Manila Standard - 2017 January 08 - Sunday

NPC: NBI NETWORK USED IN 2016 ‘COMELEAK’

By John Paolo Bencito and Sandy Araneta ONE of the Internet Protocol addresses that were used in “the worst recorded breach on a government-held personal database in the world” last March was traced to the National Bureau of Investigation, according to the National

Privacy Commission.

“One large exfiltration occurred on the evening of 23 March 2016, by a computer with a registered IP address of 202.90.136.202,” the NPC said in its report on the hacking of the databases maintained by the Commission on Elections in March last year, an incident now known as “Comeleak.”

“[The NPC] later learned that this IP address was assigned to the National Bureau of Investigation from 13 October 2015, or six months prior to the exfiltration,” the NPC said.

NBI spokesperson Ferdinand Lavin, concurrent deputy director for Forensic and Scientific Research Services, said the agency could not make an official com-

ment until after they confer with their computer crimes division.

But information technology expert Pierre Tito Galla, co-founder of the advocacy group Democracy.Net.PH, was alarmed that the computer network of the country’s premier criminal investigation agency was used in a crime.

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ANOTHER FOREIGN JIHADIST KILLED

By Francisco Tuyay

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ECURITY forces shot dead a suspected foreign jihadist and his female companion after they resisted policemen and soldiers who were sent to arrest them in a coastal town of Sarangani province Saturday morning.

Central Mindanao police spokesperson Supt. Romeo Galgo said the slain jihadist was known only by his nom de guerre Abu Naila and his

companion as Kadija and authorities believe he is one of the Indonesian or Malaysian fugitives linked with the terrorist Islamic State.

Galgo did not say how security forces learned of Abu Naila’s location but a joint task force composed of Special Action Force commandos and troops of the 4th Special Action Battalion and 27th Infantry Battalion were sent to Barangay Daliao in Maasim town to arrest them.

Abu Naila, however, refused to yield and even lobbed a grenade at the authorities, prompting the lawmen to fire at the suspect and his female companion, Galgo said, adding that bomb components and IS-related propaganda was

also found at Abu Naila’s hideout.

Galgo said Abu Naila is believed to be a member of the Ansar AlKhilafah Philippines, whose leader Mohammad Jaafar Maguid, alias Tokboy, was also killed on Jan. 5 in an encounter with government troops at Angel Beach Resort in Kiamba town, also in Sarangani province.

Abu Naila was the first foreign terrorist killed this year by government forces in Mindanao after President Rodrigo Duterte ordered an all-war against terrorists.

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BUSINESS / C1

DEVELOPERS BRING MALIBU TO LA UNION

WORLD / B4

FIVE DEAD IN FLORIDA AIRPORT SHOOTING

SPORTS / C3

FOLAYANG IS 2016 FIGHTER OF THE YEAR

FIRST STORM OF 2017 MAY HIT VISAYAS

PERSONS OF INTEREST. Two police commandos in combat fatigues watch over 50 men who were held for questioning amid intelligence reports of a terrorist threat on the procession of the Black Nazarene in Quiapo, Manila on Monday. Norman Cruz

US, UK, CANADA ALERTS OUT

By Sara Susanne D. Fabunan THE United States, the United Kingdom and Canada issued separate advisories to their nationals in Manila for Monday’s procession of the Black Nazarene.

Posted on their website, the US Embassy noted that there will be road closures and massive pedestrian and vehicle traffic along Roxas Boulevard and adjacent major thoroughfares.

All cellphone coverage will also be jammed in the vicinity of areas along the route of the procession, with expected telecommunication disruptions throughout Metro Manila, it added.

“Travel in the downtown Manila area [will be] difficult or impossible, as people assemble to participate in the event and during the event itself,” the embassy posted on its website on Friday.

The Manila City government has already declared Jan. 9 a local holiday with all city offices and schools closed.

The US Embassy will also be closed.

The British government, meanwhile, cited information from the Department of the Interior and Local Government on possible terror threats to the procession.

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HEIGHTENED ALERT. Government troops listen to orders from their commander as they heightened their alert after a jailbreak involving 158 inmates and the killing of local and foreign terrorists in Mindanao. AFP

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THE weather disturbance east of Mindanao developed into a tropical depression and is threatening to move through the Visayas after making landfall in the Surigao area on Sunday or Monday, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said Saturday.

The state weather bureau renamed the tropical depression “Auring” which was moving 7 kph 120 km east of Hinatuan town in Surigao del Sur. It is expected to reach the vicinity of San Miguel in the same province by Monday morning.

Pagasa expects ‘‘Auring’’ to be about 95 km west-northwest of Dumaguete City in the Visayas’ Negros Oriental province by Tuesday morning and in the vicinity of Palawan province’s Puerto Princesa City by Wednesday morning. ‘‘Auring’’ was the low-pressure area that hovered east of Mindanao earlier this month and intensified into a tropical depression Saturday.

According to Pagasa, ‘‘Auring’’ was packing maximum sustained winds of 45 kph near its center and gustiness of up to 55 kph.

Estimated rainfall is from moderate to heavy within the 300-km diameter of Auring, the bureau added.

Earlier, Pagasa weather forecaster Glaiza Escullar said the LPA’s intensification into a tropical depression will likely bring rain to Leyte, Southern Cebu, Bohol and Negros Oriental provinces in Visayas, Mindanao’s northern areas, Zamboanga peninsula and Caraga region, as well as Palawan Turn to A2 in Luzon.

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NPC: ...

PH NARCOTICS CATCH HITS P18B

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“If it was someone from the NBI who exfiltrated the file, that means a member of one of our law enforcement agencies committed a crime,” Galla told the Manila Standard.

“It is important for the NBI to explain.

In fact, I would say that the NBI has the responsibility to explain the fact that the Comelec breach was exploited by unknown person or persons using the NBI network,” he added.

He also called on the Department of Justice to investigate the Comeleak and detertmine the NBI’s possible involvement.

“I agree 100 percent with the NPC that the DoJ should investigate that,” Galla said. “The DoJ must institute measures that NBI personnel must not commit illegal access and other cybercrimes.”

Galla likewise scored Comelec Chairman Andres Bautista who have claimed “the poll body had been following accepted standards and international best practices in its technology-related activities and services,” even before the hacking of the Comelec website.

In fact, university professor Danilo Arao, a convenor of the poll watch group Kontra Daya, the Comeleak incident was sufficient ground to impeach Bautista, whom the NPC held accountable for his supposed mismanagement of the personal data of millions of Filipinos.

“If proven guilty, this could be a ground for Bautista’s impeachment, especially considering that the leak was initially reported by TrendMicro on April 6 and the Comelec at that time failed to disclose the extent of the breach,” Arao said in a statement.

“The officials’ past apologies for what happened are not enough as they should all be accountable for the damage they have done.”

On Thursday, the NPC found the Comelec liable for violating the Data Privacy Act of 2012 and recommended the criminal prosecution of Bautista for “the worst recorded breach on a government-held personal database in the world” last March.

The commission underscored Bautista’s “lack of appreciation” of the principle that data protection is more than just implementation of security measures.

Bautista, however, denied committing any wrongdoing for what has since been called the “Comeleak” that occurred between March 20 and 27 last year and argued that the NPC’s allegations were based on a “misappreciation” of several facts, legal points, and material contexts.

The group said that Bautista’s apparent neglect enabled hackers to gain access to the private information of millions of registered voters.

“The dereliction of duty is even more magnified by the fact that the Comelec website itself was defaced on March 27, thus putting into question the integrity and security of the commission’s information technology apparatus,” Arao added.

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RESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte urged the military and police to redouble the war against drugs as drug enforcers reported having seized P18.27 billion worth of narcotics precursor chemicals last year, a 238.2 percent increase over 2015.

AFP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla said Duterte issued the order to ranking officials of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and Philippine National Police during the New Year Joint AFPPNP Command Conference held at the Heroes Hall of Malacañang Palace Friday.

“During the command conference, the Commander-in-Chief was provided a security update of the current national security situation by the AFP and an update on current law enforcement operations by the PNP,” Padilla said.

At the same time, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency

said law enforcement agencies seized P18.27 billion worth of illegal drugs and precursor chemicals in 2016—a 238.2 percent increase over 2015—and arrested 219 government personnel.

PDEA director general Isidro Lapeña also said 112 foreigners were arrested last year for involvement in the narcotics trade, 79 of them in the first six months of the Duterte administration.

The agency said 88 of the government personnel arrested last year were elected officials—two municipal councilors and the rest barangay chairmen or council members—95 were government

employees, and the remaining 36 were law enforcers, with the highest ranked a lieutenant colonel.

Of these, 135 were arrested in the latter half of the year, a 60.7 percent increase over the 84 arrested in the first semester of 2016.

This was the highest number of government personnel arrested for involvement in drugs in a single year and a nine percent increase over the 201 nabbed in 2015, said Lapeña, who also noted that “the numbers have increased significantly each succeeding year.”

Since 2010, the PDEA said, 842 government personnel—274 elected officials, 373 government employees, and 195 law enforcers—have been arrested.

The PDEA said a total of 2,495 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine or shabu, with an estimated street value of P12.8 billion, was seized last year in operations that also netted 1,904 so-called “high-

value targeted drug personalities.”

The seized shabu was four times that in 2015 and more than the combined 2,264 kilos seized from 2012 to 2015.

Anti-drug operations also led to the eradication of 337 marijuana plantations and the destruction of over P5 billion worth of plants and seedlings, an 18 percent increase over the 286 sites targeted in 2015. A total of 1,105.76 kilos of dried marijuana leaves were also seized last year, a 159 percent jump over 2015’s 427.43 kilos.

Seizures of ecstasy tablets and cocaine also registered increases of 649 and 575.6 percent, respectively.

Of the foreigners arrested last year, 53 were Chinese, including seven from Hong Kong, 29 were Taiwanese, and seven were Koreans, and 79 were captured in the latter half of the year.

This brought the total of foreigners arrested for drugs since 2010 to 473.

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of the local authorities,” it said in an updated advisory on Saturday.

The Canadian Embassy cautioned its citizens who are planning to join the procession.

“Although the event is normally peaceful, if you plan on attending, please exercise caution and expect heavy traffic in the area,” it said via Facebook.

On Monday, the Traslacion or the procession that carries the black wooden statue of Jesus Christ carrying a cross will begin at the Quirino Grandstand in Rizal Park, and proceed to the Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene, colloquially known as Quiapo Church.

The 4.5-mile procession usually lasts for 20 hours due to the immense crowds along the route. Catholics will start gathering in the Rizal Park area on Sunday.

The procession is notorious for casualties that result from the jostling of the millions of barefooted devotees as they pull the carriage bearing the supposedly miraculous statue.

The US also reminded the existing Department of State Worldwide Caution, dated Sept. 9, 2016, indicating that there is an ongoing threat of terrorist actions and violence against American citizens and interests abroad, including the Philippines.

The UK, meanwhile, maintained the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s advice against all travel to Western Mindanao and the Sulu Archipelago because of ongoing terrorist activity and clashes between the military and insurgent groups, and advised against all but essential travel to the rest of Mindanao and to the south of Cebu province, including the municipalities of Dalaguete and Badian, due to the threat of terrorism.

THANKS FOR YOUR SERVICE. The head gear of policeman Enrico Domingo lies on his flag-draped coffin to honor his gallantry in the government’s war against drugs. President Rodrigo Duterte himself visited the slain cop’s wake in Tanza, Cavite on Friday. Malacañang Photo

ANOTHER...

FIRST...

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In November 2015, Indonesian national Ibrahim Alih, also known as Abdul Fatah, a Jemaah Islamiya operative in Mindanao under the protection of the AKP, was also killed with seven Filipino jihadists in Palimbang, Sultan Kudarat.

The slain Indonesian national was said to be involved on Oct. 12, 2002 bombing in Bali, Indonesia that left 202 people, including 88 Australians, 38 Indonesians and 20 other nationalities with 209 injured.

Fatah was a long-wanted terrorist along with two other JI operatives, the late Usman Basit and Zulkifli bin Hir, both killed in separate encounter with military and police forces in Central Mindanao.

On Aug. 13, 2014, the Ansar Al-Khilafah Philippines (Supporters/Helpers of the Caliphate) released a video showing its members pledging allegiance to the Islamic State and its leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

But AKP is not the only group that has pledged allegiance to the terrorist Daesh. The Katibat Ansar al Sharia, Katibat Marakah al Ansar and the Abu Sayyaf group have also separately pledged

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allegiance to IS. In the annual New Year Command Conference with the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police at Malacañang on Friday, Duterte has reiterated his commitment to crush the Abu Sayyaf group.

“The President reiterated his commitment to end the Abu Sayyaf Group,” said presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella said in an interview over Radyo ng Bayan on Saturday.

Abella said President Duterte reiterated his firm stance against corruption, as well as his administration’s campaign against illegal drugs and terrorism.

“He reiterated his guidance regarding corruption, especially because, as he says, corruption is not easily eradicated, and then the campaign against drugs and terrorism,” Abella said.

The Palace official said the joint command conference lasted two hours, describing it as a “substantial and a very fruitful meeting which puts the President in touch once more with this branch of government.”

Such rain may commence Saturday night and last until about Thursday, she noted, but did not discount the possibility of Auring further intensifying into a tropical storm, then weakening into an LPA while inside the Philippine Area of Responsibility. ‘‘Auring’’ will cross the PAR boundary and exit the area possibly on Wednesday evening, she continued.

Pagasa forecast ‘Auring’ to be some 25 km west of Palawan’s Pagasa Island by Thursday morning, already outside PAR. The bureau raised tropical cyclone warning signal 1 over Mindanao’s Agusan del Sur, Agusan del Norte, Surigao del Sur, Surigao del Norte and Dinagat Island, expecting ‘‘Auring’’ to fan there 30 kph to 60 kph winds and waves up to 4.0 meters high.

Flash floods and landslides are possible in such areas, warned Pagasa.

Avoid venturing into seas bordering Mindanao’s eastern seaboard, Pagasa reminded the public. “The public and disaster risk reduction and management councils concerned are advised to take appropriate action and watch for the next weather bulletin,” the bureau added. PNA

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MMFF ENTRIES FAIL TO BEAT 2015 GROSS OF P1B

By Joel E. Zurbano

CLARIFICATION, SIR. Members of the Kabataan Party-list, during a press conference in Quezon City Saturday, hold their placards for their audience to read, calling on President Rodrigo Duterte to clarify the “conditional implementation” of free tuition in state universities and colleges starting in the first semester of academic year 2017-2018. Manny Palmero

VILLAFUERTE: AMEND BOT LAW TO EMPOWER LGUS

By Maricel V. Cruz

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NEOPHYTE lawmaker on Saturday sought to overhaul the Build-Operate-Transfer Law to empower local governments to implement their own Public-Private Partnership programs and thereby play a major role in the Duterte administration’s envisioned “golden age of Philippine infrastructure.”

Villafuerte said his proposed measure introducing amendments to the BOT law aimed to institutionalize the PPP mode of financing government projects for both national government and LGU projects.

“Although our country is one of the pioneers in private sector participation in major infrastructure projects in Asia with the enactment of the BOT law, we have yet to fully utilize the advantages of the PPP as shown by our status as among the laggards in the region

in terms of public infrastructure,” Villafuerte said.

“This is why we need to introduce amendments to the BOT Law. We need to ensure that our LGUs can take advantage of the opportunities available to them in implementing their own PPPs, especially now that the Duterte administration has committed to dramatically increase spending on infrastructure over the next five years,” Villafuerte said.

The President’s economic team plans to spend P8 trillion on public

infrastructure between now and 2022 to sustain high—and inclusive—growth and usher in what Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno had described as the “golden age of Philippine infrastructure.”

Villafuerte said his proposed HB’s amendments to the BOT law must be institutionalized prior to the planned federal switch, so LGUs could be ready and capable of assuming greater fiscal and political autonomy to chart their respective growth and development agenda once the new form of government had been in place.

These BOT amendments, he said, should: one, accelerate public infrastructure development by strengthening the PPP institutional framework; two, provide financial and technical support through the Project Development and Monitoring Facility; three, optimize project risks and obtain government support; four, expand PPP contractual arrangements; five, provide

for transparent and competitive bidding; six, set standard contents and implementation of PPP projects for transparency, consistency, and predictability; and seven, grant incentives to PPP projects.

Villafuerte pointed out that “PPPs could be viable sources of financing to help the government fill the infrastructure gap at the local level should LGUs be armed with enough knowledge and expertise on how to effectively carry out this funding arrangement.”

“We need to arm our LGUs with the technical expertise to properly prepare, monitor and implement PPP projects at the local level. Our LGUs can be able partners, rather than obstacles, to the Duterte administration’s infra-led growth agenda if we provide them with the tools they need to implement infrastructure projects in partnership with the private sector,” Villafuerte said.

SOLONS GIVE THUMBS-UP TO DUTERTE HOUSE leaders on Saturday gave a thumbs-up to President Rodrigo Duterte who made a record in history for being the country’s most trusted government official with the highest level of public trust since 1999.

Reps. Rodolfo Albano III of Isabela, Ben Evardone of Eastern Samar, and Harry Roque of Kabayan party-list welcomed the latest Pulse Asia survey showing President Duterte having kept his highest trust rating despite sharp criticisms against the administration’s intensified war on drugs and other controversies hounding the government.

Albano said Duterte was well-loved bg the Filipino people because of his no-nonsense style of leadership.

“He is a man of his word.. That’s what people like about him. He is not a hypocrite,” Albano, majority leader for the House contingent’s Commission on Appointments, said.

Evardone and Benitez said the Filipino people were satisfied with the President’s handling of the affairs of the governement as this had magnified through the Pulse Asia survey conducted during the last quarter of 2016.

“A sincere heart to serve will always be trusted by the people,” Benitez, chairman of the House committee on housing and urban development, said.

Evardone said he hoped the President’s men would follow suit. “[The Pulse Asia survey] only means that overwhelming majority of Filipinos continue to support him and his programs. We just hope that his subalterns will perform also based on the expectations of the people,” Evardone said. Maricel V. Cruz

ORGANIZERS of the Metro Manila Film Festival admitted on Saturday the present lineup of movie entries failed to hit or surpass the P1-billion total gross it earned in 2015.

The Metro Manila Development Authority, the overall event organizer and the supervising body of the MMFF, did not disclose the actual box-office figures but hoped that with the approval of theater owners and operators to give more days to exhibit the eight movies until Jan. 10, the MMFF earnings would reach more than half a billion mark.

“Previously, the MMFF earned about P1 billion and we’re expecting to get more than half of that earnings because of the extended screening period given by the theatre owners,” said MMDA acting chairman Thomas Orbos in a phone interview.

