Manila Standard - 2016 December 04 - Sunday

ARREST JACK LAM, DUTERTE ORDERS

By Francisco Tuyay

Jack Lam

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte ordered the arrest of one of the biggest gambling moguls in Asia after he allegedly tried to bribe Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre and Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. chairperson Andrea Domingo, the police said Saturday.

“I am giving orders to all [Philippine National Police] units to arrest [Jack Lam] immediately as ordered by President Rodrigo Duterte for the case of bribery and economic sabotage,” said PNP chief Ronald dela Rosa.

Aside from Lam, Dela Rosa said the police have also been ordered to find and arrest former police

general and champion poker player Wally “The Dream” Sombero, who was allegedly complicit in the alleged bribery attempt.

“Isama ‘yan [Let’s include him anyway]. Let’s arrest him on sight,” Dela Rosa said.

Dela Rosa said he had already asked Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente to issue

an Immigration Lookout Bulletin Order against Lam, the Hong Kong-based chairman of the Jimei Group which is one of the biggest gambling junket operators in Asia.

Aguirre, for his part, confirmed that the alleged bribery attempt took place two days after the authorities arrested 1,316 Chinese Turn to A2

BUSINESS / C1

MRT ENGINEERS ROLL OUT 22 TRAINS

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VOL. XXX • NO. 295 • 5 SECTIONS 20 PAGES • P18 • SUNDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2016 • www.thestandard.com.ph • editorial@thestandard.com.ph

DIGONG ON ‘RIGHT WAY,’ TRUMP SAYS U

S PRESIDENTelect Donald Trump told Philippine leader Rodrigo Duterte that Manila was conducting its deadly drug war “the right way,” Duterte said Saturday, in stark contrast to the criticism he received from President Barack Obama.

DONALD’S TAKE. US President-elect Donald Trump puts up his thumb during his victory tour while awaiting his inauguration.

The US leader also put up his thumb for the drug war of President Rodrigo Duterte. At left, is new US Ambassador Sung Kim who arrived Thursday. Manny Palmero

ENVOY HITS MANILA WITH EYES ON BALL

By Sara Susanne D. Fabunan ONLY hours after US President-elect Donald Trump spoke with President Rodrigo Duterte and not even 48 hours after his arrival, the new US Ambassador Sung Kim already had a Saturday full of meetings but still had time to watch the basketball championship between Ateneo and La Salle.

“I just arrived in Manila 48 hours ago and my timing was perfect,” Kim told youth leaders attending the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative gathering organized by the US Embassy in Manila.

He told the youth the 70-year relationship between the US and the Philippines is very important to the Washington and stressed that programs for the Filipino youths will Turn to A2

Duterte called Trump late Friday evening to congratulate him on his election victory with Trump wishing him “success” in his controversial anti-crime crackdown, in which some 4,800 people have been killed since June, according to Duterte.

“He was quite sensitive also to our worry about drugs. And he wishes me well... in my campaign and he said that... we are doing it as a sovereign nation, the right way,” Duterte said in a statement Saturday.

Duterte, 71, launched an unprecedented war on drugs that drew a wave of global criticism with Obama urging the leader in September to conduct his campaign “the right way” following concerns over alleged extrajudicial killings.

Trump’s office released a brief statement following the conversation, saying Duterte had congratulated Trump and the two agreed to work together closely.

Duterte won presidential elections in May after pledging to kill tens of thousands of drug suspects, warning that otherwise the Philippines would turn into a narco-state.

Since assuming office, he has called on police and even civilians to kill drug users.

Duterte also said he would be “happy to slaughter” three million drug addicts, and likened his campaign to Nazi leader Adolf Hitler’s efforts to exterminate Jews in Europe.

In October, Duterte announced a “separation” from the United States and had called for the withdrawal of American troops from his country, putting into question Manila’s 70-year-old alliance with Washington.

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LA SALLE WINS GAME 1 OF UAAP TILT

By Peter Atencio CENTER Ben Mbala scored 20 points and 15 rebounds to lead De La Salle University to a narrow 67-65 victory over archrival Ateneo de Manila University in Game 1 of the 79th University Athletic Association of the Philippines men’s basketball finals last night at the Mall of Asia Arena.

The Ateneo Blue Eagles made a huge effort to stop the 6-foot-7 Mbala in the paint, but could not. Still, they

tried to make things difficult for La Salle in the final moments of the fourth period, trailing by just one with 3.3 seconds left.

But Aljun Melecio and Jeron Teng delivered the big plays in the last four minutes, bringing the Green Archers closer to their ninth UAAP men’s title and first since 2013.

The Archers were blazing at the start, taking charge with an 18-2 run in which Teng made six of his 10 points. The 6-foot-2 guard’s basket after a twitter.com/ MlaStandard

turnover by Mike Nieto gave the lead for good, 66-65, and his block of Aaron Black’s desperate attempt in the final minute made all the difference for La Salle late.

Meanwhile, Mbala’s presence underneath saw La Salle outrebounding Ateneo, 4945. Black and Chibueze Ikeh grabbed a combined 17 boards for the Eagles, but rookie big man Isaac, who was Ateneo’s hero in beating Far Eastern University in the semifinals, was held to just two.

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FIRST BLOOD. La Salle’s Ben Mbala (in white) struggles with Ateneo’s Chibueza Ikeh for the loose basketball during Game 1 of the best-of-three championship of the Universities’ Athletic Association of the Philippines in Pasay City. Ey Acasio

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CURRY IS NEW VIVO BRAND AMBASSADOR

YOUNG LIFE / E1

SNEAKERS ARE A GIRL’S BEST FRIEND, TOO

3RD BLAST SUSPECT ARRESTED

By Florante S. Solmerin A THIRD suspect in the foiled bombing near the US Embassy in Manila was arrested around noon Saturday in Bulakan, Bulacan, military and police sources said.

The sources identified the suspect as Mohammad Jumao-as, an accomplice Rayson Kilala Sakdal, alias Rashid, who was earlier arrested along with Jiaher Guinar.

The sources declined to reveal details because of ongoing intelligence operations but Jumao-as is believed to be the one who left the improvised explosive device made from a mortar round near the US Embassy.

The police later released a facial sketch made with the help of a witness who saw one of the three suspects and that resulted in the arrest of Sakdal and Guinar.

Philippine National Police chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa said the suspects were from the Maute Group, a group which President Rodrigo Duterte has linked to the international terrorist organization Islamic State.

The Maute group later occupied an abandoned municipal hall in Butig, Lanao del Sur as they fled a military operation launched to capture their leader.

But the violence in Lanao del Sur and the threat of acts of terror in other parts of the country, the PNP hoisted its highest terror alert across the country while the military continued its operations in Butig town that eventually resulted in killing of 61 rebels.

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MOSCOW: IT’S RIGHT TO INVEST IN PH NOW

PING SLAMS RODY’S DOUBLE STANDARD S

By Sara Susanne D. Fabunan RUSSIAN Ambassador Igor Khovaev said Russia is eyeing on investing over the Philippines’ agriculture and oil industry and Russian families are already looking to hire Filipino household workers and caregivers, adding that his government sees the potential of Filipino employees.

“We are willing to sit down and discuss models and specific projects... your country has a lot to offer including agriculture, oil industry,” Khovaev said in a recent forum this week.

He just said that during the visit of President Rodrigo Duterte, business people from Russia and the Philippines had fruitful discussions and there are now talks over specific business models.

“As for the volume of trade, it is up to business people to sit down together,” he said, adding that the Russian government now considers it the right time to invest to the Philippine soil.

Khovaev also said that there are now job vacancies for Filipinos seeking work in Russia because Russian families are now hiring Filipino household workers because of the quality of their work and their facility with the English language.

“English language is not widespread in Russia. But currently, Russian families would want to hire Filipinas as household worker and caregivers because they can teach their kids how to speak in English,” the Russian envoy said.

So far, he said, there are 4,000 Filipinos working in Russia and Moscow is also looking to boost both country’s tourism industries.

He said that there are only 25,000 Russian nationals who visit the Philippines compared to the millions of them traveling to Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam.

Khovaev then urged the Philippines to start being more aggressive and consistent in promoting tourism to foreign travelers.

“I advise you, Filipinos should be most aggressive and more consistent in promoting your country,” he said, noting that there are 150 million Russians who travel or go on vacation every year.

The Russian envoy also disclosed that his government plans to establish a cultural office in Manila to intensify education, cultural awareness and encourage more young people to learn Russian language and vice versa.

By John Paolo Bencito

ENATOR Panfilo Lacson scored the supposed double standards of President Rodrigo Duterte following his admission that he ordered the reinstatement of Superintendent Marvin Marcos who is being accused of profiting from the illegal drug trade.

“I thought it was an all-out drug war I was supporting. Talk about double standards. Talk about double-speak. Change isn’t coming after all,” Lacson said in a post over social networking site Twitter.

A congressional investigation showed that Marcos, along with 17 other police personnel, were involved in the operation that resulted in the killing of Albuera, Leyte Mayor Rolando Espinosa inside a Leyte provincial jail.

But Duterte on Friday admitted that he ordered PNP chief Ronald dela Rosa to reinstate Marcos so he could pursue an independent investigation.

Duterte said he wanted Marcos back in his post as regional chief of the PNP’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Group “because he needed to gather evidence against the police official.”

Lacson raised doubts to Dela Rosa’s mettle as PNP chief,

when he gave in to “favors” of his “kumpare from Malacañang” to have Marcos reinstated without thinking of the possible outcomes and just doing as he was told.

“Kumpare, kumare, kamaganak, kaibigan, etc. asking favors from CPNP. So what? It still boils down to command responsibility when it fails,” Lacson said. “The point is, he’s ultimately responsible for his actions.”

Lacson likewise questioned Duterte on how he was able to clear Dolina from the drug menace in Eastern Visayas although suspected drug lord Kerwin Espinosa claimed that he himself gave Dolina bribes.

In a dzMM radio interview Saturday, Lacson noted parts of Espinosa’s affidavit wherein Kerwin gave the retired Gen. Dolina a P300,000 monthly payola and P2 million ‘good will money’ to protect his narcotics operation in the area.

Lacson likewise stressed that Dolina wanted a P1-million monthly payola from the

younger Espinosa, but was lowered to P300,000.

Meanwhile, the PNP Internal Affairs Service said that the policemen involved in the raid which led to the death of Albuera Mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr. are still under restrictive custody even though they were allowed to leave Camp Crame.

IAS chief of staff Maria Lynberg Constantinopla made the clarification following reports that the restrictive custody status of Police Supt. Marvin Marcos and 17 other

policemen involved in the raid had been lifted.

She added that PNP personnel are supervising the cops in Leyte while they are getting the necessary documents for their counteraffidavits, which will be submitted on Monday.

“In fact, there is no actual lifting of restrictive custody. They were just allowed to go home to get some information for attachment on their counter-affidavit,” Constantinopla said in an ANC television interview.

DIGONG...

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But on Saturday, Duterte said he “could sense a good rapport” with an “animated” Trump.

Video released by Duterte’s office showed the Philippine leader laughing as he chatted on the phone, later saying Trump would be “a good president for the United States of America.”

Duterte said the president-elect invited him to visit New York and Washington DC and he returned the favor by asking Trump to attend a regional summit that the Philippines is set to host next year.

“If I’m around, he wants to be notified of my presence,” said an upbeat Duterte.

The optimism was shared by Palace officials with presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella saying the conversation may signal a change in Duterte’s hostile attitude to the White House and the outgoing Obama administration.

“I think it will change,” Abella said in an interview broadcast over state radio dzRB. “Even the President expressed that he has a good rapport [with Trump] so I believe that the relationship will our relationship with America, with other nations.”

On Friday night, special assistant to the president Christopher Go said Duterte had a “very engaging” discussion with Trump, whom he invited to visit the Philippines during the Philippine hosting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit next year.

Trump also invited Duterte to visit him when he assumes office at the White House next year, Go said. AFP, John Paolo Bencito and Funny Pearl Gajunera

NO CHANGE. Senator Panfilo Lacson scored what he descirbed as President Rodrigo Duterte’s double standard when he ordered the reinstatement of a police official implicated in the drug trade.

ARREST...

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nationals at an online gaming facility inside the Fontana Leisure Parks and Casino in Pampanga, one of Lam’s three business interests in the Philippines.

The two others are the City of Dreams in Parañaque City and the Fort Ilocandia Resort Hotel in Laoag City in Ilocos Norte.

Aguirre said the meeting at a hotel in Bonifacio Global City on November 26 was arranged by Sombero, a former police general who became a champion poker player after his retirement.

During the meeting, the justice secretary claimed Sombero tried to bribe him to hasten the release of the Chinese nationals arrested at Fontana.

Aguirre later claimed that Lam also tried to offer Pagcor chairman Domingo a one-percent cut from his casino earnings so he can continue with his gaming business while applying for a license.

In a press briefing on Friday, Lam, through his lawyer Raymond Fortun, admitted he met with Aguirre along with Sombero but denied the charges of bribery.

Aguirre, however, said charges of economic sabotage can flourish against Lam because of regulatory deficiencies of Lam’s Fontana facility.

Lam is one of the largest VIP junket operators in Asia and his company, the Jimei Group, controls the fortunes of some of the largest casinos in Asia, including the Las Vegas Sands and its three casinos and Wynn Macau.

LA SALLE...

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“We just wanted to limit (Ateneo’s) rebounds as a team. All of them are good rebounders,” said Green Archers coach Aldin Ayo of the key to their game witnessed by 16,712 paying fans.

La Salle moved ahead, 64-59, off two charities and a drive from Mbala, but Ateneo stayed within range on Ikeh’s penetrations.

The Eagles had a chance to overtake the Archers after Teng’s basket with 39.4 seconds left was nullified due to a 24-second violation, and did, 65-64, following Matt Nieto’s drive off Melecio with 34.6 seconds to go.

In the next play, Teng took charge for La Salle and hit the layup for the lead, 15.1 seconds left.

Black, who shot a team-high 12 points, tried to take the lead back for Ateneo, but Teng got in the way. Kib Montalbo, who only had four points, then put La Salle out of harm’s way with a free throw, 3.3 ticks left.

“I guess it was just that we were intimidated by La Salle’s press. It was good. We caught up. But La Salle’s start was bad for us, they went up 16-2. We could have avoided it,” said Ateneo skipper Thirdy Ravena, who spoke on behalf of coach Tab Baldwin.

In the women’s finals, National University weathered a late rally by La Salle and came away with a 77-74 victory to take Game One. The Lady Bulldogs outscored the Lady Archers, 28-10, in the third quarter, helping them withstand a fourth-quarter La Salle comeback.

Gemma Miranda tallied 23 points, 15 boards, five assists, and two steals to lead the national team-loaded NU, which stretched their unbeaten run this season to 15 games.

The two-time defending champion Lady Bulldogs can take the crown and a sweep of all their games this season if they take Game Two on Wednesday.

Khate Castillo scored 11 of her team-high 18 points in the second half to lead the Lady Archers.

ENVOY...

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continue but he declined to respond to more substantive questions because, he said, he has yet to present his credentials.

However, US Embassy counselor for public affairs Carolyn Glassman assured that there would be no change in US-Philippine ties despite perceived difficulties during the Obama administration.

Glassman reiterated that the American government’s foreign policy with the Philippines, particularly on education, trade, among others, will continue and will not change even as they await the inauguration of the Trump administration.

“In all honesty, especially in public diplomacy, whoever our President is, our programs will continue,” Glassman said, veering the conversation to basketball.

Despite or because of the jet lag, Glassman said Kim insisted on watching the game as an introduction to Filipino culture and was amazed at Filipinos’ basketball spirit.

“He enjoyed the game and how enthusiastic the crowds were,” Glassman said.

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ANDANAR TOLD: NPO MESS PROBE NEEDED

By Francisco Tuyay

MOUNTAIN TOWN RETAKEN. An Armored Personnel Carrier stops rolling near damaged structures as Philippine military troops retake and occupy the old town hall of Butig town in Lanao del Sur on Friday. The extremist Maute group recently occupied part of the remote mountain town in troubled Mindanao, prompting the military to launch an offensive. AFP

SOUTHEAST ASIA FACES ULTRA JIHADIST THREAT S INGAPORE—Southeast Asia faces a growing risk of extremist violence from Islamic State group supporters as the jihadist group seeks new pastures after setbacks in the Middle East, Singapore’s home minister said Friday.

While IS is rapidly losing territory in Iraq and Syria, this may increase the risk of revenge attacks in Southeast Asia—and certain pockets of the region are receptive to radical Islamic ideology.

“The threat, if anything, I think has increased

compared to last year and earlier this year,” K. Shanmugam told reporters.

Parts of Southeast Asia have long struggled with Islamic militancy and hundreds of radicals from the region have flocked to join IS. Southeast Asians fighting for the jihadists have formed their own unit in the Middle East, called Katibah Nusantara, and are believed to be in regular contact with militants back home.

In the strife-torn southern Philippines, which has long battled a Muslim insurgency, a handful of Islamic extremist groups have sworn allegiance to IS. There has been an upsurge of violence and attempted attacks in Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim-majority country, over the past year due to the growing influence of IS. Even wealthy Singapore has detained several radicalized members of its local

Muslim minority.

“There is an increased likelihood that the Islamic State will declare an official wilaya, or province, in Southeast Asia in 2017,” Otso Iho of defense analysts IHS Janes said Wednesday.

This would “most likely” happen in the southern Philippines, he added.

The region suffered its first IS attack in January this year when extremists launched a deadly suicide bombing and gun assault in Jakarta.

Minister Shanmugam said one key challenge for Singapore, an immigrant society of 5.5 million people, would be maintaining social cohesion in the aftermath of an attack.

Pointing to successful attacks in neighboring Malaysia and Indonesia, Shanmugam said it was a matter of when—not if—an attack would hit Singapore.

“We will guard our borders but the risk is quite significant,” he said. AFP

TALLEST STATUE TO BE UNVEILED

METRO FILM FEST COUNTDOWN BEGINS

By Joel E. Zurbano

By Vito Barcelo THE 100-foot-tall statue of the Divine Mercy, the world’s tallest, will be unveiled in Bulacan province early next year, according to a World Apostolic Congress on Mercy (Wacom) official.

“This will be the biggest statue of the Divine Mercy around the world,” Wacom Asia Secretary General Fr. Prospero Tenorio said.

The statue stands atop a four-story multi-purpose building constructed at the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy in Marilao, 24 kilometers north of Manila.

The construction of the huge Jesus statue was only started in January 2016 and is expected to be fully finished before the year ends.

Its blessing and unveiling will be held on January 19 as one of the highlights of the 4th World Apostolic Congress on Mercy to be held in the Philippines.

Tenorio said the statue aims to perpetuate the memory of the global Church event that will be held in Asia for the first time.

According to the priest, more than 5,000 local and international delegates will attend the global event from January 16 to 20.

The blessing and dedication of the statue will be held after a Mass to be presided over by Cebu Archbishop Emeritus Ricardo Cardinal Vidal with Malolos Bishop Jose Oliveros as homilist.

Convened every three years, Wacom is a gathering of Divine Mercy devotees and promoters, among whom are bishops, priests, religious brothers and sisters, and laity from around the world.

TRANSPARENCY and accountability watchdog Filipino Alliance for Transparency and Empowerment (Fate) exhorted Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Martin Andanar to disclose the result of the investigation it ordered regarding the alleged anomalous transaction at the National Printing Office.

Fate goaded Andanar to divulge the result of the probe of Communications Undersecretary for Legal Affairs Enrique Tandan, which the former promised since Friday.

“We hope our appeal will not fall into deaf ears since Secretary Andanar promised the probe would be finished in two weeks,” said Fate.

“It seems Secretary Andanar would rather party at Valykrie than address the problem at the NPO,” said Fate, referring to photos circulating on social media showing Andanar partying with a celebrity.

Aside from the granting of work orders to three additional printers, Fate urged Andanar to also look into allegations there were individuals allegedly acting as “collectors” or “middlemen” at NPO printing contracts.

Last Nov. 21, Tandan, on orders of Andanar, asked NPO director Francisco Vales Jr. to furnish him the contracts, agreements or arrangements with Western Visayas Printing Corp. and the three other printing companies: Best Forms Security Printer, Tri-Print Work and Metro Color.

“Even if it seemed Andanar is disinterested in handling the NPO, he must have shown compassion among its workers instead. As a self-sustaining agency, printing jobs should be given primarily [to] its workers,” said Fate, a Security and Exchange Commission-registered organization.

NPO is an attached agency under PCOO. Fate has suggested the probe ordered by Andanar should not only focus on redundant printing orders but should also ascertain who are liable for the anomalous transaction.

