueling Asean economic growth under the GVCs of multinationals. These TNCs now have the option to withdraw investments in a labor-intensive facility in the region and bring back low-

The questions are endless. But as wisely suggested by the proponents of technology revolution for all, it is important for humanity to reflect on the history of how labor and social legislations developed in the earlier industrial revolutions. In the first industrial revolution, circa 17501850, workers’ rights were ignored and the early working conditions were horrific—work hours of 15 to 16 hours, child workers as young as 5 and 6 years old, many workers dying in their 20s or 30s, and so on. The situation gave rise to numerous workers’ strikes and uprisings, mostly spontaneous and directed by underground “socialist” labor organizations. But after the bloody Paris Commune of 1871 and the Chicago city-wide strike for eight-hour labor law in 1886, European governments gradually learned the need to lower working hours, raise the working age, recognize unions and develop a system of dispute settlement. A stable capitalist society needed a stable social order based on certain social and labor rules. In the Second Industrial Revolution, which saw the transformation of the factory system into mass-production system (courtesy of the new conveyor belts and the Tayloristic time-and-motion studies), more wage workers were hired, joining the growing army of bluecollar workers. As services and other sectors developed, new collars were added—the white-collar office and service workers. But like in the First Industrial Revolution, the struggle for higher wages, better benefits and protective labor laws never stopped in virtually all capitalist countries. In Russia, returning peasant-andworker-soldiers, defeated by the Allied forces, joined the Bolshevik Revolution of Vladimir Lenin to oust the Tsarist regime and

Dr. Rene E. Ofreneo

LABOREM EXERCENS Continued from A1

HE big question, however, is—can we have a Fourth Industrial Revolution that works for all, as a Microsoft think paper puts it? Or, can we have guaranteed minimum basic income and universal social protection for all, as floated by the World Bank in its 2019 World Development Report on the “Changing Nature of Work”? And yes, can humanity secure social justice in the digital era, a challenge posed by the International Labour Organization (ILO) to its tripartite social partners? cost manufacturing to their home country such as what Adidas did when it set up shoe-manufacturing plants in Germany and in Atlanta last year. Is the Philippine Department of Trade and Industry still bent on pursuing its declared program of scaling up participation in the GVC system of the world? Is the Philippine Economic Zone Authority, which has covered most of the call center-business process outsourcing firms under its “ecozone” program, coordinating with Department of Labor and Employment and other agencies on how to deal with those to be affected by the likely decline of the voice segment of the call centerBPO sector because of breakthrough innovations in software automation, interactive AI, cloud computing and do-it-yourself technology? Now back to the inclusion, social protection and social justice issues. What can policy-makers, employers, trade unions, CSOs and other stakeholders in society do in the area of social and labor policy? At the moment, there are black holes in the labor policy regime of many countries. For example, there are unsettled questions on the status of drivers in ride-hailing transport companies such as Grab and Go-Jek. Are they “independent contractors” or employees, who deserve minimum basic pay, social security and other benefits due to a wage worker? How about the thousands of online freelancers such as the Filipino “skype tutors” who teach Japanese families English from the comfort of their homes? What is the appropriate compensation rate? And yes, how about the taxes that have to paid to the government?

internal assimilation (pinakikinggan). The meditative absorption of the divine message implies both personal appreciation and willful conformity. It is here that the Word becomes life. Through the skillful guidance of the homilist, the faithful should be moved to accede to and adopt the invitation and challenges of the God-who-speaks-andis-listened-to. The really effective homily (alas, always sought but not always found) is the stage where the live wire of God’s Word is put into contact with the waiting line of our humanity and when sparks fly, and the current of life flows. Alálaong bagá, the healing of the deaf-mute is an illustration of the mystery of salvation in Jesus Christ, who came to the world to enable us to hear God’s Word and to respond to it. The unlocking of the human ears to the saving Word of God goes hand in hand with the conversion of our hearts and the opening of our lips in a covenantal union with God. It means the transformation of our human existence into a dialogic relationship with the Creator. Its apex is attained in the grace of liturgical communion in the Eucharistic celebration. We do need, individually and as a nation, to be truly converted and open (nakikinig) to God’s Word. Ephphatha! Join me in meditating on the Word of God every Sunday, from 5 to 6 a.m. on DWIZ 882, or by audio streaming on www.dwiz882.com.

establish the “First Workers’ State” in the world in 1917. This prompted the United States and the United Kingdom to include the establishment of a labor-standard-setting ILO as part of the 1919 Treaty of Versailles ending World War I. Later, western governments learned that investing on workers’ rights and social dialogue help strengthen the economy and society. This is what Franklin Delano Roosevelt did in the 1930s to help engineer American recovery from the 1929-1933 Great Depression through a “New Deal” program recognizing unionism and workers’ bargaining rights, as well as massive government stimulus spending on various infra and social projects. This is also what Western Europe, Japan, Canada and Australia/New Zealand did after World War II when they institutionalized “welfare capitalism” and closer union-management partnership, twin measures that were partly a response to the expansion of the “socialist camp” in Eastern Europe and parts of Asia (China, Vietnam and Korea). These also became part of the post-WWII social contract in the OECD countries and the system of tripartism promoted by ILO for all member-states. The problem is that the social contract and tripartism in the United States, Europe and many countries have been eroding since the 1980s. The 1980s up to the turn of the millennium were decades that saw huge technological advances because of the ICT Revolution, which is the central feature of the Third Industrial Revolution. These decades also happen to be decades of “free-trade” thinking, alias “Washington Consensus,” in national and global trade and economic policy. Free trade and the ICT Revolution are considered major factors in the globalization of economies everywhere. But at the same time, they are also blamed for the deepening social and economic inequality everywhere. Now that humanity is in the cusp of a new era of technology, alias the Fourth Industrial Revolution, can policy-makers continue to ignore the exclusion of the many and the lack of social justice in many places? Shall they wait for the Technology Revolution to be transformed into a Social Revolution? A review and institutionalization of appropriate social and labor rules in the digital era are in order.

2nd Front Page BusinessMirror

A8 Thursday, September 6, 2018

Govt posts budget deficit of ₧279.4B for Jan-July

By Bernadette D. Nicolas

@BNicolasBM

HE government’s budget deficit from January to July 2018 stood at P279.4 billion, up by P74.4 billion or 36.3 percent from 2017, data from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) showed.

Inflation. . . Continued from A1

Filipinos, while the same increase in nonfood prices could lead to an addition of 1.7 million to poverty. Son also said that a 10-percent increase in rice and fuel prices will result in an additional 0.66 million and 0.16 million poor people in the Philippines, respectively. “The study was done by Hyun Son of ADB in 2008.... I posted it... so that people can extrapolate on the impact of inflation on poverty. If the inflation rate cannot be curbed, expect an increase in the poverty rate this year,” Fernando T. Aldaba, dean of the School of Social Science at the Ateneo de Manila University, told the BusinessMirror. However, economists, such as Philippine Institute for Development Studies Roehlano Briones and University of Asia and the Pacific’s

Senen Reyes, believe Filipinos will see some reprieve in high commodity prices in the coming months. Briones said the increase in fish prices, which is largely related to bad weather, is bound to slow given the end of the rainy season. Both Briones and Reyes said the issue with rice prices will be resolved in the coming months with the arrival of the harvest. Apart from this, Briones said measures that are being undertaken by the government, such as the tariffication of the country’s quantitative restriction on rice, are sufficient to bring down rice prices, the country’s food staple.

BSP assures Senate

SENATE President Vicente C. Sotto III, citing Central Bank assurance, said on Wednesday he expects the 6.4 percent inflation to go down anytime soon. The Senate leader said he spoke with Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas

Revenue collected for the seven months amounted to P1.652 trillion, increasing by P281.3 billion, or 20.5 percent, compared to the same period last year. The budget deficit results when government expenses exceed revenues. The country’s economic managers had set a budget deficit cap of P532.6 billion, or equivalent to 3 percent of the country’s gross domestic product. The budget deficit for July 2018 was P86.4 billion, up by 71 percent, or P35.9 billion, compared to the same period last year. It represented growth of 59.1

percent over June’s P54.3 billion. National government spending for the seven months of the year also reached P1.932 trillion, higher by P355.7 billion, or 23 percent, year-on-year. It also reached its peak so far for the year at P328.1 billion in July 2018, an increase of P83 billion, or 34 percent, from the same period last year. The rise in spending was due to infrastructure and capital outlays, as well as subsidies to government corporations. Budget Secretary Benjamin E. Diokno said the fiscal

(BSP) officials early this week and was assured of its downward trend. “I was just talking with the officials of the Central Bank,” Sotto told Senate reporters on Wednesday. The Senate President said he was informed by the BSP that “they are now in the process of taking necessary steps and measures [and expect inflation to be] going down afterward.” Sotto, however, did not go into details beyond saying, “They told me that they are taking the necessary steps and measures to bring it down because the dollar continues to gain strength. Palakas nang palakas. Meron silang kontrobersya doon, lumalakas pa din [The dollar continues to gain. They have all sorts of controversies over there, but the dollar keeps getting stronger].”

increase in prices, Mapa said the government can increase t he mont h ly Uncond it ion a l Cash Transfer (UCT) to P400 per recipient, from the current P200, to help Filipinos cope with high prices. Mapa also said the government can implement the 10-percent discount on NFA rice for poor households, which is in the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion law enacted in January 2018. Action for Economic Reform coordinator Filomeno Sta. Ana III said other measures include removing Jason Aquino from being administrator of the National Food Authority (NFA), which, he said, can be blamed for the “rice shortage.” Sta. Ana said the problem with rice could easily be avoided if the NFA were “competent and pursued the reform of allowing the private sector to import rice.” “The spike in prices of basic food, especially rice, is a man-made calamity, or to change metaphors, a self-inflicted wound. We must make the administration account. For credibility of reform on this front, the administration must remove J. Aquino as NFA head,” Sta. Ana said. Meanwhile, the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) said boosting output and introducing policy reform is needed to bring down prices of agricultural products. Damage to agriculture brought about by southwest monsoon and Typhoon Karding in Ilocos, Cagayan and Cordillera regions amounted to P33.5 million, thus taking a toll on the prices of agricultural commodities. On rice production, palay production growth slowed to 1.68 percent, from 12.06 percent, during the first half of 2017. Also, the total rice inventory of the NFA further declined to 1.9 million metric tons (MT) as of August 10, 2018. This was around 15 percent lower than the levels in the previous month. “The NFA should fast-track the distribution of remaining inventories, alongside the completion of the government’s 250,000 MT rice imports from Thailand and Vietnam in the last week of August, to build its rice inventory, a necessary step to temper inflation,” Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto M. Pernia said. Pernia also reiterated the passage of the amendments to Republic Act 8178, or the Agricultural Tariffication Act, deemed a crucial step in reforming the agriculture sector over the medium and long term. This proposed bill, once signed into law and fully implemented, is expected to help bring down the prices of rice and provide farmers better access to farming technologies and high-yielding variety crops. With Butch Fernandez

Implement UCT

IN order to address the rapid

Continued on A2

www.businessmirror.com.ph

FAO calls emergency meeting of Asian govts on African Swine Fever By Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas

@jearcalas

MID the imminent threat of African Swine Fever (ASF) in the continent, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has called for an emergency meeting of 10 Asian governments to ensure that the fatal animal disease would not spread to other Asian countries. The FAO said it opened on Wednesday a three-day emergency meeting in Bangkok, Thailand, “to examine the most recent developments in China following the outbreak of ASF” in the Asian country. Furthermore, the emergency meeting also seeks to come up with a regional response to the threat that the fatal swine disease could spread to neighboring Asian countries. The emergency meeting will be attended by veterinary epidemiologists, laboratory experts, senior technical staff and government officials from nine countries “with geographical proximity to China and perceived to be at risk of a transboundary spread of ASF.” The participants are from Cambodia, China, Japan, Lao PDR, Mongolia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Republic of Korea, Thailand and Vietnam, according to the FAO. The FAO added that experts from outside the region, such as officials from the World Organisation for Animal Health, will attend the meeting. “It’s critical that this region be ready for the very real possibility that ASF could jump the border into other countries,” said Wantanee Kalpravidh, regional manager of the FAO Emergency Centre for Transboundary Animal Diseases (Ectad) in Asia. “That’s why this emergency meeting has been convened—to assess where we are now—and to determine how we can work together in a coordinated, regional response to this serious situation,” Kalpravidh added. The meeting will also consider research studies and technologies from the recent and ongoing epi-

Pinoys. . .

Continued from A1

were in the agriculture sector. Those in the industry sector accounted for 20.8 percent. Former National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) Director General Emmanuel F. Esguerra said underemployment has been a greater problem than unemployment in the Philippines. Esguerra said poor Filipinos are the most affected by underemployment since they are almost always employed but do not earn enough income to support their families. “Poor people cannot afford to be unemployed so they somehow have to find work even if the pay is inadequate. Underemployment is an indication of inadequacy in income,” Esguerra said. Meanwhile, the Neda said underemployment—or workers who seek more work—increased to 17.2 percent, or an estimated 7 million workers in July 2018. This is higher compared to the 16.3 percent, or about 6.5 million, underemployed workers in July 2017. Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto M. Pernia said poor, low-skilled workers must be provided access to education and skills development programs that will provide lifelong learning opportunities, and that will respond to the changing needs of the labor market, especially in the context of disruptive technologies. Pernia also pushed for the reform of labor laws to provide better social protection to workers, while also improving labor market flexibility to maintain

It’s critical that this region be ready for the very real possibility that ASF could jump the border into other countries.”— FAO’S Wantanee Kalpravidh

sodes of ASF in Europe, according to the FAO. “It’s very important to understand how this virus has spread, historically, within the pig and wild boar populations in other regions of the world, so that we can adapt and tailor appropriate responses and determine the correct course of action needed here in this region,” said Juan Lubroth, the FAO’s chief veterinary officer. “Perhaps, more critical in terms of risk is the likely role of pork and pork product traffic through production and market chains— whether fresh or cured commodities,” he added. The FAO said the emergency meeting will conclude on Friday with the “establishment of a regional stakeholder network with defined roles and responsibilities.” The countries are expected to “identify and prioritize the actions that are required for countries to take in the short, medium and longer term.” “The fact this emergency meeting of experts from Asia and beyond has convened as quickly as it has is emblematic of the concern our member-countries have over this outbreak, and the very real threat it poses to their livestock, their national food security and the livelihoods of millions of people along that value chain,” said Kundhavi Kadiresan, FAO assistant directorgeneral and regional representative for Asia and the Pacific. “The FAO will continue to support this response in every way we can.” competitiveness and create more jobs. “In order to meet our employment targets, the government should provide an environment that is conducive to creating more and better jobs. It should prioritize policies and programs that address the issues of unutilized youth, unemployed youth, underemployment and vulnerable workers,” Pernia said. However, Pernia said the increase in employment rate means the government is on track to meet its target of generating 900,000 to 1.1 million jobs this year. The Neda said the services sector accounted for more than half of the country’s total employment, contributing additional employment of more than 1.1 million. The industry sector also recorded positive employment growth of 2.2 percent, or 172,000 additional jobs. Among industry subsectors, the manufacturing sector contributed the largest during the period. “An average of 1.17 million additional employment has been created so far in the first three rounds of the Labor Force Survey. And this puts the government on track in meeting its target of 900,000 to 1.1 million employment generation for 2018. With remarkable improvements, the government should not let up on its efforts to continually improve the employment situation in the country,” Pernia said. The LFS is a nationwide quarterly survey of households to gather data on the demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of the population, and provide statistics on trends of employment, unemployment and underemployment in the country. Cai U. Ordinario

Editor: Efleda P. Campos

Companies BusinessMirror

Thursday, September 6, 2018

Higher inflation rate surprises market By VG Cabuag

@villygc

HARE prices plunged on Wednesday, with the main index losing more than 100 points after the country’s inflation rate again went beyond consensus estimates. The benchmark Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) fell 129.55 points to close at 7,752.27 points.

Volume of shares traded was still anemic at 1.69 billion shares worth just P5.88 billion as inves-

tors stayed on the sidelines. The country’s inflation rate surged to 6.4 percent in August, which again surprised investors. Consensus estimates for the inflation, the measure of the rate of the rise of prices of a basket of goods, was below 6 percent. The Department of Finance is expecting a 5.9-percent rate and the Central Bank between 5.5 percent and 6.2 percent. “Investors were predicting lower as the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas [BSP] set the high end of the range at 6.2 percent. This will probably

also add pressure to another rate hike which could be as much as 50 basis points,” said Luis Limlingan, managing director at Regina Capital and Development Corp. The policy-making Monetary Board will meet later this month after the US Federal Reserve policy meeting. “We view that a 50-basis points hike may be needed. Not only we are trying to tame the cost of goods, but the US may raise their key interest rates when the Federal Reserve meets on September 25 and

Grab to fight LTFRB ₧10-M fine for ‘overcharging’ By Lorenz S. Marasigan @lorenzmarasigan

RAB Philippines will exhaust all administrative and legal means to overturn the decision of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to fine the company P10 million for supposedly overcharging its customers. Brian P. Cu, who heads the Philippine subsidiary of global transportation network company (TNC) Grab, said his group stands by the legality of its imposition of a P2per-minute rate on its fare matrix for about 10 months from June 2017 to April 2018. He cited an order issued earlier by the then-Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) that allowed TNCs to set

their own fare structures, while being overseen by the regulator. The said order, however, was rescinded when the Department of Transportation gave the LTFRB full regulatory and supervisory functions over TNCs and transportation network vehicle services (TNVS) operators in June. “Grab will exhaust all administrative and legal measures until the decision is overturned or resolved with finality,” Cu said, noting that Grab will file an appeal before the transportation department to overturn the said decision. Late Tuesday saw the regulator partly granting the motion for reconsideration of Grab against an earlier order requiring the company to pay a P10-million fine and to reimburse its customers for charging a P2-per-minute rate from June

2017 to April 2018. Leo Emmanuel Gonzales, who heads the public affairs division of Grab Philippines, noted the fight against the P10-million fine is “not a matter of amount, but a matter of principle.” “It’s partly a blessing because they did recognize and saw a little to no legal basis for the rebate. We need to seek the right measure and means to resolve this,” he said. In a related development, the regulator “signed” a decision approving the P2-per-minute provisional charge on Grab rides, LTFRB Board Member Aileen A. Lizada said. Based on the document, Hype’s petition for the P2-per-minute charge was also approved. It will take effect 15 days from now. Cu said the reimposition of the

Suzuki beefs up presence in Mindanao By Manuel T. Cayon Mindanao Bureau Chief

AVAO CITY—Suzuki Philippines is beefing up its presence in Mindanao amid a splendid reception to its line of car brands, posting higher sales than traditionally rich-market Luzon. It opened here its 71st dealership and plans two more in the provincial capitals of Tagum City in Davao del Norte and Surigao City in Surigao del Norte. It has already established dealerships in the major capitals of Mindanao. “We feel gratified,” said Shuzo

Hoshikura, vice president and general manager of the automobile division of Suzuki Philippines. He did not give figures yet, but he said Mindanao posted a “surprising” acceptance to the introduction of cars made by Suzuki, traditionally a strong rival to the Japanese-brand motorcycles. He said Filipinos continue to demonstrate their preference to acquire a car, boosted by what he described as a steady strong gross domestic product and high consumerspending pattern. Overall, the company’s auto sales have been steadily on the uptick, but pulled down this year

by the initial impact of the tax, reform program of the Duterte administration, which imposes hefty tax on nonessential and luxury items. “Filipinos, who want and who are ready to buy cars, were surprised by this program due to its impact on the prices of cars,” he said. “But they are adjusting. Besides, Filipinos really want to buy cars more than ever.” He said this year’s drop by 12 percent in auto car sales may be temporary and may pick up to continue the uptrend in the past few years.

European health-care firms eye PHL market By Elijah Felice E. Rosales @alyasjah

UROPEAN health-care firms are highly considering investing in the Philippines to take advantage of the country’s developing health-services industry. In a news release on Wednesday, the Board of Investments (BOI) reported 50 European companies came on a business trip to the country to study the possibility of bringing in new medical technologies. The firms were mostly engaged in medical-waste technology, laboratory equipment, cosmetics, dental products and supplies, pharmaceuticals, information- technology solutions, telemedicine and remote health monitoring, among others. Trade Undersecretary and BOI Managing Head Ceferino S. Rodolfo Jr. said the possible entry of new health-care players will bolster government efforts to improve the health sector. “The agency is supportive of the EU [European Union] healthcare and medical technologies business mission as this complements the effort

of the local health-services industry to develop and promote the country as a medical travel, wellness tourism and as a retirement destination in Asia,” he said. “The government supports the manufacturing medical devices and supplies, as the country presents great opportunities in the field with the presence of over 2,000 government and private hospitals and over 23,000 health units and stations all over the country,” Rodolfo added. Citing figures from the nongovernment MedTech Europe, the BOI said the EU serves as one of the largest sources of medical-device products in the world. There are almost 25,000 firms producing and distributing medical devices for various functions, including in-vitro diagnostics, cardiology, orthopedics, diagnostic imaging, ophthalmics, surgery, endoscopy and wound management. The BOI said Southeast Asia can benefit from the EU’s advanced medical technologies, as it faces challenges in the next years over its graying population. Percentage of elderly above 65

years old in the Philippines, for one, is expected to go up to 4.9 percent in 2020 and 6.3 percent in 2030, the BOI claimed, again citing MedTech Europe. “The Philippine health-care sector is experiencing exciting developments. The government is focused on improving the delivery of public health care to its citizens, evident in the increase in the health budget, the remarkable membership coverage under the National Health Insurance Program, or PhilHealth, and the progress in key legislations for social services, including health,” EU Ambassador Franz Jessen said. He vowed the EU remains devoted to backing the Philippine government in its health agenda through various programs, trade and development. Total trade in health care, medical technologies and related goods last year between the Philippines and the EU amounted to €1.1 billion, and is expected to increase further in the coming years. The business mission was conducted on Monday and Tuesday in a hotel in Taguig City.

P2-per-minute charge will help entice drivers to be on the road, and thus help solve the supply problem that the industry is facing right now. In Grab’s research, the Philippines needs roughly 80,500 TNVS — or peers — to meet the more than 600,000 booking requests per day.  Currently, supply is capped at 65,000 vehicles, and only 70 percent are active — the rest either decided not to continue offering their services or are not in the regulator’s “master list” of registered drivers.

26,” Limlingan said. Foreign investors were net sellers at P1.04 billion. “We should watch out if the negative sentiment will continue on Thursday, especially since technicals are lining up with the index correcting after failing to push through its resistance level near 7,900. Initial support for the PSEi should it continue its downward move for the rest of the week is at 7,500,” said Gio Perez, trader at Papa Securities Corp. All other sub-indices ended on the red, led by the broader All Shares in-

dex that gave up 63.84 points to close at 4,732.02; the Financials index fell 50.76 to 1,753.84; the Industrial index declined 99.33 to 11,226.33; the Holding Firms index dropped 110.35 to 7,709.23; and the Property index plunged 73.04 to 3,856.96. Ayala Land Inc. was the day’s most traded and it fell P0.80 to P43.40. BDO Unibank Inc. declined P6.60 to P123.30; SM Prime Holdings Inc. shed P0.95 to P37.75; Ayala Corp. lost P12 to P973; and Metropolitan Bank and Trust Co. was down P1.45 to P72.20.

Globe unit seeks to complete 704 circuits for rural towns by Sept

LOBE Telecom Inc. subsidiary Innove Communications Inc. aims to complete a number of connectivity platform projects by September, as it works closely with the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT). Under the deal it bagged from the agency, Innove committed to deliver a total of 704 circuits to some underserved municipalities across the Philippines. In turn, the DICT will have to ensure that Innove can deploy these circuits by securing building permission from the respective local government units (LGUs). Globe General Counsel Froilan Castelo reported that as of end-August, Innove was able to

deliver 492 of the 704 committed circuits, which will route data from one node to another. The said equipment will serve “as a backbone and distribution hubs for Internet connectivity for municipalities across the country.” He noted the group may be able to complete its project deliverables by the end of the month “depending on the resolution of some circuit deployment issues.” “We will deliver the remaining 212 circuits as soon as the deliverables of other parties are accomplished. This is in line with our commitment with the DICT to work with them hand in hand in bridging the digital divide in the country,” Castelo said. Lorenz S. Marasigan

Thursday, September 6, 2018

Companies BusinessMirror

Berjaya PHL buys small stake in 7-Eleven Malaysia By VG Cabuag

@villygc

ERJAYA Philippines Inc. on Wednesday said it acquired a small stake in convenience-store operator 7-Eleven Malaysia Holdings Berhad, a company listed in Bursa Malaysia Securities. In its disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange, the company said it bought 6.5 million shares in Malaysia’s 7-Eleven for about P124.47 million.