The eight movie entries will be shown until Tuesday in selected SM Cinemas, Robinsons Shopping Malls, Gateway Shopping Centers and Ayala Commercial and Shopping Malls, among others nationwide.

Orbos earlier said even if they failed to hit their targets, the current MMFF was considered successful in bringing such movies, which were mostly independent films.

“I think already we are successful in bringing out such movies. Change is not an easy task as we all see in our President and in what we are doing to [solve] traffic. It’s all about changing the norms, going against what we believe is normal. Anything that we need to do to develop to become better to change needs some adjustments. And I think we should give the new set of films a chance,” he said.

But Senator Vicente Sotto III, whose brother Vic Sotto’s film “Enteng Kabisote and the Abangers” failed to be included in the MMFF, expressed his disappointment and was not satisfied about the present status of the festival, particularly its earnings.

He earlier filed a Senate resolution to have a separate festival for independent films, citing the changes made to MMFF 2016 as one of the reasons behind the recommendation for a new film festival.

Among the changes, according to Sotto, was the removal of “50 percent commercial viability” from the criteria for selecting the eight films that would be featured in the festival.

As a result, mostly films produced by independent companies were chosen, instead of the usual big budget commercial films.

Sotto said in the resolution that while some enjoyed the new films in MMFF 2016, others were still looking for old festival favorites that “give them a good laugh.”

LAWMAKER WANTS SMUGGLING CRIME PUNISHABLE BY DEATH

FELLOW FEELING. President Rodrigo Duterte condoles Friday with Chief Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo whose son Carlo passed away recently. The President went to the wake at the Cosmopolitan Memorial Chapels and Crematory in Quezon City.

A HOUSE leader on Saturday sought to declare smuggling as heinous crime punishable by death, likening the problem to a “vampire” that sucks government resources and take away the opportunities and services for the people.

Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Rodel Batocabe said the public should back the campaign of Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority chairman Martin Diño upon instruction of President Rodrigo Duterte to address smuggling with dispatch.

“Smuggling should be considered a heinous crime because this strikes against the very core of the blood and life of the government, which are taxes,” Batocabe said.

“If you smuggle, you are like a termite and a leech which suck our coffers dry, deprive our poor (of) the needed social services and kill our jobs and industries.

For his sins against the country and ordinary Filipino, a smuggler deserves to die not only once but many tines over,” Batocabe added.

Batocabe said he would make the proposal to include smuggling in the proposed restoration of death penalty as

one of the crimes punishable by capital offense.

This developed as Diño sought the National Food Authority‘s clarification whether it had resumed granting permits for rice importation after the discovery of an estimated 260,000 bags of Thai rice onboard M/V MY Vuong off the Subic Freeport’ waters (Outside Port Limits).

Diño said some 13,000 metric tons of white rice from Thailand covered by an alleged import permit issued by NFA Administrator Tomas Escarez were about to be unloaded at the Subic Freeport when discovered by SBMA authorities.

“We have stopped the unloading to give us time to determine if the import permit is genuine,” Dino said.

“So far, the NFA has not responded to our query.”

The alleged IP was issued Dec. 29 last year and valid for seven days in favor of Labangan Farmers First Consolidated Multi-Purpose Cooperative, Multi Grain MPC, Adda Latta Namnama MPC, Magsaysay Farmers MPC, Ligaya Multi Purpose and Transport Services Cooperative and Sto. Niño Farmers MPC.

Maricel V. Cruz

EXTORTION RING PICKS ON FOREIGN INSURANCE FIRMS

By Francisco Tuyay A GROUP of local and foreign businessmen has asked President Rodrigo Duterte to eradicate the widespread extortion activities of a syndicate based in Metro Manila.

According to the group of investors, these nefarious activities similar to the one that happened at the Bureau of Immigration don’t only transpire in government but in the private sector as well where businessmen in the insurance in-

dustry were the victims.

It was the same case filed against Ronelo Mendoza Villanueva at the Pasig Regional Trial Court Branch 69 early this month after Villanueva allegedly extorted millions of pesos from a Hong Kong insurance broker, informed sources said.

Villanueva allegedly involved the insurance industry as well as other government agencies to destroy the integrity of the insurance brokerage company which has been operating overseas for the past three decades.

According to the sources, Villanueva, a resident of Parañaque City, carried out his modus operandi by informing these government agencies on the presence of insurance brokers who do business in the country without the necessary permits and licenses from the government.

Telling his victims that he’s an official of these government agencies, Villanueva allegedly pulled off the heist by calling and threatening the insurance firm that their business would be closed down if

they did not give in to his multimillionpeso demands.

Villanueva is also facing grave threat charges for reportedly threatening the insurance broker and their victims for the past three years after refusing to provide the amount being asked by the suspect.

Cases like this forced the insurance brokers and other private sector to ask the Duterte administration for protection and put the members of the crime syndicate behind bars, the sources added.

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SUNDAY, JANUARY 8, 2017 Francis S. Lagniton, Issue Editor mst.daydesk@gmail.com

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‘VERY MINIMAL’ CHANCE OF ‘TRASLACION’ ATTACK

SEA OF FAITHFUL. Thousands of Catholic devotees of the Black Nazarene fill Plaza Miranda beside Quiapo Church to prepare for the annual procession of the religious icon, while vendors in Quiapo display the Nazarene-related merchandise (photo below) they hope devotees and tourists will purchase before the procession begins on Monday. Norman Cruz

By Sandy Araneta and Vito Barcelo

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ANILA Mayor Joseph Estrada on Saturday downplayed fears that terrorist elements would disrupt the Black Nazarene procession on Monday, describing the possibility of attacks from them as “very minimal.”

Estrada said this as the Manila Police District again reminded millions of devotees of the Black Nazarene not to bring backpacks during the procession, also called the “Traslacion,” to avoid being confronted by security officers.

“Our security organizations have not detected any terror threat related to Traslacion. The possibility of such terror attack is very minimal,” Estrada said after being briefed by MPD director Chief Supt. Joel Coronel.

Coronel is the commander of the 6,000-strong combined police, military, and civilian security force that will be deployed during the procession. “Force multipliers” composed of barangay officials, paramedics, firefighters, traffic aides, non-governmental organizations and members of communication groups will back them up.

Meanwhile, the Archdiocese of Manila and environmental groups urged Black Nazarene devotees to observe cleanliness during the celebration and called on Filipinos to show their devotion by keeping the environment clean.

The procession of the Black Nazarene, which usually lasts for 20 hours, is the largest religious procession in the country, with over one million devotees of the icon that resides in Manila’s Quiapo Church joining every year.

Last year’s procession produced 300 tons of garbage that took the city days to collect, the

church office said.

“We need to instill among the devotees the awareness that caring and concern for God’s creation are integral to their devotion to Nuestro Padre Nazareno,” said Lou Valencia Arsenio, Manila Archdiocesan ecology program coordinator.

The Catholic church said the religious festival should not turn the entire Manila district into “an immense pile of filth and the people should heed the church’s call for “ecological conversion” by making this year’s feast trash-free.

Reiterating that no security threats have so far been monitored by the intelligence community, Coronel advised the public to calm down and not entertain any talk of terrorist activity.

“Of course, we all agree that the threat exists regarding the possibility of a terror attack in any situation, including the Traslacion of the Black Nazarene,” the MPD chief said.

“But is there a strong possibility or likelihood that such attacks will happen? Based on the assessment of our intelligence community, it is very minimal.”

If the threat is high, Coronel said security officials would recommend the postponement of Monday’s procession of the image of a black-skinned Jesus carrying a cross. “In fact, that was one of the key points which led to the decision for authorities to push through with the Traslacion,” he added.

The friends managed to rush him to Ilocos Sur-Magsingal District Hospital, and later he was transferred to Northside Doctors Hospital in Bantay, Ilocos Sur for treatment of his multiple gunshot wounds, but died at 3 a.m. on Saturday, doctors there said.

Ilocos Sur police director Sr. Supt. Rey de Peralta said investigators have not yet resolved why Contaoi was killed. Authorities recovered six empty cartridges from a .45-caliber pistol at the crime scene.

By Joel E. Zurbano RIDERSHIP of the Pasig River Ferry System service rose 17.5 percent over the last year, the Metro Manila Development Authority announced Friday.

Records released by the MMDA public information office showed that 105,741 passengers were recorded in 2016, up from the 89,993 riders the agency tallied in 2015.

“We are happy to hear that people are now fully aware of the River Ferry operations, and we are hoping that they will continue to patronize the service. We are doing this for the people to have an option to ride this mode of public transportation,” said MMDA acting chairman Thomas Orbos.

MMDA officials are hoping to see the Pasig Ferry ridership rise to 1,000 passengers daily, with the opening of new terminals this year in Marikina City and Quezon City and its expansion to the provinces of Rizal and Laguna.

At least 30 terminals will be built in the eastern part of Metro Manila and the provinces of Rizal and Laguna, the MMDA said. Seven terminals will be built around the Laguna Lake and in the city of Calamba.

Orbos attributed the increase to the latest intermodal transport or the Free Shuttle Service project the MMDA launched last month in partnership with Megaworld Corp.

The shuttle service caters to ferry passengers going to and from Divisoria and Lucky Chinatown in Binondo, as well as Uptown Mall in Bonifacio Global City in Taguig City.

The MMDA has 14 operational ferries. Each 20-meter-long ferry boat is operated by trained and licensed boatmen, and is equipped with appropriate safety gear such as life vests for each passenger.

A rescue boat goes on routine patrol operation along the Pasig River, and Coast Guard personnel also board trips to inspect safety measures.

DLTB STRIKE ENDS WITH SETTLEMENT

By Vito Barcelo Armed Forces of the Philippines Joint Task Force NCR chief Col. Llewelyn Binasoy confirmed they have not detected any security threat as of Wednesday, but radio signal jammers along the procession route will be installed as part of the security measures.

Arsenio said one objective of the archdiocese is to set up a waste management system “whereby at least 75 percent of the trash in the Luneta and Quiapo grounds (where the procession will pass) are properly collected, segregated, and processed with the assistance of volunteers and the employment—to help in their livelihood—of at least 100 jobless and homeless from the Luneta and Sta. Cruz areas.”

“For this, we appeal for more volunteers to help direct the devotees to responsibly manage their trash during the Quiapo fiesta as a sign of their true devotion and love for the Black Nazarene,” she said.

The Archdiocesan Ministry on Ecology also reminded every devotee to be personally responsible for

the cleanliness of his or her surroundings during the fiesta.

“As a manifestation of true devotion and love for the Black Nazarene, each one must be an example of care [for] God’s own creation,” said Arsenio, noting there will be proper places for disposing garbage as well as uniformed volunteers with IDs who will roam around with black plastic bags to collect the refuse.

“There is no reason for anyone to litter in Luneta or Quiapo,” Arsenio added.

Coronel called on the devotees not to bring backpacks because they may contain explosive materials and other dangerous contraband.

For those who really need to bring bags, they may deposit them at 10 command posts located in strategic points along the procession route.

“Please avoid bringing backpacks. All you need is a hand towel or handkerchief, and plastic water bottle,” the Manila police chief said.

“If you notice suspicious-looking persons or situations, please report it to any security personnel.”

RADIOMAN-PROFESSOR SLAIN IN ILOCOS SUR A RADIO announcer and longtime university professor was slain after two motorcycle-riding suspects shot him on Friday night in Barangay San Ramon, Magsingal, Ilocos Sur, police reported.

Dr. Mario Contaoi, Ed.D., was shot six times in the back while riding his own motorcycle along the national highway in San Ramon, local radio station dzTP said. He had left a fishpond he owned in the area at around 10:30 p.m. Friday after meeting and singing videoke with friends.

RIVER FERRY RIDERSHIP UP BY 17.5%

Contaoi, 52, worked as a volunteer announcer for the church-run radio station dzNS in Vigan City, and taught at the University of Northern Philippines for over 25 years.

His LinkedIn profile reveals he was a member of the UNP faculty since November 1991, teaching social sciences and philosophy. It also says he was a reporter and anchor for DZNS from January 1992 to August 2012.

Contaoi graduated with a Bachelor

of Arts, major in Philosophy and Political Science, from the University of the Philippines in 1985, and earned his Doctor of Education in Education Administration and Supervision from UNP in 2007, also per LinkedIn. Condolences for Contaoi’s family also poured in on Facebook, where his name was searched at least 56,000 times as of presstime. Many of his co-workers and former students expressed shock at his passing. Jimbo Gulle

OPERATIONS of the Del Monte Land Transport Bus Co. or DLTB are back to normal after its management and striking workers agreed to settle their labor dispute, which saw thousands of commuters stranded during the holiday season, the Department of Labor and Employment said.

DLTB, the biggest bus company in southern Luzon with more than 700 buses running from Manila to the southern provinces as far as Southern Leyte in the Visayas, agreed to some demands of the DLTB Labor UnionAGLO, according to Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III. “In the interest of industrial peace and in order not to further jeopardize the commuting public, the DLTB management and its union reached an agreement for the resumption of normal operations of the bus company,” Bello said.

The agreement provides that the labor union will lift the strike immediately, while DLTB management shall accept all striking employees, except those terminated prior to the strike, under the same terms and conditions that existed before the strike, the labor secretary said.

The issues that led to bus drivers, conductors and other workers to strike that are subject to compulsory arbitration before the National Labor Relations Commission, and those at the DoLE Regional Office 4-A have yet to be settled, Bello clarified.

The strike, staged by the DLTB Labor Union affiliated with the Association of Genuine Labor Organization, paralyzed about 90 percent of the company’s bus operations to the Bicol Region and Southern Tagalog provinces during the Christmas holidays, affecting thousands of commuters.

The union protested management’s alleged underpayment of minimum wages and non-payment of 13th month pay. Bello assumed jurisdiction of the labor dispute on Dec. 28 in a bid to avert disruption of public transport during the holidays.

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Opinion

Adelle Chua, Editor mst.daydesk@gmail.com

EDITORIAL VERA RUBIN, DARK MATTER, AND THE HOPES OF A WOMAN PHYSICS LAUREATE

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By Pecier Decierdo FOR years, many have remarked upon the fact that astrophysicist Vera Rubin, whose work convinced the world that dark matter existed, has yet to win a Nobel Prize in physics. So far, only two women have received the prize: Marie Curie, famous for her work on radioactivity, and Maria GoeppertMayer, who was awarded for her work on atomic nuclear structure. After Goeppert-Mayer received the Nobel Prize in physics 54 years ago, it never went to another woman ever since.

Over the years, many have speculated that Rubin would finally win the Nobel for her groundbreaking work.

Others have even demanded it. Some, like cosmologist Chanda PrescodWeinstein, have called for men to not accept the prize until Rubin receives it. Given the prestige and prize money involved, it was hard to convince male winners to get behind this call.

Vera Rubin died on Christmas Day of last year. Because the Nobel Prize is awarded only to living scientists, Rubin would never be a Nobel Prize winner.

The hope of adding another woman to the list of laureates will have to wait at least another year.

Given that about half of people are females, that a rising number of scientists are women, and that so many breakthroughs in recent decades benefited from the work of female scientists, the shortage of women on the list of Nobel Prize winners in physics is a blemish to the prestigious award and can even be seen as an indictment on the scientific community.

The opinion I gave above raises several important questions. First, what were Rubin’s accomplishments anyway? Second, does the Nobel Prize matter at all? Let me address these questions one at a time.

First, Rubin’s work is rightly considered to be a pivotal achievement.

Rubin, together with colleague Kent Ford, found the evidence that convinced the scientific community that dark matter existed.

Dark matter is so named because it does not interact with light and is therefore invisible. Because of this, our existing instruments cannot detect it directly. However, its gravitational effects can be measured. Based on these measurements we now know that more than 85 percent of the matter in the universe is in the form of dark matter. The rest, the matter composed of atoms that make up stars, planets, and gas clouds, accounted for around 15 percent.

As with many discoveries in astronomy, Rubin and Ford did not seek out to discover dark matter when they did. Instead, they were measuring how the stars in a galaxy moved to see if the known laws of gravity and motion applied there.

What they found was that the motion of galaxies can only be explained if most of its mass is in the form of invisible dark matter.

In a way, Rubin and Ford lead us to the path to discover 85 percent of the stuff in the universe. All this time we have been studying just the 15 percent. We are still on that path; we are yet to fully understand what dark matter really is.

BIG DAY A

S THEY did last year and for many years before that, devotees of the Black Nazarene will gather anew Monday to wear their faith on their shoulders.

Millions of Filipinos will clog the streets of the city of Manila, following the image of Jesus Christ carrying the cross that symbolized His suffering. They will attempt to touch it, or at least have their article touch the miraculous piece of wood.

As has always been the case, the event is a logistical and security nightmare. The sheer number of attendees is enough to bring traffic to a standstill.

The devotees themselves, belonging to a rather wide age range, will have specific needs, especially medical assistance.

Some will think that they can bear the heat and the crowd— they will be mistaken. Some may find themselves lost, or drowning, in the sea of bodies.

There will be petty crime, notwithstanding the fact that this is a religious event.

And because we live in precarious times, there will always be the threat of terror especially given the number of innocent civilians who would be at the event. The Philippine National Po l i ce wo u l d

have to take a break from its war against drugs and focus, for a day, on a war against terror from faceless enemies who may just attempt to blend with the crowd before bringing damage. They will likely sow terror, or spite the President— actually, both.

Despite all these, millions will still turn out, mostly in their maroon shirts. Their faith, or whatever else it is that drives them, will not allow them to cower before these threats.

And so tomorrow promises to be like all the other Black Nazarene feasts in history, an event that showcases the best and the worst among devotees, the government, and bystanders and armchair commenters.

The faith and the persistence are fascinating, but we hope people turn up for all the right reasons instead of a blind desire to touch a piece of wood at all costs, flaunt one’s religiosity or take advantage of the mayhem for one’s agenda.

Guidance from the Church, and thorough management by the national and local government, will be key. These will showcase how well or how poorly we have mastered making it through this day in one piece.

Turn to B2

BARISTA BLUES POP GOES THE WORLD JENNY ORTUOSTE

SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA—Here in the US, as in the Philippines, cafés hire young people still in college to work as baristas. This allows teenagers to earn money to support themselves and pay for tuition and other expenses.

“Rosie,” 18, Makati City-born and bred, had completed a year of college in De La Salle University before migrating to the US with her mother last September. She had not worked in the Philippines prior to coming over.

What she found here was a cultural

and economic environment she was unused to.

“It’s kind of expected for teenagers here to work,” she said. “I have partners [fellow employees] as young as 16 and still in high school. The money is for our personal spending so don’t have

to ask an allowance from our parents.

