Manila Standard - 2017 April 02 - Sunday

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VOL. XXXI • NO. 51 • 5 SECTIONS 20 PAGES • P18 • SUNDAY, APRIL 2, 2017 • www.manilastandard.net • editorial@thestandard.com.ph

RODY: CONDITIONS FOR CEASEFIRE SET

By John Paolo Bencito

P

RESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has junked the immediate signing of a bilateral ceasefire pact with the Communist Party of the Philippines-National Democratic Front, saying the rebel group must first halt its collection of revolutionary taxes and other forms of extortion, as well as release all prisoners being held by the New People’s Army.

The President laid out the preconditions ahead of today’s resumption of the fourth round of peace talks at the seaside town of Noordwijk in The Netherlands.

Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella said Duterte wants at least four conditions met before signing a binding truce accord with the communist group.

“The President has instructed to reiterate to the government panel the terms for a bilateral ceasefire agreement with the CPP-NDF-NPA,”

Abella said.

Duterte said any bilateral ceasefire pact must have clear parameters and in no way shall the government recognize any territorial claims of the rebel group.

The communist rebels earlier promised to declare a unilateral ceasefire ahead of the peace talks “on or before March 31” but changed their minds when government chief negotiator Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said the administration will not reciprocate.

Turn to A2

BUSINESS/ C1

BEAUTY QUEEN TURNS INTO REAL ESTATE BROKER

GADGETS / D4

SAMSUNG EYES REBOUND WITH S8 AND BIXBY

PILGRIMAGE OF PRAYER THRU WAY OF CROSS

By Honor Blanco Cabie

CLASS ACT. Fireworks light up the sky during the launching of Okada Manila's dancing fountain. (Inset) American singer Robin Thicke performs during the event. AFP

BENHAM RISE OUT, 'PHILIPPINE RISE' IN

By John Paolo Bencito PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte wants to rename Benham Rise to “Philippine Rise” in a bid to assert the country’s ownership of the mineral-rich underwater landmass 250 kilometers east of Luzon.

Presidential Spokesman Ernesto

Abella said Duterte has ordered the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Office of the Executive Secretary to look into the possibility of changing the name of Benham Rise “to emphasize Philippine sovereign rights and jurisdiction over the area.”

“A motion has been made sub-

ject to the conduct of the requisite legal and logistical study to effect the change,” Abella said.

Following a joint command conference with the Philippine National Police and the Armed Forces of the Philippines on Friday, Duterte said China has assured him that they will not claim Benham Rise as

part of their territory.

“I received word regarding Benham Rise. China explained that they will not claim it,” the President said.

In 2012, the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf granted the Philippines’ claim and declared the Turn to A2

CMFR: PRESIDENCY HAS HIT 'HISTORIC LOW'

HOT IN THE CITY. Fire volunteers compete during the 1st Zonal Volunteers Fire Olympics in Pasay City. PNA

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PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte’s expletive-laced “attacks” on the media have brought the presidency to a “historic low,” media watchdog Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility said over the weekend.

“Made publicly and without any bases whatsoever, the President’s allegations against the media constitute verbal abuse—the cheapest form of harassment and intimidation that has brought the highest office to a historic low,” the CMFR said in a statement.

The group likewise slammed Duterte’s “imputations of political and pecuniary

S

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motives” against two media organizations which allegedly misreported his remarks on the ongoing war against drugs.

“The virulence and viciousness of his language are an abuse of power, a stain on the freedom of our public forum.

The media are doing their institutional duty—to reveal the truth in the public interest. The practice is protected by constitutional rights and held responsible under the law for any proven wrongdoing,” added CMFR. Duterte earlier singled out two media Turn to A2

MANY of the nearly 90 percent of Filipinos who are Roman Catholics have started making a spiritual pilgrimage of prayer through the Way of the Cross, culminating on April 13 on Maundy Thursday, two days after the full moon.

At the Sacred Heart of Parish in Cainta, Rizal, Maria Rosa and her family have begun a series of solemn meditations in front of 14 sculptures on the sides of the church.

In Paoay, Ilocos Norte, Ceferina and her cousins have also started the Lenten ritual in front of the Stations of the Cross at the UN Heritage-listed St. Augustine Church— the same solemnity displayed by Rosemarie in Sagay City in Negros Occidental.

At the Our Lady of the Assumption in coastal Santa Maria, Ilocos Sur, Margie—although she works in Manila—has returned for the annual Via Crucis at the hilltop church overlooking the usually calm Luzon Bay. Sixteen-year-old Christle, who just finished high school, and her close family friends do the Lenten ritual at the Saint James Cathedral in the capital town of Bangued, nestled by the meandering Abra River.

Rico, in his 30s, has a different experience in his coastal hometown of Macalelon in Quezon, where many of the barangays construct “kubol” or small makeshift churches that house the 14 Stations of the Cross along the town’s streets.