It said the company started to purchase the shares on March 1 from the open market and ended on September 3. The said shares are equivalent

to about 0.58 percent of 7-Eleven Malaysia. With the acquisition, the company now has 1.58-percent stake in the conveniencestore chain, which has about 2,100 stores in Malaysia. “7-Eleven Malaysia is the single largest convenience-store chain in that country,” the company said. “The shares were acquired free from all encumbrances, and the acquisition was funded from the issuer’s internal funds,” it said. Berjaya Philippines was originally incorporated on October 31, 1924, as Central Azucarera de Pilar mainly for the purpose of sugar production. It subsequently changed its name to Prime Gaming Philippines

Inc. and completed the acquisition of its subsidiary corporation, Philippine Gaming Management Corp., in 1998. In 2010 it changed the name to the present one. The company’s unit leases out online lottery equipment and providing software support. It also invested in Berjaya Pizza Philippines Inc. and owns Perdana Hotel Philippines Inc., which operates Berjaya Makati Hotel in Makati. The company also has investments in Berjaya Auto Philippines Inc., which has a distributorship agreement with Mazda Motor Corp. of Japan. The company also has investments in Ssangyong Berjaya Motor Philippines Inc.

Cargill to launch digital platforms to help feed millers, livestock growers By Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas @jearcalas

ARGILL Philippines Inc. (Cargill) is set to roll out by end-2019 its digital nutrition platforms to aid feed millers and livestock raisers to improve their farm management by reducing their production costs and maximizing their output. Cargill, through its Provimi brand, unveiled on Wednesday its digital nutrition solutions portfolio that aims “to help animal feed producers and livestock farmers improve performance and increase farm productivity.” The digital nutrition solutions include TechBro Flex and Pork MAX, which are both multifactorial predictive softwares that could estimate the total cost of production of raisers in order to attain

their specific production goals and requirements. “This can help our customers to better source their raw materials right. [For example] the [software] would screen all suppliers of soybeans and the customer [could] go with the highest protein digestible,” Maxime Hilbert, Strategic Marketing and Technology director of Cargill Premix & Nutrition Southeast Asia, said in a news briefing on September 5. “[These digital solutions] would allow them to maximize profit with every US dollar they invest,” Hilbert added. The softwares have three easy steps: first, the user would input his farm details, such as bird parameters, including breed and feed form, as well as nutritional and economic performance data. After which, the software would create scenarios to meet the farmer’s economic objectives.

Last, the farmer-user would just choose the best possible scenario to improve his farm and business. Cargill Premix & Nutrition Country Director Generoso Rene M. Romo Jr. said digital solutions offered by the company would not be commercially sold, but instead would be bundled with Cargill products. “As a business entity we also have to earn,” Romo said. “There is a business partnership to have these tools. You have to buy something from us [first]. It’s a business collaboration between animal producer and feed miller, a company which is [Cargill] Provimi Philippines,” Romo added. Hilbert estimated feed millers could reduce their production costs by $0.5 to $10 per metric ton of feed produced. As for broiler raisers, they could save five cents to 10 cents per chicken, Hilbert said.

“If you multiply that with the thousands of birds [they have], then that’s big money,” he said. Romo said having such tool at hand would allow feed millers and animal raisers to cushion the impact of rising costs of raw materials today to their businesses. Romo is cognizant the digital softwares could face some resistance from industry players at first. “Embracing the idea of digital nutrition is a challenge in the market. But then, with the rising input costs, if you do not adapt with this kind of technology—wherein you can have a more precise measurement of raw materials needed—you will have problem,” he said. “You would be buying very expensive raw materials. The predictive modeling tools would really help producers to be more efficient due to higher costs nowadays,” he added.

www.businessmirror.com.ph

First Gen Corp. questions PNOC decision to open another round of offer submissions for Malampaya By Lenie Lectura

@llectura

IRST Gen Corp. of the Lopez group said it sought clarification from the Philippine National Oil Co. (PNOC) following the state firm’s decision to hold another round of offer submissions for the sale of unused Malampaya natural gas, more known as banked gas. First Gen Vice President for Business Development and Head of Gas Business Unit Jerome Cainglet said it was “not clear” why PNOC again asked for offers. “We did submit an offer last July. We are now asking for the status. There was no formal rejection. What will happen to the offer we submitted last July?” said Cainglet. First Gen, he added, had met with PNOC. “We did clarify the status, and it’s still under discussion. We’re not able to get a response.” PNOC issued notice last June it was selling its banked gas comprising of 97.67 petajoules. The deadline set for the submission of proposals was last July 23. However, PNOC executive assistant Jannefer Pelayo, a lawyer, had said “no one qualified.” This prompted PNOC to issue another notice. “PNOC is offering it again for sale through the submission of offers, which will be evaluated and further negotiated to get the best

MUTUAL FUNDS

value for the government. PNOC will negotiate for the best offer subject to the final approval of the Board of Directors. We will study if there is a need for a Swiss challenge,” she said. The deadline was last September 3. PNOC did not respond to questions when asked if it received offers last Monday. In the same notice, PNOC said the maximum average daily quantity deliverable to the buyer is 32.22 terajoules per day. The end date delivery is until February 23, 2024, and the delivery point is the Malampaya Onshore Gas Plant in Tabangao, Batangas. Those with acceptable offers will be required to submit qualification documents to establish their legal, technical and financial eligibility. PNOC said last year that proceeds, amounting to about P11.9 billion, from the sale of the banked gas will be utilized to finance government’s plan to put up a liquefied natural gas (LNG) hub. PNOC had said it was swamped with offers from foreign and local firms for a partnership in the former’s plan to put up an integrated LNG hub with storage, liquefaction, regassification and distribution facility, as well as a reserve initial power plant capacity of 200 megawatts. This is targeted to be completed in 2020.

September 5, 2018

NAV ONE YEAR THREE YEAR FIVE YEAR Y-T-D PER SHARE RETURN* RETURN STOCK FUNDS ALFM GROWTH FUND, INC * 266.1 -4.12% 1.52% 3.57% -9.24% ATRAM ALPHA OPPORTUNITY FUND, INC.* 1.4985 -8.34% 5.45% 3.82% -6.16% ATRAM PHILIPPINE EQUITY OPPORTUNITY FUND, INC.* 4.1849 -4.48% 3.02% 2.3% -8.88% CLIMBS SHARE CAPITAL EQUITY INVESTMENT FUND CORP.* 0.9323 -7.36% N.A. N.A. -8.33% FIRST METRO CONSUMER FUND ON MSCI PHILS. IMI, INC. * ********* 0.8745 N.A. N.A. N.A. N.A. FIRST METRO SAVE AND LEARN EQUITY FUND,INC.* 5.5306 -1.96% 1.2% 2.55% -8.02% MBG EQUITY INVESTMENT FUND, INC. * ****** 118.25 N.A. N.A. N.A. N.A. ONE WEALTHY NATION FUND, INC.* 0.8805 -8.63% N.A. N.A. -11.3% PAMI EQUITY INDEX FUND, INC.* 52.0778 -2.1% 2.75% N.A. -7.65% PHILAM STRATEGIC GROWTH FUND, INC.* 539.6 -3.29% 1.26% 1.67% -8.3% PHILEQUITY DIVIDEND YIELD FUND, INC.* 1.3157 -1.13% 2.98% N.A. -6.31% PHILEQUITY FUND, INC.* 38.6093 0.28% 3.59% 5.4% -6.05% PHILEQUITY PSE INDEX FUND INC.* 5.2461 -1.69% 3.55% 5.78% -7.54% PHILIPPINE STOCK INDEX FUND CORP.* 875.59 -1.83% 3.27% 5.56% -7.42% SOLDIVO STRATEGIC GROWTH FUND, INC. * 0.8951 -2.7% 0.33% N.A. -7.44% SUN LIFE PROSPERITY PHILIPPINE EQUITY FUND, INC.* 4.3001 -0.54% 3.04% 4.1% -6.12% SUN LIFE PROSPERITY PHILIPPINE STOCK INDEX FUND, INC.* 1.01 -1.83% 3.38% N.A. -7.62% UNITED FUND, INC.* 3.7058 2.52% 4.59% 4.05% -4.84% EXCHANGE TRADED FUND FIRST METRO PHIL. EQUITY EXCHANGE TRADED FUND, INC.* ***116.8885 -1.02% 4.49% N.A. -7.2% ATRAM ASIAPLUS EQUITY FUND, INC.** $1.0309 -1.82% 6.5% 2.43% -6.98% SUN LIFE PROSPERITY WORLD VOYAGER FUND, INC.* $1.3061 9.8% N.A. N.A. 3.23% BALANCED FUNDS PRIMARILY INVESTED IN PESO SECURITIES ATRAM DYNAMIC ALLOCATION FUND, INC.* 1.7135 -4.69% -2.01% -0.56% -8.05% ATRAM PHILIPPINE BALANCED FUND, INC.* 2.3139 -3.27% 1.56% 1.75% -5.82% FIRST METRO SAVE AND LEARN BALANCED FUND INC.* 2.6402 -1.1% -0.86% -0.81% -4.68% GREPALIFE BALANCED FUND CORPORATION* **** 1.3675 -3.27% N.A. N.A. -6.01% NCM MUTUAL FUND OF THE PHILS., INC* 1.891 -1.47% 1.23% 1.39% -5.09% PAMI HORIZON FUND, INC.* 3.672 -3.27% 0.15% 0.51% -6.28% PHILAM FUND, INC.* 16.3918 -3.91% -0.07% 0.5% -6.64% SOLIDARITAS FUND, INC.* ******** 2.1232 -2.26% 1.58% 3.42% -5.3% SUN LIFE OF CANADA PROSPERITY BALANCED FUND, INC.* 3.8045 -0.84% 1.08% 2.2% -4.8% SUN LIFE PROSPERITY DYNAMIC FUND, INC.* 0.9734 -0.82% 0.77% N.A. -4.6% PRIMARILY INVESTED IN FOREIGN CURRENCY SECURITIES COCOLIFE DOLLAR FUND BUILDER, INC.* $0.03523 -1.92% -0.12% 2.84% -2.41% PAMI ASIA BALANCED FUND, INC.* $0.9897 -2.11% 4.66% 0.31% -5.47% SUN LIFE PROSPERITY DOLLAR ADVANTAGE FUND, INC.* $3.6829 5.21% 6.16% 4.3% 0.83% SUN LIFE PROSPERITY DOLLAR WELLSPRING FUND, INC.* $1.0932 0.1% N.A. N.A. -1.71% BOND FUNDS PRIMARILY INVESTED IN PESO SECURITIES ALFM PESO BOND FUND, INC.* 340.94 1.59% 1.72% 1.62% 1.14% ATRAM CORPORATE BOND FUND, INC.* ******* 1.8623 -1.77% -1.38% -0.24% -1.59% COCOLIFE FIXED INCOME FUND, INC.* 2.9233 5.39% 5.3% 5.35% 3.59% EKKLESIA MUTUAL FUND INC.* 2.1236 0.39% 1.1% 1.06% 1.02% FIRST METRO SAVE AND LEARN FIXED INCOME FUND,INC.* 2.2192 0.09% -0.11% 0.21% 0.14% GREPALIFE FIXED INCOME FUND CORP.* P 1.5938 -0.6% -1.41% -1.34% -0.98% PHILAM BOND FUND, INC.* 3.9499 -3.71% -1.2% -0.45% -2.47% PHILEQUITY PESO BOND FUND, INC.* 3.4855 0.04% -0.34% 0.09% -0.55% SOLDIVO BOND FUND, INC. * 0.9014 -3.3% -1.58% N.A. -2.36% SUN LIFE OF CANADA PROSPERITY BOND FUND, INC.* 2.7861 0.99% 0.19% 0.52% 0.33% SUN LIFE PROSPERITY GS FUND, INC.* 1.5456 0.23% -0.33% -0.14% -0.26% PRIMARILY INVESTED IN FOREIGN CURRENCY SECURITIES ALFM DOLLAR BOND FUND, INC. * $444.76 0.15% 2.34% 3.26% -0.26% ALFM EURO BOND FUND, INC. * Є213.35 0.36% 1.36% 1.73% -0.17% ATRAM TOTAL RETURN DOLLAR BOND FUND, INC.** $1.1201 -1.16% 1.21% 2.18% -1.23% FIRST METRO SAVE AND LEARN DOLLAR BOND FUND, INC.* $0.0248 - 0.8% 0.68% N.A. -0.8% GREPALIFE DOLLAR BOND FUND CORP.* $1.7072 -4.58% 0% 1.93% -3.63% MAA PRIVILEGE DOLLAR FIXED INCOME FUND, INC. N.S. N.S. N.S. N.S. N.S. MAA PRIVILEGE EURO FIXED INCOME FUND, INC. ЄN.S. N.S. N.S. N.S. N.S. PAMI GLOBAL BOND FUND, INC* $1.039 -4.28% -0.87% -1.9% -3.21% PHILAM DOLLAR BOND FUND, INC.* $2.1696 -3.38% 1.02% 3.42% -3.62% PHILEQUITY DOLLAR INCOME FUND INC.* $0.0568582 -0.93% 1.05% 2.2% -0.6% SUN LIFE PROSPERITY DOLLAR ABUNDANCE FUND, INC.* $2.908 -4.15% 0.99% 2.37% -3.48% MONEY MARKET FUNDS PRIMARILY INVESTED IN PESO SECURITIES ALFM MONEY MARKET FUND, INC.* 119.67 2.28% 1.65% 1.44% 1.75% PHILAM MANAGED INCOME FUND, INC.* 1.1737 1.82% 0.38% 0.38% 1.41% SUN LIFE PROSPERITY MONEY MARKET FUND, INC.* 1.2057 2.32% 2.09% 1.34% 1.7% PRIMARILY INVESTED IN FOREIGN CURRENCY SECURITIES SUN LIFE PROSPERITY DOLLAR STARTER FUND, INC.* ***** $1.0094 N.A. N.A. N.A. 1.07% * - NAVPS AS OF THE PREVIOUS BANKING DAY ** - NAVPS AS OF TWO BANKING DAYS AGO *** - LISTED IN THE PSE. **** - RE-CLASSIFIED INTO A BALANCED FUND STARTING JANUARY 1, 2017 (FORMERLY GREPALIFE BOND FUND CORP.). ***** - LAUNCH DATE IS NOVEMBER 6, 2017 ****** - LAUNCH DATE IS JANUARY 08, 2018 ******** - RENAMING OF THE FUND WAS APPROVED BY THE SEC LAST APRIL 13, 2018. ********* - BECAME A MEMBER SINCE APRIL 20, 2018. ******* - ADJUSTED DUE TO CASH DIVIDEND ISSUANCE LAST JANUARY 29, 2018

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

The World

Malaysia, Singapore to delay, not axe, high-speed rail link

U T R A JAYA , Ma l ay si a— Ma laysia and Singapore agreed on Wednesday to delay, not cancel, a planned highspeed railway that would cut travel time between their capitals to just 90 minutes. Shortly after a stunning election victor y in May, new Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said the 350 -k i lo meter (218 -mile) rail project would be a xed because it was too costly. But after weeks of negotiations, officials from the two countries signed an agreement on Wednesday to defer construction of the rail link by two years to May 31, 2020. The two governments said the railway is now slated to begin operations by 2031 instead of 2026. Mahathir’s about-turn will help Malaysia avoid paying hefty compensation and buy time to improve government finances. Economics Minister Azmin Ali said Malaysia will pay 15 million Singapore dollars ($10.9 million) to Singapore by January as a suspension cost. If the project isn’t revived by the agreed date, Malaysia will have to bear the termination cost, he said, but declined to give details. “The agreement signed today clearly stated our commitment to continue the project after 2020,” Azmin told a news conference after signing the pact with Singapore Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan. The signing was witnessed

by Mahathir. The two countries signed an agreement in December 2016 to build the rapid rail line with speeds of over 300 kilometers (18 8 m i les) a n hou r. It w a s dubbed a “game changer” that would strengthen economic ties between the neighbors. Currently, it takes at least four hours to travel by car. Khaw said Singapore agreed to Malaysia’s request to put the project on hold to give its government time to manage its finances. Ma hat hir’s a l l iance won a stunning victory in May 9 elections to oust scandal-tainted former Prime Minister Najib Razak and end his coalition’s 60-year grip on power. The new government has begun reviewing large-scale infrastructure projects, including Chinese investments, to cut costs after revealing that national debt and liabilities had surged to 80 percent of gross domestic product, taking into account government guarantees and other payments. The huge debt is partly due to a massive corruption scandal at the 1Malaysia Development Berhad state investment fund set up by Najib that led voters to abandon him and sparked investigations in the United States and several other countries. US investigators say Najib’s associates stole and laundered at least $4.5 billion from the fund. AP

Italy, Spain see economic growth falter to multi-year lows

ONDON—A closely watched survey is showing that the 19-country euro zone economy continued to grow at a solid tick during August despite sharp slowdowns in Italy and Spain. Financial information firm IHS Markit said its measure of business activity across manufacturing and services—called the composite purchasing managers’ index—rose to 54.5 points during August from 54.3 the previous month. Anything above 50

indicates expansion and August’s level points to quarterly economic growth of around 0.4 percent, in line with the second-quarter outcome. Chris Williamson, IHS Markit’s chief business economist, says Italy saw “growth slow sharply in August, to suggest the region’s third-largest economy is on course for its weakest expansion for nearly two years, while in Spain the third quarter could be the worst for almost five years.” AP

BusinessMirror

Thursday, September 6, 2018

China points to other gains in hopes of easing US trade ire B

EIJING—China is trying to defuse a spiraling tariff war with Washington over technology policy by highlighting gains in other trade-related areas. The Cabinet press office invited The Associated Press to interview the head of the country’s patent and copyright office, as part of government efforts to persuade Washington and other trading partners to tone down objections to Chinese industry policy. The official, Shen Changyu, pointed to improvements in fighting violations, previously a target of complaints by the United States, Europe and other traders. “China’s work on intellectual property protection is solid and very productive,” said Shen, commissioner of the State Intellectual Property Office. “This point should be evaluated objectively and fairly by the international community.” The interview coincided with a series of events organized by Chinese officials, including briefings for foreign reporters by economists and other researchers, seeking to change minds abroad. They have emphasized China’s importance as a market, its plans to end ownership limits in its auto industry and other regulatory changes. But none of those moves directly addresses the policies that prompted US President Donald J. Trump to impose penalty tariffs on Chinese goods. Washington says Beijing steals or pressures foreign companies to hand over technology. American officials say Chinese plans for

state-led development of global champions in robotics and other fields violate Beijing’s free-trade commitments and might erode American industrial leadership. The Cabinet press office said Shen couldn’t address those complaints because his office has no role in technology policy. The Trump administration has imposed 25 percent duties on $50 billion of Chinese imports and is poised to add similar penalties on another $200-billion list of goods as early as this week. Beijing says it will retaliate. Wa s h i n g ton a nd B e iji n g went to the brink of a trade war in the 1990s over complaints China a l lowed rampant unlicensed copy ing of med ic ine, mov ies, sof t w a re, desig n i ng clothing and other goods. Business groups say enforcement has improved since then, largely because Chinese companies started creating their ow n technology in smartphones, solar power and other fields that required protection. Shen cited promises this year by President Xi Jinping and China’s No. 2 leader, Premier Li Keqiang, to strength enforcement and “make infringers pay a heavy price.” “It is an independent choice for us to build an innovative country and promote economic and social development,” said Shen. The conflict has largely moved on from over rampant Chinese copying of Hollywood movies, music, software and medicines to one focused on the bedrock of Beijing’s state-led development strategy.

Chinese officials have rejected US pressure to scale back industry plans Beijing sees as the path to prosperity and global influence. “Ratcheting up US pressure will not work on China,” said a foreign

ministry spokesman, Hua Chunying, last week. “For people who still think China will give in to intimidation, threats and groundless criticism, I think it’s the time for them to wake up.” AP

B4 Thursday, September 6, 2018

LAUNCH: ROBOTICS IN MNL ORGANIQUE ACQUIRES MESTIZA

OBO Clash & iCreate Workshop (August 25): Students from different schools gathered at SM City Sta Mesa to attend LAUNCH: Robotics in MNL! They showcased their robots such as life-sized Metanoia, P-Noy, Robotics Dog

IN PHOTO, Organique Skin Care Inc. President Joseph Elton Salimbangon, CEO Catherine Salimbangon, (Mrs. Elizabeth Maglipon, Michael Maglipon and Martina Maglipon- Sarmiento of EMB Natures Mfg. Corp (previous owners of MESTIZA)

RGANIQUE Skin Care Inc., a subsidiary of global superfood compa ny O rga n ique I nc., recently acquired a very popular healthy skincare brand in the market, the Mestiza Soap. The acquisition is part of the company’s vision to help sustain livelihood of local coconut farmers and support local herbal industry, as it expands its reach to millions of consumers across the country and around the globe harnessing only the finest ingredients from nature. Mestiza soap’s main ingredient is Extra Premium Virgin Coconut Oi l , t he on ly one i n the market, with more than 33% of the (EPVCO) for the Mestiza Original and

40% of the Mestiza Prime variants. Mestizaistheonlyleadingall-natural healthy skin soap in the market that uses real fruit and vegetable extracts such as carrots, calamansi, banana, papaya and such on the same day of the production. So you are guaranteed each ingredient has a s y nerg y ef fec t w it h t he m a i n ingredient that helps remove flaky dead skin cells and improve skin’s texture, fades skin spots, pimple blemishes, to help smoothen, brighten complexion, and keep the skin moisturized for a youthful, glowing skin that is soft to touch. And because it’s ALL-NATURAL, it’s good for toddlers to adults and even for pregnant women; a quality that works well with the new brand owner ORGANIQUE

SKINCARE INC. Loyal users attest to MESTIZA soap’s amazing effect on their skin for more than a decade now. MESTIZA soap has five variantstocatertodifferentskintypeslike; sensitive skin, normal to dry skin, normal to oily skin, oily skin and dry skin type. MESTIZA soap is ideal also for all over the body use. The quality of the ingredients is so good that one would think this is a skin superfood. MESTIZA soap by Organique Skin Care Inc. is exclusively distributed by Philusa Corporation. It is available in Mercury Drug, Watsons, Robinsons Supermarket, Puregold, Gaisano Mall, and in other major drugstores and supermarkets nationwide.

PASSION, POWER AND PERFORMANCE DEFINE THE MAXI YACHT ROLEX CUP 2018

HE Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup 2018 will pitch some of the world’s most imposing yachts in close competition. First held in 1980, the 29th edition will this year feature some 44 yachts, ranging in size from just over 18 metres (60 feet) all the way up to some 44 metres (144 feet). The crews commanding this impressive fleet will be of the highest calibre, exhibiting the requisite dedication, skill and finesse to manoeuvre powerful craft in the heat of a contest that will unfold on the spectacular waters of the Costa Smeralda from 2 – 8 September. Organized by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda (YCCS), which celebrated its 50th anniversary last year, and the International Maxi Association, the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup is the second longest-running event in the Rolex yachting portfolio, and a pivotal part of the brand’s six-decadelong association with the sport of yachting. Rolex has been a partner of the YCCS since 1984 and Title Sponsor of this regatta since 1985. As expected, the organization behind this event is top-class. Yachts of this size and quality demand the very best in race management. The YCCS team, led by Peter Craig, invariably delivers on this need, making the most of the Maddalena Archipelago and the prevailing winds to offer competitors challenging racing against one of the finest backdrops in the sport. The return of the J Class will offer a seamless marriage between tradition and innovation. Two of the Js competing are new builds, featuring the latest construction techniques and sail technology, but based on original 1930s designs that reflect the passion within the yachting community to retain ties with the past through modern day interpretations. In the heyday of the J Class, the permanent crew would have been around 16, increased to 30 for racing. Today’s technology means the permanent-crew requirements are now far less, while the competition crew remains similar in size. The biggest of the three Js entered is Svea at 43.6m (143 feet), with Topaz just under a metre shorter at 42.7m (140 feet). Velsheda is not just the smallest at 39.65m (130 feet), but she is also the oldest and considered a bona fide original. Launched in 1933, Velsheda was named after commissioning owner, W. L. Stephenson’s three daughters – Velma, Sheila and Daphne. At that time, she represented the most advanced technical design for spars, rigging, sails, deck-gear and sheets (ropes), and introduced features that are still used on yachts today: winches, rod-rigging and halyards running inside the mast are but a few examples. Svea, Topaz and Velsheda will race in the Supermaxi division, open to boats measuring in excess of 30.5m (100 feet). They will be joined by two other yachts: the 39.65m (130 foot) My Song, for her first Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup, as well as the perennial campaigner,

the 36m (118 foot) Viriella. The six participating Wally yachts offer a contrast in length, weight and crew size to the J Class, but their influence on trends and developments in the sailing world is arguably just as important. Widely regarded as having revolutionized design-thinking and construction techniques for large sailing vessels in the mid to late 1990s, Wally yachts offer high-performance sailing. With elegant lines and sophisticated, luxurious interiors, they are both innovative and captivating. One of the latest examples is Tango, launched in 2017. A Wallycento design, her latest generation hull lines and structural engineering have helped reduce displacement and improve stiffness. At 30.48m (100 feet) in length, she is much smaller than a J Class. Her displacement is also significantly lighter: 47.5 tonnes compared to the 175 tonnes of Topaz. This year marks Tango’s debut at the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup. The Wally fleet is enhanced by the presence of two other 30.48m (100 foot) Wallycentos: Magic Carpet Cubed, a class winner at the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup in 2014, is joined by Galateia, a winner in 2017. With similar performance profiles, and as demonstrated at the recent Rolex Giraglia, the three Wallycentos should provide some of the most exciting competition of the week. The largest class of competing yachts will be the Mini Maxis, measuring between 18 and 24 metres (60 – 80 feet). The class will be divided into two principal divisions: Rolex Maxi 72 World Championship and Racing/Cruising. The Rolex Maxi 72 Worlds will showcase six all-carbon stripped-out racing machines. Offering no shred of comfort below deck, these yachts deliver grand prix design and racing technology to their helmsman-owners, who are supported by an entirely professional crew.

