Businessmirror september 16, 2017

media partner of the year

United nations

2015 environmental Media Award leadership award 2008

BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

A broader look at today’s business

n

Saturday, September 16, 2017 Vol. 12 No. 338

2016 ejap journalism awards

business news source of the year

P25.00 nationwide | 2 sections 20 pages | 7 days a week

279photo | Dreamstime.com

The ‘golden’ GMO dilemma

STAGE SET FOR DEBATE OVER GENETICALLY MODIFIED RICE AS PROTAGONISTS HEAD TO CONGRESS

L

By Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas

awmakers should be open-minded about the biotechnological developments being conducted in the country so as not to impede progress of projects, such as Golden Rice, that seek to curb poverty and improve the lives of Filipinos.

Diocesan priest Fr. Emmanuel Alparce, a member of the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) Biotechnology Information, Education and Communication Committee, made the remark after legislators belonging to the Makabayan bloc filed a resolution seeking to conduct an inquiry on the development of Golden Rice in the country.

“They should study things about biotechnology and also learn from the long history and success of Bt Maize, not only in terms of it being safe for food, feeds and environment, but also the change it caused in the lives of farmers who

have planted this,” Alparce told the BusinessMirror.

He added: “Bt Maize has caused economic benefits in the lives of Filipino corn farmers, which is an incontrovertible evidence of the benefits of biotechnology.”

Alparce noted that if the inquiry in the House of Representatives on Golden Rice pushes through, then lawmakers should listen to the statements and opinions of scientists and experts on biotechnology rather than just from propagandists.

“There’s no academy of science anywhere in the world that

[states biotechnology] is harmful. Where do we go when we have problems with our car? We do not run to a scientist or a doctor, but we look for a mechanic,” he said. “So if we have a problem with our health, we do not run to a mechanic. We look for a doctor and trust what the doctor says.”

House inquiry

On September 7 the Makabayan bloc in the House filed House Resolution 1294 that seeks an inquiry into the development of Golden Rice in the country.

In the resolution, Reps. Arile

Casilao of Anakpawis, Carlos Isagani Zarate of Bayan Muna, Emmi de Jesus and Arlene Brosas of Gabriela, Antonio Tinio and France Castro of Act Teachers and Sarah Jane Elago of Kabataan have directed the Committee on Agriculture and Food to conduct an inquiry to determine Golden Rice’s impact on health, environment and farmers’ rights.

The lawmakers said agricultural research must be based on the farmers’ capacity and needs, saying it should take into consideration the diversity and complexity of the Continued on A2

No letup in drugs war amid calls to end the ‘carnage’

T

he Philippine National Police will not relent on its anti-illegal drugs campaign despite three recent cases of controversial killings, two of them blamed on policemen.

PNP spokesman Chief Supt.

Dionardo Carlos said PNP Chief, Director General Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa has ordered policemen to stay focused on the ongoing campaign, but also prodded them to observe legal procedures.

“The campaign against illegal drugs is on track. Our CPNP [National Police Director dela Rosa] wants the police operatives to stay focused on the job and remind them to always follow the police operational procedures,” Carlos said.

Stricter scrutiny

The government’s continuing campaign against illegal drugs, as of late, has gone under stricter scrutiny following the killings of Kian delos Santos, Angelo Arnaiz and Reynaldo de Guzman over the past weeks.

The 17-year-old delos Santos and the 19-year-old Arnaiz were killed in August in police drug-

related operations. On the other hand, the death of de Guzman, 14, is still under investigation.

Arnaiz, a resident of Cainta, Rizal, disappeared on August 17 after he went out for a snack together with de Guzman, his friend.

Arnaiz’s body turned up 10 days later in a morgue in Caloocan City with gunshot wounds.

Police said Arnaiz was killed in an alleged shootout with members of the Caloocan City police along C-3 Road in the early morning of August 18 after he allegedly robbed a taxi driver.

Witnesses, however, claimed otherwise.

On the other hand, de Guzman’s body was fished out last week from a creek in Nueva Ecija, with at least 28 stab wounds. His head was also wrapped with packing tapes.

Continued on A2

PESO exchange rates n US 51.1430

Supporters of Carl Angelo Arnaiz, a teenager who was killed in an alleged shootout with police, carry his casket during a burial ceremony in Manila on September 5, 2017. AP/Aaron Favila

n japan 0.4640 n UK 68.5265 n HK 6.5459 n CHINA 7.8033 n singapore 37.9794 n australia 40.9400 n EU 60.9625 n SAUDI arabia 13.6374

Source: BSP (15 September 2017 )

A2 Saturday, September 16, 2017

News

BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

The ‘golden’ GMO dilemma Continued from A1

environment, while rich natural resources, such as traditional rice varieties, must also be maximized.

“Local rice varieties are more suitable to the country’s environment and climate, and the same assures the farmers of better yield, and should be conserved and protected from contamination from GMOs,” the resolution said.

“Genetically modified crops are not sustainable means to provide food for the people, as they greatly compromise the environment, livelihood of the farmers and health of the consumers,” it added.

The lawmakers argued that Golden Rice is “merely” a promotional product of agro-chemical corporations using public institutions “to make possible the social acceptance of genetic engineering in food and agriculture.”

The Makabayan bloc said the technology, methodology, seeds and variety to advance the Golden Rice are being owned by Syngenta, an agro-chemical transnational

corporation that profits by investing in the global seed industry.

‘Humanitarian’

However, Alparce disputed this claim, saying the Golden Rice being bred by PhilRice was donated by Syngenta for humanitarian reasons.

“So, it is currently owned by the Philippine government. No multinational, especially Syngenta, will have any patent or control with the Golden Rice to be sold in the Philippines,” he said.

Alparce added that he would be willing to attend the inquiries and hearings to be conducted by the House of Representatives on Golden Rice. “Even if I’m not invited, I will attend. So, I would know what are the questions that will be raised regarding the project.”

Alparce also expressed apprehension that the negative campaign being made by those against Golden Rice and biotechnology would impede the scientific developments undertaken by local scientists in food technology.

“The campaign might push back the development of science,

in particular of Golden Rice. And this would push back the help that it might give to the poor,” he said.

“Filipino scientists with impeccable reputations have been working on this project for so long.

And maybe due to ideologies and lack of information on the part of some sectors, it might just become a wasted project,” he added.

Compliance

The Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice), an attached agency of the Department of Agriculture, filed on February 28 its applications for the conduct of field trial for Golden Rice and biosafety permit to allow its direct use for food, feed or for processing.

PhilRice Golden Rice Project Leader Roel Suralta said they are currently complying with all the requirements to secure a permit for field trial from the BPI.

“Perhaps, there is no reason for us not to secure the permit if we comply with all the requirements for field trial, as well as for biosafety permit to allow direct use of Golden Rice for food, feed or for

processing,” Suralta told the BusinessMirror.

Suralta said he does not see the change in the BPI leadership affecting the evaluation of their application for field trial and biosafety permit.

Suralta added that he expects the decision of the BPI’s biosafety committee on their applications to remain impartial despite the fact that development of Golden Rice is a government-funded project.

“It is an equal playing field whether the applicant is from the private sector or from the government. The approval is based on the complied requirements and the evaluation of the biosafety committee, after all,” he said.

“So, everything would really depend on their evaluation. As far as we are concerned, we are complying with all the requirements they are requesting,” he added.

Vitamin enriched

Golden Rice is being developed as a potential complementary solution to address vitamin A deficiency (VAD). This new type of rice contains

beta carotene in its grains, which is safely converted to vitamin A as needed by the human body.

“It is developed through genetic-engineering technique as it is impossible to employ conventional breeding methods due to the unavailability of any rice variety containing such trait,” Suralta said.

Suralta pointed out that safety and efficacy remain the primary considerations of the government in its development of Golden Rice.

“Our research so far indicates that Golden Rice is as safe and nutritious as ordinary rice. Analysis of its nutritional composition reveals that Golden Rice contains similar nutrients to that of ordinary rice, except for its beta carotene content as intended. Golden Rice is also free from any toxic or allergenic properties and is therefore safe,” Suralta said. “The beta carotene in Golden Rice is also safe as it is similar to what is found in orangecolored fruits and vegetables.”

The World Health Organization (WHO) indicates that 190 million preschool children and 19 million pregnant women are still vitamin A deficient globally. In the

Philippines, VAD among preschool children has increased from 15.2 percent (1.7 million) in 2008 to 20.4 percent (2.1 million) in 2013, based on the latest survey by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI).

A number of pregnant (9 percent) and lactating mothers (5 percent) are also vitamin A deficient.

VAD weakens the immune system and increases one’s risk to diseases, blindness, and even death from severe infections. WHO estimates that 250,000 to 500,000 vitamin A-deficient children become blind every year, and half of them die within 12 months of losing their sight. The United Nations Children’s Fund also projected that annual VAD-attributed death (allcause) among children increased to 1,840 in the Philippines.

VAD also causes night blindness and increases maternal mortality among pregnant women, according to the WHO.

“We look forward to the day that Golden Rice will become available and could help alleviate the problem of vitamin A deficiency,” Suralta said.

No letup in drugs war amid calls to end the ‘carnage’ Continued from A1

Investigation

The PNP has thrown its full support to the National Bureau of Investigation’s (NBI) probe into the killings of Arnaiz and de Guzman, allegedly by policemen Carlos said the 175,000-strong PNP is ready to extend the necessary assistance to the NBI in the conduct of its own inquiry.

No less than President Duterte ordered the NBI to investigate the twin killings.

“The PNP will extend all possible assistance and support to NBI in the investigation of the Arnaiz

and De Guzman slay cases as ordered by PRRD [President Rodrigo R. Duterte],” Carlos said.

“This should preclude any perception of bias and undue influence by the PNP,” he added.

Carlos said it would be better if another agency would be taking lead in the investigation to avoid perception of “whitewash.”

He added the PNP leadership has ordered the activation of a special investigation task group (SITG) under the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) to facilitate the coordination with the NBI.

“The war on drugs will continue, we will live and die on the war on drugs. This administration will live and die on the war on drugs, there’s no stepping back.”—PNP Chief, Director General Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa

Wrong body?

On Wednesday, de Guzman was buried in a public cemetery in Pasig, amid questions whether the body that was interred was really that of the victim.

During a news conference, PNP Deputy Director General Fernando Mendez said the DNA test on the samples taken from the body and the parents of de Guzman did not match.

The DNA testing was conducted by the PNP Crime Laboratory DNA Analysis Branch in Camp Crame.

“The male DNA profile obtained from the cotton swabbing with suspected blood taken from the crime scene is consistent with the DNA profile obtained from the standard samples [blood and buccal swabs] of the cadaver,” the Crime Laboratory stated in its conclusion.

“Based on the results obtained, the source of the DNA profile obtained from the male cadaver cannot be the biological offspring of Eduardo Gabriel y Sta. Ana and Lina de Guzman y Dagante,” it added Eduardo and Lina are the biological parents of de Guzman, alias Kulot.

On the other hand, the parents maintained that the body was that of their boy as they pushed through with the interment.

“He is my son, we brought him up. All the identifying marks were his. He will not be released to us if he was not ours,” Eduardo said.

The father’s claims were supported by his wife.

“He is my son, he looks like his father, his face is ours. He’s our flesh and blood. We made him, I gave birth to him, I had a hard time, so he’s my son,” Lina said.

To settle the issue, the PNP and the Department of Justice agreed to conduct a second test on the body, but his parents, who are already under the care of the government’s witness protection program, protested, thus scuttling the plan.

Live-and-die campaign

Despite the controversies, the anti-illegal drugs campaign will continue and it will not even slow down as it sits at the center of the PNP programs and even by the Duterte administration as a whole.

“The war on drugs will continue, we will live and die on the war on drugs. This administration will live and die on the war on drugs, there’s no stepping back,” declared dela Rosa.

No less than Duterte has declared that the campaign will continue until the end of his term.

Owing to the severity of the drug problem, the President has even admitted that he may not be able to end the illegal-drugs problem.

News

BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Vintage bomb unearthed at Nayong Pilipino

By Recto mercene

A

rusting 2,000 -pound bomb believed to be a World War II remnant was stumbled on by construction workers digging for the Ninoy Aquino International Airport’s (Naia) drainage ditch on Thursday.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) Aviation Security Group and airport policemen immediately secured the 3-feet-long vintage bomb found near MIA Road parallel to the Nayong Pilipino in Pasay City.

Manila International Airport Authority General Manager Ed Monreal said experts will determine whether the bomb is one of those rained down on Manila from American battleships in Manila Bay, or from airplanes routing the Japanese near the end of the Second World War. He said the construction workers, upon striking the bomb, called the attention of the airport authorities because there were already many persons who heard of the discovery and rushed to the site to scrutinize it.