Some of us are paying their own tuition or saving up for a car.”

“Many of us teens are in retail, because that kind of work doesn’t take that much experience or skills.” She Turn to B2

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ManilaStandard

Published Monday to Sunday by Philippine Manila Standard Publishing Inc. at 6/F Universal Re Building, 106 Paseo de Roxas, corner Perea St., Legaspi Village, Makati City. Telephone numbers 832-5554, 832-5556, 832-5558 (connecting all departments), (Editorial) 832-5554, (Advertising) 832-5550. P.O. Box 2933, Manila Central Post Office, Manila. Website: www.thestandard. com.ph; e-mail: contact@thestandard.com.ph

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SUNDAY, JANUARY 8, 2017 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

TO DEAL WITH PUTIN, FIRST KNOW HIS GOALS

THE BRIGHT SIDE OF SMART-HOME SILLY SEASON

By Leonid Bershidsky RUSSIAN President Vladimir Putin is on a roll. The catalog of his alarming moves is well-known: Aggression in Ukraine, interference in Syria on the side of President Bashar al-Assad, stepped-up intelligence efforts that may include a hybrid operation to discredit Hillary Clinton, a slick, prolific propaganda machine, support for nationalist and populist movements in Europe. But why is Putin doing all this?

The common explanation is that Putin and his circle see Russia’s relationship with the West as a zero-sum game. Molly McKew, a former adviser to anti-Russian leaders of Georgia and Moldova, recently wrote a much-shared article expounding the view that this is a war and urging the West to act to defeat the aggressive Russian leader.

A sideline of this school of thought focuses on Putin’s sheer bloody-mindedness and self-interest. Gary Kasparov, the chess champion and long-time Putin opponent, argues that Putin has “no consideration of what is or is not good for Russia, or for Russians, only what is best for him and his close circle of oligarch elites.”

Both perspectives have merit: Putin’s view of the West, or at least of its centrist elite, is unflinchingly adversarial and revanchist. The perpetuation of his own power is clearly a goal, evidenced by his efforts to flatten domestic opposition by whatever means, from election rigging to stifling the media. But these clichés also oversimplify things. In the rush to frame the terms of what is in all-but-name a renewed Cold War, Western policy-makers risk missing the forest for the trees. To better assess what actions are worth countering, they should first try to understand Putin’s strategic objectives.

Rather than a crude us-versus-them mindset, a cocktail of mysticism and capitalist instincts seems to animate Putin and his close friends and aides. Anton Vaino, appointed Putin’s chief of staff last year, co-wrote a book, called “The Image of Victory,” about the global politics as a game. It’s an esoteric treatise known for its discussion of the nooscope—a strange device to “detect and register changes in the biosphere and in human activity.” It does, however, offer plenty of clues to current Kremlin thinking.

For example, it makes this distinction between a war and a game: In war, there is us and them, friends and enemies, front and rear. A war has an end and a beginning. Victory and Defeat. In a game, everything is different. A game is a system of chess, card or checkers moves made in a different space than that of war, with a different degree of foresight of the convergent processes of interaction between adversaries. In a game, time flows differently and interaction, too is different. One of us can be theirs, and one of them can be ours.

Putin has been declared a thug; He, however, still sees himself as a chess grandmaster playing a complicated game with elements of violence and subterfuge. In “The Image of Victory,” the goal is economic: A massive increase in the value of Russian assets, which would make Russia an equal in determining “the rules of the Global Game.”

Since 2012, when the book was published, Putin has made policy choices that prioritized geopolitics over economics. That doesn’t mean, however, that the long-term goal has changed.

Putin himself has repeatedly mentioned a trade zone from Lissabon to Vladivostok, though not extending it as far as the US. The Kremlin is looking for channels to communicate its ideas in the West and European nationalists like Petry are probably one of the best sources on Putin’s agenda today.

Elsewhere, as with Ukraine, Russia may only want relatively modest economic advantages and a seat at the table. In pushing for better trade terms and more security, Putin is more predictable than the mercurial Donald Trump. It needn’t be zero sum.

A genuine attempt by Western leaders to find common ground would, of course, be labeled appeasement. Rather, it would be a powerful move to undermine Putin’s long-term ascendancy. Even the botched “reset” of US-Russian relations during Barack Obama’s first term nearly had a disastrous effect on his rule: Russia’s increasing inclusion in the Western world’s economy under that policy enriched and emboldened Moscow’s middle class, and by 2011, it was ready to protest electoral fraud and search for new leaders.

The current hostilities, by contrast, are only strengthening Putin’s hold on power and weakening his pro-Western opponents, who barely register on most Russians’ radars anymore. Paradoxically, the achievement of Putin’s ultimate strategic goals could lead to change that would eventually destroy what is seen as the Russian threat today. Bloomberg

By Leonid Bershidsky THE Internet of Things is one of the gadget industry’s brightest hopes in a world that’s saturated with smartphones. Sensors are cheap, and digital giants such as Amazon and Google are aggressively pushing their voicecommand technology. The resulting hype, however, spawns inventions that should only exist in the corny worlds of science fiction.

At this point, the IoT market isn’t well-quantified. Intel says there were 15 billion connected IoT devices in the world in 2015—a number the chipmaker predicts will increase to 200 billion by 2020. Gartner, the tech consultancy, counted fewer than 5 billion devices in 2015 and predicted fewer than 21 billion by 2020.

There’s a good reason for the gap: No one can predict which objects consumers and businesses will want to connect to the internet.

So businesses are trying nearly everything, and showing it off this week at The Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas: • GeniCan: scans empty cereal boxes, reorders them through an app.

• FridgeCam: sends photos to your phone, helps write grocery lists.

• Catspad: dispenses food and water for a full month through an app, tracks kitty caloric intake.

• Sleep Number 360: a bed that tracks your sleep and, of course, sends the data to an app.

• U: a shower that, you guessed it, is controlled with an app.

• A line of “smart” home appliances

VERA...

From B1

Think about that for a moment. All the matter we can see in all the stars, planets, and gas clouds in the entire universe, all of that is just 15 percent of the matter in the universe. The rest of it is this dark matter. I hope you agree with me that finding evidence for 85 percent of the matter in the universe is a groundbreaking discovery worthy of a prize meant for such work.

Now we go to the second question—does the Nobel Prize matter at all? Isn’t it just a piece of metal, some prestige, and more than a million dollars? Isn’t achievement and recognition by one’s community more important?

Yes, receiving a prize awarded by one committee is not the most important thing, and not receiving it does not negate real scientific achievement.

However, the Nobel Prize counts for something. If it were awarded to a woman, it would count for a lot.

Many scientists who are celebrities in their professional circles remain largely unknown to the broader public until they are recognized with a Nobel Prize. Because of the prestige of the prize, recipients can potentially gain influence beyond the few experts who already know and recognize their achievements.

Throughout her life, Vera Rubin had a powerful impact on women who dreamt of pursuing a career in cosmology and astrophysics. If she received the prize, that impact would have been multiplied, magnified, and expanded beyond her professional circle.

The Nobel Prize is important to the sociology surrounding science. And so we rightly mourn the fact that Rubin died without receiving it. For the sake of the health of the scientific community, let us hope a deserving woman receives the prize sooner rather than later. I’m sure Rubin would be happy for that woman and entire generation of women she will inspire.

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

from Samsung, including a touchscreen fridge that responds to voice commands and app-governed cooktops, washer-dryers and vacuum cleaners.

• A connected lawnmower (the app is for maintenance purposes and for ordering parts) and a tool chest you can lock and unlock with an app.

• A hairbrush from L’Oreal that measures “hair health” and reports it to an app that will recommend treatments.

• A kind of Amazon Echo for kids, from toymaker Mattel, that can read your kid bedtime stories.

That’s 10 new apps for your smartphone right there, for objects you never imagined could—or indeed should—be connected to the internet.

These things are supposed to improve how you brush your hair and shop for groceries. But aren’t these solemn chores what helps keep us human? Besides: will your cat’s welcome be as warm after it realizes a robot—not you—feeds it three times a day? Will you miss your child’s call in the middle of the night when she opts for a plastic gadget to read her a fairy tale?

This is how capitalism works, of course.

People will offer things for sale in the hope other people will buy them, and if there’s no market, these objects will just disappear. On the other hand, as major companies adopt some of these offerings, they will soon become mainstream just because they will be pushed on consumers with the help of billion-dollar marketing budgets. Then, expect botnets of smart fridges and hacked smart showers

BARISTA...

From B1

that scald you just for fun. One of the devices presented at CES this year is a special router that monitors the security of every connected device in the home, which seems wise after a hack brought the internet to a standstill for millions in October.

It is only a matter of time before these gadgets must also defend against waves of “targeted” ads based on your ketchup consumption and the little one’s zeal for Maurice Sendak.

That will be a dystopian world. I, for one, will steer clear of all these “smart” objects while “dumb” ones are still sold. An internetconnected device that solves a real problem is the rarest of rarities at this point.

But I won’t deny that it’s also heartwarming that people are designing some of these things, and adventurous consumers are trying them out. That’s mostly because of the voice features, based in many cases on Amazon’s Alexa. Amazon has put the voice assistant in the cloud, allowing manufacturers to keep devices simple and cheap: all they need to do is record voice commands, send them off, and receive responses. The more Alexa is used in the weirdest contexts, the better it recognizes complex or badly formulated commands and the more it learns of the endless diversity of human life.

It’s good for the technology—which has many legitimate uses, from making driving safer to increasing the accessibility of services to disabled people—that some of us are willing to have regular conversations about with their fridge. Bloomberg

Some customers are downright con artists. “We’ve had people come in or through our drive-through who order a hot water. Then they ask for a milk and sugar. They think they can get a free drink that way, but we tell them that’s not allowed.”

Over the four months that she’s been working as a barista, Rosie says the weirdest drink she’s had to make was an extra-large coffee with eight pumps of syrup. “That’s already very sweet! Then the customer asked for ‘extra extra caramel drizzle on top. Some more.’ It’s not my place to tell her that’s a lot of sugar.”

Her favorite position is at the drive-through, where she acts as cashier and hands the drink to the customers in their cars. “I like seeing a lot of people.

Over sixty percent of our store’s business comes from drive, so when I’m there, it’s fast and brisk and I feel I’m really working, sharing our coffee with people who love it.”

Another advantage of being on drive-through, Rosie says, is that she gets to see the dogs who accompany their humans out on a coffee run. “I see quite a few every day, and they’ve all been well-behaved, from pitbulls to Chihuahuas to Labradors. Sometimes their owners ask for a ‘puppucino’ for them—that’s a little water in a cup with some whipped cream. That’s free, we don’t charge for that.”

Rosie said her work as a barista has taught her a lot of valuable skills. Aside from knowing coffee shop operations and recipes, she is learning work cleanliness and safety, resourcefulness, conflict resolution, problem solving, accountability, attention to detail, and professionalism, among other things.

Working helps young people realize that to have money, one must earn it. Working builds character and teaches life skills. Working prepares them for the future, one that looks increasingly challenging, and armed with the experience they gain from their employment, the better they will be able to face the real world.

applied for a barista role in a chain coffee company before the holiday (busy) season, and was immediately hired.

With the brisk sales of this brand of coffee in the chilly Bay Area, especially now that it’s winter, their particular store is bustling and she was assigned to cashiering and making drinks right after their weeklong hands-on training.

An avid coffee shop fan back in Manila, Rosie says it’s a different feeling being behind the counter.

“We’re often short-handed so we work at a fast pace,” she said. “There’s hardly time for a breath.

When a guest comes into the lobby [restaurant area], I take his order, ring it up, and make the drink, unless someone else is ‘on bar’, then they make the drinks and hand them off. But usually it’s just me.

That means the next customer in line will have to wait before they get what they need.”

What’s with the misspelling of names on the cups? My sister Aileen says baristas usually spell her name an E—“Eileen”—but the one time she spelled it out for the barista, the cup came back with “Alien” written on it.

“It hardly happens in the Philippines,” said Rosie, “but it’s common here. We don’t have time to agonize about it, unfortunately. I also don’t want to bother the customer about it—‘Can you spell it for me?’—when all they want is their coffee. The name is just so we can hand it to them.”

“My manager told me what’s more important is to make the drink right, and to make the whipped topping look really nice, because a lot of customers Instagram their drink.”

Rosie is learning to deal with irate customers.

“Some get angry and they yell. They say things like ‘you’re idiots,’ ‘you must be hung over,’ ‘this is the worst store in the world!’When that happens we offer to make their drink over, and we hand them ‘recovery Dr. Ortuoste is a California-based writer. Follow cards’—sort of like free drink cards for the next time her on Facebook: Jenny Ortuoste, Twitter: @jenthey come. Most of them appreciate it.” nyortuoste, Instagram: @jensdecember

World US MARINES TO RETURN TO AFGHANISTAN’S HELMAND REGION WASHINGTON—Some 300 US Marines will head to Helmand province in Afghanistan this spring to help a NATOled mission to train Afghan forces.

The move puts Marines back in Helmand, who left in 2014 as NATO withdrew its forces and let Afghan troops lead the fight against the Taliban.

They were among the first US forces sent to Afghanistan after the 2001 terror attacks in the United States. Several thousand were deployed in Helmand, an opium-producing region, where they engaged in bitter combat with the Taliban insurgency.

The administration of outgoing President Barack Obama had hoped to withdraw most US military forces from Afghanistan by now, leaving behind just a small force.

But the United States still has some 8,400 military personnel in the country, and is now returning the Marines to Helmand.

At the request of US Central Command and the US forces in Afghanistan, “approximately 300 Marines will deploy to Helmand Province Afghanistan in Spring 2017 in support of the NATO-led Resolute Support mission,” a statement from the Marine Corps said. AFP

THOUSANDS FIRED IN NEW WAVE OF TURKEY COUP PURGES

I

stanbul, Turkey—Turkey has dismissed over 6,000 people and ordered the closure of dozens of associations under the state of emergency imposed after the July failed coup, in a purge that shows no sign of slowing.

CHINA FOREX RESERVES FALL BY $320B IN 2016 BEIJING—China’s foreign exchange reserves fell by $320 billion last year, Beijing announced Saturday, as authorities sought to support the yuan against a soaring dollar which is encouraging capital outflows.

The country’s vast foreign exchange reserves, the largest in the world, slipped to $3.011 trillion at the end of December, the State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE) said on its website.

In December the forex reserves dropped by $41 billion from the previous month, SAFE said, which would make it their sixth consecutive monthly decline according to figures from the central People’s Bank of China.

Reserves had slipped by $46 billion in October and nearly $70 billion in November, falling to levels last seen more than five years ago.

“The central bank’s efforts to stabilize the yuan are the main reason why the reserves have fallen,” last year, said an official of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange.

The yuan is now trading at its lowest level in eight years against the dollar after dropping about seven percent in the space of a year, as Beijing sells greenbacks to support its currency.

Aware of the danger, China has tightened its measures to stop the outflow of capital, in particular by restricting many investments abroad considered doubtful. AFP

AKUFO-ADDO SWORN IN AS GHANA’S NEW PRESIDENT ACCRA, Ghana—Nana Akufo-Addo is sworn in as Ghana’s new president on Saturday after beating incumbent leader John Dramani Mahama in elections last month.

The 72-year-old former human rights lawyer will take the oath of office at a ceremony in Independence Square in central Accra before more than 6,000 guests and members of the public.

Some 11 heads of state from across Africa are expected to attend, as well as the outgoing president, and former leaders John Rawlings and John Kufuor.

Police in the capital have vowed to enforce tight security during the inauguration, with major roads in and around the venue cordoned off.

Traders have already set up their stalls nearby hoping to cash in on the ceremony by selling Ghana flags and paraphernalia from Akufo-Addo’s New Patriotic Party.

Akufo-Addo’s electoral victory – and the peaceful transition of power – underlined Ghana’s position as a beacon of stability in an often turbulent region.

One international observer described the West African country as a “gold standard for democracy in Africa.” AFP

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SUNDAY, JANUARY 8, 2017 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

HIGH-TECH. Mayfield Robotics CEO Michael Beebe poses with his Kuri robot, launched at the 2017 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada on January 6, 2017. AFP

More than 100,000 people have already been suspended or sacked so far in a crackdown on those alleged to have links to coup-plotters while dozens of media outlets have been shut down.

In the latest government decrees published late Friday, 2,687 police officers were dismissed.

Meanwhile, 1,699 civil servants were removed from the ministry of justice, plus 838 health officials and hundreds of employees from other ministries.

Another 631 academics and eight members of the Council of State were also dismissed.

The dismissals are permitted under the state of emergency, which was extended by another three months in October, and was originally imposed in the wake of the coup.

But its scope has been vehemently criticised by the European Union and human rights activists.

The three decrees also ordered the closure of more than 80 associations accused of “activities affecting the security of the state.”

Critics have claimed that the crackdown goes well beyond the suspected coup plotters and targets anyone who has dared show opposition to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Ankara blames the coup plot on USbased Muslim preacher Fethullah Gulen and says an unrelenting campaign is needed to root out his influence from public life. Gulen denies the allegations.

Turkey also argues the exceptional security measures are necessary in the face of rising threats from the Islamic State group and the Kurdistan Workers Party.

AFP

NEW GRISLY BRAZIL PRISON MASSACRE KILLS 31 INMATES BOA VISTA, Brazil—Brazil was hit Friday by its second grisly prison massacre in a week, as inmates beheaded and mutilated fellow prisoners at a northern jail, leaving 31 dead.

Pictures taken by a police officer at the scene showed bloodied, mangled bodies piled in a concrete hallway at the Monte Cristo Farm Penitentiary (PAMC) in Roraima state.

Many of the victims were beheaded, disemboweled or dismembered, officials said.

The state government said the situation was now “under control.” They lowered an earlier death toll of 33 to 31 late Friday.

“No shots were fired. The victims were killed with sharp objects and home-made weapons,” said state justice secretary Uziel Castro.

The latest unrest came days after jailed gang members killed 56 rivals in a 17-hour bloodbath Sunday and Monday at a prison in Manaus, the capital of the neighboring state of Amazonas.

Unlike that incident, Friday’s violence did not appear to be an all-out riot but rather a rapid, early morning attack by one group of inmates against another, lasting less than an hour, a local government spokeswoman told AFP. Most of the killings were carried out with knives, she said.

Deadly prison riots have intensified in Brazil since a truce broke down in July between the country’s two largest drug gangs, the First Capital Command and the Red Command.

