Businessmirror september 30, 2017 by BusinessMirror

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Saturday, September 30, 2017 Vol. 12 No. 352

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The ulTimaTe price of ‘broTherhood’ fratErnItIES, SOrOrItIES facE nEw challEngES tO DEfEnD ExIStEncE

By Rosabell C. Toledo

f survival and self-preservation is first nature to all, one wonders why some people willingly walk into the proverbial lion’s den.

By now, the whole nation must be familiar with the cases of Horacio “Atio” Castillo III, Guillo Servando before him, and even Gonzalo Albert. Of course, there were those who came in between—they are also testaments to something bigger: People are still willing to risk life and limb for “brotherhood.”

Atio’s father and namesake remembers him as “a good son, a perfect son, the best son any parent could ever have”, as he was laid to rest on September 27, 10 days after he was pronounced dead on arrival at the Chinese General Hospital, the last place his parents expected to see him again. He suffered he-

matoma in both upper arms, while bruises and drips of candle were seen on different parts of his body. “We are no different from other parents. We live our lives for our children, wishing to always shield them from harm, to shelter [them] from injustice. We will forever be tormented that the Aegis Juris

Fraternity invited our son, only to treat him like an animal,” Atio’s father said in a Senate hearing on his son’s death. The elder Horacio will have to live with many unanswered questions now that his son is no longer around to explain. Did he know Continued on A2

Creation of defense university pushed

By Rene Acosta

n official of the national Defense College of the Philippines (nDCP) is pushing for the creation of a national Defense University (nDU), which is envisioned to produce a greater number of filipinos with defense and security backgrounds and elevate the subject of security to a national level. The establishment of an NDU could not be more timely and appropriate, as the country is facing both internal and territorial threats, with the domestic challenge coming from a three-pronged threat, including terrorism. NDCP Executive Vice President, retired Major Gen. Rolando Jungco, said a draft on the creation of the proposed NDU has already been submitted to Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana for review prior to congressional submission.

This early, the proposal already earned the support of several legislators, including Sen. Loren Legarda and Rep. Rozzano Rufino “Ruffy” Biazon of Muntinlupa. Legarda, like a few number of lawmakers, is a graduate of the NDCP and is a reserve officer of the Philippine Air Force. Biazon, on the other hand, is a former Customs commissioner under the Aquino administration and son of retired Armed Forces Chief of Staff Rodolfo Continued on A2

PESO ExchangE ratES n US 51.0730

PreSident duterte addresses troops during his visit to the 2nd Mechanized Brigade on May 26, 2017, on the outskirts of iligan City in southern Philippines. at left is armed Forces chief Gen. eduardo año and at center is defense Chief delfin Lorenzana. ap/Bullit marquez

n jaPan 0.4547 n UK 68.6676 n hK 6.5380 n chIna 7.6721 n SIngaPOrE 37.6201 n aUStralIa 40.1229 n EU 60.2049 n SaUDI arabIa 13.6195

Source: BSP (29 September 2017 )

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A2 Saturday, September 30, 2017

Creation of defense university pushed Continued from A1

Biazon, also a former senator. The proposed NDU, if approved by Congress, shall offer baccalaureate and postgraduate degrees in defense and security courses. It is eyed to initially rise at the compound of the NDCP inside Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City.

‘Unique’

IN pushing for the creation of an NDU, Jungco noted that the Philippines is the only country in the region without such a school, which is an irony, as the country counts the most number of security challenges among the states in Southeast Asia. Jungco said that in Indonesia and Thailand, you cannot be a lawmaker unless you have gone through their defense universities. China, on the other hand, has two defense schools—one for defense and another for science and technology. The Thai and Indonesian examples are what Jungco and the other proponents of the NDU want the Philippines to emulate. Jungco said the NDU should have as students members of Congress, noting that some lawmakers do not have a full grasp of, or could not fully understand, national security and its surrounding issues. He said its intention is to develop, harness and encourage the lawmakers to think strategically for defense and security.

Defense Act revision

WHIlE there may have been support for the creation of an NDU from members of Congress, it may take time, however, before it could be set up, as the proposal has to be incorporated into an updated National Defense Act of 1935. Jungco said the law only talks about the military. The Department of National Defense (DND) along with its other attached agencies are not even mentioned in the law. The military, or the Armed Forces of the Philippines, falls under the DND. In revisiting the Defense Act through the creation of the NDU, Jungco said they also proposed the inclusion of the DND and its agencies, including the Philippine Veterans Affairs Office, the NDCP, Office of Civil Defense and the Government Arsenal, in the law. The National Defense Act of 1935 is the only defense law in the country. If the creation of the NDU materializes, it will have a mixture of civilian and military students. Jungco said the students of the university should include lawmakers, all generals of the AFP with no exemption, and others in the civilian sector, including businessmen. “Ideally, it would be under the Commission on Higher Education, but focusing more on defense and resource management,” Jungco said.

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The ultimate price of ‘brotherhood’ Continued from A1

there was hazing in the Aegis Juris initiation process? What about the fraternity that convinced him it was worth risking one’s life for? Is their family’s love not enough that he’d suffer to be part of a new one?

Craving

By any stroke of luck, some who went through the same thing as Atio did live to tell the tale, though. They may have the answers. “It’s not that I found my family’s love lacking. I was just craving for companionship since I was living in a dormitory on campus. I don’t have constant companions,” said Steph Hidalgo, an alumna of the University of the Philippines (UP) Sigma Alpha Sorority. Hidalgo confirmed that the sorority ended up fulfilling her need for companionship and a family away from home, but it was not without any doubts, especially at the beginning of the process. She said she was on the fence as to the promise that there would be no physical initiation at whatever point in the process. But she confirmed something was bigger than this doubt—her trust in the resident who recruited her, Nicolyn Angelica Sese, now serving as the sorority’s prime sister exemplar or chairman. “I know there was a possibility that they could be lying, like other sororities who lie and say they don’t practice hazing when they really do. I still chose to believe, however, because first, I trust Nicolyn, and second, it was included in the sorority’s constitution that physical initiation is not an allowed practice. I knew I could file a serious case against them if it turns out that they lied,” Hidalgo said. They did not lie. “Until the very end, I was never

hurt. This sorority proved to me that violence is not necessary for a strong and meaningful sisterhood. They were there for me when I needed them, and they really felt like family to me,” she said. Another student of the University of the Philippines belonging to a different sorority also emphasized trust in the resident-members as a driving force that made her go through with the initiation process. Unlike Hidalgo, whose trust helped her believe that she would not be harmed, though, Gome’s trust helped her prepare for what was to come ahead. It helped her believe she could survive every hit. It helped her believe she’d be able to see her family once more, attend classes once more, and look herself in the mirror once more. See, from the get-go, she knew there was hazing in the organization she was joining. “I was scared, of course, but I believed I could do it, since others were able to do it. If the resident-sisters all survived, there’s no reason why I couldn’t. I also trusted that they wouldn’t do anything excessive,” Gome said. She also explained how she was against hazing for hazing’s sake and tradition for tradition’s sake, but she is not totally against violent initiation rites if there is a deep meaning behind it. “Our initiation process was linked to the struggles of the oppressed masses. Every part of the process was used to symbolize the daily hardships of workers and peasants. They wanted us to understand oppression by letting us experience it, so that we may collectively fight against it after the process,” Gome explained.

‘Benefits’

JAy-Em, 21, a senior member of a prominent fraternity in UP, also knew

he’d be subjected to physical initiation in his quest to be a “brod.” He just figured the benefits outweighed the risks, even though the risks involved probable death. “I joined because I knew the benefits later in life will accrue to my advantage. you can be brilliant and successful without a fraternity, but fraternities afford security and network that don’t come as easily to the unaffiliated,” he said. Bruised and scarred, he definitely felt the day of his induction to the fraternity would be his last. Not once did he feel that it wasn’t justified, though. “They’d tell you about how everyone has gone through the same. They’d also say that those who joined during the years of martial law up to the early 2000s went through greater hell getting in; that compared to those years, today’s rite is merely a slap on the wrist,” Jay-em said. He also does not believe his own, or any fraternity for that matter, could be great without an initiation that inflicts pain to its neophytes. “Fraternities with little to no physicals tend to have less quality brods. In the years of the Commonwealth, the Japanese occupation, and then the martial-law years, physicals and the gauntlet were used to weed out enemy spies. It was a test of character and solidarity for those taking the initiation as a group, and then as a mark of authenticity that the latterday members may use to bond with the old. Sure, it’s not the end-all-be-all, but the first step in building a genuine relationship of taking your side, right or wrong,” he said. As a legal practitioner, Jay-em also has things to say about the case of Atio and the Aegis Juris Fraternity. He said the weight of the threat of Atio’s uncle that his death also means

the death for Aegis Juris Fraternity depends on how strong (in terms of bond) and how powerful (in terms of positions and connections the fraternity has) they are. “If you look at a list of cases in the past where neophytes died during initiation, you will find a lot of names and a lot of fraternities even after the passage of the anti-hazing law,” Jay-em said. He went on to explain that the true test of how powerful a fraternity is would be how its members managed to walk after an incident like this. “It will not be legal evidence that would put these kids behind bars. It would be the loosening of bonds that will be their undoing. When the alumni think twice about supporting their brods in need, the young blood loses faith in the frat. That fraternity will weaken and finally lose its power to break the law with impunity. When that happens, it’s time to face the prison bars for life—time for that brotherhood to die,” he said. Jay-em’s own fraternity has faced this same predicament. “A man was killed in one of the initiation rites my fraternity held a few years back, and no members were ever imprisoned. All graduated; most are successful practicing lawyers now. There wasn’t a lack of evidence against them, but those who partook in the hazing all walked. A fraternity that could make these miracles is a fraternity worth devoting your time and even risking your life for,” he explained. For Jay-em and many others, real and meaningful brotherhood comes at a price one’s got to be willing to pay. Unfortunately for Atio, the boy who never became a lawyer, never became a chief justice, never fully became a “brod,” there’s no way of knowing now if it all would have been worth it.

