BusinessMirror September 20, 2018

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A broader look at today’s business

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Thursday, September 20, 2018 Vol. 13 No. 341

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PHL posts $1.27-B BOP surplus, its first for 2018

T

By Bianca Cuaresma

@BcuaresmaBM

HE country’s dollar transactions with the rest of the world made a turnaround in August from its consistent deficit this year, as the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) reported a surplus in the country’s balance of payments (BOP) position.

$2.44B The eight-month deficit of the country, up from the $1.39-billion BOP deficit in the same January-to-August period last year

Data released on Wednesday showed the country’s BOP hit a surplus of $1.272 billion in August See “BOP,” A2

House resumes work on ’19 budget

Rene E. Ofreneo

LABOREM EXERCENS

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HE present rice-price crisis is deeply troubling for the nation. It is unprecedented in breadth and length. From P37 a kilo under the Aquino administration, the price of the regular milled rice went up to P40 a kilo and, in August, zoomed up to over P50 a kilo, even as high as P80 a kilo in some markets.

Moreover, in far-flung places, there is a shortage of rice being retailed, forcing the National Food Authority (NFA) to release its bukbok hoard to the market. Rice consumers are asked to limit

T

HE House of Representatives on Wednesday resumed its plenary deliberations on the P3.757-trillion 2019 national budget after the chairman of the Committee on Appropriations expressed support for the new funding allocation approved earlier by the Committee of the Whole.

Rep. Karlo Alexei B. Nograles of the First District of Davao City, who chairs the Committee of Appropriations, said the P51.7-billion realignment made by the Committee of the Whole on Tuesday improved the 2019 budget proposal.

Nograles said the realignment addressed the serious budget cuts suffered by various government agencies, especially in education and health.

“The committee report made by the Committee of the Whole is a better one. We can see here that the reductions made went to the budget of [Department of Education] for schoolbuildings, to the [Department of Health] for its Health Facilities Enhancement Program and to [state universities and colleges],” he said in a statement on Wednesday.

‘Pork-free’

FURTHERMORE, Nograles assured the public that the budget proposal submitted by the Executive branch and the one that will be tackled on the floor is “pork-free.”

See “Budget,” A2

A multisided rice crisis requires a holistic policy approach

Continued on A7

Ompong farm losses in N. Luzon now ₧17B

By Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas

A RICE field submerged in floodwater after the onslaught of Typhoon Ompong now serves as a fishing area for this resident of Calumpit, Bulacan, long a catch basin for waters cascading from surrounding mountains. NONIE REYES

Neda: PHL could gain P42M from trade war

By Cai U. Ordinario @cuo_bm

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HE Philippine economy stands to gain $42.2 million annually from the ongoing trade war between the United States and China between 2018 and 2022, according to the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda).

In a recent forum, Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto M. Pernia said the indicative figure is based on the Neda’s initial simulation of the impact of the trade war.

Pernia said the analysis resulted

PESO EXCHANGE RATES n US 54.1020

in a net positive welfare effect on the Philippines worth $34.7 million in 2018 and as much as $50.7 million by 2022 or 2023.

“It’s [trade war] actually going to result in a net positive welfare effect on the Philippines; that is because our main exports to the US comprise electronic equipment and transport equipment, as well as other nonagricultural products, chemical and rubber products, and ferrous metals, and mineral products as inputs to their production,” Pernia said.

Pernia explained that with the trade war, China and the US both

need another source of electronic products and transport equipment, and these can be exported to them by the Philippines.

He said, however, the Neda simulation only took into consideration the country’s exports to the US. If China’s needs will be taken into consideration, it may lead to higher gains.

“I think we’re competitive [in terms of cost]. Maybe, even if we’re a bit more expensive, because the source in China is not available, they have to get more from the Philippines,” Pernia said.

See “Neda,” A2

L

@jearcalas

OSSES incurred by Northern Luzon farmers from Typhoon Ompong have risen to about P17 billion, according to the latest assessment of the Department of Agriculture (DA).

In its report, the DA said total damage to the farm sector in regions collectively described as the nation’s “cereal bowl” and “salad bowl” as of September 18 has reached P16.76 billion, affecting around 288,422 farmers and fisherfolk.

Typhoon Ompong wiped out about 731,294 metric tons of farm output in 636,908 hectares in Regions 1, 2, 3, 4A and the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) .

The DA report noted that the rice sector suffered the brunt of the typhoon damage as it accounted for 68.30 percent of the total losses.

Rice farmers in the five regions have now incurred losses amount-

68.3% Percentage of losses accounted for by the rice sector, which suffered the brunt of typhoon damage, P11.45 billion

ing to P11.45 billion.

“The affected area is 474,838 hectares, or 47.71 percent of the 995,218 hectares rice standing crops in CAR, Regions 1, 2, 3 and 4A, with 558,441 metric tons volume of production loss,” the DA said.

“The high amount of volume loss in rice is due to these affected crops that are mostly in their reproductive stage,” it added.

Ecija farmers

THE DA said rice farmers in Nueva Ecija incurred the highest losses at

n JAPAN 0.4816 n UK 71.1441 n HK 6.8978 n CHINA 7.8849 n SINGAPORE 39.4732 n AUSTRALIA 39.0508 n EU 63.1316 n SAUDI ARABIA 14.4260

See “Ompong,” A2

Source: BSP (19 September 2018 )

News

BusinessMirror

A2 Thursday, September 20, 2018

With low price, NFA could miss palay procurement goal

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By Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas

@jearcalas

HE National Food Authority (NFA) said it may not be able to hit its palay procurement target of 100,000 metric tons (MT) this year, as the agency’s buying price remains uncompetitive against that being offered by traders.

NFA Grains Marketing Operations Head Rex C. Estoperez told the BusinessMirror that the agency is unlikely to hit its procurement target of 2 million bags (100,000 MT) this year. So far, the NFA has managed to purchase 76,901 bags, representing 4 percent of its target. “[Palay procurement] is very minimal. [Hitting the target is]

BOP. . .

Continued from A1

this year. This is the first BOP surplus of the country for the year. It is also a reversal of the $7-billion deficit seen in the same month last year.

The August BOP surplus is the largest monthly surplus on record since January 2013. “ I n f low s i n Au g u st 2018 stemmed mainly from net foreign currency deposits of the national government [NG] and income from the BSP’s investments abroad during the month,” the BSP said in a statement on Wednesday.

The Central Bank further said that the inflow could have been larger, if not partially offset by the payments made by the national government for its foreign-exchange obligation and the foreignexchange operations of the BSP during the month.

Foreign-exchange operations have also been earlier blamed for the falling gross international reserves (GIR) of the country.

Govt. . .

Continued from A8

Communication drive

To communicate the gains of responsible mining in the country, Teh told the COMP conference, effective environmental and social safeguards should be in place on the part of the government.

Listed among the most mineralized nations in the world, the Philippines’s untapped mineral resources are estimated to amount to billions of dollars. The Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) estimated the country’s total gold reserves in 2016 at 1.9 billion metric tons (MT) with an average grade of 0.16 grams per ton;

unlikely,” Estoperez said in an interview. “Based on our [palay procurement] target accomplishments, we achieved only 1 percent in August, 3 percent in July, 7 percent in June, 33 percent in May and 11 percent in April.”

He said the primary factor that prevented the NFA from procuring more palay was its support price of P17 per kilogram (kg), which The BSP earlier vowed to keep its presence in the foreign-exchange market to smoothen out any volatility that may be detrimental to the economy.

Still in the red

Despite the strong BOP performance of the country in August, the eight-month cumulative BOP position of the country remains in the red.

In particular, the eight-month deficit of the country is at $2.44 billion, up from the $1.39-billion BOP deficit in the same Januaryto-August period last year.

“The higher cumulative BOP deficit during the period may be attributed to the widening merchandise trade deficit [based on the Philippine Statistics Authority’s preliminary data] for the first seven months of the year that was brought about by the sustained rise in imports of raw materials and intermediate goods, as well as capital goods to support domestic local expansion,” the BSP said.

SMBC Nikko Securities (Hong Kong) Limited President Katand silver, 1.7 billion MT with an average grade of 1.27 grams per ton.

Copper reserves, on the other hand, are estimated to be around 1.8 billion MT, while iron and nickel have reserves of 116 million MT and 116.14 million MT, respectively. Chromite’s reserves stood around 47.3 million MT. The Philippines is also considered one of the top nickel exporters in the world, with production ranging from 30 million wet metric tons to 36 million WMT as of 2017.

Policy recommendations

As part of the government’s efforts to help promote and enforce sustainable practices in the mining sector, Teh said the DENR, through the MGB, is now considering certain

is lower than the traders’ average buying price of P20 to P22 per kg.

Estoperez also welcomed the proposal of some lawmakers to add a P10-billion supplemental budget to the NFA to be used for its buffer stocking program.

The proposal, introduced by the Makabayan bloc in the House of Representatives, also seeks to hike the NFA’s buying price to P20 per kg so it could buy palay from farmers this harvest season.

“We always support any positive support for farmers,” Estoperez said.

Back to DA

In a Facebook post on Wednesday afternoon, Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol announced that President Duterte has issued an executive order (EO) transferring the NFA back to the Department of Agriculture (DA).

EO 62, signed by Duterte on September 17 and released only on suhiko Yasui, at the sidelines of an economic briefing and tour of Clark Freeport Zone, said one of the biggest short-term concerns of investors on the Philippine economy is its current-account deficit in its BoP. The widening deficit in the cou nt r y ’s c u r rent accou nt — which Barclays Research Director Rahul Bajoria forecast to hit 2 percent of the Philippines’s gross domestic product (GDP) by the end of this year—has been largely blamed on the strong importation of capital goods in the country, most of which are requirements to the country’s infrastructure-reform initiative.

He said that, while the depreciating peso and the rising currentaccount deficit are among the key risks in the economy, a lot of Japanese companies are still interested in putting up shop in the Philippines due largely to its high growth and aggressive infrastructure drive.

The BSP earlier announced it was expecting the BOP to incur a cumulative deficit of $1.5 billion for 2018. policy recommendations.

These are re-examination of the timing of required mining planning documents and related permits; expansion of the one-stop committee concept to all other permitting processes in the sector; strengthening the government’s progress, performance and impact monitoring; revisiting taxes, fees, penalties and contingency funds; institutional strengthening; and better management of financial, reputation/ investment, environmental and climate risks.

“In communicating the gains of responsible mining, it is about time that the mining industry shows that it strives to become a champion in promoting responsible stewardship of natural resources and the environment,” Teh said.

Neda. . .

Ompong. . .

However, Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III said the trade war is not all good news, given that it introduces uncertainty not only in the international market but in domestic markets, as well.

Dominguez said the recent announcement of US President Donald Trump that around $200 million worth of goods will be subjected to tariffs adds to the uncertainty being experienced by the global economy.

To address the ill effects of this uncertainty in domestic markets, Dominguez said banks increase interest rates, which, however, weakens the Philippine peso further.

“When you have a trade war, at lot of uncertainty is introduced into the world economic system, and banks react to that increased uncertainty by increasing interest rates, so that’s happening. So that has further eroded the value of our peso,” Dominguez said.

P2.84 billion, followed by those situated in Cagayan in Region 2 at P2.77 billion.

The DA said total damage to the corn sector remained at P4.5 billion with a total area affected of about 148,587 hectares.

Total corn output volume lost was pegged at around 281,039 MT, with most of the crop in their reproductive stage.

The DA also said there were no reported increments in the losses incurred by high-value crops farmers and livestock raisers. Total damage to high-value crops and livestock sectors remained at P788.13 million and P5.51 million, respectively.

At least 13,483 hectares planted with high-value crops in CAR and provinces of Rizal and Cagayan and Isabela were affected

by Typhoon Ompong. These had an estimated aggregate output of 14,258 MT. “Meanwhile, damage and losses in fisheries amount to a total of P6.94 million for the fish production and facilities/equipment,” the DA said.

“Some of the damaged facilities/equipment were tilapia fish ponds, fish cages, FRP boats, dikes and breeding tanks in Region 2.”

Continued from A1

Continued from A1

September 19 according to Piñol, also authorized the return of the Philippine Coconut Authority and the Fertilizer and Pesticides Authority to the supervision of the DA. “The executive order also reorganized the NFA Council, making the secretary of agriculture as chairman with the NFA Administrator as vice chairman,” Piñol said in his social-media post.

“Members of the NFA Council include the secretary of finance, the secretary of trade and industry, the director general of the National Economic and Development Authority, the social welfare secretary, the government of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, the president of Land Bank and a farmers’ sector representative appointed by the President,” he added.

The Development Bank of the Philippines was removed from the council, while a representative from the Office of the President was retained.

Budget. . .

Continued from A1

“First of all, we stick by the position that it is impossible for any insertions to be done in the [National Expenditure Program] because that purely comes from the Executive Department. If you ask [the Department of Budget and Management], if you ask the economic managers, if you ask Malacañang, they’re also sticking by the position that this is the Executive Branch’s budget,” he said.

“Everything that was submitted and inside the NEP is what was submitted by the Executive,” he added.

Majority Leader Rolando R. Andaya Jr., chairman of the Committee of the Whole, said the approved amendments made to the proposed 2019 budget would be itemized to ensure the prudent utilization of the funding.

“However, there are augmentations that will be hard to itemize, like the budget for retained health workers, as it will be impossible to create what is basically a payroll.

In the case of the Calamity Fund augmentation for Ompong rehabilitation, there is no comprehensive damage assessment yet, which can [serve as] guide as [to] what projects will be undertaken,” Andaya said.

“As I said, every line in the [General Appropriations Bill] will comply with laws and judicial decisions on public expenditures,” Andaya added.

What is important is that the lawmakers can now start deliberating on the 2019 national budget to further improve it, he stressed.

Rep. Maria Carmen Z. Zamora of the First District of Compostella Valley, who sponsored House Bill 8169 or the 2019 GAB, urged her fellow lawmakers to focus on improving the itemization of the proposed budget.

“We appeal to the honorable body to generously and helpfully extend much-needed assistance as we discharge our constitutional mandate. Let us work hand in hand in enacting a budget that will build a bright future for the country and its people,” Zamora said in her sponsorship speech during the plenary.

“May I reiterate the statement of the Majority Floor Leader yesterday that the taxes are paid in cash but must be reimbursed in kind, and the budget is the thick checkbook of how and in what forms the refunds will be made.

As representatives of the people, we are accountable for every peso footed and ruled in the budget book, and we invite our esteemed colleagues to subject them to your scrutiny,” Zamora added.

Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Debates over ‘pork’ insertions, health cuts seen to hound 2019 budget bill

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ENATE Minority Leader Franklin M. Drilon vowed on Wednesday to closely scrutinize pork barrel “insertions” estimated at P55 billion, in the P3.757-trillion 2019 budget bill submitted by Malacañang.

This, as Drilon and health sector groups on one hand, and Budget Secretary Benjamin E. Diokno on the other, continued to engage in a word war over the huge cuts in the Department of Health (DOH) budget I n a s e p a r a t e i n t e r v i e w, S e n .

Panfilo M. Lacson Sr. confirmed an emerging Senate consensus during a recent caucus for other senators to help conduct a thorough scrutiny of so-called pork insertions in the annual money measure.

“Based on what I heard during our caucuses and the pronouncements of other senators to media, it looks like there will be several senators who will help [look for other pork insertions in the budget bill].”

Lacson added: “And we are not done yet. What we have identified so far, and my staff is thankful that we need not search further,”he said in Filipino, referring to the boost their sleuthing got from the feud that broke out on Monday in the House of Representatives among key leaders. The House, sitting as a Committee of the Whole, resumed deliberations on the budget bill on Wednesday.

Lacson indicated, however, that the pork barrel issue is not likely to end in a deadlock resulting in a reenacted budget—a scenario feared to happen if the 2019 money measure is not passed into law before the year-end.

“As much as possible we will avoid having a reenacted budget. That is not good.

What projects can be done if there is no new approved budget?”Lacson said, adding that “for the time being that the budget is not passed, we will operate under a reenacted budget for several months, and that is not good for the government.”

Asked how the reported insertions were perpetrated, Drilon traced the process from the time the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) transmitted the annual money measure to Congress.

“As I understood it, the budget coming from the DBM contained insertions of various projects that should not be there, that’s how I understand it,” Drilon said partly in Filipino.

thumbed down on Wednesday Drilon’s proposal to restore the budget cut in the Health Facilities Enhancement Program (HFEP) of the DOH, calling it an “irrational” move.

Diokno justified the DBM’s decision to “massively” reduce the budget allocation for HFEP, citing the “dismal spending performance” of the department in the implementation of the program and the reported irregularities by Commission on Audit (COA).

“They [Senate] have to go back to the drawing board on HFEP. We have two COA reports, citing P6.1 billion and P1.5 billion in irregularities. Cumulatively, that’s about half the total amount disbursed for HFEP since it was implemented,” he said. “It is irrational, if not downright suspicious, to restore the budget for a program like that.”

Also, the DBM noted that the total disbursements for HFEP as of June 30 this year only reached P15.5 billion, around 11 percent of the total P138.1-billion appropriations provided for the program since 2008.

On Monday Drilon asked the DBM to submit an amendment to the proposed budget to provide enough funds for the construction and maintenance of health facilities throughout the country.

Drilon was “alarmed” that the DBM reduced the HFEP budget to P50 million in 2019, from the current level of P30.26 billion.

He also warned that about 15,000 health workers may lose jobs under the 2019 budget because of the budget cut.

He threatened to block the budget unless this “injustice” is addressed. However, Diokno disputed Drilon’s claim of job tlosses because of the budget cut.

“I will also address claims that the budget cut for the DOH will displace health workers. Not true. The Human Resource for Health [HRH] Development Program is allocated P9.0 billion in the proposed 2019 budget,” Diokno said.

Of this amount, he noted P1.2 billion is allocated in the DOH budget, while P7.8 billion is placed in the Miscellaneous Personnel Benefits fund (MPBF), a lumpsum fund.

“A huge sum was placed in the MPBF to give job security and full benefits to health professionals, as it will be used for the creation of permanent and contractual positions,” he said. Butch Fer-

B udget Secretary Benjamin E. Diokno

nandez, Bernadette D. Nicolas and Samuel P. Medenilla

Health cuts

DOTr. . .

Continued from A8

We have been engaging our LGUs to help us move things forward. They know the needs of their constituents better because they are on the ground, and with this, we hope that all routes nationwide will be properly served,” he said.

Since its launch last year, the initiative has opened 15 operational routes for modern jeepneys in the National Capital Region, Regions 6 and 8.

The Philippines is in the midst of a sixyear PUV-modernization plan, which aims to replace old jeepney units with lowemission and fuel-efficient vehicles to help reduce air pollution and provide better transportation means for commuters.

It has been on the government’s drawing board for more than a decade now, but has only come into effect last year, when the Duterte administration took a stiffer stance on implementing the program despite oppositions from operators.

Under the program, several agencies under the Departments of Transportation, Trade and Finance are to work together to remove old and pollution-causing units, replace them with vehicles with larger volume capacities and improve the roadworthiness of public utility units.

In a nutshell, the modernization agenda aims to effect a transition from current vehicles plying the road to “high-quality public-transit requisites.” The transportation department listed these items as follows: “higher capacity vehicles, lowemission vehicles, fleet consolidation, reformed business model and an effective information-technology system.”

Higher scrap value A s k e d if the scrap metal value

could still go up, de Leon told the BusinessMirror: “That is the objective, to increase the scrap value.”

Each new PUV, he said, could cost about P1.6 million to P1.8 million.

To save costs of from buying new units, de Leon urged drivers and operators to be part of cooperatives or firms since there there will be fewer new franchises that will be issued.

So far, de Leon said they have consolidated at least 486 cooperatives. “[It is possible] that about 500 people will share in procuring the required number of units. Sharing of capital expense, sharing of maintenance and operational expense,” he added.

De Leon also said that the government is also giving P80,000 worth of subsidy per unit aside from stretching the repayment period of seven years, at 5-percent down payment with 6-percent interest.

The program seeks to replace all PUVs more than 15 years old with new models equipped with automated fare-collection systems, digital security and dashboard cameras, Wi-Fi internet connectivity, GPS tracking devices and speed limiters.

The new PUVs will also run either on electric batteries with zero exhaust gas emissions, or on Euro 4-compliant diesel engines that discharge 68 percent less particulate matter, 57 percent less nitrogen oxides and 50 percent less carbon monoxide.

In the case of jeepneys, for instance, each operator must also have a minimum of 10 units to obtain a single franchise.

Thus, drivers running their own units will have to band themselves into groups of at least 10 members to secure a franchise.

The DOTr, with the help of the local government units, will draw the PUV routes to ensure the financial viability of the operations.

who intends to carry a fit size baby chair on board, shall apply to the Tigerair Taiwan Customer Service Center and purchase one additional Seat five (5) days prior to the date of scheduled flight. All Passengers are cordially advised to check and verify the details for acceptance clauses through Tigerair Taiwan’s Official Website. For all other details, please browse and peruse the regulations on Tigerair Taiwan’s Official Website.

Terms and Conditions for Passenger and Baggage Carriage of International Routes Effective date: April 15 , 2017 Table of Contents Article 1: General Provisions Article 2: Applicability Article 3: Validity Article 4: Fares Article 5: Reservation Article 6: Check-in and Boarding Article 7: Connecting Flight and Code-Shares Article 8: Refusal and Limitation of Carriage Article 9: Baggage Article 10: Schedules and Cancellations of Flights Article 11: Refunds Article 12: Onboard Behavior Article 13: Limitations of Liability Article 14: Time Limits for Baggage Complaints and Rights to Claim Article 15: Applicable Law and Jurisdiction Article 1: General Provisions 1.1 Definitions

Terminology used in the Terms and Conditions for Passenger and Baggage Carriage of International Routes (the “Terms and Conditions of Carriage”) define thereof: • “Airline Codes” means the codes composed of 2 or 3 English letters and/or numbers intended to identify specific airlines.

• “Baggage” means personal property carried by the Passenger on schedule flight.

Unless otherwise specified, it includes both checked and unchecked carry-on baggage of the Passenger.

• “Baggage Identification Tag” means the document issued by Tigerair Taiwan for identification of each piece of checked Baggage.

• “Carry-On Baggage” means other than the Checked Baggage, the Baggage which the Passenger carry-on to the aircraft.

• “Checked Baggage” means the Baggage which is checked, carried and issue a Baggage identification tag by Tigerair Taiwan.

• “Code-Shares” is when Tigerair Taiwan made arrangements with other airlines for joined flights services. This means, when the Passenger books a flight with Tigerair Taiwan, the Itineraries may show as Tigerair Taiwan flight, but the actual flight may be operated by another airline and by their aircraft..

• “Contract Terms” means the Terms and Conditions of Carriage, and all regulations and notice availed through Tigerair Taiwan Official Website, offices, and check-in counters at airport.

• “Damage” means death of the Passenger, bodily injured, delayed transport of the Passenger or Baggage, lost or partially lost, or other damage resulted by Tigerair Taiwan during the process of carriage or services.

• “Days” means the day calculated based on calendar days. If sending a notice to the Passenger, the day on which a notice is served is exclusive from the counting of days.

• “Fares and Handling Charges” means the fees and charges expressly specified on Tigerair Taiwan’s Official Website or in Fares regulations.

• “Fares Regulations” means information all fees, charges as well as applicable terms published through electronic or form in writing by Tigerair Taiwan.

• “Flight Segments” means the flight journeys starting from the airport of departure to the airport of destination.

• “International Flights” means the flight between Nations.

• “Itineraries” means the document contains the flight information and Reservation Records.

• “Montreal Convention” means the Convention for the Unification of Certain Rules for International Carriage by Air, adopted in Montreal, Canada in 1999.

• “Official Website” means Tigerair Taiwan’s Official Website and all information contained therein. For details of the Terms and Conditions of Carriage, please also refer to the Official Website.

The website address: www.tigerairtw.com • “Passenger” means any person other than members of the operating crew, who holding a valid ticket to be carried, or is to be carried on an aircraft.

• “Passenger Itineraries” means the documents issued by Tigerair Taiwan in electronic or other forms, which include reservation codes; the document is for the purpose to confirm the flight reservations of the Passenger.

• “Reservation Records” means the Itineraries issued by Tigerair Taiwan, which detailed information with reserved record of schedule flight of the Passenger.

• “Rules and Regulations” means the content in the Terms and Conditions of Carriage .

• “Seats” means the Seats on board of Tigerair Taiwan flights.

• “Tigerair Taiwan” means “Tigerair Taiwan Co., Ltd., with Taiwan Unified Business Number 54381049”.

• “Warsaw Convention” means: • The term “Warsaw Convention” as set forth herein denotes the Convention for The Unification of Certain Rules Relating to International Carriage by Air, signed

by ICAO members in Warsaw on 12 October 12, 1929 (hereinafter referred to as Warsaw Convention ); • Warsaw Convention as amended in The Hague on September 28, 1995; • Guadalajara Supplementary of 1961; • Warsaw Convention as amended under Additional Montreal Protocol #1 (1975); • Warsaw Convention as amended under Additional Montreal Protocol #2 (1975); and • Warsaw Convention as amended under Additional Montreal Protocol #4 (1975).

1.2 Headings

The headings provided under the Terms and Conditions of Carriage are intended to facilitate reference only and are not intended to support certain interpretations.

Article 2: Applicability 2.1 Carriage by flight

The Terms and Conditions of Carriage is applicable to the Passenger and Baggage of Tigerair Taiwan or person performance assistants for Tigerair Taiwan, and related issues of transportation and traffic. When Tigerair Taiwan arranges transportation other than through flight for the Passenger, (e.g., a bus, train, vessel, rented vehicle or arranges lodging) Tigerair Taiwan only act as agent for the provider of transporter or lodging.

Regarding to the above-mentioned transportation other than through flight, Tigerair Taiwan may provide additional clauses or arrange different terms and conditions, if such arrangement provides lower stander than the Terms and Conditions of Carriage, the arranged terms and conditions shall prevail, compensation limit shall also apply to the lower stander as arranged terms and conditions.

In an event where Tigerair Taiwan arranges a Flight Segment, reservation, produces and issues the Passenger Itineraries or Baggage identification tags in a code designated by another airline, Tigerair Taiwan only act as an agent for that airline. If situation occurred during the arrangement, the applicable terms and conditions of carriage shall be the arranged airline’s policy, not the policy of Tigerair Taiwan. Tigerair Taiwan only obligated and liable for a damage occurred to the Passenger within the flight of Tigerair Taiwan.

2.2 The Terms and Conditions of Carriage supersede other provisions

Whenever the provisions of Terms and Conditions of Carriage are found inconsistent with other provisions published by Tigerair Taiwan, the Terms and Conditions of Carriage prevail. Any single clause among the Terms and Conditions of Carriage at risk of being identified as null and void, unlawful, or unenforceable, it must be interpreted with the maximum possible as valid, to ensure that the clause does not become invalid. Any clause is unlawful or unenforceable, shall not adversely affect the validity of other clause in the Terms and Conditions of Carriage.

2.3 Language

The original Terms and Conditions of Carriage is enacted in the Chinese language. Where a translated version of the Terms and Conditions of Carriage is found inconsistent with the original Chinese version, the Chinese version shall prevail.

2.4 Conflict of laws

Where the content of any single clause contained in the Terms and Conditions of Carriage is found in contravention of a law prevalent in a territory of competent jurisdiction, that clause is deemed not applicable. Any clause(s) that become(s) invalid does(do) not adversely affect the validity of other clauses of the Terms and Conditions of Carriage. The Terms and Conditions of Carriage is not at all intend to rule out or restrict any other laws in applicability.

Article 3: Validity 3.1 The prima facie evidence for carriage contract

The Reservation Records function as the prima facie evidence for the carriage contract executed by and between the Passenger and Tigerair Taiwan. The Passenger and Baggage must be carried exactly and completely pursuant to the terms and conditions set forth under the carriage contract and the Rules and Regulations published by Tigerair Taiwan and Tigerair Taiwan’s agent(s).

3.2 Validity

The Reservation Record is effective only when the Passenger name and the flights valid on the Itineraries. The Rules and Regulation of flight change content in accordance with the Terms and Conditions of Carriage. In the event that a Passenger fails to board the designated flight on the day scheduled for takeoff, the Reservation Record becomes null and void, and non-refundable. A Passenger who intends to change a booked flight before the date of scheduled, the Passenger may change or reschedule the flight by change the Reservation Record with the instruction and rules on Tigerair Taiwan’s Official Website; all related Fares and fees will be charged.

Article 4: Fares 4.1 The most recently published price is the correct price for the Fares.

All Fares, flight schedules and Flight Segments published by Tigerair Taiwan are deemed as correct information at the moment of publication. Tigerair Taiwan reserves the right to amend and update the aforementioned information at any time without a need to keep the Passenger informed beforehand.

4.2 Items contained in the Fares and fees:

Unless otherwise stipulated by Tigerair Taiwan, all ticket prices only include carriage Fares from the airport of departure to the airport of destination. All prices of transportation services at an airport, surface transportation between an airport and a downtown area, and taxes or expenses levied by the government or other entities, are exclude from the ticket price. Besides, unless otherwise specifically remarked at the moment of reservation, all ticket price shall not include price for meal, snack or checked Baggage. All on board meals, snacks or checked Baggage services will be charge by Tigerair Taiwan additionally.

Moreover, unless expressly prescribed by Tigerair Taiwan at the moment of reservation, whenever a Passenger misses the relevant flight—either a Tigerair Taiwan flight or the flight of another airline, by the reason which cannot attributable to Tigerair Taiwan, Tigerair Taiwan will not be liable for the situation under any circumstances. The Fares are calculated based on the price applicable at the very moment of reservation. After completing the reservation process, all need of change flight schedule will be charged extra based on the Rules and Regulations for Fares.

4.3 Passenger under 18 years old • Ages shall be calculated as of the day of travel, as defined below: • Newborn infant: A newborn infant is less than 7 days old.

• Infant: An infant is above 7 days old, butt less than 2 years old.

• Child: A child is above 2 years old, but less than 12 years old.

• Juvenile: A Passenger above 12 years old, but less than 15 years old.

• Young adult: A Passenger above 15 years old, but less than 18 years old.

4.3.1 Newborn and infant

Age will be calculated as of the very day of travel; a newborn infant shall not board a flight. An infant above 7 days old, but less than 2 years old; will be held by an adult on the lap (without taking a seat), and is entitled to infant fare and one baby stroller as checked Baggage. Each adult (above 18 years old) may care only one infant, each Tigerair Taiwan flight is limited for numbers of infant to be on board of aircraft. A baby chair in the size accordance to the regulation is acceptable in the cabin of aircraft. A Passenger

behavior on a previous flight and the behavior of such attribute is likely in repeating.

• An event where a Passenger fails to comply with, or likelihood to defy any instruction given

by Tigerair Taiwan.

• An event where a Passenger rejects a security check for body or Baggage.

• An event where a Passenger fails to pay all applicable fees or any charges or taxes, or fails to comply with the rules and regulations regarding credit cards which executed by and between Tigerair Taiwan and Passengers (or the payers on behalf).

• An event where a Passenger fails to present appropriate travel documents, or where a Passenger fails to hold or fails to present appropriate document(s) in category as Tigerair Taiwan may request, or where a Passenger fails to identify the identity to Tigerair Taiwan flight crew.

• An event where the Fares or the reservation fees paid by a Passenger is allegedly implicated in a fraud or other unlawful act, or where a Passenger purchases Tigerair Taiwan services from a person not officially authorized by Tigerair Taiwan.

• An event where the credit card used by a Passenger to pay for Fares has been declared lost or stolen, implicated in criminal behavior, or where that amount paid with the credit card has been dishonored by the issuing bank.

• An event where a Passenger’s Itinerary has been tampered by a person not employees of Tigerair Taiwan, or an agent not authorized by Tigerair Taiwan, or has become fragmented or illegible to read.

• An event where the person who check-in or boards the flight fails to proof as the Passenger name on the Itinerary.

• An event where a Passenger arrives to check-in after the check-in counter has been closed.

• Tigerair Taiwan reserves the right to define eligibility of the Passenger for air travel for any reason.

4.3.2 Child

For a child Passenger above two years old, must reserve a Seat, and all Seats are priced as Adult rate. A Passenger who intends to board with a child safety chair, is cordially advised to check and verify the details for acceptance clauses through Tigerair Taiwan’s Official Website.

4.4 Taxes, fees and other charges:

Unless otherwise stipulated by Tigerair Taiwan, all taxes, Fares and Handling Charges levied or charged by the government, other entities or airport administration for any services or facilities used by the Passenger will be added on to the amounts of Tigerair Taiwan’s Fares, administrative Fares and Handling Charges, collected by Tigerair Taiwan on behalf and borne by the Passenger in full. The aforementioned taxes, Fares and Handling Charges might be charged extra based on the floating rate of the Flight Segments; such charges may be changed at any time and will be collected additionally, even when a Passenger completes change process on the same day. Unless otherwise stipulated, the Passenger must complete payment in full for the aforementioned taxes, Fares and Handling Charges before the scheduled flight take-off.

4.5 Currency

Unless otherwise agreed by Tigerair Taiwan, all Fares and Handling Charges must be paid in the currency published by Tigerair Taiwan.

Article 5: Reservation 5.1 Reservation requirements

Unless otherwise stipulated, the Passenger must pay all Fares in full to successfully completes the reservation process. If the Passenger fails to pay the Fares in full upon confirmation of the reservation, whatever the reason may be, Tigerair Taiwan reserves the right to cancel the reservation and reject the Passenger for board. Reservation by a Passenger does not become effective and complete until all Fares have been paid in full and Itinerary produced by Tigerair Taiwan is served to the Passenger. Once the reservation is confirmed and the payment completed, the reservation cannot be cancelled.

If cancelation occurred, no payment can be refund to the Passenger, unless Rules and Regulation in the Terms and Conditions of Carriage specified. The Passenger must pay for the reservation by credit card or other means as instructed on Tigerair Taiwan’s Official Website. A single reservation for ten or more Passengers must be handled in accordance with the means as instructed by Tigerair Taiwan’s Official Website.

5.2 Change flight or Passenger’s name

Subject to flight availability, the Passenger may change reserved flight or name after the reservation and payment have been completed, and all changes will be charge with price differences of the Flight Segment, applicable Fares and Handling charge as enumerated on Tigerair Taiwan’s Official Website. In the event that the applicant rate for the newly changed reservation is lower, the Passenger cannot request refund for the price differences. Except for the content specified under this clause, all reservation information, dates and times scheduled for the flight cannot be changed after the payment has been completed.