The remaining entrants fall into the Maxi division, open to yachts between 24 metres and 30.5 metres (80 – 100 feet), such as Rambler, the canting-keeled line honours winner at the 2017 Rolex Fastnet, first finisher at the last three Rolex Middle Sea Races, and overall winner of the 2018 RORC Caribbean 600 where Rolex is again the official timepiece. Befitting its standing in the world of yachting, the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup will look after its participants on both the sea and shore. The first-class social programme, including the Rolex Gala Dinner and Final Prize giving, offers an opportunity to reflect on the week and the sailing industry at large. And, after five days of intense competition, the individual class winners will be justly rewarded for their triumph with Rolex timepieces, a recognized emblem of excellence. Rolex has always sought to associate with activities that are motivated by passion, excellence, precision and team spirit. Rolex naturally gravitated towards the elite world of yachting, forming an alliance that dates back to the late 1950s. Today, Rolex is Title Sponsor of 15 major international events; from leading offshore races, such as the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, Rolex Middle Sea Race and the biennial Rolex Fastnet Race, through to the highest-level grand prix competition at the Rolex TP52 World Championship and spectacular gatherings at the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup and the Rolex Swan Cup. The Swiss watchmaker’s close relationships with the most prestigious yacht clubs around the world, including the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, Yacht Club Italiano, Yacht Club Costa Smeralda (Italy), New York Yacht Club (United States), and the Royal Yacht Squadron (Cowes, United Kingdom) are the foundation of Rolex’s enduring relationship with the pinnacle of this spectacular sport.

& more from one of the pioneer master robotics trainers in the Philippines. Students learned how to build motorized LEGO models & simple programming in We Do Workshop. Intelligent robots compete in our first ever Robo Soccer Game.

WINNING IN THE GAME OF LIFE @SUNSHINE PLACE

atch 2 of Winning in the Game of Life workshop to be facilitated by Dr. Lia Bernardo, who specializes in PsychoneurologyandIntegrativeHealthasidefrombeing a Personal Development Training and Behavioral Specialist, is set to start on 8 September 2018 at the Roof Deck of Sunshine Place. Workshop is from 2:00-6:00 pm. Participants will be taught how to explore the universal laws such as the law of abundance, the law of karma, the law of duality, the law of non-resistance and other spiritual and universal laws that silently govern a person’s vibrational

frequency. They will learn how to use these laws to create a life that supports the person rather than a life to which the person simply react. By knowing how universal law works, one will be able to tap into it’s power and make decisions and choices based on how the world works and functions. Learn how to create the life you wantbylearningtherulesofthegame. Playthegameoflifetowin, because in the end, the happiest person is always the winner. Contact Dr. Lia Bernardo for inquiries and slot reservations at M. (0917) 586 – 0036 or e-mail contact@liabernardo.com.

SERENA UNDER CONTROL N

EW YORK—Serena Williams began her US Open quarterfinal tentatively. Her shots lacked their usual sting, her attitude its usual conviction. She was facing the last player she lost to at Flushing Meadows. She kept looking up at coach, as if seeking solutions. After just 20 minutes on Tuesday night, Williams was in danger of trailing by two service breaks. Not much later, the outcome was no longer in doubt, because the 23-time Grand Slam champion suddenly was in complete control. Williams put aside some early shakiness and an early deficit, turning things around with an eight-game run en route to a 6-4, 6-3 victory over No. 8 seed Karolina Pliskova for a spot in the semifinals. It was Williams’s first win over a top-10 player this season. “I was playing really not a good game,” said Williams, who was a point from trailing 4-1 and did fall behind 4-2 while making 22 of her 30 unforced errors in the first set. “I was thinking, ‘You know, I can play better.’ So that was the good news.” Pliskova offered this guess about what was happening to Williams: “Maybe she was a little bit nervous.” Maybe. But that didn’t last long. Pliskova is a big server and hitter in her own right, someone who briefly spent time at No. 1 in the Women’s Tennis Association rankings and was the runner-up at the US Open in 2016, when she beat Williams in the semifinals. The 36-year-old American did not compete in New York a year ago, because she gave birth to her daughter during the tournament. Go back to 2015, and that was another semifinal departure for Williams, whose bid for a calendar-year Grand Slam was shockingly ended by Roberta Vinci. “Well, I want to just be able to get past the semis here. It’s been a few, couple, rough semis for me,” Williams said. “But regardless, this has been a great road.” This time, Williams’s semifinal opponent will be No. 19 seed Anastasija Sevastova of Latvia, who surprisingly beat defending champion Sloane Stephens 6-2, 6-3 earlier Tuesday. Stephens, who said she had been dealing with a sinus infection, rued all of her wasted opportunities,

Sports BusinessMirror

| Thursday, September 6, 2018 mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph Editor: Jun Lomibao

IS Serena Williams playing a little bit nervous? AP

most notably the seven break points she failed to convert in the first set. She sure didn’t attempt to hide her frustration, either, repeatedly gesturing toward or speaking in the direction of her coach, Kamau Murray, up in the stands. When someone urged her to raise her level in the second set, Stephens replied, “I’m trying!” “When you don’t play big points well, the match can get away from you,” Stephens said. “I think that’s what

Latvia’s Anastasija Sevastova returns a shot to Sloane Stephens during their quarterfinal match on Tuesday. Sevastova surprisingly beats defending champion Stephens, 6-2, 6-3. AP

quarterfinal loss to Juan Martin del Potro on Tuesday afternoon, and Roger Federer in his fourth-round exit against John Millman a night earlier and prompted the tournament to suspend play in junior matches for a few hours. With her older sister, Venus—the woman she beat in the third round—in her guest box, Williams looked tight. Her timing was off. She put a backhand into the net to get broken to 2-1 at the outset. Then, down 3-1, she faced three break points; if Pliskova won any, she would have led 4-1. But Pliskova did not manage to put any of Williams’s serves in play on those key points. “Too strong,” Pliskova said. Soon after that, Williams went from trailing 4-2 to not only taking the first set but also leading 4-0 in the second. AP

By Howard Fendrich

The depth and strength of Thiem’s groundstrokes were doing what Nadal’s shots usually do to opponents: robbing them of time and space. Plus, Thiem—an Austrian who turned 25 on Monday—was serving well, taking every point when he put a first serve in, and handling returns without a hitch. “For me, it was a very tough start,” Nadal said. “Then I tried to stay in the match, in some way.” It took a while for Nadal to figure out what was wrong and become Thiem’s equal in entertaining, body-punishing baseline exchanges that inspired loud gasps from spectators. Still, this whole contest was filled with challenges for Nadal. He fell behind by a break in the third set before rebounding. He was two points from victory at 6-5, deuce, in the fourth as Thiem served, but flubbed a forehand volley, leaping for a ball that appeared to be sailing out and dumping it into the net. That mistake might have stayed in Nadal’s head, because he played terribly in the ensuing tiebreaker. In the fifth, Nadal held three break points at 5-all, love-40, but Thiem took the next five points told serve. That, Nadal would say afterward, managed to “break my heart. But I just keep going.” He usually does. When Nadal makes it this far in New York, he usually doesn’t stumble. He has now won seven US Open quarterfinals in a row when he’s made it that far; his only loss in that round came back in 2006. He is bidding for a fourth title at Flushing Meadows and 18th Grand Slam trophy overall. On Friday Nadal will take on a familiar foe with a berth in the final on the line: 2009 champion and No. 3 seed Juan Martin del Potro, who defeated No. 11 John Isner, 6-7 (5), 6-3, 7-6 (4), 6-2. During that earlier quarterfinal, Isner doubled over and rested his elbows on his knees. He grimaced. He shook his head. He looked as if he wanted to be anywhere but where he was: falling further and further behind in energy-robbing heat. “Whatever the humidity is on outer courts or in the city, I think it’s amplified on center court,” Isner said. “It’s just very difficult to deal with. I have never seen Roger sweat ever. If he’s sweating a lot and has to change clothes, then you know it’s pretty humid out there.” Isner was bidding to become the first American man in a dozen years to get to the final four at Flushing Meadows. But while Isner was playing before what could count as a home crowd, del Potro got all manner of support throughout, from the blue-and-white flags or soccer jerseys dotting the stands to the repeated singsong chants of his nickname, “Delpo,” punctuated by clapping. Those choruses resonated in the arena after key points, such as each time del Potro erased one of Isner’s break chances, three in all. Still, it was Isner who struck first, closing the opening tiebreaker with a 132-mileper-hour (212-kilometer-per-hour) ace down the middle. That was the first set dropped by del Potro in the tournament. He managed to take the next three, though, and now meets Nadal for the 17th time on tour. Nadal leads 11-5, including the past three, each at a Grand Slam tournament: in the semifinals of the US Open last year, followed by the semifinals of the French Open and a five-set thriller in the Wimbledon quarterfinals this year.

STRUGGLE FOR NADAL

Rafael Nadal recovered from a disastrous start and other stumbles along the way to beat No. 9 Dominic Thiem for a semifinal berth at a third consecutive Grand Slam tournament, winning a physical, back-and-forth tussle that concluded after 2 a.m. on Wednesday. HOW tense and tight was this one? Not only was Rafael Nadal two points from losing at 5-all in the closing tiebreaker, but he finished with fewer total points, 171-166. AP

happened today. I didn’t convert.” Sevastova, who retired in 2013 because of injuries and returned nearly two years later, advanced to her first Slam semifinal. “Still long way to go, I think,” she said. Especially considering that the next step will come against Williams, who’s heading into her 36th semi at a major, 12th at Flushing Meadows. Williams already proved at Wimbledon that she is capable of the sort of dominant performances she has shown over the years, making all the way to the final at the All England Club before losing. She’ll hope to do one better now and claim a seventh US Open title. Her sluggish start against Pliskova came in the same 90-degree heat and 50-percent humidity that hampered John Isner in his

The Associated Press

EW YORK—Rafael Nadal began his US Open quarterfinal as poorly as possible, shut out in a set by a 6-0 score for only the fourth time in 282 career Grand Slam matches. On the previous three such occasions, he’d lost. On this one, he managed to come back to win, although it took four hours, 49 minutes and never did get easy for him. The defending champion and No. 1 seed at Flushing Meadows recovered from his disastrous start and other stumbles along the way to beat No. 9 Dominic Thiem, 0-6, 6-4, 7-5, 6-7 (4), 7-6 (5), for a semifinal berth at a third consecutive Grand Slam tournament, winning a physical, back-and-forth tussle that concluded after 2 a.m. on Wednesday. How tense and tight was this one? Not only was Nadal two points from losing at 5-all in the closing tiebreaker, but he finished with fewer total points, 171-166. When it ended, on an overhead by Thiem that sailed long, Nadal climbed over net to hug his opponent and whisper words of encouragement. “I’m very sorry for Dominic,” Nadal told a rowdy crowd in Arthur Ashe Stadium. “He’s a close friend on tour. He’s a great guy. A great player.” This rematch of the French Open final in June, won by Nadal, was his first match against a top-20 opponent at the US Open since 2013, when he beat then-No. 1 Novak Djokovic in the final. It sure seemed at the shocking outset as if Nadal was somehow unprepared for this step up in competition. Thiem collected 24 of the opening set’s 31 points, thanks in large part to a 13-3 edge in winners. Hard to not think back to 24 hours earlier, when Nadal’s great rival, No. 2 seed Roger Federer, was upset in the fourth round during similarly muggy conditions. Nadal was sweating so much in the 90-degree heat and 50-percent humidity that a mountain of white towels formed next to his changeover bench. Thiem made him work for this win. And how.

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C2 Thursday, September 6, 2018

EST CONSHOHOCKEN, Pennsylvania—Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, golf’s most prominent players for more than two decades, never realized the Ryder Cup would mean so much. For Woods, it’s the culmination of a comeback that began in January after a fourth surgery on his lower back. For Mickelson, more than setting a record by playing his 12th Ryder Cup, the 48-year-old gets what he believes will be his last chance to capture that gold trophy away from home. US captain Jim Furyk added them to his team on Monday evening as wild-card selections, along with Bryson DeChambeau. Woods agreed to be a vice captain in lateFebruary, and he set a goal to be in Paris from September 28 to 30 as a player. “It’s incredible, it really is, to look back at the start of the year and now to have accomplished a goal like that,” Woods said. “To be a part of this team, and now to be a player is just...beyond special.”

WILD-CARD ENTRY

Mickelson had qualified for every team since 1995, a streak that ended this year when he finished No. 10 in the standings. His 12th appearance breaks the Ryder Cup record held by Nick Faldo. Mickelson has only been on three winning teams—at Brookline in 1999, Valhalla in 2008 and two years ago at Hazeltine. His last time overseas was at Gleneagles, where he infamously closed out a losing press conference by questioning captain Tom Watson and the direction the Professional Golfers Association (PGA) of America was taking the US team. That led to sweeping changes in the US structure, mainly by giving players a stronger voice. “This is mostly likely my last chance to go over to Europe and to be a part of a winning US

team in Europe. We haven’t done that in 25 years,” Mickelson said. “I set out this year on really a strong commitment and journey to get on the team. I got off to a great start this year. It’s been a really good year, and although I fell just shy of making it on points, it feels great to be a part of this team and serve this team in any way I can.” Furyk still has one more captain’s pick he will announce on Monday after the BMW Championship, and it might not be as easy as this one. “Not that it was an easy decision,” Furyk said with a smile. “But it could have been a lot more difficult.” Woods and Mickelson were logical choices. Woods briefly had the lead on Sunday in the British Open until he tied for sixth, and he shot a career-

best final round of 64 to finish second in the PGA Championship. Mickelson won another World Golf Championship in March, though he hasn’t seriously contended since then. DeChambeau narrowly missed out on one of the eight automatic spots by missing the cut at the PGA Championship, and the 24-year-old Californian knew he had to show Furyk some form in the three weeks before the picks were announced. He won the first FedEx Cup playoff event by four shots. He won the next FedEx Cup playoff event by two shots. “I wanted to be a part of this experience so badly that I worked twice as hard,” DeChambeau said. “And it showed, and it paid off.” Tony Finau is believed to be the leading candidate for 12th and final spot. Furyk invited him as part of a small group that played Le Golf National on the weekend before the British Open. Finau tied a PGA Championship record with 10 birdies in the second round while playing with Furyk. During the FedEx Cup playoffs, he was runner-up at one event and tied for fourth at the other. European captain Thomas Bjorn announces

FOR Tiger Woods, it’s the culmination of a comeback that began in January after a fourth surgery on his lower back. AP

his wild-card selections on Wednesday, with Henrik Stenson, Ian Poulter and Paul Casey among the likely picks. Still to be determined was whether former Masters champion Sergio Garcia, who failed to qualify for the FedEx Cup playoffs, gets a nod. The eight Americans who qualified on their own were Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas, Rickie Fowler, Bubba Watson, Webb Simpson and Patrick Reed. Throw in Woods and Mickelson, and that gives the US team a lineup that has combined for 31 majors. AP

Canlubang Open slated in October

HE country’s leading and upcoming amateur players brace for another spirited duel for top honors as they clash in the 18th Canlubang Amateur Open set from October 3 to 5 at the Canlubang Golf and Country Club’s North and South courses in Laguna. Paolo Wong and Yuka Saso topped last year’s staging of the event put up annually by the host club and the Yulo family, and where members of the national team hone their talent and skills. They include Saso, who shone in the just-concluded Asian Games where she rallied from three down in the final round to claim the individual gold and led the Philippines to the team championship. Others expected to compete in the 54-hole event are siblings Jolo and Jonas Magcalayo, Aniceto Mandanas, Paolo Barro in the Championship men’s division and Nicole Abelar, Annyka Cayabyab and Mafy Singson in the distaff side. Registration is ongoing with deadline set on September 28. For details, call Cangolf Makati and Canlubang offices at (02) 897-6887 (Maite Tengco/ Tony Francisco) or fax (02) 890-9321 or e-mail cgcc. makatioffice@gmail.com and (49) 543-2670 (Ann Dublado/Amy Tolentino) or (049) 543-2640 to 43 local 231 or e-mail cgcc.golfandsports@gmail.com. Also on tap are the Classes A, B and C and ladies division to be played over 36 holes.

FOWLER

Fowler’s so glad to be back N EWTOWN SQUARE, Pennsylvania— Rickie Fowler has stayed at home for the last three weeks and two FedEx Cup playoff events because of a partial tear to his right oblique, which he says might turn out to be the best for him. Players at his level face one of the busiest stretches of the year with four FedEx Cup events in five weeks, followed by the Ryder Cup. “It wasn’t planned to miss, but it could end up being a good thing with the stretch we have coming up,” Fowler said. “So glad to be back. Nice to be back without pain.” The first order of business is making sure he doesn’t play one week and then be forced into a two-week break ahead of the Ryder Cup from September 28 to 30 in France. By missing the two FedEx Cup events, Fowler dropped from No. 17 to No. 26. Only the top 30 after

this week go to the Tour Championship. Fowler says the injury to his side occurred over time, though he still remembers when he knew it was an issue. “Seventh tee, 6-iron at Akron on Saturday,” he said of the Bridgestone Invitational on August 4. “I felt a little bit of discomfort there leading into it, but that was where I really felt it and played through it Saturday there and Sunday, and then tried to rest and recover as much as I could going to the PGA [Professional Golfers Association].” He started the final round of the PGA Championship just three shots behind, but closed with a 71 and was never a factor. Fowler said he spent the last three weeks at home in Florida using ice, heat, pain medication and a laser machine. He has a friend who is a spinal neurosurgeon, and Fowler says he used a laser machine two or three times a day.

He thought about returning last week at the TPC Boston, where he won in 2015, but he didn’t start playing until two days before the Dell Technologies Championship and didn’t think he had prepared properly. There also was that text from Ryder Cup captain Jim Furyk, who said he was passing along a message from former captain Davis Love III. He said, ‘No one has ever said they came back from injury too late,’” Fowler said. “That’s what kind of helped make the decision. Let’s make sure we’re good to go for these final two playoff events, and especially the Ryder Cup.” Fowler is among 21 players who played Aronimink when it hosted the AT&T National in 2010 and 2011 (as Congressional was preparing for the US Open). Fowler played in the final group in 2011 but shot 74 and tied for 13th. AP

VIVIANI BAGS SECOND VUELTA STAGE WIN

ERMILLO DE SAYAGO, Spain—Italian rider Elia Viviani won his second Spanish Vuelta stage on Tuesday, while Simon Yates retained the leader’s red jersey despite a punctured tire. Viviani, who also won the third stage, outsprinted Peter Sagan in the final meters to comfortably win the 177-kilometer flat 10th stage from Salamanca to Bermillo de Sayago. “Everything went perfect,” Viviani said. “I always dreamt of winning as many Grand Tour stages as possible. Now I have five at the Giro and two at La Vuelta, and I want to enjoy my perfect train to win more until the end of La Vuelta.” Yates had a puncture with about 15 kilometers to go, but was able to rejoin the pack and maintain his one-second lead over Alejandro Valverde. Adam Yates, Simon’s twin, was among the riders who stayed behind to lead him back to the peloton. “Things went relatively straightforward until the end, then I must have hit something on the side of the road, I punctured twice so it made things a bit nervous, but we managed to control,” Yates said. “I’m improving every year to try and win the general classification, and now we’ll see how far I can go with this red jersey.” Nairo Quintana, third overall, also had a puncture late in the stage, but recovered to remain 14 seconds behind Yates. Diego Rubio broke away with about 20 kilometers to go, moving 20 seconds in front of the pack, but he was caught less than 10 km from the finish. Tuesday’s stage came after the Vuelta’s first rest day. On Wednesday, riders will face a 208-km hilly route from Mombuey to Ribeira Sacra. The Grand Tour race ends on September 16 in Madrid. AP

Italian rider Elia Viviani comfortably wins the 177-kilometer flat 10th stage. AP

Second of Road to Barcelona comes off wraps

ILO Philippines has opened year two of Road to Barcelona, the brand’s values-driven program in partnership with globally renowned FC Barcelona (FCB). Coming from a successful run last year, Milo and FCB will hold this year’s local invitational camp in Cebu City on September 8 and 9 at the Cebu City Sports Center. More than 160 girls and boys ages 10 to 12 from around the country will participate in the world-class camp for a chance to join the life-changing champion experience in Spain, the home of FC Barcelona. Milo and FC Barcelona believe in the shared HEART (humility, effort, ambition, respect and teamwork) values, equipped with a healthy and active lifestyle essential in every

child’s overall development. Assisting Milo in the facilitation of the invitational camp are the Cebu Football Association, a regional body under the Philippine Football Federation, and two coaches from the FCB Youth Academy, FC Barcelona’s flagship youth-development program. The two-day training camp, which features theoretical and practical sessions on how to play the Barca way, is free of charge—a privilege for the qualified young players. The camp will give the kids the kind of training that only FCB can offer to aid in their continued development, progress Philippine football and further inspire Filipinos to be champions on and off the field.

“Every kid dreams of becoming a champ. That’s why the Milo-FCB Road to Barcelona Philippines Camp is back to provide kids the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to train with youth coaches from FC Barcelona,” Willy de Ocampo, vice president, Nestlé Philippines Inc. said. “Milo is very excited and honored to continue its advocacy to get more kids into sports and help advance Philippine football with FC Barcelona. Our goal for this year is to further enrich the ‘Road to Barcelona’ experience by reaching more Filipino kids and reinforcing the values that encourage more kids to dream big and become champions in life,” Robbie de Vera, Milo Philippines Consumer Marketing manager, said.

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Thursday, September 6, 2018

Enriquez grabs 2 titles in Zambo netfest

ydney Ezra Enriquez completed another two-title run in the Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala (PPS-PEPP) age-group circuit, this time in big fashion as she did it before hometown crowd at the Uswag Salug Tennis Courts in Zamboanga del Norte.

Enriquez eased out top seed Rica Labrador, 6-3, 6-0, in the semifinals then blasted Princess Gom-os to clinch the girls’ 16-under singles crown in the PPS Salug leg sponsored and hosted by Mayor Jeffrey Lim. The local ace, however, struggled in the 18-under finals, needing to come up with clutch shots to foil Gom-os, 7-5, 7-6(3), and duplicate her feat in last week’s Liloy stop of the circuit presented by Dunlop. Aslan Carbonilla matched Enriquez’s exploits

as the Abaga, Lanao del Norte, bet crushed Glenn Dadan, 6-0, 6-0, and stopped Russel Daarol, 6-3, 6-3, to pocket the 12- and 14-under titles, respectively, in the boys’ side of the Group 2 tournament put up by Palawan Pawnshop, headed by President and CEO Bobby Castro. Other winners in the event, backed by Asiatraders Corp. and sanctioned by the Unified Tennis Philippines, made up of PPS-PEPP, Cebuana Lhuillier, Wilson, Toby’s, Dunlop, Slazenger and

SOLID FIRST ROUND

Power-hitting Damien Jordan makes the most of the preferred lies rule at the rain-softened Orchard’s Palmer course. ALYSA SALEN

USTRALIAN Damien Jordan made true his vow of putting up a solid card on a course that suits his game, firing an eagle-aided, bogey-free eight-under 64 to sneak past equally hot-starting Angelo Que, Ira Alido and Zanieboy Gialon at the start of the rich Aboitiz Invitational on Wednesday in Dasmariñas, Cavite. Coming up short in last week’s rain-shortened Club Filipino de Cebu Invitational, which he led in the first round, the power-hitting Jordan made the most of the preferred lies rule at the rainsoftened Orchard’s Palmer course, producing six birdies and highlighting his flawless 31-33 card with an eagle on the par-5 No. 6. “I’ve never had an opening round like this, so, it feels fantastic,” said Jordan, who hacked a solid

7-iron second shot from 169 yards to within 15 feet for eagle on the sixth. “The greens are soft but are rolling faster, which I think suits my game.” He had earlier hinted at striking back this week after falling short in his first crack at victory in Cebu, where he settled for third, while downplaying Jhonnel Ababa and Korean Kim Joo Hyung’s 1-2 finish in the event reduced to 54 holes. By backing up his words with a solid game, Jordan, likewise, put aside Que, Alido and Gialon’s brilliant starts, along with the rest of 43 players who broke par at the par-72 layout, which also lay defenseless in the absence of the wind. Que actually made an early impact in his Philippine Golf Tour Asia (PGTA) return, while the young Alido rebounded from a string of mediocre finishes down south as they shot identical 65s, which Gialon matched in one of the late flights in the $100,000 championship serving as the fifth

leg of the second season of the region’s newest circuit put up by the International Container Terminal Services Inc. “I played well, I guess. I’m glad to have this kind of a round. It has been a while since I had this splendid start, though I could’ve been at nine-under had I holed in an eagle from 15 feet on the sixth,” said Que, who came into the event sponsored by Aboitiz Equity Ventures without the benefit of a practice round. He also didn’t see action in Tuesday’s pro-am but still churned out a bogey-free 32-33 card. Thais Wisut Artjanawat and Namchok Tantipokhakul and vintage Robert Pactolerin also stayed in the mix with 67s, while Jobim Carlos and Tony Lascuña led the 68 scorers who included Ferdie Aunzo, James Ryan Lam, American Nicholas Coxon, Thai Pak Pradittan, Lee Sang of Canada and Korean Kim Joo Hyung in one of the most crowded leaderboards in a PGTA event.