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Saturday, September 30, 2017

Taiwan revisited, 31 years later By Efleda P. Campos

Senior Editor

AIWAN, the Philippines’s immediate neighbor to the north, has been on a forward trend to technological advancement for years. This is mainly due to the foresight and determination of its leadership, and the discipline of the people of Taiwan and their unwavering belief that their leaders continue to lead them on the right path. I first visited Taiwan 31 years ago, a trip sponsored by the Taiwan Economic and Cultural Office. It was the first country I went to outside the Philippines, a trip made years before I even ventured to Davao and Cebu in the southern part of the country. The Taiwan I saw in 1986 was lush with vegetation, yet had towering manufacturing facilities that dotted the countryside. Its airport was already impressive, had modern facilities that put the then Manila International Airport to shame. Teco toured two journalists each from the Philippines, Malaysia and Thailand around the island for a whole week in an airconditioned van, and proudly showed us the

advancements in agriculture their scientists applied not only in the island, but throughout the world to help alleviate poverty and hunger. At that time, many Taiwanese touted doctoral degrees in agriculture and were proudly sent by the Taiwanese government to other Asian countries, Africa and Central America to teach agricultural techniques to grow food abundantly in foreign lands. When the joint invitation to tour Taiwan again this year came from the Taiwan External Trade Development Council, Taiwan Association Inc. and Jeron Travel, I did not hesitate. I wanted to see Taiwan once more and see for myself the changes that have taken place in the island - formerly called Formosa - for the past three decades. My second visit to Taiwan took place on July 14-20 this year. This time, I was with a dozen fellow journalists from different newspa-

pers in the Philippines. Allan Lin, President of Taiwan Association, was on hand at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport to see us off. He flew with us to Taiwan. We saw him again at the Taoyuan Airport, welcoming us to Taipei. The trip from the airport to Tai-

pei was in an airconditioned bus, with Jeron Travel representative Julie Gernandiso and tour guide Albert Jhou, a retired engineer who was with us during the entire trip. Hazel Voluntate, a Taiwan Association staff, came also with her children. The Taiwan landscape I saw looked exactly like the country I visited in 1986. There were trees and plants everywhere. The farm lands were still verdant; the mountains and hills were lush with vegetation. Its longest river system, the Zhuoshui, continues to supply pristine water to its residents and irrigates its vast farm lands. Towering buildings housed residents. There were manufacturing complexes in areas separate from condominiums and commercial buildings. Taiwan is exemplary in its cleanliness. One cannot see any trace of trash anywhere. People in Taiwan travel well. Their bus systems are airconditioned and on time, free for the first 10 kilometers from

boarding point. A high-speed rail system took us from Taipei to Kashsiung in Central Taiwan in a little over an hour, covering a distance of 400 kilometers. While there are private cars traversing the paved roads, people in cities can use the YouBike, an eco-friendly, free-bike system, to move around the city centers. But the king of the road in Taiwan is the motorcycle, parked and lined up along major as well as side streets, very orderly indeed, while their owners go to work, do their errands, and visit relatives somewhere. The night markets are a draw, 31 years ago as tey are now. Street food, inexpensive souvenir items for visitors to take back home, and the delicious pineapple cake the island is also popular for, are must haves and must taste. The food in Taiwan is diverse and delicious. While my weeklong travel to various cities in the island did not feature the braised eel I enjoyed 31 years

ago in a restaurant near the Grand Hotel, the various indigenous dishes served in the numerous roadside restaurants we visited more than compensated for its absence. Alfalfa sprouts and the myriad vegetables grow there is abundance. Besides, the endangered eel needs a break from the voraciousness of us humans. Public toilets abound, for both locals and visitors. If you are squeamish though, look at the toilet doors for guidance. Taiwanese squat in the comfort of the rest rooms. Foreigners prefer to use the western-style toilet seats. Taoist and Buddhist shrines are everywhere, showing for the world to see, the religious devotion of the Taiwanese people to their God. Even Christians can relate to the beautiful temples that dot the Taiwanese countryside. In the 1980s, the Taiwan government shifted its economic thrust from agriculture to technology, without however making the former suffer for the other. The slide in the prices of its main products - sugar and rice - in the world market convinced the Taiwan leadership then to also pursue technology. Today, Taiwan is a world leader in green technology, a feat they would like to show Filipinos in the Taiwan Expo 2017, scheduled for Sept. 29 to Oct. 30, at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City. To showcase their products and services are at least two dozen Taiwanese companies and 21 universities and schools, to invite Filipinos to advance trade and business, and cultural exchanges between the two countries. Acer, a Taiwan company, is one of the foremost brands that come to mind for the success it enjoys not only in Asia, but also in the West. It has a branch here in the Philippines and will be at the Taiwan Expo along with other Taiwan businesses, representing a whole gamut of industries including food, motorcycke manufacturing, green construction materials and solar energy. Taoyuan City in northwestern Taiwan is said to be the sixth-largest city in the island. Its officials hosted the Filipino journalists and recognized officials of the Taiwan Association led by honorary president Seimu Huang. There, the mayor said Filipinos are an integral part of the Taiwanese work force, which like workers from Vietnam, number close to 30,000 at any given time.

Saturday, September 30, 2017 • Editor: Lyn Resurreccion

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New report to highlight phl’s changing legal landscape

report due out in the coming months by the global research and consultancy firm Oxford Business Group (OBG) will provide in-depth analysis of the new laws and regulations that are driving efforts to boost competitiveness in the Philippines. The countr y’s long-awaited Competition Act will be among the topical issues analyZed in The Report: The Philippines 2018. OBG will explore the multifold role that the new legislation is earmarked to play in promoting a competitive market, providing protection and choice for consumers, and attracting investment. With the government looking to its first competition act to help provide a more level playing field across the sectors, there will be in-depth coverage of what the legislative

overhaul means for both big businesses and smaller players. Industries where the ramifications are expected to be far-reaching, such as the telecoms segment, will be explored in detail. The Report: The Philippines 2018 will also document the country’s wide-ranging plans for boosting cybersecurity, in line with the rapid development of digital technologies and the essential role they now play in the workplace and home. OBG will shine a spotlight on the National CyberSecurity Plan 2022, which was unveiled earlier in 2017. It will map out its goals, which include effective coordination with law-enforcement agencies, while also considering how they are expected to be achieved. In addition, OBG will look in detail at what the country’s planned tax reforms mean for investors keen to explore the many opportunities emerging from the government’s major infrastructural drive, which includes

increased spending on airports, ports, railways and roads. Villaraza & Angangco (V&A) Law Firm has signed a second memorandum of understanding (MOU) with OBG for its forthcoming publication. Under the MoU, the legal firm will help to produce the Law Chapter of The Report: The Philippines 2018. The chapter will also include an interview with Augusto A. San Pedro Jr., co-managing partner of V&A Law. Commenting after the signing, San Pedro said he looked forward to continued cooperation with OBG in communicating V&A Law’s analysis of the Philippines’s investment climate from a legal perspective. “We know that investors are keen to explore market opportunities and openings in the Philippines,” he said. “Providing meaningful information on the country’s legal framework will help investors to make business decisions that are both timely and right for their organization.” OBG’s editorial manager Jean Pierre Salendres said he was confident that V&A Law’s analysis of the Philippines’s legal framework and key areas of litigation would once again give the group’s report an edge. “With a raft of major policy changes under way and others in the pipeline, there is plenty for both prospective investors and international players already on the ground in the Philippines

to digest,” he said. “V&A Law’s experts are well versed in helping industry players across the sectors to navigate the country’s evolving legal landscape and move their business plans forward. I’m delighted that our readers will benefit from their knowledge of both the opportunities emerging throughout the economy here and the challenges requiring consideration.” Charlotte Van Camp, country director at OBG, added that impressive growth rates of above 6 percent, good credit ratings and rising levels of consumption would help the Philippines in its efforts to attract new investors. “W hile the country has, at times, underperformed on a regional level when it comes to boosting foreign direct investments, its ‘Build, Build, Build’ strategy is expected to pave the way for an infrastructure boom,” she said. “I’m sure that the rising number of business leaders eyeing the Philippines’s growing project pipeline will appreciate the legal analysis and data that V&A Law’s team has the capabilities to provide.” The Report: The Philippines 2018 will be a vital guide to the many facets of the country, including its macroeconomics, infrastructure, banking and other sectoral developments. The publication will also contain contributions from leading representatives. The report will be available in print and online.

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Analysts warn shift to federalism could worsen regional inequality

shift to federalism at this time could worsen regional inequality, given the existing highly imbalanced and inequitable political and economic development among regions, provinces and cities across the country. In a forum organized by state think tank Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS), titled “Critical Perspectives on Federalism for Regional Development” on September 19, economists and political analysts maintained that for federalism to succeed, persistent challenges in local governance and political economy issues must first be addressed. The adoption of a federal form of government is touted by its proponents as a practical solution to persistent problems of poverty, inequality and instability. It was one of President Duterte’s campaign promises. Currently, it has a strong support from members of the “supermajority” at the House of Representatives. PIDS senior research fellow Rosario Manasan cautioned that federalizing the country without a strong fiscal equalization formula could worsen regional inequality. She noted that the risk is high, given that the initial condition is bad to start with. Currently, revenues of local government units are concentrated in the National Capital Region (Metro Manila), and Regions 3 (Central Luzon) and 4A (Calabarzon). This situation, she said, requires equalization transfers to other states or regions under a federal system to offset differences in revenue-raising capacity or public service cost. Nevertheless, the public finance expert acknowledged the potential benefits of deepening decentralization through federalism. According to her, a more decentralized setup will bring the government closer to the

people, thereby promoting efficient delivery of public services as lower level governments are more able to respond to local needs and preferences of their constituents. “It also has the potential to enhance accountability of local politicians, as the population gets to participate more in the decision-making process,” she added. Yet, she noted that said potential gains may be achieved with greater fiscal decentralization, with or without the shift to federalism. She argued that countries with a federal form of government are not necessarily decentralized to the same degree and some of them may be less than decentralized than those with a unitary form of government. She cited the case of Malaysia, which is a federal state, as more centralized than the Philippines, which has a unitary system. Meanwhile, Manasan emphasized that should the country decide to shift to a federal form of government, its design should be informed by lessons learned from the country’s decentralization experience. For example, she noted the importance of stating clearly in the revised Constitution the delineation of expenditure and revenueraising powers between the different layers of government. “Clarity in the assignment of functions to different levels of government is very important in order to avoid duplication and strengthen accountability among politicians,” she clarified. Manasan also stressed the importance of giving lower level governments more power to collect taxes as this promotes local accountability. She proposed that “each level of government must have enough own revenues to finance the services they provide.” She pointed out that at present, there exist a low level of revenue autonomy, particularly for provinces, in terms of tax assignment.

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National U vs Ateneo in crucial PVL match

CLYDE MONDILLA is the new International Container Terminal Services Inc. (ICTSI) Philippine Golf Tour Order of Merit champion. ROY DOMINGO

ATENEO EYES ‘W’ NO. 6 A

ATENEO’S Thirdy Ravena challenges the defense put up by University of Santo Tomas’s Jason Strait (7), Jeepy Faundo (15) and Tsutomu Tateshi (20) during their University Athletic Association of the Philippines Season 80 men’s basketball match on Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. The Blue Eagles won, 94-84, for their fourth straight victory. STEPHANIE TUMAMPOS

Meralco squares off with Kaya

ERALCO Manila tries to widen its lead as it faces second-running Kaya Makati, while Ceres Negros tries to continue its surge against Ilocos United today in the Philippines Football League. Meralco Manila, which leads the field with 44 points, takes on Kaya Makati at 4 p.m. at the University of Makati Stadium. Ceres Negros, on the other hand, try to get a grip of solo third place when it hosts Ilocos United at 7 p.m. at the Panaad Park and Football Stadium in Bacolod City. Also at 4 p.m., the Davao Aguilas seek to enter the win column when it visits Stallion Laguna at the Biñan Football Stadium.