Monreal said airport policeman Col. Adrian Tecson rushed to the site and found the workers digging to retrieve the bomb from the earth, where it was buried for more than 70 years.

He confirmed the munition was a vintage bomb based on the information the police gathered at the site. It was heavily rusted but unexploded.

The bomb is now in the possession of the airport aviation police to be disarmed by experts, Monreal said.

Moody’s sees PHL growth above 6 percent as political risk rises

M

oody’s Investors Service forecast that Philippine economic growth will exceed 6 percent until next year, and said the conflict in the South and a deadly drug war pose a rising risk but is unlikely to derail the economy.

GDP will expand 6.5 percent this year and 6.8 percent in 2018, the rating company said in a statement on Friday. It cited the government’s focus on infrastructure, buoyant private-sector investment and the recovery in external demand.

Moody’s also made the following comments on infrastructure, tax reform and fiscal deficit: In the absence of a significant boost to government revenue from the tax reform, the government is likely to pare back its plan to aggressively increase infrastructure spending; fiscal deficits are widening but they haven’t interrupted debt consolidation; finances remain weak compared with similarly rated peers; the risk of an expansion of military rule in the South “could undermine both foreign and domestic business confidence and disrupt economic activity in other parts of the country”; martial law and the unchecked expansion of presidential authority that the government claims could address terrorism, the war on drugs and traffic congestion in the capital could weaken constitutional checks and undermine buoyant private sector sentiment; capacity constraints are emerging, including labor shortages in certain sectors that could lead to faster inflation.

Moody’s affirmation of its strong growth outlook underscores the success of President Duterte in retaining confidence in the economy. Philippine stocks surged to a record on Thursday, and the Philippines is now Morgan Stanley’s top choice in Southeast Asia.

The economy is far from overheating and there has been no over-extension of credit, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Deputy Governor Diwa C. Guinigundo said at a briefing in Manila on Friday. The Central Bank is reviewing balance-of-payments and current-account projections for the year, he said.

Moody’s comments on political risk echo concerns raised by some business groups.

The government must ensure that law enforcement and military operations comply with international human-rights standards, the joint foreign business chambers said on Thursday. Bloomberg News

Saturday, September 16, 2017

A3

More Chinese tourists seen with new flights to Philippine destinations

By Ma. Stella F. Arnaldo | Special to the BusinessMirror

T

HE Department of Tourism (DOT) said it is nearing its goal of attracting a million visitors from mainland China this year with new partnerships forged with Chinese tour operators.

In a news statement issued from Chengdu, the capital of the Sichuan province, Tourism Secretary Wanda Corazon T. Teo said her agency has been able to convince the Hanglv International Travel Group to further boost the already thriving tourism route between China and the Philippines.

Hanglv is a giant charter operator based in Chengdu, with offices in Chongqing, Wuhan, Changsha, Guiyang, Beijing and Guangzhou. Its major business portfolio is to bring more Chinese tourists to the Philippines, the DOT said.

“With improved diplomatic relations between Manila and Beijing since President Duterte’s state visit to China and his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, we are assured of a more bustling business and people-to-people exchanges between our two nations,” Teo added.

Teo is in Chengdu to attend the ongoing 22nd General Assembly of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), a global organization dedicated to improving international tourism and documenting the growth and movement of international travel.

With the DOT chief is Undersecretary for Tourism Development Planning Benito Bengzon Jr. They met their counterparts at the InterContinental Hotel in Chengdu, where they bagged new flights between Changsha and Kalibo, and Chongqing and Kalibo thrice weekly.

“As soon as the Civil Aviation Authority of China grants clearance to the Puerto Princesa International Airport, more chartered flights from other Chinese cities and provinces could be expected,” Teo said. This includes flights between Wuhan and Puerto Princesa, and between Changsha and Puerto Princesa.

Teo, likewise, proposed to Hanglv to consider mounting chartered f lights to Davao, Laoag and Clark. She personally invited the group to visit and discover Davao as a destination.

At the UNWTO General Assembly, meanwhile, Teo echoed

the Manila Call for Action, rallying over 90 countries for a shared responsibility in sustainable tourism. “The Manila Call for Action is our contribution to the urgent need for policy directions in sustainable practices, such as use of energy, water and land, solid waste management, and curbing greenhouse effect of tourism activities,” she stressed.

More than 1,300 delegates from over 130 countries attended the opening of the UNWTO General Assembly on Wednesday. Over four days, participants will discuss the priorities of the organization for 20182019, the transformation of the UNWTO Code of Ethics for Tourism into an International Convention and the impact of technology on tourism will center the discussions. In a news statement, the UNWTO said, also on the agenda of the assembly, is the election of a new secretary-general for the next four years.

“China is an inspiration to others in terms of its supportive tourism policies and in placing tourism at the center of its poverty alleviation and national development strategies,” said UNW TO Secretar y- General Taleb Rifai at the opening of the 22nd session of the general assembly. “Besides being the fourth most-visited country in the world, with 59 million international arrivals in 2016, China is also the largest domestic tourism market, with 4.4 billion trips made within its borders,” he added.

Rifai also recalled the relevance of holding the general assembly, the last under his term, within the framework of the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development 2017. “I feel very proud to have contributed to expanding the capacity of travel and tourism to the progress of the SDGs [Sustainable Development Goals] that guide our common action to 2030. This general assembly is a unique opportunity to continue advancing together,” he said.

Wang Yang, vice premier of

Entire Caloocan City police force sacked

O

peratives of the entire Caloocan City police have been relieved after some of its members were suspected in the gruesome killings of three teenagers and were caught by closed-circuit television robbing a house.

The 1,200-strong Caloocan City police force will be relieved in batches and replaced, said Metro Manila police chief Oscar Albayalde. The officers will undergo 45 days of retraining, after which those facing no charges can be reassigned to other stations.

The Department of Justice has started an investigation based on the murder and torture complaint against four Caloocan policemen allegedly

linked to the killing of 17-yearold student Kian Delos Santos during an antidrug raid last month. The parents of two other teenagers have also filed double murder and torture complaints against two Caloocan policemen. Last week, CCTV footage purportedly showed 13 policemen robbing a house during an alleged drug raid.

President Duterte’s crackdown on drugs, which left thousands of suspects dead, has come under renewed scrutiny after the police gunned down de los Santos. The police described him as a drug dealer who fired at officers during a raid, but his family and witnesses said the student was shot as he pleaded for his life. AP

the People’s Republic of China, recalled that, since the inclusion of China in UNWTO in 1983, the tourism sector has grown to represent 10 percent of the country’s economy.

Wang confirmed that “smart tourism” will guide the development of the sector and highlighted the need to enforce policies to enhance sustainable tourism.

The vice premier also mentioned that the inherently sustainable approach to tourism in China resulted from the traditional harmony between man and nature widely present in Chinese culture. In addition, he underlined the relevance of increasing cooperation among countries in the field of tourism,

especially in crisis situations such as natural disasters. He further noted that 6 million jobs related to tourism have been created in 2016 in China, particularly for women, people with disabilities and rural communities.

“UNWTO is irreplaceable for its role of supporting the multiple dimensions of the tourism sector, as well as its wide potential,” Wang added.

The UNWTO General Assembly will discuss the Chengdu Declaration on “Tourism and the Sustainable Development Goals”. The document, in which the potential of the tourism sector is underlined in economic, social and political terms,

includes 19 articles that, among others, recommend to governments “to develop an integrated and holistic approach to tourism policy in order to leverage the sector’s positive impact and multiplying effect on people, planet and prosperity [Article 1].”

In addition, it proposes “to undertake national assessments on tourism’s contribution and commitment to the SDGs and ensure the inclusion of tourism in interministerial SDG commissions and/ or working groups as well as to enhance the contribution of tourism in SDGs national strategies through the set up of institutional frameworks and mechanisms that allow participation of all stakeholders.”

R ifai stressed: “ To advance, the tour ism sector shou ld decouple growth from environmental harm; fight climate change throughout the entire tourism value chain; measure the impacts of travelers ever y day accurately and regularly, and promote accessibility for all.” He added: “Furthermore, we need to ensure the benefits of the sector reach communities, and prevent negative impacts on their social fabrics by tackling issues such as overcrowding, protect the weak from being exploited in our sector, prevent leakages and address global and tourism-sector security challenges w it hout comprom i si ng people’s rights, particularly to freedom of travel and movement.”

A4

Saturday, September 16, 2017

The World BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Vietnam and China: Balancing geography and history

R

Members of Japan’s Self-Defense Forces have a meeting with workers at Hokkaido Government in Sapporo, northern Japan, on September 15 following North Korea’s missile launch. Japanese residents in northern Japan have woken up to blaring sirens warning them of the North Korean missile for the second time in two weeks. Masanori Takei/Kyodo News via AP

North Korea fires missile over Japan in longest-ever flight

N

orth Korea fired an intermediate-range missile over Japan into the northern Pacific Ocean on Friday, US and South Korean militaries said, its longest-ever such flight and a clear message of defiance to its rivals.

Since President Donald J. Trump threatened the North with “fire and fury” in August, Pyongyang has conducted its most powerful nuclear test, threatened to send missiles into the waters around Guam and launched two missiles of increasing range over US ally Japan. It tested its first-ever intercontinental ballistic missiles in July.

The growing frequency, power and confidence displayed by these tests seem to confirm what governments and outside experts have long feared: North Korea is closer than ever to its goal of building a military arsenal that can viably target both US troops in Asia and the US homeland. This, in turn, is meant to allow North Korea greater military freedom in the region by raising doubts in Seoul and Tokyo that Washington would risk the annihilation of a US city to protect its Asian allies.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the missile traveled about 3,700 kilometers (2,300 miles) and reached a

maximum height of 770 kilometers (478 miles).

Nor th Korea has repeatedly vowed to continue these tests, amid what it calls US hostility—by which it means the presence of tens of thousands of US troops in Japan and South Korea. Robust diplomacy on the issue has been stalled for years, and there’s little sign that senior officials from Pyongyang and Washington might sit down to discuss ways to slow the North’s determined march toward inclusion among the world’s nuclear weapons powers.

Friday’s missile, which Seoul said was the 19th ballistic missile launched by North Korea this year, triggered sirens and warning messages in northern Japan but caused no apparent damage to aircraft or ships. It was the second missile fired over Japan in less than a month.

North Korea conducted its sixth and most powerful nuclear test on September 3.

The missile was launched

from Sunan, the location of Pyongyang’s international airport and the origin of the earlier missile that flew over Japan. Analysts have speculated the new test was of the same intermediate-range missile launched in that earlier flight, the Hwasong-12.

That missile is linked to North Korea’s declaration that it means to contain the US Pacific island territory of Guam, which is the home of important US military assets and appears well within the Hwasong-12’s range.

Friday’s missile test was met with the usual outrage. South Korean President Moon Jae-in ordered his military to conduct a live-fire ballistic missile drill in response to the North Korean launch and instructed government officials to pursue “stern” measures to discourage Pyongyang from further provocations. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said one of the two missiles fired in the drill hit a sea target about 250 kilometers (155 miles) away, which was approximately the distance to Pyongyang’s Sunan, but the other failed in f light shortly after launch.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis both called the North Korean launch a reckless act.

T he UN Secur it y Council scheduled an emergency closed-door meeting to be held Fridayafternoon in New York. Trump has not commented. The North American Aerospace Defense Command and the US Pacific Command said the missile posed no threat to North America or to Guam. South Korean experts have said North Korea wants to make missiles flying over Japan an accepted norm as it seeks to win more military space in a region dominated by its enemies.

North Korea initially flight-tested the Hwasong-12 and the ICBM model Hwasong-14 at highly lofted angles to reduce their range and avoid neighboring countries.

The two launches over Japan indicate North Korea is moving toward using angles close to

operational to determine whether its warheads can survive the harsh conditions of atmospheric re-entry and detonate properly.

North Korea’s August launch over Japan came weeks after it threatened to fire a salvo of Hwasong-12s toward Guam and bracket the island with “enveloping” missile fire. The North’s latest launch might be an attempt to demonstrate its ability to fire a missile close to Guam, which is 3,400 kilometers (2,112 miles) away from North Korea, said Kim Dong-yub, a former South Korean military official who is now an analyst at Seoul’s Institute for Far Eastern Studies.

North Korea has been accelerating its nuclear weapons development under leader Kim Jong Un, a third-generation dictator who has conducted four of North Korea’s six nuclear tests since taking power in 2011. The weapons are being tested at a torrid pace and include solid-fuel missiles designed to be launched from road mobile launchers or submarines and are, thus, less detectable beforehand.

North Korea claimed its latest nuclear test was a detonation of a thermonuclear weapon built for its ICBMs, which could potentially reach deep into the US mainland when perfected.