MORE BONUSES UP FOR ASIAD MEDALISTS By Ramon Rafael Bonilla

NOTHER round of cash bonuses will fall on the laps of the medalists in the recent Jakarta Palembang 18th Asian Games courtesy of President Duterte. Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) Chairman William Ramirez, who made the announcement in a press conference at the PSC offices in Manila on Wednesday, said President Duterte insisted on the additional bonuses for the medalists in the Games where the Philippines wound up 19th overall with four gold, two silver and 15 bronze medals. “The President, through Special Assistant to the President Bong Go, told us [PSC] to motivate the athletes more,” Ramirez said. Ramirez said an additional P1 million will be awarded to a gold medalist, P500,000 to a silver and P200,000 to a bronze. The extra bonuses are over and above the financial rewards provided for by Republic Act

10699, or the Athletes and Coaches Incentive Act which awards P2 million for a gold, P1 million for a silver and P400,000 for a bronze. The Siklab Atleta Pilipinas Sports Foundation headed by Presidential Adviser on Sports Dennis Uy has also lined up its own incentives of P1 million for gold, P500,000 for silver and P250,000 for the bronze. In total, the gold winners will get P7 million, including the incentives from the Philippine Olympic Committee and Philippine Ambassador to Indonesia Lee Hoong Wee—P2 million and P1 million, respectively, for a gold medal. With the windfall, weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz, skateboarder Margielyn Didal and golfer Yuka Saso have become instant millionaires, along with Saso’s teammates Bianca Pagdanganan and Lois Kaye Go. Kiyomi Watanabe of judo and Rogen Ladon of boxing banked P2.5 million, from the government and private sector

for their silver medals. The bronze medalists, on the other hand, are assured of P1.15-million each. They are Pagdanganan, boxers Eumir Felix Marcial and Carlo Paalam and pencak silat athletes Almohaidib Abad, Jefferson Rhey Loon, Cherry Rose Regalado and Dines Dumaan. Joining them on the bronze medalists’ list are Janna Dominique Oliva and Pauline Lopez of taekwondo, Agatha Chrystenzen Wong and Divine Wally of wushu, Daniel Caluag of cycling and Meggie Ochoa of jujitsu, Junna Tsukii of karatedo. The men’s poomsae team composed of Jeordan Dominguez, Dustin Jacob Mella and Rodolfo Reyes and their female counterparts Juvenile Faye Crisostomo and Rinna complete the bronze winners. Duterte is expected to personally hand the checks in a ceremony in Malacañang on September 12.

National U sets up finals duel vs UST

ATIONAL University pulled through in a tense-filled second-set duel and fashioned out a 25-18, 33-31, 25-14 victory over Far Eastern University (FEU) in their sudden death yesterday to arrange a showdown with University of Santo Tomas (UST) for the men’s crown in the Premier Volleyball League Season 2 Collegiate Conference at the Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan. Bryan Bagunas took charge with 23 points and 18 excellent receptions, while Kim Malabunga and Francis Saura combined for 23 hits as the top-seeded Bulldogs recovered in the last two games to frustrate the Tams, who surprised the former in Game One of their best-of-three semis. Game One of the men’s best-of-three final is set on Sunday. UST took the first finals berth with a sweep over Adamson University. After dominating the Tams in the first set, the Bulldogs leaned on Bagunas in the stretch of the second frame to thwart their rivals then reasserted their might in the next to complete the straight-set victory. The Bulldogs had to save a couple of set advantages but also yielded a few in their thrilling second-set duel. But Bagunas stepped up and came through with a clutch hit at the middle to shove NU to a 32-31 lead then hammered in a crosscourt hit to close out the frame. Redijohn Paler fired 15 hits for the Tams, who also drew a combined 15-point output from JP Bugaoan and Mark Calado. FEU will face Adamson University in their side of the playoff for third, also on Sunday.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK Tireless San Miguel Beer (SMB) rookie

big man Christian Standhardinger, seen here being guarded by Ginebra San Miguel’s Japeth Aguilar, secures his first Cignal-Philippine Basketball Association Press Corps Player of the Week following his impressive conference debut in the 2018 Governors’ Cup against NLEX.

Quinto, Knights square off with Chiefs

HE Bong Quinto-watch continues as Letran clashes with unpredictable Arellano University in the 94th National Collegiate Athletic Association seniors basketball tournament on Thursday at the Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan City. Quinto dropped triple-double efforts against Mapua and Emilio Aguinaldo College late in the first round of eliminations and averaged 12 points, 10 rebounds and 10.5 assists in a four-day

B-Meg, were Zamboanga Sibugay’s Jose Maria Pague, Nilo Ledama from Pagadian City, Zambo del Sur’s Garlandson Ardiente, Faith Regencia from Liloy and Sindangan’s Labrador. Pague routed top seed Ledama, 6-2, 6-1, to nail the boys’ 18-under diadem; Ledama bounced back in the 16-under finals with a 6-2, 6-0 romp over Lex Estillore; Ardiente took the 10-unisex plum with a 4-0, 4-1 rout of Bryzen Sanchez; Regencia dismantled Murielle Baje, 6-2, 6-3, for the girls’ 12-under crown; and Labrador rebounded from a semis loss in 18-under play with a 6-0, 6-0 demolition of top seed Jalia Elumba in the 14-under finale.

span that powered the Knights to a share of third spot with the College of Saint Benilde Blazers. Quinto joined an elite group that includes Calvin Abueva and Scottie Thompson, now stars in the Philippine Basketball Association, as the only players to post back-to-back triple-doubles in the league. And there is little indication Quinto is slowing down. “I hope he keeps playing that way every game,” Letran Coach Jeff Napa said of pro-bound Quinto.

Letran waylaid Arellano University, 88-70, the on August 7 and, thanks to Quinto and the Knights’ frontcourt of Larry Muyang, Christian Fajarito and Jeo Ambohot, the Knights are fancied to repeat over the Chiefs. Napa, however, warned his team against complacency. “Arellano U has strong and quick guards, we can’t underestimate them,” said Napa. Saint Benilde, meanwhile, will try to keep in step with Letran as it tackles an Edgar Charcosless University of Perpetual Help at 2 p.m. Charcos is resting a hurting knee.

PHILIPPINE Sports Commission Chairman William Ramirez announces another round of bonuses for the Asian Games medalists. NONIE REYES

Kim appeared headed to joining Que and company at second but stumbled with a doublebogey on the par-5 18th and tumbled to join eighth instead, four shots off Jordan. Seven others shot 69s, including Clyde Mondilla, Rufino Bayron, Charles Hong, Richard Sinfuego, Keanu Jahns, Korean Kim Dae Won and American Jacob Fleck, while CFdC Invitational winner Jhonnel Ababa, also the PGTA Forest Hills champion last July, rallied with four birdies in the last 13 holes to save a 70 and join the group of Art Arbole, Erwin Arcillas, Jerson Balasabas, Jun Bernis, two-time champion Jay Bayron, Marvin Dumandan, Mhark Fernando, Aussie Tim Stewart, Peter Stojanovski of Macedonia and Americans Pete Vilairatana and Cory Oride. Que, who last saw action at PGTA Southwoods where he tied for 10th last June before resuming

Enriquez also teamed up with Faith Virgo to claim her third crown via an 8-6 escape over Gom-os and Rocel Rosales in the 18-under doubles finals, with Pague also claiming the boys’ title in partnership with Carbonilla via an 8-3 rout of Ledama and Nick Akiatan. Elumba and Labrador took the 14-under plum with an 8-1 romp over Yvonne Cuevas and Regencia, with Griffin Ardiente and Axel Apat also posting an 8-1 victory over Tristan Cadavedo and Renz Estano in the boys’ 14-under championship. Garlandson Ardiente and Pete Bandala bagged the 10-under doubles title with an 8-3 win over Kevin Gallenero and Sanchez. his campaign in the lucrative Japan PGA Tour, marked his comeback in style, stringing seven birdies in ideal conditions while flashing an impeccable touch around the greens that saw him rescue pars in four times that he went out of regulation. Alido, who missed the cut in the Negros and Iloilo legs of the PGT last month and hobbled to joint 33rd in last week’s PGT Club Filipino de Cebu Invitational, hit two birdies more than Que but dropped two strokes on the par-4 No. 3 on an errant drive and a three-putt miscue to settle for joint lead with one of the fancied players in the elite international field. “My game was on. My shots in the last two days in Cebu were pretty solid and those showed again today [yesterday]. I kind of settled down and was able to hit more solid shots,” said Alido, who also matched Que’s four scrambling pars as the duo led the attack on the par-72 layout, which lay defenseless in the absence of the wind. A total of 43 players broke par, including most of the pre-tournament favorites in the 72-hole championship serving as the fifth leg of the second season of the region’s newest circuit put up by ICTSI and organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments Inc. Gialon also sizzled at the back with a solid 30 spiked by three straight birdies from No. 10 but the diminutive Davaoeño shotmaker, who last won at PGT Calatagan last year, fumbled with a double-bogey on the first hole but recovered with a birdie on the next before matching Jordan’s eagle on the sixth to join Que and Alido at second in the event backed by ICTSI, Custom Clubmakers, Meralco, Champion, Summit Mineral Water, K&G Golf Apparel, BDO, Sharp, KZG, PLDT and M.Y. Shokai Technology Inc.

Sports WHY DO IT? BusinessMirror

| Thursday, September 6, 2018 mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph Editor: Jun Lomibao

By Mae Anderson The Associated Press

EW YORK—Why do it? Nike has touched off a furor by wading into football’s national anthem debate with an ad featuring Colin Kaepernick, the former 49ers quarterback who was the first athlete to kneel during “The Star-Spangled Banner” to protest police brutality against blacks and hasn’t played a game since 2016. The ad copy reads: “Believe in something, even if it means sacrificing everything.” The ad, part of Nike’s 30th anniversary “Just Do it” campaign, has outraged many. Online, people threatened boycotts and posted videos and photos of shoes set on fire, Nike gear thrown in the trash, and swoosh logos cut out of products. Most big corporations steer clear of politics, and marketing experts disagreed on Tuesday over whether the Kaepernick campaign is good business. But some noted approvingly that it made a big splash and set Nike apart. And they said it could solidify Nike’s bond with athletes, especially black ones, an important consideration for a company that relies heavily on sports stars to endorse its products. Brian Gordon, CEO of Engine Shop, a sports and entertainment marketing agency, said the ad is provocative but “authentic to who they are and the communities they represent and speak to,” including the athletes. “Even in the face of potential backlash, they support their athlete partners, and that’s an incredibly powerful statement to the athlete community,” Gordon said. Other athletes in the campaign include tennis star Serena Williams, New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. and Shaquem Griffin, a linebacker whose left hand was amputated when he was 4. But the Kaepernick ad struck a nerve, timed just before the NFL season kicks off on Thursday. Nike did not return a request for comment about its strategy. Its stock closed down more than 3 percent on Tuesday. Neil Saunders, managing director of the data and

analytics firm GlobalData, called the Kaepernick strategy “commercially imprudent.” “Nike’s campaign will generate both attention and discussion which is, arguably, one of its central aims,” he said. “However, it is also a risky strategy in that it addresses, and appears to take sides on, a highly politicized issue. This means it could ultimately alienate and lose customers, which is not the purpose of a marketing campaign.” But other experts think the strength of Nike’s brand will help it weather the storm and perhaps benefit from it, too. Nike is one of the world’s largest sports apparel companies, with $34.5 billion in revenue last year. “What you stand for is almost as important as what you make,” said Allen Adamson, cofounder of marketing firm Metaforce. “It’s a polarized marketplace. No matter what you do, you offend some people. They’re focused on what they stand for, and if that upsets some users, so be it.” Robert Passikoff, founder of marketing consultancy Brand Keys, said an ad like Nike’s will divide people, but the outrage won’t last. “My guess is that the audience that is reacting so badly to this aren’t buying a lot of Nikes anyway,” he said. “They’ll move on to the next thing. Welcome to the 21st century.” Nike, based in Beaverton, Oregon, has made waves before. An ad for the company’s sport hijab went viral in 2017. And a 2010 commercial featuring a voiceover by Tiger Woods’s late father when the golfer was trying to recover from a sex scandal drew mixed reviews. In August, Nike made news when the French Open banned Williams’s Nike-branded black catsuit. Nike responded by posting an image of her on social media with the line “You can take the superhero out of her costume, but you can never take away her superpowers.” Brands run the risk of a backlash in taking a political stand in their advertising. Starbucks was mocked in 2015 for trying to start a discussion about race by writing the slogan “Race

Together” on its cups. Pepsi ended up pulling a commercial that showed Kendall Jenner giving a Pepsi to a police officer; some said the ad trivialized the “Black Lives Matter” protests. John Sweeney, sports communication professor at the University of North Carolina, said the Kaepernick ad was created to provoke people, and in that respect, it succeeded. “You may have a negative reaction or a positive reaction, but you have a reaction,” he said. “They wanted something that would stop the presses and stop people in their places.”

THIS image taken from the Twitter account of the former National Football League player Colin Kaepernick shows a Nike advertisement featuring him that was posted on Monday. AP

James ‘stands’ with Nike in reference to Kaepernick

LEBRON JAMES: I stand for anybody who believes in change. I stand with Nike, all day, every day. AP

EW YORK—Clutching his young daughter in his arms, LeBron James said on Tuesday that he “stands with Nike,” a clear reference to the company’s Colin Kaepernick ad campaign. The basketball superstar—and new Los Angeles Laker—made the remarks as he received an award for both his style and his philanthropy, from Harlem’s Fashion Row. The fashion collective partnered with Nike for the New York event, both a fashion show and an awards ceremony which focused on diversity in the fashion world. The evening culminated in the reveal of the latest LeBron James Nike basketball shoe: a women’s sneaker designed by three female AfricanAmerican designers and inspired by strong

African-American women. In emotional remarks, James paid tribute to the three women in his life—his mother, wife and 3-year-old daughter, Zhuri. He noted how his mother had raised him alone, and given him “a sense of pride, a sense of strength, a sense of no worry.” “Because of you, Gloria James, I’m able to be in a position today where I can give back and showcase why I believe AfricanAmerican women are the most powerful women in the world.” The NBA star, who was wearing one of his favored shrunken-fit shorts suits by designer Thom Browne, called his daughter “my rock.” “People always told me if you ever have a girl, she’ll change you,” said James, who also has two sons. “I was like, nobody’s changing me, I’m a man.” But she did, he said. “Not only did she change me, she’s made me a better person,” James said. “A more dedicated person, a stronger person, I guess a more sensitive person.” Closing his remarks, he said he stood “for anybody who believes in change.” He added: “I stand with Nike, all day, every day.” Kaepernick, the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback, unveiled his first ad of the new campaign on Monday. “Believe in something, even if it means sacrificing everything,” it said.

The new endorsement deal has sparked vigorous debate, with some fans expressing displeasure over the apparel giant’s support of a player known for starting a wave of protests among NFL players against police brutality, racial inequality and other social issues. Some angry fans were even burning and cutting out the signature swoosh logos on their gear—and posting the results on social media. But Kaepernick and his Nike campaign, which marks the 30th anniversary of Nike’s “Just Do It,” received plenty of support from the fashion world in attendance Tuesday. Bethann Hardison, an activist for diversity in fashion and a former supermodel who was also honored by Harlem’s Row, said she was happy with Nike’s move. “It’s such a divided situation in our world right now,” she said of the negative reaction by some fans. “But I’m such a huge, huge, wholehearted supporter of Colin that I’m very proud that someone understands what he’s done and [is giving] him some kudos.” Prominent African-American designer Tracy Reese said she loved the new Nike campaign. “It was tastefully done,” she said. “And really, this is the time to stand up for what you believe in. Colin Kaepernick has done that and I think that we need to follow his example and really go where the heart leads, instead of where everybody expects you to go.” Also honored at the ceremony were Harlem streetwear designer Dapper Dan and stylist Jason Rembert. A fashion show highlighted the work of designers Kimberly Goldson, Undra Duncan and Fe Noel, who together helped create the new shoe. AP

NIKE AD PROMPTS FLURRY OF DEBATE A N endorsement deal between Nike and Colin Kaepernick prompted a flood of debate on Tuesday as sports fans reacted to the apparel giant backing an athlete known mainly for starting a wave of protests among National Football League (NFL) players of police brutality, racial inequality and other social issues. The deal unveiled by Nike and the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback was a trending topic on Twitter and other social networks, with some fans urging a boycott of the company’s clothes and sneakers— even burning and cutting out the signature swoosh logos on their gear. Others pushed back, saying the backlash against Nike showed the polarizing debate has morphed well beyond whether NFL players should be allowed to demonstrate for social causes while the national anthem plays in stadiums before games. The league itself weighed in Tuesday afternoon with an executive saying the social issues Kaepernick has raised are valid. “We embrace the role and responsibility of everyone involved with this game to promote meaningful, positive change in our communities,” said Jocelyn Moore, the NFL’s executive vice president of communications and public affairs. “The social justice issues that Colin and other professional athletes have raised deserve our attention and action.” Moore’s statement was paired with a detailed breakdown of things players and league executives have done together to learn about and address social issues, including community meetings, lobbying and financially supporting local programs. On Twitter, country music star John Rich posted a picture of one of his crew members holding the tops of a cut pair of Nike socks, with the caption: “Get ready @Nike multiply that by the millions.” The tweet garnered about 10,000 retweets and 30,000 likes, plus thousands of critical comments.

BAD CATCH!

Seattle Mariners catcher David Freitas drops a pop foul ball hit by Baltimore Orioles’ Cedric Mullins during the eighth inning of a Major League Baseball game. The Orioles won, 5-3, on Tuesday. AP

Rich, part of the duo Big & Rich and a former contestant of President Donald Trump’s reality show The Celebrity Apprentice, said he supported the right to protest but Nike lost his support when it endorsed Kaepernick. Mixed martial arts fighter Elias Theodorou, a UFC middleweight, tweeted a widely shared picture of the Nike logo with a meme that read: “Instead of throwing away your Nike gear give to one of the millions of homeless veterans you pretend to care about.” Philadelphia Eagles safety Malcolm Jenkins said: “I hope other corporations follow [Nike’s] example.” San Francisco 49ers cornerback Richard Sherman, tweeted: “Proud to be an @ usnikefootball athlete. Stand for something or fall for anything. Few moments in history has that been more true!” Trump, a frequent critic of protesting NFL players, said on Tuesday in an interview with the Daily Caller that he thinks it’s a “terrible message” for Nike to use Kaepernick in ads, but that it’s their decision whether to use the quarterback. “I think it’s a terrible message that they’re sending and the purpose of them doing it, maybe there’s a reason for them doing it,” Trump said, adding it’s “a message that shouldn’t be sent.” Trump said it’s ultimately a business decision for Nike. “In another way, it is what this country is all about, that you have certain freedoms to do things that other people think you shouldn’t do, but I personally am on a different side of it,” he said. AP

Ever-living God

ver-Living God, You watch over the human family with love and care. In hope we pray: God, in Your love, hear our prayer. Let our speech, actuations, bring healing to those who are vulnerable, weary or hurting. Guide the work of surgeons, physicians and nurses. Inspire editors, biblical translators, speech and spiritual writers. May the God of Christ reign in our hearts, now and always. Amen! give us this day, SHARED BY LUISA LACSON, HFL Word&Life Publications • teacherlouie1965@yahoo.com

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

Life BusinessMirror

REELING: Being a ‘benshi’: Unabashed memoirs of a silent-film narrator D4

Thursday, September 6, 2018

Inside the hours of one Melbourne minute Unlike hurried big cities, anywhere in and around Melbourne feels like a place where time melts—a haven where the things that the rest of this fast-paced world forgot, live

By Jt Nisay

ELBOURNE—“Well, what about Australia?” I asked my elder sister years ago during a chat about our travels. Frankly, it was more of a monologue than a two-way conversation. My checklist paled in comparison to hers, so she did most of the talking, but neither of us cared. She indulged me with stories of her experiences. For example, she told me that her favorite thing about the US was the sights and the shopping. For Dubai, it was the order of things; while in Japan, of course, it was the food. For Australia, however, she took a second. “What about Australia?” I asked again. “What did you like the most about it?” Then, a smile preceded her answer, which told me that the pause was caused by a series of pleasant flashbacks rather than confusion. She was just finding the right word. “For Australia,” she said, calmly, “without a doubt, it’s the slow and simple lifestyle.” nnn All six koalas our tour group sighted were asleep, or at least pretending to be. One of them on the far side of this conservation center suddenly lifted its head ever so gently, surveyed the area, but ultimately burrowed its face again in its furry chest and, against the shedding bark of the tree its perched on, returned to slumber. Koalas sleep around 20 hours a day off a lowenergy diet (comprised mainly of eucalyptus leaves)—this, according to an information display along the tree-top boardwalks we were on that give visitors an up-close look at these Australian icons. “Barely awake with little energy all the time?” a colleague remarked. “That’s basically me.” It’s the second stop in the second day of the recent media trip to Melbourne organized by Cebu Pacific, and we found ourselves gazing and swooning over sleepy marsupials at the

Koala Conservation Centre. But these charming creatures weren’t alone in the spotlight. Below the elevated boardwalks were several, freeroaming wallabies, and across the distance, over the swamplands, were multiple species of birds enjoying the afternoon. That Australia has three main time zones should put its sheer size in perspective, and in that massive space, wildlife thrives. The Koala Conservation Centre opened in 1992 as a nonprofit organization committed to conservation efforts and long-term research of koalas. In 1996 the center joined its neighboring reserves on Phillip Island in the southeastern state of Victoria to create the Phillip Island Nature Parks, a 1,805-hectare conservation park that’s just a 90-minute drive away from Melbourne through vast farm fields and a couple of commercial districts with old-town appeal. Prior to that quick, late afternoon visit to the koalas, our group made a stop at one of the other four major attractions in the Nature Parks for more countryside vistas. In Churchill Island Heritage Farmland, over lands that stretch to as far as you can see, whips were cracked and sheep were sheered in separate educational displays of humble farm life. By sunset, we were on the beachside bleachers of Summerland Beach, freezing in the winter breeze, waiting for the “Penguin Parade.” It’s when the world’s smallest specie of penguins end their day of hunting at sea and rise from the shore to make their way home to the burrows, all lined up, taking one wobbly penguin step at a time. “As the world beyond this tiny island gets busier, we hope to preserve its tranquility for all to enjoy,” said Sally O’Neill of Phillip Island Nature Parks in a promotional marker at a tourist center. An immersive experience on tranquility by watching koalas sleep, sheep bleat and penguins march isn’t exactly what I had in mind of how my first full day in Australia would be. Then again, I came in with a blank canvass. Except, perhaps, for my sister’s words that life here is different, slow and relaxed. Somehow, what she said was beginning to take shape.

nnn Around 36 hours before we waited for penguins to pop out of the sea, a send-off program was being held at Gate 107 of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3. Cebu Pacific is about to become the only low-cost carrier to operate regular flights between Manila and Melbourne, its second Australian destination following the introduction of the Sydney route in 2014. “This [new route] will enable more opportunities and strengthen economic and cultural ties between our two countries, through what we call ‘The CEB effect,’” said Candice Iyog, Cebu Pacific vice president for marketing and distribution, referring to the “benefits that can be harnessed through the affordable and accessible flights offered by Cebu Pacific.” Iyog noted that a one-way fare on Cebu Pacific between Manila and Melbourne, which has thricea-week flights, costs as low as P9,500, all-in. “That’s about 60 percent lower than prevailing rates of other airlines,” she said. Also in attendance during the early-morning program was the Australian ambassador to the Philippines, Amanda Gorely. “She said there was a 30-percent increase in the number of Filipinos traveling to Australia since Cebu Pacific introduced its Sydney route four years ago, along with the efforts of other carriers. “What Melbourne has to offer is world class, including fantastic culture, art, restaurants and outdoor spaces,” Gorely added, stating that the undisputed Australian culture capital is her hometown, and that it’s “one of the world’s great cities.” nnn Prior to Vienna’s win this year, Melbourne was crowned as the “World’s Most Livable City” by the Economist Intelligence Unit Annual Global Livability Survey for a record seven straight years, where it tallied perfect scores for health care, education and infrastructure in 2017.