The Sparks—now led by Tahj Minniecon, Kurt Dizon, Jake Morallo, Anto Gonzales and Daniel Gadia—have beaten Kaya Makati, 2-0 and 2-1, earlier in the tournament. Kaya Makati, led by Jordan Mintah and Robert Mendy, are in solo second place with 38 points. The Aguilas are the only winless team in the league after 17 matches with seven points—all on draws. But they are hoping to get stronger with the acquisition of Phil and James Younghusband from Meralco. Ceres has 32 points in 15 matches, two points behind third placer Global (34 points). Lance Agcaoili

De La Salle, UST unbeaten in table tennis action

EFENDING champion De La Salle and University of Santo Tomas stayed unbeaten in six women’s ties ahead of their finals rematch in the Season 80 University Athletic Association of the Philippines table tennis tournament at the University of the Philippines (UP) College of Human Kinetics Gym. The Lady Archers, seeking a fourth

MONDILLA CHAMP

ATIONAL University (NU) and Ateneo de Manila square off in a crucial Group A elimination match in the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) Collegiate Conference today at the Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan City. In what is considered a rematch of last year’s finals, NU faces Ateneo in the last game of a tripleheader at 6:30 p.m. The Lady Bulldogs are eyeing a sweep of Group A, a record they would gladly bring to the semifinals. University of the Philippines and Arellano University, who won three of their first four matches, dispute the last semifinals berth in Group B at 1 p.m. At 3 p.m., College of Saint Benilde and Technological Institute of the Philippines clash in a nonbearing Group B match. Adamson University was the first team to enter the semifinals after sweeping Group B. But things are quite different now between NU and Ateneo a year after they clashed for the title. Ateneo no longer has ace setter Jia Morado, who passed off her final year of eligibility, and Michelle Morente, who has academic issues. NU, on the other hand, is now coached by Babes Castillo, who took over from Roger Gorayeb. Expected to lead Ateneo are skipper Bea de Leon, Jhoana Maraguinot, Maddie Madayag, Kat Tolentino, Ponggay Gaston and new setter Deana Wong. The NU side will parade Jaja Santiago, Jasmine Nabor, Risa Sato, Jorelle Singh and Aiko Urdas. For de Leon and company, they are facing their biggest challenge in the conference as they target a seat in the next round. Lance Agcaoili

TENEO de Manila tries to extend its streak further and De La Salle goes for a bounce-back win in University Athletic Association of the Philippines Season 80 men’s basketball action today at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. Ateneo (5-0) squares off with sixth-placed National University (NU) at 4 p.m., while De La Salle, licking the wounds inflicted by an 87-98 loss to University of the Philippines (UP), tackles winless University of Santo Tomas (UST) at 2 p.m. The Blue Eagles are on a run but, according to Coach Sandy Arrespacochaga, they have to completely avoid complacency. “You really can’t take any team for granted in this league. I don’t know if you noticed our mood, but we weren’t happy with the game [against UST, 94-84],” Arespacochaga said. That 10-point win over the Tigers was below the 17-point winning average the Blue Eagles posted in their first four victories. They will face a Bulldogs side that, despite the hype following the acquisition of Jamike Jarin as head coach, are languishing at 2-3 won-lost. The Green Archers were themselves surprised by the Fighting Maroons, who buried a record 16 three-pointers in the upset. Complacency, De La Salle Head Coach Aldin Ayo, did them in. “The problem was some of the players were not responding, they were complacent,” Ayo said. “We had problems with our defense and out offense broke down.” Ayo said he hopes reigning Most Valuable Player Ben Mbala, who averaged with 33 points in his first two games, will finally get help from his teammates when they face their cellar-dwelling opponents. The Tigers are in the cellar with a 0-5 card. Lance Agcaoili

Saturday, September 30, 2017

straight crown, blanked University of the East and Ateneo on identical 3-0 scores to keep their record spotless. The Tigresses, last year’s runners-up, overcame the Lady Eagles, 3-2, in the afternoon session after a 3-0 shutout of Adamson University in the morning. De La Salle and UST go for a first-round sweep at 8 a.m. today in the same venue.

In the men’s division, titleholder UST and NU remained in joint first place at 5-1. The Growling Tigers survived a surprising Falcons side, 3-2, before returning in the afternoon session with a 3-0 shutout of the Blue Eagles to stretch their winning run to five. The Bulldogs tripped Far Eastern University, 3-1, and UP, 3-2, for their fourth straight win.

OWER-HITTING Clyde Mondilla crowned himself the new International Container Terminal Services Inc. (ICTSI) Philippine Golf Tour Order of Merit (OOM) champion in style, sweeping the last two legs of the circuit, including the P3-million The Players Championship at the Summit Point Golf Club in Lipa City on Friday. But in one stretch, Jerson Balasabas looked all set to spoil Mondilla’s coronation as he charged back from six strokes down in a flight ahead with a scorching eaglespiked start to draw level after six holes. But the Del Monte ace regained his nerve and countered with a late flourish, coming through with his own eagle-aided finish capped by four birdies in the last five holes to beat Balasabas by three. Mondilla closed out the way he opened his title drive in this final Philippine Golf Tour (PGT) leg—with a five-under 67 for a winning 17-under 271. Two weeks after pocketing $17,500 for topping the ICTSI Riviera Classic of the PGT Asia Tour, he banked another P550,000, which he received from the organizing Pilipinas Golf Tournaments Inc. Executive Director Narlene Soriano during awards rites. “I’m so happy, this is a sweet victory and I couldn’t ask for more,” said Mondilla, who also won back-to-back at Manila Southwoods and Villamor in May to complete a four-leg romp in the ninth season of the country’s premier circuit

sponsored by ICTSI. Balasabas complemented his hot 31 start with a solid finish, a bogey-free backside 33 for a tournament-best eightunder 64 but could only settle for second at 274 worth P370,000, as Mondilla recovered his touch—off the mound, on the fairway and on the greens—to hold off his rival, clinch the crown and formalize his claim on his first OOM title. “I was so focused in all four days. When Jerson [Balasabas] made a charge, I didn’t panic since I knew I can handle the situation,” added Mondilla, who birdied the three par-5s and eagled the last on No. 9. The 24-year-old Mondilla thus ended up with PGT winnings of P3,156,409, securing the coveted OOM crown in a bit easy fashion after rivals Tony Lascuña, Miguel Tabuena and Angelo Que skipped the final leg to compete abroad. He trailed unheralded Dino Villanueva by one in the opener, took charge with a 68 in the second round then hiked his lead to three over Jay Bayron with a third-round 69 in the event hosted by Summit Point and backed by the Sta. Lucia and Leviste group. But six shots behind in the final day, Balasabas made quite a stir in second-to-last flight, rattling off three birdies in the first four holes, gunning down an eagle on the next then birdieing No. 6 from close range. With Mondilla settling for a birdie-bogey card after six holes, Balasabas suddenly found himself sharing the lead, albeit in

short-lived manner as he bogeyed No. 7 and fell by two again as Mondilla closed out the frontside with a bogey-eagle stint. Balasabas actually forged another tie at 12-under on a two-shot swing on No. 10, which he birdied and which Mondilla bogeyed, but the latter birdied the next then ran off three straight birdies from No. 14 before holing out with another birdie against the former’s two birdies in the last six holes. “He played really well and his short game was awesome,” Balasabas said. Bayron, winner at Summit Point in 2015, pulled to within two with a 34 start but failed to match Mondilla’s fiery windup with a lone backside birdie for a 69. He wound up third at 276 and received P215,000. Orlan Sumcad rallied with a 65 and snatched fourth place at 277 worth P165,000, while Keanu Jahns also fought back with a 67 to tie Dutch Guido van der Valk, who carded a 70, at sixth at 278. Each got P122,500. Villanueva rebounded from a thirdround 75 with a 69 and finished tied for seventh at 280 with Zanieboy Gialon and Albin Engino, who closed out with 67 and 68, respectively, while Aussie Nathan Park and Jobim Carlos each fired a 70 to share 10th place at 281 in the event backed by Custom Clubmakers, Meralco, Champion, Summit Mineral Water, K&G Golf Apparel, BDO, Sharp, KZG, PLDT and MY Shokai Technology Inc.

A6 Saturday, September 30, 2017 | Editor: Mike Besa

Lots of great golf ahead! By Josh Burack | Asian Tour CEO

The next few months are the busiest part of the Asian Tour schedule with a tournament nearly every week from now until the end of the year. Our dedicated staff and talented players are very excited about this busy stretch, which will culminate in mid-December at our season-ending tournament the Indonesian Masters. Our commercial team has been very busy firming up our tournament schedule for the 2018 season, which is looking very strong. I’m delighted to announce that the Asian Tour will strengthen its presence in Korea, having reached a long-term agreement with the Korea Golf Association (KGA) for the two organizations to cosanction the Kolon Korea Open and GS Caltex Maekyung Open tournaments from next season. These two prestigious events boast prize purses of over $1 million and $900,000, respectively. Our members will receive spots for 50 players in each tournament and additional players of the Asian Tour are likely to qualify through their eligibility status on the Official World Golf Rankings. Together with the recently concluded Shinhan Donghae Open, there will now be at least three Asian Tour events held annually in Korea from 2018. We recently opened the registration for our 2018 Qualifying School that will be held again in Thailand in January 2018. With the Asian Tour schedule strengthening, I’m confident of another big turnout of aspiring professionals hoping to earn their playing rights on the Asian Tour in 2018. Each year over 500 players enter with the top 35 from the Qualifying School Final Stage earning a Tour card for the season. For those players who fail to make the grade, they still have an opportunity to ply their trade on the Asian Development Tour (ADT), which comprises approximately 20 tournaments per year and provides a secondary pathway onto the Asian Tour for the top 5 players who earn a tour card for the following season. Back on tour in 2017, if the Omega

European Masters was a benchmark for the remainder of the 2017 Asian Tour season, we can expect even more drama in the coming weeks. It was heartbreaking to watch Scott Hend lose in a playoff for the second straight year. But we expect Hendy to bounce back immediately. The big-hitting Australian is also in the Order of Merit lead again and he will be aiming to become the first player to win backto-back Order of Merit crowns! A big congratulations goes out to Asian Tour member and our 2015 Order of Merit champion Anirban Lahiri. He has been selected by Nick Price as a Captain’s Selection to represent the International Team at the Presidents Cup. Well done, Anirban! This will be his second appearance in the team event and we would like to wish him the best of luck against the US Team, who will have the full support of their home crowd in this edition. By the time you are reading this, we would have successfully staged the Shinhan Donghae Open in Korea, Asia-Pacific Open golf Diamond Cup in Japan and Mercuries Taiwan Masters. These are great events on the Asian Tour and I’m sure we will welcome worthy champions. The month of October will be a busy month for us as we host four tournaments— the popular Yeangder Tournament Players Championship (TPC) in Chinese Taipei, CIMB Classic in Malaysia, Macao Open and WGCHSBC Champions in China. Our members are always determined to qualify for the $7-million CIMB Classic, where the leading 10 players on the Order of Merit and three Malaysians can play in the lucrative tournament. The leading four players on the Order of Merit also stand a chance to earn a spot in Asia’s only World Golf Championship event, which offers a prize purse of $9.5 million. Thank you for your continuing support of our players and the Asian Tour! All the best, Josh #whereitsAT

Odyssey Milled For Tour As rare a putter as you’ll find anywhere

s regulars on the golf boards all over the world, we tend to see a lot of products long before they are released in our little corner of the globe. It’s not often that we come across a club that vexes us. This is the curious case of Odyssey’s For Tour milled putter. A comprehensive search of the Internet turned up few leads until we turned up an old ad in a Japanese golf magazine for this obscure line of putters from Odyssey. This model was one of four that Odyssey released in 2016 in very small quantities in the Japanese domestic market. Formally called the Limited-Edition Tour Model Milled Collection TX Dype (no, that’s not misspelled) putters; they came in four head styles—the number 1, the number 7 and two other uncommon mallets—the 2m and this one, the 6m. The heads are exquisitely milled of satin-finished carbon steel and the soles embellished with the money symbols for the yen, dollar, euro and English pound. The TX Dype putters also have small tungsten weight imbedded in the sole toward the heel and toe of the putter head and quite close to the clubface. The putter is finished with a beautiful Odyssey cord pistol grip and comes with a stunningly attractive red headcover. You need to just pick up the putter to know what a special piece it is. The mill work is exquisite as is the detail work. You’ll

Big Gains at Eagle Rid

need to look closely to see some of the special touches—like the Odyssey brand in the 6m’s twin sight lines. The 6m is as balanced as putters come. The high toe design makes this mid-mallet extremely easy to set up and distance control is automatic. This is a feel putter’s dream club. It has all the benefits of a modern mallet with the aesthetics of the best milled putters in the world. It’s craftsmanship might lack a bit when compared to the most exotic flat sticks but the Four Tour 6m stands head and shoulders above most putters you’ll come across in your foursome.