5.3 Personal information

The Passenger acknowledge and agree to provide and allow usage of personal information

by Tigerair Taiwan for the purposes of flight reservation and confirmation of Reservation Records. The Passenger further consent to provide the personal information for the usage during the process of departure and arrival of the country, arrangements for lodging, land, sea and air transportation, accounting, billing processes and audits, checking and verification of credit cards or other payment cards, public security, administrative and legal operations, system testing, maintenance and development, statistical analysis and any purposes that help Tigerair Taiwan render more efficient performance for transactions to the Passengers hereafter. With regard to the aforementioned purposes, through the carriage contract executed with Tigerair Taiwan, all the Passengers authorize Tigerair Taiwan to retain and use their personal information and to transmit their personal information to Tigerair Taiwan’s offices, authorized agents, government authorities, other airline companies or aforementioned service providers. For more details, the Passengers are advised to consult the privacy policy through Tigerair Taiwan’s Official Website.

Tigerair Taiwan render flight carriage services exactly in accordance with its company privacy policy which forms integral part of the Terms and Conditions of Carriage.

5.4 Seats

Tigerair Taiwan will not guarantee availability of specific Seats on any flight. Due to the need of business operations and indispensability in safety and security, Tigerair Taiwan reserves the right to assign or reassign Seats for the Passengers at any moment, even after the Passengers boarded aircraft. The Passenger consent to Tigerair Taiwan for assignment and arrangement of any Seats after boarding of the flight. Smoking (including electronic cigarettes) is absolutely prohibit on all Tigerair Taiwan flights. Any devices that would obstruct front Seat from tilting backward, is also banned from all Tigerair Taiwan flights.

Article 6: Check-in and boarding 6.1 Check-in limitation and rules:

To assure a smooth and successful check-in and boarding process, all Passengers must complete check-in and boarding process before the counter close time and must faithfully comply with all guidelines for check-in at the airport in person or through the Internet. For further details, please refer to the relevant guidelines and instructions on the Tigerair Taiwan’s Official Website. The check-in counter close time depends upon the substantial situations of the airports, specific flights, and needs for Checked Baggage.

Under all circumstances, the Passenger fails to arrive in time at the check-in counter at the airport and complete the check-in process (or known as “check-in counter close” in brief) 45 minutes before the time scheduled for takeoff, Tigerair Taiwan reserves the right to reject Passenger for boarding. All Passengers are obliged to faithfully comply to the check-in process before check-in counter close and all other requirements. After the check-in time has passed, the Passenger will not be able to complete the check-in process anywhere. Under no circumstances does Tigerair Taiwan defer takeoff because of a belated Passenger. Whenever a Passenger fails to complete the check-in process before the specified time, whatever the reason may be, Tigerair Taiwan is not required to refund to the Passenger, nor is Tigerair Taiwan obliged to assume any liability of indemnity.

6.2 Requirements for identification upon boarding process

Upon the moment of boarding, all Passengers must present their Itineraries and identity related documents including but not limited to the Passengers’ Itineraries and passport or travel papers, which able identify Passengers’ status backgrounds disregarding whether check-in through Internet or at the check-in counter in person. For further details, please refer to Tigerair Taiwan’s Official Website. The Passenger who check-in at the check-in counter might be required for additional fees.

6.3 Boarding process

The Passenger must arrive at the boarding gate thirty (30) minutes prior to the scheduled takeoff. The boarding process must completed ten (10) minutes prior to the scheduled for takeoff. A belated Passenger cannot be accepted to board the aircraft and the checked Baggage will be unloaded, and Tigerair Taiwan will not refund for belated Passenger. If the belated Passenger wishes to flight out on a next Tigerair Taiwan flight, the Passenger must book a new Seat with current rate and pay all Fares and fees.

6.4 Faithful compliance with requirements and security check

All Passengers are obliged to faithfully comply with laws, rules, decrees, requests published by the countries of departure and destination, and compliance with the Terms and Conditions of Carriage and all announced announcements and instructions of the Tigerair Taiwan. The Passenger must further present and submit all documents regarding security check or health examinations conducted by the competent authorities of the government or airports or Tigerair Taiwan. Tigerair Taiwan is under no obligation to obtain essential documents or provide the same orally, in writing or in other means, nor is Tigerair Taiwan required to comply with such laws, requirements, decrees, requests or instructions for and on behalf of the Passenger, nor is Tigerair Taiwan required to assume any liability for indemnity because of consequences where a Passenger fails to obtain such documents, or is found in contravention of such laws, requirements, decrees, requests or instructions.

6.5 Travel documents

All Passengers are obliged to bring forth departure and arrival permits or documents, health and other supporting documents required under the rules and regulations, decrees or requests of the Countries covered in the stopover points and transit points, or by Tigerair Taiwan. Tigerair Taiwan reserves the right to reject carriage Passenger who proves to fail to comply with the laws, requirements, decrees or requests, or who holds travel documents inconsistent with such laws, requirements, decrees or requests. For more details about travel documents, please refer to Tigerair Taiwan’s Official Website or websites of the designated Countries.

6.6 Rejection entry, fines and retention fees

Where a Passenger is denied from entry at a stopover point or a destination where Tigerair Taiwan is requested by the local government to repatriate such Passenger back to the place of origin or elsewhere, that Passenger must pay in full for all expenses and fines as necessary. In such an event, Tigerair Taiwan is not required to refund any expenses or fees such Passenger has previously paid.

In the event that a Passenger fails to comply with the laws and regulations, decrees or requests by the country of origin or another country covered within the flight and, as a result, Tigerair Taiwan is required to pay fines or other fees on behalf of the Passenger, that Passenger must reimburse the aforementioned expenses in full payment to Tigerair Taiwan. Tigerair Taiwan may use that Passenger’s unused expenses for Flight Segments or prepay fees to offset the aforementioned expenses.

Article 7: Flight connections and code-shares 7.1 Flight connection

Tigerair Taiwan is entitled to sell two or more flights segments with a same reservation record. A Passenger must reserve minimum of two hours (i.e., 120 minutes) required for flight connection, for the purpose of ability to complete the flight connection procedures after arrival at the stopover airport. A Passenger must faithfully comply with the requirements of the respective airports during the stay inside the control zone of an airport.

7.2 Code-Shares

On certain flight routes, Tigerair Taiwan may team up with other airlines to jointly render flight services. In such an event, the code designated for Tigerair Taiwan (IT) may be implanted onto another airlines to co-share the flight code in flight services. Which means, a Passenger who has booked a Tigerair Taiwan flight Seat where the airline code is shown as “IT” may be carried by another airlines and by that airlines’ aircraft. Where other airlines operates a flight with Code-Shares with Tigerair Taiwan, either Tigerair Taiwan or another airlines or the agent(s) thereof may keep the Passenger informed of the identification data of the airlines that actually operates the flight at the moment while the Passenger books the Seat. Passengers who board the flight of other airlines must faithfully comply with the rules, regulations, and clauses enacted by the other airlines, including but not limited to those relevant issues enumerated below: • check-in procedures; • terms to deny carriage and restriction on carriage; and • weight of Baggage acceptable to the flight, weight of complimentary Baggage and charges for excess Baggage.

7.3 Missing connecting flight:

Pursuant to the Terms and Conditions of Carriage and any laws or regulations applicable, Tigerair Taiwan is not required to assume the liability of indemnity to the Passenger who misses a connecting flight as a result of a factor not attributable to Tigerair Taiwan.

Article 8: Refusal and limitation on carriage 8.1 Tigerair Taiwan’s right to refuse carriage

Upon occurrence among those enumerated below or any circumstances convinced to Tigerair Taiwan, Tigerair Taiwan is entitled to deny, refuse, or reject carriage of the Passenger and their Baggage: • A concern and effort to assure the health, comfort and well-being of other Passenger or considerations of safety and security of the flight crew.

• A mandatory need to ban the Passenger from check-in or boarding amidst the required compliance of rules and regulations for entry, exit, or compliance with the laws, on a regular basis or decrees of any Countries. Autonomous entity or special administrative zone where the flight passes by or compliance with the requirements of any government or other authorities.

• An event where the Passenger requires extraordinary assistance for behavior, age, mentality, physical conditions or Baggage, implies any hazard or risk.

• An event where the Passenger is found with a record having conducted inappropriate

8.2 A young adult traveling alone

As instructed and published on Tigerair Taiwan’s Official Website and as required by laws enacted by Countries throughout the world, regarding carriage of an unaccompanied juvenile or a young adult; a child less than twelve years old is unacceptable to airlines for boarding a flight without accompanied by an adult older than eighteen years old and assume the liability for safeguarding that child throughout the flight. A juvenile above 12 years old, but less than 15 years old is acceptable to airlines for boarding alone, under the condition of either one parent or legal guardian agree and sign the disclaimer agreement at the moment of check-in at the airport.

Such person who signs the disclaimer agreement must accompany that juvenile at the airport until the flight takes-off. A Passenger older than fifteen years old is allowed to board a flight alone without the needs to be accompanied by others.

8.3 Passenger require special support

Tigerair Taiwan is lack of ability to rendering care services to Passenger unable to flight alone. Tigerair Taiwan can only provide limited support for the Passenger in needs, all details listed within Tigerair Taiwan’s Official Website. The Passenger require special assistance, must notify Tigerair Taiwan at least five (5) days prior to the scheduled flight for takeoff, special assistance may be charged additionally. In the event that such a Passenger fails to notify Tigerair Taiwan five (5) days in advance, when resulted unable to flight with Tigerair Taiwan’s aircraft, Tigerair Taiwan assumes no liability for such result.

Special assistance be limited at Flight Segment, due to the subject of certain restrictions at an airport, laws, and ordinances concerned or other circumstances.

8.4 Pregnant Passenger

The pregnant Passenger must of her own initiative, to report her pregnancy status, expected date of confinement (EDC), and number of pregnant weeks. The Passenger with pregnancy of 30-34 weeks at the moment of take-off, must submit a flight eligibility certificate issued by a doctor to justify her rights to board the flight. Tigerair Taiwan is unable to render carriage services to the Passenger with 34 weeks or more weeks of pregnancy weeks at the time scheduled for take-off. Please kindly refer to Tigerair Taiwan special assistance policy for more details.

Article 9: Baggage 9.1 Carry-On and Checked Baggage

Subject to Tigerair Taiwan’s regulations and terms of Carry-On Baggage, the Passenger is entitled to carry Carry-On Baggage with a limited volume accordance to the Contract Terms to board a flight. An infant without a Seat is not entitled to a Carry-On Baggage quota, but is entitled to checked one baby stroller with free of charge. Other than the limited free Carry-On Baggage, all Checked Baggage will be charge for service fees. All Baggage must be accepted or denied exactly in accordance with the Rules and Regulations published by Tigerair Taiwan through the Official Website (including but not limited to restrictions upon dimensions, weights and criteria of charges). During the process of reservation, the Passenger may purchase an appropriate weight quota for the Checked Baggage. Where a Passenger carries Checked Baggage in excess of the pre-ordered weight, or over size by 30 kg of weight, the Checked Baggage may be either accepted or denied exactly dependent upon the room available on the flight. Once the Checked Baggage is accepted, the charge must be paid at the check-in counter, based on the criteria published by Tigerair Taiwan.

9.2 Forbidden items must not be carried as Baggage on flight

Whenever any item consistent with the conditions enumerated below are found in Baggage, Tigerair Taiwan reserves the right to deny carriage: • An item which is not appropriately contained in the Baggage trunk or another appropriate container.

• An item that is extremely likely to endanger the flight, Passengers on board or to the property, including but not limited to the Articles and circumstances published by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) or the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

• An item which has been banned from carriage under the laws and ordinances concerned or decrees prevalent in any state, country, autonomous entity or a special administrative region.

• An item that Tigerair Taiwan considers not suitable for carriage with regard of the weight, appearance, dimensions or characteristics.

• A fragile or easily perishable item.

• An item as animal, either alive or dead.

• Remains of humans or animals.

• A firearm or ammunition.

• An explosive, inflammable or non-inflammable gas (e.g., aerial fog spray, butane, lighter refilling gas), frozen gas (e.g., steel cylinder to refill scuba, liquid nitrogen), flammable liquid (e.g., oil paint, diluent, solvent), flammable solid (e.g., match, lighter）, organic peroxide (e.g., resin), poison, infective (e.g., virus, bacteria), radioactive substances (e.g., radium), corrosive substances (e.g., acid, alkaline, mercury, thermometer), magnetic substances, oxidants (e.g., decolorizer).

• Weapons, e.g., antique gun, sword, knife and similarity thereof.

• Other item banned from carriage not adequately enumerated, updated here must be pursuant to the norms published at the airports at the origins, stopovers and destinations.

Where a Passenger carries any item as enumerated under clause 9.2., regardless of whether it is banned from being carried as Checked or Carry-On Baggage, the Passenger must faithfully comply with the terms and conditions for Baggage carriage services and must comply with applicable clauses of limited indemnity and charges.

9.3 Item can be carried as Baggage on flight

All specific item must follow the rules of the terms and conditions published at the airports at the origins, stopovers and destinations and Tigerair Taiwan’s Official Website.

9.4 Valuable and fragile item

Valuable and fragile item of any and all categories, i.e., money in cash, rare metals, silver, electronic materials, computers, cameras, film broadcasting equipment, cellphone, negotiable instrument or stock, securities or other important documents, passport and other identification certificates, ownership titles, cultural or historical relics, manuscripts and similarities thereof must not be carried as Checked Baggage. Whenever item among those enumerated herein is found contained in Checked Baggage, that suggests the Passenger agrees to solely assume the risks of all kind for such item. Tigerair Taiwan is only under obligation of a limited quota of indemnity in case of Damage indemnity for Checked Baggage (cf. clause 13 for details). Tigerair Taiwan grants indemnity exactly in accordance with the Terms and Conditions of Carriage.

9.5 Authorized inspection

Due to the reason of safety and security, Tigerair Taiwan requests all Passengers to accommodate for safety and security checks for body and Baggage, by Tigerair Taiwan, the government or airport officials through X-ray or other scan type equipment and facilities. A Passenger is supposed to be present aside with the Baggage. In an event where a Passenger is found not aside with the Baggage, Tigerair Taiwan reserves the right to check and inspect the Baggage. In the event that a Passenger is unable to comply with these safety and security check or scanning inspection, Tigerair Taiwan reserves the right to reject carriage of such Passenger and Baggage without any obligation to refund any expense or grant indemnity. In the event that the check or scanning inspection leads to the damage of the Passenger or Baggage, Tigerair Taiwan is not required for indemnity the damage or injury, unless such Damage or injury is proven as resulted from Tigerair Taiwan’s willful misconduct or gross negligence.

9.6 Checked Baggage

All Passengers are obliged to proceed with Checked Baggage process exactly in accordance with the timeframe and instructions as published on Tigerair Taiwan’s Official Website before the time scheduled for takeoff. Once a piece of Baggage has been accepted as Checked Baggage, Tigerair Taiwan will produce and issue a Baggage identification tag for each piece of Checked Baggage. A Checked Baggage tag must bear the Passenger’s name and mark to identify the status. For reasons of safety and security or operating needs, Tigerair Taiwan may deliver Passenger’s Baggage to another flight for carriage. Unless otherwise stipulated in applicable laws which require delivery of Baggage within a specific period, where a Passenger’s Checked Baggage is carried through a follow-up flight, Tigerair Taiwan will deliver the Baggage to the Passenger within a reasonable period after arrival of the follow-up flight.

9.7 Baggage claim and release:

The Passenger must claim the Baggage as soon as upon the arrival of the Baggage at the destination or stopover airport. In the event that a Passenger fails to claim the Baggage within a time limit and, as a result, such Baggage is stored elsewhere, Tigerair Taiwan will charge custodian fees. In the event that a Passenger fails to claim for the Baggage within fourteen (14) days from the claimable moment, Tigerair Taiwan may dispose or take any action to the Baggage, and will not be liable for indemnity for such action. Only the Passenger with Baggage identification tag entitles to claim Baggage. In the event that a Tigerair Taiwan’s Passenger claims ownership of a piece of Baggage, but is by any reason unable to present the Baggage identification tag, Tigerair Taiwan will not allow such person to claim the Baggage, unless such person is willing to provide adequate guarantee to exempt Tigerair Taiwan from any damage or payment of any expense after release of the Baggage. The Baggage is deemed having been satisfactorily carried to the destination at the moment when the Baggage identification tag holder claims the Baggage without objection and leaves the Baggage control zone of the airport.

Article 10: Departure times and cancellation of flight 10.1 Departure and arrival times of flight

Tigerair Taiwan makes maximum efforts to prevent flights delay and to carry Passenger and Baggage exactly in accordance with the timetable on the day or journey in a reasonable manner. The departure and arrival times, the flight schedule, or other similar documents are subject to change under multiple reasons. Tigerair Taiwan is under no obligation to assume any liability for indemnity in case of damage suffered by the Passenger due to the result of change flight schedule; except in the event where the damage is resulted by the willful misconduct or gross negligence of Tigerair Taiwan.

10.2 Cancellation and changes in departure and arrival times of flight

After the reservation process has been completed, Tigerair Taiwan may adjust, cancel, terminate the departure and arrival times, to change the routes, or postpone a flight at any time. Pursuant to clause 2.4, Tigerair Taiwan may provide the Passenger with certain remedial measures. The remedial measures set forth under clause 2.4 are the sole and specific remedial measures that Tigerair Taiwan provides to the Passenger. Otherwise, Tigerair Taiwan is not required to assume any liability for indemnity in any flight schedule change.

Whenever a flight schedule is changed (including cancelled) under the circumstance beyond Tigerair Taiwan’s control, Tigerair Taiwan will make maximum efforts to arrange the Passenger to board the nearest available flight to the same destination and waypoint, no extra charge. If the above mention alternative solution is unacceptable to the Passenger, Tigerair Taiwan may reserve the Passenger’s ticket price and additional Handling Charge into personal credit account for rebook a flight and complete travel within 180 days. Tigerair Taiwan assumes no liability toward any damage or costs incurred by a change or cancellation of a scheduled flight.

In case of change (including cancellation) of flight under a situation controllable by Tigerair Taiwan, according to each reason of change, Tigerair Taiwan may: • Arrange the Passenger to board the nearest available flight to the same waypoint for no extra charge, or;

• To reserve Passengers’ ticket prices and additional Handling Charges into personal credit account to for Passengers to rebook another flight and complete such travel within 180 days.

Tigerair Taiwan will try by all possible means to keep the Passenger informed for major schedule change (including cancellation) for flight before the Passenger’s schedule travel date.

E-mail is the principal communication channel for Tigerair Taiwan to serve notices. The Passenger must expressly fill out a correct e-mail which is valid and frequently checked.

In case of an error in the e-mail setup or operation which makes a Passenger unable to receive updates from Tigerair Taiwan and, in turn, leads to any loss or expenditure, Tigerair Taiwan will not be liable for any obligation.

10.3 Denial for boarding

Tigerair Taiwan accepts overbooking for flight, when the Passenger is denied for boarding a scheduled flight, that issue must be manage in accordance with Tigerair Taiwan’s policy of denial for boarding.

Article 11: Refunds 11.1 General Provisions

Except for these expressly provided Rules and Regulations, all Fares and fees (expenses) paid to Tigerair Taiwan cannot be refunded.

Tigerair Taiwan holds the right for all final decision on each exceptional refund case, all applications of the exceptional refunds must provide lawful certified documents (including but not limited to documents of medical proof of unfit for flight or official death certificates) in advance of the scheduled flight. The exceptions of refund follow as: • Death of the Passenger; Tigerair Taiwan may fully refund for this situation; however, official documents must be provided in accordance with the specified time period.

• Before scheduled flight, if emergency medical condition occurred to the Passenger, and which the Passenger is disabled or injury, and unfit for flight travel.

Terms in this clause can only be applied to the Passenger who complete reservation of the scheduled flight through Tigerair Taiwan Official Website; for the Passenger who reserved through other means, must follow the rules and regulations by the provider of that means.

11.2 Tax

In the event that the Passenger decided not to fly with Tigerair Taiwan after completed the booking process, the Passenger is entitled to claim refund for the paid tax, due to the fact of Tigerair Taiwan is no longer obliged to pay the tax on behalf of the Passenger to the government or other entity. When the Passenger demand for tax refund, Tigerair Taiwan will charge a handling fee for refunding procedure. Such refund process must be handled in accordance with the provisions published on Tigerair Taiwan’s Official Website.

11.3 Appropriate refund methods and recipients

Tigerair Taiwan will refund the Passenger in the same method as the method which the Passenger used to paid for the reservation; and the receiver of such refunds will be the same primitive payer who paid for the flight reservation. During the refunding process, Tigerair Taiwan may request the primitive payer to present evidences of identity certificate and proof of the payment.

11.4 Currency

In all cases, the refund must be conducted in accordance with the applicable laws and regulations, rules and regulations and the decrees published by the country where the refund is conducted. The refund may be granted at any currency as applicable to each case.

Article 12: Onboard behavior 12.1 Passenger self-discipline

Tigerair Taiwan is entitled to adopt all sorts of reasonable measurement to ensure the safety, security and comfort for the flight, flight crew and the Passenger. Whenever the Passenger on board endanger of the aircraft, person onboard or property; resist the flight crew from perform their duty; causes discomfort, inconvenience, injury or damage to other Passenger or crew, Tigerair Taiwan is entitled to restrict the Passenger for such conduct or to expulsion the Passenger from the flight. Such Passenger may be expulsion at any airport, holds no right in request carriage on the flight, and may be prosecuted for the wrongful behavior on the flight.

12.2 Re-routing costs

In the event that Tigerair Taiwan must re-route a flight through another waypoint (airport) as a result of the behavior and action of the Passenger, that Passenger is obliged for all expenses and damages incurred by the re-routing.

12.3 Restriction on certain equipment or devices

For the safety reasons, Tigerair Taiwan may restrict or forbid the usage of electronic devices on board, including but not limited to mobile phone , laptop computers, portable tape recorders or radio, CD players, video game consoles or transmission devices including wirelessly controlled toys and intercom. Hearing aid and artificial pacemaker are acceptable on board.

Article 13: Limitation of liability 13.1 Terms on Warsaw Convention, Montreal Convention

The Warsaw Convention and the Montreal Convention will apply to the Passenger whose terminal destination or stopover point is beyond the country of departure. The Warsaw Convention and the Montreal Convention provide certain limitations of liability for bodily injury or death casualty, loss in Baggage or damage indemnity incurred on carriage flight.

Tigerair Taiwan holds no obligation of liability for the Passenger’s disease, disable or death resulted by the Passenger’s already existing medical factors, nor is Tigerair Taiwan under any obligation of liability for the Passenger’s worsening in health by the existing medical condition, such as disease, disablement or injury.

13.2 Guidelines of liability limitation for Baggage compensation

Baggage compensation is subject to specified limitations, unless the Passenger has declared its excess value and paid for excess-valued Baggage extra beforehand.

13.3 Circumstances unable to apply Warsaw Convention or Montreal Convention:

Whenever the compensation clauses set forth under Warsaw Convention or Montreal Convention do not apply to the circumstances, the rules and regulations enumerated below will prevail: • Pursuant to applicable laws, Tigerair Taiwan is subject to the applicable clauses governing the liability of damage to the Passenger in the event of compensation culpae.

• Tigerair Taiwan is under no obligation of compensation for damage to Baggage, either checked or non-checked, except damage incurred within the scope of Tigerair Taiwan’s willful misconduct or gross negligence.

• Under the permission by laws for allowing compensation for checked and uncheck Baggage, Tigerair Taiwan’s compensation for damage to Baggage is subject to the maximum limit of USD 20 per kg in case of checked Baggage and maximum limit of USD 400 per Passenger for all unchecked Baggage; unless the damage is proven to be resulted from willful misconduct or gross negligence by Tigerair Taiwan or Tigerair Taiwan’s agent.

The weight of checked Baggage is expressly indicated on the tag; if not, the weight will be calculated less than 15 kg.

• Tigerair Taiwan will not be liable for obligation for compensation in the event of damage incurred due to the compliance with applicable requirements by law or by government, or damage incurred by a Passenger’s defiance of applicable requirements by law or by government.

• Unless otherwise expressly stipulated in the Contract Terms, Tigerair Taiwan is obliged to compensate the Passenger only for the cost incurred for repair of a damage, in which the Passenger must provide relative evidence.

• Tigerair Taiwan is under no obligation of compensation where the Passenger’s Baggage causes damage to another person, Passenger or to Tigerair Taiwan. The Passenger will be liable for indemnity when the Baggage causes damage to the property of another person, Passenger or Tigerair Taiwan.

• Tigerair Taiwan is under no obligation of compensation resulting from a damage incurred by item not permitted to be carried in either checked or unchecked Baggage, including but not limited to the item in clause 9.2 and 9.4.

• Tigerair Taiwan will not be liable for the Passenger’s diseased, disabled, injured or death as a result from personal medical condition. Nor is Tigerair Taiwan obliged for a disease, disablement or injury which worsens as a result of the Passenger’s personal medical condition.

• Where Tigerair Taiwan hire and prepay on behalf of the Passenger for a third-party agent to render special assistance or services to the Passenger, Tigerair Taiwan only plays the role of representing for the Passenger and the third-party. The Passenger must check and verify beforehand all potential risks and hazards, including death, human injury, damage or other loss which may possibly result from the special assistance or services rendered by such third-party. For any indemnity or claims related to such special assistance or services, the Passenger must will directly contact the third-party for obligation and liability.

• In a case of death, human injury or damage compensation incurred by a reason cannot be attributable to Tigerair Taiwan, then Tigerair Taiwan, its agent, and staff will not be liable for any obligation or indemnity (unless such incident results from a willful misconduct or gross negligence of Tigerair Taiwan, its agent or staff.).

• Tigerair Taiwan, its agents, staff, employees and representatives are applicable to the carriage contract, including the Terms and Conditions of Carriage, exclusion criteria, and limitation on liability for indemnity. Where Tigerair Taiwan is proven liable for indemnity, and the aggregate total of indemnity payable will be the total amount added

by Tigerair Taiwan, Tigerair Taiwan’s agents, staff, employees and representatives, and will not exceed the limitations of Tigerair Taiwan’s liability for indemnity.

Unless otherwise expressly stipulated, the Contract Terms do not waive any exclusion criteria or limitations of Tigerair Taiwan’s compensation under the Warsaw Convention or other convention(s) or applicable local laws. Under no circumstances will Tigerair Taiwan be liable for indemnity incurred through any direct damage or joint and several liabilities.

The aggregate total liability for Tigerair Taiwan is supposed to assume will not exceed the limitations of liability for indemnity set forth under the Terms and Conditions of Carriage.

Article 14: Time limits for the Baggage complaints and rights to claim 14.1 Claim for Baggage compensation

Except when proven otherwise by the party concerned, Baggage is deemed to have been satisfactorily carried in intact shape exactly in accordance with the Terms and Conditions of Carriage, at the moment when the Baggage identification tag holder has claimed the Checked Baggage and leaves the Baggage control zone of the airport, without having raised an objection. The Passenger who has any concern regarding to the Baggage must file claims for compensation to the Tigerair Taiwan’s ground crew, before leaving the arrival Baggage carousel zone of the airport. No Baggage claim for compensation will be accepted by Tigerair Taiwan for the Passenger and Baggage which have left the airport. A Passenger who intends to claim for the Baggage compensation, must provide supporting certificate(s) (photocopy of passport/boarding pass/receipt of Checked Baggage / photo file of the damaged part of the Baggage) within seven (7) days from issuance of the Baggage abnormality declaration memo. In case of belated Checked Baggage, the Passenger must apply to the agent designated by Tigerair Taiwan for investigation with the application along with other supporting certificate(s) (photocopy of passport/boarding pass/receipt of Checked Baggage) by e-mail within 21 days after arrival at the destination.

A claim for compensation application exceed the assign period, will not be accepted by Tigerair Taiwan. The claim for compensation must be notified in writing to Tigerair Taiwan within the assign period, either by mail or in person.

14.2 Limitations to claim for compensation

The right to claim for compensation under the Terms and Conditions of Carriage ceases to exist and becomes extinguished, unless litigation is filed within two (2) years from arrival of the flight to the destination or from the date when the carriage was discontinued. The calculation for the period of limitation, must be conducted in a formula pursuant to the governing laws of the competent court.

Article 15: Governing laws and jurisdiction 15.1 Jurisdiction

All clauses set forth under the Terms and Conditions of Carriage are subject to laws of the Republic of China (Taiwan), unless otherwise stipulated in Convention or any applicable laws, government provisions, decrees or requests. In the event of dispute beyond the Contract Terms, the court of Republic of China (Taiwan) will not be exclusive jurisdiction.

15.2 Rights of third-parties

Any person that is not a party to the carriage contract, will not be entitled to file any claims under the Terms and Conditions of Carriage.

15.3 Modifications and waivers of the Contract Terms

No agent, employee, or representative of Tigerair Taiwan holds the right to change, modify, or waive any provisions set forth under the Terms and Conditions of Carriage.

BM: SEPTEMBER 13 & 20, 2018

A4

TheBroa

Business

Thursday, September 20, 2018

GLO

10 PH O

By Rea Cu and Samuel Medenilla

NE word made nil the nesting egg of Wilson Ramirez, one of many Filipino and American workers who lost their pension funds when the Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. uttered: Bankrupt.

“It was the day we started to lose everything,” Ramirez told the BusinessMirror on the condition of anonymity. He requested so since the filing on September 15, 2008, in a New York court for bankruptcy by Lehman Brothers involved “personal matters.”

While “the events of September 15, 2008…were not unexpected, we were surprised that the [United States] government did not rescue Lehman Brothers and simply allowed it to collapse,” Ramirez, a Fil-Am editor of a financial newsletter in Washington, told the BusinessMirror.

Why the US government allowed one of the largest American investment banks to collapse when it saved several others before was the reason for the scratching of heads.

But Ramirez said that was a sign the US treasury was no longer willing to spend taxpayer money “to rescue failing financial institutions.”

“We were all staring at a gaping, bottomless black hole,” Ramirez recalled. “Working stiffs began to worry about their 401(K)s.”

401K is a retirement savings fund made up of dividends from the stock investments of American workers using a portion of their salaries before it is taxed by the US government.

Ramirez was among those who were forced to postpone their retirements after their 401Ks were almost wiped out in the days after the US commemoration of the 2001 terrorist attacks.

Repeal

THE bankruptcy filing by Lehman Brothers triggered what is referred to as a global financial meltdown, or global financial crisis (GFC).

However, as cited by Ramirez, the collapse of the financial industry began years before when the US government repealed in 1999 a law separating commercial banking and securities.

Thus, banks were allowed to offer certain mortgage as safe and lowrisk securities to potential investors.

When the Federal Reserve of the US decided to lower interest rates in the early years of a new millennium, many investors opted to bet on mortgages as a way to gain profit.

Making this kind of investment even more attractive for investors that time were endorsements from large

credit-rating agencies, which would later be blamed for knowingly giving superior tags even to assets they knew were risky.

The demand for mortgages grew as investments gave banks more incentives to provide home loans even to those who cannot afford them.

Such unsustainable practice eventually reached its critical point in 2008 with many American homeowners defaulting on payments for their homes.

Real estate

THOUSANDS of Americans were left homeless as the banks foreclosed their houses to raise funds by selling them in the market. But with so many homes being sold that time, house prices plummeted.

Ramirez said he was only able to keep his home by getting a second loan to pay off his mortgage.

“Though I lost more than 30 percent in home equity during the crisis, I was still able to meet my mortgage obligations,” Ramirez explained.

Many of his friends were not as lucky and had to abandon paying for their homes.

Ramirez said living in the US at that time was like being forced into a corner of life-and-death decisions.

Everyone became desperate.

“Our company was forced to lay off two employees. We downsized our office space by relocating to another floor. I have never seen so many CEOs and high-level executives unemployed at any single time as during the crisis,” Ramirez said. “Executives were leaping out of high-rise windows in sheer desperation. Fear and panic permeated Wall Street as banks collapsed for lack of capital.”

Ripples

THE collapse of the US financial system didn’t stop within the Northern American border but sent ripples across the globe, affecting economies connected to the US umbilical cord.

Several European countries were forced to seek aid from international financial institutions to pay debts.

According to the International Labor Organization (ILO), global unemployment rate also soared in 2009 to 212 million from 178 million in 2007.

However, the impact of the “subprime crisis” in the US was not as significant in other countries, according

to the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

An ADB study in 2010 added that, nonetheless, the crisis affected the country’s manufacturing subsector, particularly those involved in electronics, automobiles and furniture.

Likewise, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Deputy Governor Diwa C. Guinigundo has noted that after the collapse of Lehman Brothers in 2008, investments in emerging Asia were reduced since global investors limited their exposure to emerging markets in line with heightened concerns over counterparty risks.

From July 2007 to August 2009, Asian stock markets fell at around 38 percent to 62 percent, with the Philippines falling at 21 percent, Singapore with 27 percent and Thailand at 21 percent during the crisis, Guinigundo wrote in his paper titled “The Impact of the GFC on the Philippine Financial System: An Assessment.”

Resilience

FINANCE Undersecretary Gil S. Beltran told the BusinessMirrror the impact of the crisis was muted in the Philippines “because our banking system is strong and wellcapitalized.”

“At that time, we have [already] learned our lesson from the Asian crisis,” Beltran added.

He explained that in 2008 the country’s capital adequacy ratio (CAR) of 14.74 percent during that year was even higher than what the Basel accords prescribed.

Beltran was referring to a set of international banking regulations that came from the Basel Committee on Bank Supervision (BCBS), which prescribes the minimum capital requirements of financial institutions with the goal of minimizing credit risk.

The accords also provide recommendations with regards to capital risk, market risk and operational risk under banking regulations.

The total capital should represent at least 8 percent of the bank’s credit risk, according to the Basel I accord.

Beltran added that nonperforming loans (NPL) were also at a minimum as the global financial system underwent a meltdown with the present gross NPL-to-total-loan portfolio ratio at around 2 percent or lower.

“Also, our fiscal position is strong with debt ratios at low levels and our fiscal space sufficient to allow us to go into stimulus spending to offset the decline in exports arising from depressed export markets,” he added.