PAMC, the largest prison in the state, was also hit by deadly violence in October, when fighting between rival gangs killed 10 inmates. AFP

GRIEF. The brother of Mohamed al-Rajabi, who was killed after reportedly carrying out a stabbing attack on a soldier near the Jewish settler enclave of Tal Rumeda, mourns before the funeral on January 7 in the West Bank town of Hebron. AFP

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SUNDAY, JANUARY 8, 2017 Cesar Barrioquinto, Editor

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World

Joyce Pangco-Pañares, Issue Editor

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

FIVE DEAD IN FLORIDA AIRPORT SHOOTING

M

IAMI, United States—An Iraq war veteran opened fire Friday at Fort Lauderdale’s main airport, a major tourist hub in Florida, killing five people and injuring eight, as panicked travelers fled for safety.

The suspect, identified by police as 26-year-old Esteban Santiago, was in custody and being questioned by the FBI over the shooting that shut down the international airport that is a gateway to the Caribbean.

The incident occurred in the baggage claim area of Terminal

2, as passengers collecting their luggage were interrupted by the alleged gunman, who withdrew a semi-automatic handgun before mowing down his victims.

Witness John Schlicher told Fox News that he was picking up his first bag as he “heard the first shot.

As I did, the person right next to

me fell to the ground... It was very surreal.”

The shooter “was holding a handgun. He was firing into the crowd. Everyone was standing there waiting for the luggage,” he said.

Video showed passengers running for safety.

There was no immediate indication of a motive for the assault, in a country where gun violence is widespread due to the ready availability of firearms.

Santiago had traveled from Alaska to Fort Lauderdale, with a stopover in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the special agent in

charge of Miami’s FBI field office, George Piro, told reporters late Friday.

The suspect checked a gun inside his luggage, after declaring the weapon with airport authorities, then used it to take down his victims, CNN reported, citing law enforcement sources.

He was detained without law enforcement firing any shots, Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel told reporters.

Piro said authorities were “looking at every angle, including the terrorism angle,” but that it would take time to determine the nature of the attack. AFP

TAIWAN PREZ HEADS TO US AS BEIJING WATCHES TAIPEI—Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen left for the United States Saturday on her way to Central America, a trip that will be scrutinized by China, incensed by her congratulatory call to Donald Trump.

While the focus of the nineday trip is to bolster relations with Taiwan’s Central American allies, Tsai’s US stopovers will be closely watched amid speculation she may make contact with the president-elect and his team.

She is to transit in Houston this weekend and return to Taipei via San Francisco next weekend.

The call with Trump in December after he won the presidency upended decades of diplomatic precedent in which Washington has effectively ignored Taipei in favour of Beijing, which considers Taiwan a breakaway province to be brought back within its fold.

Since then, China has stepped up military drills near Taiwan, with speculation its sole aircraft carrier may pass through the Taiwan Strait during or shortly after Tsai’s trip. AFP

12 DEAD AS HEAVY RAINS SUBMERGE THAI SOUTH

ORTHODOX CHRISTMAS. Russian President Vladimir Putin helps a child light a candle during a Christmas service at the Saint George’s Monastery in Novgorod Region on January 7. Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas on January 7 in the Middle East, Russia and other Orthodox churches that use the old Julian calendar. AFP

TRUMP SAYS HACKING HAD ‘NO EFFECT’ ON HIS ELECTION WHILE the president-elect held fast to his rejection of the intelligence community’s conclusion that Russia interfered in the election, he accepted the possibility that Moscow was involved in hacking US targets including the Democratic National Committee.

After meeting four top intelligence

chiefs, Trump acknowledged that cyber attacks by Russia, China and other countries threaten US institutions, political parties and businesses.

But he offered no direct acceptance of the intelligence chiefs’ conclusion that Moscow staged an unprecedented attempt to influence the 2016 White

RELIEF. Malaysia’s Prime Minister Najib Razak smiles as he gives a relief bag to evacuees at a school used as a relief center in Tumpat on Saturday.

Serious flooding in Malaysia’s northeast states for almost a week is showing some respite but has damaged homes, caused loss of income and disrupted schooling. AFP

House race by hacking and leaking documents that, they said in a new report, also aimed to boost Trump’s campaign.

“While Russia, China, other countries, outside groups and people are consistently trying to break through the cyber infrastructure of our governmental institutions, businesses and organizations including the Democrat National Committee, there was absolutely no effect on the outcome of the election,” Trump said in a statement.

Trump met the heads of the Directorate of National Intelligence, the Central Intelligence Agency, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the National Security Agency in New York on their report into Moscow’s alleged interference.

A declassified version of the report – released to the public by the Director of National Intelligence – said Putin personally ordered a campaign of hacking and media manipulation to undermine the Democrat’s candidate, Clinton, who had widely been expected to win the November 8 election.

“Russia’s goals were to undermine public faith in the US democratic process, denigrate Secretary Clinton, and harm her electability and potential presidency. We further assess Putin and the Russian Government developed a clear preference for President-elect Trump,” they said.

The report offered little new evidence on how US intelligence agencies reached their conclusion, and Russia

has denied any election meddling.

President Barack Obama had already taken retaliatory action on December 29, expelling 35 Russians he said were intelligence operatives, and placing sanctions on a number of other Russian officials and entities.

“I think that what is true, is that the Russians intended to meddle and they meddled,” Obama said in excerpts of an interview set to air Sunday on ABC’s “This Week.”

“One of the things I am concerned about is the degree to which we’ve seen a lot of commentary lately where there are Republicans or pundits or cable commentators who seem to have more confidence in Vladimir Putin than fellow Americans because those fellow Americans are Democrats. That cannot be,” Obama said.

Trump’s meeting with intelligence chiefs, which the Republican called “constructive,” may have smoothed over ruffled feelings between the intelligence bureaucracy and the incoming president.

Just before the meeting, Trump branded the focus on Russia a “political witch hunt” in an interview with the New York Times.

But Trump subsequently said that as soon as he takes office on January 20 he will give a team 90 days to come up with a plan to halt cyber attacks.

“Whether it is our government, organizations, associations or businesses we need to aggressively combat and stop cyber attacks,” Trump said. AFP

BANGKOK—Heavy rains continued to batter Thailand’s floodravaged south on Saturday, bringing the death toll up to 12 and leaving thousands of villages partially submerged, authorities said.

The flooding, which is roofhigh in some areas, has affected more than 700,000 people since it started a week ago, the Interior Ministry said in a statement.

At least 12 people have died, according to counts from the ministry and local officials, as waters turn roads into rivers and rip away stretches of rail track.

The floods have also damaged more than 1,500 schools in the region, according to officials.

The downpour is expected to persist for at least two more days, according to the Meteorological Department, which warned of flash floods in eight of the hardest-hit provinces.

“The situation is very bad today and tomorrow. It’s still raining heavily,” Junjuda Pornsri, a metrological official, told AFP. AFP

SPACEX SET TO LAUNCH AGAIN MONDAY WASHINGTON—SpaceX plans to resume flights of its Falcon 9 rocket on Monday, after pinning down the cause of a launchpad explosion that destroyed a satellite in September, a spokesman said.

The California-based private space firm is expected to launch 10 Iridium NEXT communications satellites from the Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.

Iridium said on its website that a static test fire of the Falcon 9 had been completed and the rocket would be ready for next week’s launch scheduled for 1822 GMT, weather permitting.

An unmanned SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket exploded September 1 in Cape Canaveral, destroying a satellite that Facebook planned to use to beam high-speed internet to Africa.

That marked a setback for the company and its founder Elon Musk, who wants to revolutionize the launch industry by making rocket components reusable. AFP

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Business

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

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DUSITD2.

The planned dusitD2 Resort, San Juan.

DEVELOPERS BRING MALIBU TO LA UNION A

GROUP of real estate developers tapped Thai hospitality company Dusit International to manage a hotel in a Malibuinspired project in La Union province.

Fausto Liriano, chairman and chief executive of RCL Realty & Consulting Ser vices, says dusitD2 Resort will rise within the 7.5-hectare Waves Beach Club and Residences in Barangay Panisican, San Juan, La Union—the country’s surfing capital.

The project is envisioned to be a high-end and secure residential resort community in Northern Luzon.

“All the projects we work on have a theme. In this case, with the development of Waves Beach Club and Residences, we have the theme of Malibu, California. So there is consistency in the development and at the same time, we want to protect the investment of different investors who are going to invest in our development,” says Liriano, a 38-year-old civil engineer from the Dominican Republic.

Liriano heads RCL Realty & Consulting Services, a real estate and proper ty development advisory firm headquartered in Makati City and with a satellite office in La Union.

RCL stands for Rojas, Chong and Liriano—the names of the three partners. Aside from Liriano, the other partners are Francisco Custodio Rojas from Spain, who serves as the vice president for investor relation and David Chong from Panama who is the vice president for marketing.

RCL is composed of a diverse team of exper ts who have accumulated years of experience not only in the Philippines, but also in 15 countries in three continents across the globe.

RCL is developing Waves Beach Club and Residences, together with Brightbeam Corp. which owns properties in Tagaytay, Bulacan, La Union and Baguio City and is the franchisee of Rapide Auto Service Experts, a chain of quick service center for motor vehicles.

Liriano says dusitD2 Resort, San Juan will sit at the front of Waves Beach Club and Residences which is slated to open by the first quarter of 2019. He says dusitD2 Resort will be an eight-story hotel with 174 rooms and two levels of basement

parking.

He says dusitD2 Resort, San Juan will also offer residences divided between two to three condominium towers and a minimum of 50 villas.

Facilities will include a gym, spa, swimming pool, two restaurants, two bars and a 1,000-capacity function room. Guests will have a direct access to the property’s private beach in Urbiztondo, the famed surfing spot.

“It is the first of its kind in the area, and is expected to bring in more tourists, secondhome buyers and other forms of investments to the area,” says Liriano.

D u s i t I n te r n a t i o n a l h a s previously opened dusitD2 resorts in Thailand, the United States, China and Kenya, and is in the process of opening twelve more properties in China, the Philippines, Oman, Bhutan, United Arab Emirates, Myanmar and Qatar.

“It is a part of the aggressive expansion plan of Dusit International in the Philippines.

Now Dusit is working on more than 50 projects worldwide,” says Liriano.

Liriano says the partnership with Dusit will assure homebuyers of the quality of the project. “You can have a peace of mind, because

the one managing your property is Dusit,” he says. “This is what the brand is promising—luxurious hospitality.”

Liriano says the target market of the residential project include residents of San Fernando and La Union province, overseas Filipino workers, professionals and the income groups A to C. “ The market is open to everyone, but the lifestyle is there. It is a good investment,” he says.

He says the project is designed with luxury, comfort and safety of residents in mind. “It is floodfree. We are assuring you that the development has already been tested and it is not flooded. I am pretty sure that Dusit before they partnered with our group, has already done a study,” he says.

Liriano says the project will also help bring more tourists to La Union and contribute to the development of the province.

“We are very glad, and we look forward to the future of the province of La Union,” he says.

“The arrival of dusitD2 branded properties in La Union signifies positive growth in the real estate and proper ty development industry of Region 1,” says Evelyn Singson, Philippine Hoteliers Inc. vice chairman and president.

Roderick T. dela Cruz

SOLAR NOW CHEAPEST SOURCE OF ENERGY SOLAR power is becoming the world’s cheapest form of new electricity generation, according to an international group of renewable energy and financial experts.

A recent report from the Bloomberg New Energy Finance, a team of experts in cross-sectors and crossgeography trends spread across six continents, shows that solar now outranks wind as the cheapest form of renewable energy, and is outperforming coal and gas as well.

The report showed that solar energy prices in China, India, Brazil and 55 other emerging market economies have dropped to about one third of its price in 2010. This is owed largely to China’s massive deployment of solar, and the assistance it had provided to other countries financing their own solar projects.

In light of this development, members of civil society and renewable energy advocates reiterated their push for the Duterte administration to review and adjust its energy trajectory, which relies heavily on coal for the generation of electricity.

“The government can no longer hide under the guise of development in its support for coal,” said Gerry Arances, head convenor for the Center for Energy, Ecology and Development. “This latest report from the renewable energy sector confirms that not only does solar energy provide cleaner energy, but more sustainable and cheaper electricity for all.”

“Aside from cheaper electricity, solar energy that is gathered and distributed through communitymanaged ‘mini-grids’ can also solve the problem of energy’s costliness and riskiness in the countryside,” said Arances.

“Increased government support for solar energy would also enable communities in far-flung areas to finally be electrified, something that coal, which relies heavily on large mega-grids for distribution, has failed to do,” he said.

The group has been vocal in highlighting the increasing economic cost of coal, as it is projected by economic experts as stranded assets, meaning that Filipinos will end up paying more for electricity generated from coal power plants in the next 25 years in their electric bills, as the technology is becoming more and more obsolete.

“Despite this, the Department of Energy’s Philippine Energy Plan, leads us to relying on more coal for the next 15 years, instead of transitioning away from it,” Arances said.

According to the PEP, coal is set to have a big share in the country’s primary energy supply even under a low-carbon scenario, with coal still having a growth rate of 4.8 percent, giving it a 25.2 percent average share in the primary energy supply.

FIORGELATO GOES INTERNATIONAL FIORGELATO, the country’s most popular home-grown, best-tasting and purest gelatos made from 100-percent fresh milk and natural gelato ingredients and formula from Italy, is taking steps to prepare the company for its international expansion while making sure to capitalize on the opportunities of the regional integration.

Fiorgelato, which marked its 25th anniversary in 2016 with over a hundred outlets nationwide, recently opened its newest outlet at the country’s international gateway Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 to serve departing international passengers its signature gelato brand and its Fior Café with pasta, pastries, freshly brewed coffee mixes.

Milkin Corp., the company behind Fiorgelato, was established in 1989 under a Filipino-Italian business venture. The company started as Designer’s Ice Cream Manufacturing Company created to formulate tailored ice cream products.

The specially prepared ice cream catered well-known restaurants, hotels

and food chains in a “private labeling” arrangement. Within the same year, the company was also granted exclusive rights from Italy to manufacture, sell and distribute Fiorgelato “The Pure Italian Ice Cream” for the Philippine market.

It created a big following from the AB market, which made Fiorgelato “the ice cream of the elite.”

The company has penetrated various institutions like schools, exhibit halls, restaurants, hotels, coffee shops, bake shops, office lounges and scooping stations.

Milkin’ Corp. president and chief executive Richie Cuna, owner of Fiorgelato Ice Cream/ Fior Cafe, said his company is bullish on its international expansion and targets to establish presence in all Asian countries starting this year.

Fiorgelato Ice Cream stores, available in all SM, Robinsons, and major malls nationwide, has been attracting startup entrepreneurs with its affordable franchising package and very marketable products that allow easy and fast recovery of their investment.

Milkin’ Corp. president and chief executive Richie Cuna (center) along with (from left) bartender Romer Renz Catalan, Milkin’ International Ltd. chief operating officer Angel Francisco and supervisors Janela Collantes and Jan Michael Rañosa.

Business

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SUNDAY, JANUARY 8, 2017 business@thestandard.com.ph

CYBER SECURITY EXPERTS NEEDED GOVERNMENT agencies are increasingly falling victim to cyber attacks. In July 2016, following the United Nations International Arbitration court’s ruling regarding the West Philippine Sea territorial dispute, at least 68 Philippine government websites were attacked according to official reports.

Following this, public organizations in the Philippines are stepping up their efforts to tighten cyber security against hackers. One of these initiatives includes hiring the right personnel, which is also becoming a worldwide dilemma.

A study by Frost & Sullivan, which was conducted on behalf of the International Information System Security Certification Consortium, revealed that there will be a shortfall of 1.5 million cyber security professionals by 2020.

With threats continuously evolving in size, form and sophistication, there is a need for organizations especially in the public sector to hire the right talent to improve their cyber security posture.

“Because the rapidly increasing demand for information security professionals far outpaces the market supply, there will come a time when even the most up-to-date infrastructure will not be enough to meet the level of security needed in the public sector,” said Nico Alcoseba, vice president and head of PLDT’s Disruptive Business Group. “To be effective in implementing a holistic security approach, we need to ensure that the right platforms, the right processes and the right talents are in place.”

“Cyber security is one of the most pressing issues faced by the government today, not only in the Philippines but also worldwide. This raises the need for the public sector to either hire security professionals or engage with partners who can do that job for them.

This is where ePLDT comes in,” he said. ePLDT Inc., the digital enterprise enabler of PLDT that sets the pace for innovation in the country’s telecommunications and IT industry, identified that organizations are faced with global security expertise shortage on top of other existing internal challenges such as budget priorities and compliance concerns.

“Finding, hiring and retaining top security administrators can be difficult and yet is strategically-critical, especially now that the public sector is accelerating its own digital transformation. At ePLDT, we offer the right solutions and the right people, backed with globally-benchmarked security practices, that enable us to manage security policies and systems and help organizations comply to regulatory policies and standards,” said Nerissa Ramos, group chief operating officer of ePLDT Inc.

Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III (right) swears in new DBP president and chief executive Cecilia Borromeo.

LANDBANK EXECUTIVE NAMED AS NEW PRESIDENT OF DBP V

ETERAN banker Cecilia Borromeo was recently sworn in as the new president and chief executive of Development Bank of the Philippines.

banking and management from Land Bank of the Philippines to her new post in DBP. She started her banking career in Land Bank in 1989 and rose through the ranks to serve as officerin-charge from Aug. 1, 2016 to Nov. 10, 2016.

She previously served as executive vice president of the Agricultural and Development Lending Sector of LBP where she managed the delivery of financial services for farmer Borromeo was sworn in by Finance Secretary organizations, MSMEs, local government units, Carlos Dominguez III in simple ceremonies at the GOCCs, corporations, other financial institutions DBP headquarters in Makati City. and consumer clients.

Borromeo assumes her post in the stateShe also performed oversight functions over owned bank on Jan. 9, 2017.

LBP Insurance Brokerage, LBP Leasing Corp. and Borromeo brings a wealth of experience in Masaganang Sakahan Inc. She also supervised

the treasury, investment banking and global banking operations as executive vice president of LBP Institutional Banking Sector.

Borromeo obtained her Bachelor of Science degree inAgribusinessfromtheUniversityofthePhilippinesand took the Master of Business Administration program of the De La Salle Business School.

She is a graduate of the Advanced Bank Management Program of the Asian Institute of Management and the Pacific Rim Bankers Program of the University of Washington Executive Education Foster School of Business.

She also attended the International Study on Rural Banking and Finance at the Massey University in New Zealand.

JEALOUSY OF ONLINE FRIENDS LEAVES PEOPLE FEELING DOWN SOCIAL media started life as a way of staying in touch with friends and sharing happy memories. However, the results of the latest study from Kaspersky Lab indicate that social media now leaves many people feeling negative instead.