Story & photos by Mike Besa

everal months ago I wrote a lament about how the golf courses at Eagle Ridge Golf and Country Club had deteriorated and how I had hoped that the club could turn the situation around. Less than a week after the article saw print, the club called to invite us to see the work that they had been doing to get the golf courses back in shape. This was two months ago. Of course, we took the club up on their invitation. Management had begun work to rehabilitate the golf courses, but we noted that there was much that needed to be done with two big tournaments (the BRAFE and

the Asean Senior Championships) just a few months away. At this point only three golf courses were open for play. The Dye was in bad enough condition that the club closed it for play until further notice. Although much had been done, much still needed doing to get the courses ship-shape in time for the big events they’d calendared. We agreed to return in a month or two to document the progress of the work. Driving into Eagle Ridge’s main clubhouse earlier this week, we saw at least a dozen maintenance staff hard at work cutting grass, sweeping and otherwise sprucing up the premises. These were good signs. After getting settled, we began our tour of the golf courses. We started on the Faldo, which

was closed for play on that day. The course was in good shape and was in various stages of maintenance. The greens had been aerated and top-dressed with sand. The fairways and rough areas, as well as the areas around the tees and greens, were well manicured but we noted the bunkers lacked sand. Our security escort informed us that the club had recently purchased bunker sand and that the club had begun work with the bunkers on the Aoki. They would then move to the other golf courses as work progressed. The greens, however, looked like they had a ways to go. Most were a bit patchy and, to my alarm, two greens on the outgoing nine of the Faldo had been drastically reduced in size. Superintendent Tito Mojado later informed us

that those greens had gotten quite sick so the club reduced the playing surface of the greens in question to allow them to recover fully. Touring the Norman and Aoki golf courses, we noted that they were similar in condition to the Faldo; everything seemed in order. The fairways, areas around the greens and tees were all properly manicured. Work remained to be done on the bunkers but we now knew that was work in progress. The greens, again, appeared patchy but that was really to be expected. The greens have the most sensitive grass on the golf course and will take the longest time to recuperate. The important thing here is that the club is continuing to work on them so they will all improve, in time.

The PGA Tour hits Asia! By Chuah Choo Chiang

ctober will highlight a truly momentous month for professional golf in Asia with the staging of three mega PGA Tour tournaments in Malaysia, South Korea and China offering a super cool $26 million in total prize money. International superstars, led by world No. 1 Dustin Johnson, third-ranked Hideki Matsuyama, world No. 4 Justin Thomas and Major champions Jason Day and Adam Scott are among the big names headed full speed to the Far East, long regarded as the next bastion

of growth for the game. The $7-million CIMB Classic at TPC Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, where Thomas will bid to become the first player since Steve Stricker in 2011 to secure a three-peat of wins, will get Asia’s festival of golf rocking and rolling when the only PGA Tour tournament in Southeast Asia returns for its eighth edition from October 12 to 15. The Tour then breaks new ground with its first official FedExCup tournament in South Korea when the $9.25-million CJ CUP @ Nnine Bridges makes its debut. CJ Corp., one of the nation’s largest conglomerates with a global vision, signed a 10-year deal to host what will be one of

the world’s most lucrative golf tournaments. Day, Scott and Thomas, who has enjoyed a standout 2016-2017 campaign with five wins— including a first Major triumph, will headline the CJ tournament which will also feature Korea’s newest star Si-woo Kim, winner of The Players Championship in May. The three-tournament extravaganza concludes with Asia’s lone and prized World Golf Championships showpiece, the $9.75-million WGC-HSBC Champions at Sheshan International Golf Club in Shanghai where Japan’s rising son Matsuyama will defend his title against a stellar field that includes top-ranked Johnson, winner of

www.pinoygolfer.com | Saturday, September 30, 2017 A7

idge THINK LESS AND PLAY BETTER GOLF

The best news we received was that the Dye had been just been opened for play that week. Our schedule precluded a tour of that corner of the property but we’ll allow the course to recover more fully before we return to report on its condition. In general, the three golf courses we toured were all in pretty good shape. Certainly, they are now far removed from the state in which we first found them when we started this series of articles and we commend General Manager Boy Blue Ocampo and his team for the work they’ve done so far. They’re definitely on the right track but much remains to be done. There are little things around the clubhouse that also need addressing. The locker facilities and rest rooms all need the tournament in 2013. Against a backdrop of global stars headlining the exciting stretch of events which form the early 2017-2018 PGA Tour Fall schedule, the Asian Tour’s leading golfers, such as S.S.P. Chawrasia, Scott Hend and young talent Phachara Khongwatmai, will have every opportunity to shine under the international spotlight. The CIMB Classic, sanctioned with the Asian Tour, will include the leading 10 players from the region’s Order of Merit in addition to two Malaysians, while the CJ CUP could see up to 20 Korean or Korean descent golfers going head to head with the game’s top stars as it lives up to the tournament’s tagline of “Bridge to Realization”. A victory at Jeju island will lead to a coveted PGA Tour card and a world of earning and playing opportunities.

sprucing up. Some things still don’t work right and others just need a bit more care and maintenance. But these are minor in the grand scheme of things and the way things are going now at Eagle Ridge, we feel certain that once the larger concerns are addressed, management will then turn their attention to the details that need fixing. Things at Eagle Ridge have improved considerably in the two months since our last visit and we have no reason not to believe this trend will continue. However, maintenance is a discipline and the culture of the work environment. It is something that needs constant attention and the corporate wherewithal to maintain, much less improve upon. As a former member, I’ve seen Similarly, leading players from Asia and China will also be exempt into the WGC-HSBC Champions where a golfer like Li Haotong, famous for his third-place finish at the British Open in July, can propel his career to America with a home victory. There will be no doubting that Thomas will start as a firm favorite to sparkle in Asia, especially after a spectacular season. A return to Malaysia will provide happy memories as his first PGA Tour title was recorded in the 2015 CIMB Classic. In eight rounds at TPC KL, he has accumulated 59 birdies, two eagles and stands at a staggering 49-under par. PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan, during the launch of the CJ CUP @ Nine Bridges, hopes that the newest tournament on the schedule will positively shape the landscape of the game in South Korea and beyond.

improvements happen with a change of management only to see them fade away with changes in priorities. I hope that this eventuality doesn’t repeat itself with this new team in place. Eagle Ridge Golf and Country Club has so much potential it would be a huge shame if the club didn’t live up to it. It would be a loss for golf and for golf tourism in the country. I was a member there long enough to see the golf course at its absolute peak. I also saw it at its lowest point. I am glad the club is back in reasonable shape and that it seems headed again toward better days. Some of the best golf in the country is at Eagle Ridge. I’m looking forward to the day that the golf courses here can again be mentioned in the same breath as the best the country has to offer. “This announcement is a historic landmark for the PGA Tour as we add another tournament in Asia. We had such a phenomenal experience in Korea at The Presidents Cup [in 2015], and we hoped an official, permanent event in this great country would be the result of that success,” Monahan said. “We have a tremendous population of Korean golfers on the PGA Tour, and we anticipate that will continue as THE CJ CUP @ Nine Bridges inspires a new generation of players, not only in Korea, but also around the world.” Since making its debut in 2005, the HSBC Champions has celebrated a myriad of international winners in a tournament many has labeled, as “Asia’s Major”. Giles Morgan, HSBC global head of sponsorship and Events, must take credit for being a driving force behind the tournament’s growth into a WGC tournament. “WGC-HSBC Champions is our flagship event

By David MacKenzie

sn’t it amazing how everything in golf is better today, except how well the average golfer plays. When you consider the drastic improvement in golf clubs, golf balls, golf-course conditions and all of the training aids and video analysis you would think everyone would be able to play at a fairly high level with just a little practice. With all of this available to us why do most golfers still look like they are chopping wood or killing snakes instead of having a beautiful flowing swing like Ernie Els or Fred Couples? Am I alone in recognizing that golfers aren’t getting any better because they have information overload? If you think about how we perform our best at anything it is when we do it with little thought and more trust our ability to create. I believe that we need to get back to simple principles that allow us to “play golf” and not “golf swing” and eliminate the 14-point check list, i.e., straight left arm, keep your head down, bend your knees, etc., etc., that is strangling the average golfer. After all, golf is played under constantly changing conditions and no two shots will ever be exactly alike. These principles are very basic and extremely logical and personal to us. We use them every day in our normal activities without much thought and learned them at a very early age. They are balance, control and vision or creativity.

BALANCE IN THE GOLF SWING

Balance is simply the way we coordinate our movements between our eyes, hands, feet and body to perform a task. With most activities we simply try to find the most efficient way to perform it based on our abilities, but in golf we have been told it is not natural, therefore we need to manipulate our body in order to play. Golf balance simply needs to be seen as a dynamic flowing movement of the entire body. Balance is a skill that can be worked on during every practice session.

CONTROL IN THE GOLF SWING

Control is simply maintaining control of a golf club in a way that allows you to perform with dynamic balance efficiently. The only thing you need to figure out here is what is the best way to hold the club, based on your strength and abilities, so you can maintain it while in motion.

VISION

Vision is nothing more than creating a roadmap for how you want your body to perform the task or shot at hand. It also requires you to anticipate what it will feel like as a whole movement not a series of mechanical positions. This is where you get to be you and create was feels the best to you not what you are told you should look like. Having talked to, learned from and taught some of the games greatest players I will tell you that

in global golf. Quality of field is the calling card for this tournament, which has earned the reputation of Asia’s Major and for the past three years we have attracted 40 of the world’s top 50 golfers. Following recent heroics, China’s leading players are truly coming of age at just the right time. This event means so much to them. It is their major. It first inspired them into the game then nurtured their skills. Now it gives this new generation a chance to unleash their talents against the world’s best. All in front of their home fans. It’s a mouthwatering prospect.” Indeed, it’s going to be a mouth-watering month of golf in Asia. n Chuah Choo Chiang is senior director, Communications of the PGA tour and is based at TPC Kuala Lumpur.

THOMAS

they all agree they play their best when they aren’t thinking about their golf swing and are just playing the game. Even Ben Hogan admitted that he didn’t play to his potential until he stopped thinking about his swing in competition. Many Tour players are no longer analyzing their swings and just focusing on these three key principles along with a better mental game. Now, let’s get all golfers to take charge of their abilities and enjoy this beautiful game to its fullest! n David MacKenzie is a performance coach and the founder of Golf State of Mind. Throughout David’s playing career, he learned quickly how attitude, self-belief and mental toughness affect performance in golf. He knew that was the difference between his average and great rounds. David has always been able to effectively communicate the mental and emotional issues that most golfers face on the golf course. David now works with players of all levels (and coaches), and has had a huge amount of success with his system. His mental coaching system is taught one on one (in person or remotely), in groups, and via his mental game training products. The system develops mental toughness, improves emotional control and teaches golfers how to stay focused on what’s most important.