The group also called on the Commission on Audit to look into the reported work orders entered into

by NPO despite the existing contract with WVPC worth P74 million.

Work orders were awarded to three printers, Best Forms Security Printer with envelope no. 08-20163877A worth P34 million; Tri-Print Work with work order 08-2016-3877B amounting to P17 million; and Metro Color with work order no. 08-201638777C for P15 million.

WHEELS OF HOPE. Leyte 1st District Rep. Yedda Marie Romualdez (standing, left), in partnership with the Department of Health, distributes wheelchairs to 12-year-old polio victim Enrico Llaneta (seated, left) and 18-year-old Ariel Villarin (seated, right), both elementary students from Alang Alang, Leyte. With them are barangay chairman Herminigildo Salazar and teacher Nialyn Santiago. Ver Noveno

ORGANIZERS of the Metro Manila Film Festival on Saturday launched the “Countdown to MMFF 2016” to formally announce the eight official movie entries for this year’s festival.

Metro Manila Development Authority officer-in-charge and concurrent MMFF head Thomas Orbos led the event co-hosted by Film Development Council of the Philippines at the SM North Edsa Skydome in Quezon City.

Citing the changing times of the Philippine cinema, the organizers said the MMFF has gone through what they described as “cinematic revolution” with a fresh season of films —eight full-length features and a crop of short films to be shown around the country beginning December 25.

This year, the MMFF selection committee decided to choose technically excellent films that focus on the quality of their story and production, rather than commercial viability and the draw of their star performers.

“The films of the 2016 MMFF will mark a turning point in the history of the festival and start a renaissance of

quality films in the Metro Manila Film Festival,” said Nicanor Tiongson, MMFF selection committee chairman, film professor and historian, on the films chosen this year.

He said the selection of eight feature films would be giving MMFF audiences a different experience from the usual: a true reflection of the world of possibility that the thriving local cinema has to offer.

This year’s official entries include: “Die Beautiful” starring Paolo Ballesteros; “Kabisera” featuring Nora Aunor, Ricky Davao, JC De Vera, Jason Abalos and Victor Neri; “Saving Sally” top billed by Rhian Ramos and Enzo Marcos; “Seklusyon” featuring Rhed Bustamante, Phoebe Walker, Elora Espano, Neil Ryan Sese, Ronnie Alonte, Lou Veloso, Dominique Roque, John Vic de Guzman and JR Versales; “Sunday Beauty Queen” starring Hazel Perdid, Maylyn Jacobo, Cherry Bretania and Leo Selomenio; “Vince & Kath & James”” stars Julia Barretto, Joshua Garcia and Ronnie Alonte; “”Ang Babae sa Septic Tank 2: Forever is Not Enough” top billed by Eugene Domingo and Chris Martinez; and “Oro” starring Joem Bascon.

‘EMPLOYERS, RELEASE13TH MONTH PAY SOONER’ THE Department of Labor and Employment is reminding private employers to release earlier the 13th month pay of their workers.

“Presidential Decree 851, or the 13th Month Pay Law, mandates that workers, whether regular or contractual, are entitled to 13th month pay,” the department said in a statement.

All employers are required to give 13th month pay to all their rank-and-

file employees, regardless of the nature of their employment, and irrespective of the methods by which they are paid, provided that they worked for at least one month during a calendar year.

The 13th month pay constitutes one-twelfth (1/12th) of the basic pay received by an employee in a calendar year, or basic monthly salary for the whole year divided by 12 months.

The DoLE said basic salary shall

include all remunerations or earnings paid by an employer to an employee for services rendered, but does not include allowances and monetary benefits which are not considered, or integrated, as part of the regular or basic salary.

Among these are the cash equivalent of unused vacation and sick leave credits, overtime, premium, night differential and holiday pay.

The department said domestic workers who were excluded by PD 851 were now entitled to 13th month pay by virtue of Republic Act 10361, or an Act Instituting Policies for the Protection and Welfare of Domestic Workers.

“Complaints of non-compliance with the 13th month pay law may be brought to the DoLE regional field offices,” according to the DoLE. Vito Barcelo

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SUNDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2016 Francis S. Lagniton, Issue Editor mst.daydesk@gmail.com

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ERC MESS CALLS FOR JCPC, SAYS NOGRALES

By Maricel V. Cruz

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PARTY-LIST lawmaker has stressed the need for Congress to convene the Joint Congressional Power Commission to look into the allegations of corruption among the top officials of the Energy Regulatory Commission.

PBA party-list Rep. Jericho Nograles said the JCPC should exercise its oversight powers to ensure the proper implementation of Republic Act 9136 or the Electric Power Industry Act of 2001, which created the ERC. While he is committed to support President Duterte’s call for the abolition of the ERC, Nograles said it is best that the JCPC should first convene and recommend how to best address the corruption allegations at the ERC. “To abolish the ERC, we will need

to amend the entire EPIRA Law. Definitely, Congress is ready to respond to the President’s call for the ERC abolition, but I suggest that the JCPC should first step in and look into this issue,” said Nograles,vice chairman of the House committee on energy.

The JCPC should convene before the approval of P3.35-trillion national budget to also look into President Duterte’s wish to give the ERC no budget owing to corruption allegations by the late ERC Director Francisco Villa Jr., the lawmaker said.

The JCPC could also exercise its oversight powers to reorganize the ERC or remove ERC officials, led by its chairman and chief executive officer Jose Vicente B. Salazar, he added.

At the same time, Nograles appealed to Salazar and the other members of the ERC Board to spare the commission from further disgrace and embarrassment by voluntarily stepping down from their posts.

“They should also spare ordinary ERC employees the agony of losing their jobs in the event that Congress decides to abolish the ERC for their refusal to resign from their present positions,” Nograles said.

Villa exposed corruption in the ERC before committing suicide several weeks ago. He specifically identified Salazar as pressuring him to rig bidding procedures for certain ERC projects.

Although Villa has not presented any proof to support his claims, which could help the Office of the

Ombudsman pursue charges against rogue ERC officials, Nograles said they have already lost the public’s trust and confidence “and anything that they do from hereon will be viewed with suspicion.”

“I would like to give them the benefit of the doubt but this issue is no longer a question of their innocence or guilt. As far as I am concerned, they are no longer effective in carrying out the mandate of their office,” Nograles said.

“It’s like being on a sinking boat and the only way to save everyone else is for them to jump overboard.

They should at least think about the plight of the other ERC employees who would lose their jobs if the entire commission is dissolved.”

Without the president’s support and without any budget to support their operations, the ERC would not be able to effectively carry out its mandate as an independent power industry regulator, Nograles added.

‘DEATH PENALTY NOT THE SOLUTION’

By Sara Susanne D. Fabunan AN INTERNATIONAL human rights advocate on Saturday urged the House of Representatives to reject a proposal reinstating the death penalty for heinous crimes, including drug-related crimes.

In a statement, Human Rights Watch deputy Asia director Phelim Kine said the death penalty will not solve any drug-related societal problems, and that it would also violate the Philippines’ international legal obligations.

“The Philippine government should acknowledge the death penalty’s barbarity and reject any moves to reinstate it,” Kine said. “We urge all members of the House of Representatives and Senate to uphold the right to life enshrined in the 1987 Philippine Constitution.”

There is no need to reinstate the death penalty, Kine said, stressing that it has been repeatedly debunked by previous administrations.

“The failure of the death penalty as a crime deterrent is globally recognized and the government should maintain the prohibition on its use,” Kine added.

On Tuesday, the subcommittee on judicial reforms under the House justice panel approved the substitute bill on House Bill No. 1 filed by House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez and other lawmakers.

The proposed measure seeks to revive the death penalty for individuals who are convicted of heinous crimes such as treason, murder, rape, robbery with violence, arson, plunder, and importation of illegal drugs.

Alvarez expressed confidence that the bill will be approved by the House by Christmas.

President Rodrigo Duterte initiated the revival of the death penalty as a measure to fight illegal drugs. The bill proposes executing a convicted criminal through hanging, firing squad, or lethal injection.

DTI URGED TO CREATE STARTUPS OFFICE

PRESIDENT'S AUDIENCE. President Rodrigo Duterte meets with the winners of Miss Asia Pacific International 2016 at the Matina Enclaves in Davao City on Saturday. Richard Madelo/Presidential Photo

IVT SPECIAL TRAINING FOR NURSES RAISED

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

HIGH AND BRIGHT. Buildings at the Rockwell Center in Makati City glow with both Christmas lights and construction floodlights. Manny Palmero

THE Private Hospitals Association of the Philippines and other stakeholders in the hospital industry are supporting special training on Intravenous Therapy or IVT for nurses working in hospitals to provide safe quality patient services.

“Although it is the prerogative of hospitals as employers to require their certifications and impose requirements for hiring and continued employment of their nurses for their own protection, the hospital industry stressed that more than this, IVT training certification is a must for all nurses working in the hospitals,” said PHAP president Dr. Rustico Jimenez.

LIke other certification program for patient’s safety, Jimenez said IVT certification is meant to protect not only nurses, but also the chief nurses, doctors and hospitals who can be liable for the negligence of nurses owing to a lack of competence and skills in IVT administration.

Jimenez, a neurologist and the medi-

cal director of the Medical Center of Parañaque, said PHAP is strongly supporting the Association of Nursing Service Administrators of the Philippines in giving IVT training to nurses.

ANSAP is a professional organization of nurse administrators who have the expertise and resources to train hospital trainors and perceptors. Its mission is to provide safe patients care through its IVT certification program by having it recognized here and abroad.

“ANSAP has outstanding global standards for its IVT certification as its IVT program is recognized not only by the government and various institutions, but also by the Infusion Nurses Soceity, USA, an international association of IVT,” said Jimenez.

It would always be their “utmost concern and priority” to provide safe quality patient care through competency training of their personnel, Jimenez assured. IVT training would address the errors in the administration of intravenous injections.

A NEOPHYTE lawmaker urged on Saturday the Department of Trade and Industry to create a special office that would cater to startup entrepreneurs as part of government efforts to help overseas Filipino workers displaced from their jobs in the Middle East.

Camarines Sur Rep. LRay Villafuerte also asked local chief executives to initiate ordinances that would provide incentives to startup enterprises.

Through these proposals, Villafuerte said he hopes the government would be able to kickstart the stalled Philippine Roadmap for Digital Startups.

Drawn up by the Department of Science and Technology-Information and Communications Technology Office, the roadmap is supposed to come up with at least 500 startups in the country with total funding of $200 million and a valuation of $2 billion by 2020.

“My proposal will not only benefit our returning OFWs but also other budding entrepreneurs who have come up with innovative products, ideas or business models that need adequate funding to take off,”the lawmaker said.

Villafuerte referred to a report about the DTI partnering with the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration in coming up with entrepreneurship programs for Filipinos who were repatriated from the Middle East.

“Many of our OFWs, who have accumulated a vast amount of experience and knowledge from working overseas, have a lot of potential to become successful entrepreneurs,” said Villafuerte, vice chairman of the House committee on local government. Maricel V. Cruz

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SUNDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2016

Opinion

Adelle Chua, Editor mst.daydesk@gmail.com

EDITORIAL

POP GOES THE WORLD JENNY ORTUOSTE

FOOD COMMA: A WRITER DESCRIBES HOW TO MAKE LOVE OUT OF FOOD

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A WRITER cannot live by words alone, so I’ve heard, but cookbooks are almost as good as eating, all the more if the book has good photographs or interesting illustrations, or ties to memory and the past.

My mother has a Betty Crocker cookbook from 1958 that we still treasure. It has nearly fallen apart from my reading it as a child and fantasizing about each colorful cake and pie oozing with caramel and cooked frosting in the brightly colored pictures.

Growing up in the 1970s, most of the cookbooks my mother owned were published in the United States.

She cooked some of the recipes in them—roast crown of pork, the fat dripping onto tender and juicy meat; cheese fondue, a molten blend of cheddar and Edam (queso de bola) left over from the holidays, into which we’d dip cubes of toasted Tasty bread; and beef stew with carrots and potatoes that she flavored with Wyler’s beef bouillon cubes wrapped in blue foil.

But the recipes she came back to time and again were the recipes passed among the women of the family, each home cook adding her own special fillip to the dish. There was some cousin’s roast chicken, stuffed with whole onions and baked in the oven, its drippings hissing as it dropped sizzling into the pan beneath, being saved to make gravy with.

There was Tita Nana’s apple pie, made with green Chinese apples bought in Divisoria during the holiday season, liberally flavored with cinnamon and nutmeg, dotted with Golden Crown butter, and topped with grated cheddar cheese for a salty offset to the sweetness.

Tita Mori had a good leche flan that my mom upgraded with 12 egg yolks from eight and a longer baking time for a deep golden brown skin that was almost a crust and so delicious we would scrape its last bits from the llanera.

During my childhood I remember few Filipino cookbooks of note but I do know that our kitchen bible was a Nora Daza cookbook that contained a great many basic and useful recipes.

When I married, I took with my mother’s copy (and her Betty Crocker cookbook) with her annotations and notes in blue ink, her handwriting sprawled colegiala-style across the newsprint.

Daza’s book had everything— from rellenong bangus to Brazo de Mercedes, it was all there. I believe it’s never gone out of print. Such tomes, with their wisdom on the fundamentals of cooking, should be given to all new brides and folks setting up house. No more punch

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COLORFUL CONVERSATIONS

HE conversation took all of seven minutes, but President Rodrigo Duterte is said to have snagged an invitation to visit Washington from no less than the next president of the United States, Donald Trump.

To be sure, relations between the Philippines and the US have been testy since Mr. Duterte cursed President Barack Obama and said he would renew ties with China and Russia, Washington’s main rivals.

Our President also said he did not like the sight of American soldiers in our territory as he referred to the atrocities they committed during the PhilippineAmerican war—what gall they had, he believed, to lecture us about respect for

towards the US. He has acknowledged they were alike—superficially or no. Both leaders speak their minds, have no compunctions about uttering expletives and expressing their, ugh, appreciation of the female form, and seem to believe they are the protagonists in this scheme of things, out on some mission to defeat the “enemies.”

True enough, the conversation was described by a Duterte aide as engaging and animated.

Mr. Duterte, however, must ensure that his talks with Mr. Trump go beyond pleasantries and lockerroom talk. The Philippines may be just one of the many partners of the United

human rights.

Trump, on the other hand, does not seem to be fond of assuming any high ground: Not on human rights, not on women, not on immigration. The billionaire businessman has never held any public office before he won last month’s elections when nearly everybody believed Hillary Clinton would win.

This early, it is apparent that Trump’s personality may bring forth a change in Mr. Duterte’s attitude

States, still the biggest economy in the world, but the US is a crucial ally for the Philippines however much Mr. Duterte hates the uneven relationship.

Ultimately, managing foreign relations well springs from an acknowledgment that the community of nations does not consist of “good guys” and “bad guys.” Nor is it an us-versusthem world. Real interests in trade, in immigration, in defense are at stake. These should not be trivialized into catchy phrased uttered with braggadocio.

Dealings between countries should transcend the characters that lead them, no matter what colorful mavericks they might be.

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YOUR BODY IS A MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY

By Pecier Decierdo HISTORY is not just about past events.

History is about the threads that connect the events of the past to the realities of today. Thus, the claim that past events can only be understood by those who have lived through them is

as absurd as it is demonstrably false.

Consider your body. Although it exists in the present, it is nonetheless intimately connected to all the bodies of your ancestors that came before it. Their histories leave traces in your skin, in your bones, in the blood that runs through your veins. Your body is a

museum of natural history curated by natural selection.

Let’s look at one exhibit in this museum. Rest your arm on a flat surface, palm up. Now press your pinky against your thumb. Some of you will see a raised strip that runs through your wrist. That raised strip is a tendon

connected to a muscle called the palmaris longus. It is a muscle we don’t need anymore, which is why many people, like myself, are missing it.

While it is a muscle used for gripping, studies have shown that people who lack it don’t have less grip strength.

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SUNDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2016 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

EVERYMAN

NO GORILLAS PLEASE!

By Robert Harland APART from chronic traffic congestion, motorists in the Philippines have little to complain about when it comes to being fined for motoring offenses.

I don’t know anyone here who has been fined for anything connected with driving. Yet in the UK, most of my friends—including one 90-year-old lady—have been fined at one time or another, mostly for speeding.

In July, I was caught by UK police radar for driving at 35mph (56.3 km/ hr) in a 30 mph (48.2 km/hr) area. As a result, next week when I’m back in England, I have to attend a driving “reeducation” seminar at a cost of P6,000.

Speeding is only one of many laws in the UK motorists face every day and laws there are strictly enforced.

Drive too close to a horse or a cyclist or splash a pedestrian by driving through a puddle and you’ll get a ticket.

But compared to some of the strange driving laws that exist around the world, these seem eminently sensible.

The US has some of the weirdest driving laws. For example, it’s illegal to spit from a car or bus in Marietta, Georgia. It is, however, okay to spit from a truck. In Alaska you’ll be fined if you drive with a dog tethered to your roof.

In Illinois you are not allowed to drive a car without a steering wheel, a law which must date to the early days of motoring when there were several different types of steering devices. In certain parts of Kansas it’s illegal to transport dead poultry—better not risk it with a bucket of KFC! Here’s another leftover from a bygone area that’s still on the books: in Louisiana, a woman’s husband is required by law to walk in front of the car waving a flag as she drives it.

Massachusetts has probably the wackiest driving law anywhere in the world—you cannot drive with a gorilla in your back seat. Apparently they’re okay in the front!

Here’s one to please the young ‘uns.

In South Dakota you only need to be 14 years old to get a driving license.

The US is not alone when it comes to strange driving laws. In Russia, you’ll get a ticket if your car is dirty.

You’ll also get a ticket in Sweden if you turn your headlights off—they have to be switched on all the time you are driving.

In Thailand, it’s mandatory to wear a shirt while driving. Going topless will attract a large fine.

Germany’s autobahns are famous for their unrestricted speed limits on certain routes, but motorists should make sure they top up at a gas station before joining one. It’s illegal to stop unnecessarily on an autobahn, and because running out of fuel is preventable, anyone who comes to a standstill with an empty tank is breaking the law.

Is there anywhere on earth where there are no driving laws? Yes. Cars are banned on the small Channel Island of Sark. Home to around 600 people, they are able to get around by horsedrawn carriages and the occasional tractor.

Robert Harland is a British national based in Bacolod and Makati.

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In fact, the tendon connected to the palmaris longus is one of the first surgeons chose to remove to replace other tendons in the body of a patient.

Why do most of us have the palmaris longus then? Well, because our ancestors had it. They had it because they climbed trees and used their forelimbs to move around. Among primates today, the ones that climb the most are the ones with the most developed palmaris longus. For example, in lemurs and monkeys this muscle is thick and long. Meanwhile, it is less developed among chimps, gorillas, and humans.

We don’t climb much anymore, but the climbing habits of our ancestors leave more than just traces in our bodies. The palmaris longus is an example of a vestigial organ. It is a vestige, or better yet a legacy, of the past.

Here’s another exhibit in that museum, another vestigial organ.

Connected to your earlobes are three muscles. Many other animals, like dogs and cats, have these same muscles. In dogs and cats, these muscles move the earlobes to face

DUTERTE’S US RANTS ROOTED IN BATTLE AGAINST MANILA ELITE

By Norman Aquino and Chris Blake DECADES before Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte began ranting about US imperialism, he routinely blasted another conquering power closer to home: Manila.

Duterte’s disdain for entrenched elites can be traced to his upbringing in Davao, the biggest city on the southern island of Mindanao, where insurgents have fought for more than 100 years against outside dominance by the Spanish, Americans, Japanese or governments in Manila. He felt that leaders in the faraway capital never did enough to atone for past atrocities and help develop Mindanao, home to 11 of the country’s 20 poorest provinces.

“Years of Mindanao’s neglect is in Duterte’s consciousness,” Danilo Dayanghirang, a Davao City councilor who has known the president for three decades, said in an interview last month. “People in Manila have a low regard for people in Mindanao because their drivers and maids are from here. You can see the discrimination, and Duterte hates that.”

That sense of injustice, impressed on his psyche after decades of public life in Davao, now threatens to upend US strategy in Asia. Since taking office at the end of June, Duterte has spooked markets with repeated outbursts aimed at the US—everything from scrapping joint patrols in the South China Sea to insulting President Barack Obama.

International investors have pulled $366.58 million from Philippine stocks since Duterte was sworn in, and the peso has fallen 3.5 percent.

The American Chamber of Commerce and other business groups in Manila have also warned that Duterte’s comments are creating unease.

While Duterte said he would try to curb his tirades now that Donald

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Trump has been elected, the realestate mogul was unlikely to have given the relationship much thought, said Gregory Poling, a Southeast Asia specialist at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.