Reforms

BELTRAN added that the Arroyo government’s implementation of austerity measures strengthened efforts to raise more revenues through the reformed value-added tax (RVAT). He said these helped reduce the deficit to less than 1 percent of gross domestic product.

That move resuscitated the economy so that when 2008 came around, the country’s debt-GDP ratio fell to less than 47 percent, according to Beltran. In 2004, the Philippines’s debt-to-GDP ratio reached almost 75 percent.

The measures implemented by the government provided ample fiscal space for the country, enabling the government to implement a massive counter-cyclical fiscal policy in 2009, he added.

“The fiscal side has been the Achilles’ heel of the country. With prudent macroeconomic management, we were able to turn around the country’s precarious position into a source of strength. One lesson that we should always keep is that we should always maintain stability in the economy—banking, fiscal and external stability,” Beltran, who is also the current chief economist of the Department of Finance (DOF), said.

In comparison, the Asian financial crisis, aka “Asian Contagion,” was a sequence of currency devaluations that began in 1997 while the crisis that happened from 2007 to early 2009 is when financial markets and banking systems around the world were faced with extreme difficulties especially in terms of accountability.

Responses

BSP Governor Nestor A. Espenilla told the BusinessMirror the 2008 global financial crisis, which originated from the US subprime mortgage market, eroded confidence in financial institutions globally, causing heightened concerns over liquidity, as well as a plethora of bankruptcies, forced mergers and massive monetary intervention from financial authorities.

“Despite these temporary disturbances, the Philippine economy expanded; though by a modest 1.1 percent in 2009 coming from 4.2 percent in 2008 and 6.6 percent in 2009, this is still considered decent given that only a handful of economies escaped recession in 2009,” Espenilla noted.

Asian Institute of Management (AIM) Associate Professor Emmanuel A. Leyco concurred, saying the Philippines felt the negative effects of the global financial crisis only a year after the Lehman Brothers bankruptcy filing.

aderLook

sMirror

Editor: Dennis D. Estopace | Thursday, September 20, 2018

A5

OBAL FINANCIAL CRISIS

0HLYEARS AFTER: LEARNED LESSONS WELL BSP Governor Nestor A. Espenilla

“Although there was no considered direct impact of the subprime crisis, the economy felt its impact in 2009 when it slowed down to just around 1 percent,” Leyco said.

Data by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showed the country’s GDP for the fourth quarter of 2008 was at 4.5 percent, while that of 2009 hit a low 1.8 percent.

UnionBank President and CEO Edwin R. Bautista told the BusinessMirror it was the relationship of regulators and local banks that helped keep the crisis at bay.

“In the Philippines, the regulators and the local banking industry have worked together to strengthen safeguards to prevent and detect any signs of an impending financial crisis,” Bautista said. “Whether it may be a domestically sourced or externally sourced financial instability, the regulatory agencies and other stakeholders are deemed ready to respond.”

Reserves

BELTRAN explained the country has learned to maintain a strong fiscal and foreign exchange (forex) reserve as well as keeping a healthy banking system as just some of the ways that can help the country minimize the effects coming from impacts on financial crises.

“Lessons are the same as what we learned earlier from the Asian [financial] crisis: to build strong forex reserves, build fiscal reserves, maintain manageable debts, increase savings and ensure a healthy banking system,” Beltran added.

Leyco’s thoughts are along the same line.

“The major lesson from the crisis was to deal with credit quality very seriously. Mark-to-market practice became a regular practice to make sure that assets are reflected in their immediate current values,” he said.

Currencies within emerging Asian countries weakened since investors sought the US dollar, with the slowdown in world economic growth also limiting export earnings of member countries.

To note, the country’s legal tender fell between a range of 4 percent and 15 percent against the greenback during the GFC.

Regulation

FOR Espenilla, another “important lesson learned is that while monetary policy may successfully maintain price stability, it does not necessarily guarantee financial stability.”

“Financial imbalances may develop even in an environment of low inflation and small output gaps. Monetary policy, therefore, must be well-calibrated,” the BSP governor said. “There may be instances that it may need to lean against potential credit-driven bubbles, but it must be complemented by appropriate macroprudential policies, fiscal and financial sector policies, and be supported by strong supervision and sound regulatory framework and effective enforcement.”

Espenilla noted the country was lucky during the financial meltdown.

“At the heart of the Philippines’s better fortune during the crisis is a banking system that continued to manifest resiliency.”

He explained that throughout the global financial meltdown, “Philippine banks recorded solid performances in terms of asset quality, capital position and profitability.”

“The Philippines avoided a credit freeze as domestic liquidity remained ample and banks continued to lend to the productive sectors of the economy,” Espenilla added. “The country’s external position likewise remained robust during the GFC years, with the balance of payments registering surpluses, gross international reserves continuing to increase and remaining more than adequate, and the portfolio of external debt remaining manageable.”

Bautista is all-yes to Espenilla’s thoughts, noting the importance of accountability and regulation after being witness to the crisis in 2008.

“Two things: accountability and regulation. No amount of financial gain can justify the need for more responsible action and adherence to rules that can somehow prevent instability in financial markets,” Bautista added.

Resonance

BUT Espenilla admits difficulty in ascertaining if a crisis on the levels of what disrupted world banking in

2008 could happen again.

The GFC in 2008 was deemed as a result of the conflation of many factors, including high foreign borrowing, excessively loose monetary policies, reckless lending practices, lax regulation especially on new and complex financial instruments, as well as poor corporate governance and risk management, he explained.

“After the GFC, many experts claim that it was already foreseen and could have been avoided but a number also say that it was a painful correction waiting to happen,” Espenilla said. “Better regulation would have reduced the severity of the financial crisis. Appropriate regulation can counter the build-up of financial imbalances and reduce the probability that a negative event will trigger a severe financial crisis.”

“In hindsight, it may be easy to identify the actions that should have been done to prevent the GFC,” he added. “However, in order to prevent a crisis, it may not be sufficient that regulations must keep pace with developments that may threaten financial stability.

Instead, regulations must be a step ahead of these risks.”

Leyco said a financial crisis may happen again but not necessarily in the same way as that of the GFC. He emphasized the Central Bank remains vigilant in looking out for warning signs that point out a crisis is looming.

“Yes, it could happen again, but not necessarily in the same way as it did. It may involve aggressive lending and concentration in specific areas, like the property sector,” Leyco said.

“Fortunately, the BSP remains vigilant monitoring and supervising banking practices.”

Response

IN response to the GFC, the country’s Central Bank considered opportunities for monetary policy easing. This included a policy rate reduction, implementing liquidity-enhancing measures, instilling regulatory forbearance, and enhanced cooperation and communication with the local banking industry.

During the turmoil, the BSP moved to cut policy rates by 200 basis points beginning December

‘A

CARLO GABUCO/BLOOMBERG

T the heart of the Philippines’s better fortune during the crisis is a banking system that continued to manifest resiliency. The Philippines avoided a credit freeze as domestic liquidity remained ample and banks continued to lend to the productive sectors of the economy.”

—BSP Governor Nestor A. Espenilla 2008, which brought the reverse repurchase rate to 4.0 percent and the overnight lending rate to 6.0 percent.

Guinigundo said in his assessment that the rate reductions were intended to help stimulate economic growth as well as minimize the slowdown in economic activity by reducing the cost of borrowing, thereby reducing the financial burden of firms and households.

In line with liquidity-enhancing measures, the BSP helped infuse dollar liquidity into the domestic financial system by opening a US dollar repo facility to augment dollar liquidity in the forex market, and ensure the ready availability of credit for imports and other legitimate funding requirements.

In response to the BSP’s call for a coordinated domestic response to the global financial turmoil, it moved to strengthen its relationship with its regional peers in line with the sharing of information, discussions on emerging developments, and pooling resources, if necessary.

“As a policymaker, the BSP is forward looking. Simply hoping that the next crisis will not happen is imprudent. If the next global financial crisis cannot be averted, what the BSP can do as a policymaker is to at least attempt to minimize the adverse impact of the next crisis on the domestic economy by implementing regulations now that would increase the capability of the Philippine financial system to withstand direct and spillover effects. The saying ‘even as we hope for the best, it is better to prepare for the worst’ may be a bit of a cliché, but is worth pondering,” Espenilla added.

Rating

CREDIT rating agencies played major roles in fanning the crisis into a contagion after 2008.

However, Beltran said credit rating agencies are now stricter in terms of their analysis of companies including financial institutions or banks, pointing out that they too learned their lessons well after the GFC. “Credit rating agencies became very strict in their analysis of sovereigns and companies. Note that they don’t upgrade emerging economies that quickly, they look at longer-term indicators,” he told the BusinessMirror. “They also began to look at advance economies’ numbers with magnifying lenses, downgrading them even if they issue reserve currencies. They learned their lessons well.”

Leyco said credit rating agencies still play a key role in the various international markets. He concurs with Bautista’s view that their assessments are still being taken into consideration.

“I think the credit rating agencies have recovered as they continue to play an important role in the US and international capital markets,” Leyco added.

According to Espenilla, credit rating agencies are meant to provide investors with objective information on the riskiness of various kinds of debt.

During the GFC, debt watchers were accused of defrauding investors by offering overly favorable assessments of insolvent financial institutions and approving extremely risky mortgage-related securities, exacerbating the financial crisis.

“In response to these accusations and critics, credit rating

agencies vowed to carry out reforms but maintained their view that their ratings were always independent and an opinion,” Espenilla said. “Their ratings give valuable information. Nonetheless, investors should not base all their investment decisions solely on ratings. A prudent investor will look at all information available, including evolving macroeconomic conditions, when making a decision.”

Recurrence

A DECADE after the crisis, the US economy has shown signs of recovery in its GDP and employment growth.

This was after Washington completed bailing out ailing financial institutions affected by the GFC and passing the Dodd-Frank Act, which imposed stricter monitoring measures for its housing market.

“It took the mortgage industry about seven years to get near to where it was before the crisis,” Ramirez said.

While it took some years, Ramirez said he is also finally nearing his much needed retirement after being able to save enough for it.

All of these gains, however, are once again being threatened by the administration. President Donald Trump is once again relaxing loan regulations.

Ramirez said he hoped the lessons from the 2008 global financial meltdown will guide Trump to reconsider the policy direction and enforce the Dodd-Frank Act as it is meant to be.

“Legislative protective measures are now geared toward one thing: protect taxpayers against the next financial disaster,” Ramirez said.

A6 Thursday, September 20, 2018 • Editor: Angel R. Calso

Opinion BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

editorial

No one is as deaf as one who won’t listen

‘T

HE only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing,” said John Powell. Fortunately for Presidential Communications Assistant Secretary Mocha Uson and blogger Andrew Olivar, it seems they have learned a good lesson from using sign language as a joke. They seem to realize that their joke not only disrespects individuals with speech and hearing impairments but, likewise, insults them.

The realization process, however, was painful and unpleasant. Sen. Nancy S. Binay, who authored a bill recognizing the Filipino Sign Language as an official medium of communication, reminded Uson that “as a public official, it is paramount that she refrains from mocking the people she serves.” The senator said the duo’s joke “is disrespectful to the sizeable deaf/mute community who already struggle in airing their concerns and aspirations.”

The University of the Philippines-Diliman College of Education Student Council said it is not acceptable for anyone to use the sign language of the deaf community for fun or entertainment. “It is blatantly disrespectful and is an outright form of discrimination to the culture and to the members of the deaf community,” it said. The UP College of Education in Diliman offers a Special Education program.

Bro. Dennis Magbanua, president of De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde, said in a statement: “The De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde in support of the Philippine deaf community condemns the behavior and actions of Mr. Andrew Olivar and PCOO Assistant Secretary Margaux Justiniano ‘Mocha’ Uson in the video posted on the Mocha Uson Facebook page on September 4, 2018. We call on the government to take action against Mr. Olivar and Asec. Uson, and impose appropriate penalties as provided by law.”

To Uson’s credit, she tried to make amends immediately after realizing they wronged an entire community of differently abled people.

She said: “Andrew Olivar has apologized for his actions. Even so, I take full responsibility for what my friend and radio show partner did. For our brothers and sisters in the deaf community, I hope you accept my sorry. Please forgive me.”

Making amends is an important step toward healing, both for the well-being of the offended and offending parties. It is important for Uson to remember that not everyone will be receptive to her attempt to make amends, especially because the handicapped in our society have had a long history of disenfranchisement. Based on the results of the 2000 Census of Population and Housing, the total number of persons with disability (PWDs) in the country was posted at 942,098 or about 1.23 percent of the total population.

If the recent incident can help turn Uson into an advocate of an inclusive society, she may yet become an asset not only to the deaf community but about a million PWDs nationwide. For starters, she can help promote social inclusion among her vaunted 5 million socialmedia followers. But if she sincerely wants to communicate with learners with special education skills, she’ll have to do a lot of studying. She can start with learning sign language. Who knows? She may yet find a higher purpose in life. Given how she has repeatedly blundered and squandered such a lofty job with cushy perks, that, however, may be too much to hope for.

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Cecilio T. Arillo

DATABASE Part Six

Ninoy was prayerful

T

HAT the February 1986 Edsa events added up to a miracle or to a revolution is, therefore, an incorrect and untenable assertion.

Given the lack of a certifiable miracle in his name, Ninoy cannot be canonized or declared a saint. What about beatification? Can Ninoy merit the title “blessed”? Well, did he freely live a life of virtue? Did he take a vow of poverty, practice self-denial and humility? Did he, in brief, possess what Woodward prescribed as a demonstrable reputation for holiness?

Apparently, not until he was detained to face trial on criminal charges did he become prayerful. But even then, he was not repentant. And finally, given his widow’s hatred and vindictiveness against the Marcoses, he was also not willing to forgive.

The distinguished English author-novelist George Orwell was right when he recommended skepticism, in reference to candidates for canonization: “Saints should always be adjudged guilty till they are proven innocent.”

Santo politicus

LACKING miracles, Ninoy may yet

ascend to beatification or canonization, via the Vatican’s wide-open political backdoor. He may lack miracles, he may lack the beatific virtues, but he does not lack influential sponsors.

Pope John Paul II in January 1983 officially promulgated a radically simplified process of making saints, which did away with the six-centuryold system of legal dialectics. Before, canon lawyers subjected a “cause” (sponsorship of a nominee for canonization) to years of meticulous investigation and argumentation that left no aspect of a nominee’s life and deeds undiscussed.

The journalist and religion specialist Woodward viewed the 1983 changes as having done away not only with the canon lawyers’ rigorous cross-examinations, but with the canon lawyers themselves altogether. Instead, the task of ascertaining the qualifications and lack of disqualifications of candidates was entrusted to biographical historians.

Woodward was particularly suspicious of the Opus Dei, the secretive, ultra-orthodox personal prelature of the late Jose Maria Escriva de Balaguer, which boasts of over 77,000 mostly wealthy and influential priests and laymen worldwide, including the Philippines. The Opus Dei, using its network within the Vatican, got Escriva beatified in May 1992, just short of 17 years after his death in June 1975. The speed record in canonization was posted in 1925 when the Carmelite nun Therese of Liseux was canonized just 28 years after she died of tuberculosis at age 24.

Under the new system, a local bishop in the Philippines can gather tons of Ninoy-worshipping “histories” to support the canonization of Ninoy. If the historians in the Vatican’s Congregation for the Causes of Saints feel that the “evidence” is insufficient or vague, they could ask for more “facts” from the originating bishop, until the dossier gets impressively voluminous. The system is virtually closed to outsiders, particularly to those who wish to testify against a candidate. This led Woodward to remark: “This leaves the powerful and influential group might manipulate this process… for the benefit of an unworthy candidate.” Heaven forbid!

It would also hearten Ninoy’s sponsors to know that the Vatican has almost perfected mass-production techniques in beatification and canonization.

In Woodward’s estimation, Pope John Paul II is “the most political of modern popes,” having canonized a total of 482 Saints of the Church

and beatified 1,338 in the 26 years of his papacy. His successor, Pope Benedict XVI canonized 45 saints and beatified 843 “blesseds” during his short reign as Pope from 2005 to 2013. The trend continued before this book (The Marcos Legacy) went to press. Pope Francis currently holds the record for canonizing the most number of saints (885) in just his four-year pontificate.

Pope John Paul II had also opened another category for Catholics and other Christians who wish to elevate their dear departed to a rung considered to be just three steps lower than that of the saint: the honorific martyr (above whom is the official martyr, the blessed and the saint). Bishops worldwide are also asked, what Woodward reported, to contribute worthy names to a new martyrology for the church’s third millennium, a list of faithful men and women in the 20th century who witnessed with their lives to the lordship of Jesus Christ.

However, given the observation that it was not for his religious faith or practices that Ninoy was killed, Ninoy would still not qualify for inclusion even in just this list of honorific martyrs. But this detail would likely not appear in his biographies or histories. His sponsors may yet settle for this route, to the regret of those in heaven, whose repose might thereafter be threatened by privilege speeches and exposes.

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

Violation of due process: An inexistent assessment bears no fruit

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

Online Editor Social Media Editor

Chairman of the Board & Ombudsman President VP-Finance VP Advertising Sales Advertising Sales Manager Group Circulation Manager

Political idolatry

Atty. Fermo B. Avila

TAX LAW FOR BUSINESS

M

OTHER Nature has her methods of transforming things.

A seed becomes a tree, which, in turn, bears fruits. The seed undergoes certain processes, such as germination and photosynthesis, until it becomes a fruit-bearing tree. When its fruits mature, some or all of its fruits are harvested and eaten, either by animals or by humans. The fruits eaten by animals are secreted, thereby planting a new generation of seedlings, a process that eventually leads back to the seed-to-fruit cycle.

Similarly, the government has its methods of transforming the properties of its taxpayers into goods, services, and infrastructure to promote the general welfare and well-being of the people. Apart from the voluntary payment system, the government issues an assessment against a taxpayer, and the assessment becomes the basis for the collection of taxes. The taxes collected

are allocated to the different branches of the government for the payment of salaries of government employees, maintenance and operating expenses, and infrastructure projects. These expenditures provide the people the necessary goods and services for their well-being, thereby enabling them to accumulate more properties, a process that eventually leads back to the private-property-

to-general-welfare cycle.

However, the government does not have an unbridled power to collect taxes.

Our present constitution requires that due process must be observed before a person may be deprived of his property.

Thus, taxes may only be collected by observing the taxpayers’ right to due process. But, first, what is due process in relation to the collection of taxes? The word “due” means “of proper quality or extent, or adequate;” on the other hand, the word “process” refers to “a series of actions or steps taken in order to achieve a particular end.” Thus, it may be inferred that, in relation to collection of taxes, “due process” pertains to the adequate series of actions or steps taken in order to achieve a particular end, which is the collection of taxes.

So, what happens if due process is violated?

The Supreme Court, in GR 197945 and 204119-20, canceled the assessments and enjoined the Commissioner of Internal Revenue from collecting the taxes pertaining to the canceled assessments as the CIR violated the taxpayers’ right to due process. In the said case, the

SC enumerated instances where the taxpayers’ right to due process was violated.

There is a violation of the taxpayer’s right to due process under the following instances: (i) when the assessment fails to state the factual and legal bases for the assessment; (ii) when the assessment was sent to the taxpayer company’s former address; or (iii) when there was no assessment issued prior to the issuance of the collection letters.

In the aforementioned case, the SC held that an invalid assessment, such as when the assessment fails to state the factual and legal bases for the assessment, or when the assessment was sent to the taxpayer company’s former address, bears no valid fruit. And, if an invalid assessment bears no fruit, with more reason will no such fruit arise if there was no assessment in the first place.

Furthermore, the SC also held that “taxes must be collected reasonably and in accordance with the prescribed procedure. Verily, pursuant to the lifeblood doctrine, the Court has allowed tax authorities ample discretion to avail themselves of the most

See “Avila,” A7

Opinion BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Garments industry, on the death throes?

In-step with Jesus Msgr. Sabino A. Vengco Jr.

ALÁLAONG BAGÁ

Val A. Villanueva

BUSINESSWISE

T

HE country’s garment and textile export sector used to be a $3-billion sunrise industry in the 1990s. But the difficulties in overcoming the challenges brought by the end of the MFA, or the Multi-Fiber Agreement, which grants preferential tariffs to the country’s exports of garments and textiles, have pulled the growth back. The industry has been on a downhill since then.

The MFA advocated quota allocations in identified textiles and garments that are for export to developed countries from developing countries such as the Philippines, India and Vietnam. In 1995 the MFA was replaced by the Agreement on Textiles and Clothing (ACT), which aimed to assimilate the garment and textile sectors, and stop restrictions in the MFA, including quota allocations. This led to the full adoption of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), and put an end to the quota system by year 2005.

Countries, such as ours, which depended on quotas endured difficulties leading to closure of factories and downsizing. At present, the industry still has enormous promise which could generate jobs. I was told that the Board of Investments (BOI) is bent on procuring market access in key export markets such as Japan, Europe and the United States, through free-trade agreements and preferential trade arrangements (PTA), including the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP), and the GSP+. But is this the reality?

Exactly two years ago, DOF Secretary Sonny Dominguez and one of his “bright boys,” Undersecretary Tonette Tiongko, briefed journalists about the proposed tax-reform program that later metamorphosed into TRAIN 1 and 2. But the program had a backside: the recast of the overall economic policy, chucking the export-oriented economic strategy and readopting the import substitution policy of the postwar period.

The overall reversal of economic strategy, according to Tiongko, has rested mainly on the findings of Filipino economists that the World Bank-imposed, export-oriented economic strategy has hardly replicated the successes of Japan, Taiwan and South Korea, all export-driven economies. The Philippines did not prove to be a viable laboratory of the World Bank economic doctrines and prescriptions, as exports had remained dismally low, while Filipino workers continued to go elsewhere to seek greener pastures.

The change in economic doctrines had serious repercussions on one of the bright spots in the export sector —the Philippine garment industry.

Not all export-oriented industries performed dismally. The garment industry used to post encouraging performance, as it was always the second-best performer for several years.

Unfortunately, Philippine Statistics Authority data on merchandise exports show that the once-mighty local garment industry has slid from being the second-largest merchandise exporter after electronics in the early 2000s to 15th by 2017.

The P140 billion in exports in 2000 dropped by more than half to P65 billion in 2017.

The garment-export decline started in 2004, when the Philippines lost its quota in the US market.

But it had rebounded when the Aquino administration worked to revive it. In 2013, the Philippines entered into an agreement for GSP+ (Generalized System of Preference plus) with the European Union (EU). The GSP+ agreement contains provisions that include PTA with EU membernations for certain commodities/ products from the Philippines. One of the commodities is garments.

Countries like Vietnam and China did not have the privilege the Philippine garment industry enjoyed. The

Aquino administration successfully negotiated the agreement to revive the garment industry, which became moribund for a while because of the loss of the US market quota.

By extension, the PTA accord with EU likewise revived the then-ailing textile industry because it required Philippine garments to enter the EU market with duty-free privileges, if the local garment manufacturers used fabrics that were domestically manufactured (knitted or woven).

The slow death of the garment industry is not limited to the 2016 de facto change of overall economic policy to import substitution. Prior to 2016, the slow strangulation of the garment sector started in July 2014, when the tax credit incentive system for BOI-registered textile mills was unilaterally suspended. Department of Finance officials cited alleged fraud committed by an obscure DOF line office which dispensed tax credit certificates to textile manufacturers.

The fraud allegation was not established, even after the Commission on Audit had stepped in to conduct an audit that lasted for threeand-a-half years, or 44 months. The COA started its audit of the One Stop Shop and Duty Drawback Center (OSS Center) in January 2015, but released its final audit only in July 2018. The lengthy and long-drawn final audit report is posted on the COA web site.

The final COA report has become controversial because of the contentious technical aspects raised in the report. Garment and textile manufacturers are up in arms against the sweeping conclusions of the final report, prompting them to make official exceptions. The final report is on appeal.

In her April 12 letter to COA Chairman Michael Aguinaldo, Margarita de la Rama, president of the Garments Business Association of the Philippines (GBAP), said the longdrawn audit process had triggered losses for the garments industry, even as she challenged the appropriate state agencies to file charges against the garment firms involved in fraud.

De la Rama also cited the drop of $1.6 billion in export earnings of the garment sector and loss of jobs for 400,000 workers. She decried unfair competition from foreign firms, and urged state auditors to refrain from writing the obituary for the garment and textile industries.

During their 2016 press briefing, Dominguez and Tiongko explained that part of the shift in overall economic policy is the rationalization of fiscal incentives, including the abolition of the tax credit certification system from which a number of garment and textile firms had received refunds of their taxes as incentives.

It has been pointed out that many textile and garment firms have been largely dependent on the tax incentive system. In the absence of appropriate alternatives, however, these manufacturers were left with no choice but to continue making do with what was available to them.

The tax incentive system has been instituted as part of the export drive of the country. Export-oriented firms usually rely on the tax incentive system to enable them to compete in the world, stay financially afloat and sustain their growth.

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

F

OCUSING on the formation of His disciples, Jesus guides them to close the gap between their thinking and His, just like the difference between His direction and theirs. Jesus is all intent in fulfilling His mission of self-offering for the good of others, while His disciples are quarreling among themselves over their imagined respective eminences (Mark 9:30-37).

Jesus walks toward calvary IT is now the second time that Jesus announced to His followers His approaching passion and death, thus revealing his fundamental awareness which, though frightening, He would not suppress. Nothing could deter Him from it, as we saw last Sunday in His rebuke to Peter who thought of dissuading Him about it. “Get behind Me, Satan! You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do” (Mark 8:33). God is love and mercy, and God thinks of the liberation of sinful humanity from evil and of being in communion with Him. And Jesus thinks as His Father does. God so loved the world

He gave us His only Son; Jesus so loves humanity He willingly offers Himself for us.

Jesus was determined to move on to fulfill His Father’s will; that was what He came for. He wanted Peter and the other disciples to “get behind” Him on this, to follow Him and not be going their different way. Doing the Father’s will is non-negotiable; obedience to the Father is primary.

It is the greatest commandment, and Jesus would tell them about it as often as necessary and teach them to accept it. That is what distinguishes Jesus from anybody else, His total and absolute fidelity to God. That is His way, and it must be the way for

Thursday, September 20, 2018 A7

His followers, too, if they are to be with Him in the reign of God.

The disciples’ direction

THE disciples could not at first understand Jesus talking so-matter-offact about His being rejected and put to death. And they were too afraid to question Jesus about it. They seemed to be walking out of step with Him, in their own direction. In fact, they were fighting with each other as to who among them was the greatest; they were really more taken up by their personal ambitions and interests, as humans ordinarily are and think.

Power and comfort, wealth and glory so often fill human thoughts and define our consciousness. To be behind Jesus and following His steps and going His way is different.

Jesus earlier told His disciples that anyone who wishes to follow Him must deny oneself and take up one’s cross. Self-seeking stands radically opposite to being truly selfdenying and being there for others in self-sacrifice. In a world of egoism where “selfie” can go all the way and one lives for oneself only, the necessary conversion to Jesus or “turning around” means nothing short of divesting oneself of what the world thinks are components of being the greatest or greater or, at least, great.

Met with the embarrassed silence of His disciples when He confronted them with their petty self-interests, Jesus must have silently stepped outside the house to return back leading a child to be set in their midst. The way of the world can be symbolized by the treatment a child gets from self-centered people. A child’s littleness and weakness is very tempting for abuse and maltreatment, as have been terribly happening even in our communities. Or the neediness of a child can summon God-like compassion from us in the way of Jesus.

Alálaong bagá, receiving a child with love and being there for a child means becoming last, because the child with its needs comes first. Children can summon the best out of us and we grow in caring for them, as we transcend our own pettiness and self-preoccupation. It illustrates what Jesus teaches us, “If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last and the servant of all.” Being ready to be the last and the servant means conforming ourselves to Jesus and being in-step with Him, who walked up to Calvary to empty Himself for our sake.

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

A multisided rice crisis requires a holistic policy approach Dr. Rene E. Ofreneo

LABOREM EXERCENS Continued from A1

L

IKE other commodities in the market, the rice inflation was triggered by the implementation early this year of the new taxes under the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion program of the government.

The economic technocrats argue that the inflation impact of TRAIN is minimal and that its contribution to the surge in inflation is less than one-fifth; hence, TRAIN should not be blamed for the inflation phenomenon. What these technocrats forget is the dynamics of taxation and inflation. The implementation of TRAIN became the occasion for price gouging by the producers, importers, distributors and retailers of various products in a deregulated economy. The irony is that most countries in Asia have been experiencing a deflationary situation despite the upsurge in the prices of fossil oil in the global market, the lame excuse used by the government technocrats as the reason for the inflationary situation.

The price gouging phenomenon happens to be most visible in the case of rice.

The situation is clearly explosive, rice being the national staple. It makes the people mad—mad at the government, mad at government failure to stabilize the rice supply, mad at government failure to anticipate shortages and cover these with timely interventions, mad at government failure to tame runaway price gouging, mad at government failure to arrest big-time rice hoarders and smugglers, and mad at the finger-pointing among the government officials in charge of the rice and agricultural policy.

The truth is that the rice crisis is truly a man-made one. It is also not new. It is a recurring one under various administrations. In 2008 then-President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and DA Secretary Art Yap transformed the Philippines into the world’s top rice importer by rushing the importation of all the available rice in the world market to prevent a rice shortage at home that was threatening the stability of the Arroyo administration. Today, the rice crisis, unchecked, is also casting dark clouds on the stability

Avila . . .

continued from A6

expeditious way to collect the taxes, including summary processes, with as little interference as possible. However, the Court, at the same time, has not

of the Duterte administration.

Now what are the factors that have contributed to the rice crisis of the country? There are several worth citing here.

First, incoherent and contradictory policies. In the Philippine Development Plan 2017-2022, the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) is pushing for rice tariffication, which means open private-sector participation in the rice importation business and the reduction of the National Food Authority (NFA) role or the minimization of the G2G or government-togovernment importation system. This is really a continuation of the agricultural deregulation program that was imposed by the International Monetary FundWorld Bank group in the 1980s as part of the structural adjustment program (SAP) for the heavily indebted Philippines. SAP pushed the country back to its old status as a rice importer. Under SAP, input and credit subsidies to rice farming were removed, NFA support price for palay was reduced, the NFA itself was downsized to almost half (from over 10,000 personnel then to around 5,000) and the maintenance of various infras for agriculture, such as irrigation, were neglected due to SAP-related austerity program.

And yet, no government would dare present itself as anti-rice farmer and anti-consumer. Thus, from the 1980s to the present, various administrations have been spouting pro-farmer and proconsumer rhetorics, rhetorics that is negated by the government’s failure to provide funds for the the NFA’s palay-buying program. Budgetary allocation for palay procurement by NFA was downsized to less than 10 percent of total national palay output, when the ideal percentage should be 15 percent or more to make sure that the recommended support price for palay farmers is able to influence the

hesitated to strike down these processes in cases wherein tax authorities disregarded due process. “The law imposes a substantive, not merely a formal, requirement. To proceed heedlessly with tax collection without first establishing a valid assessment is evidently violative of the cardinal principle in administrative

market. At certain years, the NFA’s palay procurement even dipped to a minimal 2 percent or even less.

The general NFA procurement framework is “buy high for palay, sell rice at a low price”—for the benefit of producers and consumers alike. But given the limited budgetary allocations, this was hardly observed, with the palay farmers more and more dependent on the palay traders and the nation, eventually on more and more rice imports.

Thus, the incentive for rice farmers to increase production is virtually nonexistent. And whenever there is a rice shortage, the NFA is simply asked to import, at whatever price, and build up its 30-day buffer stock. The overall result: The NFA has failed to fulfill its twin original missions of supporting the palay farmers and keeping the consumers happy with affordable rice prices under the framework of “buy-high-selllow” system.

Meanwhile, the economists who dominate the so-called NFA Policy Council, a strange separate government entity from the NFA, have been pressing the NFA to abandon these twin NFA missions by allowing private-sector participation in rice importation and distribution under the rice tariffication program and nudging the “unprofitable” or “marginal” rice farmers to switch to the so-called higher-value crop production. This is openly questioned by Agriculture Secretary Manny Piñol, who succeeded in getting back some control over the NFA operations. Today, the conflict between the DA/NFA and the NFA Policy Council is out in the open.

However, the latter is winning because the country is now on the road to rice tariffication, courtesy of Congress. The system of private-sector rice importation, which means fuller control by the rice traders of the rice business, from buying the palay produce at home to the importation of needed rice and the distribution nationwide of this precious staple, shall be dominant.

Second, failure of the agricultural modernization program due to corruption and budget restraint. One obvious solution to the perennial rice crisis is agricultural modernization, that is, increasing the productivity of the rice farmers so that the country would achieve self-sufficiency in the staple food while the farmers are able to double farm incomes. This program was a total failure in the 1980s, a decade of IMF-imposed austerity and abandonment of support

to the farmers and to agricultural infra development. In the second half of the 1990s, after the ratification of Philippine membership in the World Trade Organization, the Agricultural Fisheries and Modernization Act was enacted in support of agri modernization. This Afma was badly implemented because of budget restraint, missing support by the national leadership to Afma and the perennial problem of corruption in the bureaucracy (especially for those in charge of maintaining the nation’s irrigation facilities and the distribution of needed inputs in agriculture).

An accompanying Agricultural Competitiveness Enhancement Fund, a credit facility for small farmers that is funded by agricultural tariff collections, became a facility for rich farmers such as the sugar planters. Acef collection and disbursement were marred by charges of corruption. So far, there has been no formal government accounting on the overall achievements of the Acef program. Now, through the proposed rice tariffication law, the legislators are proposing the establishment of a similar Acef-like fund, purportedly for the modernization of palay farming. How different would this system be from the unlamented Afma and Acef programs?

Third, failure of the government to catch the rice hoarders, smugglers and trade manipulators. The palay and rice market is controlled by these shady characters. This is well-known and is fully aired in congressional hearings, past and present. And yet, very little is done to stop their nefarious operations.

From time to time, truckloads of smuggled rice are confiscated, and yet, no smugglers are haled to court and jailed.

No human face. Will the appointment of another military man as NFA chief make any difference?

Four, no integrated rice and farming development vision and program. As reflected in the present rice crisis, agricultural policy coordination is clearly missing. Programs are undertaken in a piecemeal and often uncoordinated manner. There is no unified vision of palay/rice development, only simplistic solutions such as more importation if there are shortages at home.