Rico, who works in Quezon City as a computer administrator, talks of indigenous materials like bamboo, nipa, coconut, talahib grass, log, wood, among others that make up the “kubol” where devotees Turn to A2

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RODY:...

ALVAREZ BELITTLES OUSTER THREAT

From A1

The communist group lamented the government’s refusal to issue a reciprocal unilateral cessation of hostilities, a departure from what was set during the last time both parties met for backchannel talks.

“The NDF and the government agreed to this measure in the interim in order to move the talks forward and improve the atmosphere for negotiations after the impasse last February,” NDF chief negotiator Fidel Agcaoili said.

Despite this, Agcaoili said the NDF is willing to be “flexible” to move the peace process forward.

“The NDF is one with the government in desiring to resolve the serious concerns that have been raised in relation to the previous six-month unilateral ceasefires, mindful that addressing these issues is crucial to ensuring that any ceasefire agreement in the future would be more effective,” Agcaoili added.

Duterte, a self-described socialist who once boasted of his links to the communist rebels, has made a peace deal with the movement one of his top priorities.

After taking office he released captured rebel leaders and both sides declared separate temporary ceasefires to pave the way for peace talks, the first round of which Norway hosted and mediated in August.

With AFP

BENHAM...

From A1

13-hectare undersea region as an extension of the country’s continental shelf.

While China claims almost the entire South China Sea, it has expressed intentions to conduct surveys at the undersea landmass, which is located within Philippine waters in bodies facing the Pacific Ocean.

Last week, the AFP included Benham Rise in the patrol route of Philippine Navy warship BRP Ramon Alcaraz.

The military also announced earlier this week that a newly-acquired Beechcraft TC90 training aircraft will be sent to patrol Benham Rise as well as the West Philippine Sea. National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. earlier recommended the procurement and use of satellites to better monitor marine activity in Benham Rise.

“When you have an exclusive economic zone that is as big as what we have, then we would require awareness of everything that’s going on there,” Esperon said during a Senate panel hearing on the proposed creation of a Benham Rise Development Authority last week.

“We have our Nomad [planes] which are giving us some good pictures but we don’t even have satellites. We are one big country with a big EEZ that doesn’t have image satellites, much less communication satellites,” he added.

Esperon said the government should build up those capabilities to have a better view and management of Philippine resources.

CMFR:...

From A1 organizations, the Philippine Daily Inquirer and ABS-CBN, for being “full of s---” in putting out “slanted” reports against him.

The President likewise threatened to shame media men critical of his administration by revealing details of their personal lives, including their children, using publicly-funded PTV4.

“The media are going too far. They have made it ugly. If that’s the case, I have a government station here, PTV 4. I can attack them every day, and make a story about the lives of their children.”

The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines has also criticized Duterte’s rants against the media, which it described as “absolutely twisted.”

The NUJP said Duterte’s attacks against the media was a “brazen abuse of your immense power as chief executive of this land and only shows how little, if any, appreciation you have of democracy and governance.”

“It is a mindset of the petty tyrant who mistakenly believes public office is an entitlement that allows you to flaunt the laws of the land that both grant you power and ensure the checks that prevent you from abusing that power,” the union added.

By Maricel V. Cruz

S

PEAKER Pantaleon Alvarez on Saturday belittled the reported threat to oust him from office, even as he expressed confidence over the continuing support of the majority coalition to his leadership.

Alvarez also said he is not bothered by his admission of having a mistress, as he never allows the issue to affect his performance as a public servant.

The representative of the first district of Davao del Norte said it was never his ambition to become Speaker.

“I never aspire for this [Speakership] position, so anytime I can let it go,” Alvarez said in a radio interview.

He also said he was just being honest and straightforward to have admitted an extramarital relationship, since he was asked about it.

“It is better to tell the truth than getting entangled in a web of lies,” Alvarez said, as he maintained he is ready to face all charges to be filed against him for admitting his liaisons.

Malacañang has said it would not interfere in the ongoing row between Alvarez and Davao del Norte Rep. Antonio Floirendo Jr., saying it was their business.

Alvarez and Floirendo are both known allies of President Rodrigo Duterte.

The quarrel between the lawmakers reportedly started over suspicions that Floirendo was leading a plot to oust Alvarez as Speaker, and to replace him with former Presi-

dent and current Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

Floirendo has denied being part of any plot. He said he is “ready to face” the graft charges, but called on Alvarez to meet with him to settle the issue “like gentlemen.”

“The Palace will allow them to settle it privately between themselves,” Presidential Spokesman Ernesto Abella said when asked if the row could impede the progress of Duterte’s legislative agenda.

Their rift became public after Alvarez filed a graft complaint against Floirendo before the Office of the Ombudsman, over what he said was an anomalous contract between his company, Tagum Agricultural Development Co. Inc. and the Bureau of Corrections for land used by his banana plantation inside the Davao Penal Colony.

Reports also said their row started with a fight between Floirendo’s live-in partner, Cathy Binag, and Alvarez’s girlfriend, Jennifer Maliwanag Vicencio.