“I worry that their similar personalities but very different political leanings are a recipe for greater tension, not less,” Poling said.

Duterte has made clear he intends to continue to push for his country to be less economically and militarily reliant on the US, which he accuses of hypocrisy in its criticism of his war on drugs. For now, China and Russia appear to be the beneficiaries.

Duterte stated that it could be the three of them “against the world” on an October trip to Beijing in which he took home investment promises worth $24 billion.

“Historically, I have been identified with the Western world,” Duterte said during a November 20 meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. “It was good until it lasted. And of late, I see a lot of these Western nations bullying small nations.”

In the Philippines, Duterte, the first president to hail from Mindanao, uses similar language to describe elites in the capital.

“Imperial Manila controls everything,” Duterte said in an August speech. He lambasted central government policies that had “allowed oligarchs to take control of mines” near his home in Davao City, adding: “I am fighting a monster.”

Duterte said Wednesday that Mindanao, especially its Muslim regions, would be a priority for government assistance.

Duterte was drawn into leftist politics during the late 1960s during his time at university—where one of his teachers was the founder of the Philippine communist party. After graduating with a degree in law, he became a prosecutor in Davao City.

panful of spicy chicken curry golden with turmeric and ginger, or creamy honey ham and pea pasta, or yes, the legendary lasagna that I had not made for 15 years, once again made tangible just a few days ago, and that my youngest daughter, who had never tasted it, declared the best she’s ever had.

The internet now puts within our reach countless recipes from around the world. I read those, and cookbooks still. Although that 1958 Betty Crocker was left behind in Manila, I just ordered the latest edition released last October.

And so it goes. A recipe is a story of a dish. The words you read guide your hands as they move in the dance of chop-stir-shake to create food that is bubbling and fragrant and delicious and all that you need right this moment.

What have you done? You have created a tasty new story for your family and beloveds, which will become a shared memory repeated over dinner tables into the future, with laughter and fondness.

This is what love tastes like.

bowls, please—I received three at my wedding and never used them. Better to have a book that teaches one how to make an omelette properly, how to gut and clean fresh fish, and how to cook rice so the grains are fluffy and separated and not a homogenous mush.

I love to cook when I can, when circumstances permit. For the last 10 years I was engaged in a struggle to support my two younger daughters on my own, and I didn’t have time to cook the way I did as a newly-wed—the pink angel cake with cooked cherry frosting from scratch, the lasagna with three cheeses (cottage, cheddar, and parmesan make the sauce creamy and packed with flavor, a secret shared by my stepfather).

Now I am starting over in another land, and I am cooking again. While it takes time away from writing, cooking is another form of creating, an art that delivers immediate results that can be touched, tasted, and savored.

Preparing my mise-en-place, getting Dr. Ortuoste is a California-based the skillet heat just so, pouring olive oil in a joyous swirl—the simple steps of writer. Follow her on Facebook: Jenny cooking can put me in a trance, from Ortuoste, Twitter: @jennyortuoste, which I emerge triumphant with a Instagram: @jensdecember the source of a sound. In humans, the same muscles try to do the same, but of course they fail. Some people can move their ears more than others, but never to the degree that many other mammals can. We don’t use these muscles anymore.

To make our ears face the source of sound, we move our heads using our necks. But our ancestors had and used these muscles, and so we still have them.

It’s not just the useless parts of our bodies that show our connections to the past. Just look at your arms and feet. Your arms and feet reveal your inner fish. (Take that, Ariel!)

Feet and arms are not the only ways to move on land. You can move using pseudopods like snails. You can slither through the ground like a snake. You can lift yourself off the ground using wings. And feet and arms don’t have be to constructed in the way our feet and arms are constructed, with bones on the inside and bits of flesh attached outside. The legs of insects have bones on the outside and flesh in the inside.

Our feet and arms are the way they are because we got them from our fish ancestors. We don’t share those same ancestors with snails, which is why snails don’t have legs. We don’t share those same ancestors with insects,

which is why their legs are different from ours. We share those ancestors with snakes, which is why snakes actually have vestigial legs, with bones to match, tucked inside their bodies.

We share those fishy ancestors with birds, which is why the wings of birds are constructed like our arms, down to every last bone (except the bones have different shapes, hence arms versus wings).

In fact, every bit of your body is an exhibit in this museum of natural history: your eyes with their blind spots, the bones in your middle ear that came from the bones in the jaws of our fishy ancestors, and so many more.

The museum that is our body is not just a reminder of the past; it is a living legacy of that past. In the same token, there is no running away from any kind of history, no “moving on.”

There is only learning from it in order to move forward. In this act of moving forward, the threads that connect us to the past never get severed, they only get stretched. Misunderstanding or underestimating them can only hold us back. We ignore these threads at our peril.

Pecier Decierdo is resident physicist and astronomer of The Mind Museum.

He eventually became mayor, serving seven terms that spanned 22 years in office. Duterte earned the nicknames “Duterte Harry” and “The Punisher” with a no-nonsense approach to crime that foreshadowed the bloody tactics that would be used in his nationwide drug war, which has killed thousands of people.

Duterte has always shown that he is willing to get nasty if he believes it is for the greater good, said Jesus Dureza, a member of Duterte’s inner circle who has been friends with him since high school. Dureza recalled a time when a gang leader from a rival school was disturbing neighbors. The young Duterte scaled the school wall, warned the gang leader to stay away and then punched him in the face.

“He’s a very naughty soul,” Dureza said. “It’s only now that I look back and see that he had a tendency to be a punisher even in the early days.”

Dureza said Duterte’s anti-US rhetoric is part of his push for an independent foreign policy and shouldn’t be taken literally. Despite his repeated attacks on the US, Duterte is yet to cancel any key agreements with the Americans.

To illustrate his point, Dureza recalled how Duterte used to flirt with the canteen lady when they were high school students. One day he told her: “Did you hear that plane circling on top of the school earlier?

That was me practicing. If you don’t accept me as your boyfriend I will crash that plane toward the school.”

As mayor, Duterte’s tactics also created controversy—including accusations from groups such as Human Rights Watch that his advocacy of extrajudicial killings had led to the deaths of more than 1,000 suspected criminals since the late 1990s. Duterte denies ordering any killings, though while campaigning for president he said that he had helped kill at least three suspected rapist-kidnappers during a rescue

operation in Davao in 1988: “I said ‘Put your hands up.’ No one did, so I attacked,” he told a radio station.

“His anti-elite attitude can be traced to hailing from the province and he may have had a difficult time navigating an elite-driven Manila,” said Earl Parreno, an independent political analyst who sits on the board of Institute for Political and Electoral Reform. As an undergraduate at the San Beda College of Law in Manila, Parreno said, Duterte would often take on anyone who bullied other southerners like him.

That sympathy for the disadvantaged was later reflected in some of his polices as mayor of Davao, and helps underpin a high popularity rating.

In the 1980s, Duterte dismantled the city’s anti-vice squad so sex workers could ply their trade without being harassed by policemen, as long as they submitted themselves to regular free health check-ups, according to Dayanghirang, the Davao city official. Under Duterte’s leadership the city passed an antidiscrimination ordinance and mandated that minorities make up at least 30 percent of the police force, he said.

Duterte frequently joined government drives to distribute Christmas goodies to Davao residents in remote towns, handing out gifts to everyone including communist rebels. Stories abound of him driving a taxi cab, even picking up passengers, as he checked whether police were doing their job at night. He treated other drivers to hamburgers and coffee.

“If you’re not a problem to society, he’ll respect you and you don’t have to worry about anything,” said Rene Lumawag, who has known Duterte since the 1980s and now serves as an official photographer for the president. “If you’re treated badly, it’s because you deserve it.” Bloomberg

TRUMP WILL BRING HIS WAR ON THE PRESS TO THE WHITE HOUSE

By Albert R. Hunt

innumerable studies.

Some news outlets played the assertion ONE of the biggest conflicts in straight, as if it were a real story. Others, Washington next year will be the one including the Washington Post and New between the mainstream media and the York Times treated it as a falsehood.

That is also the approach taken by Jeff most anti-press president since at least Zeleny, a respected reporter for Cable Richard Nixon.

The relations between presidents and News Network, and earlier the New York the press always are adversarial (each has Times. He called Trump “a sore winner” different objectives) and symbiotic (each who offered “no hard evidence” for a charge that appeared “baseless.” Trump side needs the other).

Donald Trump not only has shown then accused CNN of continuing bias contempt for much of the media, equating against him and said Zeleny was a “bad fairness with favorable coverage, but also reporter.” How will CNN executives react?

Trump uses his personal Twitter feed he’s vowed to “open up our libel laws.”

So “when The New York Times writes a and some sycophantic news media, hit piece which is a total disgrace,” he said, including Brietbart News, whose former “we can sue them and win money instead executive chair, Steve Bannon, is now of having no chance of winning because his top counselor. The president-elect they’re totally protected. You see, with calculates that he can bypass some of the mainstream media, if he doesn’t me, they’re not protected.”

He also has threatened Jeff Bezos, intimidate them first, and can capitalize Amazon’s chief executive, who owns the on the public’s mistrust of the press.

A daunting challenge for the media is Washington Post, which has published stories that have infuriated him. Bezos, he that more than any other major figure in said, has “a huge anti-trust problem” and recent memory—there is no polite way to put this—Trump has lied repeatedly. ought to be paying more taxes.

The president-elect has frequently He has done so about opposing the war whipped up his followers by labeling in Iraq before it started; about mocking a specific reporters liars. In at least one reporter with severe physical disabilities, instance, the Secret Service had to escort and about his rationale for withholding a reporter to her car at a rally where she his tax returns as a candidate. Schooled years ago by Roy Cohn, Joe McCarthy’s was threatened by people in the crowd.

This is more worrisome than his rants unsavory counsel, Trump shrewdly grasps about left-wing media bias and the “scum” that if he repeats untruths, much of the in the press. He is not nearly as creative media will lose interest in holding his feet as former Vice President Spiro Agnew to the fire.

Yet the responsibility of the press is who, before he was driven from office for accepting bribes, called the media to hold a president accountable for his actions, integrity and ethics. It is not new “nattering nabobs of negativism.”

“Trump wants 100 percent stories or unusual for presidents—or presidentsthat love him,” says Stephen Hess, the elect—to be angry about news coverage.

Brookings Institution scholar who has Bill Clinton used to fly into a rage about studied relations between Washington his, and was certain the New York Times politicians and the press for decades. “At had it out for him. Barack Obama has the moment, he can play games. But if his been contemptuous of what he considers ignorance and ego try to change basic the shallowness of much of the media.

These presidents, like most politicians, laws, he will be rolled over.”

It’s not clear, however, how much of the provide the most access to journalists media will stand up to bullying in a highly they favor. But few seriously worried competitive and financially challenging that Presidents Clinton, Obama, Ronald environment. During the primaries, too Reagan or George H.W. Bush would seek many, especially among cable-news revenge, legally or otherwise, upon media and TV-interview shows, offered special critics. That same comfort doesn’t exist arrangements for Trump, who drew with Trump.

And Trump is not surrounded by people audiences, and offered little examination of his superficial policy pronouncements. likely to dissuade him. President John F. He has shown no signs of changing Kennedy, who understood and basically in the three weeks since winning the appreciated the role of the press in a presidential election; the press response democratic society, once intemperately told his Federal Communications has been inconsistent.

Trump recently asserted that there Commission chairman, Newton Minow, had been “millions of people who voted to complain to NBC News about a story. illegally” on November 8, and suggested A short while later, Minow called a White that this fraud prevented him from House aide and said Kennedy was “lucky winning the popular vote, which he to have an FCC chairman who doesn’t do lost by more than two million. There is what the president tells him.”

There don’t appear to be any Newton no evidence to substantiate this phony charge, and the notion of widespread Minows in the Trump entourage.

Bloomberg voter fraud has been refuted by

World SUSPECT IN PAKISTAN FACTORY FIRE ARRESTED BANGKOK, Thailand—A Pakistani man suspected of starting a devastating factory fire in Karachi four years ago that killed 255 people has been arrested in Bangkok, Thai police said Saturday.

Abdul Rehman, 46, was detained at a hotel in the red light district Nana area of the capital on Friday evening, said Thailand’s Interpol chief.

“Thai Interpol tracked this suspect following an arrest warrant sought by the Pakistani authorities,” Major General Apichart Suriboonya told AFP. “He will be repatriated as soon as Pakistan is ready,” he added.

Apichart said Rehman was suspected of being part of a criminal gang that was extorting the owners of a Karachi garment factory.

The gang burned down the factory when the owners refused to pay seven million baht ($200,000), he said.

The fire at the Ali Enterprises factory in September 2012 was one of Pakistan’s worst industrial disasters.

A judicial probe into the blaze was damning, pointing to a lack of emergency exits, poor safety training for workers, the packing in of machinery and the failure of government inspectors to spot any of these faults.

Initially the fire was believed to be an accident. A murder case was registered against the factory owners, but it never came to trial. AFP

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SUNDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2016 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

COLOMBIA PLANE CRASH VICTIMS FLOWN HOME

FUND TO PROTECT HERITAGE SITES UP FOR APPROVAL ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates— Representatives of some 40 countries are expected to approve on Saturday establishing a fund to protect heritage sites in conflict-ravaged areas and a network of safe havens for endangered artworks.

These two elements will be included in the declaration adopted at the end of a UNESCO-backed Abu Dhabi conference initiated by France and the United Arab Emirates, said French ex-culture minister and co-organiser Jack Lang, who heads the Paris-based Institut du Monde Arabe.

The two-day conference reflects growing international alarm over the destruction of ancient artefacts by Islamic State group jihadists.

Among these was Syria’s Palmyra, which IS seized in May 2015. The world watched in dismay as the jihadists systematically destroyed monuments that once attracted scores of tourists before the Syria conflict erupted in 2011.

In Iraq, videos released in 2015 showed IS using bulldozers and explosives to destroy Nimrud, a jewel of the Assyrian empire south of Mosul, and ransacking pre-Islamic treasures in Mosul’s museum.

Extremists have also targeted other priceless cultural heritage sites in Afghanistan and Mali after denouncing them as un-Islamic. AFP

MALAYSIA SCORES ROHINGYA ‘ETHNIC CLEANSING’ MAUNGDAW, Myanmar—Malaysia accused Myanmar of engaging in the “ethnic cleansing” of its Rohingya minority Saturday, as former UN chief Kofi Annan visited a burned out village in strife-torn Rakhine state.

Tens of thousands of Muslim Rohingya have fled their homes since a bloody crackdown by the Myanmar army in the western state of Rakhine sparked by a string of deadly attacks on police border posts in early October.

“The fact that only one particular ethnicity is being driven out is by definition ethnic cleansing,” Malaysia’s foreign ministry said in an unusually stronglyworded statement.

Myanmar has balked at such criticism, saying the Rakhine crisis is an internal issue, but international pressure on the country is mounting.

Malaysia’s statement noted that hundreds of thousands of Rohingya have fled to neighboring countries in recent years – including some 56,000 to Muslim-majority Malaysia.

That, the statement said, “makes this matter no longer an internal matter but an international matter.”

On Saturday morning, a convoy carrying the former UN chief arrived outside the Rohingya village of Wapeik, which has seen signficant damage from fire. AFP

MASSIVE FUNERAL. Members of the Colombian Air Force get ready to load onto a plane in Rionegro the coffins with the remains of the members of the Brazilian football team Chapecoense Real who died in a plane crash in the Colombian mountains earlier this week, to be repatriated to Brazil. AFP

M

EDELLÍN, Colombia—The bodies of the 71 victims killed in a plane crash in Colombia that wiped out a Brazilian football team have returned home over the weekend, as mourners prepared a massive funeral.

Along the road to the airport, hundreds of people brandished flowers, white balloons and Colombian flags to pay a final farewell to the victims of Monday’s tragedy.

The remains of the first victim, Paraguayan crew member Gustavo Encina, were handed over to his family early Friday in a coffin draped in his country’s flag.

The other victims – 64 Brazilians, five Bolivians and a Venezuelan – were flown home on a series of flights throughout the day.

“What we want now more than anything else is to go home, to take our friends and brothers home. The wait is the worst,” said Roberto Di Marche, a cousin of football team Chapecoense Real’s late director Nilson Folle Junior.

In the club’s hometown, the southern Brazilian city of Chapeco, more than 100,000 people – about half the city’s population – are expected to attend a memorial service Saturday in honor of the team, whose fairytale season

was tragically cut short.

FIFA chief Gianni Infantino canceled a trip to Australia to attend the funeral. Officials said Brazilian President Michel Temer would likely travel to Chapeco as well.

“The #Chapecoense will remain in our memory for their perseverance and tenacity. I reiterate my deepest solidarity with relatives of the victims,” Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos wrote on Twitter as the last plane departed.

The bodies will be carried during a funeral procession through the city, ending with a ceremony at the team’s stadium.

Authorities are still investigating what caused the charter flight to smash into the mountains outside Medellin, where Chapecoense was due to play the

HALF OF REBEL ALEPPO FALLS TO SYRIAN FORCES

SLAIN HONDURAN ACTIVIST GETS TOP UN PRIZE CANCUN, Mexico—Berta Caceres, a Honduran activist murdered early this year, was posthumously awarded one of the UN’s top prizes for the inspiration she gave in standing up to powerful interests.

The UN Environment Programme made Caceres one its “Champions of the Earth,” which honors figures who fight for sustainable development.

The award was among six given by the UN agency’s executive director Erik Solheim at the world body’s conference on biodiversity in Cancun, Mexico.

Caceres, who led an indigenous association fighting the construction of a hydroelectric dam in Honduras, was killed on March 3 by two gunmen who burst into her home.

Six people are in custody in relation to the crime, including an employee of the company building the dam.

Caceres’s death brought international at-

biggest match in its history – the finals of the Copa Sudamericana, South America’s second-largest cup tournament.

A harrowing recording has emerged of the panicked pilot asking the control tower for priority to land because he was out of fuel, which would make the crash tragically avoidable.

Colombia’s civil aviation safety chief, Freddy Bonilla, said the plane disregarded international rules on fuel reserves.

The Bolivia-based charter company, LAMIA, had its permit suspended Thursday, and the government there ordered an investigation into its operations.

Bolivia has also suspended the executive staff of its civil aviation authority and the airports administrator for the duration of the probe. AFP

CHAMPION OF THE EARTH. This file photo taken on August 17 shows peasants holding an image of indigenous environementalist Berta Caceres, during a march in Tegucigalpa demanding justice for her murder. AFP tention to bear on the threats and intimidation faced by environmentalists and rights activists in the Central American nation.

“Our family hopes this award will make sure that Berta’s wonderful life, and that of the Lenca people’s struggle, will not be forgotten and will inspire all those who fight for environmental rights in the world,” her brother Roberto Caceres said upon accepting the UN award on her behalf. AFP

ALEPPO, Syria—Syrian government forces have recaptured half the former rebel stronghold of east Aleppo, a monitor said, with the UN now facing a “race against time” to aid children forced out by the bloody offensive.

President Bashar al-Assad’s forces have made swift gains since their offensive against Aleppo—once Syria’s commercial powerhouse—began on November 15.

Tens of thousands of civilians have streamed out of the city’s east, and Russia has renewed calls for humanitarian corridors so aid can enter and desperate residents can leave.

Regime forces on Friday “consolidated their control” over two eastern districts and were pushing further to squeeze the shrinking rebel enclave, said Syrian Observatory for Human Rights head Rami Abdel Rahman.

“After the recent advances, the regime is comfortably in control of half of former rebel territory in the city’s east,” he said.

Dozens of families have trickled out, adding to the more than 50,000 people who have poured from east Aleppo into territory controlled by government forces or local Kurdish authorities, the Observatory said.

Among those fleeing are nearly 20,000 children, according to estimates by the UN’s children’s agency.

“What is critical now is that we provide the immediate and sustained assistance that these children and their families desperately need,” UNICEF spokesman Christophe Boulierac said.

“It’s a race against time, as winter is here and conditions are basic.”

The loss of east Aleppo – a rebel stronghold since 2012 – would be the biggest blow to Syria’s opposition in more than five years. AFP

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World

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2016 mst.daydesk@gmail.com Joyce Pangco-Pañares, Issue Editor

NEW BIRD FLU OUTBREAK HITS FRENCH FOIE GRAS EXPORTS

UNSILENT NIGHT. Mariah Carey performs onstage during 2016 VH1’s Divas Holiday at Kings Theatre on December 2 in New York City. AFP

TRUMP RISKS CHINA RIFT WITH TAIWAN CALL N

ew York—President-elect Donald Trump broke with decades of cautious US diplomacy Friday to speak with the president of Taiwan, at the risk of provoking a serious rift with China.