The UN Security Council unanimously approved new sanctions earlier this week over the nuclear test. They ban all textile exports and prohibit any country from authorizing new work permits for North Korean workers—two key sources of hard currency.

They also prohibit North Korea from importing all natural gas liquids and condensates, and cap Pyongyang’s imports of crude oil and refined petroleum products.

North Korea’s Foreign Ministry denounced the UN sanctions and said the North will “redouble its efforts to increase its strength to safeguard the country’s sovereignty and right to existence.” AP

By Tuong Vu

elations between China and Vietnam have taken a dive since June, after Gen. Fan Changlong of China cut short his visit to Hanoi and canceled a cross-border gathering for the two militaries aimed to build mutual trust.

The cause of the dispute was an oil-drilling contract in the South China Sea that Hanoi had signed with the Spanish firm Repsol. This had happened before, but this time Beijing threatened to undertake military measures if Hanoi did not cease and desist. Within a week Vietnam had canceled the contract and agreed to pay Repsol millions of dollars in compensation.

China’s direct military threat to Vietnam indicates an escalation of tension in the South China Sea, and Hanoi’s quick kowtow to Beijing has led many to blame President Donald Trump’s inward-oriented foreign policy.

This is unfair. A week later Defense Minister Ngô Xuân Lịch of Vietnam arrived in Washington to meet with his counterpart, Secretary of Defense James Mattis. Lịch, political commissar of the People’s Army of Vietnam, was known as a hard-line ideologue in Vietnamese politics. When he arrived in the US capital, however, he announced that, for the first time in bilateral history, Vietnam had accepted a proposal for a port visit by a US aircraft carrier.

The idea for such a visit had been floated many times. Most recently, as President-elect Trump made the suggestion, but it took Chinese military pressure for Vietnam’s top brass to warm to the idea.

Lịch’s visit, in fact, fits a long-standing pattern of Vietnamese policy toward China and the United States. Hanoi looks to Washington for assistance only when China threatens—but, in its heart, Vietnam values its relationship with Beijing more.

Like Vietnam, China is a socialist country. The two communist parties’ relationship goes back to the 1920s, when a young Ho Chi Minh worked alongside fellow revolutionary Zhou Enlai to mobilize laborers in southern China. Soon after Mao Zedong and Zhou took power in China, they supported the Vietnamese revolution by sending arms and advisers, helping Ho’s army win a decisive battle against the French in 1954.

During the Vietnam War, Beijing was Hanoi’s big brother, as well as its most generous financier. Beijing sent Hanoi billions of dollars, as well as food and military aid. For much of the 1960s, more than 100,000 Chinese troops were stationed permanently in North Vietnam.

Relations turned dramatically as the war ended, however.

Hanoi viewed Mao’s invitation for President Richard Nixon to visit Beijing in 1972 as treachery. With both Beijing and Moscow courting Washington’s attention, and with Vietnam’s victory over the Americans in 1975, Vietnamese leaders began to imagine themselves as vanguards of world revolution. Their ambition to dominate Indochina riled Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping, who sent half a million troops across the border in 1979 to teach the “ungrateful” Vietnamese a lesson.

The border war between the communist brothers lasted until the late 1980s. As the Soviet bloc collapsed and the US-led camp emerged triumphant, Hanoi felt threatened and quickly turned to Beijing, apologizing for the war and proposing a new anti-imperialist alliance. Although Beijing turned down the proposal, bilateral relations were restored in 1991.

To demonstratethat they had learned their lesson, Hanoi’s leaders changed their constitution to remove anti-China passages. While Vietnam celebrated the wars against France and the United States every year, the 1979 war with China was erased from public memory.

State-controlled media were prohibited from publishing negative news about China, and editors who violated the ban were punished.

Vietnam restored relations with the US in 1995 and concluded a bilateral agreement in 2001. As market reforms gathered steam, Vietnam achieved remarkable success with its exports. The US became the leading market for Vietnamese exports, allowing the country to earn billions of dollars in trade surplus.

Despite the value of the American market for Vietnam, however, the US remained in the “not so close” category for Hanoi leaders.

Washington’s criticism of Vietnam’s violations of human rights infuriated them, and the US invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq prompted deep anxiety. As recently as 2005, the PAVN still considered the United States a strategic enemy.

Across the border, bilateral relations between China and Vietnam thrived: Top leaders paid annual visits, as did representatives from the military, the Public Security Ministry, the Propaganda Department and other government organs. By 2011 China had overtaken the United States as Vietnam’s top trade partner, and by 2014 Vietnam’s trade with China was nearly twice its trade with the US Problems began in 2005, however, when China began aggressively enforcing its sovereignty claims over much of the South China Sea, dashing Vietnamese leaders’ hope that the camaraderie between the two parties would rise above narrow national interests. While pursuing several strategies in response to China’s rising threat, Hanoi assigned greater weight to talks between the two fraternal parties than to multilateral or legal approaches.

When China towed a giant oil rig within Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone in 2014, even as Hanoi sent Coast Guard ships to surround the Chinese naval force defending the rig, party chief Nguyễn Phú Trọng tried to call President Xi Jinping of China a dozen times, hoping in vain that Xi would answer. On the streets Vietnamese people peacefully protesting China were beaten by security forces.

Trọng later visited Washington, a first for a general secretary of the Vietnamese Communist Party.

After the oil-rig confrontation, criticisms of China appeared in the Vietnamese press. Nevertheless, there is no sign that Hanoi has fundamentally changed its strategy of making timid overtures to the United States only when Beijing acts up. Given the domination of Marxist-Leninist loyalists in the top leadership elected at the 12th Party Congress in 2016, change is unlikely.

Lịch’s welcome of a US aircraft carrier’s visit sends China a signal of displeasure, but isn’t a drastic policy u-turn. The Repsol affair left Hanoi with a bruised eye, and the country wants Beijing to know that it is unhappy. Still, like an abused spouse who calls the police after a beating but then doesn’t end the relationship, Hanoi will follow its heart and won’t break away from Beijing anytime soon.

Tuong Vu, author of Vietnam’s Communist Revolution: The Power and Limits of Ideology (Cambridge University Press, 2016), is the director of Asian Studies and a professor of political science at the University of Oregon.

New York Times News Service

Sports BusinessMirror

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

Saturday, September 16, 2017

A5

KIM GRABS PROVISIONAL LEAD K

OREAN amateur Tom Kim fought back from a bogey mishap coming off an hourlong weather delay with two birdies in the last four holes and grabbed the clubhouse lead with a 67 in the third round of the International Container Terminal Services Inc. (ICTSI) Riviera Classic in Silang, Cavite, on Friday.

He pooled a 206 with half way leader Clyde Mondilla at 207 on an even-par card with two holes left at press time.

Michael Bibat, who moved to second with a bogey-free second-round 65, stood at four-under also on an even-par card after 16 holes.

Marvin Dumandan shot his third straight 70 and stayed in contention at 210 although the former club pro stood four strokes behind Kim, winner of a couple of the country’s top amateur tournaments.

Charles Hong also followed up his second round 68 with a 69 as the former ICTSI Philippine Golf Tour winner tied Dumandan at fourth while Dutch Guido Van der Valk fired the round’s best 66 to gain solo sixth at 212 heading to the last 18 holes of the $100,000 championship serving as the third leg of the inaugural Philippine Golf Tour Asia Tour sponsored by ICTSI. Tony Lascuña carded a second 71 for joint seventh with Erwin Arcillas, who shot a 69, at 214 while erstwhile contender Ira Alido stumbled with a five-over card for a running two-over overall with two to play.

Jhonnel Ababa turned in a 70 after

CLYDE MONDILLA gets some advice from his caddie as he tackles his putt. ALYSA SALEN

a 71 for a 215 in a tie with Jerson Balasabas and American James Bowen, who carded a 70 and 71, respectively.

The rest of the 53 players who made the cut lay too far behind the leaders although four locals remained within striking distance of Kim for a crack at the top $17,500 purse in the 72-hole championship organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. The fourth stop of the region’s newest circuit, organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc., will be held from November 15 to 18 at Wack Wack while Luisita will host the next leg from November 29 to December 2 for the CAT (Central Azucarera de Tarlac) Open.

The ICTSI Philippine Golf Tour, on the other hand, will hold its final tournament for the year from September 26 to 29 for the ICTSI Players Championship at Summit Point in Batangas while the first ICTSI National Pro-Am will be played from October 17 to 19 at Mt. Malarayat Golf and Country Club in Lipa City, Batangas.

Unbeaten teams clash

U

NBEATEN National University (NU) and Far Eastern University (FEU) clash in a Group A match in the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) Collegiate Conference today at the Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan City.

The battle for the solo Group A lead between the Lady Bulldogs and Lady Tamaraws, both unscathed in two matches, is set at 6:30 p.m.

Undefeated Group B leader Adamson University eyes win No. 3 against Technological Institute of the Philippines (0-2) at 1 p.m., followed by the Ateneo-Lyceum of the Philippines battle of teams with 1-1 records in Group A at 4 p.m.

NU opened the tournament with victories over National

Collegiate Athletic Association teams Lyceum and San Sebastian College, while FEU scored rousing triumphs over San Sebastian and Ateneo.

The duel between the two squads, both handled by new coaches Babes Castillo (NU) and George Pascua (FEU), is expected to go down the wire.

“This will be a good match. ‘Skills-wise,’ we need the players to be coachable,” Castillo said.

Back-to-back champion Ateneo, meanwhile, guns for win No. 5 against University of the Philippines (1-2) at 10 a.m. in the men’s division. De La Salle (2-2) faces San Beda (1-2) at 8 a.m. Lance Agcaoili

JARIN, AYO MEET AGAIN

Korean experts conduct sports science lectures

T

HE Philippine Sports Institute (PSI) of the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) and Korea Institute of Sports Science (KISS) is conducting the PSI-KISSUnesco Sports Science Lecture Series II. Officers and sports science researchers from South Korea are supervising the series that gathered 60 national coaches at Dorm G of the Multi-Purpose Hall of the PhilSports in Pasig City.

PSC Chairman William Ramirez expressed his gratitude to the KISS delegates in his speech during the opening program on Thursday.

KISS senior researcher Dr. Yong Koo-Noh said that KISS is willing to help the PSC and PSI for the development and continuous education of coaches.

The two-day covered Sports Physiology (lecture and practicum), Sports Psychology (lecture) and Sports Policy (lecture).

KISS delegates visited the Philippines for a Sports Science Lecture also

C

HAMPION coaches Aldin Ayo and Jamike Jarin square off anew but this time in a different leaguer, when defending champion De La Salle clashes with former titlist National University (NU) today in Season 80 University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) men’s basketball action at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Ayo and his Green Archers take on Jarin and his Bulldogs at 2 p.m. with both sides hoping to stretch their winning runs to two games.

Adamson University and University of Santo Tomas, which lost their season-openers, face each at 4 p.m.

The last time the two coaches met was two years ago when Ayo steered Letran past Jarin and San Beda to the National Collegiate Athletic Association crown. The finals

in their 95-90 win over Far Eastern University.

Jarin, on the other hand, had an easy 86-69 win over University of the East in his UAAP debut and stressed his players—led by Jay Alejandro, Matt Salem, Dave Yu, Reggie Morido and Issa Gaye—have already embraced his system.

“I’m very lucky to have these boys, the institution and the coaching staff and administrators,” Jarin said. “We need the experience now and hopefully in the end, we’re more experienced to run the system.”

But Jarin said De La Salle would be an early acid test to his young team.

“Of course, they’re the defending champions. They’re a force to reckon with, probably the best college team right now,” he said. “We just need to prepare ourselves.” Lance Agcaoili

L

KIDS showcase their skills in the National Capital Region championships.

BEST-Milo tourney Metro Manila finals up

L

series went the full route.

Ayo left Letran a few months after that and was signed

by De La Salle, which endured one of its worst seasons in the UAAP in 2015.

For both coaches, their rivalry is nothing out of the ordinary.

“It will just be a regular game for me. But Coach Jamike does a lot of things. He’s very competitive, he’s creative and he’s very unpredictable also,” Ayo said. “So he will make us work hard for it. But I really respect Coach Jamike, everything that he says, everything that he does has a purpose. So let’s see.”

De La Salle will still miss Most Valuable Player Ben Mbala who is playing for his native Cameroon in the Fiba AfroBasket 2017. But Green Archers bucked Mbala’s absence

Baby’s birth doesn’t stop Golovkin from training for big fight

at the PhilSports last December.

The KISS delegates include Hong-Sun Song, Hyun-Joo Cho, SeungHyun Hwang, Eon-Ho Kim, Ik-Whan Kim and Joo-Phil Kim.

A SALLE Greenhills is all set to defend its Small Basketeers Philippines (SBP) crown in the National Capital Region (NCR) finals of the SBP-Passerelle twin tournament of the Basketball Efficiency Scientific Training (BEST) Center.