The hunt for likes plays a central role in this, with the majority of people feeling down or upset when they don’t get as many likes as they expect for a post, and with 42 percent saying they feel jealous when their friends get more likes than them.

In addition, the research shows that people feel envious when they see the seemingly happier lives of their friends on social media.

In a sur vey of 16,750 people worldwide, including 1,000 respondents from the Philippines, Kaspersky Lab has unearthed people’s frustration with social media.

People often experience negative emotions after spending time on social media due to a variety of reasons, and these overpower the positive effects of social media.

Users visit social media for positive reasons and to feel good. Most people (65 percent) use social networks to stay in touch with friends and colleagues and to see entertaining and funny posts (60 percent).

People also devote a significant amount of time to creating their digital profile and filling it with all kinds of

positive moments, posting things that make them smile (61 percent), and telling their networks about the great time they are having during holidays and vacations (43 percent).

While it is not surprising that 72 percent of people are annoyed by advertising that has become extremely intrusive and interrupts their online communications, the reasons for frustration go deeper.

Despite the desire to feel good from their interactions on social media, when people see their friends’ happy posts about holidays, hobbies, and parties,

they are often left with the bitter feeling that other people are enjoying life more than them.

For example, 59 percent have felt unhappy when they have seen friends’ posts from a party they were not invited to, and 45 percent revealed that their friends’ happy holiday pictures have had a negative influence on them.

Fur thermore, 37 percent also admitted that looking at past happy posts of their own can leave them with the feeling that their own past was better than their present life.

Answers from 1,000 sur vey

respondents from the Philippines revealed a great majority (76.7 percent) of Filipino netizens use social media to keep themselves updated with the latest news and current events.

Ironically, almost three out of 10 (27.7 percent) social media users admitted seeing news about politics, economy and foreign countries makes them sad.

Aside from being a news source, Filipinos (76 percent) also consider social platforms like Facebook and Twitter as tools in keeping in touch with their families, friends and colleagues.

In terms of how social media affects

their mood, the survey showed 29 percent of the Filipino respondents felt very low when someone else got control of their profiles, when someone seems to have a better life than them (27.7 percent) and when a friend’s photo or status update received more likes than their own (25.8 percent).

About 27.7 percent of the respondents also confessed seeing their friend’s photos during parties they are not invited to results to feeling down. Also, 27.7 percent Filipino social media users also said they felt sad when someone trolls them or their community.

“Our relationship with social media has developed into a vicious cycle. We want to go onto our favorite social platforms to tell all of our connections about the positive things we are doing – that makes us feel good,” says Evgeny Chereshnev, head of Social Media at Kaspersky Lab. “But the reality is that everyone is doing the same thing, so when we log onto social media we’re bombarded with images and posts of our friends having fun. And it looks like they’re enjoying life more than us. It’s easy to see why this is leaving people feeling down and why so many people have considered leaving social media altogether. The difficulty is that people feel trapped because so many of their precious memories have been stored on social media and they don’t want to lose access to these.”

Sports

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SUNDAY, JANUARY 8, 2017 reuelvidal@yahoo.com

Boyet Fernandez, then head coach of the NLEX Road Warriors, paces the sidelines during a PBA game.

Eduard Folayang (left) connects with a roundhouse kick to the face of Shinya Aoki. Folayang eventually won this match to annex the ONE Championship lightweight crown. ONE Championship

FOLAYANG IS 2016 FIGHTER OF THE YEAR

O

NE CHAMPIONSHIP had a banner 2016 with outstanding fighters having a spectacular year with exciting victories.

But one fighter stood tall above them all to win the Fighter of the Year Award. His name is Eduard “Landslide” Folayang.

Is there anyone who had a better year in 2016 than Folayang? The Filipino lightweight veteran has come full circle as a mixed martial artist, completing his journey from standout contender to realizing his dream of becoming MMA world champion.

The 33-year-old former school teacher appeared thrice inside the ONE Championship cage in 2016, beginning with a comprehensive wrestling performance against Japanese star Tetsuya Yamada in January. It was an impressive victory for Folayang, who showed the world what he had worked on the years prior when he spent time shuffling back between the Philippines and the United States to improve his wrestling game.

Then in August, Folayang overcame the incredibly durable Australian warrior Adrian Pang. Pang stepped into the cage against Folayang and performed as advertised, catching Folayang’s best shots right on the chin, not even flinching the entire way through despite being knocked down repeatedly.

Folayang hit Pang with every strike in his arsenal, but it still wasn’t able to deter the forwardmoving Australian. That’s more of a testament to Pang’s overall toughness than Folayang’s fin-

ishing ability. Regardless, Folayang was able to pull away for the comprehensive unanimous decision victory which was wellearned.

It all came to a satisfying conclusion when last November in Singapore, Folayang took the challenge to compete for the ONE Lightweight World Championship held by Japanese MMA legend Shinya “Tobikan Judan” Aoki.

Folayang negated Aoki’s grappling prowess to get the TKO victory in spectacular fashion via flying knee and ground strikes.

Deserving of runner-up honors for the award are Angela “Unstoppable” Lee, Marat “Cobra” Gafurov, Bibiano “The Flash” Fernandes and Ev “E.T.” Ting.

Twenty-year-old Lee fought twice in ONE Championship this year, and they were two of the toughest fights in her young career.

This past February, Lee took on American Rebecca Heintzman. Although Heintzman’s wrestling ability gave her a tough challenge, Lee’s grappling was on point that night.

The result was a second round submission via neck crank, Lee’s fifth straight.

Then came May, fighting in front of her adoptive hometown crowd of Singapore, Lee chal-

Angela Lee (right) faces off against opponent Mei Yamaguchi who unloads a left hook during their championship bout won by Lee. ONE Championship

ONE Championship World Featherweight Champion Marat Gafurov (on top) batters challenger Kazunori Yokota during their championship bout. Gafurov prevailed to retain his title. ONE Championship

lenged Japanese MMA veteran Mei “V.V” Yamaguchi for the inaugural ONE Women’s Atomweight World Championship.

It was a back-and-forth title fight for the ages, and one that was recently named ONE’s Fight of the Year. It was raw talent versus experience, and in the end, not a single person was left in their seat.

Confetti rained down to the applause of a packed Singapore Indoor Stadium crowd. The sight was truly mesmerizing as Lee was crowned ONE’s first women’s champion.

Gafurov appeared in two tough title defenses in 2016.

In May, Gafurov took on Japanese fight veteran Kazunori Yokota. Yokota had over 30 professional fights on his resume with an incredible 13-fight, five-year win streak. The Russian fighter was too strong and too intelligent for the Japanese veteran. Gafurov needed slightly less than two rounds to dispatch Yokota.

Gafurov was just as dominant in his second title defense as he submitted Narantungalag Jadambaa in the first round with a rear naked choke.

Since making his ONE Championship promotional debut in 2012, Fernandes has remained unbeaten in nearly six years. The ONE Bantamweight World Champion Fernandes is the promotion’s most dominant champion.

In 2016 Fernandes beat Kevin Belingon and then barely survived

the challenge of Australia’s Reece “Lightning” McLaren to retain his title. Fernandes easily submitted Belingon but had to endure five grueling rounds against McLaren before extracting a hard-earned decision.

The only non-champion on this list is Malaysia’s Ting who emerged victorious over two of the best fighters in his weight class.

The 27-year-old Malaysian-Kiwi sensation from Auckland, New Zealand, has made Kuala Lumpur his fighting home, building a strong case in the past 12 months to be next in line to face either ONE Featherweight World Champion Marat Gafurov, or newly crowned ONE Lightweight World Champion Eduard Folayang.

Last January, Ting took on one of the Philippines’ top fighters in “The Natural” Eric Kelly. Fighting in front of his hometown crowd in Kuala Lumpur, Ting put together a fine performance against Kelly, outlasting the Filipino warrior to win by guillotine choke submission two minutes into the third and final round.

In September, Ting made the decision to try his hand one weight class above where he currently competes. Waiting for him at lightweight was the reinvented Rob “Warrior of God” Lisita, who remained as dangerous as ever.

Ting did enough to get his hand raised, and proved that he has the heart of a champion to go along with his skills.

FERNANDEZ PURSUES REDEMPTION AT SBC

By Reuel Vidal AFTER a dissappointing two-year stint as head coach of the NLEX Road Warriors in the Philippine Basketball Association Boyet Fernandez gets a chance to revive his coaching career after being named head coach of the San Beda Red Lions in the National Collegiate Athletic Association.

Fernandez faces a daunting challenge because only a title will be enough for the defending champion Red Lions. He will be considered a failure if he winds up with anything less.

It shouldn’t be too difficult for Fernandez though. He inherits a powerhouse lineup. Plus he’s no stranger to winning titles after leading this selfsame team to the NCAA throne in 2013 and 2014.

Fernandez, a pugnacious point guard during his playing days in the PBA, started his coaching career after his retirement in 2004. He became the assistant coach of Alfrancis Chua with the Sta. Lucia Realtors.

He took on the job of head coach just before the start of the 2007 PBA Fiesta Conference.

He helped the franchise win its only PBA title during the 2008 PBA Philippine Cup. For his efforts he was named PBA Coach of the Year.

The Realtors were disbanded in 2010. He then took over the as head coach of the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons in the UAAP in 2010.

He was the coach of the NLEX Road Warriors when they joined the PBA D-League in 2011. He led the team to six championships in seven conferences. In 2013 he took over from Ronnie Magsanoc as coach of the Red Lions.

The school won two NCAA titles under Fernandez.

NLEX purchased the Air21 franchise in the PBA in 2014 and Fernandez took on the job of head coach of the Road Warriors. Now two years down the road and Fernandez is back in Mendiola.

Fernandez met familiar faces when he returned to San Beda’s practice facility. Jayvee Mocon and Radge Tongco, two rookies in his last season with San Beda, are now the team’s go-to players. He met Cameroonians Donald Tankoua and Arnaud Noah as well as locals AC Soberano and Jomari Presbitero, players he himself recruited years ago.

The players may be the same but the San Beda strategy will definitely be different. Fernandez likes to employ a deliberate offense which will be a radical departure from coach Jarin’s up tempo, run and gun system.

Fernandez promised that he and the entire team will work hard to keep the championship in San Beda.

To hone his players even more Fernandez said he will include six San Beda players, including Fil-Am Davon Potts, Mocon and Robert Bolick, in a PBA DLeague squad.

Fernandez is grateful for this chance at handling the Red Lions.

Who knows? If he succeeds, maybe it will be enough to catapult him back to a PBA coaching job.

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Sports

SUNDAY, JANUARY 8, 2017 Riera U. Mallari, Editor / Reuel Vidal, Issue Editor sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

NEED FOR SPEED KNOWS NO LIMITS

Jerry AC: In each race, I always review my performance, how to do better, learn something new and further my racing skills. Inset shows Jerry flashing the no. 1 sign.

By Ramon Boado (Photos by Ramon Boado, Jon Gonzales)

I

T is never too late to fuel one’s need for speed.

Jerry AC, a 45-year-old businessman, last month dominated the Asian Karting Open Championship in Macau, winning the X30 Senior, Formula 125 Senior Open and Formula 125 Open.

His passion for racing actually isn’t limited to karting. Also last year, he was invited by the China Formula Grand Prix Organizing Committee to take part in the Formula 4 Championship, the China GT Championship and the Audi R8 GT series. He also dabbled in the local one-make racing, the Toyota Vios Cup. His China sojourns have made him a nominee in the Samsung 2016 Hong Kong Sports Stars Awards by the Hong Kong Kart Club Limited.

“I am so glad to get these awards in such fierce competition against 58 other racers from Asia (Australia, Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia, Taiwan, India, Hong Kong, Macau and China), especially at my age level,” he said.

Jerry lived in Japan for over 10 years and this may have helped him absorb the Japanese culture of having a mindset that focuses on the task at hand and trying again after a failure.

“In each race, I always review my performance, how to do better, learn something new and further my racing skills,” said Jerry, who now permanently resides in the country.

His first taste of racing happened at the SQ Karting race in Boomland, Pasay.

“I was only in it for fun, but I began to love motorsports gradually,” he said.

That love brought him to take part in the local series, where being an “older” racer is actually a disadvantage.

“It is not easy for a racer to face

challenges in three different series. The most challenge is in the X30 Senior where the youngest participant is just 14. Their physical condition and stamina are much higher. They seem to have unlimited power than me. The other challenge is in the Formula 125 Senior, where the kart set-up of the 125cc engine (Rotax Max 125, Iame X30, Super Rok GP Votex etc. ) is the main issue to win the competition. In the Formula 125 Veteran series, I have to face expe-

Jerry AC raises his Asian Karting Open Championship trophy.

rienced and excellent racers especially from Hong Kong and China and this is not easy for me. The laptime difference among the racers from position 1 to 20 is just 0.2 of a second,” said Jerry, who is also into other sports like tennis, bowling and golf, where he “got quite a lot of awards in my life.”

“But motorsports is the most challenging. It includes mental, physical, mechanical knowledge and driving skills. I need to master these four factors to be successful,” he said.

And just like his younger counterparts, he improves his craft by constant practice and staying healthy.

“I am always in the gym to keep my body in good and heathy condition,” said Jerry, who is a property developer. “I have a new coach from Hong Kong in Michael Shun, who gives me advice on

how to improve my skills in terms of data support in setting up my kart. I am also going to have exchanges of ideas with some Singaporeans, who are factory drivers and have high records from Europe. I maintain and enhance my high level of body condition with the help of

Hans Santiago. Kudos also to Josefilo Bariquit, who is very loyal and a very good mechanic.”

One of his plans is to race in the X30 Final Challenge in Europe and the next X30 Asia Cup in Sepang and Singapore starting this February, while putting up his Apex Racing Team.

“I want to manage the team in a more professional way. Now, we have 18 drivers from here, Japan, Hong Kong and China,” he said.

Jerry said his age is not a hindrance to his racing battles.

“At my age, it is somewhat hard for me to battle with the young ones, but still, I want to be known by many that I am one of the best drivers in the circuit. I also want to train kids dreaming to become champions in the future. I will teach them not only to become a good driver, but to have the proper attitude, which is the most important thing. I also want to train more drivers for my Apex Racing Team,” he said.

Racing, according to him is very much like real life.

“This (motorsports) is like society. It is stressful and one cannot avoid politics, but you have to face and handle it. It makes me even stronger in facing problems and in building up my personality and making power and strategic management. Don’t let the behavior of other people destroy your inner peace,” said Jerry.

“I am here just to enjoy the moments of winning and losing, to make friends and do my best every race,” he said. “The important thing is not the triumph, but the struggle.

You have to set goals no matter how impossible they might seem at the moment. This has prompted me never to give up in both racing and business.”

UNIVERSITY OF THE VISAYAS WINS SBP-PASSERELLE SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD. The University of the Visayas took

home the much-coveted Sportsmanship award in the SBP division of the prestigious SBP-Passerelle Twin Tournament. This award is based not only on the fair play shown by the players, but also among the coaches, school officials and parents, and aims to develop values, discipline, team work and sportsmanship among all participants. The SBP-Passerelle Twin Tournament is organized by the multi-awarded school for basketball and volleyball, BEST Center, sponsored by Milo, and supported by Chris Sports and Rain or Shine. Now on its 31st year, SBP-Passarelle is the longest running and most prestigious annual interschool basketball competition for children where students ages 9-11 compete in the SBP division, while students ages 12-14 compete in the Passarelle division. For more information about BEST Center’s classes and tournaments, email bestcentersports@gmail.com or follow its official Facebook page BEST Center Sports Inc.

PRADERA GOLF CLUB SPRUCED UP FOR LADIES’ GOLF THE Pradera Golf Club, the newest, gem of a course in Lubao, Pampanga, has been spruced up to championship condition and is ready to challenge the field clashing in the first-ever Pradera Ladies Golf Challenge on Jan. 15-17.

The Ryder Cup-style format event pits the top Filipino junior and amateurs players against their counterparts from Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia with the perpetual Pradera trophy going to the first team to score 15.5 points in four-ball, best ball and singles matches.

“The golf course is 100 percent ready and the driving range is fully operational,” said Norman Sto. Domingo, personal coach of prodigy Annyka Pineda-Cayabyab, whose grandparents own the Mike Singgaran-designed course which sits on the 700-hectare Pradera Verde in Barangay Prado Siongco.

While the par 72 layout, is relatively flat, Sto. Domingo said it remains challenging with its bunkers and hazards coming into play in almost all holes and slopping long fairways with big undulating, challenging greens.

“It’s flat but there are so many bunkers and lots of water hazards. It can bring out the best and the worst from each player, especially if the wind come into play,” said Archen Cayabyab, under whose initiative with Lubao Mayor Mylyn Pineda-Cayabyab the first-ever Phl-SEA duel came about.

Pauline del Rosario, one of the spearheads of Team Pradera Philippines in the novel event and who has played in a number of courses here and abroad, considers Pradera GC as unique and one of a kind.

“It’s looks flat but it’s not when you begin to play. It’s certainly a great golf course,” said Del Rosario, who will be coming into the event in top form, having swept her last three tournaments in 2016 in Malaysia and Singapore.

“The greens are also very challenging.”

Del Rosario and the 12-year-old Cayabyab, a fivetime world junior champion and youngest Most Outstanding Kapampangan awardee, will be joined in Team Pradera Phl

by The Country Club stalwarts Mikha Fortuna, Sofia Chabon, Bernice Ilas and Abby Arevalo, along with Mika Arroyo, Nicole Abelar, Tomi Arejola and Missy Legaspi.

Jennifer Rosales adds prestige to the event as the twotime LPGA Tour champion will be one of Team Pradera’s skippers along with Chona de la Paz of The Junior Golfers League and Rolly Romero of National Golf Association of the Philippines.

Thai teen star Attaya Thitikul banners Team SEA, which includes fellow Thais Napabhach Boon-in, Tunrada Piddon, Onkanok Soisuwan and Kan Bunnabodee, Malaysians Qistina Balqis, Geraldine Wong, Natasha Oon and Winnie Ng and Michela Tjan of Indonesia with Dato Raby Abbas and Phunumpa Pornperan as team captains.

After hosting the PhlSEA Ladies Golf Challenge, Pradera GC will be staging a number of junior and amateur tournaments on top of the local and international pro events, according to Sto. Domingo.

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SUNDAY, JANUARY 8, 2017

Jimbo Gulle, Editor

Roger Garcia, Issue Editor

LGUs

mslocalgov@gmail.com

ELECTRIC VEHICLE GROUP PUSH FOR TOURISM

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MASBATE RODEO. A young cowboy tries to tame a bucking bull during one of Masbate’s patented rodeo shows in this file photo. The Philippines’‘Rodeo Capital’ can expect more visitors starting Feb. 15 when CebGo, a subsidiary of Cebu Pacific, operates a once-a-day flight from Manila to Masbate. See story on D2.