It was not immediately clear whether Trump’s telephone call with President Tsai Ing-wen marked a deliberate pivot away from Washington’s official “One China” stance.

But the call itself will incense Beijing – the target of much bombastic rhetoric during Trump’s election campaign – and fuel fears that he is improvising an ad hoc foreign policy.

China regards self-ruling Taiwan as part of its own territory awaiting reunification under Beijing’s rule, and any US move that would imply support for independence would trigger fury.

Trump and Tsai noted “the close economic, political and security ties” between Taiwan and the United States, according to the presi-

dent-elect’s office.

“President-elect Trump also congratulated President Tsai on becoming President of Taiwan earlier this year,” it said.

As he came under fire for the move, Trump later took the unusual step of defending directly on Twitter the highly sensitive diplomatic subject of his decision to speak with Tsai.

He first tweeted that Tsai initiated the call, one of several he has had with world leaders in recent days, and brushed off criticism for speaking directly with the leader.

“Interesting how the U.S. sells Taiwan billions of dollars of military equipment but I should not accept a congratulatory call,” Trump wrote

in a second tweet sent an hour after the first one.

Tsai told Trump she “hopes the US can continue to support Taiwan in opportunities to participate and contribute to international issues,” and called his hard-fought election victory “admirable,” her office said in a statement.

China—the target of much bombastic rhetoric during Trump’s election campaign – labeled the call a “ploy by the Taiwan side that simply cannot change... the One China framework.”

“I do not think it will change the one-China policy that the US government has insisted on applying over the years,” Foreign Minister Wang Yi told Hong Kong’s Phoenix TV, in a muted response.

“The One China principle is the cornerstone of the healthy development of Sino-US relations, and we do not want any interference or disappearance of this political foundation.”

President Barack Obama’s White House said the outgoing US admin-

istration had not changed its stance.

“There is no change to our longstanding policy on cross-Strait issues,” National Security Council spokeswoman Emily Horne told reporters after news of the call broke.

“We remain firmly committed to our ‘One China’ policy,” she added.

“Our fundamental interest is in peaceful and stable cross-Strait relations.”

Washington cut formal diplomatic relations with the island in 1979 and recognizes Beijing as the sole government of China—while keeping friendly non-official ties with Taipei.

But since coming to office this year, Tsai has refused to accept the “One China” concept, prompting Beijing to cut off all official communication with the island’s new government.

Tsai’s Democratic Progressive Party government (DPP) defeated the Kuomintang (KMT), which had much friendlier ties with Beijing, in a landslide election victory in January. AFP

CASTRO’S ASHES RETURN TO CRADLE OF REVOLUTION SANTIAGO DE CUBA, Cuba—The convoy carrying the ashes of Cuba’s late communist leader Fidel Castro ends an island-wide journey on Saturday in the cradle of his revolution for a big ceremony before his burial.

The flag-draped cedar urn left Havana on Wednesday, passing roads lined with people chanting “I am Fidel!” and making daily stops on the way to Santiago de Cuba in the eastern end of the country.

President Raul Castro, who took over when his brother fell ill in 2006, will deliver a much-awaited speech during a massive tribute with foreign dignitaries on Saturday evening.

Capping a nine-day mourning period, the remains will be interred during a private ceremony on Sunday at the Santa Ifigenia cemetery, where 19th century independence hero Jose Marti is buried.

Fidel Castro’s death on November 25 at age 90 has fueled discussions

about his divisive legacy and the direction that the country may take without the omnipresent leader who ruled for almost half a century.

Tearful supporters have cheered Fidel Castro for the free education and health care he spread in the island, while detractors call him a brutal dictator who imprisoned dissidents and ran the economy to the ground.

People put up posters of Castro as Santiago prepared to greet the convoy.

“He has been the father of all Cubans and all the people in need in the world,” said Margarita Aguilera, the 54-year-old director of a state tobacco company who painted the words “farewell, comandante” on stone.

Enediel Rodriguez, 50, was helping to make preparations Friday in a public hall where people will be able to watch the arrival of the jeep with the ashes before they go out on the street. AFP

IMPEACHMENT FILED AGAINST SOKOR’S PARK

DEATH OF A LEGEND. The remains of Cuba’s late communist leader Fidel Castro has returned to Santiago de Cuba on Saturday.

AFP

SEOUL—South Korea’s opposition parties filed an impeachment motion against scandal-hit President Park Geun-Hye on Saturday as a fresh weekly protest was expected to draw a million protesters, organisers said.

The motion, backed by 171 lawmakers in the 300-seat legislature, will be put to a vote in the National Assembly on Friday, lawmakers said.

The joint opposition commands the most seats in the legislature, but will need the support of nearly 30 members of Park’s Saenuri Party to secure the two-thirds majority needed to impeach the president.

“If the impeachment motion fails to get passed because of the lack of cooperation from the ruling party, it must take responsibility for all consequences,” the main opposition Democratic Party’s floor leader Woo Sang-Ho was quoted as saying by the Yonhap news agency. AFP

PARIS—A new outbreak of bird flu hit France’s foie gras producers on Friday just as a ban on exports outside Europe was about to be lifted in time for the crucial holiday period.

The agriculture ministry said the outbreak of the “highly pathogenic” H5N8 strain of the virus was detected Thursday on a duck farm in the southwestern Tarn region, the heart of the lucrative, though controversial, foie gras industry.

Exports outside the European Union had been suspended after an outbreak a year ago, and producers were waiting for the green light – which had been set for Saturday – to resume shipments just in time for the Christmas holidays, when the delicacy is especially popular.

Japan, a top export market for foie gras, banned imports from France last December after the H5N1 strain was detected on 69 farms in southwestern France.

As a result of the fresh outbreak, France will be unable to “recover, as anticipated, its status as (a country) free of bird flu” on Saturday, the ministry said in a statement. Sales within the EU can continue, however, the ministry said.

It said migratory birds were the likely source of the outbreak.

Some 7,000 ducks were slaughtered while a further 4,500 had died from illness in the region, officials said.

Authorities later announced a number of confirmed or suspected cases of bird flu in the southwestern regions of Gers, Hautes-Pyrenees and Lot-etGaronne—where ducks from the supplier of the Tarn farm had been transported—eading to around 7,000 further birds being culled. AFP

EU BANKS AT RISK FROM BAD LOANS - EBA LONDON—The greatest risks facing European Union banks are high levels of bad loans and lower profitability, the bloc’s financial regulator said in a report over the weekend.

The European Banking Authority said that while EU-wide lenders had strengthened their capital buffers, technology-related risks were increasing amid lingering litigation concerns.

Presenting its ninth report on “risks and vulnerabilities in the EU banking sector,” the EBA pointed to “high levels of nonperforming loans (NPLs) and sustained low profitability” as being the main risks.

But it said that overall, the 131 banks had “further strengthened their capital position, allowing them to continue the process of repair” against a backdrop of high volatility in funding markets.

The regulator noted that the NPL ratio for the assessed banks as set against total loans had decreased overall to 5.4 percent in the second half of 2016 from 6.5 percent at the end of 2014.

“While there are signs of potential improvements, asset quality is still weak compared to historical figures and other regions,” the EBA said.

“Material differences persist in asset quality across countries, with more than one third of EU jurisdictions showing NPL ratios above 10 percent.”

The EBA recommended tackling the problem of bad debts by mobilizing the regulators, implementing structural reforms and developing a secondary market that could ease the sale of particular loan portfolios. AFP

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Business

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2016 Ray S. Eñano, Editor / Roderick dela Cruz, Issue Editor business@thestandard.com.ph

GLOBAL FILIPINO EXECUTIVE OF 2016

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Shell companies in the Philippines country chairman Ed Chua

RESTORATION.

Metro Rail Transit Line 3 officer-in-charge Deo Leo Manalo at MRT 3 depot in Quezon City

MRT ENGINEERS ROLL OUT 22 TRAINS

M

etro Rail Transit Line 3 has reached the maximum number of operational trains for the first time in four years, allowing the system to serve more passengers, reduce the queues and lift its revenues.

Busan Universal Rail Inc., a Filipino-Korean joint venture that won the maintenance contract in January, already restored nine Czech-made trains, bringing the total sets in operation to 22 by the end of November, from just 13 last year. The system has a maximum capacity of 20 trains.

“By giving the public more trains, I think we are serving more passengers. Middle of November, we were averaging 470,000 passengers. That was 25 percent increase since January,” MRT 3 officer-in-charge Deo Leo Manalo says in an interview in Quezon City.

“Our income grew this year.

We were hitting P2.3 billion as of October alone, matching the fullyear figure of P2.3 billion in 2015.

That was more than 20 percent up.

It is because we have more trains running this year,” says Manalo.

Data show that the daily average number of passenger trips at MRT 3 increased from 372,020 in January to 461,564 in October. Highest recorded ridership within a month also climbed from 415,819 on Jan. 22 to 509,492 on Nov. 18.

MRT 3, a 16.9-kilometer light rail completed along Edsa 17 years ago, remains Metro Manila’s most vital mass transit system, as it ferries half a million passengers each day between the northern and southern parts of the metropolis, including employees bound for the major commercial business districts in Ortigas, Makati and Fort Bonifacio.

About 2,000 people are in charge of operating and maintaining Line 3, including 600 security guards,

440 maintenance technicians, 250 janitorial staff, 100 train drivers and hundreds of cashiers and administration and operations employees. “ We ser ve Edsa which is the main corridor of Metro Manila.

We cover all the CBDs—from Nor th. Ave., Cubao, Ortigas, Mak ati, For t Bonifacio all the way to MOA [Mall of Asia]. So easily, we serve the most number of passengers at 500,000,” says Manalo, who led the feasibility study for MRT expansion project in 2012.

“We have to keep it operational by all means. But we don’t want to sacrifice safety. MRT 3 has the highest safety standards among light rail systems in the country,” says Manalo, who lived in Tokyo for four years when he regularly took the train on the way to work.

Ensuring that MRT 3 runs smoothly through 13 stations from North Ave. in Quezon City to Taft Ave. in Pasay City is Busan Universal Rail Inc. which won the three-year maintenance contract, starting January 2016, for P3.8 billion. “It is a day-to-day, hour-to-hour, moment-to-moment maintenance.

Maintenance is a 24-hour roundthe-clock activity,” says Eugene Rapanut, managing director of the

joint venture company.

A team of Korean engineers from Busan Transport Corp. is in the country to help Filipino engineers and technicians maintain the MRT 3 system and overhaul 43 of the 73 Czech-made light rail vehicles.

Last year, only 13 of the 24 trains were in running condition, limiting the capacity of the system to serve passengers and resulting in hour-long queues at MRT stations.

Manalo says things improved this year. From only 13 trains, each with three cars, in January 2016, the Busan joint venture was able to increase the number of operational trains to 22 as of endNovember.

“Now, we are running 20 trains during peak hours.

We h ave t wo trains in reserve.

And we have two trains under general overhaul,” Manalo says. “Surprisingly today [Dec. 2] which is a Friday, there were no queues at North Ave.” “Yes, things improved in terms of more trains and reliability.

Reliabilit y has significantly improved in November. There was a large drop in removals or technical problems. But we are still not perfect. We have to address several things,” he says.

Busan Universal Rail expects to deploy two more trains by the first quarter of 2017, bringing the total number of operational trains to 24, consisting of 72 light rail vehicles.

Busan Universal Rail Inc. is a joint venture of Busan Transport Corp. which is owned by the Korean city government of Busan and local companies Edison Development & Construction, Tramat Mercantile

Presently, we have 22 trains, including two trains in reserve and ready to be deployed.

With 22 trains, we are really outperforming our contract.

Inc., TMI Corp. and Castan Corp.

The Busan contract involves maintenance works, overhaul of 43 LRVs and replacement of the signaling system within 24 months.

Twelve Korean technical experts are in the country, including rolling stock, signaling and track specialists from Busan.

The hour-long queues are gone, according to Manalo. “They are giving us more trains than the actual requirement of the TOR [terms of reference],” he says, referring to Busan Universal Rail.

“But in some other aspects, there is a need for improvement.

We need continuous monitoring including those of spare parts, labor issues and quality of work,” says Manalo.

Rapanut says Busan now focuses on improving station facilities. “The next activities we are 100-percent focused now on is the improvement of station facilities such as the toilet, lighting and some conveyances that have been turned over to us,”he says.

He says the Busan joint venture remains committed to delivering on its promise to the government and to MRT passengers. “We did not allow ourselves to be distracted by our distractors. Despite all their distractions, we stay very clear on our purpose,” he says.

Charles Mercado, legal counsel and spokesman of the Busan joint venture, says the group won the maintenance contract in December 2015 with a bid of P3.8 billion, below the approved budget for the contract of P4.25 billion.

“The P3.8 billion is the whole contract. Our maintenance contract alone is P54 million a month, subject to taxes. The old contractor—Sumitomo had a monthly maintenance contract of P110 million net of taxes and in US dollars,” says Mercado.

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OUTGOING Shell companies in the Philippines country chairman Ed Chua caps off a 37-year career in the power, energy and gas technology company by being awarded as the Global Filipino Executive of the Year during the Asia CEO Awards.

The Asia CEO Awards is an annual awards program that recognizes outstanding leadership achievements by individuals and organizations across the Asean region and aims to promote the Philippines as a premier business destination. It is one of the biggest annual recognition events in the Philippines with over 1,200 business leaders in attendance.

Aside from Chua, other business figures and entrepreneurs recognized at the awards ceremony were James Donovan of Adec Innovations for the JLL Expatriate Executive of the Year; Clarissa Delgado of Teach for the Philippines for Capital One Young Leader of the Year; and Joe Magsaysay, president of Potato Corner, for Meralco Biz Par tners Entrepreneur of the Year.

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FILIPINOS MOST EXPRESSIVE IN ASIA FILIPINOS derive more fulfillment from their relationships with spouses and partners than in any other personal relationship, according to Asia’s first relationship index, launched

by Pru Life UK. The 2016 Pru Life UK Relationship Index measures, via a numerical score, how satisfied people are with their primary relationships and what can be done to improve them. Primary relationships include partners, children, family and friends.

In the Philippines, the Pru Life UK Relationship Index satisfaction score is 79 out of 100. This means on an average, Filipinos’ primary relationships fulfill 79 percent of their desired relationship needs, the second highest in Asia.

Respondents of the study said that they appreciate partners who enjoy doing things together (84 percent), respect their individuality (84 Turn to C2

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SUNDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2016 business@thestandard.com.ph

GLOBAL...

From C1

Throughout his 37 years of service to Shell—more than a decade of which as country chairman of SciP—Chua has consistently manifested an exemplary brand of leadership, an indomitable spirit to succeed and unequalled zeal in harnessing the strength of human ingenuity and technological innovation.

He has guided the transformation of Shell Philippines into one of the most profitable units across Shell globally, making him a leading proponent of the healthy balance of “people, planet and profit” in running a multi-billion business.

Chua’s leadership saw the company’s significant shift to promoting corporate social responsibility as well as championing advocacy on sustainable mobility and in addressing the energy challenge through activities that promote energy efficiency, better driver education, use of smarter products, and building smarter infrastructure toward achieving the company’s future energy visions.

This year’s Asia CEO judging panel was composed of University of Asia and the Pacific president Bernie Villegas, Pag-IBIG Fund chief executive Darlene Berberabe, Ambassador Jose Cuisia, ICT committee and health committee of the American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines founder and chairman Don Felbaum, urban planner Jun Palafox, vice president– international of San Miguel Purefoods Oscar Sanez and Asia CEO Awards chairman Richard Mills.

THE NEXT CAMPUS CULINARY AMBASSADOR

FILIPINOS...

From C1

percent), are honest with them (82 percent), make each other laugh and smile (79 percent) and are easy to get along with (78 percent).

Filipinos also enjoy strong ties with their children, with a relationship score of 59/100, the highest in Asia.

The average score for parents is 52/100, while the tally for best friends is 50/100. Colleagues, however, score just 27/100, although almost two-thirds (64 percent) of working Filipinos said some of their work colleagues are among their best friends.

Pru Life UK president and chief executive Antonio De Rosas said the Pru Life UK Relationship Index provides a snapshot of the health of relationships in the Philippines, highlighting the areas that contribute to happiness and those that require attention.

“Relationships are at the heart of our business. We know our customers buy our products to protect the people and relationships they care most about. We also know that good relationships are crucial to our happiness and good health. Through the Pru Life UK Relationship Index, we want to help Filipinos understand their relationships better so they can make them more rewarding,” De Rosas said.

“The findings from the research are both cause for celebration and concern. Celebration in that we Filipinos value relationships grounded on important attributes such as partnership, companionship, respect, and honesty. However, gaps are also present in the level of relationship satisfaction with family demands, financial uncertainty, and technology causing rising tension and stress,” he said.

The 2016 Pru Life UK Relationship Index indicates that Filipinos express their love for each other more than anyone else in Asia. About 87 percent tell their partners “I love you” once a week; 68 percent say so every day.

Filipinos are also most likely in the region (87 percent) to share intimate moments with their partners. They are the most likely in the region to laugh with their partners as well; 89 percent do so at least once a week.

BUSAN...

From C1 “What was turned over to us were 40 operable LRVs and 33 LRVs that needed repair. That was equivalent to 13 operating trains plus one car. By February, we increased the number of operational trains to 16, and by April it was 18 trains,” he says. “The requirement of the government was only 12 trains in the first 10 months of the contract. We exceeded that.”

“Presently, we have 22 trains. But the power system can only accommodate 20 trains. We have two trains in reserve and ready to be deployed. With 22 trains, we are really outperforming our contract,” says Mercado.

T

he future looks brighter and more jolly for aspiring young chefs and food entrepreneurs as the highly anticipated campus-wide search for exceptional culinary talents, Jolly University, is now accepting applications for its fourth edition.

Following its success in the last three years, JU Year 4 goes full blast with the theme, “It’s more Jolly in the Philippines.”

A campaign spearheaded by Jolly Food Line, the No. 1 canned vegetable brand in the country, JU is an educational advocacy program which aims to enhance the competency of students in becoming the next generation food industry champions.

The program aims to harness a student’s skills and creativity in developing food concepts that

will cater to consumers and the food industry.

Students seeking for career-building opportunities are invited to join, explore, and conquer new learning fields while pursuing their passion for culinary arts and food entrepreneurship.

Core programs include the JU Boot Camp, a workshop series where select delegates get to connect and learn first-hand from industry professionals, the Jolly Food Congress, and the much-awaited culminating activity, the Grand Cook-Off Challenge, among JU finalists.

Since its launch in 2013, Jolly University has evolved into one of the biggest culinary events, as well as a pivotal learning platform for the Filipino youth.

Open to all Metro Manila, South Luzon and Central Luzon college students from age 16 and up, the major difference in JU Year 4 is that it is now open to students taking up non-culinary courses.

“JU is committed to elevate the competitive advantage of talented students through focused culinary training, entrepreneurship workshops

and leadership talks. As long as applicants are career-oriented, goal-driven and believes that training and competitions will bring out the best of their potentials, JU is more than honored to welcome them, to nurture and support them in their career journeys,” says Fly Ace Corp. associate product manager Ralph Rebulanan.

Jolly University Year 4 culinary competitions will feature four categories: Individual Category (featuring Luzon Cuisines made easy, healthy and baon ready); Team Main Dish Category (Visayas Cuisines Made Easy, Healthy and Jolly); Team Pasta Category (Mindanao Cuisines made Pastariffic) and Team Mocktail Category (Capture the Jolly Vibe of the Philippines in a Sip).

“Jolly University is one of our most relevant and fruitful programs in Fly Ace Corporation. We believe that in cultivating the youth’s skills and passion for the culinary arts, we also continue to uphold our commitment of bringing the best of the world’s food and beverages to the Filipinos, and to the generations to come,” Fly Ace Corp. general manager Ramon Daez says.

Submission of entries is until Dec. 15, 2016.

MILLENNIALS BECOME CONDO OWNERS UNDER normal circumstances, it would seem unlikely that a young professional could afford to purchase a home.

Amaia Land, however, has just turned the improbable into a probability. In fact, at the recent grand turnover event of Amaia Skies Cubao, most of the new homeowners were professionals in their 20s, who claimed that Amaia Land made buying units in the condominium easy and convenient.

Two such young professionals, Camille Naredo, 25, and Suzette Cabase, 26, received the keys to their new units on Nov. 19, disputing the common notion that millennials are more inclined to party, travel and shop for expensive gadgets than invest in worthwhile ventures.

The young women says Amaia Skies Cubao’s location and affordability were

what ultimately drove them to buy their units in the recently completed project.

Naredo, a sports editor for a major television network, recalls how she used to travel for one hour, going through eleven train stops on the congested Metro Rail Transit 3 to reach her office.