OurTime

A8 Saturday, September 30, 2017 • Editor: Efleda P. Campos

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Cultural award to septuagenarian puts spotlight on Sarangani’s tribal ‘school of living tradition’

By Manuel T. Cayon | Mindanao Bureau Chief

AVAO CITY—Two tribal women septuagenarians wowed visitors at a tribal village in Malapatan town, Sarangani province, as the newest government-supported school of living tradition took pride in having two national cultural awardees coming from its place.

Bai Estelita Tumandan Bantilan, 75, and B’laan mat weaver Fu Nena T. Talino, 75, last week showed special visitors, on mat weaving, the special tribal skill preserved and handed down to students in the area. A communication dispatch from Sarangani Information Office narrated of Bantilan showing her skill to tribal children Lorie Jane Manggay, 16, and Keziah Jane Tablo, 9, at the School of Living Tradition (SLT) in Sitio Upper Lasang, Sapu Masla in Malapatan.

Bantilan was conferred the Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan or the National Living Treasures Award on mat weaving by President Duterte. Talino, from Upper Lasang, meanwhile, “showed her beautiful sigo-sigo [elbow] mat design, which took her one month to finish the one whole piece of mat”. The provincial government emphasized the importance of the tribal school as “vital in preserving the skills of the elderly and to be passed on to the next generations”.

BAI Estelita Tumandan Bantilan (center), 75, who was conferred the Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan or the National Living Treasures Award on mat weaving by President Duterte, demonstrates her skills to Lorie Jane Manggay (right), 16, and Keziah Jane Tablo, 9, at the School of Living Tradition in Sitio Upper Lasang, Sapu Masla, on September 8. PHOTO COURTESY OF SARANGANI INFORMATION OFFICE

“The gradual vanishing of the cultural tradition of Blaan mat weaving led the National Commission for Culture and the Arts [NCCA] to be alarmed that such indigenous skills and treasure would be lost,” the information office said. It added the school of living tradition in Malapatan “is supervised under Sulong Tribu program

of Gov. Steve Chiongbian Solon in partnership with the NCCA, ABSCBN Lingkod Kapamilya Foundation and Filipina/NGAs.” The sponsorship of the organizations was vital, “especially in the provision of infrastructure and logistic support for sustainability in order to preserve the cultural heritage of the indigenous peoples in Sarangani”.

B’LAAN mat weaver Fu Nena T. Talino, 75, from Upper Lasang, on September 8, showed her beautiful one-whole piece of sigo-sigo (elbow) mat, which took her one month to finish.

Between 2011 and 2013, the NCCA acknowledged the establishment of 55 such schools in 11 provinces in Mindanao. Its Internet posting about the school of living tradition defined it as “one where a living master/culture bearer or culture specialist teaches skills and techniques of doing a traditional art or craft”. “The mode of teaching is usually nonformal, oral and with practical

Iloilo elderly, PWDs get ₧6-M aid from govt

LOILO CITY—Some 5,000 indigent active senior citizens and 2,000 persons with disability (PWDs) here received a total of P6 million in local social pension under the social-welfare program of the local government here. The distribution kicked off at the Molo gymnasium on Monday—with 500 elderly persons from Mandurriao district, 350 from Arevalo, 1,250 from the city proper and 700 from Molo receiving social pension. On Tuesday the city social-welfare office will accommodate 1,150 senior citizens from Jaro district, 700 from La Paz and 350 from Lapuz district. The venue will be at the Jaro gymnasium. Cherry Lyn S. Bermejo, Social Welfare Officer III and focal person for senior citizens and PWDs, said the pension is given twice a year with each recipient getting P500 per distribution. Monday’s release covers the first semester of 2017. The qualified recipients are not beneficiaries of the national socialpension program. They were chosen in partnership with the federation of

senior citizens affairs office. One of the recipients was 82-year old Maria A. Fuentes from Barangay Tanza Timawa. Her daughter, Teresita Fuentes, said her mother always forgets about the social pension, which she uses to buy some fruits and milk or shares with her grandchildren. Bermejo, meantime, said the fund for national pension has already been downloaded to the local level. She added that they still have to set the distribution for the national pension of 12,419 recipients covering second quarter of 2017. They are entitled to P1,500 each. Iloilo City has close to 50,000 senior citizens. The distribution for indigent PWDs will commence on Wednesdaym September 20. Bermejo said 2,000 from out of the 6,000 registered PWDs in the city have qualified to the program. They are composed of 375 recipients from Molo; 361 each from Arevalo and Jaro; 230 from Mandurriao; 307 from City Proper; 241 from La Paz; and 125 from Lapuz district. PNA

Ordinance seeking more incentives for Palawan centenarians pushed

HIGHLAND HERBAL MEDICINE Elders take a break on a sidewalk at the central business district in Baguio City while waiting for costumers to buy their herbal medicine. MAU VICTA

US state agency: Nursing home listed dead resident as ‘resting in bed’

STATE agency found the Florida nursing home where eight residents died after it lost air-conditioning following Hurricane Irma “presents a danger to every person on its premises” and must close after staff at the facility failed to call 911 for its overheated patients, even as their temperatures began spiking to as high as 109.9 degrees Fahrenheit. The agency also rebuked the nursing home for entering normal vital signs, or mildly elevated temperatures, into the medical records of several residents after they had already been evacuated or, in one case, had already died. Those entries, it said, were made “under dubious circumstances.” The state investigation, conducted by the Agency for Health Care Administration, found that as patients

in the overheated nursing home began suffering from respiratory or cardiac distress in the early hours of September 13, the medical staff at the nursing home “overwhelmingly delayed” calling 911 or evacuating patients to the air-conditioned hospital that sits nearly next door. “This facility failed its residents multiple times throughout this horrifying ordeal,” the agency secretary, Justin Senior, said in a statement. “It is unfathomable that a medical professional would not know to call 911 immediately in an emergency situation.” He added, “No amount of emergency preparedness could have prevented the gross medical and criminal recklessness that occurred at this facility.” In a sharply worded response, a lawyer for the nursing home con-

demonstrations. The site may be the house of the living master, a community social hall, or a center constructed for the purpose,” it said. The schools feature specific schools that needed preservation and handed down to generations and includes rattan-mat weaving, traditional dances and playing of musical instruments, bead making, clothing and embroidery, kulintang playing, music dance and oral tradition.

tested the agency’s findings, saying its staff had been constantly monitoring residents and “there was no indication based on actual conditions” that a 911 call, or an evacuation, was necessary before residents began to fall ill. Eight of the residents died that day, either at the home, known as the Rehabilitation Center at Hollywood Hills, or at Memorial Regional Hospital. More than 100 were taken to Memorial and other hospitals, and many have now been moved to new nursing homes. Local authorities said a ninth former resident died on Tuesday, but the medical examiner has not yet determined whether the heat played a role in the death of that resident, Carlos Canal, 93. According to the agency’s order suspending the Center’s license, is-

sued on Wednesday, the facility’s medical records were “replete with late entries,” meaning updates that were supposed to describe medical indicators, such as blood pressure and temperature at a certain point in time, but were added later. “The facility also entered late entries into medical records claiming safe temperatures for patients,” Senior said in the statement, “while those same patients were across the street dying in the emergency room with temperatures of over 108 degrees Fahrenheit.” In one instance, at 4:42 a.m., a nurse wrote that a 78-year-old resident’s temperature was 101.6 degrees. But the resident had arrived at the hospital’s emergency room in cardiac arrest 10 minutes earlier, with a temperature that the hospital recorded at 108.3 degrees.

She could not be saved. Others who died had body temperatures of 109.9, 108.5 and 107. In another case, which the agency described as “very egregious,” someone at the nursing home described an 84-year-old patient as “resting in bed” with breathing that was “even and unlabored.” By the time that update was added, the person had already died. But in a statement, Kirsten K. Ullman, a lawyer for the nursing home, said the late entries into residents’ medical records were not significant, since workers often wait until the end of their shift to update records. Since the home was emptied before the end of the early shift on September 13, some entries could not be made until residents had already left, she wrote. New York Times News Service

UERTO PRINCESA CITY, Palawan—The Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Palawan is expected to approve a proposed ordinance that will grant P10,000 and other privileges to centenarians in the province. Board Member Cherry Pie Acosta, main author of the resolution, said it is essential to grant “Centenarian Gift” in the said amount in recognition of their longevity and P2,000 each during their every birthday provided they submit required documents. “This ordinance shall be known as Palawan Centenarian Ordinance of 2017 and shall cover those residing in the province who have reached 100 years old and above,” Acosta said. The implementation of the proposed ordinance will be led by the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office (PSWDO) in coordination with the Office of Senior Citizens Affairs (Osca) and the Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office (MSWDO) of the 23 towns in Palawan. The beneficiaries will qualify if they are listed to the PSWDO by their respective MSWDOs with documents and general intake sheets. The centenarian gift is a one-time cash award that will be taken from available funds of the Department of Social Welfare and Development as included in the General Appropriations Act. A plaque of recognition will also be awarded to the living centenarian, and the P2,000 birthday cash gift every year that his or her birthday is celebrated. She said the ordinance, coauthored by all Sangguniang Panlalawigan members, is in compliance with Republic Act (RA) 10868, known as the Centenarian Act of 2016, honoring and granting additional benefits and privileges to Filipino centenarians. Acosta further cited that under Section 1, Paragraph D of RA 9994, the provision of additional cash incentives “will encourage the centenarians’ families and their communities to reaffirm the valued Filipino tradition of caring for the senior citizens.” PNA

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Writing is about caring, Y sharing–‘e-Book Queen’ S

How much can the youth vote actually help Democrats?

By Maxine Mamba | Contributor

HA Nacino is a prolific author of six books, a public speaker and a book-writing coach.

She was dubbed as the “e-book Queen” and has graced the stage of many international symposia, including the most recent Manila International Book Fair from September 13 to 17. Among her books are How to Earn While On Vacation, How to Make Your Dreams Come True, How To Write a Book, Why You Need to Write a Book, Who Took My HardEarned Money and, the most recent one, Mission Happiness: The Millennial’s Guide to a Happy, Inspired and Meaningful Life. With a clear mind and a sense of purpose, Nacino is an advocate of “writing because you care and because you have a message to share.” Her composed and easy demeanor tell of her own happiness and belie her astute business sense, as she heads her own company, talks on a radio and podcast and travels the country promoting her book and giving seminars and talks.

her elementary days when she says that she was babied. Both her parents, Camilo and Crispa, came from a poor family and were all too familiar with days of not having enough to eat. However, they made sure that Nacino was always covered—her dad even going as far as talking to the dean to make sure that if she needed some food—he would pay it after. “Every little pain, they would try to catch it for me,” Nacino recounts. Her mom, Crispa, was a professor in their school, would always be by her side if she got sick. She would shower Sha with love, attention, affirmative words of encouragement, and, together with the provision of her dad, they both would pretty much cover all five love languages of Gary Chapman. As a fresh graduate living in Manila, Nacino had accrued P80,000 in debt, and needed a way out. During that time, her father had already verbally warned her that she was going to go bankrupt. Hearing

anything that resembled a sermon from her father was a blue-moon experience for her, and she took it to heart, mustering her capabilities into solving her financial crisis.