SINULOG FESTIVAL KICKS OFF; CEBU MUSLIMS ASSURE SAFETY C

EBU CITY—Organizers kicked off the 2017 Sinulog Festival, one of the country’s biggest tourist drawers, with a Mass and a parade here Friday afternoon.

Held at the Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño, the Mass preceded a parade with dancing contingents from 14 schools in the city.

Meanwhile, the Muslim community in Cebu vowed to work closely with the Police Regional Office 7 to ensure a safe celebration of Sinulog on Sunday, Jan. 15.

Najeeb Rasul, Mufti of Cebu and Voice of Islam president, made the assurance in a meeting with police officials at the PRO 7 offices. He encouraged his fellow Muslims to set aside their differences with Cebuano Catholics and help everyone celebrate Sinulog peacefully.

“For a society to become peaceful, to become united, we need to have tolerance. We call on our brothers in Mindanao not to let violence come here. Cebu City is my city and I don’t allow them to come here,” Rasul said.

Senior Superintendent Rey Lyndon Lawas, PRO 7 deputy director for operations, said the cooperation of the Muslim community will assure a calm and harmonious Sinulog celebration.

But Lawas still advised residents and tourists to be extra vigilant and report anything suspicious to the nearest government office or police designated in their area.

Senior Superintendent Joel Doria, Cebu City Police Office director, said they have increased the security personnel to be

deployed during the Sinulog from 5,000 to 8,000.

Doria said they will include personnel from the Philippine National Police, Armed Forces of the Philippines and force multipliers. They have also tapped the “habal-habal” or motorcycle-for-hire drivers in their security preparations.

Some 150 habal-habal drivers have been trained to detect bombs and other explosives, Doria said.

The initial Sinulog parade started from the basilica, passing through Osmeña Boulevard to the Fuente Osmeña rotunda and to the Cebu City Sports Center.

Some roads leading to Osmeña Boulevard were closed to vehicular traffic since 1 p.m., but were reopened as soon as the parade passed by.

Ricky Ballesteros, Sinulog Foundation Inc. executive director, said the opening of the Sinulog Festival went on smoothly.

The Sinulog Festival will be capped with the Sinulog Grand Parade on Jan. 15, which is expected to be watched by millions of both foreign and local spectators.

A portion of Osmeña Boulevard was also closed to vehicular traffic from noon to 4 p.m. on Saturday to give way to contingents of the Sinulog sa Kabataan sa Lalawigan sa Sugbo (Sinulog for the Youth in Cebu Province) 2017.

The same area will be closed to vehicular traffic on Sunday for the Sinulog sa Barangay sa Dakbayan sa Sugbo (Sinulog for Cebu City Villages).

All the winners in the Sinulog sa Kabataan sa Lalawigan sa Sugbo and the Sinulog sa Barangay sa Dakbayan sa Sugbo will qualify to join the Sinulog Grand Parade on Jan. 15. PNA

BAGUIO CITY BRACES FOR MISS UNIVERSE OUTING ON JAN.18

By Dexter A. See BAGUIO CITY—Final preparations get under way for the One-day Miss Universe spectacle in this city as local organizers here aim to assert Baguio as the country’s undisputed Summer Capital and put the Pines City back into the world tourism map.

Andrew Pinero, media officer of the Hotel and Restaurant Association of Baguio, said that on Jan. 18, Miss Universe pageant contestants together with reigning Miss Universe beauty titlist Pia Wurtzbach will be arriving in the city and will immediately participate in a 3-kilometer parade from the rotunda of the Department of the Interior and Local Government along Upper Session road up to the Baguio Country Club premises.

Wurtzbach and the 32 Miss Universe beauty contestants will board four beautifully decorated floats with street-dancing contingents from Tabuk City, Kalinga, La Union and some schools in the city will during the festivity-filled day.

Local Gov’t Units

The city’s business and other sectoral groups led by HRAB have pooled their resources to ensure the successful holding of the event.

HRAB sponsored the multi-million peso (hosting fee) for the one-day visit of the select beauty contestants to the city, including the cost of the floats for the parade proper.

Local organizers will be taking the tab for the accommodation costs, chartered flights for the contestants, taxes, etc. and the performer’s fees during the parade, among others.

“Baguio City will definitely gain from this as the pre-pageant events and the main pageant itself will be aired in 160 countries in the different parts of the globe,” Pinero added.

While in the city, the beauty contestants will join a mini-golf tournament at the Baguio Country Club golf course.

The pageant contestants will be entertained with performances of the Tam-awan artists that will showcase Cordillera region’s rich culture and traditions, particularly the Igorots attire and lifestyles.

Pinero said security preparations for the visit of the Miss Universe contestants to the city have been finalized to make sure that their stint

in the city will be safe and worth remembering not only for the residents but for the visiting contestants as well.

GIFTS FOR SENIORS. Senior citizens in Barangay Banca Banca, Victoria, Laguna received wheelchairs, free medicine and reading glasses from the office of Laguna third district Rep. Sol Aragones (left, standing) on Saturday. A former television news reporter, Aragones is now on her second term. Roy Tomandao

BUILDERS and makers of electric-powered vehicles in the country are pushing for the use of “green-transport” program aimed at providing environment-friendly vehicles to boost the ongoing greentourism program of the travel sector.

Electric Vehicle Association of the Philippines Executive Director Bong Cruz, in a statement said that their group is now encouraging tourism industry players to help develop green tourism in the Philippines.

“I believe this is one lesson we can learn from the Vietnamese: Provide tourists with shuttle vehicles that are quiet, comfortable and smoke-free.

This will be good for everyone in the tourism industry.”

In anticipation of the firstever Asean Electric Vehicle Summit slated to be held in Manila this year, EVAP recently sent a representative to Vietnam to study EV applications in a country with driving terrains and conditions similar to those in the Philippines.

Cruz noted the proliferation of electric vehicle shuttles within the tourist areas in Hanoi such as around the Old quarter, the French quarter and the famous Hoan Kiem Lake, he adds.

The electric vehicles are actually the big six-seater golf cart varieties which are smaller yet very similar to the 14-seater electric jeepneys now plying in Makati, Filinvest City Alabang, Muntinlupa and Ateneo.

He says that in the Philippines, EJeepneys are used for public transport. “This is understandable since the jeepneys are the backbone of the Philippine mass transport system.

But in Vietnam, the EVs are used more in the tourism industry to promote green and convenient tourist transport that is quiet and smoke-free!”

HOUSING LOAN MORATORIUM FOR ‘NINA’ VICTIMS AS PART of government’s efforts to help victims recover from the aftermath of Super Typhoon “Nina,” borrowers of the National Home Mortgage Finance Corp. who were affected can avail of the six-month moratorium on their housing loans.

All NHMFC borrowers/buyers whose accounts are updated or in current status as of Dec. 24, 2016 are qualified and may apply not later than Jan. 31.

The moratorium will be implemented for a period of six months effective on the first due date after January 2017. In the event of payment by the claimant during the six-month period, such will be posted after the moratorium.

The application should be supported by a certification from the barangay chairman to attest that the borrower’s/buyer’s property was damaged by Typhoon "Nina."

The borrower’s loan term shall be automatically extended equivalent to the same number of months that the account is under moratorium.

Reports from NHMFC’s satellite offices say roughly 1,050 accounts were affected by Typhoon "Nina," with 800 in Bicol, 200 in Mimaropa, and 50 in Quezon province.

LGUs

D2

SUNDAY, JANUARY 8, 2017 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

DAVAO DRUG REFORMISTS

By F. Pearl A. Gajunera DAVAO CITY—The Anti-Drug Abuse Council (CADAC) has started to implement reform programs for drug users and dependents who voluntarily surrendered for rehabilitation aimed at restoring their lives and well-being.

CADAC action officer Michael Denton Aportadera said that they are aiming to reach out to all religious sectors to help their campaign on providing spiritual awareness and giving a different future for the drug surenderees in the city.

“The involvement of the spiritual aspects is very important, we have our Muslim brothers and sisters, the Catholic, Protestant and even the Buddhist willing to help if ever there is a need for them to seek spiritual guidance,” he said.

Aportadera said that the religious sector will help them get back on their faith as they reform themselves out from drug addiction.

Aportadera though clarified, that there will be no indoctrination involved.

He said that this is also one of their answers to the statement of President Rodrigo Duterte that the church should help the drug addicts to go on the right path of life.

He said that they will help restore the moral as well as spiritual aspects of the lives of the drug reformists through the recently established Tabangan Ang Reformist Aron Naay Asenso (Help the reformist to have an improvement) or “TARA NA.” “We will bring them reform through the TARA NA project we will do the necessary assessments and screening of each and every surenderees, prior to their inclusion in the program, to ensure that they all receive appropriate attention and guidance Aportadera said”.

The TARA NA program is under the umbrella of the Davao City Community-Based Rehabilitation Aftercare Program for Persons with Substance Use Disorder.

Aportadera said that the community based efforts will likewise provide reformists initial livelihood and educational opportunities for deserving reformists.

The CBRAP aims to revive the Barangay Anti-Drug Abuse Council (BADAC) in all 183 barangays in the city to help assist the needs of the reformist in their respective communities and step up efforts to eradicate illegal drug use in their locales.

Out of the 183 barangays, only 46 of them have activated their BADAC. As part of the program, the Davao City Treatment and Rehabilitation Center for Drug Dependents aims to improve and expand their facility through the private-public partnership with the Resorts World (RW) Manila.

Some of the participants in last year’s Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta prepare their blimps in this file photo. But with the Clark International Airport hosting more flights, the event may have to move away from the former American military base.

AIRPORT CHIEF: HOLD HOT AIR BALLOON FEST OUTSIDE CLARK C

LARK, Pampanga —The chief of the Clark International Airport Corp. will recommend that next year’s Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta be held outside Clark, following the national government’s push for the immediate and full use of the Clark International Airport.

“Given the full support of President [Rodrigo] Duterte and [Transportation] Secretary [Art] Tugade for the immediate development of CRK, the company will recommend to concerned parties that next year’s hot air balloon fiesta be held outside the immediate air space of CRK,” CIAC president Alexander Cauguiran said.

“While we also subscribe to the objective of the hot air balloon fiesta to promote local tourism around Clark, priority must be given to the increasing number of commercial airlines at CRK. More commercial flights at CRK would mean a limited window of hours that hot air balloons may fly around Clark Free-

port,” Cauguiran said.

The three-year Memorandum of Agreement signed in 2014 by the Clark Development Corp., the Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta Foundation, and CIAC will expire this year.

Ritche Nacpil, manager for airport operations at CRK, assured that no commercial flight at Clark will be affected by the hot air balloon fiesta.

“In fact, it is an explicit instruction from CIAC president Cauguiran that no balloon will take off until the only commercial flight scheduled to depart at 7 a.m., which is the Cebu Pacific flight to Hong Kong, has already

DAILY FLIGHTS SEEN TO BOOST MASBATE

LITTLE WINNERS.

SM Little Stars 2016 Grand Winners Sheena Kirtsten Bentoy and Marcus Rayden Cabais flash winning smiles during the grand finals and coronation night at SM Santa Rosa in Santa Rosa, Laguna.

Roy Tomandao

PANGASINAN, LA UNION FISHERFOLK GET PROJECTS SUAL, Pangasinan—Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol, accompanied by Governor Amado I. Espino III and other local officials, turned over 70 fiberglass-reinforced boats and fishery projects worth P5.4 million during a dialogue with fisherfolk from Pangasinan and La Union here.

Piñol said the 70 boats are the initial delivery of 700 boats intended for the 14 coastal municipalities in Pangasinan, aside from the 381 pieces of fishing gear distributed to 500 fisherfolk beneficiaries from the two provinces.

Joining Piñol were Rep. Leopoldo Bataoil, Former House Speaker Jose de Venecia, Rep. Toff de Venecia, Sual Mayor Roberto Arcinue, DA Regional Director Valentino Perdido, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Regional

left. During the past 20 years that the balloon fiesta has been held at Clark, no commercial flight has been delayed due to this event,” Nacpil said.

He explained that the Notice to Airmen or NOTAM that CAAP regularly issues during the balloon fiesta “is a standard measure for the information, guidance and safety of all concerned. But as always, airport operation is the top priority.”

Nacpil also said that similar NOTAMs are issued whenever popular remote-controlled drones with camera, sky lanterns or fireworks are used within the immediate air space of CRK. PNA

Director Nestor Domenden, and other officials.

Governor Espino told Piñol Pangasinan needs more farms-to-market road projects along with important farming equipment and facilities.

“We need your help. We have pending requests under your department, FMRs under TPR-DB program, post-harvest facilities for our farmers and other important farming equipment,” the governor pleaded.

Espino also mentioned Pangasinan’s winning the Corn Achievers Award for the third time in November last year and the Pagasa Award conferred upon the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist to recognize its meritorious implementation of the provincial rice program last December.

“Your coming here to our province is an assurance of your care for the welfare of our

farmers and fisherfolk,” the governor told the secretary.

Piñol responded that the national government has P39 billion intended for FMRs all over the country.

“All you have to do is provide a 10-percent counterpart from your LGU funds,” Piñol said, noting that the World Bank-funded project is part of the Philippine Rural Development Program.

Piñol also distributed checks to fund the construction of four community fish landing centers, the municipal wharf for Infanta, maintenance of marine protected area and fish sanctuary project for Anda, P2 million worth of projects for Agno and Bani, and some 250 units of handline fishing gills. Dexter A. See

THE country’s “Rodeo Capital” tourism potential will further be enhanced with the official announcement of the provincial government that daily direct flights will be operational starting next month.

Cebu Pacific Air’s wholly-owned subsidiary, CebGo, flies to Masbate starting Feb. 15. Flight DG 6177 will fly daily from the Naia Terminal 4 at 8:20 a.m., and will return from Masbate via Flight DG 6178 at 9:50 a.m., utilizing the airline’s new ATR-72-600.

Masbate Vice Governor Kaye Revil said the new flight is a fruit of the persistent requests of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan and the City Government of Masbate via official resolutions since 2013 to provide a more affordable air transportation alternative to the province.

The lady vice governor said that for the past few years, the provincial government has been pursuing tourism and promotions, special events, and has put in place the Tourism Code to entice the airline to assign an aircraft to the Masbate route.

At present, passengers usually fly to Legazpi City Cebu Pacific for affordable flights, then take a 1-hour van to Pilar port in Sorsogon and a 2.5-hour fast-craft to Masbate City.

Revil, a tourism advocate, noted that the new flight will help boost the forthcoming Rodeo Festival, the country’s biggest cowboy-themed event which gathers ranchers from “across the archipelago to showcase their skills,” she said.

For their part, Cebgo president and CEO Alexander Lao said that their company remain firm in bringing people together through safe, affordable, reliable, and fun-filled air travel.

He said the addition of this new route will allow passengers to easily visit this fast-rising island province which is strategically located in the Bicol region and near the Visayas.

Gadgets & Games

HUAWEI LAUNCHES NEW MID-RANGE PHONES L

AS VEGAS—Chinese electronics giant Huawei announced Tuesday a global launch of its mid-range Honor 6x smartphone which includes dual-lens camera technology and is aimed at young consumers.

The smartphone, which was launched in China last year, will be available in 13 new markets this month, including the United States, at a price of $249 to $299, the company announced at the Consumer Electronics Show in las Vegas.

Huawei marketing director George Zhao said the device is a successor to the Honor 5x launched a year ago, which sold 11 million, and that he expects the upgraded model will sell even more.

“Twenty million,” he told an audience.

Huawei has emerged as the world’s third largest smartphone vendor but has had only limited success in the United States. It sells mostly unlocked devices through online and mass-market retailers, which amounts to a small segment of the US market.

Zhao said the specifications of the new handset make it a worthy competitor to those of its larger rivals Apple and Samsung.

It estimates battery life of over two days with normal use, and has improved the software for photo processing to deliver improved images even with low light conditions.

Huawei, which has stated its goal of becoming the number one smartphone maker, faces a crowded market behind the top two sellers, competing against other Chinese firms such as Lenovo and Xiaomi and South Korea’s LG, which have also slated announcements at the electronics show.

The handsets, priced below Huawei’s flagship devices, go on sale from this week in the US, Britain, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, Russia, Malaysia, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, with other markets to follow.

In another development, Huawei is adding Amazon’s artificial intelligence application Alexa to its flagship smartphone for its US launch.

The number three global smartphone brand, Huawei announced at this week’s Consumer Electronics Show that its Mate 9 handset would include the personal digital assistant developed by Amazon.

The Mate 9, a large -screen “phablet ” marketed as a rival to the big handsets from Apple and Samsung, will be available to US buyers in “early 2017,” the Chinese firm said at the Las Vegas tech show.

Huawei said this is the first smartphone to pre-install Amazon Alexa, a cloud-based, voiceactivated digital assistant that can control smart home devices or respond to questions.

Amazon is making Alexa available to third parties as it seeks to boost its presence in the consumer electronics field with artificial intelligence and home automation.

Alexa is battling similar services developed

by Google, Microsoft and Apple that can be used on a smartphone or home speaker hub.

Huawei, whose US presence is limited mostly through direct-to-consumer sales of unlocked

George Zhao, president of Honor, a division of Huawei, speaks during the company's press conference at the 2017 Consumer Electronics Show (CES2017) in Las Vegas, Nevada. AFP

devices, launched the Mate 9 late last year in Europe and other markets, but without Alexa.

Buyers in those markets will be able to install the Amazon application through an over-theair update.

The Mate 9, which could get a boost from the woes of Samsung’s recalled Note 7 handset, is touted by the company as a high-performance device with fast charging and extended battery life, and upgraded photography with a dual-lens system developed in cooperation with Leica.

Huawei claims its fast computing performance will remain for at least 18 months, and that its chipset is designed with machine learning capabilities to make the phone

smarter as it is used.

“Response to Huawei Mate 9 has been extremely positive, resulting in numerous industry awards and accolades,” said Zhendong Zhu, president of Huawei Device USA. “With Mate 9, we set out to improve every element of the smartphone experience, creating a dynamic and powerful device that takes a big step forward in what consumers expect in a smartphone. We’re excited to introduce the Mate 9 flagship device to the US market.”

The launch was the second in two days at CES for the large Chinese firm. On Tuesday, it unveiled its upgraded mid-range Honor 6x smartphone that will be sold starting this month in 13 markets, including the United States. AFP

ELEVATE HOME LIFE WITH HAIER

EVERY New Year comes new resolutions, but before laying down any health, relationship, or financial goal for 2017, take a good look at your home.