But the Greenies have to endure a finals against sister team La Salle Santiago-Zobel in the 32nd edition of the tournament sponsored by Milo.

The highly-anticipated game between the sister schools is set on Sunday at the Blue Eagle Gym at the Ateneo de Manila campus in Quezon City.

Attention will also be on the battle between two of NCR’s top teams in the Passerelle division—Nazareth School of National University and San Beda College.

THE Aldin Ayo-Jamike Jarin rivalry resumes in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines.

The winners will face regional champions from Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao in the national championships in December.

Competing for third place in the region are Ateneo de Manila University and San Sebastian Recoletos in SBP and La Salle Greenhills and Ateneo de Manila in Passerelle.

Organized by BEST Center, the country’s premier sports clinic, the tournament is also held in cooperation with Rain or Shine Elasto Paints, Chris Sports and SKLZ. For more information about BEST Center’s classes and tournaments, call hot lines 411-6260, 3723066 or 372-3065, e-mail bestcentersports@gmail.com or follow its official Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/pages/BESTCenter-Sports-Inc/66172039922.

AS VEGAS—Not even a baby could interfere with Gennady Golovkin’s training for his middleweight showdown with Canelo Alvarez.

Golovkin was getting ready to put the final touches on his training camp last week in the Southern California mountains when word came from Los Angeles that his wife was going into labor with their second child. Trainer Abel Sanchez urged him to go to the hospital, but Golovkin wasn’t about to interrupt preparations for what could be the defining fight of his career.

“He said, ‘Coach, the baby is going to come whether I’m there or not. I have to train,” Sanchez said.

The baby did come as Golovkin was wrapping up his training session on Friday in Big Bear.

He was able to be with his wife and newborn daughter the next day, though he declined to answer questions Wednesday about the birth.

“Please, do not ask about my family,” Golovkin said on Wednesday. “Just boxing questions.”

There were plenty of boxing questions to keep Triple G occupied as he met with a contingent of media to talk about a fight that many in boxing are already comparing to the great middleweight clashes of the past. The former Olympic silver medalist from Kazakhstan and Mexico’s biggest boxing star meet on Saturday night in a 160-pound battle that has been years in the making.

For Golovkin the fight is a chance to finally break out as a superstar outside the core of boxing fans who believe he is that already in the ring. But it’s also shaping up as the toughest fight of his career, one that leaves no room for distractions, baby or not.

“It’s not game, it’s a fight,” Golovkin said. “You can go back home or go to the hospital. It’s dangerous and everyone understands that.”

Golovkin was in a jovial mood while meeting with reporters, something Sanchez attributed both to becoming a father for the second time and knowing the biggest fight of his career is only days away. He laughed easily, made a few jokes, and talked about what he expected from a fighter he has been pursuing for more than two years.

“It’s not an easy fight for him or me,” Golovkin said. “I think the second half will be much crazy, like a street fight.”

Both fighters were at their professional best later at the final prefight press conference, a low-key affair for what is expected to be an all-action fight. The fight matches a big puncher in

Canelo Alvarez (left) and Gennady Golovkin pose for photographers during a news conference in Las Vegas. ap

Golovkin, who has 33 knockouts in winning all 37 of his fights, against Alvarez, whose only loss in 51 fights came against Floyd Mayweather Jr. Boxing purists have salivated over the matchup in styles, with Golovkin always coming forward and Alvarez being a devastating counter-puncher.

“The styles have the ingredients to make a fight that can go down in history for many years,” Alvarez said through an interpreter.

The expectations have helped the fight gain traction, despite coming just three weeks after Mayweather and Conor McGregor met in a 154-pound match featuring a boxer against a mixed martial artist. That fight sold more than 4 million pay-per-views, driven mostly by the curious and UFC fans. AP

A6 Saturday, September 16, 2017 | Editor: Mike Besa

Story & photos

by Mike Besa

T

he Riviera Golf and Country Club has always been a favorite golf destination of both Filipinos and tourists alike. What’s not to like?

The club features golf courses designed by two of the greats of the modern game, the German meister Bernhard Langer and sweet-swinging Freddie Couples.

Located in Silang, Cavite, both courses traverse the foothills of Tagaytay and demand memorable shots from the golfer in some of the best golf weather in the country. The Langer course has featured consistently in the top 10 golf courses in the country.

The stretch of 14 through 16 represents the most interesting holes on the Langer; the serene settings mask the enormity of the task at hand. Fourteen is the 2-handicap and after the second hole, it’s the longest of the par 4s. All of its 456 yards play uphill, dead into the stiff Cavite breeze.

The green is miniscule given the hole’s prodigious length and sits hidden to the left guarded on two sides by a ravine.

Fifteen is one of my favorites on the golf course. At 345 yards, it’s short and the green is reachable off the tee from the forward tees but that’s where the genius of the hole lies. A ravine sits on one side of the green while a phalanx of bunkers defends the others. It’s a tricky little hole that offers the golfer several ways to play it.

Sixteen is the most beautiful hole on the golf course. The 577yard par-5 doglegs to the left to the double green shared with three. The tree that defends the ideal placement of the second shot has fallen victim to years of typhoons but that has only slightly diminished the degree of difficulty the hole dispenses. The aesthetics are certainly worth it.

The middle of the second nine on the Couples is similarly intriguing. It’s a magnificent stretch The clubhouse sits on a hill above the 18th green

Revamping Rivier

Putting the co back on t of holes that mimics a course on the garden isles of Hawaii. It’s as good a stretch of golf holes as you’ll find anywhere in the country. I have an affinity for 13 and 15, a pair of strong, very beautiful par 4s.

At 441 yards, 13 will test you from tee to green. The fairway doglegs to the left but the path to the dogleg is defended by the fairway bunker at the corner of the dogleg. The approach into the green requires the utmost precision to avoid the hazard short and right of what seems to be the smallest green of the lot.

Fifteen is stunning; a long sweeping 459-yard monster. Yet, another forced carry to a fairway

that sweeps to the left to a green very heavily defended on the left side. Use the contours of the fairway to find the heart of the green. A fantastic golf hole.

But, alas, all was not well with the Riviera. Issues surrounding management of the golf course plagued the club and naturally the golf course suffered. We aren’t going to speak to the issues that the club faced. Suffice it to say that the new board has set things straight and is hell-bent on getting the club back on the right track.

But it wasn’t going to be easy.

Years of neglect mean a lot more to do to set things right again but you have to do what has to be

done and so the rehabilitation of the club began.

The first order of business was to assess the work in front of them.

Neglected golf courses need a huge infusion of love, care and money. The maintenance equipment was old and unreliable so they started there with the first major investment in the golf course in many years.

The second priority was housekeeping. A lot of it. The club set about to clearing the undergrowth and the bamboo thickets to allow air and sunlight to reach the greens and fairways.

This was a major task unto itself, particularly on the Langer course.

Then there were the bunkers. The

Matthew Fitzpatrick

PGA star in the making O

ne of the obsessions of a true sports fan is spotting a future star before he even knows that he’s a star. It wasn’t that long ago that Jason Day, Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas, Jordan Spieth and Dustin Johnson were all on my “most promising” list but now that they’re all bona fide stars on the Professional Golfers’ Association Tour, who’s the next star that’s waiting to break through?

For my money, the next breakout star is Matthew Fitzpatrick.

Born in Sheffield, Matthew Thomas Fitzpatrick had a stellar amateur career. He won the 2013 US Amateur Championship, was ranked World Amateur No. 1 and played in the 2013 Walker Cup. He made the cut in both the

2013 Open Championship, as well as at the 2014 US Open Championship.

He claimed his European Tour card at the 2014 Qualifying School and shone in his rookie season, finishing runner-up in Crans Montana before claiming his first win at the British Masters. He improved his performance again in 2016, winning twice at the Nordea Masters and DP World Tour Championship en route to a career-best sixth-place finish in the Race to Dubai. Fitzpatrick became the youngest Englishman to reach three victories at 22 years and 300 days. He made his Ryder Cup debut at Hazeltine and has come within inches of a first 59 on the European Tour at the 2015 KLM Open.

Then just last week, Fitzpatrick won the

Omega European Masters in a tense playoff over long hitting Aussie Scott Hend. This victory pretty puts him on star-watch status and elevates him to the status of a genuine Tour phenom. There is no doubt that Fitzpatrick has the DNA of a champion, but why do we know so little about him?

Perhaps it’s his boyish good looks. He could be the amateur in the field for all they know. He’s not one of those flashy players with piercings or an unusual persona, neither does he date a super model. He’s clean cut and about the size of an average Filipino at 5-foot-9. He doesn’t drive the ball 350 yards (actually, not even 300) but achieves incredible success on the golf course anyway.

What Fitzpatrick does have is a beautiful golf swing. Classic positions throughout without a lot of clubface rotation. That makes for some very consistent ball striking. His action is one that doesn’t put a lot of stress on the back and that means that he should be pretty healthy throughout the course of his career.

His Ryder Cup team mate, Rory McIlroy, has been vocal about Fitzpatrick not getting enough attention.

“I can understand what some may say as he looks the same as when he won the US Amateur as he still looks very, very young. I think that it’s not Matt’s demeanor to be out there.

“He’s a quiet kid, but he gets his business

done and he does it very efficiently and very well. Yeah, I mean, look, he’s a great talent.

“He’s a Ryder Cup player already and he won one of our biggest tournaments, has won a couple of our biggest tournaments over in Europe so far, so it’s not a surprise to me to see him up there at the top of this leaderboard.”

It is the other aspects of his game; his superb iron play, a stellar short game and a mind molded by the trials of the toughest amateur golf in the world make Fitzpatrick an obvious choice for stardom. They are the tools that he will need on the toughest golf courses in the world. Yes, he is never going to be one to overwhelm a golf course with sheer power, but there are other ways to put a low number on the score card and

this is where Fitzpatrick shines.

Right now, fans are overwhelmed by the power that the next generation has put on display. Bruce Koepka’s 378-yard drive on the last hole of the US Open with a 3-wood or Dustin Johnson’s 341yard cruise missile over water are far more exciting than a more pedestrian game like Fitzpatrick’s.

Perhaps, he’s going to have to win a major before golf fans will pay a little more attention to the young man from Sheffield.

But it’s only a matter of time. Matthew Fitzpatrick is going to be a big star in the game.

Bet on it. Mike Besa

www.pinoygolfer.com | Saturday, September 16, 2017 A7

ra

The finishing hole on the Langer course

The 15th hole on the Couples course at Riviera Golf and Country Club

KZG LAUNCHES THE XSC FORGED WEDGES

ourses track

F

ounded in 1994, KZG offers equipment only through the finest professional clubfitters and teachers in the industry. KZG designs and manufactures great equipment, but it is KZG’s network of elite professional fitters, teachers and builders who make KZG clubs unbeatable. By partnering with the true professionals who have the skill, integrity and passion to really help improve a golfer’s game, KZG has catapulted to a position of prominence in customized golf equipment.

KZG has just launched its triple forged XSC Wedges, a “must have” for the short game specialist.

Each XSC Wedge utilizes virgin 1020 carbon steel and is triple forged to guarantee that every void is eliminated in the clubhead, giving pure consistency on every hit. Thanks to KZG utilizing the costlier method of forging in one piece, the golfer will enjoy superior feedback as there are no welds or breaks that interfere with the flow of energy.

The XSC Wedges are ideal for those seeking a C Grind offering a double relieved sole to enable a wide variety of shots. The XSC is a great option for the golfer who plays on firm to mid conditions as their normal style of golf course.

Players playing in softer conditions may prefer

the XSS or RSG wedge models.

The entire body of the XSC Wedge is completely CNC milled so that every specification is perfect. As a result, the golfer will enjoy pinpoint precision shots and the tightest tolerances in the industry. And to assure maximum spin, the face is micro-milled. KZG has stepped away from hand-grinding due to the numerous problems generated through human error.

“KZG is totally different from the major brands,” reported Jennifer King, president of KZG. “Rather than offering one or two wedge models, KZG offers five distinct

models to allow its network of clubfitters the opportunity to select the design features they need to perfectly fit their golfers. The XSC Wedges will appeal to the short game specialist wanting the broadest range of shot options, coupled with superior performance.”

Chic, classic, clean and beautifully finished in brushed satin to reduce glare. Available in RH: 50⁰, 52⁰, 54⁰, 56/10⁰, 56/14⁰, 58⁰, 60⁰/4⁰, 60⁰/10⁰ and LH 52⁰, 56⁰/10⁰, 60⁰/10⁰.

For more information, see Custom Clubmakers at Mandala Park, 1552 Shaw Boulevard in Mandaluyong City.

the M1 into a tight landing zone.

But collectively the M Family rocks. Together, the M1 and M2 make an awesome twosome.

They provide a weapon for every occasion.