Trust me

SOLVING her debt was the catalyst for Nacino to write her book Money and Me, but it was just a pipe dream for three years. Her father would jocosely jibe her, “Asan na yung libro mo?” [Where’s the book you promised writing?] as a way of pushing her to really do what she had promised to do. It became a family joke, and spurred her on. It was also what engendered so much pride in her to be able to tell her father years later to give his blessing when Nacino was planning to quit her job and start a company on her own. “Papa, kaya ko ito. [I can do this.] I need you to trust me,” were the words she told him that would assuage his fatherly worries. Sha’s mother passed away in 2001 and, she always wondered, “Did I say I love you to my mother enough?” Since then, their whole family says “I love you” to each other. Since then, every morning, after her morning ritual of thanking the Lord, reading Didache, writing on her gratitude journal, reviewing her dreams and drinking a glass of water, she texts her dad.

Loving daughter

EVEN today, Nacino is single without a need for a man. “I never felt na may kulang,” she said. [I never felt I’m missing something.] That is true, because her eyes light up as she recounts how her father, despite being a professor in their school, would swallow his pride and work as a tricycle driver just to put food on the table for his family. Nacino attributes her desire to speak from her dad’s improvisational performances every time there would be a blackout during the Cory administration. She attributes her love of mathematics from the days when her mother used to spend hours tutoring her and would give her hugs and kisses in exchange for right answers. How do you become a Sha Nacino, a successful and loving daughter, who knows her purpose and confidently takes action toward her dreams? Easy. One should have parents like Crispa and Camilo, whose love and sacrifice know no bounds. One should have a father like Camilo, who provides and guides every step of the way, and a mother like Crispa, whose love is expressed to her children and her husband in everything she does.

OUNG Americans have been moving left and leaving the GOP in recent years, but a successful Democratic coalition built on the backs of liberal youth is far from a sure thing, especially in the short term. The party’s problem is straightforward: getting them to actually go to the polls. Those aged 18 to 29 vote at far lower rates than older groups, decreasing their electoral power. But there are at least some signs that their participation levels will improve. And, if an increasingly left-leaning voting bloc does become more politically active, there are huge potential gains for the Democratic Party. The obvious positive news for Democrats is reflected in the 2016 Cooperative Congressional Election Study (CCES), a survey of 64,000 adults. Fifty-four percent of American adults younger than 30 identified as Democrat or leaning-Democrat in 2016—that’s 6 percentage points higher than among the rest of the public. Young people also call themselves “very liberal” or “liberal” more often than Americans older than 30, by 5 and 7 percentage points. Roughly 60 percent of this group reported voting for Hillary Clinton in 2016, according to the CCES. (This is higher than the 55 percent reported in exit polls after the election.)

Far cry

HE thing with social functions is the constant assumption that everybody is watching you. And so it goes with a caveat: “Be graceful always,” which otherwise means “Be yourself.” But the rub is that, more often than not, people are fine until they find themselves in the company of complete strangers, especially to the ones whose idea of formal dinners or, say, an intimate tete-a-tete or what have you are something to survive with sweat on their brows and evasive eyes, if not something to ultimately scoot away from.

THIS information may warm Democrats’ hearts, but it’s still a far cry from the hyper-left youth vote some like to think exists. President Donald J. Trump won the white-youth vote last year, after all. A significant part of the Democratic lean among the young can be simply explained by their increased diversity—but not all of it. The youngest voters have been leaning Democratic since 2004. That doesn’t mean they have the same party loyalty of older left-of-center generations. They’re more likely to register as independent. The young were nearly three times as likely as voters older than 30 to vote for a third-party candidate in November. About 1 in 10 voted for the Green Party candidate, Jill Stein, or the Libertarian candidate, Gary Johnson, or another candidate or write-in option. This could be a reflection of the fact that many young Americans had their first glimpse of national politics during the hotly contested ideological battle between Bernie Sanders and Clinton in the 2016 Democratic primary election. Young millennials—and I’m one of them—have experienced Democratic Party infighting practically since their political life began. As important as it would be for Democrats to unite and to keep left-of-center voters from straying, it would be even more helpful to win Republican converts. A recent report from Pew Research Center found that 23 percent of young Americans who identified as Republican or independent-leaningRepublican switched to identifying as Democrat or independent-leaning-Democrat from 2015 to 2017.

Here’s how I survived mine:

Turnout patterns

Paying debt

NACINO has come a long way since

Of etiquette and blunders Vernon Velasco

MILLENNIAL UNIVERSE

THE same report estimated that just 9 percent of young Democrats, or those who lean Democratic, switched to the GOP. My analy-

Shake it off

I WAS cutting through my rib-eye steak at a formal dinner recently when I accidentally sniffed, and a hard material was sucked from my nostrils into my nasal cavity and got stuck in my throat. Like milk shooting out of your nose, it was painful, but, with my first thought being to confirm whether someone saw me buckle and harbored on the thought that I choked on booger, it was not as painful as it was uncomfortable. Nonchalantly, I looked up from my steak only to see that a nice-looking lady was trying hard to be oblivious, the way you might when you are watching a movie with a group and, suddenly, there’s a love-making scene. And, as she gracefully tilted her wine glass to her lips to suppress a wind of laughter while looking at me, I shot her with a withering look, sign language for “Let us keep it as a secret.” The least you could hold on to is that you are in an occasion where it would be beneath people to let you down and broadcast your situation. But still I couldn’t shake off the idea that somehow eating a booger will be this stranger’s top-of-mind recall when she sees me. I imagined bumping into this lady at a mall, and, as soon as we happen to lock eyes like two convicts complicit in knowing a state secret, she would pretend not to recognize me. Here we would pass each other, but, when I look back, I would catch her looking at my way. She downed her glass and dabbed her lips with napkin as if to say “I’m done,” and,

sis of survey data from the 2010-2014 CCES panel survey finds that these recent levels of Republican-to-Democrat switching are about 11 percentage points higher than past levels. The 2016 CCES data corroborates this story, showing that about 75 percent of young Republicans voted for Trump—about 20 points lower than the level of Republican voters older than 30. That all sounds promising for Democrats. But you might have noticed something in November 2016: This trend wasn’t enough to produce a victory for Clinton. The turnout among those aged 18 to 29 was just 43 percent in 2016, compared with 60 percent for the entire electorate. And in recent midterm elections, they have voted at rates no higher than 21 percent, which is less than the 36-percent overall average. If those turnout patterns hold true in the 2018 midterms, young millennials will cast a measly 10 percent of total ballots. So, even if the Democrats do add 25 percent of young Republicans to their ranks, it will amount only to roughly 3 percent of the electorate in 2018.

Growing unpopular

WHAT may be more important than the level at which young Republicans are switching parties are their reasons for doing so. The Pew Research Center report found that 84 percent of the Republicans-turnedDemocrats (regardless of age) disapproved of Trump. Fifty-four percent strongly disapproved. A recent poll conducted by Gallup found approval of Trump among millennials to be near 23 percent. This would equate to a decline of 10 percentage points since Inauguration Day, slightly outpacing the 9-point decline among all Americans. Not only is the president an unpopular figure with young Americans but he has been also been growing more unpopular over time. Could Trump be turning away the young in such a way that it could cause the Republican Party long-lasting harm? Millennials tend to have more fluid partisanship, maybe because they haven’t cemented political attachments yet. But there’s evidence that your early political years are your most formative: Once you settle on a party, you tend to stick with it.

Stark reminder

ANOTHER hope for Democrats is that the young have been activated by the Trump presidency. They could match the rise in turnout in the highly publicized special election in Georgia’s Sixth Congressional District in the spring. Voters aged18 to 29 represented 10.6 percent of the electorate in that contest, up from 6 percent in the 2014 midterms. (The Democrat, Jon Ossoff, still lost.) But Democrats still shouldn’t count on the young to rescue them in 2018 or 2020. The 2020 election is supposed to be the first presidential race in which millennials outnumber baby boomers. The 2016 turnout numbers, however, offer a stark reminder: Boomers, who lean Republican, turned out to vote at a rate 23 percentage points higher than that of millennials. Unless that changes, boomers, though they may be outnumbered by millennials, could continue to decide millennials’ future. New York Times News Service

BPI-Philam offers ‘adulting’, wellness to Pinoy millennials

while still looking at the lady, I gracefully reached for a glass and washed the matter off my throat with wine.

Mandatory intro

AT social functions, I can’t understand how we overdo it sometimes. Here they have you shake hands with a stranger: “Hey, Vernon, this is Becky,” then all the while you stand there wondering “What the hell I care?” When saying good-bye, on the other hand, they wouldn’t let you off the hook without so much ado about nothing. They would tell you to propel their best regards to your mutual friends, whom they claim as their best friends, no matter that they see each other a lot. This is as far as ladies are concerned; with guys, they are more authentic or probably, more aptly, less disingenuous. Guys understand that we are a hugging people. Once, after enjoying a fancy dinner, I excused myself from the table, and this fella stood up

as I flexed off my seat to hug me, patting my back and he whispered to my ear: “So long and see you again, brother.” In hindsight, it sometimes creeps me out because I hate hugging guys. I hate it when their tits rub against mine.

The emphatic laughter

THE practiced chuckle you do in response to a joke sounds more like “Wa wa wa wa wa,” instead of “Ha ha ha ha ha.” Here, your host throws a joke onto the table, whereupon you have to fall off your chair going “Wa wa wa wa wa” along with everybody else, you have to shoot champagne out of your nose, you have to convince everybody that you almost cried, then you have to be back to your chair rolling down your sleeves and telling your host, “That, mister, is the funniest thing I have ever heard.” But, then again, you catch somebody’s scrutinizing eyes, which seem to say that you know that the joke was corny, and you’re both faking it.

Crybaby

A BROKENHEARTED female friend called to invite me to a fancy lunch so that somebody could see her cry. So, while I was breaking bread, she went blah and just blah and “Why are you guys so heartless?” and blah. She whimpered the way you might when you fell off a flight of stairs, perhaps silently hoping I would tell her other friends how devastated she was. It was apparent there was no way to pacify her; she made gestures of a kind you could reenact in front of your friends and laugh at. Her tears were profuse, and, while I was in the mood for sullen silence and was quite disappointed with the food because it was bland, I dabbed her tears with a piece of bread, then ate it after. She stopped. Vernon Velasco is a staff of the BusinessMirror’s advertising department. The views Velasco expressed in this column do not necessarily reflect those of the BusinessMirror’s.

INANCIAL planning is a topic most millennials rarely consider. This is often seen in behaviors of impulse purchases—using their hard-earned money in things that are temporarily meaningful that, at times, lead to a feeling of regret, or what is simply called a grudge purchase. A Goldman Sachs study revealed that generation “Me Me Me” would rather save up for vacations and leisure activities to enjoy their life now than invest in their future— marriage, a home, their own business, retirement plans. This despite financial institutions constantly encouraging them to favor savings and investments. For Surendra Menon, CEO of BPI-Philam Life Assurance Corp., millennials can choose to have the best of both worlds. “They can live their present life to the fullest and have a secured future at the same time,” Menon said. “It’s a misunderstanding that has to be clarified—protecting your future is simply making sure you can enjoy the lifestyle you have now and for the years to come.”