With so much rice now being imported by the NFA and the private sector, the price of rice is projected to stabilize in the latter part of the year. But given the unresolved issues outlined above, it is likely to recur again in the not-toodistant future.

investigations; that taxpayers should be able to present their case and adduce supporting evidence.”

is not intended, nor should be construed as a substitute for tax, legal or financial advice on any specific matter. Applicability of this article to any actual or particular tax or legal issue should be supported therefore by a professional study or advice. If you have any comments or questions concerning the article, you may e-mail the author at fermo.avila@ bdblaw.com.ph or call 403-2001 local 150.

The author is a junior associate of Du-Baladad and Associates Law Offices (BDB Law), a memberfirm of WTS Global.

The article is for general information only and

2nd Front Page BusinessMirror

A8 Thursday, September 20, 2018

DOTr readies to put 170K jeepneys in the scrap yard

By Bernadette D. Nicolas @BNicolasBM & Lorenz S. Marasigan @lorenzmarasigan

A

DEPARTMENT of Transportation (DOTr) official on Wednesday revealed the Duterte administration is targeting to take out from the road and put to scrap some 170,000 old jeepneys soon as part of the government’s Public Utility Vehicle (PUV) Modernization Program Transportation Assistant Secretary Mark Richmund de Leon said that have yet to start the scrapping since the Department of Transportation (DOTr) is still in search for accredited scrapping companies where jeepney drivers and operators can get good scrap value for their aging and pollution prone non-Euro-4 compliant units.

He added the DOTr is expecting a scrap metal value of P20,000 to P30,000 per unit.

‘Huge impact’

TO expedite the total phase out of the old jeepneys, DOTr Secretary Arthur P. Tugade said the Land

₧20,000 to ₧30,000 The estimated scrap value of old and aging jeepneys on the road that the government intends to phase out with implementation of the PUV Modernization Program Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) is now processing over 400 applications from cooperatives for their consolidation, a provision of the initiative that aims to upgrade and improve public vehicles in the country.

According to Tugade, merging smaller transport players will give

DOTr photo of some of the modern PUVs

drivers and operators better access to funding.

“The scale and the impact of this program is huge. Our countrymen will directly feel the effects of this program—faster, more comfortable and safe rides. So, even if we have faced a lot of roadblocks in implementing this, we will never budge,” he stated on Wednesday.

To process the application, the transport department has set up a one-stop-shop facility in Mandaluyong City. The said shop houses from different government agencies will make the process for franchise and new route applications faster.

Developmental routes

DE LEON also said that the government is in the process of identifying and studying new and developmental routes all over the country.

So far, only 10 out of the 59 batches are yet to complete the “two-part course” in drafting the Local Public Transportation Route Plan (LPTRP), which is being overseen by local government units (LGUs).

“From the start, we have been campaigning for better public transport and accessibility options for the public.

See “DOTr,” A2

World Bank emergency loan facility for PHL to expire end-Sept

By Cai U. Ordinario @cuo_bm

& Rea Cu

@ReaCuBM

T

HE Philippines has less than two weeks to tap a $500-million loan facility from the World Bank that it can use for the rehabilitation of

areas devastated by Typhoon Ompong (international code name Mangkhut).

Documents from the World Bank available on its web site showed that the $500-million Catastrophe Deferred Drawdown Option (CAT-DDO) is set to expire in less than two weeks.

The Philippines received two CATDDOs from the World Bank with an

INTERTROPICAL CONVERGENCE ZONE AFFECTING SOUTHERN LUZON, VISAYAS AND MINDANAO as of 4:00 pm - September 19, 2018

effectivity of three years. The first one was approved in 2011 and was closed in 2014, and the second one was approved in 2015 and is set to expire on September 30.

However, the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) said the Philippines has an option to extend the loan.

Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto M. Pernia told reporters that the loan will be part of the discussions at a special meeting at the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council on Thursday.

Based on World Bank documents, 99.5 percent or $497.5 million of the first $500 million CAT-DDO loan was disbursed.

“As the CAT-DDO policy program drew from the various agencies’regular programs funded by internal budget, the DRM [disaster-risk management] capacity-strengthening momentum was maintained after the CAT-DDO resources had been disbursed, and continued beyond the loan’s closing date,” the World Bank said.

However, based on a status report as of March 2018, the second CAT-DDO, which is set to expire in less than two weeks, only has 0.5 percent or $2.5 million of the loan disbursed to the government. Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III said that, as of endAugust, the loan facility has an available balance of $497.5 million.

The fund has been left untouched because a presidential state of calamity has not been declared since the CATDDO 2 was extended by the World Bank in 2015. Based on Neda documents, the CAT-DDO has a Libor-based interest rate that is charged on disbursed and outstanding amounts.

The applicable interest rate is the prevailing rate for International Bank for Reconstruction and Development loans at drawdown. In addition, there is a front-end fee of 0.50 percent and a renewal fee of 0.25 percent on the loan amount.

“The calculation of the average maturity of DDOs begins at loan effectiveness for the determination of the applicable maturity premium, but at withdrawal for the remaining components of the spread,” Neda documents read.

The documents said up to the full loan amount is available for disbursement at any time within three years from loan signing. Amounts repaid by the borrower are available for drawdown, provided that the closing date has not expired.

The drawdown period may be renewed up to four times. A front-end fee of 0.50 percent of the loan amount is due within 60 days of effectiveness date of the project and may be financed out of the loan proceeds. The renewal fee is computed as 0.25 percent of the undisbursed balance.

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Govt to work with miners to build ‘public confidence’ in sector after Itogon slide

By Jonathan L. Mayuga

A

@jonlmayuga

N official of the Department of Env i ron ment and Natural Resources (DENR) said the Duterte administration will collaborate with mining companies to build “public confidence” in their sector, which is in focus again following a deadly landslide that killed 70 people in an illegal small-scale mining site in Itogon, Benguet, during Typhoon Ompong’s onslaught.

Notwithstanding unrelenting criticism from anti-mining and environmental groups after the Itogon landslide, DENR Undersecretary Analiza R. Teh, in a speech at the Mining Philippines 2018 International Conference and Exhibition in Pasay City on Wednesday, cited the mining industry’s “significant contribution” to social and economic development.

“The mining performance review and the recent policy issuances are efforts to build public confidence in mining,” Teh said.

President Duterte, who had been critical of the impact of mining on the environment, had once again expressed such disappointment with the sector when he visited areas affected by Typhoon Ompong.

Minahang Bayan

ENVIRONMENT Secretary Roy A. Cimatu, meanwhile, has ordered officials to fast-track the processing of Minahang Bayan applications to legalize small-scale mining operations in the country, particularly in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), site of the deadly landslide.

Illegal small-scale activity is rampant in the area.

The privately owned mining area is formerly a mining site of Benguet Corp., which ceased operations in that place in 1997, and has denied giving the small-scale miners permission to operate there. The smallscale miners encroached into the site to make a living from illegal mining activities.

They were occupying bunkhouses built by Benguet for its staff.

These were sturdy, but the soil had been degraded, especially with the constant rains unleashed by Ompong.

The small-scale miners who figured in the landslide are different from groups, numbering about 500, with special authority given by the local government unit to do mining.

More than a thousand smallscale miners are conducting pocket mining or backyard gold processing in various parts of the CAR. See “Govt,” A2

briefs

➜SENATE PROBERS DETAIN WITNESS IN P6.8-BILLION SHABU SHIPMENT

SENATE probers moved on Wednesday to detain another witness in the P6.8billion seized shabu shipment after being cited in contempt “for lying” to members of the Blue Ribbon Committee conducting the drug-smuggling inquiry.

Sen. Richard J. Gordon, panel chairman, ordered the indefinite detention of Marina Signapan, who admitted to be the owner of SMYD Trading listed as consignee of the illegal drugs hidden in four magnetic lifters containing the estimated 1,000-kilogram shabu delivery.

Gordon told reporters after the hearing that Signapan will be detained until she purges herself of the reason for the contempt citation.

“I want her to tell the truth,” the Senate chief prober said, adding it was “very obvious” that Signapan and other witnesses were not telling the truth.

In the same hearing, Gordon also announced that the committee has directed the Philippine National Police to present dismissed Senior Supt.

Eduardo Acierto, who is said to be handler of Jimmy Guban, alleged to be a Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service officer who was also cited for contempt earlier. Butch Fernandez

➜GARIN FAULTS UBIAL OVER RISE OF DENGVAXIA DEATHS, IMPRUDENCE RAP

FORMER Department of Health Secretary Janette Garin has filed charges of reckless imprudence resulting in homicide against her successor, Paulyn Ubial, in connection with the alleged deaths of children due to the controversial anti-dengue vaccine Dengvaxia.

In her complaint-affidavit filed with the Department of Justice, Garin wants Ubial charged with violation of Article 365 of the Revised Penal Code, saying the latter’s decision to shift the dengue immunization program from being school-based to community-based contributed to alleged reported deaths of the immunized children.

Aside from expanding the program, Garin claimed that Ubial also relaxed the protocol on securing prior consent by authorizing immunization on an “implied consent” basis. “[Former] Secretary Ubial considered as implied consent the mere act of a parent bringing his or her child in the community center for immunization, even without a written consent from the parents,” said Garin.

Garin added that Ubial’s shift to community-based immunization ran counter to the globally espoused recommendation for school-based immunization, weakening the screening and monitoring mechanisms that were set in place. Ubial’s decision to shift to community-based had no basis, as the World Health Organization recommends schoolbased immunization for recipients who are of school age, considering the advantages of better monitoring, better compliance and better screening. Joel R. San Juan

➜C.B.C.P. DELEGATES FLY TO VATICAN FOR BISHOPS’ SYNOD NEXT MONTH

SEVEN Filipino clergy are bound for the Vatican next month after being selected by Pope Francis to participate in the upcoming Synod of Bishops to discuss “critical issues” surrounding the Roman Catholic Church.

According to a report from CBCPNews, the seven-man delegation for the meeting from October 3 to 28 will be headed by Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle.

The Philippine delegation includes three members of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP): Bishop Leopoldo Jaucian of Bangued, chairman of the CBCP Episcopal Commission on Youth (ECY); Bishop Patricio Buzon, ECY vice chairman; and Bishop Joel Baylon of Legazpi, former ECY head and current member of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences-Office of Laity and Family.

Also part of the delegation are Fr. Renato de Guzman of the Office for Pastoral Care of Don Bosco Education Center, Fr. Emmanuel Enrico Ayo of the Diocese, of Parañaque and Nicole Anne Perez, a catechist from Manila archdiocese.

The last Filipino invited for the Synod, Bishop Pedro Baquero of Kerema Diocese, will be participating as part of the delegate from Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands. Samuel P. Medenilla

Editor: Efleda P. Campos

Companies BusinessMirror

Thursday, September 20, 2018

B1

DOE pushes oil, gas exploration U with new contracting round

Remitly seeks to gain 40% share of PHL remittance market by 2022

T

By Lenie Lectura

@llectura

HE Department of Energy is encouraging downstream oilindustry players to participate in the DOE’s Philippine Conventional Energy Contracting Program (PCECP).

“I think Petron may be interested.

Shell may have another round. They are looking at ‘own use’ prospects to be able to have control on oil prices.

Every week, there’s an adjustment in oil prices,” said DOE Undersecretary Felix William B. Fuentebella on Wednesday during the DOE-EU forum held in Manila.

Shell’s upstream operating com-

pany in the Philippines is Shell Philippines Exploration BV For Caltex; its exploration arm is Chevron Malampaya. Both are members of the Malampaya consortium.

Another oil firm engaged in exploration activity is Total E&P Philippines, which has a stake in Service Contract 56 in South Sulu Sea. Petron has no exploration unit

yet in the country.

The PCECP is the DOE’s revised and transparent petroleum-service contract awarding mechanism that allows the government to develop and utilize indigenous petroleum resources under a service contract with qualified local and international exploration companies. Under the PCECP, awarding of service contracts is conducted either through the competitive selection process or via nomination.

“Aside from inviting foreign investors, we are also inviting the local oil industry. But it’s up to them.

To each their own level of comfort,” said Fuentebella when asked if the oil firms have declared interest in any of the 14 identified areas under the PCEP. The DOE is set to conduct a series of road shows to help boost the ex-

ploration of oil and gas resources in the Philippines.

The agency has chosen Palawan to jump-start the local road shows.

This will be followed by other road shows to be held in Davao on September 27 and Zamboanga next month.

These three venues were selected to host said events as they are strategically located near some of the 14 predetermined areas (PDAs) of the DOE for potential petroleum exploration and development activities.

The PDAs include one area in the Cagayan Basin, three in Eastern Palawan, three in Sulu, two in AgusanDavao, one in Cotabato and four in Western Luzon.

During the road shows, local communities will be oriented on the benefits of hosting exploration and development projects and its greater contribution to nation-building.

Pag-IBIG H1 income reaches ₧16.09 billion

By Rea Cu

T

@ReaCuBM

HE Home Development Mutual Fund (PagIBIG) has reported a net income of P16.09 billion for the first six months of the year, increasing by around 20 percent compared to

the recorded income of P13.3 billion in 2017.

The agency said that over P32.71 billion worth of housing loans were released in the first half of 2018, which translated to 40,094 families served by Pag-IBIG from January to June 2018. This showed an expansion of 11

percent compared to the 36,139 families served during the first semester of 2017.

“I am happy to know that 32 percent of the number of units that Pag-IBIG has financed in the first half of the year are under the socialized housing program. This is

in keeping with the housing sector’s BALAI Filipino [Building Adequate, Livable, Affordable and Inclusive Filipino Communities] program,” Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council Chairman Eduardo D. del Rosario said.

NITED STATES-BASED Remitly said on Wednesday it is targeting to increase its share of the Philippine remittance market from 16 percent to 40 percent by 2022 as it aggressively expands its money- transfer operations worldwide.

“The market [here] is growing [by] about 8 percent a year,” Remitly VP for Global Business Development Gene Nigro told reporters in a sideline interview during their press briefing in Ortigas. “The online market is growing at triple digits. We hope to have about half of that market in the next four years.”

He noted they want to serve more Filipino communities worldwide by enabling them to send money back home via their very own mobile app that is capable of making the fund transfer process faster, easier, more transparent and less costly by eliminating the forms, codes, agents, extra time and fees typical of traditional channels.

This, he added, will be complemented by their effort to double the number of countries to cater to in the next two years to three years.

“Right now, we cover about 47 countries. [We target] at least to do 100, but they have to be profitable countries,” Nigro said.

Remitly started in 2011 its first remittance service for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and immigrants in the United States to send

money to the Philippines.

The company has since expanded globally to help OFWs in Australia and Canada. It will soon expand to 11 new markets across Europe.

To date, the biggest independent digital remittance firm in North America has reached $6 billion in annualized volume through its global money-transfer platform.

More than $2 billion has so far been sent to the Philippines.

The local areas that receive money through Remitly include Cavite, Cebu, Bulacan, Davao del Sur, Negros Occidental, Laguna, Rizal, Metro Manila, Pampanga and Pangasinan. Its disbursement network includes all of the top banks in the country and over 10,000 cash pickup locations across the nation.

Its featured partners are Banco de Oro, Bank of the Philippine Islands, Metrobank, Philippine National Bank, M Lhuillier, Cebuana Lhuillier and LBC. Also part of this roster are SM Department Store, Globe, Villarica Pawnshop, Palawan Pawnshop, and Bayad Center, to name a few.

Recently, Remitly tied up with financial-technology firm, Stripe, to help more Filipino communities overseas, particularly in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom. Roderick L. Abad

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Thursday, September 20, 2018

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DOTr to finish guidelines for devt of regional airports by year-end

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By Lorenz S. Marasigan

@lorenzmarasigan

HE Department of Transportation (DOTr) aims to complete within the year the legal and administrative processes for the implementation of two separate unsolicited proposals for the development of two regional airports in the country.

Transportation Undersecretary Ruben S. Reinoso Jr. said his group intends to finish the review, evaluation and the prospective Swiss challenge for the P49-billion Davao International Airport expansion, and the P12-billion Kalibo International Airport modernization, submitted separately by Chelsea Logistics Corp. and Mega7 Construction Corp., respectively.

“All of these things, the target is we want these to be completed within the year. So that we can start fresh next year. So all of these can move forward,” he said in an interview.

He said his group has already completed the evaluation of the two proposals and has just forwarded the two offers to the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (Caap) for review.

Caap operates the two airports, hence it has jurisdiction over the said air hubs.

“We have endorsed to Caap the unsolicited proposal for Kalibo and

Davao for them to look into it,” Reinoso said. “They are now looking into the details of the proposal, and then they will in all probability invite the proponent for some discussions on the contents of the proposal.”

Once this is done, Reinoso said a conclusion may be drawn “whether it is acceptable to the Caap.”

“And then, it will subsequently endorse the proposals to the Neda Investment Coordination Committee for consideration,” he said, referring to the National Economic and Development Authority.

Chelsea’s proposal was earlier thumbed down by the transportation department due to a policy change. The group earlier submitted a proposal involving two airports. It has since resubmitted a new version of its proposal, and has since been evaluated.

Under its proposal, Chelsea, a company controlled by Davao businessman and President Duterte’s close associate Dennis A. Uy, wants to

develop the Davao International Airport to meet the projected 15-million annual passenger volume by 2050. It will be implemented in three phases.

Mega’s offer was rejected due to lack of information. No other details were provided as of press time.

The unsolicited proposal of Aboitiz Infra Capital Inc. for the operations and maintenance of the New Bohol International Airport is still floating, pending the opening of the new airport and a policy on how to move forward with its operations.

“Bohol is not yet under the jurisdiction of Caap,” Reinoso said. “It’s almost complete. It will probably be completed by October, but the target inauguration is on November 22.”

The Aboitiz group earlier submitted a P148-billion unsolicited proposal for the upgrade, expansion, operation and maintenance of Iloilo International Airport, Bacolod-Silay Airport, Laguindingan Airport and New Bohol International Airport (Panglao).

The four regional airports listed above were part of the five airport, modernization projects, which the government launched through the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Program.

They were tendered in 2014 under two different bundles, as grouping the airport development deals is more commercially palatable to the taste of investors.

T h e p l a n , h o w e v e r, w a s scrapped last year, pending a more thorough review of the government’s aviation plans.

CLI fully spent ₧2.15-B IPO funds raised for expansion

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ROPERTY developer Cebu L a nd m a sters Inc. (CLI ) bared on Wednesday the full utilization of the P2.15-billion capitalization it raised from the sale of over 400 million shares it initially offered to public investors in the local bourse last year.

In a disclosure with the Philippine Stock Exchange, the Visayas and Mindanao (VisMin)-based real-estate firm said around 70

percent of the funds were used for landbanking purposes to boost growth through expansion in new areas where it now builds various development projects.

“Cebu Landmasters is committed to the fast turnaround strategy of the company,” said Jose Soberano III, CLI president and CEO. On June 2, 2017, CLI was listed in the Philippine Stock Exchange

as it offered a total of 430 million shares at P5 apiece.

Following the initial public offering (IPO), the company bought 767,917 square meters of land, of which 41 percent is in Mindanao, including Davao and Cagayan de Oro; 33 percent in the Visayas, including Bohol, Bacolod and Iloilo; and 26 percent in Cebu. This increased the total landbank to 976,302 sq m. Roderick L. Abad

briefs

TAIWAN FIRM DEFERS I.P.O. PLAN TO RAISE P6.77B

TAIWANESE firm Cal-Comp Technology Philippines Inc. on Wednesday said it is deferring its initial public offering, citing jittery market conditions. Cal-Comp’s deferment comes days after the Securities and Exchange Commission approved its IPO on September 16. It was supposed to raise P6.77 billion in proceeds, which it said would be used for expansion as CalComp builds new factories in the Philippines to ramp up production and introduce new products to the domestic market. VG Cabuag

GOVT TO PUSH FOR INVESTMENT IN MINI-POWER GRIDS IN 3-DAY FORUM

THE Department of Energy and the Alliance for Rural Electrification with the support of the European Union and the Philippine National Electrification Administration, will continue to strongly promote opportunities for investment in renewable-energy mini-grids. About 200 foreign and local investors and electric cooperatives are expected to participate in the Philippines Mini-grid Business-to-Business forum from September 20 to 22. The participants are expected to include technology providers, project developers and at least 16 investors. About 80 percent of participants are expected to come from Asia and 20 percent from Europe, the United States and Australia. Lenie Lectura

ONLINE HIRING 18% IN PHL

DESPITE recent economic headwinds experienced by the economy, online hiring in the Philippines increased 18 percent on the back of robust online hiring activities in retail, health and logistics, according to Monster.com.

In a statement on Wednesday, Monster.com said July was a good month for Retail, where online hiring grew 39 percent; Health Care, 33 percent; and Logistics, 31 percent. The data was based on the Monster Employment Index, which is a gauge of online job posting activities compiled monthly by Monster.com. Cai U. Ordinario

The World

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China’s premier appeals for free trade amid tariff war

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EIJING—China’s No. 2 leader appealed on Wednesday for support for free trade and promised to improve conditions for foreign companies following tit-for-tat US and Chinese tariff hikes in an escalating battle over Beijing’s technology policy.

Premier Li Keqiang’s comments add to Beijing’s effort

BusinessMirror

to portray itself as a defender of global trade and multilateralism in the face of complaints by Washington and other trading partners about industry policies they say violate its market-opening commitments.

Speaking at a business conference, Li made no direct mention of the dispute but appealed to governments

Editor: Angel R. Calso • Thursday, September 20, 2018

to resolve disputes through negotiation and reject unilateralism.

“It is essential that we uphold the basic principles of multilateralism and free trade,” the premier said in a speech at the World Economic Forum in the eastern city of Tianjin.

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Disputes “need to be worked out through consultation,” Li said. “No unilateralism will offer a viable solution.”

China announced a tariff hike of $60 billion on American imports on Tuesday in response to US President Donald J. Trump’s increase on $200 billion of Chinese goods. AP

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LEARN HOW TO USE LETTERS OF CREDIT IN BUSINESS

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ETTERS of Credit (LC) is one of the safest and most reliable commercial payment instrument and most commonly used in international trade transactions. With the Asean integration and expected increase in global trade, many businesses want to learn how to use this mode of payment. To help businesses effectively use LCs, the Center for Global Best Practices, in collaboration with the International Chamber of Commerce, will host a two-day training, titled “Mastering the Use of LC for Import and Export”, to be held on October 10 and 11 at Marriott Hotel.

This program will guide you on everything you need to know about LC transactions and operations. Attendees will learn practical steps and valuable tips in issuing proper LCs and how they work, what to do to avoid pitfalls, and actions to take in cases of discrepancies. The program will also cover new regulations and the application of UCP 600 involving letters of credit. Most important, you will learn how to handle the pitfalls and traps in the use of the various types of LC in the international trade transactions. This program is highly recommended for importers, exporters, traders, manufacturers, entrepreneurs, bankers, insurers, transporters of goods, financial officers, company treasurers, lawyers (in case of trade disputes) and

those interested in fully understanding how LCs work. Visit www.cgbp.ph for details and a complete list of international trade training programs.

This program will feature Singapore-based expert Victor Tan, who is an authority in the field of international trade. He has 15 years of banking experience in Europe covering areas of international trade finance, remittances, guarantees, and import and export. He has worked with various international banks, such as Standard Chartered Bank, Amsterdam-Rotterdam Bank, Bangkok Bank, Royal Trust Merchant Bank and Barclays Bank, the last of which he served as deputy head of the trade finance department. He conducts highly specialized training programs for clients in Jakarta, Bangkok and Singapore.

He will teach attendees all the best practices and applications of LC for one’s advantage.

This program is open to general public. Public officials and government employees attending training programs like this are exempted from the P2,000 limit set by the Commission on Audit, based on the DBM Circular 563 dated April 22, 2016.

Interested participants are encouraged to avail themselves of the early-bird savings and group discount for three or more registrants. Seats are limited and preregistration is required.

HAIER, MARKES AT THE 22ND FOOD AND DRINKS ASIA 2018 Haier and Markes, world-class makers of home appliances, participated in the 22nd Food and Drinks Asia 2018 at the World Trade Center held from September 6 to 9. Both Haier and Markes brands are distributed by Continental Sales Inc. and can be availed of at all major appliance stores nationwide, with over 120 service centers all over the country. For more information of any ongoing promotions and product lineup, contact them at (02) 362-5886/3625887, visit www.lkg-group.com/csi, follow them on Twitter @MarkesPH and @haierLKG, or Like them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MarkesPH, www. facebook.com/haierLKG.

ILOCOS GOVERNOR IMEE MARCOS SEEKS ASSISTANCE FROM PRESIDENT DUTERTE AFTER TYPHOON OMPONG ONSLAUGHT

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LOCOS Norte Governon Imee Marcos briefed President Duterte on the massive destruction left by typhoon Ompong (international code name Mangkhut) in Ilocos Norte, a day after very strong winds and heavy rains slammed the entire province.

The President also witnessed the heavy damage sustained by the province as he flew to Laoag City from Tuguegarao, where he was met at the capitol by the governor.

Marcos reported to the President she’s “thankful for the miracle that there was no casualty in the province, though the damage to agriculture and infrastructure is extensive.” She attributed the zero casualty to preemptive evacuation.

She proposed to the President to allow

14,000 evacuees to work in rebuilding the damaged infrastructures to earn for their food and repair of their houses, stressing her townsmen are not used to queuing for relief goods. Four teams of doctors and medical staff have been formed to check on the health of evacuees, while classes remain suspended as of Monday.

She requested to the President that farmers need agricultural seeds, especially the early-maturing avanta, and assistance on irrigation and livestock, like freerange chickens, ducks, piglets, sheep, and fisheries equipment and stricter guarding against poaching, while new seedlings need to be planted on mountain sides.

The President promised the lady governor he will talk to the head of the

Land Bank of the Philippines and the Development Bank of the Philippines to help farmers while Agriculture Secretary Manny Piñol, who was present at the meeting together with other cabinet members, promised he will ask the Agricultural Credit Policy Council (ACPC) to return in a few days with concrete assistance to farmers in Ilocos Norte, Cagayan and other provinces devastated by the typhoon.

Piñol said that farmers can avail themselves of a P25,000 loan without collateral, which can be immediately arrangedthroughACPC.Pinolalsosuggested that hard-hit areas, like Ilocos Norte, be given a bigger share from the forthcoming rice imports, to which the President agreed.

SÄNTIS DELICATESSEN LAUNCHES LOYALTY PROGRAM FOR REGULAR SHOPPERS

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ÄNTIS Delicatessen, an established high-end shop offering gourmet products from all over the world, has launched its customer loyalty program.

With the Gourmet Card, shoppers can now earn points when shopping at any Säntis Delicatessen store. All points earned can be redeemed and used for future purchases in the store. The loyalty program also offers exclusive perks to gourmet cardholders, such as double points, during purchases within birth month and all points earned during one’s birthday will be multiplied up to five times.

The gourmet card can also be used

to earn and redeem points in dining at Yakal, namely, I’m Angus Steakhouse, Chesa Bianca Swiss Restaurant, Carpaccio Ristorante Italiano and Cave Werdenberg.

All restaurants are in Yakal Street, San Anotnio Village, Makati City. To further reward regular shoppers, they will also get a free glass of wine/beverage or dessert during their birthday, from any of the three restaurants.

“We have been working on our loyalty program for almost 15 years. But due to the diverse requirements, such as software, integration to point of sale system, permits and other inevitable restrictions, we end up

starting over again. And this year we have finally succeeded to come up with our very own loyalty card program. We are delighted to offer the gourmet card to gratify our frequent shoppers in Santis and guests in dining at Yakal restaurants,” said Werner Berger, president of Säntis Delicatessen.

To apply for a card, all customers who purchased at least P15,000 in a single transaction or P25,000 worth of accumulatedreceipts from May 15 to August 15 are entitled to the loyalty program.

LearnmoreabouttheSäntisDelicatessen loyalty card program at http://santis-deli. com/gourmetcard.html.

ROCKIN’ 60s MINI CONCERT AT SUNSHINE PLACE 4TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION

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O celebrate its fourth anniversary, apart from having its own annual, private celebration on September 15 with instructors, students and special guest performances, the Sunshine Place puts the cherry on top with a special straight mini concert from the Rockin’ 60s Band on September 22 at the Happy Garden Café.

This band started off with its hunger and

nostalgiaofclassicrockandroll,jukeboxmusic, andswinginganddancing,andisawell-known performer in hotels, bars and huge events in the country. Today the Rockin’ 60s Band is famous for taking their audience down to memory lane with popular, and hard-to-find and not-so-heard songs from yesterday and, thus, has brought them to an Aliw Awardee for Best Group Performer in Hotels, Bars and

Loungesforthreeconsecutiveyears(from2014 to 2016). Consequently, the band was elevated to the Aliw Hall of Fame in December 2017. For the Sunshine Place anniversary, their vocalists will perform minus-accompaniment of great song selections from the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. The Rockin’ 60s Band is celebrating its eighth anniversary this month.

Band members include Titus Santiago, a corporate executive turned entrepreneur, leader and manager of the band. He also happens to be the “Ricky Nelson of the Philippines”. Weng Eraña is a culinary school graduatewhocaters parties.Wengisanpopular singer who has sung with RJ and the Hi-Jacks, and MOBB, among other popular bands. Dero Pedero conducts life seminars and is a singing coach to famous personalities. However, he is more popularly known as a grand prizewinningcomposer,advertisingjingleproducer and book author. Cathy Castaneda has been a member of various bands over four decades and is currently with Tonyboy Cojuangco’s Glass Onion Band. She has also done backup vocals as session musician for different artists, both local and international, including Julia Fordham,DavidPomeranzandKennyRankin.

The newest member of the band, Boy Najarro, is a versatile and veteran singer.

For ticket reservations, e-mail at seniorhubjupiter@gmail.com.

‘MOYMOY LULUMBOY’ CONTINUES ITS JOURNEY WITH FIFTH INSTALLATION

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AMPARA Books’ epic fantasy series Moymoy Lulumboy returns with its fifth book. Dubbed Moymoy Lulumboy: Ang LihimNgLibro,theadolescentnoveltakesreaders to the enchanting world of Gabun, where local mythological creatures, like aswang, duwende, manananggal, kapre and tikbalang, co-exist with each other and fight for communal peace.

The latest installment continues with the journey of Moymoy Lulumboy as he struggles to cope up with the death of his mother Liliw and contend with his legacy as the hero that will save Gabun from evil forces. Moymoy Lulumboy, whose shapeshifting powers resemble that of an aswang, is slowly transforming into a character with

a little darkness and aggression in his soul, but whose kindness and compassion remain throughout the coming-of-age conquest.

The young-adult series has received glowingreviewsfrombookcriticsandreaders, with the Philippine Daily Inquirer including it in the top 10 books of 2014 and praising its “solideffortsatfurthermodernizingourown myths.” Interaksyon’s Romsanne Ortiguero also raved about the franchise, particularly the fourth installment, Moymoy Lulumboy: MgaDulotngDigmaan,fortakingtheaudience into a “gripping reading experience as new characters and challenges were introduced.”

With the growing public interest on the franchise, ABS-CBN recently acquired

Moymoy Lulumboy with plans of developing the series into a TV series, film, digital piece, merchandise or an attraction.

Palanca-awardeeandbest-sellingauthor Segundo Matias Jr. recently launched the fifth book on September 14 at the SMX Convention Center. It was one of the highlights of the Manila International Book Festival, where top local and international authorsdebuttheirworktothegeneralpublic.

Moymoy Lulumboy: Ang Lihim Ng Libro is available on Precious Pages retail outlets, National Book Store, Pandayan book shop and leading books stores nationwide. For inquiries, you may contact them at inquiry@ lamparabooks.com.ph.

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

Sports BusinessMirror

NORTH Korean leader Kim Jong Un (right) and South Korean President Moon Jae-in shake hands at the end of their joint press conference in Pyongyang on Wednesday. AP

Thursday, September 20, 2018

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PEOPLE walk by a poster for the Sapporo Asian Winter Games, displayed at the main media center in Sapporo on Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido, in February last year.

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YONGYANG, North Korea—North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in said in a statement on Wednesday that the countries planned to jointly bid for the 2032 Summer Olympics.

At a major summit, the two leaders gave no details of which cities might host certain events at the games, or how advanced the plans were. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) traditionally does not announce host cities until seven years ahead of the games.

That would give the Koreas until 2025 to put together a joint bid.

Germany has already announced plans for a multicity bid for 2032, as has Brisbane, Australia. The India Olympic Committee has also indicated its interest in hosting the 2032 Games.

A successful bid by the Koreas would mark the second time South Korea hosted or cohosted the Summer Games, the first being 1988 in Seoul. South Korea also hosted the Pyeongchang Winter Games in February. Asia also features in the next two Olympics—the 2020 Summer Games in Tokyo and the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing, which also hosted the summer version in 2008.

The joint statement on Wednesday also said the Koreas would look to cooperate in major sports events, such as the 2020 Games, also without elaborating.

ALLIANZ AS WORLDWIDE SPONSOR

THE International Olympic Committee (IOC) said insurance company

A SUCCESSFUL BID BY THE KOREAS WOULD MARK THE SECOND TIME SOUTH KOREA HOSTED OR COHOSTED THE SUMMER GAMES, THE FIRST BEING 1988 IN SEOUL. SOUTH KOREA ALSO HOSTED THE PYEONGCHANG WINTER GAMES IN FEBRUARY.

Allianz signed as a worldwide sponsor from 2021 through the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.The value of the deal, which includes becoming a partner of the Paralympics, was not given.

The International Olympic Committee has 13 worldwide sponsors for a four-year commercial cycle leading to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Top-tier sponsors were worth $1 billion to the IOC for the cycle tied to the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.

The IOC says Allianz will support Olympic Games organizers with insurance for transport and property, and “future products and services, driven by technological changes.”

The Germany-based insurer holds naming rights to home stadiums of Bayern Munich and Juventus, plus venues in Sydney; Nice, France; São Paulo; and Saint Paul, Minnesota.

SAPPORO BACKS OUT FOR ’26 GAMES

THE Japanese city of Sapporo has dropped its bid to host the 2026 Winter Olympics following a recent earthquake.

After meeting with Sapporo representatives, the IOC said on Monday the city, which became the first in Asia to host the Winter Olympics in 1972, will now focus on a bid for the 2030 Games.

Japanese officials have said 41 people were killed when an earthquake hit Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido, where Sapporo is located, on September 6. Even before the earthquake, Sapporo officials had said they might prefer to focus on 2030.