The lofty title started to bear weight even before our plane landed smoothly to a water salute on the Melbourne Airport runway. From the sky, there’s already palpable lightness to the city’s character. There’s much more green and open space than cement, with streets wide and decongested. Concrete structures, even as our plane started to descend, remained small and unimposing to its natural surroundings. It felt like there’s a distinct calmness over everything, a sense that only grew stronger as our trip went on. The itinerary had our group work its way from the outside in of Melbourne. What started with scenic appreciation trips to nature parks in the outskirts continued with more of the same in Yarra Valley. But there, animals weren’t the main show. In their place were gourmet chocolates and premium wines. An hour away from Melbourne CBD is the Yarra Chocolate Factory, which stands out as multicolored candy of a building amid a green carpet of rolling hills. Within its vicinity is a sign that reads: “No dogs, no picnics, no smoking, but lots of fun.” It’s a place where fans of uniquely flavored chocolates can get their fill of variants, such as Mango & Passionfruit Bar, Ginger & Lemon Myrtle and the best-selling Macadamia and Salted Caramel. Yarra Valley is also heralded as one of the world’s premier wine-growing regions. The second largest winery in the area is De Bortoli, which covers 200 hectares of vineyard. Its top products include the Cabaret Sauvignon, marked by a clean flavor structure of a peppery, dark taste that turned dry and chalky in the mid palate; and its “flagship wine,” the Noble One, known for its luxurious note and viscosity. The two trips finished early enough in the day that our tour guide/bus driver, Nigel, said we could finally get a real taste of inner city Melbourne ahead of schedule.

Continued on D3

Thursday, September 6, 2018

Entertaining BusinessMirror

The secret to keeping chicken moist on the grill is brine Barbecued pulled chicken sandwiches, the recipe for which appears in The Complete Cook’s Country TV Cookbook, 10th Anniversary Edition.

By America’s Test Kitchen

The Associated Press

By Eugenia Last

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Idris Elba, 46; Rosie Perez, 54; Jane Curtin, 71; Swoosie Kurtz, 74.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Don’t stagnate when you should be moving forward. Make personal changes that will help to settle your nerves and level out your emotional stress. Take care of unfinished business so you feel free to start something new. HHHHH

b c d

BARBECUED PULLED CHICKEN Servings: 8 sandwiches Start to finish: 1 hour and 30 minutes, plus 1 hour to brine chicken and 1 hour and 15 minutes to prepare sauce

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): You’ll crave change that will help you fill in any void you are feeling. Before you leap from one thing to another, consider the outcome as well as how you will affect others. Emotional situations will escalate. HH

Chicken: 1 cup salt 2 (4-pound) whole chickens, giblets discarded (We prefer to halve the chickens ourselves, but you may be able to buy halved chickens from your butcher.) Pepper 2 cups wood chips, soaked in water for 15 minutes and drained

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Make personal changes that will bring you peace of mind. Don’t rely on others or try to mold someone into being more like you. Offering freedom to those you love will ensure that you are granted the same in return. HHHH

CANCER (June 21-July 22): An emotional move will not help matters. Take a step back and reconsider your actions. Common sense, practicality and friendly persuasion will be the keys to getting what you want. An unusual opportunity will change your life. HHH

Sauce: 2 teaspoons vegetable oil 1 onion, chopped fine 4 cups chicken broth 1 1/4 cups cider vinegar 1 cup brewed coffee 3/4 cup molasses 1/2 cup tomato paste 1/2 cup ketchup 2 tablespoons brown mustard 1 tablespoon hot sauce 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1/4 teaspoon liquid smoke

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Simplicity, consistency and moderation will be necessary if you want to avoid a setback. Don’t promise the impossible or make changes that aren’t carefully considered. Work hard and be a team player if you want to get ahead. HHH

Dissolve salt in 4 quarts cold water in large container. Remove backbones from chickens and split chickens in half lengthwise through center of breastbone. Using metal skewer, poke 20 holes all over each chicken half. Submerge chicken halves in brine, cover and refrigerate for one hour. Remove chicken halves from brine, pat dry with paper towels and season with pepper. Using large piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil, wrap soaked wood chips in foil packet and cut several vent holes in top. Meanwhile, heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook until softened, about five minutes. Whisk in broth, vinegar, coffee, molasses, tomato paste, ketchup, mustard, hot sauce, and garlic powder and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until mixture is thick and reduced to four cups,

about 65 to 75 minutes. Stir in liquid smoke; reserve one cup sauce for serving. (Sauce can be refrigerated for up to two days.) For a charcoal grill: Open bottom vent halfway. Light large chimney starter filled with charcoal briquettes (6 quarts). When top coals are partially covered with ash, pour into steeply banked pile against side of grill. Place wood chip packet on coals. Set cooking grate in place, cover and open lid vent halfway. Heat grill until hot and wood chips are smoking, about 5 minutes. For a gas grill: Place wood chip packet over primary burner. Turn all burners to high, cover and heat grill until hot and wood chips are smoking, about 15 minutes. Leave primary burner on high and turn off other burner(s). Clean and oil cooking grate. Place chicken halves skin side up on

cool side of grill with legs closest to heat source. Cover and cook until breasts register 160 oF and thighs register 175 oF, 75 to 85 minutes. Transfer chicken to carving board, tent loosely with foil, and let rest until cool enough to handle, about 15 minutes. Remove and discard skin. Pull meat off bones, separating dark and light meat. Roughly chop dark meat into 1/2-inch pieces. Shred white meat into thin strands. Add chicken to pot with sauce and cook over medium-low heat until chicken is warmed through, about five minutes. Serve on hamburger rolls, passing reserved sauce separately. n Nutrition information per serving: 320 calories; 56 calories from fat; 6 g fat (1 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 115 mg cholesterol; 894 mg sodium; 26 g carbohydrate; 1 g fiber; 21 g sugar; 37 g protein.

A discount treat for pizza and pasta lovers

Coconut Activated, Vanilla and Peach Panna Cotta

F1 Hotel Manila earns medals at the Philippine Culinary Cup The Philippine Culinary Cup, held last month at the SMX Convention Center, is the most distinguished culinary competition in the country. It’s the only one endorsed by the World Association of Chef Societies (WORLDCHEFS), which counts numerous outstanding chefs from different Asian countries as some of its members. Among the participants in the various competitive categories were F1 Hotel Manila chefs, showcasing their talent and creativity. The team won a number of awards by combining diverse flavors throughout the competition. Finishing with a bronze medal were Alvin Austria and Elijah Mendoza for the Young Chefs Team Challenge; Geomel

Today’s Horoscope

Happy Birthday: Set your sights on bringing about changes that will help you eliminate the negativity in your life, as well as the people and situations that bring you down and hold you back. How you handle others will determine how well you do. Know what you want and use your intelligence, know-how and experience to ensure your success. Walk away from manipulative people. Your lucky numbers are 2, 13, 24, 27, 33, 46, 48.

arbecuing is the perfect method for cooking fatty cuts of pork or beef, but relatively lean chicken is another story. For barbecued pulled chicken with a smoky flavor and moist, tender meat, we’d have to come up with some tricks. Brining the birds kept the white meat moist and juicy, and arranging the chickens on the grill with the breast meat farther from the heat source than the dark meat evened out the cooking times. We tweaked our favorite barbecue sauce to better complement the chicken, increasing the vinegar to balance the sweetness and swapping the root beer for coffee to boost the smoky flavor.

F1 Hotel Manila Team

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Bautista for the US Pork Category; and Frederick Ollet, Luwell Elisan and Chantal Vera, under the coaching of F1 Hotel Manila Executive Chef Angelo Timban, for the Dream Team Challenge. Aries Vivas for the Pasta Category, Billy Laigo for the US Beef Category, and the team who joined the Filipino Cuisine Challenge—Rolando Pascual, Geomel Bautista, and Chef Angelo—earned a silver medal. These hardworking and award-winning chefs are the pride of F1 Hotel Manila (www.f1hotelmanila.com). Their culinary delights can be enjoyed at F All-Day Dining and the Canary Lounge.

Pinoy pizza and pasta lovers, rejoice. If you’re a Citi cardholder, enjoy up to 15-percent off with the Citi Exclusive Greenwich Bundles (www.citibank.com.ph/lovetodine). Take advantage of these irresistible deals from Greenwich Pizza, the country’s largest pizza chain, until October 31. With the Citi Exclusive Bundle for 3, have 1 Barkada Hawaiian Overload Crispy Thins, 3 Lasagna Supreme Snack Size and 2 Dippers for only P609 with savings of as much as P85. With the Citi Exclusive Bundle for 5, have 1 Double Hawaiian Overload Crispy Thins, 1 Double Pepperoni Crispy Thins, 1 Lasagna Supreme Regular Pan and 3 Dippers for only P859 with savings of as much as P134. The Citi Exclusive Bundle for 6 brings 1 Double Hawaiian Overload Crispy Thins, 1 Double Pepperoni Crispy Thins, 6 Lasagna Supreme Snack Size, 6 pcs. Jumbo Crunchy Chicken and 4 dippers for only P1,349 with savings of as much as P155. This great value promo in partnership with Greenwich is applicable for dine-in, take-out and delivery. To order, call #555-55.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Take the plunge and do something that makes you happy. A change will do you good, and connecting with people you have worked with or enjoyed being around in the past will lead to opportunities and new beginnings. HHHH

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Go over every little detail before you share your plans or put them into motion. Not everyone will accept the changes you want to make. Listen to the suggestions offered to avoid a costly mistake. Don’t take criticism personally. HH

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): As the day progresses, anger will mount. Be sure to have an outlet for your pent-up energy or you may do something that will disrupt a relationship with a friend or relative. Listen and be willing to make concessions. HH

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Take care of your financial, legal and medical issues personally. You will not be represented the way you want if you let someone speak on your behalf. Play it safe and control the situation. Don’t divulge passwords or private information. HHHHH

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Set high standards, and don’t stop until you are happy with what transpires. Your drive and determination will help you get what you want. Personal and professional gains will turn out better than anticipated if you push to finish what you start. HHH

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Personal improvements are within reach if you are reasonable. An unexpected last-minute decision someone makes will catch you by surprise. Don’t feel you have to compensate for what others do. Do your own thing and follow through with plans. HHH

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Put your enthusiasm to work and you’ll drum up support that will help you reach your goals. Putting your plans in motion will be prosperous and open a door that has been closed in the past. A partnership looks promising. HHH Birthday Baby: You are logical, interesting and unique. You are resourceful and focused.

‘choo-choos’ by timothy e. parker The Universal Crossword/Edited by Timothy E. Parker

ACROSS 1 Place for a brand 6 Creator 11 Vineyard of France 14 Place for all kidding? 15 Shah of Iran, later 16 Stolen, in slang 17 Not stay neutral 19 Huge bird 20 Cheeky talk 21 Eater apt for this puzzle 23 Robin Hood’s mastery 27 Refuses to retire 28 Do some cobbling 29 Republic of China’s capital 30 Supercollider bits 31 Conquer crosswords 32 Dance variety 35 Ringling abbr. 36 Montana city 37 Cold north wind 38 “Mayday!’ 39 Fast-food side 40 Angle wood

41 Showy displays 43 Tablecloths and such 44 Ocean bottoms 46 Act as 47 Grammar concerns 48 Tobacco curer 49 Pitching stat 50 Gabs it up 56 Draw a bead 57 Roof parts 58 Obliterate 59 Author Harper 60 Stockholmer 61 Big Billboard name DOWN 1 ___ du Flambeau, Wisc. 2 Flame proof? 3 Science course, for short 4 Tokyo pre-1868 5 Leaseholders 6 Not close to shipshape 7 Straight line through a figure 8 Child 9 Course that’s unforced

0 Contour a new way 1 11 Thinks hard on a subject 12 Shakespearean lover 13 One-eighty 18 Noble dude 22 “___ of the Tiger” 23 Jordan residents 24 Like ‘90s video games now 25 New parents’ chore 26 Movable fashion lines 27 Preserves, in a way 29 Convention bags 31 Deck components 33 Place for many matches 34 ___-walsy (chummy) 36 QB/sportscaster Terry 37 Warped 39 Overcharges on purpose 40 Brought into the world 42 Eye network 43 Too deep in thought 44 Amazing bargain 45 Spooky 46 No longer hip

48 Used credit 51 The day before the day 52 Slip up 53 JFK regulators 54 Inquire 55 Titleist elevator

Solution to yesterday’s puzzle:

Parentlife BusinessMirror

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Thursday, September 6, 2018

More on contextual parenting From left: Jack: Straight from the Gut by Jack Welch, a business leader whose ideals I have always looked up to since I read his book in the early2000s; Meagan at the Rustan’s Summer Fashion Show at Shangri-la Plaza when she was 5; and Meagan at her first Sakamoto Math Competition at age 7.

mommy no limits

maye yao co say

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ast week I shared my last principle, called contextual parenting. This is a parenting tool I coined for myself when my son was 7. I continually use this principle to discuss issues and opportunities with my children. It suspends impositions of my wants. It draws out a scenery or environment. It’s best relayed through a “story” or “situation,” rather than a “You must...” conversation. I shared that the starting point of contextual parenting is to define “base contexts” for our families. For example, because our family’s base contexts are happiness and fulfillment, I looked through a lot of books about raising happy kids. In the book the childhood roots of adult happiness by Edward M Hallowell, MD, he takes reference from Jack Welch, one of the business leaders I have read a lot about and truly admire. Jack Welch was best known as the CEO of General Electric between 1981 and 2001. He came from humble roots and attended a non-Ivy League school. He even had a speech impediment. And yet, he turned General Electric into one of the most successful corporations in the world. Once he was asked, “What makes a person successful?” His reply, “Grab life and live it to the fullest.” “Whatever you do, grab a hold of life. You only have a short time, so don’t be a dabbler. And don’t get discouraged by the bureaucrats. Just grab life and live it full and strong.” Hallowell interprets this as “an attitude, not a skill”. The attitude leads to the skill, but happiness starts in an attitude. After defining our base contexts, all we need to do is to draw from them when a question arises. For example, when my first-born Meagan entered the big school, her teacher approached me during drop-off because she was poor in math. I distinctly remember her teacher’s story, that when a math problem was given to Meagan, she would just look up at the ceiling

UAAP sale at SM Metro Manila malls Tag the whole gang to a fun weekend of deals and discounts, as SM Supermalls delights shoppers with up to 70-percent off on dining deals, fashion promos and more at the UAAP Sale, happening from September 7 to 9 across SM malls in Metro Manila. “This UAAP season, students can shop and celebrate their university colors, or have fun with friends at the first-ever UAAP Sale, where they can experience a weekend full of fashion deals and dining treats in select SM malls,” said Jonjon San Agustin, SM Supermalls senior vice president for marketing. Students, faculty members, employees and alumni of all the UAAP schools—Adamson University, Ateneo de Manila University, De La Salle University, Far Eastern University, National University, University of the East, University of the Philippines and University of Santo Tomas—can get discounts from participating stores by simply presenting their valid ID at the counter upon purchase. Don’t miss out on other fun activities this season. Show off school spirit at the UAAP Season 81 opening at the Mall of Asia Arena with special performances from James Reid, Spongecola and more. For ticket updates, visit www.smtickets.com or approach your school’s UAAP representatives.

fan while all her classmates answered their papers. A kind parent referred me to a math tutor. After the assessment, the math tutor said Meagan had a lot of catching up to do, and had to put in extra hours on her free day. Meagan would run so fast to her room every time it was math tutor day. I started to question my decision to enroll her in a highly traditional school. She had shown more visual creative skills even as a toddler, and had very unique reaction to authority when she was in Montessori. Then I recalled my long-term goal of happiness and fulfillment for my kids. I knew it would’ve been an easier fit for Meagan to be in a progressive school. But I wanted to at least try to “stretch” her abilities in a traditional environment. I also saw a bigger class size as a closer simulation of real life. Even if I knew that this school was one of the most academically demanding, I believed it was good to start “hard,” then adjust if she really wasn’t able to cope. More than that, I liked how the school exposed my kids to being grounded. I believed it was good for my kids to see the hard work of street vendors every day. Since I also studied in

the same school for many years, I hoped for my kids to establish the same genuine friendships I was able to build because of pure connections, rather than business backgrounds. This led me to find a “fitting story.” At the time, Meagan was into fashion and makeup. She would watch YouTube makeup videos and experiment on me. She even asked if she could have a stippling brush, about which I was totally clueless. So I related math to her current interest. I asked her, “When you put makeup on mom, don’t you have to count how many times you applied on my left cheek so you would know how many times you should apply on my right cheek? Isn’t this math?” When she admired clothes in Zara or Adora, I would challenge her and say, “How are you going to make your own fashion if you cannot measure the fabric needed?” The rest is history. Today, Meagan is in advanced math and represents the school for MTAP competitions. When her varsity basketball practice coincided with her Advanced Math tutorials in Grade 5, she asked her coach on her own if she could just attend one practice

day because she couldn’t miss her math. This story is my best representation on my personal process in contextual parenting. I realize today how ingrained this principle is in my parenting style, because I enjoy getting to discover my kids’ personalities in the process. It’s not always easy to formulate a story for every issue our kids face, so it helps to apply both a “growth mind-set” and a “no pressure” mentality from the start. I always remember that contextual parenting was never meant to be a solution. It was meant to be a process of discovering the most appropriate fit for my kids in a given situation, with the hope that the moment becomes a positive building block for their future. I can understand the fear this may bring to parents because there’s really no clear right or wrong. Moreover, we often don’t see the immediate effects of our decisions. But the way I look at it, it keeps us attentive. It makes us more “awake” to the reality that each child is unique and special. And we can only do our best to lead them to the brightest and happiest future life has intended for them. Happy “contextual parenting,” everyone.

Inside the hours of one Melbourne minute

Continued from D1 Nigel, 59, is a native of East Timor who migrated to Australia 40 years ago. In between the silence of our travels, he would tell the group stories about the Australian way of life. He said they value work, but also treasure their life outside of it. “Here, we work hard, go home after to watch a little TV drama, sleep, then do the same thing again the following day,” he said. “It’s that simple.” nnn

Candice Iyog, Cebu Pacific Vice President for Marketing and Distribution, and Amanda Gorley, Australian Ambassador to the Philippines.

Our first slice of inner Melbourne was Hosier Lane, an alley that personifies the city’s active art scene with graffiti walls and installations like shoes tied onto lampposts. Almost every corner in Melbourne hosts some type of art, whether painted,

printed or constructed; intended or otherwise. It’s a peculiar collection that serves as a visual manifestation of the city’s vivid mix of colors, which, in its essence, is reflected by a unique mix of cultures, old and new. Melbourne is lined up with timeless Victorian-designed buildings such as Flinders Station, and has the world’s largest urban long-standing tramway network (free of charge within the CBD). Meanwhile, the city also serves as home to a rich collection of museums and shopping centers, such as the outlet storefilled DFO South Wharf and the Queen Victoria Market, a 140-year-old tianggestyle shopping destination considered as the largest open-air market in the southern hemisphere. It showcases 600 small businesses selling anything from clothing to souvenirs to jewelry to food. Food, it must be said, is also of note in this part of the world. From succulent Australian wagyu to a fresh plate of seafood, from the craft beers to renowned coffee, even to a random kebab joint after a nightcap, Melbourne know how to eat and drink. nnn It wasn’t until the last few days of the trip, during a last-minute shopping session, of all things, when I finally, fully understood what my sister meant years ago.

We arrived at a mall on a Saturday at 5 pm. I had plotted my route to maximize my time shopping, even if I assumed that it would take me at least an hour or three to get all things done. Barely 45 minutes in, the saleslady from the very first store I visited asked us to finalize our purchases. They, along with the whole mall, were closing. At 6 pm. On a Saturday. And so the customers scampered. In the middle of the scramble, I heard the same saleslady ask her colleague: “So where do you want to have dinner tonight?” More than anything, I found the sequence amusing. Work hours, it seems, aren’t strenuous in Australia as it is in most countries. Bars close early and so do malls. Is that how much they value personal time? If so, the system works, as people here smile a lot and seldom rush. They value work, but also treasure their life outside of it. Slow. Simple. Throughout that trip, from the visit to the neighboring nature parks to every stop made within the city, including in restaurants and cafés or even on sidewalks, Melbourne was teaching us a lesson: Slow down, pause, breathe—all that, in order to appreciate the hours that go into every minute. n Cebu Pacific (www.cebupacificair. com) flies to Melbourne three times a week, every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday)

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Thursday, September 6, 2018

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Being a ‘benshi’: An unabashed memoir of a silent-film narrator NHK’S Yamaguchi and Tito Genova Valiente PHOTO BY DEMS ANGELES

reeling

tito genova valiente

titovaliente@yahoo.com

Caution: This is one big ego trip of a column, a self-indulgent narration of someone who just found himself historically big as “the first-ever Filipino Benshi.”

he trip from Linden Suites where I was booked with the members of the Tanikala Tribe, a group of intrepid rock/pop/ethnic musicians from Naga City, and Dr. Noel Volante, my former student, now friend and technical director of the show, felt as if it was taking forever. It was not the traffic—though that certainly distracted us from what we were about to be part of. We were damn nervous. My hands were clammy even as our driver, Vic, carrying us in a van that bore diplomatic numbers, drove us through the standstill to the entrance of the car park in SM Megamall. The film was documented as having a run time of some 20 minutes. It was all of 19 minutes but, all throughout till the applause, I was wading through 90, or even more, minutes. But I am going ahead with my story—repeat, my story. Through an experimentation initiated by Ami Kurokawa, I started rehearsing as narrator for a Japanese silent film. This was part of the 12th International Silent Film Festival. Last September 1, I became the benshi. A what? Let me proceed with my lecture. The closest we can understand the benshi is to describe him as a silent-film narrator. In the absence of dialogues emanating and heard from characters onscreen, the benshi is the one who “gives” the voice to the two or three characters in the film. But these explanations are simplistic. There is a book, titled The Japanese Film: Art and Industry. Written by Joseph L. Anderson and Donald Richie, two foremost experts on Japanese history and culture, the book thick by 525 pages is considered definitive and classic. In the Anderson-Richie book, the benshi is thus described: “Essentially, he [benshi] explained. He was somewhat like the lecturer who used to appear with travel films in the West, introducing the film by telling you what you were going to see and then, as the film progressed, telling you what you were seeing. The Japanese, then as now, were constantly afraid of missing a point, of not understanding everything, and demanded a complete explanation. This the benshi gave them, usually expanding his services to the extent of explaining the obvious.” The benshi, in a sense, fulfilled many other things that are not inherent anymore in cinema.

Anderson and Richie would tell us that, the given the propensity of the Japanese to know more about the technology and machineries, the benshi, had to explain how the film projector worked. When there were delays in the changing of the reel, the benshi had to step in to explain what was happening. The benshi was so unique to Japanese cinema that, for decades, that art form could never be imagined without them. Like the oyama (the female impersonators to contrast with the Kabuki onnagata) who dominated Japanese cinema before the arrival of the actresses, the benshi was a superior, dominant presence for a long, long time. Anderson and Richie continue: “Eventually, the benshi rather than the film became the box-office attraction.” That night, in Cinema 2 of SM Megamall, without the burden of histories and cultures, I became the first-ever Filipino benshi. But I am going ahead of the story again. At quarter to six, we were entering Level 3 of the parking lot of the mall. The whole day, NHK had been in touch with Japan Foundation and our group: They wanted to catch me getting down from the van on my way to Cinema 2. Two days ago, Mr. Yamaguchi, the new bureau chief of NHK Manila, went to Naga with a crew to interview me about this rare, and unique, role as a nonJapanese benshi. As I opened the door of the van, with my blue cane, both a prop and support for my leg cellulitis, getting in the way, the camera was soon on my face. “How do you feel?” Mr Yamaguchi, asked from behind the camera. Nervous, I responded. I was nervous. We were walking toward Cinema 2. People were

looking. I was amused and more than embarrassed. Who is this guy being trailed by a camera? The line snaked around the area in front of Cinema 2. What have I gotten into? Inside were familiar faces. There was Virgie Moreno accompanied by her nurse, and Romy Vitug. In the dark, I saw stepped in a figure familiar only from Facebook. Sylvia Mayuga, journalist, writer and acute sensor of the universe. Approaching her, she was surprised I recognized her at all. I was back in my seat to prepare for the performance. About five minutes after six, the spot went on and caught Mr. Uesugi, director of Japan Foundation Manila, introducing the event. After the Tanikala Tribe stepped onto the area, followed by Noel Volante, I heard my name. I walked, partly numb and partly spaced out. I looked at the script on the lectern: the original Japanese sent in by the Master Benshi, Prof. Kataoka, and the English translation. The spots went off. The red lights trained on us. The kubing, or flute, whispered and wailed. The two classical guitars hummed. The percussion went on. “A quiet spring day.” I was trying to be grand, summoning Olivier, Burton, Balagtas and Katharine Hepburn. But I sounded tentative. The would-be kidnapper, Bunkichi, entered the frame. “This is a perfect day for a kidnapping.” I sounded more determined, I think. I wanted to be funny. Bunkichi is making faces and I was supplying all the grunts and odd sounds I had in my limited repertoire. The music went on and on. Bunkichi and Tetsubo, the boy to be kidnapped, were seated on a bench. A policeman looked at

them. Bunkichi was trying to play the good father to fool the policeman. During the rehearsal, I asked Noel to work with the musicians so that there would be a “pause” here. I wanted the scene to be tender and quiet. It was a short, lovely spell because the musicians had started playing a Bicol folksong. Japanese silent film meets regional music! Ozu to the strains of a serenade! Tetsubo wanted to go home. I shifted languages: from the English, “I want to go home, I want to go home,” I cried like a little boy: “Uuwi na ako, uwi na ako.” The audience loved it. Some laughed, some clapped their hand. The purist, if there were, groaned in their seats. I was perspiring. The kidnapper and the kidnapped arrived at the headquarters. Another character appeared on the screen, the oyabun or Big Boss. My voice turned gruff. I was enjoying the role. I felt my tummy tightened. The boy was aiming his toy gun. As he looked at the Big Boss, I put words on that naughty face: “Tirahin ko kaya itong matanda!” The audience loved the shift once more. Then the kidnappers realized it was tough keeping the boy. Bunkichi returned the boy to where he found him. The children, upon seeing that their friend had amassed lots of toys, turned to the hapless “kidnapper.” Bunkichi started to run, as he screamed: I will never come back to this place again. As if orating, I announced: “At diyan nagtatapos ang kuwento ng malas na si Bunkichi, ang kidnapper.” Thus ends the life of the unlucky Bunkichi, the kidnapper. The film, Tokkan Kozo (A Straightforward Boy), ended. And my career as a benshi had just begun. I pray Yasujiro Ozu, the director of the film, doesn’t roll over in his grave.