Thus, when a realtor friend of her mother offered a pre-selling unit in Amaia Skies Cubao, she had no second thoughts about saying yes.

“I took the opportunity of acquiring my own home out of necessity. The commute was killing me,” Naredo says.

“The costs of the commute were not an issue; it was the stress of riding nearly the full length of the MRT that got to me every day.”

Naredo says she used to stay in her grandmother ’s two-bedroom house in Pasay, which is spacious and

comfortable. But the location was not ideal for her since her office is in Quezon City.

“The daily trips took their toll on me,” Naredo laments.

Now happily settling down in her new digs, Naredo hopes that her new Amaia home would bring positive changes in her life. “The proximity to Araneta Coliseum, where majority of the games are played, is a big help.

First of all, the games usually finish at night. Now, I can just walk home after my coverage is done,” she says.

“I can finally do more with my time, too,” she adds with a smile.

On affordability, Naredo asserts that the payment method soon became easy after careful planning. “After some time I realized the upside far outweighed what little adjustments I had to make.”

Meanwhile, Cabase, an accounting supervisor and a new mother, also says the hassle of commuting between San Mateo, Rizal, and her workplace in Cubao made her decide to buy a unit in Amaia Skies Cubao.

Cabase now says spending less time on the road would give her more time for herself and her child.

“I chose Amaia Skies because of the convenience,” she says. No longer compelled to take long trips through horrendous traffic, she also feels that she has more energy to do other things.

The affordability of Amaia Skies also encouraged the young women to go ahead and invest in a unit. “I chose bank financing as my payment scheme for this property, and I can say that it is easy on the pocket,” Cabase says.

Mercado says their Korean partners want to protect their reputation as a world-class rail solution provider. “They had to scrutinize their local partners.

Busan protects its reputation. They say we cannot fail in the Philippines.”

Rapanut says the Busan joint venture was able to exceed the government’s requirement through “proper allocation of resources, proper interaction and engagement with the people and proper management—making everybody understand the objective.”

“We have set our standards against our capability. We accept our limitation.

The goal of our client which is DOTr is very simple—provide the most number of trains available, which is 20 at the peak period, make the system safe, reliable and maintainable. We are very clear on

that,” says Rapanut.

“We were not so greedy to have so much [profit] margin. That’s why during the bidding, instead of submitting P4 billion against the P4.2 billion ABC, we only submitted P3.8 billion.

Because we are aware of the real cost of maintenance,” he says.

Rapanut, however, warns that the delay in the government’s monthly payment in October and November may affect the procurement of spare parts which are crucial in the restoration of two more trains in the first quarter.

“We are afraid that because of these delays, we may not be able to comply with our commitment. By Jan. 15, we may not be able to run the first overhauled train and the second overhauled train by first week of March,” he says.

A previous short-term maintenance contractor—Comm Builders & Technology Philippines Inc.--also has collectibles of P90 million plus two months worth of maintenance cost from the Transportation Department. Manalo says there were issues that needed to be resolved first with Comm Builders. “We expect to announce a decision soon,” he says.

Manalo says things will be even better next year with the addition of LRVs made by China’s Dalian Locomotive & Rolling Stock Co. “As of today [Dec. 2], 38 Dalian LRVs [of the 48 orders] arrived. About 32 are fully assembled and ready to go, but Dalian needs to put onboard signaling, which is a requirement to make the system safe. They are installing now,” he says.

The Transportation Department and its contractors are installing a new power supply and signaling system to accommodate more trains. “The power supply will be completed by fourth quarter next year. Once we have that power, we will run 24 trains in four-car configurations. If we are at full capacity now, we will increase it by 60 percent,” says Manalo.

“But we need more components.

End of next year is the target. Once the new power system is in place and the tracks are improved, we can run the trains faster. We can easily accommodate 800,000 passengers a day,” he says.

“Once we have the Dalian LRVs, we will never run out of trains by end of next year,” says Manalo.

Roderick T. dela Cruz

Sports

Manila

C3

Standard

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2016 reuelvidal@yahoo.com

ALASKA CUP ABOUT SPORTS DEVELOPMENT

LIGHTWEIGHT BETTER FIT FOR FORMER CHAMPION BANARIO

TODAY

By Reuel Vidal

M

IRIAM College Football Club and LBC Kaya won the girls’ 14-and-under as well as the children’s 6-and-under categories. But more than just competition in football the 21st Alaska Football Cup is all about grassroots sports development and countrywide participation.

With over 300 teams and almost 5,000 players from all over the Philippines participating, the football cup held last weekend at the Ayala Alabang Country Club fields has exceeded all expectations.

A typical delegation is the group of 38 players and 20 plus parents from Compostela Valley, Davao. Coach Jesmer Tampog said their trip was made possible by the parents themselves who helped raise the money to cover part of their airfare and expenses as well as the invaluable support of Governor Jayvee Tyron L. Uy who took care of everything else.

“We just want the children to experience an event like the 21st Alaska Football Cup easily one of the biggest and best football tournaments in the country. We want the children to experience the travel. We want them to experience playing against different teams and players. We want them to experience being part of such a high level tournament and competition,” said Tampog.

The 38 boys and girls were formed into three teams playing in the different age categories.

“The facilities here are great. The football field is great. We don’t have anything like this at home. It’s educational and enjoyable as well that the children get to play in a field like this and under the supervision of some of the best football officials in the country,” said Tampog.

Not even the night-long rains before the event could dampen the enthusiasm of the participants.

Alaska Aces General Manager Richard Bachmann, who led the launch of the football cup, said the event is first and foremost for the children who will benefit most

Alaska Aces General Manager Richard Bachmann (center) leads the launch of the 21st Alaska Football Cup at the Alabang Country Club fields last weekend. Others with him are, from left: Alaska Choco Powder Milk Drink Brand Manager Enzo Jabuergo, Football Cup Tournament Director Tomas Lozano and Sports Manager Christine Monica Kanapi-Daniolco.

from the sports activity.

“Someone told me before that children enjoyed playing in the rain. So I wasn’t actually bothered that it rained last night and this morning. It’s true, kids do like playing in the rain. I’m just worried if the field can take the kids playing and all this rain going on. Hopefully, it should be okay. I’m satisfied with the turnout.

There are almost five thousand children, from all over the Philippines, today and tomorrow. And that’s perfect for us,” said Bachmann.

Miriam College coach Bob Manlulo said all the hard work and sacrifice paid off for his team. On week days the team practiced regularly after their school hours. On weekends, the team participated in tournaments which honed the skills of team members.

He said his players learned positive values during their preparation and participation in the competition.

Alaska Milk continues its advocacy to help children learn positive values through participation in sports with the holding of the 21st Alaska Football Cup. Instead of engaging in passive activities such as watching television, surfing the Internet, or spending too much time on social media, children are encouraged to engage in football as an active alternative.

Social skills as well as attitude of children are developed through participation in sports tournaments.

Children experience healthy competition among members of the same age group which boosts physical and mental development.

For general information about Alaska Milk visit www.alaskamilk.com. For general information about the 21st Alaska Football Cup visit www.alaskapowercamp.com/football; and for live updates follow PlayPH on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

VERA DESTROYS ‘SHREK’TO KEEP ONE CHAMPIONSHIP BELT BRANDON Vera tallied a spectacular first round TKO victory over Hideki ‘Shrek’ Sekine at ONE: Age of Domination last Friday, Dec. 2 at the SM Mall of Asia Arena to retain his ONE Championship heavyweight world title.

The taller, muscular Vera stalked the plodding Sekine from the opening bell. Vera began to land a series of solid blows on Sekine who barely flinched as he took Vera’s best shots.

In the middle of the round Vera connected with a powerhouse kick which sent Sekine crashing to the canvas. Vera then pounced on his reeling foe as he landed punishing strikes prompting the referee to stop the bout.

In the co-main event of the evening, ONE Bantamweight World Champion Bibiano “The Flash” Fernandes of Brazil retained his title despite a bloodied nose.

Rising star Reece “Lightning” McLaren of Australia smashed Fernandes’ nose in the third round but couldn’t fully capitalize allowing the champion to escape with the victory.

Fernandes and McLaren were very evenly matched, with each having their moments over the course of the five-round title bout.

McLaren proved to be a worthy challenger but Fernandes dug deep into his reserves to show true championship mettle to earn the split decision victory.

Former ONE Featherweight World Champion Honorio “The Rock” Banario of Team Lakay continued his re-emergence as a new and improved fighter by making quick work of Indian mixed martial artist Rajinder “Knockout” Singh Meena.

Banario, a known striker, virtually reinvented himself. He electrified the crowd as he won by armbar submission with less than a minute left to go in the first round. Banario, who says he feels much stronger at lightweight, dominated both striking and grappling exchanges.

The finish came swiftly when Banario transitioned effortlessly into an armbar from side control to earn the victory.

In easily the most spectacular bout of the evening middleweight contender Leandro Ataides of Brazil knocked out Mohamed “Flex” Ali with a flying knee to the face. Ali was out cold as soon as the knee connected and he fell forward senseless, landing face first into the canvas.

Before the spectacular finish the two fighters punished each other with a series of powerful strikes, bringing the crowd up to their feet as they traded blows at the center of the ONE Championship cage.

Evolve MMA bantamweight fighter Mark “Mugen” Striegl persevered through three grueling rounds against Bulgaria’s Sotir Kichukov to win by unanimous decision in a catchweight contest.

Striegl began the bout aggressively, using superior speed and angles to stifle Ki-

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ONE Championship heavyweight world champion Brandon Vera proudly displays his ONE Championship belt moments after beating Hideki ‘Shrek’ Sekine at the SM Mall of Asia Arena. ONE Championship

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chukov who appeared unable to time Striegl’s erratic rhythm. Striegl took Kichukov down to the ground almost at will, controlling his opponent with a smothering game. In the end, all three judges saw the bout the same way with Striegl emerging as the victor.

Finnish bantamweight sensation Toni “Dynamite”Tauru earned his first victory inside the ONE Championship cage, easily dispatching Team Lakay striking specialist Geje “Gravity” Eustaquio of Baguio City. Tauru wasted no time as he immediately shot for a single leg, driving Eustaquio to the mat. From there, Tauru used his size and strength advantage to clamp down a rear naked choke to notch the win in the first round.

Edward “The Ferocious” Kelly of the famed Team Lakay MMA of Baguio City overcame a spirited performance from Indonesian fighter Sunoto “The Terminator”, to nab the victory in round three by referee stoppage.

Kelly and Sunoto took turns plastering each other with heavy-handed punches and powerful snap kicks. It was Kelly however, who appeared in control of the exchanges.

In the third, Kelly landed a thunderous body kick that sent Sunoto crumbling to the mat.

Kelly then immediately took full mount and finished Sunoto off with ground and pound.

Unbeaten Team Lakay flyweight prospect Danny Kingad of Baguio City impressed with a high-level striking and grappling performance, dominating veteran striking ace Eugene Toquero

of Manila to win by submission in the first round.

Kingad battered Toquero during stand up and then maneuvered him effortlessly on the ground before putting together the finish.

As Kingad latched on to Toquero’s right arm, the Team Lakay fighter executed a flawless transition into an armbar that left Toquero no choice but to submit.

Chinese-Taipei’s Jenny Huang overcame the speed and accurate striking of Baguio City’s April Osenio to win via come-from-behind submission. Osenio repeatedly got the better of Huang in striking exchanges, showcasing her famed Team Lakay wushu skills and then tried to submit Huang in the first round.

Osenio failed an visibly tired out after the first. Huang took advantage and timed her takedowns more efficiently in the second round.

With her back on the mat, Huang slipped her shin underneath Osenio’s neck. Osenio tried to counter by lifting Huang off the mat and slamming her down. But Huang hung on to secure the submission by gogoplata.

Khun Khmer prodigy Sim Bunsrun of Cambodia delighted the crowd with a highly-technical display of striking, overwhelming opponent Liu Peng Shuai with looping right hands and body kicks.

Chinese bantamweight prospect Xie Bin and Jakarta, Indonesia’s Mario Satya Wirawan kicked off the evening’s cards with Xie Bin earning a unanimous decision victory.

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IN recent years Honorio “The Rock” Banario has always had trouble making the featherweight limit. He was tall and rangy and lost power whenever he cut down.

He was ONE Championship World Featherweight champion for a time but he knew that if he wanted to come back to title contention, changes had to be made.

Banario proved his point with a dominant victory at ONE: Age of Domination last Friday, December 2 at Mall of Asia Arena beating Rajinder “Knockout” Singh Meena (8-3) of India via armbar in the very first round, this time at lightweight.

Not being drained by trying to make weight Banario was dominant from start to finish as he tallied his third consecutive victory.

This came after a disappointing five-fight losing streak. Before Singh Meena Banario also beat Vaughn Donayre and Eddie Ng. Banario displayed tremendous improvement as a fighter as he showcased not just his fearsome striking power but also his newfound grappling prowess.

Banario dominated the striking exchanges at the center of the cage and completely outclassed Singh Meena on the ground as well.

“I feel very happy this time because when I came up to the lightweight division, I felt very comfortable and strong. I am hoping to keep winning now so I can stay on track,” said Banario after the bout.

Singh Meena, who owns five submissions out of eight victories, is known as a capable grappling competitor, but against Banario, he was simply outclassed.

In the middle of the first round, Banario smoothly transitioned into a mounted crucifix that left Singh Meena with nowhere to go. From there, Banario effortlessly stepped over his opponent’s head and spun around swiftly to secure the armbar.

The tap came just seconds later. The official finish is listed at 4:04 of the very first round.

Prior to the matchup, Banario—the former ONE Featherweight World Champion —made it known that a move to lightweight was the best thing to happen to his career because he now feels a lot stronger and more confident in his abilities. It definitely showed Friday night.

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N.C. TAMBUNTING

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All unredeemed pledges during the month of JULY 2016 will be sold to public auction on DECEMBER 6, 2016 at PATEROS 8:00 AM at # M. Almeda Cor. B. Morcilla St., Pateros, Metro Manila at JUAN LANUZA & SONSAUCTIONEER

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RACATAM PAWNSHOP CO., INC.

All unredeemed pledges during the month of JULY 2016 will be sold to public auction on DECEMBER 7, 2016 at the ff. branches: HERRAN - 8:00 AM at # 1101 P. Gil St., Paco, Manila STA. ANA – 10:00 AM # 390 AP Reyes Cor. JP Rizal St., Makati City at JUAN LANUZA & SONSAUCTIONEER

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PANG NEGOSYO PAWNSHOP

All unredeemed pledges during the month of JULY 2016 will be sold to public auction on DECEMBER 5, 2016 at RITZ - 12:00 PM at Stall # New Muntinlupa Public Market, Alabang Muntinlupa City JUAN LANUZA & SONSAUCTIONEER

All unredeemed pledges during the month of JULY 2016 will be sold to public auction on DECEMBER 06, 2016 at the ff. branches: COUNTRYSIDE - 12:30 PM at 49 Countryside Ave., Sta. Lucia, Pasig City JUNCTION – 2:30 PM # Star Valley Plaza Mall, Junction at JUAN LANUZA & SONSAUCTIONEER

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MAKATI LUXURY JEWELRY PAWNSHOP CO.,

All unredeemed pledges during the month of JULY 2016 will be sold to public auction on DECEMBER 05, 2016 at the ff. branches: SUCAT - 9:00 AM at #3 Dr., A. Santos Ave., Sucat, Parañaque City MUNTI – 1:30 PM #659 National Road, Poblacion St., Muntinlupa City DECEMBER 06, 2016 SAN JOAQUIN – 1:30 PM # 9 M. Concepcion San Joaquin, Pasig City DECEMBER 10, 2016 10TH AVE. – 2:00 PM # 245-B 10TH Ave., Brgy., 60 Zone 6, Caloocan City DECEMBER 10, 2016 MARILAO – 1 PM #5 NETWORK AVE., MERALCO VILL. LIAS MARILAO BULACAN DECEMBER 7, 2016 SAGRADA – 11:00AM #1978 ESTRADA ST., FORMER SAGRADA FAMILIA STA. ANA, MLA. DECEMBER 8, 2016 GAGALANGIN – 8:45 AM #2 JUAN LUNA ST., COR. GUIDO ST., TONDO MANILA DECEMBER 9, 2016 STO NIÑO – 9:30 AM #30 ST., THERESE COR, ST. PETER, P3 STO NIÑO MEYCAUAN BULACAN at JUAN LANUZA & SONS- AUCTIONEER

All unredeemed pledges during the month of JULY 2016 will be sold to public auction on DECEMBER 05, 2016 at BF Homes – 10:00 AM # 43 President’s Ave., BF Homes, Parañaque City SPL - 3:00 PM at Casa Hacienda San Pedro, Laguna on DECEMBER 06, 2016 at the ff. branches: ROMULO - 10:00 AM at 135 13TH Ave., Cor. P. Tuazon, Cubao, QC SANTOLAN – 4:00 PM 526 ADR Bldg., Dela Paz, Santolan, Pasig City on DECEMBER 7, 2016 JP RIZAL – 11:00 AM # 529 Olympia St., JP Rizal, Makati City ALPHALAND – 5:00 PM G11 South Gate Towers, P. Tamo Ext., Makati City MANUELA – 3:00 PM G/F Starmall, Wack2, Mandaluyong City DECEMBER 8, 2016 LALOMA – 11:30 AM # 67 Calavite St., Brgy., P. Bundok, QC RETIRO - 12:30 PM # 270 N.S. amoranto Street, Retiro QC. ROTONDA – 2:00 PM # 1 Sto. Tomas St., Rotonda QC at JUAN LANUZA & SONSAUCTIONEER

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C4

Sports

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2016 Riera U. Mallari, Editor / Reuel Vidal, Issue Editor sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

REGINA, ARDINA CLOSE IN ON LPGA

FOR GO, IT STARTS WITH CONFIDENCE

By Peter Atencio

I

SAAC Go feels confident.

So confident in fact, that it showed in a 73-67 win by his Ateneo Blue Eagles over the Adamson Soaring Falcons at the end of the first round, thereby clinching for the Katipunan-based team the no. 2 seeding in the Final Four of the 79th University Athletic Association of the Philippines’ men’s basketball tournament.

“It feels good to be in the Final Four. At the start o f the year, people were counting us out.

They had us at five,” said Go. The win put them on a collision course with the defending champion Far Eastern University Tamaraws, who earned the no. 4 seeding Go’s matchup with Adamson’s Pappi Sarr may not be much, considering that the Cameroonian big man is the league’s no. 2 rebounder.

“He’s a great player. If he wants to go right, he can go right. The only thing I can do is make it difficult for him,” said Go. Go made nine points and eight rebounds in that game, while Sarr went on finish with 17 points and 23 rebounds.

Initially, Go was not expected to play a big role in the rotation of the Ateneo Blue Eagles as their big man Chiebueze Ikeh and Gideon Babilonia were the main men underneath.

And with Babilonia sidelined after he suffered an injury against La Salle in the first round, coach Tab Baldwin and the coaching staff made adjustments in search of the next man up.

These adjustments made Go think of boosting his fitness levels because he will have to go toe-to-toe with the big men of the other teams.

In their first Final Four game with FEU last Nov. 26, the Tams won, 62-61, with the big plays of Raymar Jose and Monbert Arong sparking FEU’s comeback from 10 points down.

Here, Go had 8 points and nine rebounds, while Jose dominated with 20 points and 23 rebounds.

It was in the rubber match with the Tams that Go made a difference.

His nose bled in the last four minutes following a wayward elbow from Prince Orizu in a rebound battle.

When the bleeding stopped, Go made up for his momentary absence in the final second of overtime with a defensive play that lifted the Eagles to 69-68 overtime triumph over the defending champions.

After Thirdy Ravena missed an attempt and turned the ball over in the last four seconds, Go sprinted over to the other side and made the biggest defensive play of the season.

The 6’7” Go put his big hands in front of Ron Dennison as he was making an attempt off Arong’s pass from outside the paint.

Dennison released the ball too late and this kept members of the Tams from handing their coach Nash Racela a fitting present on his 45th birthday.

The basket went in but after the buzzer sounded and the Eagles found themselves in

Ateneo’s Isaac Go jockeys for a better rebound position with FEU’s Richard Escoto. Peter Atencio

the finals against arch-rival and odds-on favorite La Salle, one of the most fearsome teams this season, with big man Ben Mbala lurking in the shaded lanes.

And Go is expected to have matchups with him.

“We just have to prepare for this. They’re a great team. They’re 13-1 in the eliminations,” said Go. On the other hand, Baldwin feels that the team will have to do what it takes to face the Green Archers.

“We should really get down to the business of the finals. We really labored for this point

throughout the year. This is an incredibly young team,” said Baldwin, who feels that their win with FEU is special since the Tams were the defending champions.