The further addition of shafts will broaden the versatility of these clubs.

The M1’s space in the bag is challenged by the Callaway Big Bertha Epic Subzero. This thing is a gun. I swear it sounds like a muffled 9mm pistol when you hit it flush. Callaway drivers have always been among the longest that I’ve ever owned. The composite drivers the most so. I had an FT5 Pro that was a real weapon.

The Epic Subzero could be the hottest of them all. It’s such a unique feel, it’s addictive.

It wouldn’t be if it wasn’t effective and it is. It’s one of the longest in the collection. When you really connect with one it goes for miles. If it has a downside, it’s that for some reason, I just

don’t hit it with the same ease as the M1. If the thing wasn’t so bloody long, I would have sold it long ago. But it is stupid long and so I persist.

Then there’s the Mizuno JPX900. This one was a sleeper from a company that isn’t really known for its woods and hybrids. I had the pleasure of owning the first Mizuno adjustable driver, the MP-600. It served me well shafted with a Graphite Design Tour AD YSQ. The JPX900 is intriguing because I really didn’t expect much from it and it handily exceeded my expectations. The Mizuno has the lightest shaft of the bunch, a 50-gram, stiff flex Fujikura Speeder Evolution II. It’s not the longest club here but it isn’t far behind. I can swing easy with it and get very respectable distances. At this stage of my life, I need a club like this when I’m tired or otherwise not at my best.

If I had to play the game of my life, the M1 is still king of the castle with the Epic Subzero a close second. I am just so much more consistent with the M1. If I’m playing well the Epic Subzero is a real weapon. This is a driver with incredible potential. The M2 is a bit of a sledgehammer. It is gigantic compared to its stablemates and, perhaps, not as accurate as its older brother. When I have issues with my swing the M2 is an easy choice.

The Mizuno sees the least bag time at the moment but that situation could change sooner than I desire. Let’s face it, I’m not getting any younger and as I go, I will probably lose a bit more swing speed. The lighter weight and stable tip of the Fujikura Speeder will allow me to make the most of what I have left to achieve optimum results. You have to be smooth with it, though. It doesn’t like very abrupt changes of direction. But the JPX900 is an investment in my golf future.

You can see my problem. I picked them all up trying to figure out which one was better.

In the end, I wound up with four very good clubs with noticeably distinct functions. I’m quite happy to keep the lot and use each as the appropriate need arises.

What you can take away from this little adventure is that you need backups to the clubs in key positions. Drivers, putters and wedges are where you can use them the most. Sometimes an equipment change is an easy way out of a low point in your game. Sometimes it’s just about one club doing the job a little better than the others.

It’s also a way to add a bit of variety in your game. As long as the club is properly fitted, you shouldn’t have any trouble adapting. Besides, it makes the game more fun. Mike Besa

Pick up sticks

Sorting out the drivers

old, compacted sand was replaced and the faces of the bunkers were trimmed and manicured. The club started on the Langer and with most of the bunkers there done, they’ve turned their attention to those on the Couples as well.

The new equipment has arrived and thus attention turned to the greens and fairways. Riviera has had relatively few issues here and this really solved most of them. It took a relatively short time until members noticed the improvements.

There remains much to be

PHOTO BY MIKE BESA

done at the club. The clubhouse could use a new coat of paint and the lockers remain untouched since the club opened. But management did the right thing by prioritizing the golf courses.

They are the heart and soul of the club and a good day on course forgives a few sins elsewhere in the club.

We wish the new board well. We commend their efforts thus far and look forward to seeing the fruit of their labor. From what we’ve seen so far, everything’s been done in the best interests of the club, its members and everyone concerned.

Things look good moving into the future.

I

Fitzpatrick

have a thing for drivers. There’s just something about the club that allows you to send the ball 300 yards down the fairway that’s fascinating.

The technology, the engineering, the black magic that the people that build these clubs employ never ceases to amaze me. And so, I tend to accumulate a few drivers.

But you’re only allowed 14 clubs in the bag so when serious golf is on the schedule, I’ll generally only carry one driver at a time. Choosing between them is a delicious dilemma. Generally, I’ll keep two; one to game and another as backup, but this current crop of drivers is so good that I’m loathe to give any of them up.

Here’s a quick introduction to what’s moving in and out of the bag.

First there’s the TaylorMade M Family. That’s right, I have the 2016 M1 that I adore and the

new M2. I have two shafts that see time in both drivers depending on what I’m looking for. I have a go-to combo for soft, dry conditions and another for fast and windy weather. I can also tweak the settings on the clubheads to fine-tune the setup and to achieve the result I’m after. I’ve been a longtime fan of the brand and the current adjustable system is among the most stable on the market with compatibility going back to the R1/RBZ Tour series.

The M1 has been my go-to since I got it last year. It’s easy to hit and it’s long. It’s workable and the movable weights allow you to fine-tune the level of fit precisely to your requirements. It easily holds its own against the newcomers. The M2 is huge and is more forgiving than your parish priest.

That’s precisely why I like it. It’s nice to have a club like the M2 when you’re not at your best. Cons are that it’s not the most accurate thing. I’d rather hit

OurTime

A8 Saturday, September 16, 2017 • Editor: Efleda P. Campos

BusinessMirror

news@businessmirror.com.ph

Japan, PHL sign cooperation project on care prevention for elderly

J

APAN and the Philippines will work closely on a project for cooperation supporting long-term care prevention for the elderly in the country.

The Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) said the cooperation project, now on its second phase until 2020, aims to support the Philippines in crafting its own

policies for the elderly and future senior citizens.

The Jica and Japanese nonprofit group Momotaro Kai Social Welfare Corp. are expanding their

assistance on preventive care for more than 3,000 senior citizens and families in the municipality of Capas, Tarlac.

“Many countries in the world, Japan included, wor r y about population aging. This means demand for health care for older citizens and providing them with care and support,” Jica Senior Representative Aya Kano said in a statement.

“Through this cooperation, we aim to share Japan’s experience

and know-how on preventive health care,” he said. The project aims to share Japan’s experiences and know-how on caring for the elderly.

“For the second phase of the project, we aim to hold seminars on long-term care prevention for the elderly and dispatch some staff from our town Kibichuo cho to share our experiences,” said Masanori Yamamoto, mayor of Kibichuo in Okayama Prefecture, Japan.

During the Phase 1 of the co-

operation, which began in 2015, Momotaro Kai Social Welfare Corporation dispatched a care manager and nursing-care supervisor in Capas to help create a nursing careprevention manual for the elderly.

The Municipal Social Welfare Development Office and Office for Senior Citizens Affairs in Tarlac, the Jica and Momotaro Kai, will update the manual for long-term care prevention for elderly developed in the project’s first phase and capacity building of barangay

leaders that will implement preventive care.

Aside from supporting senior citizens, the Jica has been supporting the Philippine government’s vision of a better life for Filipinos through various grassroots cooperation projects with Japanese non-governmental organizations, to include ecotourism promotion, training of social workers handling vulnerable children and education access of marginalized communities in far-flung areas to name a few. PNA

Pinoy rural youth losing interest in coconut farming

P

UERTO PRINCESA CITY, Palawan—The coconut industry in Palawan is facing a bleak future, as today’s rural youth seemed to have lost interest in farming due to perceived low revenue, as well as popular views of bigger opportunities out of the countryside.

This was the observation by coconutdevelopment officer Jeric Borja of the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) during a Philippine Information Agency-hosted kapihan here on Thursday.

“Our farmers have aged now. The rural youth, like us, they prefer air-conditioned offices. This is real talk, the youth today are now there in the malls working,” Borja said in Filipino.

Even with various programs that offer extra revenues, like the Participatory Coconut Planting Project (PCPP), none of the rural youth are taking interest in helping out their parents.

The PCPP is inviting farmers to plant coconut seedlings, which the PCA will pay at P18 each, he said. When the seedlings grow and are transferred to the ground, the participating farmer will be paid an additional P22 or a total of P40 per tree.

The only problem is that most coconut farmers are now elderly, Borja said.

“We really go to the field, to the barangays, and of course, we can see that they’re really old now to continue the rigorous task as coco farmers,” he added.

Borja said coconut farming is a huge industry, and if today’s youth will lose the interest, there is a possibility the Philippines will, in the near future, just trail behind other coconutproducing countries.

“The coconut industry is really big, and if we stop the planting, the time might come that we will fall behind other countries,” he added. PNA

GRANDMA AND ‘APO’ A grandmother leads her granddaughter during a recent parade celebrating Baguio City Day along Session Road. MAU VICTA

Traditions revived at a tribal-culture camp in California K LAMATH, California — The gathering known simply as “Uncle Dave’s camp” begins at daybreak on the pebbled banks of the Klamath River, the age-old spruce and redwoods on the bluffs shrouded in mist.

Here on the Yurok Indian Reservation near the Oregon border, so remote that certain areas have yet to receive electricity, young male campers sit on cedar logs while keeping tabs on a river rock heated in a fire.

The rock, hand-hollowed and chiseled with basketry patterns, contains a molten glue made from the dried air bladders of sturgeons. The syrupy concoction is a crucial ingredient for making feathered headdresses, hide quivers, obsidian-blade sticks and other forms of ceremonial dance ornaments, or regalia, that are at once works of art and living conduits to the spirit world.

The fishing camp that David Severns, a tribal member, started more than 20 years ago has grown into a grass roots culture camp dedicated to making regalia the oldfashioned way, before mail order. The source is nature itself—elk and deer sinew, baleen from a whale stranded in the river and delicate fibers from wild irises culled from forested high country. It is part of a broader revival of ancestral ceremonial practices, including dances and songs, among native youths. The flower dance, which

honors a young woman’s coming of age, is flourishing anew not only among the Yurok—the largest tribe in California and one of the poorest—but the Hupa, Karuk and other Northern California tribes.

“Regalia is collective medicine,” said Severns, 54, who spends most of April through October sleeping under the stars with the campers and his wife, Mara Hope Severns, 49, from the Kanatak tribe in Alaska.

“To make them, you’ve got to have a pure heart, because the character of a person is reflected.”

The glue cooking in the rock, four sturgeons’ worth, may be an apt metaphor for the deep cultural connections shared by longtime campers.

Severns refers to them as “my boys”, even though many are in their mid20s and some have children of their own, whose tiny, wet footprints crisscross the sand. (Mothers and wives are present, especially on weekends, but women are not allowed to touch men’s regalia and vice versa.)

Each spring, Severns and the young men erect the camp from logs that have washed downstream during winter rains. Soon, the stretch of river known as “Blake’s Ripple”, for his maternal great-grandfather, springs to frenetic life. It’s a place where finely crafted cedar boxes holding eagle and condor feathers are hollowed out with an adze, and brothers braid each others’ hair.

YUROK dance feather regalia in cedar boxes, at Dave Severns’s camp on the Yurok Indian Reservation in Klamath, California, August 19. The fishing camp that Severns, a tribal member, started over 20 years ago has grown into a grassroots culture camp. NEW YORK TIMES PHOTO

The camp is subsidized with about $4,000 in annual disbursements that Mara Hope Severns receives as an Alaska Native, along with elk, deer and groceries donated by tribal well-wishers.

Severns comes from a family of regalia makers. His grandmother lived in a traditional plank house and would send him off for several days to do chores for elders, which taught him the value of kindness, he said.

He draws out prospective campers: “The brother who looks after the little brother. The boy who catches fish and is happy to give them up.”

Severns’ sister, Lorraine Taggart, 50, spent hours with a paring knife scraping the pitch off pine nuts, a prized dress ornament.

“You wear your culture,” said Melissa Nelson, a Turtle Mountain Chippewa who is an associate professor of American Indian Studies at San Francisco State University and president of the Cultural Conservancy, a native-led indigenousrights organization.

“Young people are hungry for meaning,” she added. “The opportunity to do hands-on work with abalone, clam beads, pine nuts and other materials

is a thread to a healthier and more sustainable way of being in the world.”

Many youth now wear eagle feathers at graduation. But there has been friction at high schools in various states: This spring, Montana passed a law prohibiting schools and government agencies from creating policies that deny native students the right to wear culturally meaningful items at public events.

To the Yurok and other tribes, the regalia, resplendent with abalone and the scarlet crests of woodpeckers, are a dazzling “It just makes you feel strong,” Mattz said. “You come out with this, and you’re the stuff, you know?”

The materials can take two years or more to gather. In motion, they rustle like wind-chimes—a sound that TeMaia Wiki, 11, said “makes me feel like I’m home”. Up and down the river, the dances— some lasting 10 days—are attended by hundreds of people.

The idea of such sacred items being sequestered behind glass in museums has been a third rail for tribes since the passage of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act in 1990. Some 10,000 cultural touchstones have been returned so far—“a slow pace”, said Chip Colwell, a senior curator of anthropology at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science and author of the recent book, Plundered Skulls and

Stolen Spirits: Inside the Fight to Reclaim Native America’s Culture.