The IOC said in a statement it “expressed its understanding that recovery from the earthquake in the region should be the immediate principal focus but greatly appreciated the continued strong commitment as a future host for the Olympic Winter Games.”

Four bids remain in contention for 2026: Stockholm, Sweden; Calgary, Canada; a three-way Italian bid from Turin, Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo; and Erzurum, Turkey.

Sapporo’s exit means there is no chance of having three consecutive Winter Olympics in East Asia after this year’s games in Pyeongchang, South Korea, and the upcoming 2022 event in Beijing.

With four remaining bids for 2026, the race so far remains in healthier shape for the IOC than the 2022 bidding, which came down to only Beijing and Almaty, Kazakhstan, both of which faced criticism for their governments’ human-rights records and a perceived lack of winter sports tradition.

However, each of the remaining bids faces its own challenges.

Government support for Stockholm’s bid appears less certain after recent elections in which the governing party lost ground, while there has been infighting between the three Italian cities despite their nominal alliance.

Calgary’s bid faces a nonbinding referendum on November 13—Olympic bids elsewhere have often struggled to win over voters. Erzurum’s key problem is Turkey’s status as a winter sports outsider, which has never won an Olympic medal on snow or ice. AP

RIOT GAMES LANDS MAJOR DEAL

THE names and faces of gamers are shown as they compete in a round of the League of Legends championship series video-game competition at the Penny Arcade Expo in Seattle. AP

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EW YORK—Esports giant Riot Games is adding its first global sponsor, even as the company behind League of Legends contends with backlash over claims it has fostered a sexist culture.

Riot announced on Wednesday that Mastercard has signed on to be the first global advertising partner for League of Legends, the world’s most-watched esport. It’s a crucial step for Riot in a year when competitors like Overwatch and Fortnite have grabbed a bigger share of the esports pie. It also comes roughly a month after the company came under fire for its treatment of women employees.

Kotaku published a story on August 7 detailing a sexist culture at Riot Games that included women being passed over for promotions, unwanted sexual advances and men questioning women about the legitimacy of their video-game fandom. Other former employees have since come forward with similar claims, troubling some in an esports community that was grappling with sexism long before the #MeToo movement set off a national reckoning.

Riot published a statement on its web site later that month apologizing to fans and employees and detailing plans to improve the company’s culture. It has formed a team to address diversity and inclusion, and recently brought in Frances Frei, a Harvard Business School professor who has also worked with Uber to improve inclusivity.

It plans to evaluate its “core cultural tenets,” investigative process and recruiting.

Mastercard is encouraged by what Riot has outlined, enough to move forward with a partnership two years in the making. But Mastercard Chief Marketing and Communications Officer Raja Rajamannar said he’ll be monitoring Riot’s efforts and won’t hesitate to cut ties if the company culture doesn’t improve.

“For us it’s very simple,” Rajamannar told The Associated Press.

“It’s not just Riot. Any partner that we work with, if there are these

fundamental, ethical issues that come about, we won’t hesitate walking away.”

Rajamannar said he spoke frankly about concerns over Riot’s culture during negotiations with Naz Aletaha, head of esports partnerships at Riot, and she convinced him Riot was making an earnest effort to improve its inclusivity.

“Things like sexism and all that stuff, we have zero tolerance for it, not just within our own company but with the partners that we work with,” he said. “So we had open conversations with Riot and said how are you planning to address these things? These concepts that are bad. They stated both to us as to the public of the steps they’re trying to take, how they are focused, etc. That gives us comfort.

These guys are serious about it and they will focus on trying to get this stuff done the right way.”

Aletaha has been with Riot for nearly seven years and believes the company is “very dedicated to righting the ship.”

“I personally did not experience the things that I read in that article,” she told The Associated Press. “However, as a woman in this space, I was really saddened and disappointed that my female colleagues didn’t share some of the same experience that I had. But I’m very optimistic about the future and I have total faith that Riot will transform in the long run.”

The multiyear partnership with Mastercard is a big deal for League of Legends. The game has more than 100 million global players and drew over 80 million viewers for its 2017 world championships, but its competitors have had a strong year. The Overwatch League debuted with global ad partners in HP, Intel and T-Mobile, then capped its season by broadcasting its championship match live on ESPN in prime time, a first for esports on the traditional sports channel. Meanwhile, Fortnite reached 125 million players in its first year and is quickly building up its own esport structure.

Aletaha said the partnership “validates” Riot’s space in the esport ecosystem. It’s also a first step into the space for Mastercard, which spent years toeing the water before making the leap with League of Legends. The content of the multiplayer online battle arena video game was a swaying factor. Rajamannar said the company had concerns about excessive violence in other titles, something that could hinder the push to get esports into the Olympics .

“It’s more fantasy based,” Rajamannar said of League of Legends.

“More strategy, team spirit and sportsmanship. It’s different than just killing and shooting and the gore, blood spilling, it’s not that kind of a thing. So it fit in very well. In terms of the character that it has got, fits much better with the way we wanted to go.” AP

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PRINCE OF GYMNASTICS B R R B

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AGUIO CITY—Karl Eldrew Yulo lived up to expectations and collected seven gold medals for Manila in boys’ artistic gymnastics in the Batang Pinoy National Championships.

The 10-year-old brother of national gymnast Carlos Yulo ruled the floor exercise, vault, pommel horse, parallel bars, rings and horizontal bar to also dominate the individual all-around event to become the most decorated athlete so far in the games organized by the Philippine Sports Commission. Yulo credited his coach, Reyland Capellan, but

the fifth-grader from Aurora Quezon Elementary School said his brother’s advise is incomparable. “I miss kuya because he now lives and trains in Japan. He gave me the techniques when I was just starting,” said Yulo, who won a total of nine gold medals in the past two Palarong Pambansa.

But Yulo wants to do better than his brother. “He is my idol but I want to beat him,” he said, smiling.

In triathlon, Joseph Miguel Quirino and Marielle Estreba topped the boys and girls 13-15 categories. A silver medalist in cycling’s criterium last Tuesday, Quirino of Malaybalay City dominated

the 400-meter swim/6-km bike/2-km run race in 19 minutes and 32 seconds.

His teammate, Jan Paul Alexandrie Orong, finished second in 20:26 seconds, while Zedrick James Borja of San Pedro (Laguna) got the bronze in 20:34 seconds.

“I like this victory. All my sacrifices paid off,” Quirino said.

Cebu Province’s Estreba, on the other hand, won her first triathlon competition in 50:40 seconds.

“I’m happy because it’s my first time to be a champion. I’m always second or third. I just focused on my goal,” Estreba said.

Moira Frances Erediano of Lapu-Lapu City and Honny May Yanong of Laguna province completed the podium with similar times of 51:16.

Mary Grace Joson of Camarines Sur, meanwhile, captured her second gold in girls’ javelin throw. The 15-year-old Joson threw the spear to 36 meters, easily beating Tina Rosete (34.80 m) of Ilagan City and Marian Milloroso (34.41 m) of

Humancia, Aklan.

Arjay Rios of Pangasinan prevailed in the boys division with a throw of 52.11 m. Christian Zamora of Leyte province (50.08 m) and Jan Mervin Francisco of Dasmariñas City (48.39 m) got silver and bronze, respectively.

Medals in archery were split evenly at the Baguio State University.

Gabrielle Monica Bidaure of Negros Oriental clinched two golds in girls 30m and 40m distance, Seam Jonathan Tanco of Marikina City ruled the boys 20m and 30m events, whie Jared Cole Sia of Dagupan collected two golds in 30m and 50m categories.

Girls Tennis Challenge unwraps

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IXTEEN girls representing various cities nationwide will compete in the Cebuana Lhuillier Girls’ Tennis Challenge Under 14 and Under 16 Qualifying Tournament that starts on Friday at the Makati Sports Complex.

Winners for both categories will represent the Philippines in the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) Future Stars in Singapore in October.

Cebuana Lhuillier President Jean Henri Lhuillier expressed elation on the good turnout of competitors.

“Since 2016 we have witnessed the potential and talent of many junior tennis players from all over the Philippines through the Cebuana Lhuillier Girls’ Tennis Challenge,” Lhuillier said.

Competing in the Under 14 category are

Macie Carlos of Mandaluyong City, Julia Asaliah Ignacio of Lucena City, Tiffany Claire Nocos of Cebu, Corazon Lambonao of Ormoc, Tennielle Madis of North Cotabato, Casey Padilla of Cagayan de Oro, Mica Ella Emana of Manila and Sittie Nur Jillian Manangking of Cotabato province.

Entered in the Under 16 division are Rovie Baulete of Iligan City, Bliss Bayking of Negros Occidental, Anna Laura de Myer of Pangasinan, Ellaine Rose Bahonsia of Siquijor, Pherl Bless Coderos of Cebu, Shodel Aighey Gica of Cebu City, Justine Hannah Maneja of Quezon City and Minette April Bentillo.

This year’s tournament is sanctioned by Unified Tennis Philippines and supported by Malayan Insurance, Dunlop and the Makati Sports Club.

RED LIONS SEEK VICTORY NO. 11

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AN Beda University tries to stretch its streak to six while Emilio Aguinaldo College (EAC) hopes to halt a five-game losing slump as the two collide on Thursday in the 94th National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) seniors basketball tournament at the Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan City.

The Red Lions downed their archrivals, the Letran Knights, 74-68, on September 11 that sealed them their fifth straight win and 11th in 12 outings and another win in their 4 p.m. duel with the Generals, who have lost five straight to slide to 2-9 (win-loss), would keep them very much in the hunt.

The defending champions are currently one game behind the Pirates, who lead the league with a perfect 12-0 record and should inch closer by half a game with a win.

San Beda enters the game as the favorite, having smashed the Generals, 61-46, in the first round on July 31. Cameroonian Donald Tankoua will try to ride the crest of his 19-point performance in a win over Letran that earned him the nod from the NCAA Press Corps as its Player of the Week.

San Beda Coach Boyet Fernandez, however, wasn’t surprised on the effort Tankoua, who has averaged 12.8 points and 9.2 rebounds an outing, is putting up.

“Since the first day, Donald has been doing what we’ve expected of him, which is to score inside, rebound and defend,” Fernandez said.

In the other game, San Sebastian eyes a third straight victory and fourth overall against nine setbacks as it faces off with Jose Rizal University, which is currently at 10th with a 2-10 card, at 2 p.m.

The Stags survived College of Saint Benilde Blazers, 66-65, on September 11 to claim their first streak of the season.

Michael Calisaan led the team in that win as he unloaded 18 points, including the free throw that sealed the deal.

LSGH-A CAPTURES FOURTH SBP TITLE

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ADAMSON University’s Sean Manganti slams one in during their game against University of the East. ALYSA SALEN

FALCONS TURN BACK

PASAOL,WARRIORS A

LVIN PASAOL exploded for another scoring exhibition for University of the East (UE), but Sean Manganti and the Adamson University Soaring Falcons had the last laugh in a 90-76 win over the Red Warriors in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 81 men’s basketball tournament on Wednesday at the Mall of Asia Arena.

Pasaol had a brilliant game of 36 points and 11 rebounds, yet it was the Adamson University side that walked away with the victory to stay perfect in two games.

“Nothing against UE but we made it a very difficult game on our part. I guess some of the guys’ mentality coming into this game was UE will just roll over and give the ball to us but it’s different,” Soaring Falcons Head Coach Franz Pumaren said.

“I think that they should look into a different perspective that here in the UAAP, your last game doesn’t count, your record doesn’t count any given time and any team can outduel the opposing team,” he added.

Manganti scored a career-high 27 points for Adamson University, which beat defending champion Ateneo, 74-70, last week.

Jerrick Ahanmisi complimented Manganti’s effort with his 17 points and four rebounds, while Papi Sarr finished with 15 points and 21 rebounds.

Manganti was responsible for much of the scoring bulk in the second half when UE threatened to close the gap after Allan Beltran’s basket made it 44-50 with less than five minutes left in the third quarter.

Manganti’s 22 points came in the final 20 minutes as the Soaring Falcons never looked back for an easy way to victory.

Only Jason Strait finished in double figures for the Red Warriors with 10 and seven rebounds. UE fell to a 0-2 record.

De La Salle, meanwhile, gained a piece of the top spot while Adamson University earned its first victory under new coach Ewon Arayi in women’s basketball action also at the Mall of Asia

Arena. Camille Claro and Marie Arciga each scored 12 points, while Angel Quingco had a double-double effort of 10 points and 17 rebounds to go with two blocks as the Lady Archers held off University of the East, 64-61.

Nathalie Prado had 20 points and 12 rebounds as the Lady Falcons halted Far Eastern University’s two-game winning streak with a 59-55 decision.

De La Salle, seventh placers last season, tied idle Ateneo for the lead at 2-0.

Adamson University, for its part, improved to 1-1 card. The Lady Warriors, who drew 14 points and seven rebounds from Princess Ganade, stumbled to their third straight defeat, matching their total elimination round losses last season.

Veteran Clare Castro flirted a tripledouble with 19 points, 18 rebounds and eight blocks but her efforts were not enough to bail out the Lady Tamaraws from absorbing their first loss of the season.

Ramon Rafael Bonilla

A SALLE Green Hills (LSGH)-Team A thumped Ateneo de Manila University, 64-44, on Sunday to annex its fourth straight title in the 33rd Season of the Small Basketeers Philippines (SBP)Passerelle Twin Tournament at the Colegio San Agustin Gymnasium in Makati.

Andre Mikael Minas scattered a game-high 13 points, while Joaquin Alessandro Torres had nine for the Greenies.

LSGH-Team A wound up with a perfect 4-0 card in the eliminations and clobbered De La Salle Santiago Zobel (DLSZ)-Team A, 49-33, in their semifinal tussle on September 9 to forge a title match with the Blue Eaglets in the tourney sponsored by Milo and supported by Rain or Shine and Chris Sports.

With the runaway victory, the Greenies advanced to the SBP-Passerelle Twin Tournament National Finals set early-December in Pampanga.

In the Passerelle division final, Nazareth School of National University (NSNU) proved untouchable in ruling the tourney with a 74-57 whipping of LSGHTeam A. Kenji Duremdes, Reinhard Jumanoy and Poul Justin Palacielo scored 12 points apiece for the Bullpups, who went unscathed in the eliminations with a 5-0 record before ripping Ateneo de Manila University, 68-51, in their semifinal duel also on September 9 to arrange a championship game with the Greenies.

With Duremdes, son of Philippine Basketball Association legend Kenneth, Jumanoy and Palacielo leading the way, NSNU zoomed to a fast start and took a 41-26 spread at the half.

A Javiel Luis Jugo three-pointer pulled LSGHTeam A to within 30-41 at the 8:44 mark of the third canto, but the Bullpups still enjoyed a 65-46 lead going into the payoff period.

NSNU never looked back from there en route to its first-ever crown and advanced to the National Finals. Mark Kenshin Padrones carried the fight for the Greenies with 11 points while Jan Clement Macalalag added 10.

In the SBP division, Minas bagged the MVP plum while DLSZ-Team A and Claret School of Quezon City finished third and fourth, respectively. Marist School took home the Sportsmanship award.

Jumanoy was adjudged MVP of the Passerelle division while San Beda University and Ateneo de Manila University finished third and fourth, respectively.

OOPS! San Diego Padres right fielder Hunter Renfroe couldn’t reach the ball on a two-run single by San Francisco Giants’ Chris Shaw during the eighth inning of their Major League Baseball game on Tuesday in San Diego. The Giants won, 5-4. AP

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Thursday, September 20, 2018

I SOUTHWOODS UP BY 5 F

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OUT-OF-TOWN GAMES SPICE UP P.V.L. OPEN

I V E-TIME champion Manila Southwoods drew balanced scoring from three players to take a fiveshot lead over defending titlist Pradera Verde at the start of the 13th Philippine Airlines (PAL) Ladies Interclub golf team championships at the Rancho Palos Verdes in Davao City.

Smarting from its 43-point defeat last year in Cebu City, the Carmona-based squad assembled a young, talented team, which did not disappoint.

Sofia Chabon, the team’s most decorated member, shot even par 72 for 54 points and got solid support from Eagle Ace Superal and Mafy Singson, who each scored 51 as Southwoods collected 156 points. Asian Games champion Yuka Saso made five birdies against two bogeys for 57 points to lead the defending champions, but the rest of her teammates struggled.

Malaysian Charlyne Chongshinling and 11-year-old Rianne Malixi had 47 points apiece.

Annika Guangko of Southwoods and South Korean Luna Sheen of Pradera failed to count following identical 46s.

“We had a very, very good first day,” said Claire Ong, Southwood’s nonplaying captain. “Our plan was to just really stay close and not let something like last year to happen. Being in the lead is a very good thing.”

After its wire-to-wire win last year, Pradera suddenly finds itself in a big fight with Southwoods.

“I expected it to be very close because they [Southwoods] are better prepared this time,” said Pradera captain Norman Sto. Domingo, who only had two holdovers from last year’s champion team.

Meanwhile, Del Monte Golf Club seized the lead in the Founders division after collecting 136 points, 12 ahead of Negros Occidental. Alabang Country Club

was running third with 121.

In the Sportswriter class, Pueblo de Oro was on top with 121, followed by Rancho Palos Verdes 1 and Lady Eagles Australian Golfers 2 with 109 and 101, respectively.

Rancho Palos Verdes 2 led Friendship with 94, with Bacolod and Apo taking second and third spots with 82 and 81, respectively.

Major sponsors for the 13th PAL Ladies Interclub include Airbus, Bombardier, People Asia, UM Broadcasting Network and Primax Broadcasting Network.

Other sponsors are TFC, Mastercard, Resorts World, SEDA Hotel, SM Supermalls and Banco de Oro. Donors are Asia Brewery and Philippine National Bank.

The results: ■ Championship: Manila Southwoods Masters 156, Pradera Verde Golf Club 151 ■ Founders: Del Monte Golf Club 136, Negros Occidental Golf and Country Club 124, Alabang Country Club Team 1 121, Wack Wack Golf and Country Club 119, The Orchard Golf and Country Club 117, Lady Eagles Australian Golfers 1 116 ■ Sportswriters: Pueblo De Oro Golf Team 121, Rancho Palos Verdes Golf Club 1 109, Lady Eagles Australian Golfers 2 101, Eagle Ridge Golf and Country Club 95, Manila Golf Club 89, Fairways and Bluewater 89, Tagaytay Highlands International Golf Club 73, Iloilo Golf and Country Club 72, Camp Aguinaldo Golf Club 42, Alta Vista Golf and Country Club 37 ■ Friendship: Rancho Palos Verdes Golf Club 2 94, Bacolod Golf Club Inc. 82, Apo Golf and Country Club 81, Victorias Golf and Country Club 59, Alabang Country Club Team 2 35, Orchard Country Club Team 2 35, International: Lady Eagles Australian Golfers 1 116, Lady Eagles Australian Golfers 2 101.

N its continuing effort to bring the sport closer to the fans and give them front-view seats of top-notch volleyball action from the country’s leading players, the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) will hold six out-of-town games for Season 2 Open Conference, which unwraps on Saturday.

The Malolos Sports and Convention Center in Bulacan will host the Iriga-Tacloban and PocariPetroGazz matches on September 26 before action shifts to the Imus Sports Center in Cavite on September 9 featuring the Iriga-Pocari faceoff and Creamline-PetroGazz duel.

The Baliwag Star Arena, also in Bulacan, will next stage the Pocari-BanKo-Perlas clash and the Ateneo-Creamline game on October 21 while Batangas will host the next PVL stop on October 28 featuring the Tacloban-Iriga and Ateneo-Creamline 2 matches.

Legazpi City, meanwhile, will hold the second Pocari-Creamline duel on November 11, and Creamline and BanKo-Perlas will tangle in

Cagayan de Oro on November 17.

All other games will be held at the league’s home at the Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan, according to the organizing Sports Vision President Ricky Palou.

The country’s premier league has previously held out-of-town games in Batangas, Tuguegarao, Iloilo and Bacolod.

Meanwhile, eight teams gear up for the grueling double-round elims of the season-ending conference of the league backed by Mikasa and Asics with Tacloban and PetroGazz clashing at 4 p.m. and BanKo-Perlas colliding with Iriga-Navy in Saturday’s opener in San Juan.

Others in the fold are Ateneo-Motolite, PocariAir Force, Adamson-Akari and Creamline, which ruled the recent Reinforced Conference.

The comebacking Lady Eagles and the Lady Warriors square off in an early clash of fancied teams at 4 p.m. on Sunday with the Angels and Perlas Spikers mixing it up at 6 p.m.

A different cup for Thomas

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SOFIA CHABON leads Manila Southwoods’s charge in the first round of the 13th Philippine Airlines Ladies Interclub.

TLANTA—Justin Thomas is one of three Americans who will make his Ryder Cup debut, even though he doesn’t seem like a rookie.

He already has a major. He won the FedEx Cup last year. He has reached No. 1 in the world.

And this won’t be his first Ryder Cup, anyway.

“I was with my dad when he was working for the PGA [Professional Golfers’ Association],” Thomas said of the 2008 matches at Valhalla, when he was 15.

“I played in the Junior Ryder Cup when it was at Celtic Manor. So I’ve been to three of them. I know how crazy it is.”

He also knows it doesn’t really count until he gets to Le Golf National outside Paris at the end of the month.

Thomas is the latest American who made his

professional team debut in the Presidents Cup, and now gets to experience playing a Ryder Cup that contains more energy, more volume, more nerves, more everything.

And away from home, no less.

“It’s going to be a lot different,” Thomas said.

“Not even close.”

He plans to rely on his US teammates, especially those who have gone through the change from starting in the Presidents Cup and going to the Ryder Cup the following year. One of those teammates he knows quite well.

Jordan Spieth made his team debut in the 2013 Presidents Cup, and then went to Gleneagles the next year.

“It helped a little bit, but not much,” Spieth said. “That first tee-shot feel at the Ryder Cup for an away game made the Presidents Cup look like nothing else. And maybe it was the away game.” AP

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Sports BusinessMirror

Thursday, September 20, 2018

www.businessmirror.com.ph

MESSI SCORES RECORD EIGHTH CHAMPIONS LEAGUE HAT TRICK

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ARCELONA, Spain—Barcelona fans can stop worrying.

Lionel Messi is just fine—and he scored a record eighth Champions League hat trick to prove it.

Three days after a rare poor performance in the Spanish league, Messi returned to normal service on Tuesday with three goals in a 4-0 win over PSV Eindhoven in their Champions League opener.

That took the Argentine past longtime rival Cristiano Ronaldo, who has seven Champions League hat tricks.

Ousmane Dembele also scored for Barcelona, which was already 3-0 up when it was reduced to 10 men as defender Samuel Umtiti was sent off with a second yellow card for a hard foul in the 79th.

The Group B result extended Barcelona’s unbeaten run at

home to 27 matches in the Champions League. The Catalan club has won 25 games and drawn only two during the streak.

Messi had struggled in the team’s league win at Real Sociedad on Saturday, a worrying sign just ahead of the team’s important Champions League opener.

But he put that behind him with a beautiful free kick in the 32nd minute to open the scoring at Camp Nou Stadium. He curled the ball over the PSV wall from 25 meters (yards) out into the top corner beyond the reach of goalkeeper Jeroen Zoet.

“Messi makes extraordinary things look routine,” Barcelona Coach Ernesto Valverde said. “The free kick goal came just when we needed to break the game open. It was masterful.”

Dembele added to the lead with a well-placed shot from

outside the area in the 75th, and Messi sealed the victory with goals in the 77th and 87th minutes. Dembele used a nifty move to get past two defenders before making a run toward the goal and striking his long-range shot into the far corner. It was the fifth goal of the campaign for Dembele, surpassing his total from last season.

Messi’s second goal came after he received a perfect pass by Ivan Rakitic inside the area and calmly sent a low shot into the far corner. He completed his first hat trick of the season after Luis Suarez set him up on a counterattack.

PSV forward Hirving Lozano had a goal disallowed for offside in the 83rd, after Umtiti was sent off after a foul on Lozano while trying to stop a breakaway. AP

THREE days after a rare poor performance in the Spanish league, Lionel Messi returns to normal service on Tuesday with three goals in a 4-0 win over PSV Eindhoven in their Champions League opener. AP

WADA GETS FLAK ON

RUSSIA REINSTATEMENT N.H.L. HALL OF FAMERS THREATEN BOYCOTT

EMPLOYEES work in Russia’s national drug-testing laboratory in Moscow in May 2014. AP

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ON AN EXTRAORDINARY DAY OF COORDINATED PROTESTS FROM ACROSS THE GLOBE, THE MOST SURPRISING VOICE IN THE CHORUS BELONGED TO WORLD ANTI-DOPING AGENCY VICE PRESIDENT LINDA HELLELAND, ONE OF 12 MEMBERS OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE THAT WILL DECIDE RUSADA’S FATE AT A MEETING ON THURSDAY IN SEYCHELLES.

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OZENS of athletes, a key whistle-blower and even a leader within the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (Wada) own ranks slammed that organization on Tuesday as it headed toward a decision that could end the nearly three-year suspension of Russia’s anti-doping operation.

On an extraordinary day of coordinated protests from across the globe, the most surprising voice in the chorus belonged to Wada Vice President Linda Helleland, one of 12 members of the executive committee that will decide Russian Anti-Doping Agency’s (Rusada) fate at a meeting on Thursday in Seychelles.

She said she will not vote to reinstate.

“If you choose to reinstate Russia, you defy the very wish of the Athletes’ Committees around the world, who have very clearly stated that they will not accept a reinstatement now,” said Helleland, who is expected to run to replace Craig Reedie as Wada president when his term expires next year. “This moment will forever define the credibility of Wada as the independent and strong front-runner for clean sport. I am afraid that by opting for the easiest way out, it will ultimately hurt Wada in the future.”

Athletes, whose voices over the four-year life

COMPLETE RUN

India’s Jemimah Rodrigues completes a run during the first Twenty20 women’s cricket match against Sri Lanka in Katunayake, Sri Lanka, on Wednesday. AP

cycle of this scandal are often diffused and drowned out, spoke up in unity for the second straight day on Tuesday.

Members of athlete committees from Wada and the US Olympic Committee (USOC) were joined by a group of international anti-doping leaders, as well as whistle-blower Grigory Rodchenkov, the former Moscow lab director whose information helped uncover a doping scheme designed to help Russia win medals at the Sochi Olympics.

In a statement provided to The Associated Press, Rodchenkov portrayed Wada’s sudden shifting of its requirements to end Rusada’s suspension as a result of Russia’s unwillingness to accept findings from investigator Richard McLaren, who detailed a government-sponsored doping program designed to win medals.

Wada is now accepting Russia’s willingness to agree instead with a report commissioned by the International Olympic Committee that doesn’t focus as heavily on the government’s role in the cheating.

“Russia continuously denies McLaren’s findings for the pure purpose of protecting their top-level apparatchiks who destroyed the Olympic Games in Sochi,” Rodchenkov said. “Russian political and sport bosses are there only to save themselves, and in doing so, they betray Russian athletes and sports lovers, and destroy the future of Russian sport.”

Jim Swartz, a Rodchenkov backer who is founder of clean-sports foundation FairSport, said, “Wada has undermined its own moral and regulatory authority” by proposing a weakened version of the road map to bring Rusada back into compliance.

The Wada athletes’ group is led by Beckie Scott, who resigned from her position on Wada’s compliance review committee last week after it made the surprising recommendation to reinstate Rusada.

“As athletes, we have to follow the rules every single day,” that group’s statement read, “and we expect the same from all anti-doping organizations and stakeholders.” More than three dozen US athletes wrote a letter to Reedie that said, in part: “By acting on promises, and not proven compliance, Wada’s decision on reinstating Rusada would weaken the increasingly delicate integrity of international sport.”

Under Wada’s revamped road map, Russia would not hand over a trove of data and samples that could corroborate positive tests until a still-unspecified date that would come after Rusada’s reinstatement. The original road map called for the information to be transferred before reinstatement. Wada’s review committee has urged the executive committee to set a date for the transfer before declaring Rusada compliant. AP

GROUP of Pro Football Hall of Famers led by Eric Dickerson is demanding health insurance coverage and a share of National Football League (NFL) revenues or else those former players will boycott the induction ceremonies.

In a letter sent to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, NFLPA Executive Director DeMaurice Smith and Hall of Fame President David Baker—and obtained by The Associated Press—21 Hall of Fame members cited themselves as “integral to the creation of the modern NFL, which in 2017 generated $14 billion in revenue.”

Among the signees were Dickerson, who is listed as chairman of the newly created Hall of Fame Board the group has formed; Jim Brown; Joe Namath; Lawrence Taylor; and Sarah White, the widow of Reggie White.

There were questions, though, about how well-organized the group was. Two players whose names are on the letter said they were not part of the boycott effort.

Another name on the list of 22 signees including Sarah White was Carl Ellard, but no one by that name has played professional football. Former Vikings defensive end Carl Eller, however, is a Hall of Famer.

“The time has come for us to be treated as part of a game we’ve given so much to,” the letter states. “Until our demands are met, the Hall of Famers will not attend the annual induction ceremony in Canton. It’s well known that the NFL is celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2020, and while we are proud of our role in building this league, we don’t believe 100 years of player exploitation is something to celebrate.”

The strongly worded letter called out the league for paying Goodell $40 million, saying “there are better uses for that money.”

It also criticized Smith for his salary and the lack of a former player on the players’ association executive board. But there have been two former players on that executive board since 2009.

Jerry Rice, whose name is on the letter, said he wasn’t on the Hall of Fame Board. And in a statement on Twitter, the former wide receiver said he plans to support the Hall of Fame and “looks forward to attending the 100th anniversary in 2020.”

Kurt Warner also released a statement on Twitter that said he wasn’t made aware of the letter and said his name was mistakenly put on it. He said he supports the efforts for better benefits for all retired players and doesn’t believe in boycotting the Hall of Fame.

Baker said the Hall seeks to help all players, not just those enshrined in Canton, Ohio.

“Many Hall of Famers have reached out to express their support of the Hall,” he said in a statement.

“While we enshrine Hall of Famers, our mission is to serve every player who helped build this great game. We guard the legacies and seek to serve all players and not just Hall of Famers who we serve every day.”

NFL players have received a pension since the Bert Bell Plan, named after a former league commissioner, was created in 1959.

In the 1993 collective bargaining agreement, a 401K plan to which players also could contribute was established, and in 1998 an annuity program was created.

“There have been significant increases in the pension with every collective bargaining agreement in the history of this sport,” said Miki Yaras-Davis, the NFLPA’s senior director of benefits. AP

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Gracious God

RACIOUS God, You rule the world in justice. In faith we pray to You: God, bless us in Your mercy. You alone are judge; remove blind judgment condemnation and cynicism from our hearts. You govern with equity; restore justice for those who suffer oppression. You strengthen us for every good work, deepen our trust in the power of Your Holy Spirit. May we continue our calling to know You more, love You most and serve You endlessly. May God bless us with peace at all times and in every way through Christ our Brother. Amen.

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

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

Life BusinessMirror

REELING: CINEMA AS HISTORIES: OR, WHY IN THE END, WE DO GIVE A DAMN ABOUT HEROES D4

Thursday, September 20, 2018

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OVER 200 top international tour operators and travel agents joined Phitex 2018.

INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL AGENTS VISIT THE PHILIPPINES FOR PHITEX 2018

Shhh! Introverts share travel survival secrets T

BY MELISSA LAMBARENA NerdWallet

RAVEL can be busy, noisy and crowded—a potentially daunting environment for anyone. But if you’re an introvert, it can drain your internal battery. Studies and experts suggest this personality type processes social stimuli differently from extroverts, who don’t mind frequent interaction.

Introverts gain energy by reflecting and expend energy when interacting, clinical psychologist and professor Laurie Helgoe writes in her book Introvert Power: Why Your Inner Life Is Your Hidden Strength.

Quiet time alone can help these travelers recharge, as long as they make room for it in their itineraries.

Here’s how self-described introverts get time to themselves when they travel.

PACK SELF-CARE TOOLS HELGOE packs reading materials, earplugs and an eye mask to ward off unwanted small talk. These items politely excuse you from conversations with wellmeaning travelers on a plane or at your destination.

A camera can also get you out of interaction, according to Helgoe. Wander off to snap that perfect photo, and you get a minute to yourself.

SKIP AIRPORT CROWDS AIRPORT lounges, if not crowded, can spare you from noise and interactions. Some airport lounges offer cost-efficient day passes starting around $20. For an annual fee, a travel credit card that includes lounge access can also be your ticket in.

Of course, lounges themselves can sometimes suffer from crowding. But for Helgoe, they enhance

her experience. “It’s a little quieter and the chairs are more comfortable,” she says.

INFORM FELLOW TRAVELERS IF you’re traveling with others, communicating your needs before and during your trip is key to a pleasant experience for all.

“It’s up to you to help them understand that it’s not anything wrong with them that makes you want to go away and be by yourself,” says Nathan Hartle, introvert and blogger at Two Drifters. His wife, extrovert Amy Hartle, knows his needs after a few years of traveling together. He tells her when he needs a moment to himself, and she understands.

“You’ll be your better self when you’ve done what you need for self-care,” she says.

GET YOUR OWN ROOM WHEN you’re traveling with other people, a private room at an Airbnb or hotel can offer more opportunities to be alone. It’s more expensive than sharing, but there are ways to save. For example, some hotel-branded credit cards offer an automatic free night or ways to earn them.

Helgoe saves by signing up for free loyalty programs. “Every hotel seems to have one, so I sign up for all of them,” she says.

Or you can simply schedule time to step away. For introverts like Dan Kleinow, who vlogs at the YouTube channel Envision Adventure, working at a hostel can get crowded.

“I need to always make sure I get time by myself every day,” he says.

“Here in Puerto Rico, I’ll go to the beach or something and just hang out, maybe go to a coffee shop and do some work on my laptop.”

AVOID PEAK TRAVEL SEASONS THE off-season varies depending on location, but booking travel during this time can mean discounts and access to less-populated places.

“I did a trip to Europe last year, and I intentionally went during May,” Kleinow says. Aside from smaller crowds, he says, “it also saves money.

Prices are lower. Flights, hostels, everything is cheaper that time of year.”

EXPLORE ON YOUR OWN GROUP tours are great for learning about a new destination, but they can leave introverts running on empty. The Hartles prefer visiting local destinations and exploring popular attractions on their own terms.

“We like to see the Eiffel Tower, but we didn’t feel compelled to go up in it,” Amy Hartle says.