Hierarchy of needs

FOR Menon, gone are the days when

insurance is seen as a contingency plan for sickness and death. BPI-Philam now offers itself as a partner for total wellness—securing both physical and financial health—providing better value for money. He mentions BPI-Philam’s comprehensive health products that lend a hand in living a better life all throughout, and not just when illness strikes. “Millennials have been hailed as the most health-conscious generation,” Menon said. “For them, wellness is a priority. They are willing to spend money to exercise regularly and eat healthy. Our priority is the same, that’s why we’ve integrated ways for them to maintain that lifestyle with our products.” One of the ways BPI-Philam does this is by providing Philam Vitality with their policies—a wellness program designed to reward the policy owner for being and staying active. “Through Philam Vitality, we’re encouraging them to take that first step to wellness and keep at it by giving them unparalleled rewards and exclusive access to partners like gyms and medical facilities,” Menon said.

BusinessMirror

A10 Saturday, September 30, 2017

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THE S.E.A. Aquarium Singapore was one of the places they visited. Note: It was Baninay Bautista’s first trip abroad.

Because one screen isn’t enough WITH so many things on our plate these days, it’s not common for people to become “multi-hyphenates”, proudly juggling one role with several others. For example, you could be a young entrepreneur but also be an advocate for education while being a doting parent to your kids. However, the challenge now here is: How does one juggle all these effectively and efficiently while not forgetting to still enjoy their own interests? Identifying this need, Cherry Mobile (www. cherrymobile.com.ph) has launched the first mobile phone with dual-screen feature in the local market. To rid you of the stress from the pressure of having to attend to so many things all at once, Cherry Mobile Taiji has a unique 5.2-inch full-HD IPS display front screen and a 4.7-inch E-ink reader at the back, which will offer you the most exciting mobile experience yet. Another thing that’s worth noting about its E-ink screen is that its “mirror mode” feature allows you to “copy” the front screen, enabling you to save more battery life. It can also show or display widgets, like time, appointments, news and, of course, the E-reader, should you wish to flip the pages of your favorite book wherever you may be. The Cherry Mobile Taiji’s two screens have full Android OS functionality, making it a joy to use. Moreover, it’s powered by a 1.7GHz octa-core processor coupled with a generous 3-GB RAM, which will let you switch between your tasks seamlessly, plus its 32-GB internal memory allows you to store more files. With a built-in 13-MP AF rear and 8-MP FF front shooters, you’ll also certainly want to store more photos from your trips as well as day-to-day experiences. You surely can do all these and more with the Cherry Mobile Taiji while staying connected to your loved ones, friends, coworkers and clients without any hitch, thanks to the phone’s LTE-ready connection. How’s that for double the efficiency and fun?

Paperless booking and traveling primetime

diNna chan vasquez @dinnachanvasquez luckydinna@gmail.com

OR months, my friends had been asking me to use their Klook codes for buying tickets to travel attractions, like Hong Kong Disneyland and Universal Studios in Singapore. Tech noob that I am, I didn’t pay any attention to what they were saying. Apparently, I was missing on a lot of things by not having the Klook app on my phone. Klook is Asia’s largest attractions, tours and activity booking platform. It has offices in different countries and regions across Asia, including Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines. “The Philippines is one of our most dynamic and fastest-growing markets in the region,” said Marcus Yong, Klook regional marketing head. Klook recently hosted a #GetKlookd adventure in four destinations— Hong Kong, Singapore, Palawan and Taiwan— featuring four pairs of celebrities and influencers. I was lucky enough to be included in the Singapore leg with former reality-show star and vlogger Baninay Bautista and singer-actor Teejay Marquez. In Hong Kong BFFs Bela Padilla and Dani Barretto explored the city that never sleeps. For Taiwan, it was Chie Filomeno and Richard Juan, while engaged couple Maxene Magalona and Rob Mananquil enjoyed the beach and went on adventures in Palawan.

Once the pairs arrived in their respective destinations, they got to enjoy the different sights and attractions of the place. Baninay and Teejay, for instance, got to enjoy Singapore Flyer’s Premium Sky Dining Flight. They also went to the Singapore Zoo and Universal Studios. They went on the Singapore River Safari and Gardens By The Bay. Teejay tried the iFly indoor skydiving activity. During the Singapore Flyer dinner, Teejay and Baninay went on Instagram and Facebook Live to announce the 15-percent discount off any Klook activity when you use the promo code <GETKLOOKD> on the Klook Mobile app (for first-time users only). There was also a Piso Deal for Universal Studios Singapore, an offer snapped up in minutes. Yong said good offers, such as the Piso Deal, go fast in the Philippines. Everything goes in minutes. Klook offers an excellent selection of activities and attractions in Asia, and these can be booked seamlessly through paperless ticketing. Klook also offers exclusive discounts of up to 50 percent. Klook seeks to transform the travel activities space in Asia by bringing together quality operators and making their services available on a single platform. Klook iOS has already been featured by Apple’s App Store as one of the “Best New Apps” in 14 countries across Asia for three consecutive weeks. Consumers are slowly getting used to booking services instantly through mobile devices, and Klook is the first to enable instant ticketing to some of the most popular attractions in Asia. You can book within a matter of seconds and travelers can show up with no more queuing or printing vouchers. These features are all seamlessly synced with Klook Mobile, Asia’s first travel activities booking app. More and more Filipinos (including my friends in their 40s and 50s) are doing their bookings through the Internet. A 2015 survey showed that 87 percent of travelers use the Internet for the most of their travel

Baninay and Teejay Marquez at the entrance of the Singapore Zoo

planning, including research on activities to do at a destination and reading reviews on their options. “Filipino Klook users are very engaged and articulate, and we like that,” Yong said. On Klook, the four favorite destinations of Filipinos are Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan and Taiwan. Biometrics and paperless bookings are now making it easier for people to travel paperless. Even airlines are spending a lot of money to boost their web sites and make air travel easier for their passengers. The 15-percent discount on Klook activities is valid for bookings made via Klook’s mobile app using promo code “GETKLOOKD” upon checkout. Go to www.klook.com for more information. n

WhatsApp service disrupted in China as censorship tightens By Joe McDonald & Gillian Wong The Associated Press BEIJING—The encrypted messaging service WhatsApp suffered intermittent disruptions in China on Tuesday as communist authorities tightened censorship ahead of a major ruling party meeting. Attempts to set up new WhatsApp accounts on some cell phones were met with network-error messages. Others reported difficulty sending images and video on the service, which is owned by Facebook and offers more privacy than government-monitored Chinese social media. Chinese authorities are tightening controls on social media ahead of the party congress next month at which President Xi Jinping is due to be appointed to a second five-year term as leader. The ruling party encourages Internet use for

education and business but tries to block access to material that calls for political change or is deemed to encourage protests. Since coming to power in 2012, Xi has promoted the notion of “Internet sovereignty”, or the right of Beijing and other governments to dictate what their publics can do and see online. Private-sector operators of Chinese social media are required to delete banned material. China has the world’s biggest population of Internet users, with some 730 million people online. The agency that enforces online censorship, the Cyberspace Administration of China, didn’t respond to questions sent by fax about whether Chinese regulators were causing the WhatsApp disruption. Facebook declined to comment. WhatsApp is one of the world’s most popular messaging services, with over 1.2 billion users.

On Monday the Internet agency announced it was fining the parent of the popular Chinese messaging service WeChat, Tencent Ltd., and two other socialmedia services for failing to fully enforce censorship. The agency said WeChat, Sina Corp.’s microblog service Sina Weibo and search giant Baidu Inc.’s Tieba allowed users to post false rumors and material that was pornographic or threatened national security. The agency gave no figure for a penalty but cited a law under which violators can be fined up to 500,000 yuan ($75,000) or closed in the event they fail to correct a violation. Also this month, regulators announced that organizers of messaging groups would be held responsible for managing their content. Meanwhile, Beijing is cracking down on the use of virtual private networks—technology that creates encrypted links between computers and can be used

to see blocked web sites abroad. Regulators say only government-approved VPNs are allowed and how they can be used will be restricted, potentially cutting off millions of Chinese entrepreneurs and other individual users. Users of WhatsApp in China reported similar disruptions in July, prompting fears authorities were blocking access. Chinese filters block access to other global social media, including Twitter, Facebook and YouTube without a VPN. Officials argue that such services operating beyond their control pose a threat to national security. Chinese authorities increasingly pay attention to encrypted messaging apps. Users in China switched to WhatsApp after authorities blocked access to another encrypted service, Telegraph, following a 2015 crackdown on lawyers and human-rights activists.

BusinessMirror

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Saturday, September 30, 2017 A11

Need more room? Twitter testing 280-character limit NEW YORK—Need more room to type those deep thoughts? Twitter is testing a 280-character limit for tweets, doubling the current length restriction that’s been in place since the company’s founding 11 years ago. The test is being made available to a small subset of users and applies to languages other than Japanese, Korean and Chinese. That’s because in those languages Twitter notes, you can convey about double the amount of information in one character as you can in others. The original 140-character limit was created so tweets would fit in a single text message back when people used Twitter that way. But most people now use Twitter through its mobile app, where there isn’t the same technical constraint. Twitter has already eased the restrictions, and doesn’t count photos, videos, polls and other things toward the character limit. And users have found creative ways to get around the restrictions, including taking screenshots of blocks of text and highlighting relevant phrases. San Francisco-based Twitter said in a blog post last Tuesday that 9 percent of all tweets in English come up against the 140-character limit, compared with just 0.4 percent of tweets in Japanese. “Also, in all markets, when people don’t have to cram their thoughts into 140 characters and actually have some to spare, we see more people Tweeting— which is awesome!” the blog post reads. Twitter acknowledged the “emotional attachment” some users might have toward the 140 characters. But it said the new limit, while double the size, is “still brief.”

FROM left: Ronnie Latinazo, country general manager of Dell EMC Philippines; Pang Yee Beng, Dell EMC senior vice president of commercial business for South Asia and Korea, and managing director for Dell Malaysia; Dindo Marzan, managing director of Hatch, the digital transformation group of Voyager Innovations Inc.; and Samuel Guevarra, executive director of PhilDev.

Inaugural Dell EMC Forum welcomes IT experts, end users and futurists

DELL EMC Forum (DEF) 2017 was held in Manila on September 26 at the Shangri-La at the Fort, Bonifacio Global City. The event was the first of what the IT giant aims to be an annual flagship event in the Philippines following the merger of Dell and EMC one year ago. DEF 2017 is a one-day technology experience event designed for IT professionals to connect with peers, discuss strategies, gain insights and explore the comprehensive Dell EMC solutions that drive IT transformation, enhance workforce mobility and reduce risk in the digital era. The theme “Realize” centered on how Dell EMC can help businesses take the steps in realizing their digital future in the new digital transformation era. Dell EMC executives and experts discussed modernizing IT infrastructure, automated IT services, transforming people and processes, and how the future would look like in terms of human and machine partnerships. “The new digital era today is really the next industrial revolution where data becomes the main driver. This ruthlessly redraws the business landscape in the Philippines. This monumental change is rich with opportunities,” said Ronnie Latinazo, country general manager of Dell EMC Philippines. “We’re bringing these experts and showcase to help IT stakeholders in the Philippines rethink their business processes to become more agile, flexible, innovative, user-oriented and customer focused, and demonstrate how technology plays a fundamental role to help them achieve this” In his DEF plenary keynote, Paul Henaghan, Dell EMC vice president for data center solutions in Asia Pacific & Japan, said: “Technology innovation is advancing at an exponential rate, powering a new era of digital transformation. Our world and work are more immersive, more collaborative, more mobile and more competitive than ever before. As these demands drive today’s business, IT becomes the business. It is important for decision-makers to understand that real digital transformation takes real work.” The DEF 2017 showcased a comprehensive portfolio of Dell EMC products and solutions from edge to core to cloud that will help businesses accelerate deployment of their overall IT transformation strategy. Besides the break-out sessions, a hands-on experience lab was also accessible for all participants to get in-depth orientations of all the available solutions.