One of the biggest repatriations has been 217 ceremonial pieces, including white deerskins and wolf headdresses, returned to the Yurok by the Smithsonian Institution in 2010.

But thousands of artifacts in the US and abroad have yet to return home.

A headdress can take years to make, and the patience required, said Bradley Marshall, a distinguished Hupa regalia maker, “focuses the children to look deeper into themselves and their community”.

Such practices can help build resilience in young people whose history has been marked by trauma: Genocide, forced relocation, children removed from their families and sent to distant United States government boarding schools that aimed to obliterate native language and culture.

Yurok grandparents alive today were among those children.

The reverberations continue: In 2015 the Yurok tribe declared a state of emergency after seven young people committed suicide in one 18-month period in isolated Weitchpec (population 150). Jobs and economic development continue to be a major issue, with the unemployment rate at about 30 percent on the main part of the reservation, spiking to around 70 percent in isolated areas (the national rate is 4.4 percent). New York Times News Service

The Millennials BusinessMirror

news.businessmirror@gmail.com

Saturday, September 16, 2017

A9

Young athlete credits supporters vs apparel

By Rizal Raoul S. Reyes

D

ference between triathlon and running is that the first requires a participant to pace one’s self to last until the final phase of the race. Lim said a runner has to have the discipline to focus on and beat a personal record.

Furthermore, she pointed out that training in triathlon requires a participant to divide the training into three disciplines.

Obviously, Lim adopted a Spartan regimen to herself in shape.

“I train early mornings or late nights, sometimes during lunch time. Other than that, I do workouts during regular hours, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. So to give you a rough idea of how my day goes, I wake up at 4:30 a.m., go to the gym by 5 a.m., train for an hour or so, get back home by 7 a.m., grab breakfast, nap a bit then go to work,” Lim said.

@brownindio

ESPITE her achievements in running, Skechers brand ambassador Lauren Lim, 24, is flattered whenever she is called a prodigy because she thinks it is just a normal thing for an athlete to give her best during a competition.

She is slated to run as one of the Philippines’s delegates this October in the Bank of America Chicago Marathon.

“I see myself as a normal athlete. I think what makes me a good athlete is not what or how but the people who support me and believe in me,” Lim said in an interview with the BusinessMirror.

Before getting bitten by the running bug, Lim’s physical regimen was weightlifting, up until 2015, when a friend invited her to join a 5-kilometer run. The Ateneo de Manila University business management graduate clocked in with 60 minutes to finish the race.

Later, she topped a 10-km race in the women’s division in the Fun Run sponsored by group World Vision Inc. For her second foray into the 5-km race, she finished with a time of 30 minutes, which was pretty

good considering that she was not a running buff before. With a record she considers a walk in the park, Lim yearned for more challenging races to determine if she could go harder, faster and improve her time.

“I never thought it would click; that it would turn into something I’m very passionate about. But it did,” she said.

Chicago preps

Marathon take

TWO years ago Lim was encouraged by a friend to try the grueling 42-km marathon, which she handled with f lying colors. In February last year she joined her first marathon and finished third overall with a time of four hours and 15 minutes.

“After my achievement in the marathon, I decided to join Ironman 70.3 and looked for a coach to prepare for it,” Lim said.

Lauren Lim posing in front of sponsor Skechers backdrop

She admitted the transition from running to triathlon was a challenge, especially since she only had the basics of swimming and did not have a biking background.

“I had to learn how to ride a bike four months before my first

big race,” she said. “I only learned to ride a bike in April that year and met accidents during the training.”

Running, triathlon

THE newest brand ambassador of Skechers said the biggest dif-

ASKED why she decided to join the Chicago Marathon, Lim promised to herself after running her first marathon that she would do one marathon a year.

“It just so happened that I was lucky enough to be drawn during the lottery for Chicago. Also, Chicago seemed like the best choice among the world marathons because we have family who lives in the area. I’m also planning on visiting them while I’m there,” Lim said.

For the Chicago Marathon, she trains by running thrice a week: one interval run, one tempo run

and one long run, as well as swim twice a week. Moreover, she bikes twice a week, just to maintain the triathlon fitness.

“I also lift weights and do highintensity interval training as cross training and strengthening.”

It’s different from her usual routine because the intensity for the swim and bike has been reduced into half, as these sports emphasize more on endurance.

“I also have a diet plan,” she said. “I count my calories and macros but, in general, I eat just about anything as long as it’s not overly sweet or fried.”

Right gear

HAVING the right running gear is important for Lim and other runners.

“They can make or break you.

If you’re not comfortable and stable running in your shoes, it will make the last part of the race really hard,” Lim said.

She looks forward to the Chicago Marathon as it is going to be her first world major marathon.

“I look forward to crossing the finish line with a good finish time and seeing my mom, aunts and cousins waiting at the finish line.”

After the Chicago race, Lim plans to sign up for both 70.3 races next year, hopefully an international full Iron Man-level.

“I already signed up for the Tokyo Marathon lottery. Hopefully, I get picked for that one, too,” she beamed.

Samsung eyes Pinoy Millennials as market

S This September 19, 2013, file photo shows workers at the Target Technology Innovation Center office in San Francisco. According to Fidelity Investments data, millennial long-term participants in a 401(k) now have an average balance of over $100,000. The secret to their success isn’t high salaries or rich parents. It’s consistency. AP

How millennials got a 6-figure start on retirement saving

I

F you’ve read the latest headlines, you know millennials get a mixed financial rap. Some reports say they’re throwing their money away on avocado toast and dining out, while others claim they’re killing the earnings of restaurant chains by cooking at home more.

Whatever you believe about their financial habits, some millennials at least are sitting on six-figure retirement accounts. In a Fidelity Investments analysis of 59,000 millennials— those born between 1981 and 1997—who have participated in their company’s 401(k) plan for 10 years, the average balance was $109,400 at the end of June 2017.

This isn’t thanks to rich parents. These savers can’t all work in investment banking.

And odds are that at least some have student loan balances. Rather, the common thread— and secret to a fat 401(k)—is consistency.

Regular contributions add up

IF you steadily save a reasonable portion of your income over a long period of time, you’re going to end up with a pile of money.

“Saving slowly and methodically while keeping expenses low will generally get you where you need to go,” said Timothy J. LaPean, a certified financial planner in Minneapolis.

“You don’t need to shoot for the sky. All you need is a long series of incremental wins.”

The millennials in Fidelity’s analysis aren’t super savers. Less than a third have a total savings rate—which includes their contributions, plus company matching dollars—of 15 percent of their income or more.

Financial planners commonly use that 15 percent figure as a retirement savings goal.

That means more than two-thirds of these millennials aren’t saving “enough” by most standards—or even close to it. The average contribution rate for the group, not including an employer match, is 7.5 percent.

Make it automatic

MILLENNIAL thousandaires have also been helped along by one of the 401(k)’s best features: automatic salary deferrals, in which contributions are pulled directly from their paychecks.

“Human beings on the whole are not built to be good at saving, and the best approach is one where you never really see the money in the first place,” LaPean said, noting that many employers let you mimic that automation by dividing your check among two or more accounts, including an individual retirement account.

That’s a good option if you don’t have a 401(k) or you’re already contributing enough to earn your plan’s employer match. As for where to send that money, you can contribute up to $5,500 each year to a Roth or traditional IRA. If you freelance or have a side gig, a SEP IRA is specifically for self-employed workers and may allow you to save more than that. You can contribute to a SEP IRA even if you’re also a W-2 employee, said Sarah Hodge, a certified financial planner in Boston.

Take some help from the market

THE millennials in Fidelity’s analysis saw nearly a 32-percent compound annual growth rate, the average amount the account grew each year, over the 10-year period reviewed.

Fidelity says about 60 percent of that was

thanks to their own actions—those consistent contributions—and the rest due to market returns.

Those returns come from regularly investing in the market, whether through a 401(k) or other means, and then staying invested despite periods of volatility. But research has shown millennials tend to be wary of the stock market. According to a Legg Mason survey from earlier this year, 85 percent of millennials say they’re “somewhat or very conservative” when investing.

If you’re not sure how to invest or how much risk you can tolerate, consider using an automated investment manager or putting your retirement savings into a target-date fund. Both will allocate your money according to your age and expected retirement date.

Some companies also provide employees with retirement planning guidance.

Overspending leads to undersaving

“THE first step toward saving enough for retirement is to look at your recurring expenses,” LaPean says. “Can they be lower?

Are you spending on anything that is both nonessential and unlikely to improve your long-term joy?”

One month of too-high expenses might not make or break you; a pattern of overspending very well could. High expenses, LaPean noted, make it harder to save and drive up the amount of money you need to save, because you’ll likely want to maintain that standard of living in retirement. Keeping costs down means you’ll need less money for retirement and your budget will have some breathing room to meet your goals. AP

outh Korean consumer electronics firm Samsung is eyeing Filipino millennials as the main market for its Soundbar audio products.

“We definitely are focusing on the millennial market. Being tech-savvy, millennials use multiple gadgets for communication, work and entertainment,” the company said in a recent e-mail interview with the B usinessM irror .

“With all the stress from balancing career responsibilities with passion projects, millennials would resort to watching a good movie or listening to their favorite songs to unwind. This makes the home entertainment system an integral part of their lifestyle. Upgrading their audio system, therefore, would appeal to them,” the company added.

The company believes the Samsung Soundbar is going to be attractive to millennials because it provides convenience

and has a sleek design: two key features that millennials look for in their gadgets. It pointed out that the audio system wirelessly connects to a television or a smartphone, eliminating cable clutter. As far as the design is concerned, it said the Soundbar has a streamlined design with a premium finish that goes well with any living space.

To reach out to a bigger market segment, the company said it has a complete lineup that enables millennials the option to choose the Soundbar that will meet their preference, taste in entertainment and, more important, the budget.

In terms of market positioning, the company said the Soundbar is going to be branded as a “superb audio system that elevates home entertainment to a full cinematic experience, providing superior sound quality through simple solutions”.

The company said all Soundbar models are all-in-one device, emphasizing that size

does not matter in home theater systems.

It added that through the Soundbar design, consumers can now opt for smaller, compact and sleek Soundbar that can complete the viewing experience through its advanced audio technology at a reasonable price.

For instance, Samsung’s HW-K950 Soundbar with Dolby technology is the world’s first full package to include two upfiring speakers, a subwoofer and two rear wireless up-firing speakers. Meanwhile, the Soundbar Sound+ is Samsung’s first Soundbar to embed the subwoofer directly to its compact body.

The company said the Soundbar is a game changer through its cinematic sound quality, powerful bass and wireless connectivity. It added the Soundbar has three key features like the cinematic sound quality, powerful bass and wireless connectivity to raise the bar of home entertainment.

Rizal Raoul Reyes

Mansplaining explained Maxine Mamba

MILLENNIAL UNIVERSE

’M

ANSPLAINING” is a new jargon that essentially occurs when a man talks condescendingly to someone—most likely a woman—about something he has complete knowledge of with the mistaken assumption that he knows more about it than the person he is talking to.

Mansplaining was coined by a user in LifeJournal, a popular blogging site in the early days of the new millennium and is exemplified by Desi correcting Lucy in I Love Lucy in an imperfect Cuban accent. Mansplaining could also be exemplified by a lot of authority figures taking the microphone in any informal discussion.

Wherever it came from, mansplaining is a labeling and problematic word. Let me explain why I think so.

First off, it singles out men as having this characteristic. That alone signifies gender bias.

True, men do like to explain things but that is because it is in their nature to aim to be respected. Knowledge is one of the ways one gains respect from a group. A man explaining something is a natural way for him

to do this. Labeling what they do as ‘mansplaining’ connotes antagonism to what that person is trying to do. More than likely, a man is just explaining something, period.

It might be annoying to listen to someone speak about something you already know.

But is it offensive?

I think not. I think whoever thinks so has an ego problem. Why can’t someone just listen first, in the hopes of catching insight? Why would you in any way be lessened if the person is telling you something you already know? Explaining something isn’t encroaching on any of your rights or hurting you in any way. If it were viewed as hurtful to explain something, then we would all just shut up and communication on this planet would cease. The fault doesn’t lie in the explainer, it is in the listener.

Mansplaining is also derrogatory to men. You are basically saying that all men are annoying in that way when, in truth, women do it too. It’s like saying, “You hit like a girl” or “you drive like a girl” as an insult. It generalizes and creates a reason for you to think less about a group of people.

I think that’s what labels are. They are excuses for you to think of others as less than yourselves. It creates discord and hate.

It creates a false and baseless sense of superiority. It creates hurt feelings and disunity.

You call people “stupid”, “fat”, “negro” or “nerd” you typecast their characteristics as a reason for you to feel superior to them.