If you do have the energy or inclination for mingling, do so with locals, who can help you discover authentic and potentially more affordable experiences than you find near busy tourist areas.

ENGAGE WHEN YOU CAN EXPERIENCES might be waiting inside and outside of your comfort zone. For introverts, it’s all about finding the right balance. For Helgoe, quiet time on an Amazon expedition birthed the idea for her book.

For Nathan Hartle, straying from his comfort zone led him to work at a hostel in Morocco in 2011.

“That immersion experience, if it’s not something that’s going to freak you out too bad, can be helpful,” he says.

He didn’t know it at the time, but flexing his social muscles would later help him approach Amy when he met her for the first time in Scotland a few weeks later. AP

MORE than 200 travel agents and tour operators visited the Philippines to attend one of the biggest and most significant travel trade events in the country—the Philippine Travel Exchange (Phitex, www.phitex.ph) 2018. Organized by the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB), the marketing arm of the Department of Tourism, Phitex 2018 served as a venue for the world’s top travel and tour buyers to meet over 220 local sellers and discuss how to best promote the Philippines as a premier travel destination in Asia.

Held recently at the Marriott Grand Ballroom, Phitex 2018 is now in its 17th year and aims to contribute more to economic growth and provide more job opportunities for thousands of Filipinos nationwide.

Tourism Secretary Bernadette Fatima Romulo Puyat said, “The tourism sector continues to be a key economic driver in the country. It has contributed 12.2 percent in the country’s GDP in 2017. This has exceeded our target of 10 percent in 2022 in the national development plan. At the same time, tourism has provided business employment for 5.3 million Filipinos.”

“Last year Phitex saw an increase in the number of buyers and first-time sellers with business generation computed at P2.3 billion, a big leap from 2016 record of P1.7 billion,” said TPB Officer in Charge Arnold Gonzales.

Phitex 2018 had the theme, “Tourism is Our Business: Guarding Our Environment, Reliving Our Culture.” It kicked off with a pre-tour in Bataan, Laguna, Tagaytay and Batangas, which featured unique and interesting Philippine culture and heritage. Highlighting the event was the Travel Exchange (TravEx), an exclusive business-to-business appointment between Philippine sellers and international buyers.

The foreign travel agents were introduced to the country’s best marketing trends and practices, and were able to experience firsthand the diversity of the country’s best tourism products and services that they can promote in their home countries. On the other hand, sellers were able to offer globally competitive tour packages to the international market and learn other countries’ trade strategies to apply to their own practices.

More than 30 countries participated in this year’s event.

Key buyers included Korea, China, Japan, the US, Canada and Australia, with new participants from New Zealand. There were also participants from Germany, the UK, Middle East, Russia, Singapore and Canada, to name a few.

Aside from the pre-tour and the two-day TravEx, buyers were also treated to a five-day post-tour to main attractions and destinations in the country, namely, Bicol, Davao, Palawan (Puerto Princesa-El Nido and Coron), Dumaguete-Siquijor-Sumilon and Ilocos. This allowed the buyers to experience firsthand the beauty and warmth of the Philippines. Seminars on sustainable tourism and culture and tourism were also held for local sellers. These were conducted by former Department of Environment and Natural Resources head and known Filipino environmentalist and philanthropist Gina Lopez and Cultural Center of the Philippines President Arsenio “Nick” Lizaso.

Since its foundation in 2001, Phitex has been continuously putting the Philippines at the forefront of the global tourism market. It has helped promote the country not only as a premier destination for travel, but also for trade, lifestyle, entertainment and business opportunities.

How to protect your cellphone (and your data) when you travel By shiVAni VOrA New York Times News Service MANY travelers consider their cellphones essential when they’re on the road and rely on it for taking pictures and texting to using it to find their way around.

So what do you do if your phone gets lost, stolen or breaks when you’re abroad? How can you prevent it from happening in the first place? Brandon Bogle, a cellphone expert for Asurion, a company that provides insurance for consumer electronics, has plenty of advice on the subject and shares his tips below. n TURN ON FIND MY PHONE. Before you travel, Bogle said, be sure to turn on your device’s Find My Phone feature or similar service. “Many people assume this is automatically activated with every phone,” he said. “But it needs to be manually turned on.” If you have an iPhone, go to Settings, tap on your name at the top of the Settings list, then tap iCloud, and look for Find My iPhone to confirm it’s on. Also,

turn on Send Last Location. This will automatically send the phone’s location to iCloud any time that the iPhone’s battery is critically low. If you have a device running Google’s Android mobile operating system, enable Find My Device in the device Settings under Security & Location.

You can check that it’s working by visiting the Find Your Phone page in your Google Account. n CHECK WITH YOUR CARRIER BEFORE YOU GO. If your phone is lost or stolen, it goes without saying that you should contact your carrier immediately. They will temporarily suspend your service, which will prevent anyone else from using it and racking up data charges you may be responsible for. But it’s also worth talking to your carrier before you leave for your trip.

If you pay for phone insurance—which can run between $7 and $13 per month, and is usually purchased when you get your new phone—some carriers will ship an expedited replacement phone to many destinations globally, or will reimburse you for a repair that you get done while you’re

traveling. Even if your carrier doesn’t provide replacements while traveling, your insured device is still covered. “So if you break your phone or it gets lost or stolen while traveling, you’ll get a replacement when you file a claim,” Bogle said. n PROTECT YOUR DEVICE AND YOUR DATA. high-quality screen protector and case may cost more than the standard option, but they’re well worth the investment, Bogle said.

“You can prevent a lot of cracks and external damage that will make your phone inoperable by having a sturdy case and cover,” he said. Our colleagues at Wirecutter, the New York Times company that reviews products, has suggestions for the best screen protectors and the best cases. Keep in mind that they can only do so much.

That’s why you should also always back up your phone regularly so that you save those vacation pictures as well as your latest contacts and music. We have some tips to get you started here. Finally, make sure to visit the Find My Phone page we mentioned earlier—in many cases, you can report your phone stolen there, lock it, and remotely erase it so no

one can get access to your data. n DISPLAY EMERGENCY CONTACT INFORMATION ON THE LOCK SCREEN. If possible, set your lock screen photo to your alternate phone number or email address. “If you lose your phone, the person who finds it will know how to get in touch with you,” Bogle said. In fact, recent Asurion research found that you’re three times more likely to get your phone back if you do this in the case of a lost phone. One way to display your information is by taking picture of your contact information written on a piece of paper, and setting the photo as your lock screen wallpaper.

Many devices even allow you to set this emergency contact information in the device settings to be displayed on your lock screen or emergency call screen at all times.

Similarly, you could lock the phone remotely using the Find My Phone or Find My Device feature, which also lets you provide a message and phone number on the lock screen, allowing the device to make outbound calls only to that number.

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Thursday, September 20, 2018

Entertaining BusinessMirror

Shrimp go wild with jalapeños, garlic, cumin and cayenne THE recipe for grilled jalapeño and lime shrimp skewers appears in the cookbook Master of the Grill. AP

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By America’s Test Kitchen The Associated Press

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TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Take a moment to organize your thoughts and plan your actions. Making a sudden move can damage your relationship with someone as well as hurt your reputation, causing an unexpected change to your status or future prospects. HH

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GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Do what you say and don’t stop until you are finished. Power comes from being precise and living up to your promises. Don’t trust someone who talks big and does little. Show your emotions and act accordingly. HHHHH

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CANCER (June 21-July 22): Participate in something you’ve never done, or associate with people who come from different backgrounds. Learning more about those you know little about will broaden your outlook. Romance is highlighted, but making an unrealistic choice is not.

HHHH

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LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Overspending on things you don’t need will leave you short at the end of the month. Take your time and consider what’s necessary and what isn’t. Trying to buy love or favors will end up costing you emotionally, financially and physically. HHH

shrimp, use paring knife to make shallow cut down outside curve of shrimp. Add shrimp to bowl with marinade and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 1 hour.

For a charcoal grill: Open bottom vent completely.

Light large chimney starter filled with charcoal briquettes (6 quarts). When top coals are partially covered with ash, pour evenly over half of grill.

Set cooking grate in place, cover and open lid vent completely. Heat grill until hot, about 5 minutes.

For a gas grill: Turn all burners to high, cover and heat grill until hot, about 15 minutes.

Leave all burners on high.

Thread marinated shrimp onto four 14-inch metal skewers. (Alternate direction of each shrimp as you pack them tightly on skewer to allow about a dozen

shrimp to fit snugly on each skewer.) Sprinkle one side of skewered shrimp with sugar.

Place shrimp skewers sugared side down on hotter side of grill (covered if using gas) and cook until lightly charred, 3 to 4 minutes.

Flip skewers and move to cooler side of grill (if using charcoal) or turn all burners off (if using gas) and cook, covered, until other side of shrimp is no longer translucent, 1 to 2 minutes. Using tongs, slide shrimp into clean medium bowl and toss with reserved marinade. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve. n Nutrition information per serving: 211 calories; 91 calories from fat; 10 g fat (2 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 214 mg cholesterol; 1,110 mg sodium; 6 g carbohydrate; 0 g fiber; 1 g sugar; 24 g protein.

Let the spirits move you PERFECTLY served is how premium brands such as Hennessy VS Cognac, Johnnie Walker Black and Red Scotch Whisky, Jose Cuervo Gold Tequila, Fundador Double Light Brandy, as well as Carlo Rossi and Los Cardos wines are sampled for free at the Tasting Corner—an innovative wines and spirits appreciation experience, available in selected SM Markets until November 8.

The best way to serve most premium wines and spirits is by no means common knowledge. As premium as Hennessy VS is neat, there is a whole other dimension to discover with its perfect serve. Johnnie Walker Black or Red neat or on the rocks may well be the most time-honored way of enjoying these legendary spirts, but there’s a perfect serve that offers a whole other exciting side that few know even exists.

We all know lick-shoot-suck is the perfect serve for Jose Cuervo Gold Tequila, yes? Few can dispute that it’s deliciously satisfying. However, the actual manufacturer-recommended perfect serve is quite unexpected and different. And while even wine aficionados will insist that wine is best served at room temperature, both Carlo Rossi and Los Cardos recommend something quite surprising.

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Phillip Phillips, 28; Kristen Johnston, 51; Gary Cole, 62; Sophia Loren, 84.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Consider what you can do for others, and put your time to good use. Reaching out will make a statement about the type of person you are, as well as how you feel about the injustice you see all around you. HHHH

Servings: 4 Start to finish: 2 hours (20 minutes active) You will need four 14-inch metal skewers for this recipe.

Process all ingredients in food processor until smooth, about 15 seconds. Reserve 2 tablespoons marinade; transfer remaining marinade to medium bowl. Pat shrimp dry with paper towels. To butterfly

By Eugenia Last

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GRILLED JALAPEÑO AND LIME SHRIMP SKEWERS

Shrimp: 1 1/2 pounds extra-large shrimp (21 to 25 per pound), peeled and deveined 1/2 teaspoon sugar 1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro

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Today’s Horoscope

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: This is a year of change. Size up the past and live in the moment, and you will find a way to build a better future. Much can be accomplished if you are open to change and willing to start by making self-improvements. Personal gains will come with hard work and dedication to whatever you feel is best for you.

Your lucky numbers are 6, 10, 14, 26, 30, 42, 44.

OLTS of grill flavor and spicy heat can enhance the delicately sweet and briny flavor of shrimp, but it’s easy to overdo it. Most recipes overcook the shrimp and finish them in a bath of mouthnumbing sauce; we wanted juicy shrimp with a smoky crust and chili flavor that was more than just superficial.

To achieve this, we sprinkled one side of the shrimp with sugar to promote browning and grilled this side for a few minutes. Then we flipped the skewers to finish gently cooking on the cooler side of the grill.

We created a flavorful marinade with pureed jalapeños, garlic, cumin and cayenne to give our shrimp skewers a spicy, assertive kick, and then set some aside to double as a sauce.

Butterflying the shrimp before marinating and grilling them opened up more shrimp flesh for the marinade and finishing sauce to flavor. We also packed the shrimp very tightly onto the skewers so they would cook more slowly.

Marinade: 1 to 2 jalapeño chills, stemmed, seeded and chopped 3 tablespoons olive oil 6 garlic cloves, minced 1 teaspoon grated lime zest plus 5 tablespoons juice (3 limes) 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1/2 teaspoon salt

www.businessmirror.com.ph

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VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): If you have to make a change, think it through. Practicality should play a heavy role in how you perceive whatever situation you face, as well as how you move forward. Whatever change you make, do so for the right reason. HHH

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LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): What you do counts. Laziness will lead to criticism. Show everyone what you are made of. Do things that make a statement about the type of person you are.

Put greater emphasis on what you do, not what you say.

HHHHH

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SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): A change of plans will throw you off guard. Don’t get into a petty argument with someone who is trying to get a rise out of you. Getting along with others won’t be easy, but it is in your best interest. HH

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SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): You’ll gain ground if you put more energy behind your plans. Don’t wait for someone else to pick up the slack. Make it clear you are willing to put in the time in order to reap the rewards. HHHH

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CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): An open mind coupled with a practical attitude will help you reach your goal. Strive for perfection, but not at the cost of missing your deadline. There is a fine line between success and failure. Use your skills and attributes wisely. HHH

k FROM left: SM Hypermarket SVP for Merchandising Josie Tamayo, SM Supermarket Senior Assistant Vice President Leah Lee, SM Supermarket President Joey Mendoza, Future Trade International CEO James Duvivier, Moët Hennessy Philippines Inc. Managing Director Olga Azarcon, Herson Sy, Diageo Philippines General Manager Vanee Gosiengfiao, Blue Mountain President Antonio Villaseñor, Emperador Distillers Inc. President Winston Co, Philippine Wine Merchants President Ralph Joseph and Premier Wine and Spirits Managing Director Robin Derrick Chua during the launch of the Tasting Corner at SM Hypermarket Mall of Asia.

The Tasting Corner will be at the following SM Markets: ongoing until September 27 in SM Supermarket Aura and SM Hypermarket Pasig; September 28 to October 11 in SM Supermarket Cebu, SM Supermarket Fairview

and SM Supermarket San Lazaro; October 12 to 24 in SM Supermarket Southmall and SM Hypermarket Clark; and October 26 to November 8 in SM Supermarket Lanang Davao, and SM Supermarket Baguio.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Look out for your interests. Refuse to let someone else tempt you with an idea or plan that isn’t logical. Keep your money tucked away in a safe place and don’t let anger be your downfall. Slow down and make wise choices. HHH

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PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): An opportunity should be looked at carefully.

Don’t trust the system to work for you.

Look over rules and regulations before you say yes to someone prompting you to take part in something you know little about. HHH BIRTHDAY BABY: You are practical, smart and detailed.

You are perceptive and changeable.

‘good day’ BY TIMOTHY E. PARKER The Universal Crossword/Edited by Timothy E. Parker

ACROSS 1 Flower part 6 Wait in the shadows 10 Open-handed blow 14 Empty-headed 15 Jacob’s womb mate 16 Sport on horseback 17 Early Sunday events, for many 20 African slitherer 21 Shakespearean king 22 College fire insurance?

23 Separate 25 Take five or ten 26 The late, great Aretha’s music 28 Letter opener?

32 Romantically lit 34 Center court nothing 35 Ho ___ Minh 38 Worker’s anticipatory time 42 Suffix with “velvet” 43 Actress Downey 44 Measures of loudness 45 Self-evident statements 48 It may be bulletproof

9 Opera performance 4 51 Little bits 53 Knot type 55 Quisling’s place 56 Disturb, as the balance 59 Plot of some horror films 62 Like a befuddled captain?

63 Bread to stuff 64 Barely beats 65 Bank in Israel 66 Cut it out 67 “It’s the ___ I can do” DOWN 1 Cotton variety 2 Relative of 31-Down 3 Waterproofed canvas 4 Coulter or Curry 5 Don Juan’s rescuee 6 Official emissary 7 Map initials no more 8 Mrs. Garrett portrayer 9 Russell of Hollywood 10 Piano variety 11 Activity center

2 Storm warning 1 13 Sit for a shoot 18 Geek 19 Writers of poetry 24 Make slow progress 26 Shout over a dirty plate 27 Monster relative 29 First radio code words 30 Decay 31 Night before 33 Permission for a search 35 Prairie wagon 36 Tilling tools 37 Tuskegee, for one (Abbr.)

39 Part of us 40 “___ missing something?”

41 Astronomer’s sighting 45 Soldier’s helmet, slangy 46 Accident 47 Foot part 49 Get up 50 Raves angrily 52 Hand drier?

53 Chew persistently?

4 Wee barks 5 55 Beetle Bailey canine 57 Bad day for Caesar 58 Note-passer’s sound 60 Picky start to pick?

61 Poem form

Solution to yesterday’s puzzle:

Parentlife BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Thursday, September 20, 2018

CLOCKWISE: My dad, my grandmother with Marcus for his pre-nursery graduation; my dad with Meagan at playschool when she was two for Grandparents’ Day art time; Inauguration Mass for the New Wing at Istituto Maria Immacolata in Cavite with my dad and the administration and sisters of the congregation; a truly “grandparents’” trip last Easter when we all did a road trip in Bicol.

DON TIMOTHY BUHAIN

THE WHOLE CHILD APPROACH AS GUIDELINES FOR 21ST-CENTURY LEARNING AND LIVING

SEEING the demands that the future brings and how education has a role of preparing citizens for these changes, ACSD, an organization that was founded in 1943 with the sole mission of aiding educators in creating effective learning systems, came up with a structure to effectively aid learners for what the future holds: The Whole Child Approach.

It’s a framework that helps shift focus from mere academic achievements to long-term development and success of all learners.

In this framework, ACSD emphasizes the need of the active involvement of all stakeholders of learning. Every situation where a child is exposed is a learning opportunity.

Educators, families, community members and policy-makers need to portray a role in grooming the future generation.

To maximize the benefits of the current times and be equipped with the skills to face the challenges that any industrial revolution may bring, ACSD stated five criteria to take into consideration: n HEALTHY. This refers to not just the physical but the overall well-being of each learner. An environment to nurture the mental, emotional and social well-being of a student is essential. n SAFE. Each student should be able to learn in an environment that is physically and emotionally safe for both students and adults. The physical surroundings should be built around safety guidelines that would protect the learner from any danger or harm. n ENGAGED. Each student should be actively engaged in learning and is connected to the school and broader community. Institutions are given the challenge to get more creative in creating experiences to help learners build an understanding of responsibility, decision-making, goal setting and time management. n SUPPORTED. Each student has to have access to personalized learning and should be supported by qualified, caring adults. Apart from academic structures, each learner should be made aware that they have, at their disposal, social and emotional support systems. n CHALLENGED. Each student is challenged academically and prepared for success in college or further study and employment and participation in a global environment.

They should be equipped with skill sets for critical thinking, reasoning, problem-solving competencies and technology proficiency.

REX has always been a supporter of ACSD, participating in conferences hosted by the organization, seeking materials and resources to upgrade the quality of support that can be provided to Filipino educators. In October 2017 an official partnership was announced between REX and ACSD to strengthen further the mission of helping educational institutions and the nation in grooming the “whole child” (www.wholechild.rexbookstore.ph). “We have always been a learner-centered organization since our inception in the 1950s, that’s why we have continuously evolved to address the growing needs of each Filipino learner,” said REX Book Store COO Don Timothy Buhain.

‘Enduring teachables’ from grandparents MOMMY NO LIMITS

MAYE YAO CO SAY

mommynolimits@gmail.com

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HAVE shared many a story about my grandparents’ influence in my life. To this day, I always take their life example of lasting joy and strength of character as my main reference point in life. More than this, I always believe my grandparents’ unconditional love planted that rooted confidence so valuable in my adult life today.

My husband and I are lucky that both my in-laws and my dad have always been constant fixtures in our kids’ lives. I remember when both Meagan and Marcus were toddlers, my father-in-law would call the house everyday for a few minutes just to hear their voices. My mother-in-law would fly to Manila to stay with the kids when my husband and I were away on trips at the same time. She also loves to surprise the kids with simple things or memorabilia she has kept.

I remember she had this red Hello Kitty band-aid kit she said she kept for years and wanted Meagan to have it. My dad would be there for a lot of my kids’ activities since pre-nursery.

On top of this, we love telling our kids stories of our parents’ history. We also tell them to find ways to show their gratitude to everything their grandparents have taught and provided us. When we go on family trips, Meagan assigns herself to assist Angkong (grandfather in Fukien) and Marcus is assigned to assist Amah (grandmother in Fukien).

With their Kong Kong (it’s how they call my dad), both of them are his assistants. Vinson’s parents and my dad also love asking them about their school lives, grades, friends, etc. My father-in-law would at times pick up Meagan at school and treat her to her favorite CPK cheese pizza. And of course, they look forward to their “tiered” gifts depending if they get gold, silver or bronze in their quarterly awards.

Below are some of the “enduring teachables” I would hope my kids learn from their grandparents: n GRATITUDE. I can never forget my father-in-law’s question on what’s the difference between a janitor and ourselves—that in a split second, you can be born into a totally different life. Thus, we should be thankful and make the most of the lives given to us.

My father-in-law lost his parents when he was only 17 years old. n FAMILY COMES FIRST. In big and small ways, my dad and my in-laws show us how everything is peripheral to family. My husband and his brothers always appreciated how their parents, despite both working, were there when they got home from school. When their mom was invited to join social organizations, their mom politely said no. It was only when they were grown that their mom busied herself with Church organizations. n BUSINESS ACUMEN. I asked Marcus once what he would like to be when he grows up. His simple answer was...to be like Kong Kong. I asked why. He said because he’s good in business. When given a chance, my husband and I share our parents’ business struggles and triumphs to our kids. n TRUE FAITH. My dad and my mother-in-law are both very devout Catholics. Today, I even share my mother-in-law’s devotion to Our Lady of Peñafrancia and Our Lady of Mount Carmel. But more than this, I admire how they put their faith in action.

My dad has always been a proponent of Catholic

education. Joan, my youngest sister’s recent social post, explains this quite well: “Double celebration yesterday: [It’s] Mama Mary’s birthday and the blessing of the building Dad built for the schoolchildren of the Istituto Maria Immacolata in Amadeo, Cavite. Dad believes that faith and a good education are priceless opportunities that these children should be given to have a fighting chance to give back to the community with compassion, smarts and genuine intentions of wanting everyone to succeed in life no matter what cards they were dealt with.

“The school and the girls orphanage are run by the sisters. My dad is really simple when it comes to everything in his life and only requested to have a blessing with just the sisters and our family, so we were really surprised that they had an entire program prepared for him! Even with something as significant and meaningful, he isn’t showy or flashy. In fact, prior to this he already helped renovate part of the orphanage and never even told us. [We would’ve never known] had the sisters not mentioned it when they were taking us around for the tour. He was looking for a place for kids he could help out that wasn’t big and really needed the help. He was explaining to us that although there are a lot of charitable organizations everywhere already, they are already being supported by the big whales and the biggest companies. He wanted to find a simple organization that fell through the cracks and wasn’t on the spotlight. He visited the place, met with the sisters to understand how the school and orphanage were being run.

He felt confident that they were so dedicated and really capable to run it well; they just needed a bit of help. Imagine, at his age, leading this project on his own [or course with his assistants and our trusted construction manager], he didn’t even tell me or Maye anything! I really admire my dad for always reminding us to be helpful for the right reasons and not for public glory. This one is hard to live up to!”

All in all, I hope my kids can live by the legacies our parents have built and continue to build. Happy Grandparents Month. n

Another ‘shopping’ season for kids TOY Kingdom (www.toykingdom.ph) in partnership with Richprime Global recently launched the Shopkins Season 10 toy collection with a fun grocery shopping experience and an exclusive Meet and Greet at SM Mall of Asia.

During the toy launch, SM Mall of Asia atrium was transformed into a “Shopkins Mini Mart” where kids had the chance to grab their own mini carts and shop for their favorite Shopkins Season 10 items.

Kids were also delighted to meet their favorite Shopkins characters live, like Apple Blossom, Miss Pressy, Jingle Purse, Spilled Milk, Lippy Lips, Strawberry Kiss and Cupcake Queen in an exclusive Meet and Greet session. Celebrity guests like Melissa Ricks and Helga Krapf brought their daughters for an afternoon of fun.

Shopkins is an animated series that transforms shopping items into cute fascinating characters. Its latest collection is a throwback to its beginnings, and includes miniature grocery items from season one, two and three.

Shopkins Season 10 items now available at all Toy Kingdom Express outlets in The SM Store, as well as Toy Kingdom stores in most SM Supermalls.

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COLLECT all your favorite grocery items like milk, cookies, pancakes and many more with the Shopkins Mini Packs Collector’s Edition, available at Toy Kingdom.

SEANA SUMAYOD wearing her Kooky Cookie inspired costume at the Shopkins Season 10 Toy Launch and Meet and Greet held at SM Mall of Asia.

CHILD blogger Athalia See had a great time checking out Shopkins Season 10 Mini Packs.

Thursday, September 20, 2018

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Show BusinessMirror

Cinema as histories: Or, why in the end, we do give a damn about heroes REELING

TITO GENOVA VALIENTE

titovaliente@yahoo.com

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WAS right about my critique of Goyo. Be that as it may, I hope the readers realized that I was not reviewing the said film anymore as I was really commenting about the histories our historians write and those we read and believe in.

If anything, the reactions and responses the readers gave after I posted online my review revealed that Filipinos are not natural iconoclasts. We are not able to bring ourselves to destroying idols. That is why idols abound in this republic. We attempt to shatter images that narratives of the nation hold up for us to revere but, after the destruction, we readily pick up the pieces. We are cloying lovers of an affair created by the illusion of a land that nurtured the myths of identities and collective destiny. We are a doormat when it comes to the love of a land that, in the first place, was not created to love and care for its citizens. Our being inhabitants of this archipelago is a creation of a colonial mind, and when we are made aware of it by cinematic depiction of greatness and its unerring opposites, we gather all the forces of our intellect—and heart—to find excuses for those s0-called heroes created out of necessity. We can never find it in ourselves to look at those faces that gild our troubled currencies; we are battered partners always waiting for assurance that the lies uttered by the individuals we hold dear are really lies. When, at last, the perfidies are discovered, we weep, we smirk and, then, we forget about everything. There is always that sunrise at the terminus of the tales of our heritage. We do not ride into the sunset; our heroes do. We are left watching, holding an empty basket that gives us nothing. We are pathetic before the onslaught of histories.

Thus, the first reactions to Goyo included the dismissal of the imagination. Fiction is allowed in films. When the filmmakers insist on the power of the creative mind, we hesitate with our criticism. We turn to psychology. Guidance counselors and child-rearing experts we become. And so, we excuse Gregorio del Pilar for his youth. And so we berate ourselves for not being kind enough to the boy-warrior. And so we find reasons for the lack of logic in the life and the direction of that life in a young “hero.”

Strangely, the same generation of critics who feel we have not given the maturity/immaturity of a young general a chance to bloom, to taunt us into a romantic ideation, is the same breed that mocks the escape goat of this present lifetime—the millennials.

The sweet problem of Goyo and Heneral Luna and all other films that describe themselves as historical is precisely in the history those film purport to consider as the wellspring of ideas. When one talks of history, one invariably speaks of truth.

One cannot make a historical narrative and follow it with a caveat about how certain phases in the lives of the characters have been tampered for the sake of creativity, the latter being more open to conjuring rather than plain remembering.

Here, at this point, can we bring in the compelling decisions made by those who made Balangiga: Howling Wilderness. The in-your face caveat about how Balangiga is “not the film of Khavn de la Cruz” saves it from the limitations of the

RECORD-LOW VIEWERSHIP FOR EMMY AWARDS NEW YORK—Television’s biggest night wasn’t that big. The Emmy Awards drew a record-low audience of just over 10.2 million people, down 11 percent, from the past two years.

Michael Che and Colin Jost of Saturday Night Live hosted the awards show on NBC on Monday. Amazon’s The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel became the first show from a streaming service to win best comedy, while HBO’s Game of Thrones was the top drama. The show reached virtually identical audiences of 11.4 million each of the last two years, the Nielsen company said. The decline to 10.21 million continues a troubling trend for televised awards shows. The Oscars audience this year was down 19 percent, from 2017 and the Grammys were down 23 percent.

The further fragmentation of television undoubtedly plays a role in audience interest levels. When Frasier was winning awards in the 1990s, the comedy was regularly seen in nearly 20 million homes. Streamed shows like Mrs. Maisel are far less popular and, in fact, it’s still difficult to get precise numbers about how many people watch them.

Three times in the 1990s, the audience for the Emmy Awards exceeded 20 million people.

On the bright side, it’s likely to have contained the mostwatched marriage proposal of the year. Emmy winner Glenn Weiss heartened audience members by proposing to his girlfriend while onstage accepting an award for directing the Oscars telecast. Jan Svendsen said yes.

Continuing the white-hot market for news, MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow recorded her highest-rated week in the show’s 10-year history, Nielsen said. Otherwise, football dominated the television ratings last week. Five of the 10 most-watched shows were football games, and two others were football pregame shows, Nielsen said.

NBC won the week in prime time, averaging 6.7 million viewers last week. CBS had 4.8 million viewers, ABC had 4 million, Fox had 2.3 million, Univision had 1.4 million, ION Television had 1.33 million, Telemundo had 1.31 million and the CW had 740,000.

ESPN was the week’s most popular cable network, averaging 2.65 million viewers in prime time. Fox News Channel had 2.42 million, MSNBC had 2.13 million, HGTV had 1.35 million and USA had 1.34 million. AP

DIEGO LOYZAGA in Celebrity Car Wars

archives. Who has summoned the memories of the people in Samar to remember the cruelty and violence of that day? If there were, those memories never became mainstream and official. The Americans had the monopoly of the narrative of that day in Samar. They still do: their histories are the official histories of our land.

It is perhaps unfair to say this but, after watching Goyo, I fancied these lines moving across the screen, announcing: “This is not the history of Tirad Pass.”

Let me say this again: as a film, one cannot dismiss Goyo. For it to make sense though, one has to go for other frameworks.

Films do not only reflect societies; they also refract. If we step away from the cinema of heroism that Heneral Luna and Goyo have come to typify, we actually have a grounding, a new consciousness about the power of cinema to depict history or histories.

Robert A. Rosenstone in his paper, “The Historical Film as Real History,” presents another perspective: “Let’s face the facts and admit it: historical films trouble and disturb [most] professional historians.

Why? We all know the obvious answers. Because, historians will say, films are inaccurate. They distort the past. They fictionalize, trivialize, and romanticize important people, events, and movements. They falsify History.”

But what if the falsification comes from “historians.”

Rosenstone continues: “As a subtext to these overt answers, we can hear some different, unspoken

answers: Film is out of the control of historians. Film shows that academics do not own the past. Film creates a historical world with which the written word cannot compete, at least for popularity. Film is a disturbing symbol of an increasingly postliterate world [in which people can read but won’t].”

If I’m to sum up the contribution of Goyo to the discourses of identities and nationalism, it is that this film is inserting itself in moments when histories are suspect, when tales of brave men are slowly diminishing. We are having these films as responses to the lack of answers to questions of nation and “Filipinoness,” even to the basic notions of principles and uprightness.

The government makes no sense. Justice has been redefined, altered to suit the whims of those who believe they have the mark of the just.

Comes a film that disrespects what is supposedly the ultimate stand of truth—history. Comes this film that proposes a different direction in how one creates a good past by destroying one that has been manufactured hastily and with prejudice.

Come to think of it—and many of you would definitely not agree—Tarog’s Goyo and Khavn de la Cruz’s Balangiga are ideological twins. Both films do not believe in the false and falsified grandeur of a written past. Both brave the current of mainstream historical storytelling as they drop all the pretenses that the past was beautiful, the present alright and the future bright. Both films, if we just listen to them, are asking us to ask questions and not rely on the ready answers. n

Search for Southeast Asia’s toughest with return of ‘R U Tough Enough?’

ARE Filipinos the toughest in Southeast Asia?

Well, that’s what Fisherman’s Friend and KIX are trying to find out. With the support of Fisherman’s Friend, KIX, is bringing back its annual R U Tough Enough? competition on an even bigger scale this year. Finalists from six countries in Southeast Asia—namely, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam—will be competing for the title of “Southeast Asia’s Toughest” and a grand prize of $15,000.

Fisherman’s Friend and KIX are seeking male and female participants who have the physical strength, the mental endurance, and the emotional resilience to take on contestants from five other countries and prove that he or she is the toughest. R U Tough Enough? Southeast Asia is accepting applicants until

www.businessmirror.com.ph

October 15 via its official web site (www.KIX-TV.com/ tough). Applicants can also sign up via Tough Trooper activations in their cities.

“R U Tough Enough? has grown in scope, size and participation every year, and now we are excited to take this competition to a regional level,” said Betty Tsui, vice president for programming of KIX. “We are looking for Southeast Asia’s toughest and we are thrilled to invite everyone with an inspiring tough story to join us. It is not just a battle of the body, but also the mind, and we encourage all tough participants to join and show us what they’ve got.”

R U Tough Enough? Southeast Asia is open to all Philippine residents aged 18 and above. Shortlisted candidates will be invited for closed-door auditions

and a total of four finalists will be chosen to represent the Philippines together with the previous winner Renz Lou Lagria. The finalists will be flown to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to take part in a “Final Showdown” at Sunway Pyramid on December 2.

Since its launch in Malaysia in 2014, R U Tough Enough? has expanded to the Philippines, Thailand, and Indonesia. And this year, the competition launched for the first time in Singapore and will be introduced to Vietnam, as well. In the course of its run, it has attracted thousands of participants in various countries and crowned many deserving contestants, a testament to how well the competition has been received in Southeast Asia.

More details including terms and conditions of the competition can be found on the official web site.

HISTORY’S ACTION-PACKED SEPTEMBER LINEUP THIS month binge-watch to your heart’s delight as History brings all-new seasons of Celebrity Car Wars, Photo Face-Off: Redemption and so much more in the small screen.

Fasten your seatbelts and prepare for a crazy ride as the third season of automotive reality entertainment series Celebrity Car Wars is here at 9:55 pm on Sundays.

Watch Filipino actors Diego Loyzaga, Xian Lim and four other celebrity contestants from around Southeast Asia as they take on a series of challenges.

Find out all the unbelievable stuff they get for P1,000 and manage to bring back in the restoration center.