THOUGHT-PROVOKING FAMILY DRAMA ON ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE What if memories could be remembered for you—or forgotten for you? Memories are sometimes all we have to lean on. Sundance Film Festival winner (2017) Marjorie Prime takes us down memory lane taking place in a future intentionally left undefined where one’s fading memories are filled in by a program called Prime. Adapted from a play written by Jordan Harrison, Marjorie Prime reveals a future where one, especially the elderly, can have a “prime”—a kind of replacement memory system programmed to accompany and help people keep their minds sharp. Designed to be therapeutic as one deals with grief, primes can soften the blow of losing someone by having a hologram version of the dead. Marjorie (Lois Smith) lives with her daughter, Tess (Geena Davis), and Tess’s husband, Jon (Tim Robbins). It was Jon’s idea to provide his motherin-law with Walter Prime (Jon Hamm), a younger version of Marjorie’s late husband to keep her company. But Walter Prime’s presence does not sit well with Tess, who is uncomfortable with this “fountain of youth version” of her dead father As the story progresses, Marjorie passes away, and Jon brings a Prime version of Marjorie into the household, hoping to heal or resolve Tess’s troubled relationship with her mother. Marjorie Prime tackles how much our identities are built on how we perceive these memories, and director Michael Almereyda relates that it has something to say about the unreliability of memory, but also the mystery of memory. “I think Jordan’s also suggesting that memory can have a healing power. I tried to sharpen

At the recent Globe and Amazon Prime Video launch, some of the most talented Filipino talents gather onstage to talk about creating world-class quality content. With Cu and Patel are Globe Studios Director Quark Henares, filmmaker Tonette Jadaone, director Paul Soriano, award-winning actor John Arcilla, producer/ screenwriter Monster Jimenez and director Treb Monteras. A scene from Marjorie Prime

those themes, by tossing in the explicit mention of William James’s idea that our memories are always fading and dimming—the scientific fact is that every time we retrieve a memory, we’re not going to the source, but to our last visit to that memory. And human nature can lead us to both clutch at the past, to try to recapture it, or to deny it altogether.” The concept is a chilling one, Davis notes. “My character delivers that William James line, and it’s a theory that has haunted me ever since—the idea that when you revisit a memory, it’s just a copy of a memory, it’s not the actual event. That really stuck with me.” Currently enjoying 89 percent rating freshness at Rotten Tomatoes, Marjorie Prime opens September 5 in cinemas from CrystalSky Multmedia.

Globe President and CEO Ernest Cu and Amazon Director for Mobile Business Development-Apac Krishan Patel officially announced the availability of Amazon Prime Video in the Philippines with special offers for Globe customers.

Get Amazon Prime Video and Twitch Prime with Globe Postpaid Plans Globe Telecom is raising the bar and offering high-voltage entertainment to its customers. Soon, eligible Globe customers can get a premium offer of six months Amazon Prime Video free access with a postpaid plan. With this offer, Globe customers can enjoy unlimited streaming of select movies and TV shows on Prime Video, including critically acclaimed and award-winning Prime Original series like Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, The Grand Tour, Emmy nominee and Golden Globe winner The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, all new seasons of The Man in the High Castle and more. “Globe has always led the pack when it comes to the digital lifestyle,” says Ernest Cu, president and CEO of Globe Telecom. “We have redefined how Filipinos enjoy their entertainment—from music and movies to eSports and live shows. Teaming up with global content

brands brings a wide array of content to our customers, giving them more wonderful entertainment choices.” All new and existing Globe Postpaid customers will be eligible for a six month subscription (up to P150 per month value) to Amazon Prime Video, which comes with Twitch Prime. Following this, select Globe at Home plans will include the six month offer to Amazon Prime Video and Twitch Prime by Globe. After the promo period, customers can continue to enjoy Amazon Prime Video for P150 per month. Twitch Prime, included in the six-month offer, is a premium experience on Twitch, the live streaming video service that’s popular among gamers. Twitch Prime includes free games every month, in-game content for some of the most popular games, a Twitch channel subscription every 30 days at no additional cost, exclusive emotes and chat badge.

Envoys&Expats BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph | Thursday, September 6, 2018 E1

‘Driving blessed change’ From Duterte’s recent state visit to Israel, the president of the ICCP anticipates the opening of floodgates for business opportunities between his country and PHL

HIGH-LEVEL Philippine government delegation, led by no less than President Duterte, is currently wrapping up its state visit to Israel and Jordan. The Chief Executive’s visit was made possible through the invitation of Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, founded upon the two countries’ steadfast friendship that was forged by the “fire and fury” of World War II. In a statement, the Department of Foreign Affairs said, “The official visit will be the first by a sitting Philippine president since diplomatic ties were established between the two countries 61 years ago—in 1957.” The itinerary included a meeting between Duterte and Israel President Reuven Rivlin—both of whom were to discuss development cooperation, as well as the enduring, historical and people-to-people ties binding their two states. According to the Philippine News Agency, “a business delegation representing different sectors of the Philippine economy [was set to] join the trip and participate in a business forum to be keynoted by the President.”

Several pacts were also expected for signing as a result of this official sojourn, particularly those in the area of information and communications technology (ICT). Even former Israeli Ambassador Effie Matityau acknowledged the positive climate of trade and commerce being enjoyed by his countrymen in the Philippines. “We have a very successful business community in the Philippines: very energized and very mainstream. Israel [has] a high-tech and sophisticated technological environment.” Various Filipino groups and members of the Israel business community represent those enterprises. Here at home, Israeli businesses are championed by the Israel Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines (ICCP), which is led by entrepreneurinvestor Itamar Gero. Prior to flying with the Philippine-based delegates, the BusinessMirror caught up with the ICT industrialist and current

president of the ICCP to probe his thoughts about Israel’s local business presence in the light of the landmark visit of Philippine government officials to his country, and how it will benefit the business and trading climate for both nations. How will the state visit of our government leaders to your country benefit businesses here in the Philippines, as far as Israeli companies are concerned? The presidential visit would definitely bring a lot of awareness and potential for investments. It all depends now on the business people, and businesses, whom we support and advocate for. We have a big delegation going. We’re expecting about 150 to 200 of our people in the business forums. There would also be memoranda of understanding to be signed involving authorities and private companies. It just shows the commitment of businessmen from both countries to strive forward and enhance the bilateral trade between us. So, the president is opening the “floodgates,” and it’s now up to us to conquer the markets. Because, I think, I the past 10 years that I’ve been here, the Philippines-to-Israel, Israel-to-the Philippines market potential, however great, was a bit “underutilized.”

The Philippines for us is a very “virgin” market. It’s a country of over a hundred million people, where domestic consumption is just growing. It has a skilled labor that is known around that world for being hardworking and loyal. People are seeing it. It’s not just Israel, but every other country. In terms of trade, we might not have the biggest volume of exchange. We have over a billion dollars (worth of) trade with Vietnam. Yet with the Philippines, it hardly breached $200 million. So we can see that there is always much more room for improvement, and (there is) nothing like the presidential visit to start driving that “blessed change.” There’s a big delegation from the ICCP and the Department of Trade and Industry. We’ll work really closely. The DTI sent a small delegation a year ago in Israel. It’s their first delegation there, and they were amazed with what they saw. Obviously, (expectations were raised from then on), so I think everyone came together (and said,) “It’s about time.” We foresee a lot of deals being signed. We see big, Israeli companies working in the Philippines. Imports and exports are on the rise. So I think (this) one, big visit will solidify it, when everybody goes around, networks and meets each other face-to-

face. Only good can come out of it. Certainly, Israel-based firms play a vital role in furthering business ties with the Philippines. We Israelis don’t want to just work hard. We want to work smart. If we want to build smart, it should be based on technology. In the world of digital transformation, we should harness those instruments of technology that Israel specializes in. The Philippines is a complementary market to Israel. What we do, you don’t do; what you do, we don’t do. The resources you have, we don’t have. So you will understand that people are working on it from both ends: From the Israeli side, whether it’s the Federation of Israeli Chambers of Commerce, the export institutes, our Ministry of Tourism, and those operating in the Philippines, as well. Our travel agents are part of the ICCP, and they’re pushing the numbers to grow double-digit percentages year-on-year, with Filipinos going to Israel, and Israelis coming to the Philippines. The tourism opportunities you have here are magnificent. And it’s the Israeli’s side’s role to put the Philippines on the map. Something we’re big in is of course with tourism. We’ve had a lot of people that are already sending Filipino tourists to Israel in the thousands. And that

number will only grow and grow definitely, from the Philippines to Israel. The strength of Catholicism and Christianity here is a serious driver. I think people need to realize that Israel is visa-free for visiting Filipinos, on the account of the rich and heartwarming histories we share. I could say that almost every Filipino whom I’ve met wants to see (Israel), and I think you can put it in the same level as going to Rome or Greece. Visiting Jerusalem is parallel to those tourist draws. But, it goes all the way to the fact that Israel is, despite of being small, is a very adventurous nation. People just venture out, and they’re looking for places to invest. They could be in real estate or hospitality: from El Nido to Boracay, Cebu, to Siargao. Our people are looking for and starting their businesses there. So that’s just the beginning, and hopefully there will be more to follow. Is there a representative presence of ICCP members in other parts of the Philippines? There is in Mindanao—in the agriculture and agri-tech sectors. We have demo dairy farms, since we look at [the island] as a big potential partner for Israeli technology. Continued on E2

Envoys& BusinessMirror

E2 Thursday, September 6, 2018

Seasoned diplomat is PHL’s new Israeli ambassador

RESIDENT Duterte recently received Israel’s new ambassador to the Philippines Rafael Harpaz during the latter’s Presentation of Credentials ceremony in Malacañan Palace on August 31. Duterte and Harpaz then exchanged views on furthering the already-strong Philippine-Israel ties. “Israel and the Philippines share an extensive and warm [partnership] in many areas, including economic and trade relations, security cooperation, agriculture, development assistance and tourism,” Harpaz said in a statement. The recently confirmed envoy said the two countries’ relations continue to stand firm, stemming from the noble deed of the Philippines through the late President Manuel L. Quezon’s Open-Door policy that prevented Jews from perishing in the Holocaust. “Israel is eternally thankful to the gracious deed of the Philippines to save Jewish lives,” Harpaz said.

“We are also appreciative to the approximately 30,000 Filipinos who are working as caregivers to many Israelis in need,” he added. The diplomat further expressed Israel’s gratitude to the thousands of Filipino professionals participating in his country’s development programs and within the Philippines through Mashav, Israel’s international agency for development cooperation. He also commended the 600 plus Filipino students from 29 state universities and colleges who participate in the 11-month internship courtesy of Israel’s modern agriculture program every year.

Israel’s PM, prez, PRRD

BOTH the prime minister and pres-

AMBASSADOR Rafael Harpaz during his confirmation ceremony in Malacañan Palace. PNA

HARPAZ shares a light moment with Filipino agriculture students in Israel. EMBASSY OF ISRAEL

ident of Israel are anticipating the historic trip of President Duterte to their country, which is expected to further bolster ties between both nations, Harpaz stated. “The upcoming historic visit of President Duterte to Israel will enable both our countries to expand and strengthen our excellent relations [in] many more fields. President Reuven Rivlin and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are looking forward to meet [him],” he added. Expected to be signed between the Philippines and Israel dur-

tral Asia and Caucasus Department since December 2015. He was also Israel’s Ambassador to Azerbaijan (2012 to 2015) and Public Affairs Director in the Embassy of Israel in Washington D.C. (2005 to 2009). The Israeli envoy also worked as deputy chief of Mission in the embassies of Israel in Stockholm, Sweden (1999 to 2003); Bern, Switzerland (1993 to 1997) and Abidjan, Ivory Coast (1991 to 1993). In MFA’s head office in Jerusalem, Harpaz assumed the position of Economic Department Head for

ing the Chief Executive’s trip are a memorandum of agreement on the employment of Filipino caregivers, as well as memoranda of understanding on scientific cooperation, including one between the Board of Investments and Invest in Israel, a one-stop shop for potential investors.

Career diplomat

HARPAZ arrived on August 26. Prior to his designation as Israel’s ambassador to the Philippines, he served as the director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’s (MFA) Cen-

‘Driving blessed change’ Continued from E1

I think the Philippines should be a hub of the Asean region for produce and exporting high-value crops. It’s something that other countries are now doing, and the Philippines can follow suit. In all, people need to go visit and decide to adopt the said technologies, knowing that there is a clear return of investment for them. That will show them to grow more with less, and with zero wastage on produce, while making the value chain more efficient. We also have people on tourism there. Devout Christians fly in groups to Israel. Please tell us how Israeli companies in the Philippines are coping with the new sets of taxes and economic laws. Are they still performing within expectations? The high corporate taxes that we have to deal with before are still there, but they are a kind of a “double-edged sword.” To take away the incentives at such an early stage is a

Africa and the Americas (2009 to 2012), Export Control Coordinator of the Strategic Affairs Division (2003 to 2005) and Deputy Division Director of North Africa (1997 to 1999). He joined the MFA in 1989. According to the embassy, “Harpaz loves history and nature, and is excited to learn more about the Philippines. And just like most Filipinos, he is an avid basketball fan.” He succeeds Effie Ben Matityau, after the latter ended his tour of duty on August 26. With a report from Joyce Ann L. Rocamora/PNA

ICCP President Itamar Gero: “The president is opening the ‘floodgates,’ and it’s now up to us to conquer the markets.”

kind of a “red light” for the ICT and businessprocess outsourcing (BPO) sector. So in one hand, yes, it might be easier with a lower tax-price bracket for corporates, but you cannot drive away what brought you thus far. Recall that the local BPO industry generated not only 1 million direct and 5 million indirect jobs; it also brought in a lot of knowledge as well as up-skilling to the country and created so many “offspring” companies. Local companies learned from that industry. Overall, it’s all about knowing and realizing the potential. The current administration is looking for solutions. That’s my opinion. Israeli companies may have issues with it, but I think it’s about to change. Everybody’s keeping their fingers crossed, (and) hoping for the best. We believe former Ambassador Matityau played a big role in making this visit possible. I think the trip was long due. It was a

combination of happenings. Matityau did a great job. He’s a diplomat of the first grade, and in the four years he had been here, he tried to really be a part of the fabric of (Philippine) society. Anybody that knocked on his door, he was always available. And I think it was rewarding, in the sense that he provided the chance for Duterte to visit Israel. Prior to this, we had Fidel Ramos and Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in Israel, but their trips were after they held office. Now is the first time that an active serving Philippine president would be in Israel, and the timing couldn’t be better. While being the ambassador, (ties between) Israel and the Philippines truly experienced an upward trajectory. In all, Matityau did an amazing job.

On behalf of the Israeli community in the Philippines, what would you say would be forthcoming in the next chapter of our bilateral relations? I know that the new ambassador also has a reputation for being a strong driver, and we at the ICCP are looking forward to find another great partner to drive the change that we started more than 10 years ago. The ICCP is here for people that are willing to, and wanting to, explore potentials. Because after this presidential visit, with all the publicity and coverage, as well as the intentions of both sides to ramp up business transactions, we will be looking for the right partners here for Israeli companies and vice versa. So we are the pipeline between Israel and the Philippines.

We encourage everybody and anybody who wanted to do business in the past, or now wants to do, or is currently doing business with Israel, to partner with the ICCP. We’re a nonprofit organization and membership is what fuels us. What we give our members in return is the support they need, with connections in Israel, networking events and business opportunities. We can’t take credit, but it’s everybody’s work. Altogether, these make things possible. I think the time is never as right and ripe as now to reintroduce both our countries to each other, make them work better with each other and work stronger with each other. The abovementioned, for me, is what the recent presidential visit signifies. Beatrix Malesido

WORLD CINEMA

Central-European drama flick up for Manila screening

HIS month of September, the yearlong Czech Movie Gems film festival will feature Sekal Has to Die (1998), one of the most sought-after Central-European period dramas. The captivating movie looks back into the German occupation of Czechoslovakia during World War II in the fictitious village of Haná, and follows the lives of two men involved in a moral conflict that led to their inevitable tragedies. The plot fascinatingly questions the evil nature of the human character, as well as the consequences of a painful childhood. Starring Polish star Olaf Lubaszenko, who won the Karlovy Vary Film Festival “Best Actor Award,” and Bogusław Linda, the film’s claim-to-fame was its “thoughtful script, elegant cinematography, masterful music score and triumvirate of exquisite performances.” Czech Director Vladimir Michalek elevated the film with his use of biblical references that resonated with the characters’ collective morality and ultimately set it above par from other contemporary films in the region. Furthermore, the movie features the intriguing sites of South Bohemia and offers a feast for the audience’s eyes, mind and soul. In cooperation with the Film Development Council of the Philippines and Cinematheque Centre Manila, Czech Movie Gems continues to bring different award-winning Czech films to its Filipino audience. Sekal Has to Die is the tenth film to be screened under the film festival, which

takes place every second Wednesday of the month. The film is set for screening on September 12, 6:30 p.m. at Cinematheque Centre Manila. Admission is free. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis, subject to capacity.

&Expats

envoys.expats.bm@gmail.com | Thursday, September 6, 2018 E3

EMBASSIES, EVENTS, ETC.

PHL, EU to form panel for tie-up deal

HE European Union (EU) and the Philippines are eyeing to establish a joint committee soon to follow up and implement its recently ratified Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA). To implement and promote its objectives, the PCA provides for the establishment of a joint committee composed of senior-level officials from both sides, the creation of which will be followed by the establishment of specialized subcommittees to deal with specific areas covered under the agreement. During a conference on August

29, entitled “Reaping the Benefits of the Philippines-EU Partnership and Cooperation Agreement,” Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Enrique A. Manalo said the country is ready to bring its relations with the EU forward to a higher level on the basis of equality and mutual respect. “The PCA allows the Philippines and the EU to address new challenges

Envoy optimistic of Koreans’ return to Davao

AVAO CITY—Ambassador of South Korea Han Dongman said he remains optimistic the Koreans who have stayed in the Philippines for a long time would return to this city after they left, following the declaration of martial law in Mindanao last year. In an interview here, Han said there used to be 7,000 Koreans in the city, but more than half of the number relocated to other places in the Visayas and Luzon—either to study or do business. Han said martial law initially created a “different perception” among the Koreans, but added that visiting the foremost metropolis of Mindanao again would correct such impression. The diplomat was in the said city to meet with the local Korean community, the business sector and to speak at the Ateneo de Davao University on the “Vision for Peace in the Korean Peninsula and the Philippines-Korea Relations” attended

by some 100 students and members of the academe. The Korean envoy underscored Davao City’s many potentials in business and tourism, and added that the local government should intensify its tourism promotions to lure back Korean tourists and businesses. Han committed to work closely with the Korean Chamber of Commerce to consider Davao City for their projects, and furthered that investors are more geared toward locating in economic zones. An obstacle that the South Korean envoy sees for foreign investors in the Philippines is its limits on foreign ownership. He pointed out, however, that the country could still be competitive by focusing on infrastructure development. During his courtesy visit to Mayor Sara Z. Duterte, Han told the mayor the South Korean government was willing to fund infrastructure projects in Davao City. Lilian C. Mellejor/PNA

PHL gets bulk of US security funding to Southeast Asia

HE Philippines will be getting the largest chunk from the security funding of the United States to Southeast Asia, a senior official from the State Department revealed. “The Secretary announced in Singapore [that] we have close to $300 million in security assistance, [and] the country that receives the largest chunk, as far as I understand, is the Philippines,” said US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs and Public Diplomacy in the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs Walter Douglas. “We’re looking at about $60 million of that…[to go to the] Philippines,” Douglas added. He said this amount represents

a form of recognition to the “longterm partnership” Washington has with Manila on the security front. “That will cover peacekeeping, maritime domain awareness, and all sorts of areas we think we could work very well with the Philippines.” On the sidelines of a meeting with Asean foreign ministers in early August, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo pledged to provide at least $300 million in fresh security funding for the region. Last month the US Embassy in Manila also announced it will contribute $26.5 million over the next two years to boost counterterrorism support for Philippine law-enforcement agencies. Joyce Ann L. Rocamora/PNA

in a more coherent and sustainable manner through regular dialogue and cooperation,” Manalo stated. “[It] will provide a platform for the Philippines and the EU to discuss candidly not only our common concerns, but equally important, to understand, to manage, if not transcend, our differences,” he added. Retired EU Ambassador James Moran, the chief negotiator when Manalo was the Philippines’s ambassador to Belgium and to the EU from 2010 to 2011, agreed that the next step of PCA implementation is to finalize the rules of procedure for the joint committee and its specialized subcommittees. Moran said it would be helpful to take into account the experience of other PCAs in the region, such as in Indonesia, where the agreement has been operational since 2016.

Maturing relations

MEANWHILE, EU Ambassador to the Philippines Franz Jessen said the PCA should serve as the general framework of relations between the Philippines and the EU on areas such as political matters, human rights, justice and security, trade and investment, migration and development, as well as other economic development and sectoral issues. “[The] entry into force of the PCA with the Philippines clearly illustrates the maturing of Philippines-EU relations between equal partners who share common values and interests,” Jessen elaborated. In the past, President Duterte had been critical toward the bloc following its statements against the human-rights situation in the country. Ambassador of the Philippines to Belgium Eduardo Jose A. de Vega

story of actors Fabián and Florencia who fall in love while working as actors on a film set and immediately get married. Returning from their honeymoon, Florencia realizes that she’s fallen in love with an irreparable idiot that she mistook for the film’s fictional character. A desperate Fabián asks the film’s screenwriter to write a few scenes for him as the character who tries to win his new wife back. A lovely relationship arises between Felipe, a multimillionaire, and a young, unemployed Tito, in the film Inseparables. Tito works for Felipe for a while as a therapeutic assistant, until the series of treatments between them that started in humor eventually develop into a familiar relationship. Vino para robar (To Fool a Thief) narrates a complicated story when Sebastian meets Natalia while

Largest FDI

FIGURES from the EU delegation in Manila showed that the EU is the Philippines’s third-largest export partner, as trading reached $4.6 billion in the first half of 2018. This includes an increase in the agri-food, fisheries and footwear sectors, which can be attributed to the Generalized System of Preferences-Plus, or GSP+ preferential treatment. The EU also has the largest amount of foreign direct investments (FDI) in the Philippines, representing more than 500,000 jobs

in the country. In the framework of a dedicated peace panel, Presidential Peace Adviser Jesus G. Dureza, who was also present at the event, said the intergovernment cooperation is vital in addressing violent extremism, as he pointed out the importance of the EU commitment to peace. “We hope that the work that we are doing now continues to get EU support because, to be honest with you, we need you,” Dureza said. National Security Council Chief Hermogenes C. Esperon Jr. said the EU is now more important than ever in support to a resilient peace in Mindanao. The EU-Philippines event was the first of its kind after the Senate gave its concurrence for the ratification of the PCA early this year. Joyce Ann L. Rocamora/PNA

Searching for PHL artists in ’68 Olympic’s ‘World of Friendship’ murals

LA VOZ DE MÉXICO Amb. Gerardo Lozano

IFTY years ago Mexico City hosted the 1968 Olympics— the first time they were held in a developing country. It was not only a matter of pride for Mexico, for the competition represented an opportunity to tighten our ties with nations around the world and develop friendship with its people. In this context, the World Children’s Painting Festival, “A World of Friendship” took place, where murals and paintings from children of 80 countries throughout the five continents were exhibited in main sites of Mexico City’s landscape. Truly, it was an endeavor worth of praise, since more than 1,800 artworks composed part of the collection. All of the above was achieved under the vision of Susana Jones, with the support of Arch. Pedro Ramírez Vázquez, the authors of the project. Their vision: “A World of Friendship was a space without borders…a world painted by children, a real place, tangible, capable of offering us new discoveries.”