Facing the Green Archers this time will be a bigger challenge, considering that they have a tough interior defense.

But, Go making things difficult for the Green Archers to progress in the finals will not be his job alone, but a role he will share with the entire team. Good thing, his confidence level is at all-time high.

REGINA de Guzman and Dottie Ardina virtually sealed their spots in the Top 70 while firming up their bids for 2017 LPGA Tour cards with a pair of impressive 70s at the tough Hills Course of the LPGA International in Florida Friday.

De Guzman, 24, banked on a three-birdie string from No. 11 to shoot out a two-under 70 for an impressive seven-under 209 aggregate and solo eighth while Ardina used a birdie-birdie start to match the Filipina amateur’s card for a 211 total and a share of 10th spot after three rounds of the five-day LPGA Qualifying Tournament Final Stage.

That assured the duo of spots in the final day of the grueling elims where the top 70 players, excluding ties, after four rounds will dispute the top 20 LPGA Tour cards for next year.

Japanese Nasa Hataoka shot a 69 at the Jones layout to boost her bid for low medal honors with a 202, seven strokes ahead of De Guzman and one up on American Jaye Green, who had a 203 after a 67.

De Guzman and Ardina are both expected to improve with their fourth round assignment set at the easier Jones side where they shot 68 and 70, respectively, Thursday.

But the four other Filipinas struggled in tough condition at the Hills and tumbled out of the magic 70 heading to the last 18 holes of the elims.

Fil-Am Clariss Guce actually stumbled with a 73 at the Jones and dropped to joint 83rd at 220 while Princess Superal, who bounced back with a 70 at Jones after an opening 76 at Hills, limped with another four-over card at Hills and slipped to joint 101st with a 222, four strokes off the cut-off score.

Mia Piccio also fumbled with a 74 for a 223 in joint 116th while Cyna Rodriguez hobbled with a 75 for a 227 and a share of 139th.

De Guzman birdied No. 2 but bogeyed the next then after a run of pars, the San Jose State U senior rattled off three straight birdies from No. 11 although she dropped a stroke on the final hole and missed barging into the top four.

Ardina, on the other hand, sizzled early with back-toback birdies but bogeyed No. 4 then birdied the par-3 15th to remain on course of her Tour card bid after falling short here last year.

HARDEN, ADIDAS WAKE THE GAME UP ADIDAS and James Harden reimagine the signature shoe game with the debut of Harden Vol. 1. The collection represents the first chapter of the collaborative partnership that began Oct. 1, 2015 with the goal of co-creating footwear and apparel unlike any signature line in sport.

Driven by Harden’s performance needs and embracing his distinctive design insights, Harden Vol. 1 embodies James’ creativity and expressive style on and off the court. adidas continues to reinvent collaboration and Harden Vol. 1 is a bold challenge to the traditional creative process.

“This was my first time creating a shoe from the ground up. With adidas, we wanted to stand for something different, be true to who we are and that’s how we separate ourselves,” Harden said. “This was a once in a lifetime opportunity and all the work we put in together is what makes this genuine. We’re open to each other’s opinions and we weren’t going to just put

shoes on the shelves and say ‘This is James Harden.’ It’s built for how I play and you’ll see my style, different moods, the little details and stories that represent who I am.”

Harden added: “People always ask me, ‘How are you different?’ It’s hard to explain how you’re different but the shoe explains it for me.”

Pioneer—the first edition of Harden Vol. 1—celebrates the championship game performance of a young, beardless No. 13 who scored 22 points, grabbed eight rebounds, dished three assists and recorded two steals on the way to winning his second-straight California state title in high school. The silhouette is designed with a black knit upper, white leather toe shroud and red accents that pay homage to where his journey began. The championship date (March 24, 2007) is featured on the left sockliner with his game stats on the right sockliner.

“We begin to think about chapters of our journey with James and this is only Vol. 1,” detailed Brian Foresta, vice president of design, adidas Bas-

ketball.“If you have the confidence to wear Harden Vol. 1, step out from the norm and decide to be something new in the game of basketball, then you don’t rely on the old recipes. Nor does James and nor do we. I love that he pushed us in that direction.”

Redefining performance apparel, Harden’s signature collection is dressed to sweat without sacrificing his unprecedented style.

Cross-functional pieces utilize multidimensional design elements for versatile on and off court transitions, balanced by exaggerated fits and a variety of tonal executions.

The collection features breathable protection, secure storage, asymmetric wrapping and layered comfort true to both Harden’s game and basketball DNA. “Harden Vol. 1 offered us the unique opportunity to reinterpret the traditional view on creating signature product,” added Foresta. “From developing his logo, to translating signature details and color executions, we set out to create something that is striking even at a distance and em-

bodies everything James represents on and off the court.”

The Harden Vol. 1 identity challenges the traditional signature formula and features the Harden Mark, original typography and three stripe executions exclusive to James’ footwear and apparel. A visual expression of the way he disrupts the game, the Harden Mark implements design cues from the circle at center court, while the letter ‘H’ uniquely fuses with the brand’s iconic three stripes.

Signature details are subtly built into Harden Vol. 1 through coded language that ties back to family, including the birthdates of his grandmother (left shoe) and mother (right shoe) molded onto the heel.

James’ own signature is also located on the medial side of both shoes on the toe.

Harden Vol. 1 Pioneer was launched in Manila on Nov. 23 for P7,995, with additional colorway drops throughout the season. The apparel collection is available this fall.

Ahanmisi brothers Maverick and Jerrick chill out with their Harden Vo. 1.

D1

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2016

Jimbo Gulle, Editor

jimbo.gulle@gmail.com

LGUs

BAGUIO’S ‘PANAGBENGA’

NOMINATED AS BEST FESTIVAL IN PH

B

AGUIO CITY—Panagbenga took its name from the Kankana-ey term for blossoming of flowers which is panagbenga in native dialect considering that the flower festival is being done in time for the blossoming of flowers in the city and surrounding municipalities of Benguet Province

The annual festival that drew thousands of local and international tourists and visitors to the City of Pines has been nominated as one of the five finalists for The Best Festival Category in Choose Philippines Awards 2016 organized and presented by the Digital Media Division of ABS-CBN Corp.

Choose Philippines is ABS-CBN’s online content hub will be celebrating its fifth year this 2016 and the program wants to commemorate the milestone through a special celebration through the Choose Philippines Awards.

Dedicated to promote Philippine tourism locally and internationally—and to share the breathtaking beauty of the country, meaningful experiences that can be shared with the people, the delicious delicacies that is offered and the priceless memories that people get from every local travel— the awards is the company’s way of recognizing the efforts being together by communities and its people.

The flower festival is usually conducted on the first week of February up to the first week of March and it is the longest festival in the country that lasts for more than a month compared to other prestigious festivals in the different parts of the archipelago.

Panagbenga had been reaping national and international awards for the orderly and disciplined conduct of the major

events for the festival which are the grand street dancing parade and the grand float parade that serves as an avenue for participating contingents to display their dynamic and sterling performances along the parade route and the flowerdecorated floats appreciated by the local residents and visitors.

Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan in a statement said that “being nominated by a prestigious program of a respected media company as a finalist for the Best Festival category is a welcome development.

“We are proud of the nomination and we hope for the best for Panagbenga. It will be an added feather to the cap of the organizers of the flower festival and the people of Baguio and as well as, the Benguet Province.

Domogan expressed his optimism for the festival’s chance of bagging the coveted recognition. “This nomination will be an added boost for the festival to continue moving on to greater heights,” he enthused.

For next year, the Panagbenga will be held from February 1 to March 5 with the theme “Inspired by Beauty, Nurtured

by Nature.”

Awards Night is scheduled on Dec. 1, 2016 at the Dolphy Theater, ABS-CBN Compound, Quezon City. Dexter A. See

WHY TARLAC IS THE‘BELEN CAPITAL’ TARLAC has laid claim to the title “The Belen Capital of the Philippines,” and the province underscored it starting last November 4 as it opened its “Belenismo sa Tarlac” Festival.

The festival brings together people from all walks of life as they try to creatively recreate the Nativity Scene or belen, a staple of every Christmas celebration in Tarlac and across the country. The Belenismo ends Jan. 6, 2017.

Included in the Department of Tourism’s calendar of events since 2007, this year’s Belenismo attracted 46 entries across five categories: Community, Church, Monumental, Municipal, and Grand Non-Municipal Category.

Winners will be announced on Belenismo Awards Night on Dec. 10, 2016.

Open to all bona fide residents of Tarlac, the contest features belen structures of varying sizes—the smallest being in the Community category at 2.8 meters (about nine feet)—and 50 percent of the belen’s materials must come from

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recycled items.

Tourism Undersecretary Oscar Palabyab dubbed Tarlac as the belen capital back in ’07, and the province embraced it by becoming a member of the Federacion Española de Belenistas.

Here are descriptions of some of the entries (pictured below): 1. Intellect Building (not pictured): A first-time participant, this is a stainedglass depiction of the nativity scene.

2. McDonald’s Concepcion: Another newcomer with a Filipiniana-inspired belen made from egg trays.

3. Municipality of San Manuel: Corn is a major product of this municipality, and this nativity display asks for prayers for a good harvest.

4. Municipality of Sta. Ignacia: Their theme uses the various products of the town—vases, flower pots, nipa, and bamboo, among others.

5. Our Lady of Ransom Parish: Bamboo, sinamay, cardboard animals, cardboard magi, and a patch of real

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Some of the creations in the Belenismo sa Tarlac festival are pictured here (see text above). The festival started November 3 and ends January 6.

carabao grass make up this brightly-lit display in the church courtyard.

6. Samahan sa Pura Municipal Belen: This colorful ornate depiction features bamboo, paper March doves, rubber sheets, straw mat, sawali and bilao.

7. Twin Pillars: Bamboo twigs, styrofoam made to look like bricks, artificial green plants creeping on the wall, and hay make this a native rooftop nativity scene.

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Local Gov’t Units

BRIGHT PROSPECTS FOR COFFEE INDUSTRY IN THE NEXT 5 YEARS

By Dexter A. See LOCAL coffee industry stakeholders have projected bright prospects of the country’s coffee industry once all appropriate interventions and strategies have been put in place particularly by the private sector.

Citing specific and ideal industry directions, Dave Santos, chairman of the Commercial Crops Committee of the Philippine Council for Agriculture and Fisheries (PCAF), asserted the need to rehabilitate the existing total production area of 117,454 hectares to be able to add up to the volume of production by at least 3 percent or an additional 35,235 tons to the existing over 74,000 tons of coffee beans.

He added both the government and the private sector must be able to expand the existing production areas by 50,924 hectares to be able to significantly increase the volume of coffee beans for the benefit of the growth of the industry.

Santos noted during the 2nd National Coffee Conference held in Baguio City that the expansion of production areas should be coupled with the improvement of the quality of planting materials as well as the availability of the said materials to encourage coffee farmers to embrace coffee production as the major source of their income.

The annual conference provided the venue for industry members and other stakeholders of the country’s coffee production sector—which also seek to reestablish the industry’s cost-competitiveness that is aligned with global quality standards, reliable and environment-friendly, at the same time help provide sustainable benefits to farmers, processors, traders and exporters.

ARMY TURNS OVER MOBILE COMPUTER LAB IN REGION 10 CAMP EVANGELISTA, Cagayan de Oro City—The Army’s 4th Infantry Division introduced its newly acquired Mobile Computer Laboratory (MCL) aimed at providing computer literacy program for the marginalized sector and communities.

In collaboration with civicoriented groups, namely Pinoy Batang Bayani Foundation (PBB) and Tuloy Foundation Inc. (TFI) that started more than three years ago, the Civil-Military Operations group of the Philippine Army jointly inaugurated the Mobile Computer Laboratory recently turned over the high technology equipment from the PA headquarters during a simple inaugural rites held at the 4ID grandstand.

Assembled inside a 40-footer fully-air conditioned container van the Mobile Computer Laboratory is installed with 21 high-technology computers, gadgets, and other equipment intended for Basic Computer Literacy learning worth P4 million.

Principally, the identified beneficiaries will be comprised of identified members of the marginalized sector and communities, especially the Outof-School Youth and Indigenous Peoples.

LGUs

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SUNDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2016 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

PHILEX BACKS CLEAR DEFINITION OF RESPONSIBLE MINING

TUBA, Benguet—Philex Mining Corp. has expressed support for government’s call on all miners to be guided by a clear definition of responsible mining to further enable industry players implement best practices and operate based on global standards.

Addressing the Mineral Industry Symposium, Eulalio Austin Jr., Philex Mining’s CEO and president said that the utilization of mineral resources be based on technical feasibility, environmental sustainability, social acceptability, and financial viability— so that the industry will move forward based on what is right.

Austin cited Philex Mining’s “working culture” particularly its founders, “who painstakingly taken into account the protection of the environment, to consider the welfare of workers and look into the upliftment of the lives of the host and neighboring communities where the company operates.”

And having put a human face on responsible mining through the development of communities, paying the required taxes religiously, and being on the forefront of environment protection through forestation and reforestation, Austin said Philex Mining was now “braver to charter unexplored territories,” and that “we will raise the bar on responsible mining.”

In a separate forum during the fourday 63rd Annual National Mine Safety and Environment Conference (ANMSEC) organized by the Philippine Mine Safety and Environment Association, Austin stressed that Philex Mining had institutionalized its mine-waste management and social development programs in the past years.

Austin said that he’s elated that Philex Mining was one of those companies not recommended for suspension, referring to the recent technical mine audit conducted by government regulators on all mining companies nationwide.

“And this can be attributed to the hard work and dedication of its men and women in ensuring strict adherence to given mining standards and processes through the years.”

Austin added. Dexter See

HOUSES FROM SPOUSES. The Duterte Cabinet Spouses Association launched 4R Home, a shelter program for drug

users and pushers who want to mend their lives for good, on November 30, Andres Bonifacio Day, at Bonifacio Global City in Taguig. In partnership with the Metro Manila Mayor's Spouses Foundation Inc., the Cabinet Spouses Association, led by its president Mrs. Jocelyn Sueno, wife of Local Government Secretary Ismael Sueno, established a free formation house that would address the reformation and treatment of drug users who voluntarily surrendered.

LOCAL FOLKS OPPOSE ‘THE GREAT WALL OF LEYTE’

By Sandy Araneta

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HE people of Leyte need roofs over their head, not seawalls”.

In a nutshell, this is what coastal residents of three towns heavily damaged by Super Typhoon “Yolanda” exactly three years ago are clamoring for as calls for the immediate suspension of multi-billion peso seaside embankment project in the province continue to swell.

Led by the fisherfolk group Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas or Pamalakaya and People Surge, residents of affected coastal areas suggested instead for the government to realign—the P7.9-billion budget allotted for the project instead—on resilient housing and safe evacuation centers built in their communities on which the residents can run into during the calamities.

The groups said the government project Tacloban-Palo-Tanauan Tide Embankment, locally known as The Great Wall of Leyte would displace more than 14,000 households, mostly fisherfolk from a city and two coastal municipalities in the province of Leyte.

The P7.9-billion TEP, is a long stretch of seawall from Tacloban to the town of Tanauan, Leyte, touted to protect people from storm surges.

Of the 27.3-kilometer length of the embankment, 20.1 km are in Tacloban, 4.1 km will cover Palo, and 3.1 km is in Tanauan. It shall have a height of about 4.5 meters and its center line is said to stand 30 meters from the seashore.

“TEP is not rehabilitation but another major disaster that targets the

NANCY'S VISIT. Public

school teachers welcome Senator Nancy Binay as she visited different towns in the province of Isabela that were hit by Typhoon ’Lawin’ to distribute sacks of rice and financial aid from the City Government of Makati to affected families. Together with Isabela Gov. Faustino G. Dy III and Vice Gov. Antonio T. Albano, Senator Binay met with local government officials and townspeople during the turnover ceremonies on November 24.

HEALTH SUMMIT FOR YOUTH IN QC SLATED THE Quezon City government has taken the lead in promoting healthy lifestyle among the youth focusing on addressing the perils of teenage pregnancy, drug and alcohol abuse, among others.

City Mayor Herbert Bautista will mount an adolescent health summit to promote a healthy lifestyle among the youth, particularly high school students, on December 6 at the Quezon Memorial Circle.

With a theme “To Catch You, Hold You and Never Let You Go,” the activity will be highlighted by a video advocacy launch on the perils of teenage pregnancy and a teen walk by students from

the city’s different public schools and out-of-school youth, he said.

The city government will provide the youth with more access to medical services relevant to reproductive health and development, and preventive education programs drug abuse.

“The summit is a vital part of the city government’s continuing effort to address adolescent pregnancies,” Bautista said in a statement.

City health officials said high adolescent pregnancy also means high risk of maternal death.

For other physical and mental health concerns such substance abuse, habitual tardiness, absenteeism, poor

health conditions, campus conflicts, bullying and growing possibility of injuries and accidents resulting from impaired judgment will likewise be discussed as these factors contribute largely to students’ encountering drugs and alcohol problems.

Peer influence has been cited as the most common cause of drug abuse.

According to the Quezon City AntiDrug Abuse Advisory Council, chaired

by Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte, the profile of drug abusers in Quezon City based on the cases reported from 2002 to 2010 was within the age range of 12 to 17 years old when most of the students have entered high school.

fisherfolk and poor residents who were already victims of the onslaught of Yolanda, and have even yet to recover,” Fernando Hicap, Pamalakaya chairman, said in a statement.

Instead of providing concrete evacuation centers that can be a safe haven for residents during calamities, the government “wants to totally eject its residents from their only recourse,” Hicap added.

In Candahug, Palo, however, several residents already started demolishing their own houses and small businesses after the Department of Public Works and Highways compensated the structures based on assessed value.

In Cogon also in Palo, DPWH employees visited the community to assess the houses and put numbers in red vandals, indicating they will be affected by the Tide Embankment project.

According to Visayas-based People Surge, an alliance for disaster survivors in the Philippines, the affected residents will not be relo-

cated and will just instead look for themselves for any other available space within their barangay.

The groups opposing the embankment project cited a recent study made by the Center for Environmental Concerns and expert scientists from AGHAM (Advocates of Science and Technology for the People) that show that the Environmental Impact Assessment conducted for the project did not comprehensively address environmental issues such as the effects on mangroves, concerns on inland flooding, liquefaction, and other environmental hazards.

“Aside from the social and economic impacts, TEP also poses threat to our environment, contrary to its promulgation that it will mitigate the post-effects of calamities like storm surges and floods,” Hicap stressed.

The two groups led the protest at the head office of the DPWH in Manila together with members of People Surge to urge the agency to completely suspend the TEP.

FROM SEAFARERS TO ENTREPRENEURS

‘WALIS TAMBO’ CONCEPT BAGS 2016 BUSINESS PLAN OF THE YEAR ASPIRING entrepreneurs from the seafaring workforce were pitted to comeout with the best business model aimed at developing and harnessing their potentials to become business owners This year’s competition dubbed as “From Seafarers to Entrepreneurs” awarded Ryan Mark Antiquera a certificate of recognition and cash totaling to P500,000.00 for bagging the 2016 BUSINESS PLAN OF THE YEAR” plum for his “Walis Tambo” business plan during the recently concluded NRCOISP Business Plan Competition.

The National Reintegration Center for OFWs, an attached agency of the Department of Labor and Employment, together with the Integrated Seafarers of the Philippines (ISP) presented the awards to all the winners recently held at the Century Park Hotel in Manila The 2016 NRCO-ISP Business Plan Competition (Harnessing Seafarers’ Capacities for Business Enterprises Development) shortlisted from this year’s total of 41 entries received, screened and mentored from June to October.

Antiquera’s concept presented by his parents, Freddie and Elsa who hails from Bicol stood out during the final round of the competition exhibited before a panel of judges.

Aside from its simplicity and practicality, the proposal also lives up to the competition’s objective of encouraging seafarers to become entrepreneurs and at the same time support the growth of jobs in the localities.

NRCO Director Chona Mantilla encouraged seafarers aspiring to stay in the country for good to start their own

business by joining the competition next year. She cited the successful story of 2015 Business Plan of the Year awardee, William Gaspay for his seaweeds farming project proposal which is now operational in Masinloc, Zambales.

Bagging the second prize recognition and prize awards was Jackie Lou Abejaron from Region 9 who was awarded with P100,000 for her “Hermosa Weaving” business proposal.

Other finalists, received consolation prizes ranging from P20,000 to P100,000 sponsored by various seafaring and manning agencies.

The Industry Choice Awardees, who received P50,000.00 each were Ma. Socorro Nonato from the National Capital Region for her organic farming proposal; Michaelle Legaspi from Region 4A for his “crickets as alternative to meat” proposal; and Juncel Rosal from Region 11 for his hog integrated business proposal.