Phil Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of worldwide marketing, announces features of the new iPhone X, including Face ID, at the Steve Jobs Theater on the new Apple campus, in Cupertino, California. Apple’s new Face ID facial recognition system is due to debut with the iPhone X on November 3. AP

Q&A: How Apple’s Face ID facial recognition works I

N mid-September, Apple unveiled its new Face ID facial recognition system , which is due to debut with the iPhone X on November 3. The system lets users unlock their phones just by glancing at them, but has also raised privacy questions and some anxieties over whether someone could force you to unlock your phone by pointing it at your face. On Wednesday, Apple offered some in-depth explanations about the pains it’s taking to protect your privacy in an update to its web site. Here’s what you need to know about how Face ID works and the precautions Apple has taken for privacy and security.

How Does Face ID Work? Face ID captures both a 3D and 2D image of your face using infrared light while you’re looking straight at the camera. Apple then compares that information to images you took while setting up Face ID; that comparison is done using a “neural network” that lives on the iPhone X’s new A11 chip. Five unsuccessful attempts at Face ID will force you to enter a passcode—which you’ll need anyway just to set up facial recognition. That requires you to come up with a secure string of digits—or, for extra security, a string of letters and numbers—to protect your privacy.

Does it work?

It didn’t during Apple’s September 12 event—at least initially, when senior vice president Craig Federighi tried and failed to demonstrate Face ID for the crowd before switching phones. Apple explained that handlers mistakenly set off Face ID attempts prior to Federighi’s presentation, which caused the phone to revert to a passcode lock before he took the stage. While Face ID won’t face an acid test with ordinary users until November, Apple says it should work just fine.

Is Apple going to store my face in the cloud? Relax, Apple says. Your face isn’t leaving your device. The iPhone X will store representations of your face in its “secure enclave”, a hardware-based enclosure designed to be resistant to spying and tampering. The phone-based neural net processing means the image representations never have to go anywhere. The iPhone X allows does allow third-party apps to let you sign in via Face ID, but these outside developers only receive notifications from Apple that you’ve been authenticated or not. Other apps “can’t access Face ID or the data associated with the enrolled face”, the company said in its security white paper. The only time your images can leave the phone is when you call Apple’s support service, AppleCare.

If you’re having trouble with Face ID, you can select which images you want to send for diagnostics, the company said.

Can a border guard/jealous spouse/traffic cop unlock my phone by pointing it at me? Maybe—although Face ID only works if you’re looking at it. So turning away is one emergency measure you could take. Apple has also provided a panic button feature. Simultaneously squeeze the iPhone X’s power button and either volume button for two seconds, and it will temporarily disable Face ID by turning the phone off. Just as with Touch ID, the phone requires a passcode after a restart. The process essentially turns your phone into a brick for anyone who doesn’t know your passcode.

Suppose I shave my head or grow a beard? Will my phone still know me? Apple says its algorithms learn to adapt to appearance changes over time. The system keeps recent images and uses them to allow unlocking if they are close enough to the registered image. But if you undergo a sudden changes in appearance—like shaving a beard, for instance—the phone will only add the new image to its library if you follow a failed Face ID attempt by immediately entering your passcode. n

New PLDT concept store pushes the boundaries of digital experience for customers LEADING digital services provider PLDT (www. pldthome.com) breaks new ground with the official opening of its very first concept store in Metro Manila. Its newly minted customer service hub at the second floor of the Promenade in Greenhills is also the first PLDT sales and service center (SSC) in San Juan City. Aside from the standard customer transactions like new line applications and bills payment, the PLDT concept store features one-of-a-kind and interactive displays. Customers who are deciding on which broadband plan to get can benefit from seeing and experiencing the actual speed differences through the Broadband Visualizer, which simulates the broadband experience and data usage per plan. Selfie enthusiasts will definitely enjoy the Augmented Reality display, which is an oversized version of the popular mobile application Snapchat. It allows users to take photos against changing and interactive backgrounds. Located outside the SSC, the display is accessible even to passersby. The new SSC also levels up customer service by

offering video chat service to customers. They also get a chance to experience first-hand the service offerings from PLDT Home Fibr, DSL and Ultera. Waiting companions and interested subscribers can also learn more about PLDT Home products and services, and enjoy high-speed browsing, video streaming, gaming and social media surfing via the interactive screens. TV personality Cesca Litton hosted the formal opening, which was attended by PLDT executives and special guest Bb. Pilipinas Grand International 2016 Nicole Cordoves. “The launch of our first concept store in Metro Manila is part of our continuous efforts to serve our subscribers better. It has all the elements necessary, including retail science and, of course, world-class internet to give our customers the best digital experiences outside the home,” PLDT FVP and Home Business Head Oscar A. Reyes Jr. said. “We have plans to open more concept stores, and we’re very excited bring this unique experience to more subscribers.” The first PLDT concept store was opened in SM Seaside City in Cebu.

BINIBINING Pilipinas Grand International 2016 Nicole Cordoves (center) leads the ribbon-cutting ceremony together with (from left): Paolo Lopez, PLDT VP and head of national retail sales and operations; Louella Aquino, PLDT head of home customer care and sales support, and strategy and performance management; Ana Fernando, PLDT head of home sales and service center management; and Gillian Gonzalez, PLDT vice president for retail strategy and development office.

Need more room? Twitter testing 280-character limit »A11

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

BusinessMirror

The influencer effect the technivore ed uy

whereiseduy@gmail.com

“Social media is an amazing tool, but it’s really the face-to-face interaction that makes a long-term impact.”

—Felicia Day

OCIAL media, as we know it today, is not the social media of days past. Unlike before where we just use it to reconnect and maybe meet new people and share photos, today social media has become another outlet for brands to get their message out and reach more people. There used to be a large distinction between what brands would put out on their Facebook page and what individuals would post on their own Facebook page that same day. But now social-media worlds are colliding, and brands would even feature individuals on their social-media pages giving rise to a new breed of social-media entity: The Influencer.

Like stealthy ninjas, influencers seem to have emerged silently out of the depths of the Internet and have become brand superheroes. And while a lot of bloggers would label themselves as “influencers”, it’s important to recognize the truly “legit” ones—not only based on followers and social media numbers but their reputation as a whole. Sometimes stats can be deceiving and only their peers know their “true identities”. On September 16 I had the privilege of being part of the E! Bloggers Ball, which, if not the biggest, is certainly the most “lit” gathering of bloggers and social-media influencers in the country. Hosted by E! Entertainment, and held at the Grand Ballroom of the City of Dreams Manila, the E! Bloggers Ball brought bloggers, vloggers, youtubers, instagrammers and other famous social-media personalities to meet face to face, some even for the first time, just to socialize and have a good time without any new products or campaigns to talk about. While most of the guests are based in Manila, there were also those who came from the provinces, some even flying all the way from Cebu just to join the event. Scott Mackenzie, NBCUniversal International Networks vice president of channels for Asia, said the E! Bloggers Ball is the only one of its kind in Southeast Asia, and that the network was “extremely excited to host it again this year”. “We are delighted to bring together the who’s who

of Philippines social-media sphere in one unique event. Think of it as the ‘prom’ or the ‘big dance’ for our socialmedia celebrities—a night where they can dress up, let loose and, most important, celebrate their craft,” he said in a news statement. And the bloggers really took the dress-up part seriously. The E! Black Carpet became a runway of sorts for a lot of noted designers, including Hanz Coquilla, Leo Almodal, Hannah Kong, Boom Sason, Rosenthal Tee, Jekka Sison, Levenson Rodriguez, Paulo Lazaro, Viktoria Couture, Orias Bespoke, Mara Chua, Alex Pajaro and many others. But it was Vlog Squad member Daniel Marsh and fashion blogger Kim Cruz who stood out the most to win the Best Dressed Award of the night. Speaking of awards, E! also took the opportunity to recognize the bloggers and social-media influencers who made a huge impact this year not only to their followers but to their peers, as well. The winners were Wil Dasovich and Jennica Sanchez for Look Who’s Trending; DG Razon and Nina Nuguid for Breakthrough Blogger of the year; The Soshal Network for Blogger Groupie; Yosh and Vinz of The Poor Traveler Blogger Icon of the Year for Travel; Erwan Heussaff Blogger Icon of the Year for Food; and Janina Vela Blogger Icon of the Year Fashion. The winners for each category were selected by an esteemed panel of judges comprising of social-media icon and TV host Bianca Gonzalez-Intal, Nuffnang Country Manager Abe Olandres, Our Awesome Planet founder Anton Diaz, Ever Bilena Marketing Director Olive Padilla, Rex Atienza

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and Jay Sarmiento of Stylelist Inc. Prior to the awarding ceremony, guests had the chance to have their portraits taken by acclaimed photographer Dookie Ducay. There was also a 360 photo booth and several backdrops inspired by the vapor-lights theme specially created for that Instagram-worthy picture. Other highlights of the event included performances from Clara Benin, DJ Mars Miranda and DJ Carlo Atendido.

BEZEL-LESS FOR LESS

ON September 20 Vivo joined the fray for the biggest screen ratio with the launch of its new flagship smartphone, the Vivo 7+. The launch was held at the Marriot Grand Ballroom with the media and dealers almost filling up the entire venue. The Vivo 7+ boasts of a superb 5.99-inch all-screen display with an 84.4-percent screen-to-body ratio, giving its users a more exciting and enhanced game and visual experience. It also has a 24-MP selfie-shooter camera which features smart-photography algorithms to provide more clear, crisp and natural-looking photos. This newest offering from V7+’s Special Face Beauty 7.0 feature brightens up photos and evens out complexions, so capturing a selfie moment is not a problem in dimly lit environment. Mimicking DSLR cameras, the V7+’s Portrait Mode blurs out backgrounds to highlight sharper selfie features. The smartphone is powered by an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 SoC coupled with 4-GB RAM

plus 64-GB of ROM expandable to up to 256GB. The Vivo V7+ also has a dual-SIM tray and runs on Funtouch OS 3.2 based on Android 7.1 Nougat. Moreover, it rocks a Smart Split 3.0 feature, allowing users to check their messages and mails, among others, without interrupting the current running app. The Vivo V7+ is priced at P17,990 and will be available in the market in Champagne Gold and Matte Black. But is it a really good buy? We’ll try to answer that question in the coming weeks.

/ Tech Thoughts: Technology and social media have

brought power back to the people—but is the people using that power for good?

GOT questions? Or gadgets you want to be featured? Send me an e-mail at whereiseduy@gmail.com with the subject TECHNIVORE.