Benjamin Whorf proposed the “linguistic-relativity” hypothesis. This hypothesis states that the words we use to describe what we see aren’t just idle placeholders— they actually determine what we see. Many studies prove this.

More recently, Jennifer Eberhardt, a social psychologist at Stanford, and her colleagues showed white college students a picture of a man who was racially ambiguous—he could have plausibly fallen into the “white” category or the “black” category.

He was described as white to half of the class, and black for the other half. Consequently, their drawings of him later matched that of the label given on him. People who were told he was white drew him with white characteristics and people who were told he was black drew him with characteristics of black people.

This shows that if you label someone as an obnoxious person who “mansplains”, you sow the seeds of hate and derision for men and for that person. Any negative label creates animosity in you and the perception of others.

So choose your words carefully and, more important, choose to sow camaraderie rather than hate and separation.

BusinessMirror

A10 Saturday, September 16, 2017

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Ronnie’s selfie secrets PRIMETIME

DINNA CHAN VASQUEZ @dinnachanvasquez luckydinna@gmail.com

I

RECENTLY did an e-mail interview with young actor/dancer Ronnie Alonte in relation to his being an Oppo influencer.

As you know, the Oppo F3 smartphone is known as the “selfie phone”, so my questions to Ronnie were mostly about selfies. But I also discovered other things about him.

I asked him whose selfies he always looks at on Instagram and his reply came as a surprise.

“Justin Bieber’s! Yup, I’m a Belieber.”

Fun fact: There are many young men who are apparently Bieber fans. In the 14 to 18 age range, guys probably outnumber the girls.

Not surprisingly, Ronnie also likes looking at Selena Gomez’s selfies.

Selfies make up 60 percent of the photos in Ronnie’s phone. Most of them have not been uploaded online. Around 20 percent to 30 percent are groufies.

The rest are random pictures he took.

So who is Ronnie’s favorite person to have a selfie with? “That’s an easy question. Si Papa [My father].”

Ronnie loves taking selfies on his Oppo F3, mainly because the front camera works like magic. No filters required. “Sobrang linaw, tapos feeling ko poging-pogi ako sa lahat ng shots [The camera is so clear and I feel so

THE Oppo F3 is popular among selfie fans.

AXA Life taps Converge ICT Solutions for Internet needs AXA Life Philippines Inc., one of the largest and fastest-growing life-insurance companies in the Philippines, recently engaged Converge ICT Solutions Inc. to provide for its robust Internet connectivity needs.

To communicate and better attend to the needs of its insurance clients, AXA Life needed a fast, reliable, efficient and totally cost-effective Internet connectivity.

The company can now assure customers that it will be able to consistently provide customer service at the highest level of excellence. For AXA Life’s Internet needs, Converge ICT offered 100 Mbps dedicated Internet to AXA Life’s headquarters, plus iBiz plan for its branches.

Shown in photo during the signing of the agreement between the two parties are (from left) Mary Grace Uy, CFO and executive vice president of Converge ICT Solutions Inc.; Jesus Romero, COO

of Converge ICT Solutions Inc.; Ivan Buenaventura, chief information officer of AXA Life Philippines; Grace Yao Uy, Converge CFO; Jesus Romero Converge COO; Ivan Buenaventura, AXA chief information officer; Melanee Torrelino AXA service

delivery manager; Alan Smyth, Converge Eenterprise sales head.

For more about AXA Life, visit www. axa.com.ph; and www.convergeict.com for Converge ICT’s Internet connectivity offerings.

RONNIE ALONTE likes using the Oppo F3 because it makes him look good. He says he doesn’t even need to use any filters.

handsome in all the shots],” he said.

But Ronnie is very intrigued with camera filters.

He likes the Bokeh effect, although he hasn’t used it.

The word bokeh is Japanese in origin. It means blurry or of blurry quality. Usually, the Bokeh effect gives you a blurred background behind an in-focus subject (in selfies, usually your face).

THOUGHTS ON THE iPHONE X EVERYBODY (at least my techie friends and colleagues) is talking about the iPhone X (pronounced 10) and how expensive it is.

I can’t afford the phone unless someone gives it to me as a gift, but I’m very interested in the Face ID feature. With this feature, you can unlock your phone, pay your bills and log in to apps.

Face ID is interesting, particularly in the Philippines where mobile phone theft is rampant.

If this works, then no one else—perhaps, with the exception of a highly technically skilled person—can open a stolen phone except its rightful owner.

Other phone manufacturers have had something like this and it wasn’t very successful, so let’s see what Apple has to offer that’s different.

I’m also very interest in Apple’s new wireless charging feature. Those who’ve had to buy a number of iPhone chargers every year can relate.

GALAXY NOTE 8 FROM SMART THE Samsung Galaxy Note 2 was one of my favorite phones. It actually just conked out early this year. And

that’s not bad because I passed it on to my daughter, who gave it to her dad.

My Note 2 came from my first Smart plan. I later shifted to an iPhone plan mostly because of the Notes feature. But that’s a story for another time.

Smart is offering the Galaxy Note 8 starting at P2,499 per month for 30 months with a one-time cashout of P1,000. The plan comes with monthly inclusions of 10 GB data, unlimited texts to all networks, 50 minutes of calls to all networks and access to top chat apps, including Messenger, Viber and Whatsapp.

Smart also offers Galaxy Note 8 under Smart Infinity’s premium postpaid plans with signature lifestyle privileges and perks to be unveiled at smart. com.ph/infinity.

OPTIMIZED BY SMART’S NEWEST AND FASTEST LTE NETWORK STILL on the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 offering from Smart: Preorder your Note 8 from now until September 17 from the nearest Smart Store, or online at store.smart.com.ph/view/1997 on September 29.

Subscribers with approved Smart Postpaid Plan applications for the Galaxy Note 8 from now until September 17 will get an AKG Travel Speaker and enjoy one month access to iflix.

Touted as the ultimate multitasking device for people who want to do bigger things, Galaxy Note 8’s best-in-class features is optimized by Smart’s newest and fastest LTE network, which allows subscribers to enjoy bandwidth-heavy activities on the go. ■

Huawei collaborates with ICP to hold 2017 Next-Image Awards SHANGHAI, China—Huawei has launched the first annual Next-Image Awards with the International Center of Photography (ICP). Huawei Smartphones Vice President Li Changzhu and ICP Executive Director Mark Lubell signed a memorandum of agreement at the launch ceremony, officially kicking off the Next-Image Plan in locations around the world.

“Huawei’s innovation in domains like AI, VR/AR, holographic imaging and optics are given new forms of physical expression in our smartphones,” Li said at the signing ceremony.

“These technologies also give rise to endless new possibilities in visual expression, making the creative process more enjoyable than ever before.”

Back in April 2016, Huawei released the P9 series with its groundbreaking Leica dual-lens camera. The company later released the Mate 9 series in November of 2016, and the P10 series in February this year. In September 2017 Huawei announced the release of the Kirin 970, the world’s first smartphone chipset with a dedicated Neural Processing Unit (NPU) that supports on-device AI processing.

Moving forward, Huawei will redefine visual culture together with hundreds of millions of smartphone users around the world, while continuing to build on its foundation of next-generation visual imaging and optical technology.

As smartphone penetration grows and mobilecamera technology becomes more advanced, more

people are using their phones to create compelling visual content—content that is far more expansive and diverse than ever before. In effect, smartphone photography is no longer just a form of entertainment, but a new and impactful phenomenon in visual culture. The Next-Image Plan is the culmination of Huawei’s efforts to redefine visual expression

and culture with more professional and intuitive smartphone cameras. With the right technology and a unique style, the global smartphone brand wants to explore the next generation of visual expression together with users around the globe.

Together with ICP, Huawei will hold a series of cross-media activities, including competitions,

exhibitions and collections, and educational opportunities designed to enrich visual expression based on three core elements: technology, style and culture. Through Next-Image, all Huawei smartphone users will rediscover the joy of creating and sharing visual content.

The annual Next-Image Awards are an important component of the overarching Next-Image Plan.

Starting in 2017, the awards will provide smartphone users from around the world with a gallery where they can showcase their best work.

“The International Center of Photography is the world’s leading institution dedicated to photography and visual culture. I am thrilled the Next-Image awards and future projects with Huawei will scale up ICP’s reach and impact, and allow both to find new ways to activate smartphone technology to increase visual literacy globally and across generations. The synergy will inspire and increase our connections to each other through presenting new ways of learning and innovative ways for creating and sharing visual content,” ICP Executive Director Mark Lubell said.

The 2017 awards are broken down into seven different categories: @All; Me, Myself & I; Hello, Life!; Check-In; Citizen Witness; 3x3; and Timeline. The call for entries officially began on September 9, and winners will be announced on December 19.

For details, visit the official award web site at gallery.consumer.huawei.com.

www.businessmirror.com.ph

BusinessMirror

Saturday, September 16, 2017 A11

SHOPPING AT AMAZON.COM? PAY WITH POINTS

IBM offers solutions towards digitalization

I

BY RIZAL RAOUL REYES

BM Philippines is pushing the digital agenda in the local corporate sector by presenting its leading-edge solutions to the market.

On September 8 IBM announced that health management organization PhilCare chose IBM Cloud as a platform to quickly build and scale its customerfacing mobile app enabling them to provide customers with the best assistance on their health-care services needs anytime, anywhere.

“This is just one of our solutions available for the health-care industry. We definitely have a lot more to offer to help transform the way health care is delivered in the Philippines,” IBM Philippines President and Country General Manager Luis Pineda said in press statement.

Through the deployment of IBM Cloud and IBM Watson API, PhilCare Vice President for Information Technology James L. Indino Jr. said the company hopes to accelerate its time-to-market, innovate and transform the way it delivers exceptional experiences to its customers.

He said the reason PhilCare turned to IBM Watson API is to update its Go!Mobile app into HeyPhil, a cognitive voice assistant that provides members with the best assistance wherever they are, whenever they need.

Just like its predecessor the Go! Mobile, HeyPhil is loaded with more features, such as BMI and calorie calculator, and rewards program—making it a real mobile wellness companion. Moreover, IBM Watson API gives HeyPhil users a human-like voice interactive

experience. He said additional functions and features will be added to the app in the future, using analytics and Internet of Things (IoT), as well as partnerships with other apps such as transportation service.

“We have always been one to innovate because it is part of our mission to bring affordable and accessible health care to as many Filipinos as possible,” Indino said. “Part of our customer-centric service approach is to deliver technology-enabled customer experiences, and we want to make sure that every new technology we introduce to the market fulfills PhilCare’s commitment,” he added.

PhilCare, founded in 1982, currently has 350,000 members and is one of the pioneering HMOs and a front-runner in technological innovations in the industry.

In 2013 they created PhilCare Go!Mobile app, providing customers quick access to their health-plan coverage and benefits, availment of records and list of providers, among other things. PhilCare Snap, launched in 2015, is their Near Field Communication (NFC)-enabled membership card designed to make hospital transactions faster, more efficient and almost paperless.

Last year they introduced PCare EASy (PhilCare Electronic Approval System), a faster and more convenient way for LOA issuance via member portal, allowing members to skip long queues. To strengthen their commitment further to providing technologyenabled customer experiences, they adopted IBM Cloud to be better equipped, while reducing the cost, in their digital transformation journey.

By doing this, PhilCare aims to empower its

customers to achieve an ideal state of health through quality, effective and accessible healthcare services.

Meanwhile, IBM recently urged local banks and other financial institutions to embrace digital technology and the cloud environment to remain a relevant force in the future.

In a press briefing on September 8, Likhit Wagle, IBM global industry general manager for banking and financial markets, pointed out that traditional banks must be ready to compete with start-ups and financial technology companies (fintechs).

Since the two entities are more open in adopting new technologies, such as artificial intelligence and cognitive learning, Wagle said traditional banks will be facing stiffer competition, and they have no choice but to adapt to the new environment. He urged banks to harness the power of analytics to deliver adaptive and personalized customer experiences.

He said fintechs are giving traditional banks a stiff competition in this area.

Citing a recent IBM Institute for Business Value Study, Wagle said only 30 percent of the customers surveyed believe they are getting a personalized customer experience, while 45 percent of bankers interviewed believe they are providing one.

“We believe that robust predictive analytics based on big data are key technology enablers for banks to deliver personalized customer experiences,” he said.

Wagle pointed out that financial institutions must use cloud-based cognitive computing because it has the capabilities of analyzing data, understanding data and making the necessary recommendations regarding the information. ■

Cruz says aide inadvertently caused his porn Twitter post WASHINGTON—Sen. Ted Cruz says an aide was responsible for the “like” that caused a pornographic post to briefly appear on Cruz’s Twitter feed overnight. The Texas Republican and 2016 presidential candidate said last Tuesday that several aides have access to the account and that one inadvertently posted the pornography.