“How we organize our homes reflect how we see ourselves,” said Joseph Alexis Bandol, Haier Philippines’ Director for Product Marketing. “Surrounding our homes with our dreams and aspirations can inspire us to work towards what we want to become.”

A New Year makeover is the perfect opportunity to transform our homes into spaces that motivate us to accomplish positive changes in our lives.

Let’s start with the most practical elements: appliances. Older models are often less energy efficient than more modern counterparts. Newer designs also come with improved functionalities as well as better aesthetics.

Appliances play a vital role in raising quality of life—a core concept behind the innovations of global electronics leader Haier.

Here are some of the brand’s appliances that have been designed to elevate home life to inspired living.

Ultra HD TV

With four times the resolution of full highdefinition television, 4K TVs bring unbelievable visual clarity that makes TV watching no different from looking out the window.

To further heighten the experience, Haier’s 4K Ultra HD LED TV comes with a

Automatic Washing Machine

Laundry day doesn’t have to be another time-consuming chore. A large-capacity, fully automatic top-load washing machine can reduce the effort needed to clean a week’s worth of dirty clothes.

For added convenience, Haier’s largecapacity automatic washers are designed with a Tub Dry feature and Magic Lint Filter for easy maintenance, as well as 10 water level options and eight washing programs to accommodate different volumes of laundry.

Cooking Appliances

Appliances play a vital role in raising quality of life—a core concept behind the innovations of global electronics leader Haier

48-inch screen along with an upscaling feature, auto volume leveler, and powersaving technology.

Inverter Refrigerator

Unlike traditional refrigerators, inverter models consume electricity by half or even less by minimizing energy consumption when temperatures are already optimal.

Haier takes this up a notch with inverter compressors equipped with Flexible Double Frequency conversion technology to cut power use to less than 0.1 watts when

idle—the lowest in the industry.

Green Air Conditioning

It’s time to replace those clunky energyguzzling air conditioners with units that save on electricity. Even at 0.5 horsepower, Haier’s window-type ACs can cool a bedroom without dramatically increasing the utility bill.

These air conditioners also use ecofriendly refrigerant to cool homes while lowering environmental impact. The compact, space-saving design further adds modern elegance to any space.

Good kitchen efficiency means having an easier time following a healthier diet.

With Haier’s 2,100-watt induction cooker, you can prepare nutritious meals with no worries thanks to different pre-settings for various cooking styles.

For busy days, a 23-liter microwave oven from Haier will let you cook simple, hasslefree meals through six power levels so you won’t have to resort to fast food when you’re on the go.

“Positive change starts at home.The small improvements we make at home can help create an environment that encourages us to become better people, not just for ourselves but also for others,” Bandol said.

Welcome New Year with a home that inspires good living. For more details, visit www.haier.com/ph.

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SUNDAY, JANUARY 8, 2017 rumallari@thestandard.com.ph

SING B4 U BUY GRAND Videoke, the leading name in the industry, is mounting an advocacy called Sing B4 U Buy. The message is simple but important.

Sing B4 U Buy encourages consumers to properly and thoroughly experience first-hand a videoke system before making a purchase. Here are some practical pointers you can ponder on.

First, check the song library. Some machines may have thousands and thousands of songs, but you’ll be surprised to find out that a huge number of them are actually duplicated, not just once but sometimes up to four times! With the Grand Videoke PLUS series, you get an extensive library of more than 6,000 built-in songs. No song is duplicated, no public domain songs included. All tracks are handpicked favorites, the songs you actually want to sing!

Another tedious task with some videoke machines is finding the songs you want. While some may offer on-screen searching through a remote control, this is still far from being a seamless process.

To remedy this, Grand Videoke Symphony 2.0 PLUS, the flagship of the series, offers the GeeVee™ Voice Command feature.

Just speak the song title directly to your microphone and you can find your favorite song in just about 5 seconds.

Another feature often ignored in videoke machines but no doubt one of the most important is storage. The storage system used can determine the longevity of the device. External storage options such as optical discs (CDs or DVDs) and SD cards are more prone to damage and data corruption. That’s why Grand Videoke PLUS uses an internal memory storage system that is more secure, which means more peace of mind for you.

As far as song quality is concerned, a well-produced song is one that lets you hear all its beautiful and harmonious details. Grand Videoke PLUS features a dedicated Dream Sound Module that is able to produce high-definition sound.

Much care was devoted to song production, with some even featuring full orchestral accompaniment and back-up singers. It’s like starring in your major concert right at the comforts of your home.

When it comes to vocal quality, a good microphone must be able to reproduce your voice naturally and clearly. The Grand VideokePLUS wireless microphone utilizes cardioid pro audio technology precisely tuned for vocals, resulting to clearer voice reproduction and better voice pick-up.

This makes singing an effortless and confidence-inspiring experience.

Finally, the words “sophistication” and “videoke” doesn’t always go together, but Grand Videoke PLUS is set to change that perception. With its steam-injected piano black finish, the Grand Videoke PLUS exudes a premium look and feel.

The unique clarinet-inspired wireless microphone is iconic—a conversation piece in and of itself.

Grand Videoke is offering a free WOW Digital TV Box worth Php 1,500 for every purchase of Grand Videoke Symphony 2.0 PLUS (TKR-372MP PLUS). This promo runs from Nov. 15, 2016 to Jan. 15, 2017 and can be availed in participating dealers such as SM Appliance, Gadgets Hub at The SM Store, Astroplus, Odyssey, Robinsons Appliance, and other leading appliance and music stores. It can also be purchased online via Lazada (www.lazada.com.ph) and The WOW Store (www.thewowstore. com.ph).

TECH...

From D4

Humanoid robots

The show is also expected to feature advances in robotics, with more human-like robots and the public debut of “Professor Einstein” from Hanson Robotics.

Getting a boost from artificial intelligence, some new robots at the show will keep an eye on the kids, play chess or help with homework.

Gold said he expects to see a large number of drones looking for a slice of a surging market.

“This is really the year of the drone, and everybody is trying to get into this market,” he said.

But he added that the strongest potential for drones may be with businesses, with uses including aerial photography.

On the smartphone front, South Korea’s LG will show a range of new “mid-range” handsets and China’s Huawei has a smartphone event scheduled. TCL, the Chinese firm which owns the Alcatel brand, will unveil new BlackBerry handsets following its deal for the troubled Canadian brand.

The show floor will see a host of new and improved connected home technologies that manage everything from light bulbs to refrigerators.

“We’re pretty close on things like the smart home, where we’re going to get up one day and everybody is going to speak to their refrigerators,” said NPD analyst Stephen Baker. AFP

D4

SUNDAY, JANUARY 8, 2017 Riera U. Mallari, Editor rumallari@thestandard.com.ph

Gadgets & Games NETWORK SECURITY IN ERA OF MILLENNIALS

Attendees look at a sign marking the 50th anniversary of CES at The Venetian Las Vegas, Nevada. CES, the world's largest annual consumer technology trade show, runs from January 5-8 and is expected to feature 3,800 exhibitors showing off their latest products and services to more than 165,000 attendees. AFP

TECH SHOW LOOKS BEYOND SMART, 'NEW REALITIES'

S

AN FRANCISO—The mega-extravaganza of the tech world in Las Vegas is showcasing an array of new devices that get smarts from computer chips, sensors and artificial intelligence, but go further by opening doors to augmented or virtual realities.

The Consumer Electronics Show, which begins with a series of media events Tuesday will offer trade professionals a look at new robotics, connected cars and a dizzying assortment of gizmos from connected sneakers to drones.

This year’s show will see results of a boost in computing power from artificial intelligence, which can help power things like autonomous cars, and deliver new experiences such as augmented or virtual reality.

“Virtual reality is changing the game for a variety of industries including health care, agriculture, manufacturing and business,” said Gary Shapiro, president of the Consumer Technology Association that organizes the annual show, in a Reddit chat.

“Doctors are using VR to enhance traditional therapies, architects use VR to design stronger buildings and travel agencies are using it to simplify vacation planning.”

CES will celebrate its 50th anniversary at the gathering, and organizers promised it would have the largest showcase of VR technology ever.

One CES panel discussion will examine how virtual reality is transforming television, movies and even news with immersive forms of video.

A host of virtual reality experiences will entice attendees at the trade-only show.

Cars will feature virtual reality displays to provide a better sense of the environment around them, while similar technologies will be showcased

for smart glasses, medicine and beauty makeovers.

Enhancing reality

Robin Raskin, who heads the Living in Digital Times center of the show, said augmented reality is catching on with try-and-see beauty apps, in-store virtual mirrors and toys.

Augmented reality, she said, “lets us look at the real world and add valuable, entertaining and immersive information to it.”

Analyst Jack Gold at J. Gold Associates said that despite the potential benefits of virtual and augmented reality in business or industry, “gaming is where it is going to take off first,” because that’s where people are spending money.

“The issue is not whether it has the potential to transform things, but whether you can put it into a space where consumers can afford it and give enough additional information so people are able to use it,” Gold said.

CES is among the world’s biggest trade shows, and last year drew 177,000 attendees over exhibit space of 2.47 million square feet (230,000 square meters). This year, 150 countries will be represented.

It will include big industry names such as Sony, LG and Samsung in electronics, with the perennial battle to have the sleekest most gorgeous television screen.

Meanwhile, in attendance will be more than 600 startups from 33 coun-

Nvidia Founder, President and CEO Jen-Hsun Huang delivers a keynote address at CES 2017 at The Venetian Las Vegas, Nevada. AFP

tries, including first-time participants -- the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, New Zealand and Ukraine.

Auto-industry titans including Ford and BMW are increasingly using CES to show off technology packed into vehicles for efficiency, safety, entertainment and navigation.

Race for autonomy

The show will feature demonstrations of autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicles, including one from Japan’s Honda said to be equipped with an artificial

intelligence“emotion engine”that aims to better understand its occupants.

Electric car startup Faraday Future, one of several manufacturers taking on Tesla, is expected to unveil its first production car a year after showing a prototype.

Renault-Nissan chief Carlos Ghosn has promised to discuss “a major technological breakthrough in the realization of a zero-emission, zerofatality world for everyone,” according to a statement from CES organizers.

Turn to D3

VIBER BOASTS OF NEW FEATURES VIBER, one of the world’s leading messaging apps, has released its new version, giving users three major updates to the platform. The new version features new instant video message, chat extension that lets users access 3rd party services and quickly search for stickers, and redesigned emoticons with a fun new look.

Instant Video Messages

Viber Chat Extensions Giphy.

With just a quick press and hold, users can now start recording a video message for their friends. The new feature is built right into the chat window and is accessed with quick swipe on the voice message button. Users can quickly toggle between

voice and video messages, letting them chat with their friends just the way they want. Instant Video Messages in Viber will be presented as circular videos and limited to 30 seconds, keeping them light, simple, and fun.

Chat Extensions

Users can now access 3rd party services right from Viber.

The new version features support for Giphy, Wikipedia, and TheMovieDB, with more being added on a continuing basis.

Accessing these services will be easy—users just need to tap “@” and chose the service name followed by a search query. In addition, users will be able to

access Viber’s collection of playful stickers the same way. So just typing @stickers or tapping the@ symbol will let users quickly start a search for their favorite stickers.

“Viber is a feature rich platform that gives our users multiple ways to communicate with each other. Instant Video messages give users a simple and personal way to chat, and with the addition of Chat Extensions, our users will be able to access a wide variety of external services that will enrich their experience on Viber even further,” said Michael Shmilov, COO of Viber. “We look forward to adding support for even more 3rd party services and are excited to hear from the

developer community about connecting their products with Viber.”

Redesigned Emoticons

On top of the new features, Viber has redesigned all of the emoticons available in its app.

The new images were designed with a flat, colorful esthetic that gives them a visual pop and makes them way more fun.

The updates will give Viber users significant new ways to stay in touch with their friends and contacts, and open up the platform to even more possibilities with the addition of 3rd party services. The new version is now available on Android and iOS.

ONE of the toughest gigs in IT is the job of keeping an organization’s network safe. It is also one that is getting tougher with the rise of the millennial generation.

Millennials—those in their 20s to mid-30s—are starting to dominate workplaces around the world. More than one-in-three workers in the US are millennials, a 2015 study by Pew Research Center found. And this demographic group will account for half of the global workforce by 2020, according to PwC. The term “millennial” has many connotations. Among them: They like sharing on social media. They won’t put up with bad user experiences. They want a flexible approach to work. They move on quickly if their expectations are not being met. These characteristics will define the culture of the future workplace.

They will also put the current network security regimes of many organizations to a stern test.

Here are some considerations.

1. Social media To block or not to block? Many organizations have probably considered this question when it comes to their employees’ use of social media in the workplace.

A study by HR software provider CareerBuilder, which polled employers from North America, found that 37% of employers see social media as one of the major productivity killers at the workplace, behind mobile phone and texting (55%), using the Internet (41%), and gossiping (39%). Three in four employers say two or more hours are lost a day in terms of productivity because employees are distracted.

From a network security perspective, social media is a vector for malware and socially engineered attacks. It is easy to ban or restrict social media sites at the network level. Static URL filters in Web filtering software can block or monitor specific URLs. The category-filtering feature can block entire groups of websites.

But that doesn’t mean CIOs should start blocking social networks at the workplace.

A better approach is to relook at how network security is being enforced holistically. Having a clear social media policy and training for staff is a good start.

2. Know thy security layers Layered security, whereby different layers of security controls combine to protect data, devices, and people, is widely adopted today. It ensures that when attacks occur at different sources, whether at the network, application, device, or user level, they can be detected and stopped before they spread. It also offers an effective safeguard against different types of threats.

With the changing workplace habits brought on by millennial workers, CIOs should relook at how they are setting up each layer of protection.

3. Tackle shadow IT Shadow IT is a term used to describe the use of applications and services, often cloud based, not sanctioned by the organization. Its uncontrolled nature poses a security threat and governance challenge.

Consider the scenario of employees using their smartphone to open a file.

It is likely the phone will make a copy of the file, which could then be sent to an unapproved online storage destination when the phone performs its routine automatic backup. Just like that, your secure corporate data has been moved to an insecure location.

In the same way, the many social collaboration apps favored by millennials can shift sensitive company information to insecure locations.

Mandating that staff stop using non-sanctioned devices and applications is unlikely to stop their growth in the organization. Frankly, with the ubiquity of smartphones, employees are using social networks and their personal cloud apps whether your policies prevent it or not.

What could be more effective is to educate users, as well as implement technology—such as data encryption, access control, and traffic monitoring— to manage the issue.

From a larger perspective, shadow IT happens when your staff is not happy with the solutions provided by the organization. While CIOs may not be able to prevent staff from seeking out alternative apps for, say, collaboration, they can keep things in check by being attuned to their needs.

E1

Young Life

SUNDAY, JANUARY 8, 2017 Isah V. Red, Editor / Bernadette Lunas, Issue Editor isahred@gmail.com.ph

MEET THE ‘YOUNGEST’ CHANGEMAKERS IN FORBES 2017 LIST OF 30 UNDER 30

Scan this icon to view the PDF

(Part 1 of 2) BEING young has never been an advantage as it is today. Forbes recently released its annual list of 30 under 30, a gathering of today’s young change-makers who are bold and skilled enough to challenge rules and conventions as well as succeed in various industries.

Here are the 30 youngest of Forbes’s 600 honorees in 2017 who prove that “you’re never too young to achieve real success.”

NEW HANGOUT ALERT:

AN INSTAGRAM-WORTHY CAFÉ IN THE SOUTHERN METRO T

HERE is another challenge for dining establishments these days aside from serving sumptuous food. Restaurateurs now have to cater to the Instagram-obsessed generation by creating a space with a unique character.

This concept café seems to have hit all the right notes, as since its inception over a year ago, it has been gaining a lot of attention from locals, diners, artists and style bloggers who enjoy each corner of this artinspired hangout.

Buku-Buku Kafe is owned by mother-daughter-son creative trio Lyn Santiago, who heads the operations; Jessica Santiago, who handles digital marketing; and Nicholas Santiago, who spearheads all marketing efforts. It’s a coffee shop/dining hub/reading space/avenue for upcoming artists and musicians located at The District in Imus, Cavite.

The idea of putting up a concept café that offers a full dining experience came about when Jessica traveled to the US, where she chanced upon small street coffee shops with artistic vibes. She saw how these spaces allowed artists to do poetry reading and live session with bands.

Buku-buku is a Bahasa term for “many, many books” thus in its core, the hangout place serves as a book reading space where patrons can peruse books, comic books and zines while indulging in a cup of brewed coffee, cocktail drinks and food items inspired by the founders’s travels in Malaysia and Europe.

Music and visual artists who are looking for a stage, so to speak, to showcase their work are afforded more visibility at Buku-Buku Kafe.

“I think our partnership with young local artists and indie musicians works both ways. They’re pretty much in line with our brand vision; selling art pieces and having live performances from indie bands add up to the unique flavor of our café,” says Nicholas.

The Santiago trio further pushed their mission of boosting the art and music scene in the south as they opened the second Buku-Buku Kafe branch at SM Southmall in Las Piñas in December last year.

The 123-sqm Las Piñas branch boasts of industrial chic look. Every corner has been detailed and structured with a creative touch to make the whole place truly Instagram-worthy.

The wooden tables and light fixtures with floating books were present in the new branch, as these are some of the signature elements in the flagship restaurant. The huge wall mural and framed black and white vintage photos hanging on the staircase wall, meanwhile, are meant to catch the attention of any guest.

According to Nicholas, the second branch was designed to appeal to both the culinary and visual arts enthusiasts.

He shared, “With wonderfully simple and rather eclectic furnishings which match the industrial look, the focus is not just on food but the total experience.

We want to inspire human emotions for sure.”

Taking the simplest form of space and transforming it into something unique, Buku-Buku Kafe is introducing a new and creative kind of hangout spot. —BML

FOOD MEETS ART. Diners, style bloggers and upcoming music and visual artists have found a new place to hangout and showcase their work at the eclectic coffee shop/dining hub/reading space Buku-Buku Kafe.

Aditya Agarwalla, 23 This Princeton University drop out is part of the Social Entrepreneurs list for his Kisan Network, which he founded to serve as an online marketplace for smallscale farmers in India.

Simone Biles, 19 An honoree for Sports, Biles is an American gymnast who has already won four Olympic gold medals.

Alessia Cara, 20 This young Canadian pop-star first made waves on YouTube.

She sung the theme song for Disney movie Moana.