Filipino children participated

TO celebrate the 50th anniversary of “A World of Friendship” as an occasion that brought together Mexico to the world, the Mexican government, through its diplomatic missions, has been leading efforts to search and find the children—now adults—who were part of the drawing contest. In our case, I am pleased to reveal that among the participants, 10 Filipino children were included then. Through the BusinessMirror and this space conceded to me to communicate with the Filipino people, “La Voz

de Mexico,” I would like to call on those participants, or any other person who knows one of those former children in the contest, to contact the Mexican Embassy as soon as possible. We can disclose that these children, who were then 7 to 12 years old, were students of the following academic institutions: Don Bosco Technical Institute, Jose Abad Santos Memorial School, De La Salle College (now, University), University of the East, School of Music and Arts Cultural School and St. Paul´s College.

50th anniversary celebration

THE Philippines’s participation was expected. Moreover, it should not be surprising, considering the deep cultural bond that both our countries have developed for more than 450 years, that has not been affected by the passing of time. On the contrary, this opportunity shows as an ideal moment to renew it. We want to know the 10 Filipinojuvenile artists, now adults, to share with them the activities that will be held to celebrate the 50th anniversary of “A World of Friendship,” as well as to make them part of it. Furthermore, we want that the true symbol and meaning of the contest, as well as the Olympic Games, be seen as an opportunity to bring our countries closer. Thus, that Mexico and the Philippines, 50 years later, reunite again. The Embassy of Mexico in the Philippines may be contacted through embfilipinas@sre.gob.mx, embmxfil@ info.com.ph or (02) 812-2211. For more information on the project, visit: http://www.mexico68.org/en. (Screen captures from http://www.mexico68. org/en/painting/history.html)

Argentina samples contemporary cinema at FDCP

HE Argentine Film Festival (Cinema Argentino) will celebrate its fourth year at the Film Development Council of the Philippines, highlighting the South American country’s comedy and drama movies from September 6 to 10. Spotlight for this year’s edition will focus on relationships: family, friends, acquaintances and dreams that are yet to unfold, which is expected to bring audiences to a different level of emotions and cinematic experiences. Showroom, a movie of Diego Peretti, tells the story of a man whose only goal is to live in a capital city again. He leaves his family in “Delta del Tigre” and becomes an obsessive seller, only to be driven to absurd situations of living on the brink of autism. Me casé con un boludo (I Married a Dumbass) is a

said that, while the two parties can have different views on various issues, “we are of the same mind” that the EU and the Philippines will work for the benefit of all and the PCA will facilitate this.

she is trying to steal an important piece of art from a museum. Declared rivals, the two will have to work together for a more complex robbery: a valuable and unique bottle of Bordeaux Malbec from the mid-19th century in Mendoza. In a world full of glamour, between vineyards and mountains, they prepare for the robbery, then discover that nothing will come as they think. Carlos Gutiérrez, El Ultimo Elvis (The Last Elvis) is a separated singer with a young daughter called Lisa Marie who does not see him very often. He always lived his life as if he was the reincarnation of Elvis Presley, denying himself his reality. But Carlos is about to live the years that his idol didn’t have when the latter died. An unexpected situation forces him to take care of his daughter. Carlos manages to be a father, and Lisa Marie learns to accept it as it is. But fate had a

difficult choice to offer. On a journey of madness and music, Carlos will have to choose between his dream of being Elvis and his family. Los Guantes Magicos (The Magic Gloves), tells the tale of a remisero who decides to sell his old Renault to enter the strange business of importing magic gloves. The films will bring Filipino audiences closer to Argentina’s culture and creativity. Catch them at the Cinematheque Centre Manila, as well as the regional showings at Cinematheque Centre Davao and Iloilo. Schedules will be posted on the Embassy of Argentina in the Philippines (www.facebook.com/ArgentinaEnFilipinas) and Cinematheque’s Facebook page. For inquiries, contact (02) 256 9908 loc. 131, log on to www.fdcp.ph, or visit FDCP’s Facebook page at www. facebook.com/FDCP.ph.

BusinessMirror

Health&Fitness

TIPS FOR BREAKING OUT

OF A BODYBUILDING PLATEAU THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU DONâ€™T EAT MAGNESIUM-RICH FOODS

WWW.FREEPIK.COM

September 6-12, 2018

GERHARD DOLL (from left), guest chefs from Vietnam, Vietnam’s Ambassador Ly Quoc Tuan and Michael Gapin.

Discover Fresh, authentic Vietnamese flavors at Crimson Hotel

N celebration of Vietnam’s Independence Day this September, Crimson Hotel Filinvest City, Manila takes you to a gastronomic adventure featuring the diverse cuisine from the Land of the Dragon People.

Vietnamese cuisine offers a diverse combination of flavors, with cultural influences from different countries, such as France, China and India. In the Philippines this cuisine is already gaining popularity where pho noodles and Bahn mi hit the Filipino palate. Foodies who crave for authentic Vietnamese dishes need not look far as the Crimson Hotel in Alabang features the Taste of Vietnam in their buffet spread at Café Eight restaurant from August 31 to September 7. Now on its second year, the hotel welcomed back the talented chefs from Vietnam—Nguyen Thi Khanh Ngan, Tran Kim Hoang Trong and Vo Van Chien to recreate special dishes from their home. A brilliant balance of aroma, fresh herbs, pungent flavors, sourness, and sweetness of ingredients will not escape your palate as you feast on a nourishing buffet of Vietnam-

2 Health&Fitness September 6-12, 2018

ese spring rolls, pho soups, stewed snakehead, roasted duck leg, chicken curry, fried noodles and so much more. The buffet rate per person is P1,514 net for lunch, P1,729 net for dinner, or P2,100 net for Sunday brunch. On September 5 experience Vietnam’s vibrant culture as you enter Café Eight for a night of decadent dining. Xin Chao! Special Wine Dinner will let you relish the exquisite combination of dishes prepared by the Vietnamese guest chefs and fine wines from AWC. The rate of P2,500 net per person includes a five-course dinner with unlimited wine. Savor every sip of the classic Vietnamese drip coffee for the whole month of September at the hotel’s Lobby Lounge. See how the ground coffee trickles down to the cup through the traditional phin. Enjoy this simply delightful drink with condensed milk and a slice of Vietnamese delicacies.

Health&Fitness

is published and distributed free every Thursday by the Philippine Business Daily Mirror Publishing Inc. as a project of the BusinessMirror. Publisher Editor in Chief Editor Group Creative Director Layout Artist Online Editor VP-Advertising Sales Account Managers Circulation Manager Contributors Contributing Photographer

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SWITCH AND SAVE

AT WATSONS

ATSONS launched a shopping revolution, the “Switch & Save,” in 2012 to educate shoppers that there’s no need to compromise between quality and savings when it comes to personal-care and health-care essentials. With Watsons Brand products, shoppers get the quality they deserve with up to 80 percent savings, like on beauty essentials and purchases on vitamins, supplements or prescription medicines. Given the success of the campaign in the Philippines, it was adapted by Watsons in other countries such as Malaysia. International shoppers began believing in the philosophy that switching to Watsons Brand will allow them to save more. Recently, Watsons Malaysia partnered with the Philippine Department of Tourism and Cebu Pacific launched the Switch.Save.Win contest with a package tour prize which attracted 70,000 entries nationwide. The contest was exclusive to Watsons Card VIP members only with a minimum spend of 30 Malaysian Ringgit on Watsons Brand items where

2 qualified shoppers played at the Watsons Malaysia event last May. In July 80 Watsons Malaysia shoppers were treated

to the Switch.Save.Win grand prize of the holiday package for two that include flights, accommodation and tours for a 4D3N stay in the Philippines. So watch out for the Watsons Card launch in the Philippines to avail yourself of many exclusive treats and exciting promos. With Watsons’s legacy of excellence, as evidenced by its standing as Asia’s No.1

Pharmacy Brand and over 175 years of pharmacy experience, Filipinos are assured that Watsons cares for both their financial and physical well-being. Moreover, Watsons Switch & Save campaign encourages all to choose to change, and switch to Watsons Brand. That by spending less on health and beauty essentials, people can spend more to enjoy life.

1 Watch out for the Watsons Card in the Philippines, it will give loyal shoppers many exclusive treats and exciting promos. 2 Malaysian model and Miss

World Malaysia 2009 Thanuja Ananthan joined the Switch. Save.Win winners a trip to the Philippines.

3 Customers take the Switch

Test challenge to prove that Watsons brand products have the same, great quality as leading brands.

4 Jenni Epperson made the Switch & Save move at Watsons.

5 Switch, save, win. VIP customers from Watsons Malaysia get their reward for switching to Watsons brand—a trip to Cebu, Philippines. Health&Fitness September 6-12, 2018 3

UNDERSTANDING

THE RED TIDE MENACE By Henrylito D. Tacio

4 Health&Fitness September 6-12, 2018

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The coastal waters of Cavite, Las Piñas, Parañaque, Navotas, Bulacan and Bataan in Manila Bay are also free from red tide. However, the BFAR said that people should still not eat shellfish collected from Lianga Bay in Surigao del Sur and those coming from Matarinao Bay in Eastern Samar; the coastal waters of Dauis and Tagbilaran City in Bohol; and Puerto Princesa and Honda Bays in Palawan. Based on the laboratory tests conducted on the water sample from these areas, the shellfish “remain positive for paralytic shellfish poison [PSP] that is beyond the regulatory limit.” In layman’s term, PSP is red tide. Despite several studies being done, no one still knows when and where red tide started. But some people believe that the first occurrence was recorded in the Holy Bible. In Exodus 7:20-21, these words were written: “Moses raised his staff in the presence of Pharaoh and his officials and struck the water of the Nile, and all the water was changed into blood. The fish in the Nile died, and the river smelled so bad that the Egyptians could not drink its water.” Dr. Rafael D. Guerrero III, former director of the Philippine Council for Aquatic and Marine Resources Development (PCAMRD), said red tide is a natural phenomenon brought about by the bloom or predominance of a floating microscopic organism known as dinoflagellates. These “single-celled organisms can swim at the maximum rate of 1 meter per hour, by means of two whiplike flagella.” The University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) said the name red tide was coined due to the sea water

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ECENTLY, the BusinessMirror carried a news report stating that the shellfish harvested from Hinatuan Bay in Surigao del Sur are already safe for eating. The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) issued the lifting of the ban.

for any marine or freshwater bivalve mollusk closely related to oysters and scallops. “Being filter-feeders, the mussels take in the red tide organisms from the water which are accumulated in their internal organs,” Guerrero explained. Other shellfishes that filter-feed on the dinoflagellates include oysters and clams. Fish and other seafoods, such as squids, shrimps, crabs, lobsters, and seaweeds are generally safe to eat even when caught from red tide infested waters provided they are washed thoroughly and the internal organs are removed. Guerrero warned that people still get poisoned even if the mussels are cooked because the toxin is not destroyed by heat. The poison in the red tide organism is known as saxitoxin, a water soluble salt that affects the nervous system. The potency of saxitoxin has been reported to increase by acidic chemicals like vinegar used in preparing common Filipino dishes like adobo and paksiw, and the hydrochloric acid present in the human stomach. Saxitoxin is detrimental to the nervous system. “Saxitoxin blocks the sodium channels of excitable membranes of the nervous system and associated muscles resulting in death by respiratory paralysis in extreme cases,” said Dr. Eric A. Tayag, one of the country’s noted epidemiologists. Health officials said PSP victims have symptoms of tingling or burning sensation on the lips, tongue and face within 30 minutes after eating shellfishes with red tide organisms. The gastrointestinal symptoms are vomiting, abdominal pain, water diarrhea, nausea and hypersalivation. PSP-affected persons experience sensory abnormalities, numbness, dizziness, lightheadedness, headache and short-tongue sensation. In severe cases, they cannot walk, and they breathe, swallow and speak with difficulty. Some die from inability to breathe spontaneously. Medical experts said that if recognized early, the shellfish poison can still be eliminated from the stomach by inducing vomiting or washing it out (lavage through a stomach tube). But once the poison has entered the circulation, only supportive treatment can help, to keep the victim alive until the poison is eliminated. Since there is still no known antidote to red tide poison, Guerrero said the best way to prevent PSP is to avoid the consumption of contaminated shellfishes during the ban imposed by the government authorities. Levels exceeding 80 micrograms of toxin per 100 grams of shellfish meat warrant a ban on the harvest, sales, and ingestion of implicated shellfishes, according to the World

Health Organization. In the Philippines a ban is issued when the toxic levels have exceeded 40 micrograms of toxin per 100 grams of shellfish meat. Red tide is here to stay. But those living near the coastal areas can help obliterate the red tide-causing organisms by using a ball made of clay. “Algal cells die when they stick to clay particles,” explained Dr. Rhodora V. Azanza, coproject leader for the ball clay technology. “Clay minerals further entrail the algal cells as they settle at the sea floor.” During a red tide problem in Masinloc Bay, Zambales, the efficiency of ball clay application was

put to test. “A prototype clay dispersal unit formed the clay balls which were applied on algal blooms. The unit mixes ball clay particles with seawater drawn from the area. Mixing ball clay with seawater will improve the efficiency of ball clay to collide and eventually aggregate with algal cells,” Azanza said. Azanza’s team found that the cells of Pyrodinium at the surface and bottom of the sea were not present after clay application. The study also showed no negative effects on other marine organisms such as green mussels and milkfish, among others.

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discoloration, which ranges from amber, red, brown, yellow orange to purple caused by the highly dense population of dinoflagellates. To make it short, its present name was given. In science, it is called harmful algal blooms (HABs). Experts say red tides occur in warm seas and in calm coastal waters, usually between the end of warm months and the onset of the rainy season. They may last from a few hours to several months, depending on the prevailing conditions in the area. Of the 2,000 dinoflagellates known, only 20 species produce toxins or poisonous substances that kill humans. The red-tide organism that caused deaths in the country has been identified as Pyrodinium bahanse var. compressum. Thus, in medical parlance, red tide poisoning is referred to as paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP). The P. bahamense, according to Guerrero, is capable of horizontal and vertical movements in the water. Being attracted to sunlight, it rises up to the surface during daytime and settles at the bottom in the dark hours. The organism multiplies rapidly through asexual means (without sex cells) during its productive stage, which results in bloom. For its resting or dormant stage, the organism reproduces sexually and form cysts, which “hibernate” in the sediment until activated by favorable conditions in the next outbreak. Marine scientist Howard Seliger said that red tide is triggered by the increased nutrients in coastal currents. In his book, Biology, Epidemiology and Management of Pyrodinium Red Tide, he said that in the past there was not enough food in the currents to allow them to be carried over long distances. But now, Seliger believes that more nutrients may be entering coastal waters “due to increased discharges of industrial and human wastes into waterways and decreased natural filtering due to deforestation.” This finding has been bolstered by Dr. Teresita M. Espino of the National Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology. “When there is so much waste, it becomes conducive to the growth of microorganisms that deplete the oxygen. The oxygen is eaten by the shellfishes which may cause the red tide incidence,” she explained. The red tide organism that beset the Philippine waters, Seliger said, thrives only in coastal waters and lagoons under conditions of high salinity. It does not survive in freshwater bodies, he added. “Humans die when they consume shellfish, particularly mussels, that are contaminated with red tide organisms,” Guerrero pointed out. Mussel is the common name given

Health&Fitness September 6-12, 2018 5

THIS TOXIC CHEMICAL CALLED

CAPTAIN KIMO ON VISUAL HUNT / CC BY-NC-ND

DIOXIN

By Henrylito D. Tacio

O come up with “win-win” solutions to the garbage crisis the country is facing, adopting new technologies that will use trash to generate electricity has been resorted to. But doing so “may end up poisoning the environment.” “Unless safe technologies are installed and environmental managers execute monitoring

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protocols, these solutions will inevitably produce dioxins,” wrote Kimberlie Quitasol in a news

report, which was published by Philippine Daily Inquirer. Her source of information was Dr. Jorge Emmanuel, the former consultant on health-care waste projects of the United Nations Development Program and now Silliman University professor, who was one of the speakers of the recent State of Nature Assessment conference held in Baguio City. “We in public health have been pushing for more regulations,

showing evidence that these dioxins are so problematic,” Emmanuel pointed out in his speech. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources has included dioxin as one of the members of the “dirty dozen club”—a special group of dangerous chemicals known as persistent organic pollutants, or POPs. “It is the nastiest, most toxic man-made organic chemical; its toxicity is second only to radioactive waste,” says chemical experts.

Science tells us dioxin is the name generally given to a class of super-toxic chemicals, the chlorinated dioxins and furans, formed as a by-product of the manufacture, molding or burning of organic chemicals and plastics that contain chlorine. “In terms of dioxin release into the environment, solid-waste incinerators are the worst culprits due to incomplete combustion,” says the Geneva-based World Health Organization (WHO). Dioxin made headlines several years ago at places such as Love Canal, Niagara Falls in the United States, where hundreds of families needed to abandon their homes due to dioxin contamination, and Times Beach, a town in Missouri that was also abandoned as a result of dioxin effluence. In 1997 there was a news report of dioxin contamination of food that occurred in the southern part of the United States in 1997. Chickens, eggs and catfish were contaminated with dioxin when a contaminated ingredient was used in the manufacture of animal feed. Now, it takes a good chemist or a person with good memory to remember dioxin’s proper name: 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-paradioxin (TCDD). The name dioxin is also used for the family of structurally and chemically related polychlorinated dibenzopara-dioxins, polychlorinated dibenzofurans, and the certain polychlorinated biphenyls. So far, about 419 types of dioxin-related compounds have been identified, but only about 30 of these are considered to have significant toxicity, with TCDD being the most lethal. In 1976 TCCD was cited to be the culprit of a serious accident that happened at a chemical factory in Seveso, Italy. A cloud of toxic chemicals, including dioxins, was released into the air and eventually contaminated

an area of 15 square kilometers with a population of 37,000 people. According to the UN health agency, dioxins are found throughout the world in practically all media—including air, soil, water, sediment and food, especially dairy products (milk and cheese), meat, fish and shellfish. The highest levels of these compounds are found in some soils, sediments and animals. Very low levels are found in water and air. So, why there is much ado about dioxin? The WHO points out: “Once dioxins have entered the environment or body, they are there to stay due to their uncanny ability to dissolve in fats and to their rock-solid chemical stability. Their half-life in the body is, on average, seven years. In the environment, dioxins tend to bioaccumulate in the food chain. The higher in the food chain one goes, the higher is the concentration of dioxins.” Studies have shown that dioxin exhibits serious health effects

when it reaches as little as a few parts per trillion in our body fat. Short-term exposure of humans to high levels of dioxin may result in skin lesions, such as chloracne patchy darkening of the skin, and altered liver function. Dioxin is a potent cancercausing agent, health specialists claim. The 1994 US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) draft reassessment for dioxin’s effects estimated that the levels of dioxin-like compounds found in the general population might cause a lifetime cancer risk between one in 10,000 to one in 1,000. This is 100 to 1000 times higher than the risk level of 1 in a million that is deemed acceptable in certain regulations. Dioxin also causes reproductive and developmental effects in animals at very low doses. “Dioxin exposure damages the immune system, leading to increased susceptibility to infectious disease,” studies said. “It can disrupt the proper function of hormones—chemical messengers

that the body uses for growth and regulation.” Dioxin has likewise been linked to a wide spectrum of health effects, including diabetes, testicular atrophy, birth defects, endometriosis and problems with cognitive development. Linda Birnbaum, an American dioxin researcher, describes dioxin as “growth disregulators—the most potent ones we know.” Unknowingly, each of us has some amount of dioxin in our body. This is because dioxin, like DDT, does not readily break down in the environment. It also accumulates in our body. Continual low-level exposure leads to a “buildup” in our body tissues. According to EPA, over 90 percent of human exposure occurs through diet, primarily foods derived from animals. Those living near the areas where trashe is burned, watch out. Orlando S. Mercado, during his stint as chairman of the Senate Committee on Environment, said: “Dioxin is known to travel significant distance as part of the emission of incinerators.” Meanwhile, Sen. Loren B. Legarda urged local government units to effectively manage solid waste in their localities as Republic Act 9003, better known as the ecological solid waste management law, mandates it. “The measure aims to create a clean and healthy environment using a system of solid-waste management that starts with segregation of garbage at its source, segregated transportation, processing, treatment and proper disposal of solid waste. It emphasizes on recycling so that less garbage is actually brought to the sanitary landfill, and those brought to the final disposal site are effectively maintained,” Legarda said.

Health&Fitness September 6-12, 2018 7

Why reaching your fitness goals is primarily about diet that protein is important to your fitness goals because it seems like every workout supplement includes it. Your muscles are actually made up of protein, so a protein-rich diet can help you increase muscle mass and strength. Protein helps your body build new muscle fibers and repair the ones that have been damaged during workouts. For the best results, try to get about 2 grams of protein per kilogram of your weight each day. Healthy sources of protein include: n Quinoa n Beans n Greek yogurt n Eggs n Lean beef n Chicken n Fish

Vitamins and minerals

VERYONE has a different fitness goal. Maybe you want to improve flexibility. Maybe you want to bench more weight. Or perhaps you’re trying to lose some fluff around your midsection. You might be tempted to think that physical exercise will get you to your goal. And while that’s a big part of the equation, it’s not the only part.

Consider the extremes HOW would you feel if water was the only thing you consumed for three days? You may have even done something like this as part of a cleanse. And while it’s good to clear your body of toxins, this isn’t the best way to achieve your fitness goals. In this scenario, imagine how

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it would feel to do your regular workout. You’d probably be too fatigued to do anything. That’s because our bodies and brains need nutrients, carbohydrates, and proteins to function. You’re probably tired just thinking about such an extreme. So, grab a high-protein snack, and let’s explore the reasons why diet is so important.

The role of carbohydrates CARBS have gotten a bad rap, but they’re a necessary part of our diet.

Carbohydrates provide your muscles with energy. This is why you feel so fatigued when you try to work out on an empty stomach. The reason carbs have a bad reputation is that many of them are packed with sugar, which will also help you pack on pounds. When you’re planning a healthy diet, be sure to choose your carbohydrates wisely. Good complex carbohydrate choices include foods like: n Quinoa n Chickpeas n Brown rice n Kidney beans n Spinach

Why protein is a powerhouse YOU probably already know

YOU’LL get some essential vitamins and minerals from eating healthy carbs and proteins, but to truly achieve your fitness goals, you’ll need to add some fruits and vegetables to your diet. Iron helps increase your stamina, and vitamin C helps repair tissues and decrease recovery time. Vitamin C also helps your body absorb iron, so it indirectly impacts stamina, too. Sodium and potassium help keep a healthy fluid balance, which can keep your muscles from cramping. Naturally, you will also need to remain hydrated to achieve your fitness goals. Proper hydration will help keep your heart rate from climbing too high and will keep your body temperature regulated. As with everything, your body is a direct reflection of what you put into it. If you eat a balanced diet with all the right foods, you’ll start each workout with the best odds for success. Source: www.bewellbuzz.com

FITNESS RULES By Greggy H. Romualdez

TIPS FOR BREAKING OUT OF A BODYBUILDING PLATEAU

OUR body-transformation routine was off to a rip-roaring start. After signing up for the gym membership and lifting weights, you see some initial gains. You’re looking better in a tight shirt. You’ve improved, yes, but somehow you’re stuck with those initial gains and can’t seem to take it to the next level. Whether your goal is to build muscle or lose fat, that time may come when progress comes to a grinding halt. This phenomenon is known as hitting a plateau. It is when our bodies and muscles get used to a particular workout routine that they no longer respond the same way they did when we started out on a program. After every workout, with proper rest and recuperation, our bodies become stronger. Over time it will build up resistance and get used to a given routine. Once this happens, progress will come in trickles, if at all. Here are some tips on how to bust out of a bodybuilding plateau and once again, reset the wheels of change in motion.

presses no longer yield the kind of gains you want, switch to a barbell or military press. Different exercises, although hitting the same muscle groups, may stimulate the muscles from different angles and in different ways. Yes, muscles do get bored too. Entertain them a bit with new exercises, and they will reward you with more growth.

Mix up your workout methodology

“CONFUSING” our muscles is an effective strategy for breaking out of a plateau and promoting growth. Go heavy weights with low volume for a couple of weeks then switch it up to lighter weights with increased volume for the next two weeks. Break patterns every so often even to the extent of changing the order of the exercises that you perform. That way our muscles do not get used to a particular routine. Before they get used to a set pattern, mix things up.

Take longer breaks

SOME people fail to see any more gains despite insane training sessions for the simple reason that they are overtrained. This means

that they are working out too much such that muscles do not have time to recover. Remember that lifting weights causes micro-tears in muscle fibers. It is during periods of rest when they are recovering from the trauma of weight training that they are actually growing. If we do not give them enough time to recover and subject them to more trauma, chances for increased size become lower. If the gaps between your workouts are too short, chances are, you may be overtrained. Muscles subjected to intense workouts may need a few days off to be in growth mode. If you feel you’ve hit a plateau, don’t fret, it happens to the best of us. Try breaking out of it with these simple pointers. Hope they work for you.