The remaining finalists, who received P20,000 each were: Angelo John Carlo Cruz from NCR for his poultry farming proposal; Karen Anastacio from Region 9 for her quail raising, native pig farming, and cow lending proposal; Mitchelle Bringas from Region 11 for her integrated farming of butterfly garden along with vermiculture, plants, and other animals proposal; Zelda Into and group from Region 7 for their coco products proposal; and Nydia Delfin from Region 5 for her proposal on producing and selling naturally-grown rice, ducks, and eggs through integrated rice-duck farming system. NRCO-ISP Business Plan Competition dole.nrco/www.nrco.dole.gov.ph,

Gadgets & Games

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SUNDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2016 rumallari@thestandard.com.ph

FIBER CONNECTIVITY IS NEXT BIG THING

LD Systems, a German pro audio brand, recently joined the November HiFi exhibition at Dusit Thani Manila showcasing its state-ofthe-art audio equipment which includes their newest game-changer—the Curve 500 ES Plus. Shown in photo is a guest DJ in the event enjoying the sound quality of the speaker.

CURV 500 ES SPEAKERS BLOW HIFI CROWD AWAY

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D Systems, a German pro audio brand, recently launched the first-ever hybrid speaker system in the market—the Curv 500 ES Plus, during the HiFi Show recently at the Dusit Thani Hotel in Makati City.

The launch, attended by various media writers and personalities, highlighted this state-ofthe-art speaker as a sound system that you can practically use anywhere. It can be converted to either a stereo system (for home use), or a portable vertical line array system (for stage use).

“The Curv 500 ES Plus is powered by a patented technology called WaveAhead® Technology,”Javin Garcia, Product Manager – Consumer Division of AV Solutions Corporation, the official distributor of LD Systems, said.

“In a single satellite enclosure of the Curv 500, there are actually four speakers—one full-range speaker and three

tweeters on top of the said speaker. What this gives you is consistent and clear sound with no drop-offs,” added Garcia.

Another clever technology is the SmartLink® adapter.

“It lets you connect the satellites without the hassle and complications of matching cables on each satellite speaker. This provides a lot of convenience and scalability,”Garcia said. “This is also the main reason why you can switch from stereo to line array and vice versa.”

For the first time, both home users and professionals can experience high-quality, live level sound with the LD Systems Curv 500 ES Plus.

“Home users get true professional sound, while performers can bring good sound anywhere,” Garcia said. “The Curv 500 ES Plus is good for 400 people inside a closed room, while outside, it can accommodate up to around 200 people.”

With a lot of competition in the

audio industry, LD Systems keeps up the race with its practicality and innovation. Johenson Tan, Marketing Manager in the Consumer Division of AV Solutions Corporation, believes that LD Systems products resonate well with the Filipino market.

“We are very smart consumers. We want to make sure that the products we buy are are well worth our investment,” he said.

Compared with other brands in the premium speaker category, LD Systems speakers bring comparable and oftentimes, better sound to the ears of Filipinos.

“Aside from really good sound, you get top-notch quality as well. It is engineered in Germany and comes with two-year warranty,” Tan asserts. “You can be sure that you’re getting very good value for your money.”

The Curv 500 ES Plus is priced at P74,990. It is equipped with a 4-channel mixer with Bluetooth, plus 16 DFX presets. The package comes with four satellite speakers, two SmartLink® Adapters, and a distance bar. It is available at SM Appliance, Gadgets Hub at The SM Store, Astroplus, Odyssey, Robinsons Appliance, Intune, and other leading appliance and music stores. It can also be purchased online via Lazada (http://www. lazada.com.ph/ld-systems/) and The WOW Store (https://thewowstore.com.ph/brand-ld-systems).

HYUNDAI AERO PLUS: A GENTLEMAN'S ACCESSORY CELLPRIME Distribution Corporation (Cellprime), one of the fastest-growing mobile technology brands, in partnership with online retailer Lazada and Hyundai dealer Autohub, announced the launch of the Hyundai Aero Plus, a unique smartphone that delivers on both aesthetic value and performance capabilities.

Cellprime expects the Hyundai Aero Plus to resonate strongly with design-andstyle-conscious men and car enthusiasts, given the phone’s sleek form factor and impressive features.

“Our partnership with Hyundai has enabled us to bring compelling smartphone devices to Filipinos, such as the Hyundai Aero Plus, the first smartphone designed as a gentleman’s accessory and essential daily companion,” said Eric Yu. “With the Hyundai Mobile brand, CellPrime is set to attract the Key figures of the Hyundai Aero Plus launch are shown here, namely (from left) Joey Oreta, CellPrime Chief Marketing Officer; Eric Yu, CellPrime President; Willy Tee Tan, President & CEO, Autohub Group; Lito Jose, General Manager, Hyundai Pasong Tamo

country’s population of young achievers, empowering us to fulfill the smartphone needs of every lifestyle.”

Sustaining Momentum for Hyundai Mobile

Hyundai Aero Plus

Cellprime forged a partnership with Korean automotive titan Hyundai, enabling both to benefit from their respective expertise in design, innovation, local market expertise and mobile technology leadership.

The Hyundai Aero Plus is the second phone modeltobelaunchedundertheHyundaiMobile brand in just a little over a year of partnership.

BeginningwiththesuccessfulreleaseofHyundai Aero earlier this year, Hyundai Mobile will continue to bring mobile devices for mid-to-high-end smartphone users in the Philippines.

The proper phone for the proper man

Ascribing to the Hyundai brand promise of ‘modern premium’, the Hyundai Aero Plus is packed with a smooth design and powerful features inspired by Hyundai’s latest vehicles.

Similar to the all-new Hyundai Tucson, the Hyundai Aero Plus brings a sleek, highly optimized body structure, a sophisticated matrix, and maximum storage space. The device comes in 32GB and 64GB models. Powered by a 64-bit octacore processor, it can easily multitask to give a smoother app experience, particularly for male executives who use their devices for work and play while on the go.

Running on the latest mobile OS Android Marshmallow 6.0, users can enjoy flexible storage and personalization options, easy to

use interface, biometric security, and power optimization among many other useful features. The Hyundai Aero Plus is LTEready for high-speed browsing, and also comes pre-loaded with indispensible apps for every gentleman such as ESPN, Spotify, Waze, Lazada, and Zomato, providing the tools to enjoy their interests and hobbies anytime, anywhere.

Taking its cue from a luxury car’s silhouette, the Hyundai Aero Plus has a 5.5”full HD curved screen made with in-plane switching (IPS) LCD technology, giving text and images unprecedented clarity and vibrance.

Both phones are equipped with a 21MP rear camera and 8MP front facing wide angle camera, providing crisp and sharp photos—a feature that today’s highly-social Filipino male will love given their fondness for capturing share-worthy moments. The phone’s aluminum unibody gives it a strong, masculine appearance, making it ideal for style-conscious males who appreciate a sophisticated yet sturdy design.

At PHP13,990, the 32GB Hyundai Aero Plus comes with a quick charger and 3GB of RAM; while at PHP15,990 the 64GB comes with a wireless charger and 4GB of RAM. Both are powered by a high-performance 3000mAh battery that can last at least 20 days on standby or 18 hours of talk time.

Spreading Holiday Cheer with the Hyundai Aero Plus

The Hyundai Aero Plus is a limited edition phone which will be in Lazada and other channels beginning December 7, in time for the gadget-buying rush this Christmas. Simply visit http://bit.do/ hyundaiaeroplus to purchase while supply lasts. Concurrently, Hyundai Mobile will also be giving away a Hyundai Aero plus to the first ten (10) buyers of Hyundai Tucson from Hyundai Pasong Tamo.

THE demand for high-speed internet among businesses accelerated recently.

This is due to the widespread adaption of business applications and cloud computing services, which both require a great deal of bandwidth in order to run smoothly.

However, while these applications are beneficial for boosting business productivity, these reduce the capacity of the company network to deliver highspeed internet. It also slows down business operations and causes the lost in manpower hours due to sluggish connectivity.

According to a study conducted by SanDisk, a producer of flash drives and other storage devices, employees waste an average of one week every year because of slow internet speed caused by inadequate network bandwidth.

To address this problem, most companies demand a high-bandwidth broadband connection from their internet service provider (ISP). Below are some features that allow for superior bandwidth.

Pure fiber cable vs DSL

A number of ISPs in the country deliver internet connection using domestic leased lines (DSL). These lines are capable of providing high bandwidth broadband internet via conventional telephone lines. Each line is made of copper wires that stretch for a maximum of 100 meters. It can also send broadband data through signals with a bandwidth of 1Gbps at most.

However, pure fiber cables are better materials for internet connectivity. Unlike conventional copper cables, these use optical fibers that are made of lightweight plastic material. They are also more compact and flexible. One fiber cable can stretch up to several kilometers and are capable of transmitting a bandwidth of 100 Gbps.

Hence, these fiber optic cables are capable of benefiting companies with a higher bandwidth, necessary for better streaming high definition videos, video conferencing, file sharing, and running cloud service applications.

Pure fiber technology also exhibits other features essential for improving business operations. These include reliability, symmetric connectivity, and minimal latency.

Reliability

Reliability is another feature necessary for companies that run applications on the internet. Any unplanned downtime, or interruption in the data flow, may lead to a loss of productivity.

Pure fiber technology is extremely reliable when compared to conventional DSL. Unlike DSL, pure fiber cables are more durable because it does not corrode lasting for up to 30-50 years.

They are also not prone to damages caused by inclement weather, which brings most of the downtimes among copper cables. Finally, because fiber optic cables allow more data to pass through, data traffic is faster.

Symmetric Connectivity

Fiber optic cables also allow for symmetric connectivity. This means downloads and uploads speeds are relatively the same. This is brought about by the capability of pure optical fibers to transmit data by light.

Thus, companies are benefitted with efficient data transfer.

Minimal Latencies

Latencies are the delays that occur while running business applications over an internet connection. Pure fiberoptic Internet eliminates the latency issues experienced by most DSL users.

This benefits the companies with uninterrupted uploading and downloading huge files, better quality of voice information sent over the internet, and the ability to run more applications to the cloud.

Pure fiber technology has been in the country for years now, gearing up businesses with fiber-powered connectivity.

Converge ICT, a provider of worldclass ICT products and services, takes the lead in offering pure fiber technology in the Philippines. Among its product offerings are iBiz solutions. It is a suite of internet packages that can help business processes run seamlessly with up to 50 Mbps internet. These packages include one public IP address, 100 MB Web Mail, 100 MB Web Space and 10 GB Cloud storage, respectively.

With its more than two decades of cable and telecommunications expertise in Central Luzon, Converge ICT is now taking on new markets in Metro Manila and South Luzon to meet the increasing connectivity demands of the communities in these regions.

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SUNDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2016 Riera U. Mallari, Editor rumallari@thestandard.com.ph

Gadgets & Games

CURRY IS NEW VIVO BRAND AMBASSADOR

NEXT-LEVEL CRAFTING WITH BROTHER SCAN N CUT FILIPINO crafters and creative entrepreneurs, welcome the world’s first home and hobby cutting machine with built-in scanner and Wi-Fi capability: the Brother ScanNCut CM700.

Working on your next big arts and crafts project can be fun, convenient, and wireless with the new Brother ScanNCut CM700. Designed for different types of artists and crafters—from newbies and amateurs to serious professionals and modern entrepreneurs—this machine can scan, cut, and even draw an endless range of patterns and designs with ease and precision like never before.

At Brother, we believe in using innovation to complement the lives and passions of our customers,” said Glenn Hocson, Brother Philippines President. “The Brother ScanNCut CM700 is just one of the latest innovations we are bringing in for Filipino artists, crafters, hobbyists, and entrepreneurs to bring their ideas to life.”

Create on different devices with the new wireless feature

NBA superstar Steph Curry is introduced as Vivo’s next brand ambassador during the smartphone’s grand launch recently. Peter Paul Duran

By Peter Paul Duran

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IVO, the fifth best global smartphone manufacturer, revealed a couple of surprises during their recent grand launch at the Solaire Grand Ballroom in Pasay.

The manufacturer unveiled the new Vivo V5 with an hitherto unheard of 20MP front cam and teased the V5 plus.

But the real surprise came when the brand revealed its new

brand ambassador.

Two-time MVP and Golden State Warriors’ point guard Stephen Curry will serve as the new face of the Vivo V5, as the company feels the NBA star aptly represents what Vivo is.

Vivo V5 boasts of an unheard of 20MP front cam. Peter Paul Duran

“We have chosen Steph Curry because he’s aligned with the core values of our brand,” said Vivo Philippines VP Hazel Bascon. “Our brand is a premium smartphone brand, so we only choose the best.”

During the reveal, Vivo Overseas Brand Manager Brent Loree announced that it was important that the brand select an ambassador that is “of upstanding character who could be a role model for young people in the Philippines.”

Steph Curry certainly fits the criterium.

The brand manager also said that that they have selected Curry because his dedication to the pursuit of perfection has launched him to the pinnacle of success in the international stage.

“His determination and performance on and off the court is an inspiration yo all of us (in Vivo). We are very proud to have him represent the Vivo brand here in the Philippines,” added Loree.

In a statement, the record-breaking three-point specialist said that he is very much happy for the selection.

“I’m really thankful for being part of the Vivo family and I’m looking forward to doing more activities with Vivo and its Filipino plans soon,” said Curry.

In the same launch, Vivo revealed the secret to the perfect selfie with the launch of the V5--the first ever smartphone with a whopping 20 megapixel front cam.

But wait, there’s more.

“The V5 embodies Vivo’s relentless pursuit of innovation with technologies and functions that

our consumers look for in their device,” said Bascon.

“With the V5 and its industryleading features, we continue to push the boundaries of a premium mid-range smartphone,” added Bascon as the brand also teased the next tier V5 plus during the launch but bared that the phone will be available early next year.

The Vivo V5 has a revamped 13MP rear cam that can autofocus in a snap, while the phone ports an all-metal unibody shell back case that comes in champagne gold and rose gold.

The 5.5 inch HD display is clad with the 2.5D Corning Gorilla Glass.

The 3,000mAh phone was revealed to have an all-new front-facing finger print scanner that can unlock as fast as 0.2 seconds. It is also equipped with a MediaTek MT6750 1.5GHz octa-core paired with 4GB RAM and 32 GB internal storage expandable to 128GB via micro SD slot.

The V5 redefined the perfect selfie as the 20MP Moonlight front cam features the Sony IMX376 sensor that can shoot with f/2.0 aperture coupled with a soft-light flash to capture the perfect selfie anytime, anywhere.

The phone will still retain the Smart Split feature albeit an exponential improvement from the previous version all the while sporting the Android Marshmallow 6.0.1 OS and the Funtouch 2.6.

The V5 will be available in Vivo concept stores and major retailers nationwide for P12,990. Consumers can also pre-order the V5 in major retailers to receive exclusive freebies including Vivo speakers, Vivo selfie stick and phone stent.

BUY a laptop, get new shoes (or athletic gear) for free.

This is made possible by computer giant Acer, which has teamed up with shoemaker New Balance in a Christmas promotion called #GoSwift that’s targeted at millennials who find “new and exciting ways to celebrate and have fun.”

With every purchase of a qualified Acer product—such as the trendy Acer Swift 3, Swift 5, and Swift 7—customers can get a New Balance gift card worth P5,000 absolutely free, said Sue Ong-Lim,

sales and marketing director of Acer Philippines.

To claim the New Balance GC, Acer laptop buyers just need to fill out the promo claim form and get the official receipt of their computer purchase from the store, Ong-Lim added in a press conference in Quezon City on Tuesday.

“Submit these requirements together with the cut-out of the box serial number (of the Acer product) and two valid IDs to claim the gift card,” she added.

With the gift card, an Acer customer can choose to claim New Balance shoes or items at any of 50 New Balance, Athlete’s Foot or

Planet Sports participating stores nationwide, Ong Lim added.

“Taking a stroll in New Balance shoes or journaling on a handy Acer Swift laptop are surefire ways to set things right and usher in the New Year,” said Jonathan De Guzman, marketing lead for New Balance.

Swift promotion runs until Dec. 31 at par ticipating Acer stores across the country. For more about the latest Acer Swift units and other Acer Philippines products, go to www.acer.com.ph, follow Acer via Twitter (twitter. com/acerphils) or www.Facebook. com/AcerPH.

Working on your next big arts and crafts project can be fun, convenient, and wireless with the new Brother ScanNCut CM700

Four-step creative process

With the Brother ScanNCut CM700, the next big creation is completed in four simple steps: See, Scan, Cut, and Create.

Users can take magazine clippings, online images, favorite photos, and even their own drawings and sketches, scan them on the built-in 300dpi scanner, and immediately cut the design on a wide range of materials, from paper and cardstock to fabric and vinyl. A simple press of a button is all it takes to cut out designs perfectly!

The Brother ScanNCut CM700 comes with various accessories and the ScanNCutCanvas web app to get users started on creative projects right out of the box.

Eye-catching projects and creations

WANT NEW SHOES? BUY AN ACER LAPTOP

By Jimbo Gulle

Always at the forefront of technology and innovation, Brother is constantly designing and developing features that enhance daily life and activities for its users. With the CM700, users can now create patterns and designs on their smartphones and tablet computers anytime and anywhere, then instantly send them over to the cutting machine through a wireless network.

“By giving the CM700 Wi-Fi capability, Brother is truly changing the way users think about cutting machines forever,” added Hocson. “Users can enjoy hundreds of built-in designs that can eliminate the need for design cartridges or PC connections, and now they can use their own unique designs created on mobile devices for their projects whenever, wherever.”

Acer Swift 7, the world's thinnest

The Brother CM700’s impressive features take the tedious tasks out of the equation, allowing users to focus on translating their big ideas on paper, cardstock, vinyl, and even fabric.

Creating customized greeting cards, decorative stickers and decals, plush toys, fashion accessories, and more can be fast, easy, and fun—as well as allow entrepreneurs to maximize their time and resources, and keep products uniform in shape and size. All these can help with profit margins and management of customer expectations.

Get started on exploring endless creative possibilities with the Brother ScanNCut CM700! For more information on this product and the latest innovations from Brother Philippines, visit brother.com.ph or call (02) 581-9888.

E1

Young Life

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2016 Isah V. Red, Editor / Bernadette Lunas, Issue Editor isahred@gmail.com.ph

Scan this icon to view the PDF

TRAIN TO BACLARAN. A festive LRT 1 train decked with Christmas decors.

Photo by Lino Santos

SNEAKERS

ARE A GIRL’S BEST FRIEND, TOO

By Bernadette Lunas

G

IVE a girl a pair of sneakers, and she can conquer the world confidently and comfortably. That, they said, was the intention of American footwear brand Keds when they created the first canvas-top sneakers, known as the Champion.

“Back in the day, women had to wear leather boots and uncomfortable high heels which were totally not practical,” Keds head of retail Karen Ong shared with Manila Standard.

When the label was founded in 1916, it launched the first pair of canvas-top and rubber-sole shoes made for women, who then had a few comfortable footwear options.

“Keds basically gave them the freedom to have something accessible and fashion-forward, [a footwear] that allowed them to do the thing they wanted to do, go where they wanted to go, and chase all their aspirations,” added Ong.

As timeless as the little black dress

The simple yet vital purpose of sneakers made them popular among young girls and older female. The said shoes were even worn by iconic celebrities and tastemakers such as Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe, Jackie Kennedy Onassis and Betty White, among many others.

They were also featured in television and film: Jennifer Grey danced her way to Patrick Swayze’s heart wearing Champion in the movie Dirty Dancing, and Kelly Kapowski rocked her Keds pair in the halls of Bayside High in the hit sitcom Saved by the Bell.

Its no-fuss style made the pair a versatile fashion staple, transcending time and ever-changing trends.

“Keds’s classic and timeless style made it an icon,” Ong said when asked how the centenarian brand managed to appeal to today’s young ones. “It never goes out of fashion, it’s like a little black dress. It can go with anything.”

Perhaps it also helps that sneakers have crawled their way from merely for athletics to a stylish fashion item. “A few years back, you only wear sneakers for sports. It’s not the case now. Sports is fashion,” emphasized the Keds official.

Turn to E2

CHRISTMAS EXPRESS: GOOD VIBES AMID HOLIDAY RUSH TAKING the train, especially during rush hour, is almost always an unpleasant experience. There is queuing, jostling, shoving and cramming that leave passengers harassed and exhausted even before their days have started.

This situation worsens come Christmas season.