Shutterbugs should stay glued to their seats and catch the terrific comeback of four past contestants in Photo Face-Off: Redemption on September 20 at 9 pm. In this special one-hour episode, root for your favorites past contestants in their quest to seek redemption via exciting fashion, action and cat photography challenges in Taiwan.

The returning participants from Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam were selected by their fans through an online poll.

Is it the rare Yenko Nova or Yenko Camaro? A new batch of colorful, beautifully restored classic rides is set to grace the television as Counting Cars’ Season 6 airs Mondays at 9:25 pm.

For thrill-seeking viewers, don’t miss Sniper: The Ultimate Competition, a special feature about the military, law enforcement and America’s elite federal agencies this September 23 at 8:05 pm.

Envoys&Expats BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph | Thursday, September 20, 2018 E1

Harnessing potentials is top priority As Chile celebrates its National Day, its envoy to the Philippines endeavors to heighten the state of improving relations between the two countries

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HE Philippines and Chile, though geographically “worlds apart,” share numerous parallelisms in history and heritage.

In 2015 the BusinessMirror ran a feature on the Southern American country through its reporter for the diplomatic community Recto L. Mercene. There, he noted Chile as “one of [our Foreign Affairs Departments’] farthest postings.... Located 17,140 kilometers from the Philippines, it would take more than a day to reach it.”

In his interview with Philippine envoy to Chile Maria Consuelo Puyat-Reyes, the lady diplomat noted “similarities in the experience of [the two] countries with martial-law regimes,” pertaining to those of Augusto Pinochet and Ferdinand Marcos.

That same year former President Benigno S. Aquino III received at Malacañan Palace his counterpart from Chile, Michelle Bachelet—the first female chief executive from the said country—who was elected to a two-year term.

In a report by the Philippine News Agency, the bilateral ties of Chile to the Philippines represent the Latin American state’s oldest with a member of the Asean.

Between 2006 and 2010 Philippine-Chilean trade numbers saw a notable fourfold increase, as both sides bolstered commercial relations in mining, geothermal energy development and production. They also exchanged information and best practices on increasing revenue collection.

As the world’s top producer and exporter of copper, Chile exports world-class wines, copper by-products and fish products, among others, to the Philippines. In exchange, our country ships semiconductors, industrial electronics, branded clothes and fruits.

According to Wikipedia, the Philippines and Chile trace their diplomatic relations in 1854, “when

[the latter] opened a consulate in Binondo, Manila. But [their] formal relations were established on July 4, 1946, when the Philippines officially gained its independence from the United States.”

Further online research yielded a narrative that on September 18, 1810, Chile’s independence leader Bernardo O’Higgins pushed for the independence of other Spanish colonies, which included the Philippines.

He was of the belief that to prevent Spain from reconquering Chile, the Spaniards had to be overthrown from Manila.

As his country celebrates its 208th National Day of Independence, Ambassador of Chile to the Philippines Jose Miguel Capdevila took some time off from his embassy’s preparations to speak with the BusinessMirror, particularly in the areas of cooperation between the two countries.

Below, the envoy specifically mentioned the revival of talks for the free-trade agreement (FTA), as well as their collaboration in disaster risk reduction and management (as both the Philippines and Chile are predisposed to the effects of the geologic activity in the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, among other

potential natural calamities).

ENVOYS&EXPATS: What is the general state of relations between Chile and the Philippines?

We are working closely with the Philippines to enhance and foster our bilateral relations. To Chile’s foreign policy, the Philippines is an important country.

Having 70 years of diplomatic relations, we are fully aware of the potentials involved, and we share a lot of things in common, such as religion, our Spanish cultural background and being part of the Pacific Region, which makes our understanding and cooperation easier and far-reaching.

What are the current developments regarding the free trade and enhanced disaster resilience cooperation agreements signed in 2015? Have these been applied to recent events in both countries, particularly the latter?

With regard to free trade, both countries (have made their commitments) since 2015, when (our former President) Bachelet signed a letter of intent with then-President Aquino to negotiate an FTA, as well as to undertake the dialogue and actions conducive to that end.

In May there was a meeting in Papua New Guinea between Trade Secretary Ramon M. Lopez and his Chilean counterpart to discuss ways and means to restart the bilateral negotiations within this year.

Chile and the Philippines have complementary economies, and having an FTA would greatly benefit the producers and exporters of both countries.

Free trade is the key that leads to growth and development. Chile, with its 26 FTAs in 64 countries—including six Asean nations—owes much of its economic success to it.

As for the memorandum of agreement signed in 2015 on disaster risk reduction and management, Chile and the Philippines have this instrument that provides a legal framework to enhance bilateral cooperation, with special emphasis on prevention and mitigation, as well as exchange of good practices—including plans and protocols, community actions on disaster risk reduction and financial assistance for (such).

We hope that in the short term, national authorities and entrusted agencies could discuss this important matter in depth and provide a road map for the bilateral cooperation that would follow.

In what other areas can the Philippines and Chile work together?

Cooperation in the field of mining is one of the several avenues our countries should explore.

Chile is the world’s largest copper producer and exporter, and we have high standards in terms of the protection of the environment associated with extractive activities.

There is room for cooperation in food security, as well as in agriculture and fisheries. These are just a few of the areas that we can work together with the Philippines.

What would you say would be the hallmark of your ambassadorship in the Philippines? What are your plans until the end of your tenure?

First and foremost is the need for Chile and the Philippines to get closer and to know each other better. To achieve this, we have to expand and deepen our relationship both in political and economic terms as well as cooperation and the promotion of our respective cultures.

Continued on E2

Envoys& BusinessMirror

E2 Thursday, September 20, 2018

HIGHER LEARNING

PHL Intl Law Society holds natl conference

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LARGE number of legal scholars, eminent personalities and students of international law attended the inaugural national conference of the Philippine Society of International Law (PSIL) at the University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman, Quezon City, on September 7.

Conducted in partnership with the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA)-Office of Legal Affairs and the UP Law Center, the conference drew scholars and paper presenters from law schools, law centers, law firms and legal practitioners across the country, as well as from Australia, the Czech Republic, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore With the theme, “The Philippines and the Dynamics of International Law in a Time of Transition,” the conference examined issues in a number of discussion panels ranging from human rights, territorial disputes, regional maritime security, international trade law, as well as armed conflict and terrorism, to environmental law and sustainable development, Asean law, enforcement of foreign judgment and Philippine reception of international law.

Challenges, transitions, contradictions

IN welcoming the participants, who numbered about 130, PSIL President and Prof. Elizabeth AguilingPangalangan highlighted that international law is facing a host of challenges as it intersects with domestic law in the Philippines.

Aguiling-Pangalangan emphasized that in this time of transition, contradictory directions in constitutional and political orders redirect the development or application of the basic principles, procedures and institutions of international law—from the domestic to the regional levels.

Meanwhile, PSIL Vice President and Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary for Legal Affairs J. Eduardo Malaya cited as a promising sign the increasing number of Filipino lawyers with training and practice in international law, particularly in human rights, environmental law, commercial arbitration and the law of the sea.

Malaya, likewise, observed of the high quality of the papers presented at the conference, which is reflective of the vitality of international law as field of study in the Philippines.

He, however, noted that the international law community in the Philippines requires rebuilding in terms of the number of practitioners and the depth of expertise, if viewed in light of the increasingly complex challenges the country faces in a dynamic Southeast Asian region.

FOREIGN AFFAIRS Assistant Secretary for Legal Affairs and PSIL Vice President J. Eduardo Malaya (seated, in Barong Tagalog) with guests from the first national conference of the Philippine Society of International Law (PSIL). CLARK GALANG

“The revival of the PSIL and the conduct of its national conference are significant steps toward the growth of the international law community and the increased collaborative work among its members,” the assistant secretary said.

Legal luminaries

THE national conference also celebrated the significant contributions and enduring legacy of Prof. Merlin M. Magallona, former dean of the UP College of Law, a prolific law author and a pillar of the international law community.

International Criminal Court Judge and a member of PSIL’s advisory council Raul C. Pangalangan delivered the keynote address of the conference. He noted a fundamental dilemma for Filipinos: “Some feel that they need to turn away from nationalism to stay true to international law; but in the end, international law is not unnationalistic.

Treaty law and customary law dic-

MALAYA delivers his speech in the inaugural national conference of the PSIL in UP Diliman, Quezon City on September 7. CLARK GALANG

tate that States can empower each other, and that international law can go hand in hand with national law.”

UP College of Law Dean Fides Cordero-Tan welcomed the par-

ticipants to the conference. Participants included Associate Justice Francis H. Jardeleza of the Supreme Court of the Philippines, Associate Justice (ret.) Adolfo S. Azcuna of the Philippine Judicial Academy and Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Civilian Security Jose Luis G. Montales.

Officials from the Office of the Solicitor General and the DFA, as well as faculty members and students of UP College of Law, Lyceum Philippines University College of Law, Ateneo Human Rights Center, San Beda University Graduate School of Law, University of Santo Tomas Graduate School of Law, Far Eastern University Institute of Law, University of Asia and the Pacific School of Law and Governance, University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos and Silliman University College of Law also graced the event.

There were also paper presentors and moderators from the National University of Singapore-Center for

International Law, Islamic University of Indonesia, University of Sydney, Multimedia University (Malaysia), University of Hong Kong Faculty of Law, Oxford University and the Gonzaga University School of Law (Washington State).

The PSIL was founded in 1961 by legal luminaries led by the late Justice Florentino Feliciano and is the Philippine chapter of the Asian Society of International Law, the region’s most prestigious professional and academic organization for international law. The PSIL was revived in 2016 with Prof. Harry L. Roque Jr., the current Presidential Spokesman, as president.

The national conference, which was coorganized with the Integrated Bar of the Philippines, was also the preparatory event to the Asian Society of International Law’s seventh Biennial Conference, which will be hosted by PSIL, the DFA and UP Law Center/College of Law in Manila from August 22 to 24, 2019.

2019 Young Leaders Program now open for applications A PPLICATIONS are now being accepted for the 2019 Young Leaders Program (YLP), an academic scholarship program funded by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and

Technology of Japan.

It aims to prepare young professionals from different countries for future leadership roles in their respective fields by enabling them to pursue graduate level stud-

ies in select Japanese universities.

YLP applicants can choose to major in business administration, law, public administration and local governance. The oneyear duration of this program is set to commence in October 2019 and classes will be conducted primarily in English.

A master’s degree will also be conferred to participants upon successful completion of the program.

It is also hoped that friendly relations would be established among the participants through this program, leading to a solid network of competent national leaders, which, in turn, would yield improvements in policy-planning systems and facilitate future coordination among them.

Eligibility, application

TO qualify, interested applicants must be Filipino citizens, bachelor’s degree holders with excellent academic records, highly proficient in English, less than 40 years old and

employed, with at least three to five years of work experience.

All YLP applications are processed through the specific recommending authorities for each course. For application forms, guidelines and other inquiries concerning YLP, applicants are advised to contact the appropriate recommending authority in the contact details given below (the course, host university in Japan and recommending authority in the Philippines): Business Administration (Hitotsubashi University)—Junior Chamber International Philippines, 14 Don A. Roces Avenue, Quezon City, e-mail: nom@philjaycees. com, phone: 373-7908 to 09, fax: 374-4138; Management Association of the Philippines, Unit 608, 6th Floor, Tower One, Ayala Triangle, Ayala Avenue, 1226 Makati City; e-mail: mapsecretariat@gmail.com, phone: 751-1152, fax: 751-1154.

Law (Kyushu University)—Univer-

sity of the Philippines (UP)-College of Law, Diliman, Quezon City; e-mail: ocs. uplaw@yahoo.com, phone: 920-5514 local 415; 927-0518; Ateneo de Manila Law School, #20 Rockwell Drive, Rockwell Center, Makati City; e-mail: law@ateneo. edu, phone: 899-7691 to 96, 729-2000 local 2304, 2305 to 2307.

School of Government-Public Administration (National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies)—Civil Service Commission, IBP Road, Constitution Hills, Batasang Pambansa Complex, Diliman, Quezon City 1126; phone: 951-4724, 951-2574, 931-4182, 931-7971; fax: 931-8019.

School of Local Government (National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies)—UP-National College of Public Administration and Governance, Diliman, Quezon City; e-mail: abrillantes2001@yahoo.com; phone: 981-8500 local 4176; 928-3861; fax: 926-1432; and the Civil Service Commission (same information as above).

Harnessing potentials is top priority Continued from E1

Definitively, our aim is the signing of an FTA with the Philippines and to create the conditions for expanding mutual investments by setting up bridges for the entrepreneurs through the creation of a Chilean-Filipino business council.

Likewise, it is important to mention our combined efforts with the Philippines to enhance our ties with Asean countries and to promote a consistent bilateral dialogue with the Department of Foreign Affairs in the framework of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, bearing in mind that the next summit of the said organization (will) take place next year in Santiago.

Aside from the Spanish heritage, what elements are common between our countries? What is it about the Philippines that you have come to like?

Doubtless, they are about the family values and the importance we attach to friendship.

I would also mention some closeness in the sense of humor and the resilience of our peoples.

I cherish very much the kindness and hospitable attitude of the Filipinos—a hallmark of their collective being.

AMBASSADOR Capdevila (second from left), with fellow Latin American envoys to the Philippines Rolando Guevara (Panama), Capaya Rodriguez (Venezuela), Victor Echeverri (Colombia) and Roberto Bosch (former ambassador of Argentina) at Chile’s National Day reception event in 2017.

&Expats

envoys.expats.bm@gmail.com | Thursday, September 20, 2018 E3

EMBASSIES, EVENTS, ETC.

JAPANESE SHIP TOUR President Duterte (foreground, second from left) surveys

the JS Kaga (DDH-184) helicopter carrier Japanese ship that anchored at the Alava Pier in Subic, Zambales, on September 1. Japan’s Parliamentary Vice Minister of Defense Keitaro Ohno (foreground, center) accompanied the Chief Executive. SIMEON CELI JR./PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

ENVOYS IN UPPER HOUSE Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III (right, in photos) welcomes Russian Federation Ambassador Igor Anatolyevich Khovaev (left, first photo) and Ambassador of China to the Philippines Zhao Jianhua (left, second photo) during their courtesy call at the Senate on September 4. Khovaev discussed greater collaboration between the Philippines and Russia in the areas of trade and investment, cultural cooperation, anti-drug trafficking and defense cooperation, while Sotto presented a replica of the country’s iconic jeepney as a token to Zhao. SENATE PRIB

AS EMBASSIES EXTEND SYMPATHIES TO VICTIMS, SURVIVORS

EU, Asean, China ready to aid PHL after Ompong

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HE European Union (EU), Asean member-states and China on Sunday expressed readiness to assist the Philippines with its recovery and relief operations as Typhoon Ompong (international code name Mangkhut) battered Northern Luzon during the weekend.

In a statement, the EU Delegation in Manila expressed “its sincerest sympathies to the victims and to those severely affected by Ompong.”

“The EU is consistently monitor-

ing the situation and stands ready to assist the Filipino people in this difficult time,” it added.

The Asean, through its Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian

Assistance, also noted that the regional bloc is prepared to extend all help to the typhoon-ravaged parts of the Philippines should the country request assistance.

China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said “China will help the Philippines within its capacity as soon as possible.”

Foreign Ministry Spokesman Geng Shuang relayed Beijing’s “deep condolences” to the impact, the casualties and property loss the country suffered from the typhoon.

“We believe that, under the leadership of President Duterte and the Philippine government, people in the affected regions of the Philippines will properly deal with this disaster, minimize life and property loss and restore

[their normal way of] life at an early date,” he noted.

The Chinese official also confirmed that the scheduled visit of State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi was suspended, pending a new date to be determined by the two sides’ diplomatic channels.

“Considering the Philippine government is focusing on battling this disaster and has suggested a rescheduling, the Chinese side agreed to postpone State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s visit to the Philippines, which was previously scheduled [from September 16 to] 17,” Geng said.

Meanwhile Ambassador of Japan to the Philippines Koji Haneda offered his sincerest condolences to the families of the victims of Om-

pong and expressed his sympathies to all those affected.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Taro Kono relayed the envoy’s message to Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter S. Cayetano on September 17, which read: “I would like to extend my heartfelt sympathy to the government of the Philippines and its people [who suffered] damages from Ompong.

The government of Japan stands with the government of the Philippines and its people. [It] is ready to provide the maximum possible assistance to the Philippines.”

It also said, “My deepest condolences are with the bereaved, and I sincerely pray for the speedy recovery of the affected people, as well as the prompt restoration of

the affected areas.”

For its part, the embassy of France has expressed “its most sincere condolences to the families of the victims of Ompong.… We extend our sympathy to all affected by this catastrophe, and express our solidarity with the Philippine authorities [whom] we stand ready to examine the assistance and aid they may need to face the consequences of this tragedy.

Ompong was the strongest typhoon to hit the Philippines this year, which left at least 54 people killed due to landslides—most of whom were from the Cordillera Administrative Region—while authorities are still conducting search operations for 42 missing individuals. Joyce Ann L. Rocamora/PNA; Embassies of Japan, France

US decorates WW II veterans with highest civilian honor

SILVER Shadow Advance Security System CEO Amos Golan (left) and RIC President Augusto Camacho (right) sign a Letter of Intent with Trade and Industry Secretary Ramon M. Lopez as witness.

Israeli arms factory to set up PHL plant

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AVAO CITY—A leading arms manufacturer in Israel is set to put up a plant in the Philippines, courtesy of Silver Shadow Advance Security Systems Ltd. (SSASS).

Representatives of the said company are expected to be in the country this month to finalize their partnership with Rayo Illuminar Corp. (RIC) and start the installations of vital apparatus of the manufacturing and assembly plant that will be operational by 2019.

SSASS and RIC had a series of exploratory meetings prior to President Duterte’s recent state visit to the “Holy Land,” and are eyeing Limay, Bataan, as among the identified prospective areas for the manufacturing plant.

The two companies entered into a memorandum of undertaking where the Israeli company has committed to infuse an initial investment of $50 million. They will initially manufacture and assemble firearms and ammunitions, with SSASS also committing to train and then employ at least 160 personnel.

During Duterte’s Israel visit, a ceremonial letter of intent signing by SSASS and its ranking officials with Trade and Industry Secretary Ramon M. Lopez were among the significant events held.

A demonstration of the firefight capability of varied types of firearms under the brand name Gilboa followed, which was witnessed by Defense Secretary Delfin N. Lorenzana. Jun Ledesma/PNA

FILIPINO World War II veterans received the Congressional Gold Medal, the US Congress’ highest civilian honor, from Ambassador Sung Kim inside the US Embassy, as witnessed by National Defense Secretary Delfin N. Lorenzana.

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MBASSADOR of the United States to the Philippines Sung Kim presented bronze replicas of the Congressional Gold Medal, the US Congress’ highest civilian honor, to 13 Filipino World War II (WWII) veterans at the US Embassy on September 13, which marked the first time the honor was presented on Philippine soil.

“As we remember those who defended Bataan, those who fought in Corregidor and those who liberated Manila, we pause to reflect and honor their lives and legacies,” Kim said at the ceremony. “What they have freely given is beyond our power to repay, but on this day and at this time, we recognize our debt for their sacrifices with deep respect and profound appreciation.”

In July 1941 President Franklin D. Roosevelt called more than 250,000 Filipinos into service with US military units and guerilla forces to defend the

A BRONZE replica of the Filipino World War II veterans’ Congressional Gold Medal

Philippines. Between July 1941 and December 1946 Philippine service members fought alongside the United States Armed Forces in the Far East (Usaffe) and under the command of General Douglas MacArthur, Major General

Jonathan Wainwright and Major General Edward King. The Filipino soldiers gave their lives in the defense of their homeland and in service to the US. “It is of great honor and pride to be bestowed the Congressional Gold Medal

by the US Congress,” (Ret.) Col. Paterno V. Viloria, Philippine Army said. “I am overjoyed that after more than seven decades, we Filipino veterans of WW II, who fought side by side with the [Usaffe], are finally getting the honor and recognition we deserve for our bravery and heroism, our selfless sacrifice and dedicated service during the war.”

The US Congress passed the Filipino Veterans of WW II Congressional Gold Medal Act in November 2016, which then-US President Barack Obama signed the bill into law in December of the same year.

The first ceremony was held in the US Capitol building in Washington, D.C., on October 25, 2017.

The Philippine Veterans Affairs Office will hold regional ceremonies around the Philippines. The regional ceremonies will give veterans and their families the opportunity to honor and celebrate the wartime service and sacrifices of Filipino veterans of WW II. With a report from Recto L. Mercene

BusinessMirror

Health&Fitness

ELEANOR LEYCO

September 20-26, 2018

TEODORO L. FERRER:

GAME CHANGER

PROVIDING PINOYS QUALITY AFFORDABLE MEDICINES FOR 15 YEARS REAL VALUE OF COSTLY CANCER DRUGS AND TIPS ON PREVENTING CANCERS

SM CITY LEGAZPI OPENS S M City Legazpi, the Bicol region’s newest lifestyle destination opened on September 14. It is SM Prime’s 71st supermall, and the second in Bicolandia after SM City Naga.

Legazpi City, the capital of Albay, is the regional center and largest city in the Bicol region in terms of population. It is the region’s center of tourism, education, health services, commerce and transportation. In 2018 Legazpi was ranked first in overall competitiveness by the National Competitive Council. The city also ranked first in infrastructure and second in economic dynamism.

In the southern foothills of scenic Mount Mayon, Legazpi is also known as the City of Fun and Adventure, and has a flourishing tourism industry. There are a number of tourism adventure activities within the city, including riding an ATV around Mount Mayon, zip lining, skydiving, scuba diving, and water sports.

Along Imelda Roces Avenue in Barangay Bitano, the 87,706-square-meter three- level mall will serve shoppers in bustling Legazpi, as well as the rest of Albay. The mall’s design includes a set of bold forms with a subtle, yet impactful curve along Terminal 2 Road that leads visitors to main entry points. Contrasting patterns of varying blues and grays create a distinctive approach along each façade, while a blue frame highlights one of its most unique features; an exterior balcony where visitors can capture a selfie with Mount Mayon.

The interior of SM City Legazpi is organized around a simple, z-shaped plan that allows for clear views to shops at each level. The palette consists of crisp, clean finishes that incorporate a mixture of playful colors and lighting arrangements to enliven the space. In addition to the ample natural daylight that fills the main mall, visitors will be

LEGAZPI City Mayor Noel E. Rosal (second from left), Albay Second District Rep. Joey Sarte Salceda (third from left), Albay province Gov. Al Francis C. Bichara (fourth from left), Albay Province Vice Governor Harold O. Imperial (fourth from right), Legazpi City Vice Mayor Robert Oscar Cristobal (third from right) and Bishop of Legazpi City Most Rev. Joel Baylon (center) were the guests of honour during the blessing of SM City Legazpi. They are joined

by SM officials, SM Chairman for Executive Committee Hans T. Sy (left), SM Prime Holdings President Jeffrey Lim (second from right) and SM Markets Vice Chairman Herbert T. Sy (right). Envisioned to be the Bicol Rrgion’s newest lifestyle destination, the 87,706-square-meter mall is SM Prime’s 71st supermall, and the second in Bicolandia after SM City Naga. It will serve customers in Legazpi, which is known as the City of Fun and Adventure, and the rest of the province of Albay.

able to enjoy expansive views of Mount Mayon through the SM Food Hall and the Prestige Lounge, which is accessible through The SM Store.

The SM Store and SM Supermarket are SM City Legazpi’s anchor stores with SM mainstays like the SM Appliance Center, ACE Hardware, Our Home, Watsons, Surplus, Sports Central and Miniso leading the way. It also has a Cyberzone for techie shoppers, as well as fashion boutiques, shoe stores, jewelry stores, eyewear stores, bookstores and sports stores.

Eating out options include a Food Hall, where one can get a spectacular view of Mount Mayon, as well as well-loved local and international food chains and specialty restaurants.

Homegrown businesses have also found their way to SM City Legazpi.

These include Ilawod Café, Graceland, J. Emmanuel, P. Aldana, Viva Massage, Pixel 8, UST Legazpi Clinic, Legazpi Haircutters, and Sticks and Strings.

SM City Legazpi brings the magic of movies to residents with six digital cinemas. It also has amusement centers for kids, and wellness centers for looking

good and feeling great. For customer convenience, it has 922 parking slots.

SM City Legazpi’s project team includes DSGN Associates, design architect;

H1 Architecture and Design, AOR; Engr.

Roger P. Pedregosa, project manager; Design Coordinates, construction manager; and KHMAYA, general contractor.

Health&Fitness

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2 Health&Fitness September 20-26, 2018

HEALING THOSE UNDERGOING

PIXABAY.COM

DRUG ABUSE

Story & photos by Henrylito D. Tacio

I

N 2008 the Philippine media reported the arrest of 11 high-school students who were caught doing a pot session in Quezon City. Most of the arrested students came from the ranks of “financially distressed families.”

As the students could not afford to conduct “the pot session in a luxurious hotel or a mansion-like residence or condominium in one of the metropolitan areas’ premier locations that some scions of wellto-do families reportedly do on a regular basis,” they held it only in a “vacant lot.”

“Drug abuse has ruined many lives,” declared Dr. Willie T. Ong, an

4 Health&Fitness September 20-26, 2018

internist-cardiologist and consultant at the Manila Doctors Hospital and Makati Medical Center. “The threat of illegal drugs is real and it’s closer than we think. In the Philippines the drug-abuse situation has actually increased over the years.”

A drug is defined as “any substance intended for use in the diagnosis, cure, relief, treatment or prevention of disease or intended to

affect the structure or function of the body.” A simpler but workable definition of a drug is any chemical substance that affects the body and its processes.

“By law, drugs are divided into two categories: prescription drugs and nonprescription drugs,” explained The Merck Manual of Medical Information. “Prescription drugs—those considered safe for use only under medical supervision—may be dispensed only with a prescription from a licensed professional with governmental privileges to prescribe.”

Nonprescription drugs, on the other hand, are those considered safe for use without any medical supervision (like aspirin, for instance).

Oftentimes, these drugs are sold over the counter.

To some people, the word “drug” means a substance that alters the brain’s function in ways considered pleasurable—a mind-altering substance. These are what the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) considers as “dangerous drugs” or “illegal drugs.”

“Drug abuse exists when a person continually uses a drug other than its intended purpose,” the DDB explained in its web site. “This continued use can lead to drug dependence, a state of physical and psychological dependence or both on a dangerous drug.”

A Philippine Daily Inquirer report said that “2.1 percent of Filipinos aged 16 to 64 were using shabu,” and “domestic consumption of methamphetamine and marijuana continued to be the main drug threats in the Philippines.”

The use by young Filipinos of prohibited drugs is now considered as one of the country’s scourges. The abuse has reached epidemic, if not widespread, proportions.

In his book, Doctors’ Health Tips and Home Remedies, Ong listed some possible signs of drug abuse.

“First, the person may associate with friends who are known drug users. Second, the person often needs money and sometimes steals things at home. Third, the person may exhibit some changes in behavior and mood.”

On the latter, Ong explained: “He or she may be irritable, discourteous and aggressive. [If the person is a student, he or she] may stop going to class and receive failing grades. There may be poor personal grooming and a general lack of interest in life. Take note, however, that these behavioral clues are not always present.”

The DDB further gives these signs: asks to be left alone a lot, always tired (or makes it as an excuse to be left alone), careless and often becomes involved in accidents, implicated in a lot of fights, sudden change in appearance and conduct (red or puffy eyes, weight changes, constant complaints of headaches or stomachaches, shaking, incessant cough, brown stains on fingertips, stumbling, or a constant runny nose), loss of interest in hobbies or sports, exhibits poor judgment and finds it difficult to concentrate.

Experts urged people to help someone who is addicted to drugs.

“Drug addiction is considered a disease and needs comprehensive and prolonged treatment,” Ong reminded. “After being rehabilitated, the drug abuser should still be closely monitored so that he or she will not relapse again into using drugs.”

But oftentimes, those who are addicted to drugs do not seek professional treatment because of the stigma attached to addiction rehabilitation. There are those who are ashamed if people know that he or she is a drug addict. Other reasons:

JOSEPH JERRY VALDERRAMA

the person is almost always touted as a failure and an embarrassment to his or her family.

Most important, there is that punitive and coercive process inside rehabilitation facilities as often featured in Hollywood and local films and even documentaries. “Struggle is real,” a former drug addict remarked.

But there are those who think otherwise. After all, “life is beautiful,” to quote the title of an awardwinning movie. Joseph Jerry “Jay” Valderrama, believes on that, too: Getting help with his addiction, he contends, is a positive and healthy decision to make.

Jay’s life was an open book on drug addiction. He commenced smoking at a young age of 12. By the time he was 13, he had already tried marijuana. Later on, he

drowned himself with illegal drugs up to his 30s.

One day, Jay woke up wanting something out of his life; there was a better way to spend the rest of his life before it was too late. So, he decided to undergo a complete treatment in a rehabilitation center.

“God touched his life in so many ways but he ignored them until one day he listened to that small voice inside his being,” disclosed his little sister, Dr. Maria Gemima Valderrama. “He wanted to change. So, in that same rehab, he started as a volunteer.”

Jay completely turned around from what he used to be. From being a volunteer, he rose to become general manager and it was just a matter of time that he was asked to be the addiction program director.

In subsequent years, he joined local and international trainings until he passed the exams and became an International Certified Addiction Professional. That was in 2013. In January of this year, he is accredited as global trainer on Universal Treatment Curriculum Basic Level for Colombo Plan Drug Advisory Program.

“For 19 years, my brother has been clean and sober,” Gemima said.

“That was something impossible to imagine during those times when he was so hooked on drugs. Thanks to the treatment and his decision to change.”

Although it was a herculean task, Jay said he was determined to beat the drug addiction that used to slave him. “I believe recovery is possible if you work at it,” he admitted.

Now that he is a free man, he wants to help others who are down and out with drugs. As he has un-

dergone the hardships and struggles inside the rehabilitation facilities, he wants to put a new face to the traditional treatment. “I want to share how I was able to regain control of my life after I have decided to completely change,” he pointed out.

This idea led to the birth of J.J. Valderrama Behavioral Management Center (JJVBMC), whose office is on Veloso Street in Bo. Obrero in Davao City. “A center that heals,” the founder and chief executive officer pinpointed. “This is what we want to be known for.”

The Washington, D.C.-based Pew Research Center noted that substance-use disorders are not just a criminal justice issue, but also a major public-health concern. Addiction, it is said, is a disease of the brain; it can be prevented, treated and from which people can recover.

The JJVBMC has the same view.

It wants to treat people who are under illegal drugs and to make sure they recover and never to relapse. In addition, the center is advocating for the prevention of substance use.

With a team of addiction and healing professionals, Jay wants to introduce the value of outpatient treatment where the team will give premium to the ability and decisiveness of the person to change, coupled with holistic therapy cognitive behavioral therapy, and motivational enhancement therapy.

“True healing comes from within,” said Dr. Emily Joy MongcopaDelgra, the center’s chief clinical psychologist.

The center’s tagline is: “You and I can heal.”

“Let us sustain and celebrate life in recovery,” Jay concluded.

Health&Fitness September 20-26, 2018 5

FITNESS RULES

By Greggy H. Romualdez

PIXABAY.COM

How overtraining can impede muscle growth

B

UILDING muscle is a process that entails a combination of weight training, proper diet, supplementation and, just as important, proper rest periods.

The latter is perhaps the most overlooked. I often see guys in the gym lifting weights like there’s no tomorrow, day in and day out, and yet fail to achieve the kind of look that represents all the hard work they put in. On the other hand, there are guys who just flick a few weights here and there, yet are infinitely more ripped than the guy who acts like a kamikaze bomber in the gym.

Of course there are a host of other factors that come into play, such as genetics, technique, nutrition and supplementation, among others. But today, let us tackle why some fail to achieve the kind of muscularity they desire, or tend to hit the wall despite a seemingly sensible weight training regimen.

6 Health&Fitness September 20-26, 2018

Our muscles do not grow in the gym. While lifting weights will provide the stimulus for growth, actual growth takes place hours and even days after when muscles are in recovery phase. Apart from providing the proper nutrition in the form of calories from protein, carbohydrates and fat, muscle must be given rest periods for them to recuperate from a workout in order to promote growth. This includes getting adequate sleep as this has a profound effect on muscle growth and our physical well-being in general.

Overtraining is a real danger for the overzealous gym buff who can’t wait to get ripped at the soonest possible time. For instance, intensely working out a body part every day may not give muscles ample time

to recover and grow. In the same vein, too many sets and repetitions in a session may simply be counterproductive. Once a muscle has been stimulated enough to grow during a workout, doing additional sets and reps will not help. On the contrary, this may impede the body’s ability to recover and grow. Thus, it may be ill-advised to mimic the workout of a bodybuilding celebrity straight from the pages of a magazine as these were designed for super athletes on a highly specialized diet and supplement program. Arnold’s Awesome Arm Workout may thus, not have the same effect on Juan de la Cruz.

If you feel you are giving it your all in the gym, lifting weights like crazy with proper form and technique and getting the right supplementation, yet muscle growth tends to be sluggish at best, chances are you may be overtrained.

For starters, try to decrease the amount of sets you are doing. Likewise, give a body part ample time to recover. If before, you would work

out your chest every other day, give it two days rest for a change. When it comes to growing muscle, less can sometimes be more especially if you are overtrained. Or if you feel your body is tired from all the highintensity weight training, take a step back, and have a few days off. Give your muscles time to recover. Then come back stronger, more focused and energized Eight-time Mr. Olympia Ronnie Coleman, arguably the greatest bodybuilder of all time, would take a three-month rest from any form of working out after the Mr. Olympia competition. This would give his sore muscles—which would receive an almost daily pounding in the gym—enough time to recover from the stress of preparing for the Olympia.

Not all of us are Mr. Olympia titleholders, and are thus, undeserving of a three-month layoff.

However, a few days rest may reap great rewards, especially for an overtrained individual.

HEMOPHILIA ADVOCATES PHILIPPINES TURNS 2 H EMOPHILIA AdvocatesPhilippines (HAP), a national organization for patients with hemophilia and related bleeding disorders, celebrates its second anniversary at the Philippine Heart Center Aventura Hall on September 23.

Founded in September 2016, HAP now has 20 chapters in Luzon and the Visayas. In 2017 the group managed to distribute close to seven-million units of medicines called clotting factors and responded to 1,000 patients mostly with life-threatening conditions.