Keiana Cave, 18 The teenage founder of Mare, a startup company dedicated to inventing molecules to solve major social problems such as oil spill toxins, notched a spot in Energy category.

James Charles, 17 An honoree for Art & Style, this high school senior makeup artist is named the first male ambassador of makeup brand CoverGirl in 2016.

RJ Cyler, 21 Blue Ranger in the upcoming Power Rangers film is on Forbes list for Hollywood & Entertainment.

Turn to E2

Young Life

E2

SUNDAY, JANUARY 8, 2017 isahred@gmail.com

MEET...

From E1

Daya, 18 The “Sit Still, Look Pretty” and ‘Hide Away” singer has a bright future ahead of her as she is listed on the Music category.

Desiigner, 19 This young musician made it to the airwaves with his hip hop song “Panda,” gaining him a spot in the Music category.

8 OUTSTANDING WOMEN IN NATION’S SERVICE

By Bernadette Lunas

T

Elle Fanning, 18 The youngest Fanning sister is making a name for herself as she recently starred in Disney’s Maleficent.

O SAY that being a woman is difficult would be an understatement.

First, it’s only the female gender that has to endure the excruciating pain of childbirth. Then, she has to thrive in a world where misogyny remains rampant. And, she is expected to live a life that’s “meant for women”—a submissive, stay-at-home life where she is assumed to take over domestic duties and discouraged to pursue careers delegated to men.

The list goes on, sadly.

Fortunately, many women have broken and are breaking through the glass ceiling, gender stereotype notwithstanding.

No sexist remark or general assumption stops them to show the world that they can be whoever they want to be, and be actually good at it. course did not end there as she practices a fearless journalism career as multi-media manager and trauma reporter.

Silverlens gallery founder Luisa Mercedes Lorenzo is TOWNS’s awardee for Arts. Her biggest contribution to nation building is putting in place, through the photography gallery, practices that eventually should be standard for all galleries and museums.

Philippine Navy commissioned officer Marissa Arlene Martinez’s work in training and development, and capacity enhancement for officers and sailors qualified her to receive the TOWNS award for Government Service. As one of the first female graduates of the Philippine Military Academy (class of 1997), Martinez is considered a pioneer in the military.

With her goal to address the widespread inequity in access to electricity in the Philippines, Computer Engineering graduate Aisa Mijeno co-founded the Sustainable Alternative Lighting Corporation (SALt Corp.) with her brother Raphael.

Elliot Fletcher, 20 An honoree for Hollywood & Entertainment category, the Faking It star is one of the few trans actors onscreen.

Skyler Grey, 16 This Los Angeles high schooler has painted murals at the Four Seasons in Dubai and outside the Cipriani building in Abu Dhabi, some of the reasons that gained him a spot in the Art & Style category.

Lucas Hedges, 20 His portrayal of a teen whose father dies of heart condition in Manchester by the Sea has won over critics and Forbes’s panel of judges, giving him the honor of being part of the Hollywood & Entertainment category.

Take these eight women, recipients of The Outstanding Women in Nation’s Service (TOWNS) Foundation’s TOWNS 2016 Award.

The eight awardees were chosen from over 60 nominations. Twoscreening committees and the Board of Judges chaired by Supreme Court Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno did the final selection.

The outstanding women

Thirty-year-old Cherrie Atilano is the awardee for Social Development for her work to improve the lives of Filipino farmers as well as encourage the youth to pursue a career in farming through AGREA Agricultural System International, Inc., an agri-social enterprise in Marinduque that builds sustainable farming communities. She believes that “this country will not prosper unless we believe and support the backbone of our economy which is agriculture” and that “we need to make our farmers’s lives better.”

Cody James, 21 This Robotics Programmer, who has already worked at Boeing and Textron and now working on advanced manufacturing for future aircraft, is one of the 30 under 30 in Manufacturing & Industry.

Kylie Jenner, 19 Aside from her reality TV fame, this young star is recognized for her Kylie Cosmetics brand which is said to have earned seven figures in revenues last year alone, thus gaining her a spot in Retail & E-Commerce.

Chloe Kim, 16 This Team USA member became the first American woman to win a gold medal in snowboarding at the Winter Youth Olympic Games, a recognition that made her a deserving honoree for the Sports category.

Her impressive feat at the 2016 Rio Olympics earned Hidilyn Diaz the weighty recognition of being TOWNS’s outstanding woman in Sports category. Her third try at the Olympics got her a silver medal—ending the country’s medal drought. The Pinay weightlifter is also the first Filipino woman to win an Olympic medal.

Patricia Evangelista’s claim to fame was being the first Filipino to win at the London-based annual International Public Speaking Championships at age 18. But her contribution to public dis-

And through this start-up social enterprise, she created the SALt Lamp.

The great potential of Aisa’s invention led for her to share the stage with US President Barack Obama and Alibaba Group Holding Limited Executive Director Jack Ma at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation in November 2015.

Right now, the social enterprise is gaining ground in electricity-poor countries that want to take advantage of the technology. No wonder Mijeno is bestowed upon the award for Social Enterprise.

Lou Sabrina Ongkiko has the credentials and the capacity to teach in other countries, yet she chose to be a public school teacher in the Philippines. She asserts that she would rather teach in the public school because if there is someone she wants to help develop, encourage to dream more, and to see become successful, that is the Filipino child.

Ongkiko, the awardee for Education, works on the Senior High School Manual of Operations with the School Effectiveness Division (SED).

TOWNS awardee for Information and Communications Technology is Jocelle Sigue, for her efforts to help local government units in different parts of the country, especially in the countryside, to develop their ICT ecosystems for job and investment generation.

She trains and builds ICT councils in various cities and provinces, some of which are now part of emerging locations for IT-BPM.

WOMEN OF SUBSTANCE. The Outstanding Women in Nation’s Service Foundation has named Cherrie Atilano, Hidilyn Diaz, Patricia Evangelista, Luisa Mercedes Lorenzo, Marissa Arlene Martinez, Aisa Mijeno, Lou Sabrina Ongkiko and Jocelle Sigue as TOWNS 2016 awardees.

Showbiz

W

“Aside from the obvious fact that we always strive to offer something fresh every month, how the life of a person has progressed over a considerable period of time can, in itself, make for an interesting account. Unless that individual went through a monumental change, then it wouldn’t make sense to rush a follow-up appearance,” the cover story quotes.

Another article furthers that the magazine is proud to say that it is instrumental to Kim’s success at the moment introducing the stunning actress as simply the girl from the viral Twerk It Like Miley Dubsmash video to being every man’s ultimate fantasy.

Meanwhile, in her interview with FHM, the sexy actress shared, “Iyong biggest challenge ko ngayon is kung paano ako tatagal sa industriya. I want to prove to everyone that talent still reigns.

Ang pagiging ‘pantasya ng bayan’ ay hindi kasing simple ng pagpapakita ng katawan. Sex appeal is beyond showing skin.”

Confident that people would look beyond her physical attributes, Kim also focuses on her other skills like singing. For her first project in 2017, Kim is in the cast of Mang Kepweng remake where she plays Vhong Navarro’s leading lady. Nickie Wang

E GUESS the Ginebra San Miguel 2017 themed calendar wasn’t racy enough as Pantasya ng Bayan Kim Domingo left little to the imagination when she posed topless with only her hands covering her breasts for the January cover of FHM. The 21-year-old Kapuso star teased her Instagram followers with a series of posts before the New Year. Clearly up for something, Kim treated her fans to a generous display of the product of her photo shoot with the popular men’s magazine.

On the cover story, the magazine noted that they normally wait for a couple of years before they ask a cover girl to headline another issue because they aim to showcase something fresh every month. But Kim’s case is obviously an exception.

The FHM January muse debuted on the cover of the popular glossy in December 2015. Since then, Kim became one of the most requested models for the magazine. They even receive regular queries on when the sexy Kapuso talent is coming back as its cover girl.

CROSSWORD PUZZLE Sunday, January 8, 2017

105 106 107 108 109 111 112 114 117 118 119 124

E3

LIZA SOBERANO NAMED WORLD’S 2ND MOST BEAUTIFUL FACE

Pantasya ng Bayan Kim Domingo smolders on the cover of FHM Philippines January issue

ACROSS 1 Blase 6 Ink spots 11 — as you are 15 Craft knife (hyph.)

20 Soap plant 21 Godzilla foe 22 Geologic period 24 Pencil-box item 25 Spring fragrance 26 Indigestion 27 Bizarre 28 Video-game pioneer 29 Plato’s malls 31 Chisel 33 Feng — 34 Headless statue 35 Cilia possessor 37 Montana and Pesci 39 I-90 41 Barbie’s beau 42 Lowly laborers 43 Arthur and Lillie 44 Forest clearing 46 Cat burglar’s quest 50 Not decaf.

51 Cram 52 Neatnik opposite 53 Young chaps 57 Solo 59 Found a perch 60 Frightens a fly 61 Type of market 62 Villain’s lament 63 Worry too much 64 Scrap detente 65 “Nature” channel 66 Fold-up mattress 67 Senator’s wear, once 68 In a crude way 69 Sign of autumn 72 Ottoman title 73 Slavic circle dance 74 Che’s compadre 75 Europe-Asia range 76 Neighed 79 Crystal-clear 80 Hand-clapping, footstamping dance 84 Newts 85 Explorer — Polo 86 Fontanne’s husband 87 Dog days mo.

88 Nestle 91 Island off Naples 92 Jet-setter’s need 93 Oar 95 From — — Z 96 A little husky?

97 Holes in one 98 Rob a house 99 Undulating 101 Slammer and clink 102 Repel, with off 103 More distant 104 Snakes do it

SUNDAY, JANUARY 8, 2017

Berlin single — d’oeuvres Prefix for “wrongful” Norms, for short Street lingo Gunk Voting place Plant crops Thunder Bay prov.

Ketch’s cousin Holiday eschewer Just back from the laundry 126 PC screen image 128 Spanish carnival 130 Continental — 131 Platitude 132 Remind silently 134 Violinist’s stickum 136 Reject authority 137 When pigs fly 138 Archimedes, for example 139 Meaning of “litho” 140 Secret rendezvous 141 Ringlet 142 Ultimatum word 143 Doctrine 144 Numerical info DOWN 1 Medicinal root 2 Pablo’s girl 3 Sorrow 4 A moon of Jupiter 5 Leave hastily 6 Lingerie buy 7 Tallying 8 Detestable 9 Actress — O’Neal 10 Hitch in plans 11 Corp. biggie 12 Musical works 13 Candle lovers 14 Linen color 15 For adults only (hyph.)

16 Commuter vehicle 17 Roy or Petula 18 Brief 19 Hunter constellation 23 Antique 30 Go ballistic (2 wds.)

32 Bail out 36 Woman on campus 38 Squirrel hangout 40 Waiter’s checks 43 Worm or minnow 44 Morning — 45 Brownie 46 Laugh heartily 47 “Stop already!”

48 Rum drink (2 wds.)

49 Granary, often 51 Urgent appeal 52 “We — Overcome” 54 Where edelweiss grows 55 Mortgage or car loan

56 58 59 60 63 64 67 68 69 70 71 73 74 75 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 85 86 88 89 90 91 92 93

Mouth off Cave, perhaps Jason’s ship Basted Double over AM or FM Sock tips Designer Nina — Keg-party site Zodiac beast “Grand — Opry” High flier Like felines Radius companion Beatty of films QB’s org.

Reindeer herders Ado Zilch Picked over Gawkers Syrup source Twisted the truth Harsh cries Western state Cote dweller Prompting Old TV hookups California’s Big —

94 96 97 98 100 101 102 103 106 107 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 118 119 120 121 122 123 125 127 129 133 135

PC screens Putting on a coat Org. for seniors Romantic song Fabric meas.

— -Luc Picard Novelist Virginia — “Columbo” star In what way Glacial deposit Solitude enjoyers Hindu sacred river Venom Flannel items Meager Longer of tooth Drive recklessly Alpine call Stayed in touch Impossible to miss Where Tripoli is What i.e. means Stonehenge builders Atomic and Ice Salt or smoke Formerly, old-style Be very frugal Soccer goal

BIRTHDAY girl Liza Soberano, who turned 19 on Wednesday, was included on the annual list of 100 women with the most beautiful faces in the world.

The list was revealed by website TC Candler and based on submissions from the Internet.

The Kapamilya star placed 2nd on “The 27th Annual Independent Critics List of the 100 Most Beautiful Faces 2016,” which was announced in a YouTube video on Dec. 27 and has received almost three million views so far.

It’s the second time for Liza to be included in the list (which was started in 1990). She is joined by another Kapamilya actress, Kathryn Bernando, who ranked 69th.

The world famous 100 Faces List is published annually by The Independent Critics since 1990.

What originally started off as a small project has grown into a yearly internet phenomenon. In recent years, the list has been seen by almost a quarter of a billion people from around the world. It is widely considered to be the most internationally recognized and prestigious list of its kind.

Almost 40 countries are represented on the annual list.

That number seems to go up every year as the public participation grows and expands. This diversity relies heavily on suggestions from almost every corner of the globe. As the years have passed, The Independent Critics list has been heavily influenced by the rise of international modeling, worldwide cinema, K-Pop, Bollywood, global television, and Internet personalities.

E4

SUNDAY, JANUARY 8, 2017 Isah V. Red, Editor

Showbiz

Nickie Wang, Issue Editor isahred@gmail.com

The cast of the controversial MMFF 2016 entry, "Oro"

Richard Parker (the tiger) almost drowned during the filming of the blockbuster movie

5 INSTANCES ‘NO ANIMALS WERE HARMED’

‘ORO’ TURNS ‘PIEDRA’ A DISTURBING TWIST ON MMFF WINNING FILM

By Nickie Wang

I

N MANY cases, real animals are required for the story for it to be realistic and believable. In the very same premise, in a scene from Oro, a Metro Manila Film Festival entry, a dog was slaughtered because “it is part of a tradition.”

However, in a statement posted on the film’s Facebook page, director Alvin Yapan vehemently denied that they killed a dog for the movie. He said the scene was based on the testimony of a witness and that he never asked an actor to kill a dog in the film.

“I did not invent the metaphor of killing a dog just for the movie to be talked about,” Yapan’s statement said. “I’m not dumb. And any actor for sure will not allow it. And I will never put any actor in that position.”

The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) thinks otherwise. In a statement, Peta-Asia said witnesses confirmed that the dog slaughter scene was real.

“Whether or not the dog slaughter scene was intentionally staged or a dog was coincidentally slaughtered at the location of the movie, the fact remains that the killing was illegal,” PetaAsia said.

The film, which won three trophies at the MMFF Gabi ng Parangal namely Best Actress (Irma Adlawan), Best Ensemble Cast, and the Fernando Poe, Jr. Memorial Award, is now in the center of controversy after barrage of complaints flooded social media calling the withdrawal of Oro in the film fest.

Oro was stripped off the FJP award due to this controversy.

In statement sent to the media by MMFF spokesperson Noel Ferrer,, it said that theater owners had been advised to stop screening Oro until the filmmaker submit an edited version cutting out the dog slaughter. And in revoking the FPJ award, the statement said, “Upon consultation with the family of the late Fernando Poe, Jr.,, the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) Executive Committee announces the withdrawal of the Fernando Poe Jr. Memorial Award recently granted to the film Oro. Without making any judgment on the artistic merit of the film or cinematic depiction, the MMFF finds the present controversy on the alleged killing of a dog in the course of the filming of the movie effectively casts a doubt on the movie’s ability to exemplify the human and cultural values espoused by the late Fernando Poe, Jr.” Their statement furthered that they would like to reiterate that the MMFF Executive Committee takes this opportunity to strongly emphasize that it has not condoned nor will ever condone any cruelty to animals. Neither will it allow the Festival to be the vehicle for any such actions.

The MMFF has been getting positive feedback from the audience and local film community for giving this year’s

MMFF Gabi ng Parangal Best Supporting Actress Phoebe Walker (top) and Best Supporting Actor Christian Bables

festival a much-needed makeover. It staged the festival’s 42nd edition excluding commercial films that used to be staples in the annual film event.

At the awards presentation on Dec. 29, Sunday Beauty Queen, which follows a group of Hong Kong-based house maids as they prepare for a beauty contest dubbed the “Miss Philippines Tourism Hong Kong and is the only documentary to be included in the MMFF’s 42-year history, won best picture. The docu film also won the Gatpuno Antonio J. Villegas Memorial Award.

Meanwhile, the most decorated films of the Gabi ng Parangal were Seklusyon and Die Beautiful. Seklusyon garnered the most number of major awards with 8 trophies including the Best Director award for Erik Matti. Die Beautiful, on the other hand, bagged the awards for Best Actor for Paolo Ballesteros, Best Supporting Actor for Christian Bables and the Audience Choice Award.

DISCLAIMER IS VIOLATED

IN MOST films in Hollywood, especially those that feature animals, you’ve probably noticed the logo of the American Humane Association (AHA) that says during the making of the movie “No Animals Were Harmed.”

For the longest time, or since the AHA was established in the late 19th century, filmmakers are urged to use prosthetics or, with the advent of technology, computer-generated animals in their productions.

But the full scope of animal injuries and deaths in entertainment productions cannot be known unless someone or a support group would push for a thorough investigation since it cannot be initiated by the helpless animals themselves.

This week, we are listing down some of the biggest productions (in recent history) where animals were harmed during filming or while on the set.

Life of Pi (2012) The Bengal tiger that was a central character in 2012 hit movie. The large cat almost drowned after falling off the boat it was filming on. It was eventually rescued by his handler and suffered no permanent injuries.

Yes, Richard Parker was okay.

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (2008) Based on the report of AHA, fourteen horses were injured during the filming of 2008 fantasy adventure film. Yet it received the “No Animals Were Harmed” credit because, the organization now explains, none of the injuries were serious or due to “intentional harm.”

The Hobbit (2012) In Peter Jackson’s movie, 27 animals died. Many of them were sheep and goats that drowned or died of exhaustion or dehydration while being housed and trained at a nearby farm. The deaths happened while filming was on hiatus, and no one was monitoring the animals at the time.

Luck (2012) Thoroughbred horses died during the filming of a racing scene, but the director quickly dismissed the event as “something that happens in real races all the time.” Then, while filming the beginning of season two, another horse suffered horrific head injuries and had to be euthanized.

Zookeeper (2011) An 18-year-old giraffe died during filming of the comedy movie. The animal apparently died after accidentally eating some blue tarp the crew had used to cover his enclosure during filming.

Senior actress Irma Adlawan accepts her Best Actress trophy for her role in the much talked about film, "Oro" Photos by Teddy Pelaez This giraffe died while it was in its enclosure waiting for the shoot