In an attempt to brighten the mood and surprise passengers, the Light Rail Manila Corporation (LRMC) decked one of its Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT-1) trains with Yuletide decors a few weeks before Christmas Day. LRMC corporate communications head Rochelle Gamboa said the purpose of launching a Christmas Train is to lighten the mood of tired passengers who get stuck in traffic and struggle with commuting on a daily basis.

It surely looks like Christmas inside the Roosevelt-Baclaranbound Christmas Train with its wreaths, lanterns, red and green overhead lights, candystriped poles and a photo of the Nativity scene.

To further spread holiday cheer, LRMC is set to launch a “Selfie Contest” for commuters which will run until January 8, 2017. the LRT operator will also hold a series of concert performances at the Doroteo Jose station beginning on Dec. 2. And starting Dec. 3, senior citizens and Persons with Disability can ride the LRT for free every weekend.

An image of the Nativity scene

STYLISH DREAM CHASERS. Chic and comfortable footwear options—such as those Keds offers—allow women to do what they want to do and go where they want to go without being restricted by impractical shoes.

Wreaths and lanterns adorn the windows of the Christmas Train

Young Life

E2

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2016 isahred@gmail.com

SNEAKERS...

From E1

‘Ladies first since 1916’

A hundred years have passed and yet Keds still focuses on women and on offering them more sneaker selections.

Ong said the brand’s market is close to 100 percent female, that, despite of them offering sneakers for men as well. “The Keds brand itself has always been about ladies first, and throughout the history it really became a staple in women’s closets.”

Today, Keds, and sneakers for that matter, appeal to teenage girls and women in their late 20s, according to Ong. “That’s [the age] when they are really trying to find themselves and trying to be comfortable in who they are.”

Finding their perfect pair

Fashion and lifestyle blogger Laureen Uy, for instance, admitted that she had always worn high heels when she was younger, something that she have outgrown. “As I grow older I just feel like I went all out for sneakers,” she related.

Laureen shared that her current favorite is the quintessential white sneakers. “If you’re traveling, white sneakers, for me, is the best pair to bring because you can wear them with jeans, skirt or shirt.”

Just like Laureen, top model and singer Jessica Yang said she used to set aside sneakers in favor of other footwear. But their versatility made them appealing to her.

“You can always match [the shoes] with different outfits as long as you feel comfortable. When you feel good, it matches.”

Meanwhile, casual means sneakers for style and travel blogger Bea Marin. “I love wearing sneakers ‘cause I’m very casual most of the time... they’re comfortable and very versatile.”

Laureen, Jessica and Bea are three of the five muses Keds Philippines tapped for its Fall 2016 collection.

They are joined by Akiko Abad and Janeena Chan.

Latest collection

Keds’s Fall 2016 collection showcases the same style—women have loved through the years—but with different material executions.

“The Fall collection is all about evolving our style in a way that is true to our iconic brand,” Keds president Chris Lindner said in a statement.

The range takes inspiration from three key ideas: classic Americana, utilitarian chic, and theme of celebration.

A fun play on preppy style captures the ‘70s mood in sneakers made of various prints and materials such as slub tweed, windowpane plaid, jersey, chambray, wool and retro floral prints.

The military trend serves as another inspiration for the season. Keds is able to inject utilitarian details by pairing shimmer and hints of strawberry pink with a palette of olive and gray. Ripstop, wool, burnished leather and metallic canvas materials are cornerstones of the trend.

Festive patterns and high-shine styles mark the theme of celebration.

Shoes under this inspiration are accentuated with glitter wool, metallic knit, flocked sequin and exotic shimmer leather, among others.

HOW DOES IT FEEL TO FLY A

LIKE AN EAGLE

SK people what kind of superpower they wish to have, and many would say “to be able to fly.”

The country’s premier amusement park, Enchanted Kingdom makes this wish sort of come true when it finally opens its newest and grandest attraction yet, Agila the EKsperience on Sunday, Dec. 11.

Agila the EKsperience is the first and only flying theater in the Philippines and said to be the largest flying theater of its kind. It is inspired by our national bird, the Philippine Eagle.

The newest attraction uses a patented motion picture technology that creates a realistic sensation of flight as if like an eagle. Strapped on their seats, guests will get to “travel” from Batanes to Cagayan de Oro through the six-minute film which was shot in 10 days across more than 3,000 kilometers.

The visually stunning film will be viewed on a large format screen, whose combined area of 544 square meters is said to be larger than a basketball court and the typical IMAX theater screen.

Aside from a visual treat courtesy of the film that showcases the natural wonders of the Philippines, the flight is amped up with

multi-sensory effects such as wind, water, mist, scents and the combination of overhead stereo speakers and seat bass shakers for the most realistic flying sensation.

The journey begins with the wise Wizard Eldar’s magical mission. He summons his mighty friend Agila to take visitors on an aerial quest to find and restore the light to the fading gem stones of Earth, Water and Air. As if by magic, the theater lifts guests from the ground and transports everyone across the country, to see the most amazing places from the vantage point of an eagle.

EK President Mario Mamon said Agila is the theme park’s most expensive attraction yet.

“It is, without mentioning any numbers, a substantial investment,” said Mamon. “But this is something that we feel will be really world class and will put Enchanted Kingdom at par with other amusement parks in Southeast Asia.”

In essence, Agila is both a fun and educational ride that can be enjoyed by all ages.

Agila the EKsperience is housed in the massive nine-story building Enchanted Kingdom started building in March 2015. An attraction on its own, the iconic structure is designed to depict the sun and its eight rays as a tribute to the Philippine flag—a testament to EK’s commitment to building Filipino pride.

SOAR HIGH.

Enchanted Kingdom opens the first flying theater in the country, Agila the EKsperience, that features the natural wonders of the Philippines.

JUSTIN CASQUEJO CLIMBS NEW HEIGHTS

The 18-year-old Fil-Am daredevil hangs onto a pole up above New York (@livejn)

REMEMBER the Filipino-American teenager who scaled the World Trade Center’s centerpiece tower in March 2014 and got arrested?

Well, two years later, he’s at it again, perched dozens of stories above New York City.

When then 16-year-old Justin Casquejo was arrested, he was sentenced to 30 days community service, ordered to have counseling, and was made to write a 1,200-word essay. He was called an “airhead,” a “selfish thrill-seeker,” and a “daredevil.” But as he put it in one of his latest post on his Instagram account (@livejn), he believes he and everyone are “limitless.”

Now 18, Casquejo and his pals continue their nerve-wracking hobby of scaling skyscrapers in Manhattan—standing on ledges, hanging onto poles and sitting on rooftops—like its just any other ordinary day.

Armed with cameras, physical strength and loads of guts, they document their stunts in stunning photos and videos. People seeing them understandably have mixed reactions.

Some are fascinated with his skill and fearlessness, many are disturbed by his recklessness of putting his life and others’ in great danger, and a few wonders how the heck he got to those locations and how he got back down from there.

Browsing through his IG profile, its easy to say that the Weehawken, New Jersey based teenager is probably just someone looking for Internet fame or a young guy who has so much time in his hand. Might be. But putting so much of himself in great risk, he also seems to be someone who just wants to live his life in this world full of people afraid to even take a few steps up because they have grown comfortable on the ground.

A caption on one of his photos puts it best, “If you want freedom, take it. It’s yours.”

Fear of heights? Definitely not for Justin Casquejo who’s back at scaling skyscrapers We just hope he’d be extra careful all the time. -BL again. Photo from Instagram account @livejn

Showbiz

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2016

E3

IÑIGO PASCUAL

EMBARKS ON A MUSICAL JOURNEY

Hope of new music from the Korean girl group 2NE1 came to a crashing halt when the act announced its formal disbandment

S

AFTER 2NE1 SPLIT, WHAT’S NEXT FOR SANDARA? OUTH Korea’s biggest and iconic girl band, 2NE1, officially called it quits leaving Blackjacks (2NE1’s fan group) grieving with the news.

After the announcement that the members of the group decided to go separate ways, Sandara Park, together with the group’s leader, CL, signed solo contracts with YG Entertainment, according to the announcement released on the K-pop website, Soompi, on Nov. 25.

“Rather than waiting an unknown amount of time for 2NE1’s next promotions, we have decided to focus on the members’ solo activities,” the statement says.

The entertainment agency also revealed reasons on why 2NE1 was disbanded altogether. They said that the girl group was bound to split up because of its members’ solo endeavors apart from going on a long hiatus.

In the beginning of 2015, Dara, one of ABS-CBN’s Pinoy Boyband Superstars jurors, started focusing on her acting career, starring in the online dramas such as Dr. Ian, We Broke Up and in the romcom TV show Missing You alongside actor Kim Jeong Hoon, seeing it as her huge breakout as an actress.

With 2NE1’s contract coming to an end and Minzy’s departure in April, YG Entertainment, after many discussions, decided to officially disband the K-pop

group after its seven successful years in the Korean music industry.

After 2NE1’s contract expired, Dara and CL renewed their contract with the entertainment agency except for Park Bom who didn’t re-sign leaving the management to officially announce her departure on the same day of the disbandment.

When 2NE1 youngest member, Minzy, left 2NE1 in April, YG’s CEO, Yan Hyun Suk thought they could still manage to continue the group’s music career even with only three members.

But since Minzy’s split with the group, 2NE1 hasn’t been seen in any group activities. After the release of band’s second full-length album, “Crush” in February 2014, they also haven’t made any comeback ever since.

The girl group was last seen performing at the 2015 Mnet Asian Music Awards (MAMA) in Hong Kong in which they performed their hit songs “I Am the Best” and “Fire”. The surprise appearance in which they got to be reunited was the group’s only activity in 2015. Their performance, however, was marked by MAMA’s 2015 as the most-viewed and best girl-group performance as recorded and listed by Fuse. Bianca Domingo

CROSSWORD PUZZLE Sunday, December 4, 2016

ACROSS 1 Miss Piggy’s aunts 5 Leafy vegetable 10 Springlike 16 Busch Gardens city 21 Swabber’s need 22 Comic — Mandel 23 A Mandrell sister 24 Jugs 25 Long-active volcano 26 Hem and haw 27 Just say no 28 Low voices 29 Anytime 31 “— — Mouse” 33 Wasps’ homes 35 Festive night 36 Medieval alliance 37 Wings, in botany 40 Not sm. or med.

41 Ballad writer 42 Leb. neighbor 45 Guitarist — Paul 46 Hearing aid?

48 Touch of frost 50 Sturdy shoes 52 Wielded a hoe 54 Baseball VIPs 55 Minn. neighbor 57 Way of Lao-Tzu 58 “— the Dragon” 59 Tide causer 60 Lab compound 62 Cast a shadow 66 Etc.’s kin (2 wds.)

67 Environment 69 Reviewer 71 Urban woe 72 Budgies 74 Famous Chairman 76 Late- — 78 Wheel buy (2 wds.)

79 Open wide 80 Yellow pads 83 Like an unlucky whale 85 Gem surface 88 Jacques, in song 89 Hollows 90 Highway menace 93 Cavorts 95 Wolf’s expression 97 Planet, in verse 98 Hostel visitor 100 You don’t say!

101 Droll 106 Mix it up 108 Mardi Gras event 110 Rascals 112 Lady Chaplin 113 Asian capital 115 Inspiration 116 Gridder — Alonzo Stagg 117 Hightail it 118 Geol. formation 120 Mouse alerts 122 Drains, as energy

123 124 128 129 130 131 132 133 135 137 139 140 142 144 148 150 153 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163

Shortage Hardly a homebody Gas-pump abbr.

Current regime Good disguise Date regularly Elvis’ middle name — — few rounds Bill, briefly Laces into Chatter Doohickey Royal pronoun All you can carry, and then some Soar Less fatty Caribbean island Bubble — Las senoritas Restaurant patrons Tap-dancer of old musicals Zola novel Textile workers Deepen, as a canal Inches forward Flower holder

DOWN 1 Pour out violently 2 Vow 3 Napa Valley product 4 Informal speech 5 Harassed 6 Mean dwellings 7 Grant 8 Eliminate 9 Insect repellent 10 Like a cold bug 11 Sooner than 12 Literary monogram 13 No, to Fraulein 14 Lensman — Adams 15 Dismisses (2 wds.)

16 Afternoon socials 17 Belt maker’s tool 18 Falling star 19 Demonstrated 20 Valuable holdings 30 Calculus pioneer 32 Galley slaves’ need 34 Manual 38 Ms. Landers 39 Fluffy quilt 41 Makes light of 42 Win every game 43 Gossipy type 44 Pave over 46 “Me” devotee 47 “Judith” composer 49 Takes fright 51 Musical notes 53 Buttonholed, maybe 54 Shed one’s coat 56 Geisha’s zither

59 61 63 64 65 67 68 69 70 73 75 77 81 82 84 85 86 87 91 92 93 94 95 96 99 102 103 104 105

Deportment Branch Menotti hero Gift recipient Zounds!

Vet office sound Pique Forces Fair grade Bates of “Misery” Coeur d’— Gushes over Olduvai loc.

Jeans go-with Brazilian dance Frat recruits Major artery Cruise accommodations Alley from Moo Largest of the Marianas “Star Trek” weapon Quagmires They may be sealed 911 responder Actual RN employers Rockies’ brew Drop — — to Woodworking tool

107 109 111 114 117 119 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 130 134 136 137 138 140 141 143 145 146 147 149 151 152 154

Chariot race bettor Fakes, in hockey “Brian’s Song” lead — be an honor!

“Love Story” writer Close by Barracks off.

In — (as found) Unnerves Harped on Aloud Gulf port Ready to strike Trill Lend — — (listen) Telegraph code Drives a semi Whistle stops Hardy’s dairymaid Box office Don Juan Trapped like — — “Great” dog Hi-tech junk mail — es Salaam Jarrett of NASCAR Joule fraction Power agcy.

GOING SOLO. Dara or Sandara Park to her Filipino fans took to Twitter to thank all the people who supported the band’s career.

The young Pascual is stepping out of his father’s shadow

THE shadow cast by the reputation of actor, recording star and celebrity endorser Piolo Pascual is a large one—but his unico hijo is stepping out of it grabbing his own share of the limelight. But it’s not as simple task for the showbiz scion.

Everybody knows that Iñigo Pascual has some big shoes to fill. And since giving show business a try, the 19-year-old has been trying all possible ways to get noticed. Indeed, it’s difficult to be Papa P’s only son as he needs to meet people’s expectations.

In an effort to make a name for himself, Iñigo recently dropped a self-titled album that aims to showcase his musical chops as a singer and songwriter.

Iñigo’s passion for music goes back to his childhood when he learned to play the piano at the age of seven – all by himself. At 12, he already knew how to play the guitar and ukulele. It was also the first time Iñigo wrote a song, called “Fallen,” which is included in his album.

He also dabbled in theater when he played Link Larkin in the musical Hairspray in high school.

As he appeared in teleseryes and movies, he also started showcasing his musical talent. He recorded the song “Lullabye Bye”for Star Music’s OPM Fresh album, which enlisted up-and-coming artists, and he wrote the song “Dito” for his episode in Wansapanataym in 2015.

Now that he has made his dream come true by releasing his first album, the road is going to be lot bumpier and more exciting for Inigo. And like his musical influences Sam Concepcion, Chris Brown, Justin Bieber, and Nick Jonas, Inigo is ready to be a total performer – to produce the next big hit, top music charts, and start a dance craze with his first single “Dahil Sa’yo”.

The self-titled album contains three of his compositions: his first single “Dahil Sa’yo,”“Fallen,” and “Dito.”

Completing the track list are his cover of “Binibini,” and all-original songs “That Hero” composed by Jonathan Manalo, “Your Love” composed by Shorya Shorma and Samuel Simpson – Singaporean-based and from Academy of Rock composers, “Ikaw at Ako” composed by Gabriel Tagadtad and “Live Life Brighter” by Miles Blue Sy – composer of Gimme 5’s “Hatid Sundo” and the bonus tracks “Lullabye Bye” and “Dito (Acoustic).”

The album was produced by Kidwolf, who also worked on songs by Star Music artists Marion Aunor, Gimme 5, and Matteo Guidicelli.

E4

Showbiz

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2016 Isah V. Red, Editor / Nickie Wang, Issue Editor isahred@gmail.com

EXTRA INTERNATIONAL

ANNE CURTIS, ELLEN ADARNA FLASH SKIN IN SEXY PHOTO SHOOTS

The TV host also added, “Sending positivity and happiness out to the universe as the holidays are just around the corner.”

Anne cut her hair short in October as she prepares for her role in the upcoming movie Buy Bust directed by Erik Matti. The film, which what could easily prove to be Anne and Erik Matti’s biggest international film to date, also stars MMA fighter Brandon Vera.

Anne underwent rigorous training to pick up the skills required for the movie. She tried to learn as much from her training because she wanted to do all her stunts in the movie herself. She utilizes extensive knife and stick techniques as shown in the film’s behind the scenes footage.

Meanwhile, the recently launched Tanduay 2017 calendar girl and the controversial TV actress, Ellen, has finally revealed the reason why she went completely naked while frolicking on an undisclosed beach last month.

The 28-year-old Cebu native is back this month for a third go-round as cover girl for FHM Philppines magazine.

Considered as the most provocative cover of FHM since it seriously toned down its content, eschewing nudity and humor for artsy pictorials and thoughtful articles, it features Ellen in “naughty by nature” theme for the cover shoot snapped by top photographer Mark Nicdao.

“Because of our cover girl’s stunning physique and bold personality, we were compelled to release two versions of her cover,” writes Anton Umali for the teaser piece announcing the cover issue.

“In the first, she is wrapped in vines, embodying the essence of Mother Nature—a strong woman very much in control. In the second, she stands amid tempestuous waves, glowing as she basks in the glorious light of the sunset.”

Ellen was said to be dead serious about the provocative shoot she even went unconscious after she fainted during the early part of the shoot.

Taylor Swift (center) in Jun Escario ensemble

Taylor Swift’s sexy black dress by Pinoy designer AMERICAN singer Taylor Swift was spotted wearing a dress by a Filipino designer at an event in New York.

In the Instagram account of The Archives and Showroom, a photo was shared featuring the pop star donning a dress by local fashion designer Jun Escario.

Escario said he was surprised when he found out that the pop star wore his creation. He now joins other Filipino designers such as Michael Cinco, Oliver Tolentino and Monique Lhullier, who have dressed some of Hollywood’s A-list stars.

Ma’Rosa stars Andi Eigenmann and Jaclyn Jose

‘Ma’ Rosa’ wins another award FILIPINO filmmaker Brillante Mendoza and his film Ma’Rosa won another award, this time at the recentlyconcluded 54th Gijón International Film Festival in Spain.

Mendoza carried the Philippines’ pride at the Spanish film festival by winning Best Director for the same film that earned the country and Jaclyn Jose the first Best Actress award from the Cannes International Film Festival.

The Filipino filmmaker was described on the Gijón festival site as “one of the exponents and prolific authors of the current Asian cinema highs” and “as always enjoyed the favor of critics thanks to risky subjects with which reality unfiltered plasma; issues such as incest, bigamy, crime or prostitution.”

Tanduay’s 2017 Calendar Girl Ellen Adarna smolders as she goes completely naked for FHM’s cover story

By Nickie Wang

Rumored couple Pia Wurtzbach and Marlon Stockinger on a dinner date at a posh resto in Singapore

T

WO magazine covers are making rounds online after they feature two actresses sensationally showing more than what they should have.

Anne Curtis graced the cover of the latest issue of Metro Magazine topless while her fellow Kapamilya star Ellen Adarna went completely naked during the cover shoot for FHM. It wasn’t quite a change of pace for Anne since she has already appeared on magazine covers a few times showing more than what she’s supposed to.

This time, wearing only a pair of denim jeans, the former Dyosa star captured the hearts of men and women alike in a sexy yet fun and fashionable issue of the popular glossy.

“First one with my short hair, too! Thank you for having me again, Metro. Big hugs and kisses to all of you! Here’s to ending 2016 with a smile and welcoming 2017 with love, laughter and happiness!”

Anne said on the caption of her Instagram post sharing the cover of the magazine with her some 6.1 million followers.

Pia Wurtzbach in Singapore

LOOK AT THOSE ABS!

Former Dyosa star Anne Curtis is sexy, fun and fashionable in the latest cover of Metro Magazine

MISS Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach was in Singapore to join the next season of Asia’s Next Top Model as guest judge.

In a photo shared on Instagram, the beauty queen was shown turning a bridge in Singapore into a catwalk while half-naked male models walk behind her.

Fans went crazy upon seeing the photo but they were even more surprised when Pia posted a snapchat video of her having dinner at Osteria Mozza (a top Italian restaurant in Singapore) with rumored boyfriend Marlon Stockinger after the shoot.

The racing driver, on the other hand, posted a photo on Instagram along with the rather simple yet meaningful caption: Dinner date.