Hemophilia and related bleeding disorders are a group of genetic medical conditions where the blood does not clot properly. There are at least 13 proteins in the blood called factors that help form clots. When one of these factors is missing, it results in a bleeding disorder. Hemophilia, while rare, is the most known in this group of disorders as it afflicted the royal family.

Around 10,000 Filipinos are believed to be affected by hemophilia and roughly 1 million others with related bleeding disorders such as von Willebrand Disease and rare factor deficiency disorders.

However, only around 1,500 have so far been identified, according to latest data from the World Federation of Hemophilia.

“Our theme for this year is: ‘A year of audacious growth,’ because we had the audacity to believe we could change our own lives if we worked together to advocate for ourselves,”

HEMOPHILIA can be debilitating. But with proper access to treatment, affected people can do what others without the disorder can do. Young adults with hemophilia performed a dance number during the World Hemophilia Day event, thanks to the treatment they received from foreign donors.

DEPARTMENT of Health’s Dr. Eric Tayag, Sen. Joel Villanueva and HAP President Andrea TrinidadEchavez during the World Hemophilia Day event celebration held in Glorietta Mall. The event was supported by the BusinessMirror, Health & Fitness Magazine, Philippines Graphic and Pilipino Mirror.

said Andrea Trinidad-Echavez, HAP president and herself diagnosed with von Willebrand Disease.

Symptoms of hemophilia and bleeding disorders include: frequent nosebleeds, gumbleeds, bruising, joint bleeds that could be mistaken as arthritis or heavy menstruation for women. Some may also experience spontaneous brain bleed or bleeds in other internal organs.

Bleeding disorders are usually in-

THE municipality of Baliuag lights up red its municipal hall in support of “Light It Up Red,” a global initiative of the World Federation of Hemophilia in observance of the World Hemophilia Day.

herited, but 30 percent may develop from gene mutation. Very rarely, hemophilia can be acquired by older people resulting from autoimmune disease.

Treatment for hemophilia and related bleeding disorders is very costly and can be debilitating to affected individuals. But with adequate access to treatment, persons with these disorders can lead normal lives.

At present, Filipinos affected by

these disorders rely on humanitarian aid for their treatments. Recently, patients have also been able to access medicines from the Department of Social Welfare and Development, the Department of Health and the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office.

Last year HAP sought the filing of the Bleeding Disorders Standards of Care bills in the Senate and House of Representatives.

Sens. Joel Villanueva and Nancy Binay have filed Senate Bill 1335, while Sen. JV Ejercito authored Senate Bill 1389, both of which seek to establish hemophilia treatment centers in regional hospitals all over the Philippines.

Counterpart bills were filed at the House of Representatives by Rep. Alfred Vargas (House Bill 05335) and by Rep. Bernadette Herrera-Dy (House Bill 06986).

BusinessMirror Group of publications supports the advocacy of HAP to raise awareness on this group of blood disorders. For more information on HAP, visit its web site www. hemophilia.ph.

HAP members receive financial assistance from Save One Life, a humanitarian organization based in the US that provides financial support to children and adults affected by hemophilia.

Health&Fitness September 20-26, 2018 7

TEODORO L. FERR

GAME CHANG

PROVIDING PINOYS QUALITY AFFORDABLE MEDICINES F

By Eleanor A. Leyco-Chua

G

OOD things happen to those who put others first before themselves. And this is true for Generika’s cofounder and Generika Group of Companies chairman Teodoro L. Ferrer.

Just like any one who was about to retire from a fruitful and successful career, Ferrer contemplated on what business to put up when he finally leaves the corporate world. He has the expertise and resources to set up a small realestate business and at the same time do some farming in his hometown in Zamboanga. But the universe had already connived even before he reached his retirement for a better and noble venture.

The noble cause IT all started with an advocacy work, which serves the less-fortunate people by providing livelihood projects.

Julian Belo, a French guy who’s been doing social and civic projects in different poor areas in the country, approached him to join his foundation.

Acknowledging all the good things he’s been blessed with and the desire to pay it forward, Ferrer, without any qualms, agreed to Belo’s offer.

Though Ferrer was raised in a wellto-do family, charity and service to people were part of their everyday living. His father was a doctor who had a good number of patients from all walks of life and he remembered how his father reached out to his poor patients.

“I remember the doctor’s fee for a check-up at that time was P150 to P200, for his rich patients, he got this

8 Health&Fitness September 20-26, 2018

fee, but for the poor people who lined up every day in his clinic, he only asked for P2,” Ferrer recalled.

Being exposed to his father’s selfless service to his poor patients, Ferrer might have not realized early on his life that he will be doing the same as his father’s but in a different yet big way.

While helping Belo with his foundation, they have witnessed the immense need of the poor families for affordable medicines. And they realized this need when some of the workers of the foundation got sickly and they’re spending so much for the medicines. Though providing livelihood

projects allowed their beneficiaries to have a chance to a better life, the access to effective, safe and affordable medicines will give them a feeling of security when they get sick.

Once again, Belo approached Ferrer and told him that there’s a way to address the issue. Belo said that there are medicines that have the same efficacy as the branded ones but 80 percent to 90 percent cheaper.

“Belo was talking about generic medicines, and this was 15 years ago.

Though there’s already the Generics Law, the Filipinos at that time lack knowledge and awareness about generic drugs.”

For the second time, he found himself agreeing to Belo and they started their partnership, which aims to provide the Filipino people access to safe, affordable and quality generic medicines. “Julian and I have no knowledge about pharmaceutical industry but we really saw the need for affordable and quality drugs that’s why we pushed through and established the first Generika Drugstore, and that was in Muntinlupa City.”

With the birth of the first Generika Drugstore, Belo and Ferrer worked hard and made their small company the first to network generic medicines. From one store, which was brought to life

because of a dream to give the Filipino people access to quality yet affordable medicines, the Generika Drugstore is now almost 800 branches located strategically nationwide.

15 years of service FROM the moment Generika Drugstore opened its first branch in 2004, its campaign to raise better public awareness about generic medicines has always been a part of its mission.

And with its solid foundation as a company that envisions empowering the consumers by providing better access to quality affordable medicines, Generika Drugstore became an aggressive innovator in the industry.

With the outstanding background of the people who formed the company and the heart behind its establishment, Generika Drugstore launched several activities that were rooted in serving its patrons.

Concerned about the health of its clients, Ferrer said that the company redefined the Libreng Konsulta that other drugstores do. “Libreng Konsulta is a regular activity in the stores. Anyone who wishes to avail [himself] of the free check-up and the affordable diagnostic tests, which are subsidized by our company, will just have to be at the branch where we are

RER:

GER ELEANOR LEYCO

FOR 15 YEARS

TEODORO L. FERRER

GENERIKA FUN FACTS

n Generika Drugstore is the pioneer in the retail of generic medicines n Its first store is in Montillano, Alabang, and is still serving its customers up to this day n Generika Drugstore is turning 15 years this September 2018 n By using generic medicines, you can save up to 85 percent vs branded counterparts n Generika Drugstore has a volleyball team called the Generika Ayala Lifesavers, it is a shared advocacy of Generika Drugstore and Ayala Corporation to promote health and wellness n In 2018, Generika Drugstore released its Mascots—Doc Gener and Pharmacist Ika. They have their Twitter accounts, too! For updates and health tips, follow them at @DocGener and @IkaPharmacist

holding the Libreng Konsulta, fill out the form and wait for his turn to be checked by the doctors. This way, we are reaching more people and they will feel that with us they have a partner in taking care of their health.”

Ferrer is also proud of its Gamot Guide, which is a printed instruction on how to take the medicine you bought from Generika. “A lot of people who buy even the over-the-counter medicines do not really know the right way to take the

meds they buy, so with this simple guide, I believe Generika is helping our clients in one way or the other.”

Aside from Libreng Konsulta and Gamot Guide, Ferrer considers their Gabay Kalusugan as one of the activities that make them closer to their clients, because of the relationship they build with the community and the knowledge they share to the residents.

“Generika is not just about selling medicines, but it is also about encouraging people to adopt a healthy lifestyle. With activities like Zumba, street games, health talks, among others, we want to share to everyone that prevention is better than cure,” he stressed.

Stronger and better partnership for a more meaningful goal AS the company continues to lead the industry and serve its purpose to assist more people and provide quality affordable medicine and become a reliable health and wellness partner, expansion is the only way to go to realize this goal.

In 2015 Ferrer formed a new alliance, which he himself witnessed and experienced its industry leadership for more than two decades.

Ferrer, who was once a part of the Ayala Group, partnered with the AC Health, an Ayala company, and he’s convinced that the blueprint of his

vision for the company will be realized with this new partnership.

Ayala Healthcare Holdings Inc. (AC Health) is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Ayala Corporation, and serves as the portfolio company for healthcare businesses. Its vision is to build a synergistic ecosystem that links every patient to a seamless healthcare experience. Its portfolio includes Generika Drugstore, the pioneer in generic retail pharmacies, and FamilyDOC, a new chain of community-based primary care clinics. AC Health is also investing in health technology through its HealthTech arm, Vigos and MedGrocer, an FDA-licensed online pharmacy.

Slowly and meticulously, Generika is continuously launching its house brands that promote preventive health care. To date, Generika has two house brands— Actimed Generics for high-quality and affordable generic medicines, and Nutrawell, its exclusive line of high-quality and affordable food supplements that enable its customers to achieve and sustain a healthier lifestyle.

Generika Drugstore continues to delight its customers by expanding its product offerings, such as medicines, food supplements, personal care, plus more.

For Ferrer, it may take them some time to finally see all the fruits of their labor and the realization of a big dream, but he is content and thankful that Generika was able to launch its own products with superior quality, and the company’s unrelenting growth signifies that he is serving his purpose of bringing generic medicines to the country—to provide consumers quality affordable drugs.

Generika Drugstore currently serves at least 4 million unique customers nationwide and this number is increasing every day. This number only shows that with Generika, “Bububti ka.”

For more information about Generika, visit www.generika.com.ph. You may also like and follow its Facebook page: Facebook.com/Generika.com.ph.

Health&Fitness September 20-26, 2018 9

PIXABAY.COM

REAL VALUE OF COSTLY CANCER DRUGS AND TIPS ON PREVENTING CANCERS

Part One

G

LEEVEC, a drug used to treat leukemia, costs $70,000 a year in the United States but only $2,500 in India. This costly gap exists thanks to US patents that prevent competitors from making and selling lower-cost versions. Such patents do not exist to the same extent in India, and, in fact, recently India’s highest court again rejected an application to patent the cancer drug—a move that likely would have sent prices soaring.

Indian government takes multiple steps to prevent cancer drug patents

ALONG with rejecting patent applications, the Indian government has also granted (or has plans to grant) compulsory licenses for at least five drugs targeting leukemia, breast, kidney and liver cancers.

The licenses allow local drug companies to produce generic ver-

10 Health&Fitness September 20-26, 2018

sions of the medications despite patents held by their original makers—and without the need for their permission.

Indonesia, China and the Philippines have adopted similar measures that allow them to circumvent patents and give their populations access to lower-priced drugs.

Such moves are likely to increase as cancer rates continue to rise and, with it, the demand for what

are deemed conventionally as the “best” treatments. It’s a firestorm in the making, as governmentenforced protected patents enable drug companies to charge exorbitant prices for their drugs—a measure they claim is necessary to fund the research and development needed to produce “life-saving” medications.

But with more countries circumventing patents—and the plain fact that, as The Atlantic reported, “US patients will not indefinitely pay a 20-fold increase on the price of medicines that Indian consumers pay”—the flawed system is likely to be the source of increasing tensions and, ultimately, is likely to crumble.

The Atlantic continued: “The fight over cancer drugs in India exposes a fundamental tension in the way we fund pharmaceutical R&D. Patents allow pharmaceutical firms to charge high prices for drugs for a limited period of time to recoup their investment in R&D. This results in more of the drugs that we need, but makes them less ac-

cessible to those who need them. The tension becomes greater in the global context because the income disparities between developed and developing country patients are so vast.”

Patented cancer drugs: What are we really fighting over?

PHARMACEUTICAL companies spend nearly twice as much on marketing in the US as they do on R&D. This finding was published in the journal PloS Medicine in 2008.

So the tune they keep singing— that they need drug patents and outrageous price tags on their drugs to keep making new medications— is growing quite tired.

Drug companies use patents because it allows them to make more money. On average, Americans pay twice the price for the identical drugs compared to other countries.

But the fight over patentability and drug prices is really only distracting from the much bigger issue at hand, which is the value of the

drugs themselves…or rather, the lack thereof.

If you were living in 1900, you very likely would have relied upon the “cutting-edge” treatments of the time, which had reassuring names like Hollister’s Golden Nugget Tablets and Dr. Sawen’s Magic Nerving Pills, and touted promises of curing all that ails you.

Yet, according to a new study that chemically analyzed dozens of patent medicines from the late-1800s and early-1900s, the treatments contained not only beneficial ingredients like calcium and zinc but also toxins like lead, mercury and arsenic. The study’s lead researcher told Smithsonian Magazine in an interview: “Back in the day, this was a very trial-anderror kind of field… The stuff that we think of as dangerous now, though it was dangerous, was as cutting-edge as they had at the time.”

Today, we look back and scoff at the therapies that our not-so-distant ancestors embraced, because we now know that the ingredients many contained were toxic and could, quite literally, kill you.

100 years from now, will many common prescription drugs be seen as equally barbaric?

IF only we had a window into the

future, you would likely see what is already glaring right before your eyes: that many of the cutting-edge treatments of the 21st century are no better than the Hollister’s Golden Nuggets of yesteryears. Mercury and other toxic metals like aluminum are still being used in various vaccinations, for instance. We even allow mercury to be implanted directly into our mouths via “silver” fillings!

Other medications may not contain buzz-worthy poisons like mercury or lead, yet they pose equally deadly consequences via other mechanisms. Take Gleevec, the cancer drug that’s at the root of the patent controversy, with patients vying to get their hands on this “life-saving” drug. Unfortunately, though it may help treat leukemia, it also kills heart muscle cells, which may cause fatal congestive heart failure.

So how can we laugh at people 100 years ago for taking deadly medications…when today’s medications—and the entire modern medical system—are still a leading cause of death? This is perhaps no more apparent than with drugs used to treat cancer.

Many cancer patients die from chemo

THE National Confidential Enquiry into Patient Outcome and Death

study found that more than four in 10 patients who received chemotherapy toward the end of life experienced potentially fatal effects. And after reviewing data from over 600 cancer patients who died within 30 days of receiving treatment, it was found that chemotherapy hastened or caused death in 27 percent of those cases.

Chemotherapy drugs are, by their very nature, extremely toxic and typically do not work with your body to modulate and normalize its response to allow the cancer to resolve normally. Despite its reputation as the gold-standard in cancer treatment, chemotherapy has an average five-year survival success rate of just over 2 percent for all cancers, according to a study published in the journal Clinical Oncology. Meanwhile, a typical, and potentially deadly, side effect of chemo is the destruction of the rapidly multiplying and dividing cells found in your bone marrow, which produces blood, digestive system, reproductive system and hair follicles.

Chemo actually supports the more chemo-resistant and malignant cell subpopulations within tumors (e.g. cancer stem cells), both killing the more benign cells and/or senescent cells within the tumor that keep it slow-growing, or even harmless. As a

result, this unleashes a more aggressive, treatment-resistant type of cancer to wreak havoc on the body.

Another one of the biggest drawbacks to chemotherapy is the fact that it destroys healthy cells throughout your body right along with cancer cells, a “side effect” that often leads to accelerated death, not healing. Effectiveness is a shot in the dark, in many cases, not entirely different from the “miracle cures” popular at the turn of the 20th century.

Prevention is a far better route than treatment THE bottom line here is that there’s a lot you can do to lower your chances of getting cancer—you and your family can take control of your health.

Don’t wait for diagnosis and place your very life on the hopes of affording outrageously expensive chemotherapy drugs…take the reins and be a proactive participant in your own health care, before you end up in need for disease management. I believe you can virtually eliminate your risk of cancer and other chronic diseases, and radically improve your chances of recovering from cancer if you currently have it, by following these relatively simple risk-reduction strategies. (To be continued) Source: www.bewellbuzz.com

Health&Fitness September 20-26, 2018 11

THE MEDICAL CITY

APPOINTS NEW CHAIRMAN AND C.E.O.

AUGUSTO P. SARMIENTO

T

HE Medical City (TMC) announced on September 17 the appointment of Jose Xavier B. Gonzales as its chairman and Dr. Eugenio Jose F. Ramos as its CEO with immediate effect.

The appointments follow a special stockholders meeting held on September 13 in accordance with TMC’s bylaws, where 230 shareholders representing 74 percent of the shareholdings in TMC were present, and a vote was held to elect a new board of directors and CEO for 2018-2019.

Six doctors are among the newly elected board of directors, including Dr. Augusto P. Sarmiento (chairman of the previous board), Dr. Eugenio Jose F. Ramos, Dr. Ruben Kasala, Dr. Rafael Claudio, Dr. Cenon Alfonso and Dr. Daniel Alonzo. Major shareholders Clermont Group, Fountel, Lombard and the Religious of the Virgin Mary are also represented on the board. Sarmiento, one of the two surviving founders of TMC, has been conferred chairman emeritus.

Incoming chairman Gonzales is a seasoned corporate leader and business owner who has served as the treasurer and a director for TMC for 19 years. Prior to joining TMC, he held senior management positions in companies across a range of industries in the Philippines where he played a key role in transforming and growing the companies he has worked with and

12 Health&Fitness September 20-26, 2018

owned. He helped facilitate the generous donation by the Lopez Group of the land on which TMC and Ateneo School of Medicine & Public Health stand.

Ramos is an esteemed member of the Philippine medical community and had served as national president of the Philippine College of Physicians. He has been a practicing internist-cardiologist in TMC since 1987. He received his MBA from the Ateneo Graduate School of Business in 2008. Prior to his appointment as CEO, he was the SVP of the Medical Services Group of TMC and has served as director of the various boards of the TMC enterprise.

He has been the CEO of TMC Iloilo since 2013. He brings into his new position a strong understanding of the future of health care and the nature of patient-centered care.

Sarmiento said, “I would like to thank the outgoing board members for their service and commitment to the growth and prosperity of TMC. In particular, I would like to thank Dr. Alfredo Bengzon for the time and devotion he has given to TMC over the past 50 years.”

“This is an important milestone for TMC, as doctors from across the

TMC network came together to vote for change, transparency and better governance. I am delighted that the new, revitalized board of directors now has a much stronger representation of independent-minded doctors; this is vital as we look forward to better serve our patients, as well as colleagues in the health-care industry. The future of TMC is bright, and I look forward to working with my fellow board members and colleagues with a renewed spirit of collaboration as we seek to deliver TMC’s vision to build a world-class health-care network,” Ramos said.

JOSE XAVIER B. GONZALES

List of elected board members: n Dr. Augusto P. Sarmiento— Chairman Emeritus n Mr. Jose Xavier B. Gonzales— Chairman n Dr. Eugenio Jose F. Ramos— Chief Executive Officer n Sister Maria Rosalia A. Nacionales, RVM—Director n Mr. Martin Eric Robinson—Director n Mr. Alex Holroyd-Smith—Director n Mr. Parvesh Fabiani—Director n Mr. Thomas J Smith—Director n Mr. Russell Low Tzeh Shyian— Director n Dr. Ruben G. Kasala—Director n Dr. Rafael S. Claudio—Director n Dr. Cenon R. Alfonso—Director n Dr. Daniel M. Alonzo—Director n Independent Directors: -Dr. Michael L. Tan -Mr. Salvador G. Tirona

EUGENIO JOSE F. RAMOS

HEALTHY FINDS

Regulations to address public-health emergencies decided

By Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco

T

HE Department of Health (DOH) said that the International Health Regulations (2005) Joint External Evaluation (IHR–JEE) has been concluded as it aims to assess the country’s preparedness for disease outbreaks and public-health emergencies.

From September 9 to 14, international experts involved in 19 technical areas, to name a few: food safety, disease surveillance, outbreak response and public health emergency preparedness, have been working with representatives from the various departments of the government to conduct the JEE. The DOH has requested the external experts to visit the country to review the current status and identify opportunities to further strengthen the country’s preparedness.

The JEE process was developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) in consultation with member-states and partners to help countries evaluate their capacity to prevent, detect and respond to infectious diseases and other public-health threats. This includes a set of core capacities required under the International Health Regulations (2005)—a global legal framework signed by 196 countries, including the Philippines.

“The DOH, with its partner agencies like Department of Agriculture, Department of Foreign Affairs, Department of the Interior and Local Government, Philippine National Police, Philippine Army, Philippine Nuclear Research Institute, and the National Security Council, is committed to protecting the lives and health of people in the Philippines and other countries by preventing and responding to disease outbreaks and other public-health emergencies,” said Health Secretary Francisco T. Duque III. “We will only be able to stop the spread of diseases by working together—not only among the health sector but also with all the relevant departments in our government.”

The Philippines faces outbreaks of diseases time after time, such as measles, influenza, dengue or leptospirosis; not to mention the threat of Zika, avian influenza, and other public-health threats of international concern.

With an ever-increasing volume of international travel and trade, the Philippines, like many other countries, is vulnerable to the importation of emerging infectious diseases, which often causes complex and considerable significant social consequences and substantial economic losses.

“The more the country is prepared, the more lives will be saved,” said Dr. Gundo Weiler, WHO representative in the Philippines.

“I commend the leadership of the Philippines in volunteering for a Joint External Evalu-

the Federated States of Micronesia, Japan, Lao PDR, Mongolia, the Republic of Korea, Singapore and Vietnam.

Gov. Marcos initiates setup of animal shelters in low-lying areas

ation. This will pave the way for the country to understand its current situation and know how to further strengthen its national systems to prevent the international spread of diseases,” he added.

The debriefing of the mission was held on September 14 in Manila, summarizing key findings and recommendations on priority actions. “The Philippines has developed strong technical capabilities in various areas, such as its field epidemiology training program, disease surveillance and national health laboratory system,” said Dr. Mark Salter from Public Health England, who served as the leader of the international team of experts.

“With improved coordination across agencies, and optimized investment at local units, the Philippines has the ability to further strengthen its public health emergency preparedness and response capacities," he furthered.

The Philippines will use the recommendations of the Joint External Evaluation mission to strengthen its health security systems. Other countries to have conducted a JEE in the western Pacific region include Australia, Cambodia,

IN a precautionary bid to minimize losses in the livestock sector during Typhoon Ompong (international code name Mangkhut), Gov. Imee R. Marcos had initiated the construction of animal shelters in low-lying and flood-prone areas in Ilocos Norte.

On September 13 and 14, the provincial government of Ilocos Norte through the Provincial Veterinary Office (PVet) provided canvas cloths, water and more or less 400 bags of starter and grower feeds, which barangay residents and officials used to set up the shelters and sustain the animals.

Provision of such was also aimed at convincing residents to evacuate their homes, as provincial veterinarian Dr. Loida Valenzuela pointed out their hesitance to leave their homes and their livestock, a source of livelihood.

“Kaya ayaw nilang mag-evacuate dahil nandoon yung livelihood nila sa residence nila, sa vulnerable areas. Kaya ito ang naisip ng Provincial Government of Ilocos Norte, particularly with the pronouncement of the governor na, ‘Magbigay tayo ng pakain, baka sakaling mahatak yung mga tao to bring their animals to the animal shelter as they also bring themselves to the evacuation centers.’”

The governor had said, “’yung ibang farmers, gustong magpaiwan sa bahay dahil binabantayan ang mga alagang baka o baboy. Sana ipagkatiwala na lang sa PVet na kaya natin itong bantayan para maiwasan na may masawi sa pag-rescue.”

Health&Fitness September 20-26, 2018 13

BULLETIN BOARD

JOLLIBEE GROUP FOUNDATION CONVENES SCHOOL FEEDING PROGRAM PARTNERS With the theme “Build, Lead, Transform,” Jollibee Group Foundation (JGF) gathers over 120 attendees from the Department of Education, local government units, nongovernment organizations, corporate foundations and academe to gain new insights on how BLT Kitchens can be maximized to benefit more schoolchildren and the larger community. In support of the DepEd’s School-Based Feeding Program, JGF started to build BLT School Feeding Kitchens in 2016, which centralizes the preparation of meals and are able to feed hundreds of pupils more efficiently. To date, 22 BLT kitchens are serving over 16,300 pupils from 156 schools nationwide. Eleven more kitchens are set to be built this year.

A Merry and Bright Christmas

WORLD Travel Awards Vice President Christ Frost, Marco Polo Ortigas Manila General Manager Frank Reichenbach and World Travel Awards Founder and President Graham Cooke

Marco Polo Ortigas Manila wins Philippines’s Leading Hotel in World Travel Awards MARCO Polo Ortigas Manila is honored to have been recognized as the Philippines's Leading Hotel for 2018 during the recently concluded World Travel Awards.

Held on September 3, the World Travel Awards celebrated its 25th anniversary. Known as the ultimate hallmark of industry excellence, the award-giving body celebrates key businesses in travel and tourism through its annual program that goes across the globe.

“Our team at the Marco Polo Ortigas Manila is truly humbled with this global recognition,” said General Manager Frank Reichenbach.

“This award is a testament not just to our excellent service, but also the continued support and patronage of our guests. Such an achievement only provides further motivation to continue delivering delight beyond

14 Health&Fitness September 20-26, 2018

expectations to everyone who visits the hotel,” he added.

Located in the bustling commercial district of Ortigas Center, Marco Polo Ortigas Manila offers distinguished guests 316 welldesigned rooms and suites, including two Continental Club floors.

The Philippines’s first sky hotel, it devotes full levels to address the global traveler’s needs, with dedicated spaces for business meetings and social events, as well as fitness and relaxation. Marco Polo Ortigas also boasts of four specialized dining destinations that feature international culinary favorites, a contemporary taste of Cantonese faire, a casual coffee lounge and a trendy sky bar with the most stunning view in the Metro.

To learn more about the hotel, visit www.marcopolohotels.com.

CELEBRATE the Season of Giving at any location of your choice with The Cravings Group’s array of catering and gift offers. A brand known over the last three decades for its delectable classics and a creative passion for great food, The Cravings Group this year introduced a variety of cakes, desserts, party trays, catering themes and gift options as part of A Merry and Bright Christmas.

“At the center of our catering spread this year is refresh. While we have perfected the taste of our food over the last 30 years, now we want to master the party experience with new themes that can’t be found anywhere else,” said Bea G. Trinidad, The Cravings Group operations head.

“This year we have two exciting additions: the modern and chic catering setups and the delicious tapas-style cocktail food. We not only deliver proven Christmas party recipes, but most importantly our team works closely with organizers and companies to create memorable events,” added Pia G. Trinidad, the group’s business development and strategy officer.

Choose any of The Cravings Group’s premium and unique themes Cider, Tangerine, Rust and Ochre to transform your party into an event worth remembering. Food and drinks will be concocted no less than by chefs from top culinary school CCA, Manila to ensure the exceptional product quality for which The Cravings Group is known.

Celebrating 30 Years A MERRY and Bright Christmas coincides with The Cravings Group’s 30th anniversary.

Founded by mother-and-daughter tandem Annie Pascual-Guerrero and Badjie Guerrero-Trinidad as an intimate dining outlet along Katipunan Avenue in Quezon City, The Cravings Group today has grown into an unrivaled collection of F&B brands, educational institutions, hotels and event venues, comprised of Cravings, CCA Manila, Wicked, Epicurious, B&P, Casa Roces, C3 Events Place, The Coffee Beanery, Where’s Marcel?, The Lib, The Orange Place and Seven Suites Hotel Observatory.

The third generation led by siblings Bea and Pia have joined the team to continue The Cravings Group’s family legacy and bring the business to new heights.

“Christmas is not just about great food, but it is a holistic experience that should be enjoyed by and shared with family, friends and loved ones. We’re extremely happy that all three generations of our family are working the extra mile to provide the exceptional Christmas experience to our customers this year.

Bea and Pia are at the forefront of infusing new ideas into The Cravings Group and enable our much-loved brands to remain the top choice of our customers in the next generations to come,” said Badjie Guerrero-Trinidad, CEO of The Cravings Group.

For inquiries about A Merry and Bright Christmas e-mail salesexec@ cravingsgroup.com.

BULLETIN BOARD

Seda Lio catering to leisure, MICE, destination and wedding markets in El Nido AYALA Land’s wholly owned Seda Hotels has opened its first resort, Seda Lio, in the 325-hectare Lio Tourism Estate in El Nido, Palawan.

Seda Lio offers a complete range of facilities and amenities catering to travelers in this vast tourism estate intended to make the world-famous attractions of El Nido more accessible to foreign and local travelers. Only a few minutes from the airport, the resort hotel caters to leisure tourists, families, destination weddings, meeting and incentive groups, and other discerning visitors to this stunning vacation spot that offers modern facilities and conveniences, while showcasing the area’s biodiversity and spectacular natural attractions.

Seda Lio expands the current accommodation options consisting of luxury resorts on the adjacent islands, and bed-and-breakfast types in town.

Just minutes away via electric car from the Lio airport, Group General Manager Brett Hickey said that it will only take guests from Manila 70 minutes from takeoff to touchdown at Lio, transfer

to the hotel and to having a welcome drink on hand.

Guests can enjoy a wide range of facilities and amenities. Within the hotel grounds are the 1800-square-meter swimming pool, Seda Spa, Children’s Playroom, Game Room, Pool Bar and Misto restaurant; while on the 4-kilometer stretch of beach are nonmotorized

water sports like kayaking, stand-up paddle boarding, pedal boating, as well as snorkeling.

Ayala Malls’s Shops at Lio is just a short stroll away. Those who wish to go further out can arrange for islandhopping tours of Bacuit Bay’s iconic sites. All the aforementioned advantages work just as well for team build-

ing and incentive groups. In addition to having 153 rooms, its fully equipped, air-conditioned function rooms can accommodate up to 100 people seated, even more with the adjoining outdoor patios of the main event venue. It also has three meeting rooms and two boardrooms.

Hickey said the resort aims to be a leading wedding and meetings destination in the country. Couples will appreciate the various options that allow them to make the occasion as traditional or unique as they want it to be: a beachfront wedding and reception; a more conventional indoor ceremony in one of the largest indoor venues in El Nido; outdoors in the gardens or even poolside. Each venue has its own advantages, but all offering great possibilities for this event of a lifetime. Seda Lio is a low-rise structure with only three floors or no taller than the surrounding coconut trees in keeping with Lio Tourism Estate’s sustainable development master plan. It is also adopting eco-friendly practices to limit its impact on its immediate environment.

McJim brings honor to PHL as it competes in 22 intl film fests TRUE to its enduring values of quality, style, and elegance, trusted leather goods brand McJim Classic Leather is unstoppable as it continues to gain international recognition for its troika of masterfully produced short films under its “Get Reel” online campaign, just over a year after its debut video, Pitaka, made waves in the internet.

McJim’s Pitaka (The Wallet), Sinturon (Belt), and Bag have been selected to complete in a total of 22 prestigious film festivals—as of this writing—in the United States, the United Kingdom, Italy, France, Australia, Mexico, and Venezuela, a record-breaking feat for a commercial brand.

Pitaka, the first of the three short films, was recently chosen as finalist in the 2018 Wales International Film Festival and received nomination for an award on October 4.

Chris Cahilig, the director and executive producer of the three short films, said that the successive recognitions that the McJim viral videos has been getting abroad is proof that even branded shorts can be on par with the quality of commercially produced films.

“With its advocacy of delivering superior quality to its consumers, McJim is

able to prove that it can produce not only world-class leather goods but also worldclass films that are able to stand shoulder to shoulder with the international market.

This is because the brand has always faithfully adhered to its timeless philosophy of style, quality and elegance,” Cahilig said.

“McJim remains committed to bring out the best of the Filipino before the world.

The numerous recognitions that its short films are getting are proof that the brand has been successful in carrying out this goal,” he noted.

Apart from the Wales International Film Fest, Pitaka was earlier selected to participate in international film festivals in Italy and the US, namely San Mauro Torinese International Film Festival 2018; Cefalu Film Festival in Palermo; Diwa Filipino Film Showcase of Seattle 2018; Culture of Life Film Festival 2018 in Memphis City; 2019 Dramatic Shorts Film Festival in Denver; and Los Angeles CineFest 2019.

Pitaka depicts fraternal love and the Filipino elders’ sense of responsibility as exemplified by Kuya, portrayed in the film

by Karl Medina, who sets aside his personal dreams to provide for his younger brother, a character played by 1:43’s Art Artienda.

Following in the wake of Pitaka is the quirkier and more daring Sinturon ( The Belt), which tackles marital fidelity and features Mercedes Cabral and Kiko Matos.

Sinturon made it to three international film fests, namely Nebrody Film Fest and Corti A Sud-Polla In Corto in Italy, and Love Shorts Film Festival 2019 in the US. The LGBT-themed Bag, the last of the three short films, snagged 12 official selections for McJim in international film festivals for its honest portrayal of a gaystraight friendship. It follows the story of an openly gay young professional Paolo (Ross Pesigan), who, after a series of bad breakups, finds comfort and refuge in his straight best friend Carlo (Wayne Avellano).

The bold move has definitely paid off as Bag is poised to join the following film fests: the First International LGBTQ Coming of Age Short Films Festival, which will be held simultaneously in Paris, France, and San Francisco in September this year; the Los Angeles CineFest 2019; the 2018 LGBTQ Shorts Film Festival; the International Shorts Film Festival (Australia) 2018; Outflix Film Festival 2018 in Memphis; QUEERStreifen Regensburg 2018 in Germany; Shorts Mexico 2018, the largest interna-

CHRIS CAHILIG

tional shorts film fest in Latin America; Five Continents International Film Festival 2018 in Venezuela; OutReels Cincinnati 2018; London International Motion Pictures Awards 2019, Queerbee LGBT Film Festival 2018 in London and 2019 Dramatic Shorts Film Festival in Denver.

Behind Pitaka’s visually poetic direction of photography is Cesca Lee, known for the films T.P.O., Purgatoryo, and Otso.

Sinturon and Bag, meanwhile, were shot by the equally talented cinematographer Patrick Ferrer. Archie del Mundo wrote the screenplay and was also line producer for the three short films.

For more information, visit and like the official McJim Facebook page at https:// www.facebook.com/Offic ialMcJIM/.

Health&Fitness September 20-26, 2018 15