Cruz told reporters that “it was a staffing issue

and it was inadvertent. It was a mistake. It was not a deliberate action.”

“Liking”—which only people with access to a Twitter account are able to do—causes it to appear on one’s feed. Cruz sought to make light of the episode, which gained widespread notice on the popular socialmedia site. “This is not how I envisioned waking up this morning,” Cruz said. “Although I will say that if I

had known that this would trend so quickly, perhaps we should have posted something like this back during the Indiana primary.”

Cruz would not say whether he’ll fire the staff aide or deny the aide access to his social-media accounts, though he noted that the aide did not act maliciously.

Cruz is seeking reelection to a second term in next year’s elections. AP

STARTING this month, Citi credit cardholders in the Philippines who shop at Amazon.com will be able to use their Citi rewards points to pay for their entire purchase at checkout.

Not enough points? Cardholders can also redeem their points to pay for a portion of their purchase and charge the rest to their Citi credit card. With this new offering, Citi creditcard customers in the Philippines can also enjoy a $15 rebate on the portion of their purchase charged to their card that is a minimum of at least $100 on or before September 30.

They just need to make sure they enter the promo code LOVE2CLICK in the Gift and Promotional Codes box upon checking out.

“At Citi we are focused on making banking easier for our customers by leveraging digitization, mobile technology and innovation, which includes delivering a remarkable client experience in key digital ecosystems. We have seen that the rapid adoption of mobile and other digital channels has truly transformed how people shop, and we’re delighted to collaborate with Amazon,” said Anand Selva, head of Asia Pacific consumer banking for Citi.

“We expect this partnership to be well-received by our clients, just as they have embraced our earlier digital initiatives,” said David Stoughton, head of credit cards for Citi in the Philippines. “Over the years, Citi rewards points have become a powerful currency. Clients use it to shop at their favorite physical stores, or redeem anything from air miles to gasoline to rides around town. We are excited that our loyalty points are now also available at Amazon.com.”

The announcement marks another key digital relationship that reinforces Citi’s objective to be increasingly relevant in key digital ecosystems where the banks’ clients are more active. In 2016 Citi announced partnerships in Asia, including Grab, WeChat, Line, Lazada, AirAsia and Airbnb.

GLOBE REWARDS LAUNCHES BEST PERKS FOR 917 CELEBRATION

917 Day is held each year on September 17, and is one of the most special celebrations of Globe. 0917, after all, is its first and most iconic mobile prefix.

This year’s celebration gets even bigger since September 2017 only happens once in this millennium. For this whole 917 month, Globe Rewards (www.facebook. com/GlobePH) launches its biggest lineup of partners for all customers to enjoy perks and freebies from some of the best names in dining, shopping, travel and entertainment.

“We are grateful for all the support of our customers throughout the years. We strive to make our services better, treat our customers right and ultimately deliver a wonderful connected experience. Through a bigger roster of partners, we look forward to give everyone the simple joys just by being a part of the Globe family,” said Albert de Larrazabal, chief commercial officer of Globe.

Foodies are in for a treat with promos from the country’s top restaurants, such as Figaro, Italianni’s, Jamba Juice and Friday’s. They can also shop their hearts out and indulge in retail therapy with discounts from their favorite retail brands, such as Topshop, Topman, Burton Menswear, Dorothy Perkins, Miss Selfridge, Forever 21, Gap, Old Navy, Banana Republic, Sunnies and Globe Apparel. Special discounts for beauty and wellness products are also up for grabs at Watsons and Beauty Bar. Jetsetters can book their next destination with much-awaited seat sales from AirAsia for their next adventure, while getting around the city is made even better with exclusive promo codes.

Movie and theater buffs are also in for a treat with premium deals to enjoy the latest titles and famous theatrical shows. Gamers can also extend their playing time in Quantum—they can get extra tokens or game credits with every purchase.

All of these are in the palm of every Globe customer’s hand. By downloading the Globe Rewards app, customers can be updated on the wonderful surprises that are coming their way. This year’s 917 Day celebration is about to get bigger, and all Globe customers can be part of the fun.

IBM offers solutions towards digitalization A11

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

BusinessMirror

Saturday, September 16, 2017 A12

iPhone X’ed THE TECHNIVORE ED UY

whereiseduy@gmail.com

“Older people sit down and ask, ‘What is it?’ but the boy asks, ‘What can I do with it?”—STEVE JOBS

O

N Tuesday, September 12, a lot of Pinoy Apple fans stayed up late to watch the live streaming of Apple’s big announcement.

As expected, the company from Cupertino, California, showed a lot of its latest creations, the latest Watch, a few updated devices, and the new, super expensive iPhone—oh, and they also had the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus.

And I’m not even done exploring my iPhone 7 Plus.

To tell you honestly, I’m not much of an Apple fan and the 7 Plus is the very first iPhone I owned. I got it from my Smart postpaid plan only because my other option proved to be an “explosive” choice.

Yet, as soon as I held it in my hands, I understood why it remains as the only phone of choice for millions of people. Yeah, I know, the “premium feel” has been used and overused by almost every other brand, but you actually believe it when you are using an iPhone. In a post, recode.net said, “No matter what Apple announces today at its fall product event in Cupertino, millions of people will buy it.” Consciously or subconsciously, New York University Prof. Scott Galloway said, “They’re doing it because Apple has figured out how to advertise to their genitals.”

In Prof. Galloway’s book The Four: The Hidden DNA of Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google, he explains why “Apple is sex”, and argues that business and biology are more closely linked than you might think.

“You’re either appealing to the brain, the heart or the genitals, and as you move down the torso, the margins get better, because the decision-making

/

THE new smartphone from Apple, the iPhone X (left). The LG Q6 (right) provides premium features, including a near bezel-less screen, at a value price.

becomes more irrational,” Galloway said.

Hmmm...so make sure you take note of what you are feeling the moment you get the chance to hold the iPhone X. So what’s the deal with those three new iPhones?

In celebration of the iPhone’s 10th year, Apple pulled out all the stops for the iPhone X. Apple CEO Tim Cook called it the “the biggest leap forward since the original iPhone.”

Last year the iPhone 7 got rid of the headphone jack; this year, it’s the Home button’s time to go. Gone from the X is the Home button that’s been a trademark of the iPhone since its launch in 2007. This is to give way to edge-to-edge display and an OLED screen for the first time.

With iPhone X, the device is the display with an all-new 5.8 inch Super Retina Display screen. The OLED screen rises to the standards of iPhone, with accurate, stunning colors, true blacks, high brightness and a 1,000,000 to 1 contrast ratio.

No Home button means no more fingerprint scanner. Instead, you’re going to be unlocking it with your face. Yep, big problem for John Cena (because you can’t see him!—only WWE fans will get that joke.)

The tech is so advanced that the iPhone X can still recognize you even if you wear a hat, put on glasses or grow a beard. But it won’t unlock if your eyes are closed, if someone uses your photo or if by any chance someone makes a mask of your face. Apple says there is a one in 1 million chance that your phone can be unlocked by someone that isn’t you—unless someone forces you to look at your phone.

Another feature they highlighted because of the new Face ID are the Apple “animojis”. Animated emojis that can match the expression you’re making with your face. So, say hello to the “Shpookt!”—yes!

You can now send your friends a shocked poop emoji!

I’ll try to give you more of the other tech stuff in another column, as the iPhone X doesn’t arrive until November. As for the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus—its basically the normal yearly update you’ve come to expect, but it does have a new back cover that’s coated in glass, giving it a fresher look. It also has faster A11 Bionic processor, a better camera, and there’s still a home button for Touch ID. The iPhone 8 and the 8 Plus is due for release this month and we’ll have a review if we get the chance to try it out.

IN-KWUN HEO (from left), LG managing director; James Deakin; and Tony An, vice president for Home Entertainment, LG Electronics Philippines

And if you thought Apple skipped the number “9”, don’t worry, you’ll see it plenty of times as the iPhone X price starts at $999.

HONEY, I SHRUNK THE G6!

OKAY, so every smartphone now is promising the near bezel-less screens like the Note 8, LG G6 and now the iPhone X, but if you are looking to have that full screen experience at a quarter of the price of those flagship phones, look no further than the LG Q6.

I showed it to a few tech journos and we all agreed it’s one, if not the most, gorgeous-looking phone in its price class. I brought it with me to my Kuala Lumpur trip and I took it out more than my iPhone 7 Plus to take photos.

At first look, it may look like a smaller version of the G6, and many are even calling it the LG G6 mini, because of similar features, but the Q6 has a few unique ones as well that make it a good choice.

First off, the Q6 shares the DNA with the awardwinning G6—with its 5.5-inch FHD+ Full Vision display (2160x1080/442ppi) that offers maximum space, and allows easy multitasking. You can easily split the screen into two perfectly square windows which you can view either vertically or horizontally.

It runs on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 435 chipset, 3GB RAM, 32GB ROM and has the latest Android 7.1.1 Nougat OS. The Q6 has a Rear 13MP Standard/Front Wide Angle 5MP, and is powered by a 3,000mAh (nonremovable) battery.

As I mentioned, the LG Q6 is housed in a beautiful metal frame constructed of 7000 series aluminum—a strong alloy commonly used in the aerospace and marine industries—with rounded corners to minimize impact energy when dropped, making it durable and can withstand many everyday stresses.

Unfortunately, the back is not only a fingerprint magnet but is also easily prone to scratches, so make sure you get a case as a pouch just wouldn’t cut it.

After using it for a few weeks, here are a few things I loved about the Q6, besides its eye-catching design.

The camera is quite good. The main camera has a 13-megapixel sensor with autofocus and a single LED flash. The camera focuses quite fast and takes really good pictures in daylight and well-lit environments, but also takes decent indoor photos.

I also liked the 5-megapixel front-facing camera. It may be a bit low in today’s standards but the wideangle (100-degrees) field of view makes it better for group shots and selfies where you also want to show where you are and not just your face covering 80 percent of the screen.

The Square Camera mode is a fun feature, especially if you want to do some creative shots for Instagram, as you can mix and match or mismatch two frames. The LG Q6 comes with two dedicated nano-SIM card slots and a separate microSD card slot, which is nice in that you can use two sims and still have a slot for a microSD. Since it has no fingerprint scanner, the Q6 unlocks via face recognition—yes, similar to the iPhone X! It’s pretty accurate, unlocking in less than 2 seconds; just make sure to properly register your face and make the same expression and angle when trying to unlock it.

The screen is really the star of the LG Q6 simply because Full Vision display is really a feature of flagship phones and the Q6’s screen doesn’t disappoint. The Q6 also promises comfortable onehanded operation and, despite the large screen, you really can operate most of the apps, like the camera,

and compose messages using just one without worrying about losing your grip.

But the real reason to get this phone is the price: for its premium design and build, full vision display and great camera modes, you can get the LG Q6 in stores or from Lazada at a suggested retail price of P12,990.

77 INCHES OF OLED GLORY FROM LG SPEAKING of displays, LG has always been praised for the quality of its TV displays, and its OLED screens remain the best—regardless of the hype for some newer tech.

Now LG brings the future of home cinema entertainment to the Philippines with the introduction of LG Signature OLED TV. The LG Signature series is the brand’s gold standard in design boasting of an intuitive, responsive and functional design philosophy that spells sheer elegance in simplicity. LG is the pioneer in OLED technology (Organic Light Emitting Diodes), which delivers more vivid visuals like never before. Over the course of the past five years, LG has continually developed a better, more vibrant viewing experience and the result is the LG Signature OLED TV. The sleek 77-inch LG Signature OLED TV is the first LG Signature TV to be made available in the Philippines, and the company described it as the pinnacle of five years of continuous improvements.

OLED technology makes perfect blacks and perfect colors come alive, and the viewing experience is complemented by exceptional sound with the Dolby Atmos audio system. This is the first time that the Dolby Atmos has ever been featured in TV speakers.

The result mimics reality on your TV. Because of OLED, the screen is picture-in-glass thin, resulting in perfect viewing angles, wherever you are relative to the TV. It also has webOS, allowing you to binge-watch movies and shows on Netflix whenever you want.

“With Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos integrated into our newest OLED products, viewers will be able to recapture the magic of the cinema and experience their favorite movies with their original clarity, depth and imagination intact,” said Tony An, vice president for home entertainment, LG Electronics Philippines.

“The stunning new TVs available in the market demonstrate our commitment to innovation and leadership in OLED technology.”

/ TECH THOUGHTS: “iPhones generally last one year before

getting outdated, but iPhone 8 lasted for exactly two minutes before getting outdated.”

—SHIKHAR ARORA VIA TWITTER

GOT questions? Or gadgets you want to be featured?

Send me an e-mail at whereiseduy@gmail.com with the subject TECHNIVORE.