Crank up the poundage

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YOUR muscles may have gotten used to a particular set of weights and have thus adapted. They need to experience a progressive overload to once again be primed for growth—nothing too abrupt that may be impossible to lift, or cause injury. Crank it up a bit at a time. Once you feel you’re getting stronger and your muscles are too comfortable with a specific weight, increase weight in slow increments.

Try new exercises

IF your barbell bench press is no longer hitting the spot, go for the dumbbell variety, or hit the Smith machine. Or if dumbbell shoulder

Health&Fitness September 6-12, 2018 9

This is what happens when you don’t eat magnesium-rich foods M

Magnesium is needed for healthy functioning of all systems in the body, and it is used for metabolism, synthesis of fatty acids and proteins, transmission of nerve impulses, bone density and much more. We need magnesium to stay healthy and strong. Yet the majority of the population is not getting enough of it, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Here you’ll learn all about why so many people are deficient in magnesium, what the signs and symptoms of deficiency are, and which foods to eat to prevent magnesium deficiency. Keep reading to find out!

Magnesium deficiency

WHY is it that so many people today are lacking in this essential nutrient? Even people who eat healthy diets may find that they have a magnesium deficiency. It all began with the invention of chemical fertilizers, which we now use to grow our crops. Hundreds of years ago—before chemical fertilizers—the soil was rich in nutrients, and so were the foods that grew in it. Our modern lifestyle and commercial fast-paced farming methods have robbed the soil of those nutrients, leading to lower nutrient intake throughout the world. To make matters even worse, our already low-nutrient crops are often processed so much that they are completely stripped of all vitamins and minerals and are totally devoid of any nutritional value whatsoever. These two factors are major con-

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AGNESIUM is an essential mineral that is necessary for hundreds of different enzymatic reactions in the body. Fifty to 60 percent of the magnesium in our bodies is stored in the skeletal system.

tributors to magnesium deficiency and other kinds of nutrient deficiencies as well. Switching over to organic foods and cutting out processed foods and white flour from your diet can help to reduce the risk of nutrient deficiency.

n Coronary spasms and poor heart health n Seizures n High blood pressure (hypertension) n Asthma n Osteoporosis n Tooth decay

Magnesium deficiency signs, symptoms, and long-term effects

Since magnesium plays an important role in the conversion of tryptophan, an amino acid, to the neurotransmitter serotonin—also known as the “happy chemical”— magnesium deficiency can present with symptoms of depression. Low levels of serotonin may also cause loss of appetite, sleep problems and migraines. In addition, magnesium deficiency has been linked to many chronic diseases and conditions, such as Alzheimer’s, type 2 diabetes, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and heart disease. Magnesium is also vital for the detoxification of heavy metals—such as mercury, lead and aluminum— from the body, so a deficiency can result in the accumulation of heavy metals within cells, leading to toxicity.

MAGNESIUM deficiency can have some serious consequences, both short term and long term. Early signs of magnesium deficiency include: n Loss of appetite n Nausea n Vomiting n Fatigue n Weakness n Muscle cramps or spasms n Headaches n Personality changes n Anxiety In severe cases, magnesium deficiency can cause serious long-term effects, including: n Abnormal heart rhythms n Blood clots n Migraines

How much magnesium do you need?

ACCORDING to the NIH, the daily dietary recommendations for magnesium are as follows: Birth to 6 months: 30 milligrams (mg) 7–12 months: 75 mg 1–3 years: 80 mg 4–8 years: 130 mg 9–13 years: 240 mg 14–18 years, males: 410 mg 14–18 years, females: 360 mg 19–30 years, males: 400 mg 19–30 years, females: 310 mg 31+ years, males: 420 mg 31+ years, females: 320 mg Pregnant women: 350–400 mg Lactating women: 320–360 mg The best way to ensure that you are getting enough magnesium is to eat a diet rich in foods that are naturally high in magnesium. Some foods, such as breakfast cereals, are fortified with magnesium, and those are good sources as well.

15 magnesium-rich foods to add to your diet

MAKE these foods a regular part of your diet and you won’t need to worry about magnesium deficiency.

Black beans provide protein, fiber, folate, iron, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, copper, manganese and, of course, magnesium. One cup of black beans contains 120 mg of magnesium, or 30 percent of your RDI.

1Almonds.

A 1-ounce serving of almonds contains 75 mg of magnesium, or 19 percent of your recommended daily intake (RDI). Almonds are also rich in fiber, protein and antioxidant vitamin E. Grab a handful of almonds for an easy, healthy and energizing snack on the go.

2Cashews.

A 1-ounce serving of cashews contains 81.8 mg of magnesium, or 20 percent of your RDI. Other nutrients you’ll benefit from when you eat cashews include vitamin K, vitamin B6, iron, phosphorus, zinc, copper, manganese and selenium.

5Swiss chard.

The dark leafy green category tops the charts when it comes to antioxidant and nutrient content. Swiss chard is yet another dark leafy green that is especially rich in magnesium. One cup of cooked Swiss chard contains 150 mg of magnesium or 38 percent of your RDI.

9Dark Chocolate.

What dark chocolate lacks in vitamins, it certainly makes up for in mineral and antioxidant content. Get yourself some good-quality 70 percent or higher dark chocolate, and indulge in a small piece each day. A 1-ounce serving of dark chocolate contains 63.8 mg of magnesium, or 16 percent of your RDI.

13Dried figs.

In a half-cup serving of dried figs, you’ll get 50 mg of magnesium, which is 13 percent of your RDI. Dried figs are also a good source of vitamin K, calcium, iron, potassium, copper and manganese.

6Sunflower seeds.

Seeds are an incredibly healthy food with many benefits to offer. Flax, pumpkin, chia and sunflower seeds are all excellent sources of magnesium. A 1-ounce serving of sunflower seed kernels contains 91 mg of magnesium, or 23 percent of the RDI. You’ll also benefit from a healthy serving of fiber, vitamin E, vitamin B6, iron and many other essential vitamins and minerals.

3Spinach.

This superfood is rich in many nutrients and antioxidants, and it happens to be one of the best sources of magnesium. One cup of cooked spinach contains 157 mg of magnesium, which is 39 percent of your RDI. It’s also bursting in vitamins A, C, E, K, B vitamins, calcium, iron, phosphorus, potassium and manganese. Not to mention all those antioxidant phytonutrients, such as carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin, among others.

are an excellent source of many essential minerals, including magnesium. One cup of long-grain brown rice contains 84 mg of magnesium, or 21 percent of your RDI. It’s also an excellent source of fiber, protein, B vitamins, phosphorus, manganese, and selenium.

10Yogurt.

A one-cup serving of yogurt provides 46.5 mg of magnesium, which is 12 percent of your RDI. Yogurt is not only a good source of magnesium, but many other minerals as well, including calcium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc and selenium. In addition, yogurt is an excellent source of probiotics—good bacteria that are necessary for a healthy gut and a strong immune system.

14Squash.

Winter squash and butternut squash are teeming with many essential nutrients and antioxidants. In one cup of cubed squash, you’ll get 59.5 mg of magnesium, or 15 percent of your RDI. You’ll also get more than 400 percent of your RDI of vitamin A, as well as a healthy serving of vitamins C, E, B6, folate, potassium and manganese.

7Avocado

. If avocado isn’t a regular part of your diet, you’re missing out on a lot of incredible health benefits. Avocados are rich in healthy fats, fiber and many essential vitamins and minerals. In one cup of cubed avocado, you’ll get 43.5 mg of magnesium, or 11 percent of your RDI. You’ll also get vitamins C, E and K, B vitamins, folate and potassium. Avocados have been shown to lower cholesterol levels, reduce inflammation, improve heart health and promote weight loss.

11Lentils.

All legumes carry impressive nutritional value, as they’re all high in fiber, protein, folate, iron and many other nutrients and antioxidants. Lentils are some of the most nutritious legumes. One cup of lentils contains 71.3 mg of magnesium, which is 18 percent of your RDI.

15Bananas.

Bananas are best known for their potassium content, but they’re a good source of other essential nutrients as well. One medium banana contains 32 mg of magnesium, which is 8 percent of your RDI.

Conclusion

4Beet greens.

Beet greens are another type of dark leafy greens, like spinach, that are rich in many nutrients, including magnesium. One cup of cooked beet greens contains 98 mg of magnesium, or 24 percent of your RDI.

8Black beans.

Black beans are just one of those foods that are incredibly rich in so many essential macro- and micronutrients.

12Brown rice.

Whole grains, such as brown rice,

MAGNESIUM deficiency is no picnic. It can result in some serious symptoms and long-term effects. Luckily, you now know which foods to eat in order to get a healthy serving of magnesium each and every day. Source: www.bewellbuzz.com

Health&Fitness September 6-12, 2018 11

HEALTH MONITOR

DOH says new family-planning method more effective By Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco

HE Department of Health (DOH) has reported that the new family-planning method called Progestin Sub-dermal implant (PSI) is an effective approach to meeting the global need for more beneficial and convenient manner of birth spacing among women. The DOH clarified the misconception that it causes abortion among users through an issuance of the Food and Drug Administration Advisory 2017-302 (Results of the FDA’s Re-evaluation of Contracep-

tive Products for Recertification) that declared PSI as among the contraceptive products that are nonabortifacient. “Like any other contraceptives publicly available, the PSI has

some temporary side effects like headache, acne or pimples, weight gain and breast pain, minor bleeding, vaginal itching and menstrual cramps,” Health Secretary Francisco T. Duque III stated. The implant consists of a single, matchstick-sized rod that contains the hormone progestin. The contraceptive implant is inserted in the left arm of right-handed women and vice versa, and can provide protection up to three years. “Some of the PSI’s advantages include ease of use, can be removed anytime, and is highly effective,” Duque said. Duque reminded first-time users

“to leave the bandage on the wound for a day to prevent contusion, to avoid getting the wound wet for three to five days, clean the wound every day, avoid sexual contact for a week, consult a doctor for any unusual feeling after the procedure, and return to the doctor after three months and every year thereafter for a checkup.” “The DOH strongly promotes the use of implants for couples who wish to space their pregnancies,” the health chief added, who further advised couples to wait at least 18 months before getting pregnant again to maintain the best health for the mother and child.

EALTH Secretary Francisco T. Duque III said that leptospirosis should not be taken for granted. Duque made the statement following the reported 2,229 total of cases of leptospirosis nationwide in August 2018. Duque said that there was an increase in the cases by 105 percent compared to 1,085 cases in August last year. In Metro Manila there were 1,227 leptospirosis cases recorded from January to August 2018. “Leptospirosis can be an indicator of how well the government is getting its act together to address a serious illness,” Duque said, adding that the local government units should also work harder on information dissemination to make the people aware of the dangers considering that it is a preventable disease. The health chief also advised the public to watch out for symptoms of leptospirosis if they have been wading in floodwaters these past few rainy days. The sudden downpour several weeks has flooded many low-lying areas in

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Metro Manila and other parts of the country. “We can prevent complications of leptospirosis when its flu-like symptoms are recognized early and treated immediately. My advice to those who had to wade in the flood these past few days is to be alert for any symptom and to seek early consultation,” Duque declared. Leptospirosis is a bacterial infection caused by the Leptospira spirochetes bacteria that spread through the urine of infected animals, especially rats. Its modes of transmission include wading in contaminated floodwaters, ingesting contaminated food or water. The bacterium has an incubation period of seven to 10 days before symptoms appear. Symptoms of the disease include high fever, muscle pain, eye redness, chills, severe headache, vomiting, diarrhea or yellowish skin discoloration. If left untreated, leptospirosis may cause kidney failure, brain damage, massive internal bleeding and death. Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco

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Leptospirosis cases rose by 105 percent—Duque

Project on teen pregnancy takes grand prize at youth forum on health

VER 1,000 delegates watched as Team TeenPUYOG, from Region 12- Soccsksargen, was named the Grand Champion of Ideas Positive Run 8 at an annual youth forum on public health, held in Iloilo City on August 12 and 13. Their project, IDOLescent M.A.T.T.E.R, empowered peer educators to engage T’boli youth on the prevention of teenage pregnancy.

Engaging the indigenous community through peer education

THE team’s youth members, Claresse Ann Bautista, Desirre Merced Mae Pagaduan, Elizabeth Ariel Hannah Maturan, Edgardo Martinez, and Raffle Tagapulotan, were assisted by their mentor, Godwin Lord Gallo. They explained, “The positive idea behind this project is to capacitate our IDOLescents to take lead in [addressing] teenage pregnancy through peer education.” The project helped reduce teenage pregnancy by 50 percent during the time of implementation. The team believed that the key to their project’s success was “the positive engagement of the indigenous community of T’boli in Barangay Maligang, together with the barangay council and Sangguniang Kabataan.” The awarding of the grand champion was the highlight of the two-day Ideas Positive Youth Forum on Public Health, organized by Unilab Foundation (ULF). Youth delegates were joined by representatives from civilsociety organizations, government agencies and local government units, advocates and persons with disability. All the sessions were designed with the objective of discussing pressing health issues and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the solutions that can be contributed by the youth.

‘Collaborate, innovate, and inspire’

AT the opening ceremonies, ULF Executive Director Lilibeth Aristorenas emphasized the role of the youth in development. “As we celebrate International Youth Day, [we can see] that the youth is, indeed, a force to reckon with. Millennials are taking over the world to build a better future for the next generation.” The keynote speech was given by Randy Halasan, commissioner of the Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor (PCUP) and Ramon Magsaysay Awardee for Emergent

Leadership. He said, “The youth have a crucial role to play in the future of our country. Collaborate, innovate and inspire other youth to join you in your other programs and projects.” Elaine Tan, executive director of the Asean Foundation, talked about the state of the Asean youth, and echoed Halasan and Aristorenas’ sentiments. “Youth is an important stakeholder in the Asean.”

Youth and government, working together for health

AMONG the youth delegates were over 300 newly elected members of the Sangguniang Kabataan. The SK attended a special workshop that gave them an overview of their responsibilities as elected youth officials, and equipped them with the knowledge to develop and implement health programs in their barangays during their term. Besides the SK participants, many other delegates expressed their desire to participate more actively in health projects. Select delegates collaborated to draft a collective youth statement for health. In the document, titled “Youth Declaration for Healthier Communities,” the youth stated, “We believe that the youth are the prime movers of change. We acknowledge that we have creativity, energy and passion, and we will do our best to help make our communities better and healthier. We commit to raise awareness among the youth on their vital role as agents of change.” The statement was presented to the National Youth Commission, in the hopes that it would be adopted by Congress and other relevant government bodies as a reference on how the youth can participate in matters of public health.

What else can the youth do for public health?

THE forum provided youth delegates with different platforms for sharing innovative ideas on public health. Nearly 30 delegates attended the

LILIBETH C. ARISTORENAS, executive director of Unilab Foundation, welcomes over 1,100 delegates to the Ideas Positive Youth Forum on Public Health, at the Iloilo Convention Center.

Health Journalism workshop, fellowship and competition. Students and researchers were also given a venue to present their research findings at the health Research exhibit and the poster presentations. And four teams from University of the Philippines-Visayas Iloilo City Campus, University of the Philippines-Visayas Tacloban Campus and Capiz State University participated in the health debates. The forum also featured a Health and Tech Expo, presented by STEM+PH, ULF’s initiative for championing Stem education. The expo provided visitors with opportunities to learn about Stem, while senior high school and college students were given an opportunity to showcase healthrelated inventions and innovations. The program included twelve breakout sessions tackling various health-related topics, such as environment, children’s welfare, HIV/ AIDS, sustainable tourism and industry, innovation and infrastructure. The sessions featured experts such as Jose Angelito Palma of World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF) Philippines, Dr. Louie Ocampo of UNAIDS Philip-

pines and Dr. Melinda dP. Bandalaria of the UP Open University. Inspired by the Run 8 National Finalists and the discussions and activities at the forum, many youth participants expressed an interest in participating in the next run of the competition. Ideas Positive will open recruitment for Run 9 in October 2018. Ideas Positive’s partners for Run 8 are Sun Life Foundation, the National Youth Commission, the Department of Health and the Ideas Positive Alumni Community. The Ideas Positive Youth Forum on Public Health is supported by the Unicef, United Nations Development Programme Philippines, National Youth Commission-Visayas, Department of Health-Region 6, Local Government of Iloilo City, Department of Tourism-Region 6, STEM+ph, University of the Philippines-Visayas Debate Society, YSEALI, Oppo, Smart, Enervon, Biogesic, Immunpro, NasoClear, Myra, Priva, San Miguel Foundation, Icon, U-Events. For more information about Ideas Positive, visit www.ideaspositive.org.

Health&Fitness September 6-12, 2018 13

HEALTHY FINDS

n PREGNANCY AND CHILDBIRTH TIPS

WHILE parenting is filled with many highs and lows, nothing compares to the insurmountable love and joy it brings. This breastfeeding month, we’re taking time to honor all the devoted and passionate moms who make the world a better place to live. Get to know Jenuesse’s mom of the month, childbirth educator Thammie Sy, as she shares a closer look at pregnancy, child birth and how to make motherhood feel less scary. Four unmedicated and natural childbirths brought Thammie Sy to formalize her passion for helping mothers through birthing, childcare and parenting. “I want other moms to have beautiful, empowering experiences, as well. There is no one way to have a beautiful and empowering birth. One thing we can all have, though, no matter our birth experience is the right attitude and mind-set toward it,” said the US-certified doula and childbirth educator. Here are Thammie’s eight pregnancy and childbirth tips for every mom, and even dad:

pregnancy, healthy labor. 1Healthy

Maintaining healthy diet and a good habit of exercise will surely help in having a healthy pregnancy and labor.

how to filter what you hear and read. 2Know

With all the information available to us now, you have to know which are reliable sources of information. You have to know which ones are aligned with your values and context, and which ones are not.

Use this time to discuss with your husband/partner 3 how you want your family to

be once baby comes. There will be more changes once the baby arrives. Now would be a good time to discuss and have a vision for your family. What is most important to you? What are your negotiables and nonnegotiables? How will baby change the dynamics of your current set of priorities and your schedule? What lifestyle adjustments would you need to start making now before your baby comes? wise about where you spend your money. 4Be

There are so many new innovations now that are geared

14 Health&Fitness September 6-12, 2018

toward helping moms, babies and even dads enjoy their transition to parenthood and having a newborn. But you have to know, which ones are must-haves, and which ones are really just nice to have. Invest in a few essential must-haves and, more important, invest in building skills and knowledge and in your relationships.

5Tune in.

With all the changes in your pregnant bodies, plus the necessary preparations, many pregnant women feel overwhelmed with all kinds of emotions. It is good to tune in and take time to explore and evaluate those feelings with your partner/husband, as well as birth professionals, such as your care provider (OB or midwife), a doula, or a childbirth educator. Taking time to process your thoughts and emotions will make a huge difference in how you approach your birth and adjust to the baby’s arrival.

6Value having a birth team.

You need to surround yourself with a birth team you can trust and whom you know will support you in the same way that previous generations did for their new mothers. Communicate with your husband/ partner and get him involved as much as possible. Your partner plays a key role before, during and after labor.

7Prepare a birth plan.

A birth plan is your vision for birth, written out and communicated with your birth team. It is a letter stating your wishes and preferences for birth. A birth plan will help you, your partner and your care provider clarify and align your goals and beliefs and would help serve as a guide in making decisions during labor itself.

8Attend a birth class.

Birth classes help you embrace the right mindset, provide you with sufficient knowledge and equip you with the necessary skills to help prepare you for your labor and birth experience. As much as we love the role of being a mom, knowledge and proper preparation are crucial to ensure you always have it together from pregnancy to childbirth. That’s why for Sy, having a reliable sanitary pad product as one of her everyday essentials help her to keep going and to stay on top of her game. “Ever since I tried Jeunesse Anion, I have

been loyal to it and have been recommending it to my friends. I do not remember the last time I experienced menstrual cramps or the last time I was confined to my bed because of my period. I could not imagine being able to stand for long hours during my classes and provide continuous labor support to parents if I was still experiencing the pain and loss of energy I used to experience before.” Jeunesse Anion is available at Watsons, Mercury Drug Stores and other leading supermarkets and groceries nationwide. For hassle-free shopping with the convenience of free delivery straight to your doorstep, visit www.lazada.com.ph and www.shopee.ph.

n CONTINUE YOUR ‘KILIG’ STORY AT ENCHANTED KINGDOM!

ENCHANTED Kingdom prepared a special treat for all married couples. Come and celebrate your anniversary at the most magical place in the country. Married couples get two Regular Day Passes at a discounted price depending on the number of years they have been married (one to 10 years get 10-percent off, 11 to 20 years get 20-percent off, 21 to 30 years get 30-percent, 31 to 40 years get 40-percent off and 41 above years get 50-percent off ). A maximum of 10 of their friends get a 10 percent off on their Regular Day Passes, as well. The married couples who avail themselves of the promo are given a 5-percent discount on meal purchases at Launch Time and Amazon Grill, and another 5-percent discount on merchandise items at EK shops. If you opt to celebrate with your whole family, you may avail yourselves of another package, which includes four Regular Day Passes bundled with meals, for only P3,400 on weekdays and P3,700 on weekends. The family meal good for four includes roasted chicken, steamed rice, bar cookies, buttered corn and iced tea, perfect for this grand celebration. They also get a 5-percent discount on merchandise items at EK shops. Married couples are required to provide a photocopy of their valid marriage certificate from the NSO or City Hall supported by any original and valid government-issued picture ID to avail themselves of the Marital Merriment promo. This promo is available at the Group Sales Office only and is valid from July 1 to December 31 only. For more information, please visit www. enchantedkingdom.ph.

The lessons a non-runner learned from a Fun Run

PARALYMPIANS taking the fast track

DINGDONG DANTES ran with us.

FORMER Smokey Mountain heartthrob Jeffrey Hidaldo got a right start that Sunday morning.

JEFFREY SANTOS

JOSHUA ZAMORA maneuvers the road with ease.

By Joee Guilas

OR the record, I would like to make it clear that I am not a runner. In fact, running is one of my least favorite activities, as I suffer from an acute case of gouty arthritis. To my mind, lacing up to hit the road with tophi blocking my joints is more agonizing than undergoing a root canal, where one simply lies down and opens wide in the comfort of a dental chair. The first and only time I participated in a long-distance run was in 2014, fresh and pumped from my victory as Health Ambassador of a popular fitness chain. By the time I reached the 3K mark, my legs began to protest. That’s when I decided it was time to abort the run, mainly out of fear that I might faint from exhaustion and lose my credibility as a health ambassador! Anyway, fast-forward to 2017 when I joined the integrated marketing department of Resorts World Manila (RWM). Among my responsibilities as head of Corporate Communications is corporate social responsibility, and one of the flagship projects happens to be—surprise,

surprise—an annual run for charity. At first, it seemed like the universe was playing a sick cosmic prank on me, considering my aversion to running. But it didn’t take long for me to realize that there is a lot more than meets the eye with this particular CSR initiative. Aptly named Run With Me, this celebrity charity race is a program open for employees and the general public to promote health, wellness and camaraderie for a good cause. Its main objectives are to promote a culture of volunteerism, which in turn can raise funds for six beneficiary charities. So while I still couldn’t help but shudder at the thought of hitting

ROVILSON FERNANDEZ finishes yet another amazing race.

ALL in the family. Chuckie, Yhen and Austin Dreyfuss

the road once again, I decided to give running another try and participated in the run last August 26. While, as expected, my legs continue to hate me for the beating they got from the run to this day, I look back to the activity with pride as it taught me some life lessons that can actually change my view on doing fun runs in the future.

plans of getting back in tiptop shape. If I channel the renewed confidence I gained from participating in the run to enthusiasm and energy to go back to the gym, then I guess I’m off to a good start to once again achieving my health and fitness goals! And I’ve experienced that before. Pain eventually translates to growth and advancement.

It wouldn’t be charity if what you gave did not hurt

A fun run is meant to be fun and should, therefore, be enjoyed

BE it money, time, effort, or in this case, my swollen toe joints, being charitable calls for making some sacrifices. Painful feet aside, my participation will help RWM extend assistance to six charities, each of which stand for meaningful and relevant causes in our community today. These are YesPinoy Foundation, HERO Foundation, EPCALM Adult Leukemia Foundation of the Philippines, Right Start Foundation, Empowering Brilliant Minds Foundation, and Educational Research and Development Assistance Tech Foundation.

Even health advocates say it: no pain, no gain

THIS could actually jump-start my

WITH lots of celebrities in attendance, Run With Me brought out the fan boy in me. It was the perfect opportunity to hobnob and take pictures with them, wearing the same sporty getup as everyone else, and post on social media complete with #ootd. You just gotta see the snapshots of the celebs I ran along with! I’d really say my Run With Me experience led to my conversion from a nonsupporter to a fan of running. I now truly believe that programs like Run With Me should be supported. For it to succeed in its mission to give back and make communities win, all it will take are a charitable heart...and a pair of good running shoes to cushion one’s sole.

Health&Fitness September 6-12, 2018 15