Reps. Ben Evardone of Eastern Samar, Gus Tambunting of Parañaque and Rodolfo Albano III of Isabela, meanwhile, said they see no need for Alvarez to take a leave of absence to concentrate on his problems.

Alvarez’s critics gave the Speaker some unsolicited advice—to take a leave of absence while the issue about having a mistress is simmering and to turn over the Speakership to House Majority Leader and Ilocos Norte Rep. Rodolfo Fariñas.

“I don’t think there is a need for him to take a leave of absence. I think he can very well handle all the issues confronting him, and personal issues should not be mixed up with issues affecting national interests,” Evardone said.

Tambunting said: “While public figures must project propriety at all times, there is space to allow a person to address matters, which are purely personal. We don’t think the current issues regarding the Speaker, deeply personal as they are, should color or impede his mandate as Speaker of the House.”

Albano said there is no case being filed yet against Alvarez.

The minority bloc in the House of Representatives has said it is considering filing an ethics complaint against Alvarez, who admitted he had a mistress.

“That is something we in the minority bloc will discuss,” Magdalo party-list Rep. Gary Alejano said.

Alejano, who filed an impeachment complaint against President Duterte, said that Alvarez’s admission gave the House a bad name.

“His forthrightness does not equate to what is right and proper.

His actions placed the image of his office and the institution he represents in a bad light which is not a good example or something worthy of emulation, especially of our

youth,” Alejano said.

But should Alejano or anybody decides to file a case against the Speaker, IBP president Rosario Setias-Reyes said the organization would accord Alvarez due process.

“If someone should file a complaint against Congressman Alvarez, he will, of course, be granted the full measure of his right to due process but these shall be the same standards against which his actions shall be measured,” the statement read.

The IBP added that lawyers are held to a “higher” standard than most which are enforced by the Supreme Court and the lawyers’ organization.

“The IBP has always and shall always maintain the highest standards of morality, behavior and professionalism among its members,” it said.

Alvarez has found an ally in Isabela. Rep. Rodolfo Albano, who said he saw nothing wrong with the Speaker having a mistress.

“Speaker Alvarez and his wife are separated already. It is an open secret,” Albano said.

On Friday, Malacañang fended off suggestions that the President had a double standard on extramarital affairs, condemning Senator Leila de Lima for her affair with her married driver and alleged bagman, while remaining silent about Alvarez.

“I think it is not a question of being double standard. The fact remains that the relationship of the senator has something to do with the crime with which she has been accused of,” said Abella.

HALCYON DAYS. A homeless man takes a nap on his hammock while his three kids sleep along Roxas Boulevard on Saturday. Lino Santos

PILGRIMAGE...

From A1 gather all day and into the small hours of the night to recite the traditional “Pabasa ng Pasyon” or the Passion of Christ.

Religion sources say the Stations of the Cross—also called the Via Dolorosa or Way of Sorrows, or simply, The Way—is a series of artistic representations which are often sculptural, depicting Christ carrying the Cross to His crucifixion.

The sources say majority of Roman Catholic churches now contain such a series, typically placed at intervals along the side walls of the nave.

In most churches, these are small plaques with reliefs or paintings, like those at the Santuario del Santo Cristo in San Juan City in Metro Manila, or those at the Our Lady of Loreto Church in Sampaloc and the Our Lady of Montserrat, both in Manila.

According to some theologians, the tradition as chapel devotion began with St. Francis of Assisi, and extended throughout the Roman Catholic Church in the medieval period.

Even some Aglipayans in Ilocos Norte, Tarlac and Pangasinan, notably

in Pinili in the former and Moncada in the next, go through the Via Crucis ritual, including chanting the Passion of Christ from sunrise to way past sunset, the fever pitch reached in the last two weeks before Good Friday.

Church sources say the Stations of the Cross originated from pilgrimages to Jerusalem, when a desire to reproduce the holy places in other lands seems to have manifested itself at quite an early date.

At the monastery of Santo Stefano at Bologna, a group of connected chapels was constructed as early as the 5th century by St. Petronius, Bishop of the Italian city, intended to represent the more important shrines of Jerusalem.

This monastery became known as “Hierusalem,” according to some religious documents.

Some theologians believe these may perhaps be regarded as the germ from which the Stations afterwards developed, though it is tolerably certain that nothing that we have before about the 15th century can strictly be called a Way of the Cross in the modern sense.

According to Catholic Church sources, the earliest use of the word “stations,” as applied to the accustomed halting-places in the Via Sacra in Jerusalem, is in the narrative of English

pilgrim William Wey, who visited the Holy Land in the mid-15th century, and described pilgrims following the footsteps of Christ to the cross.

In 1521, a book called “Geystlich Strass” was printed with illustrations of the stations in the Holy Land.

According to some religious documents, during the 15th and 16th centuries the Franciscan missionaries began to build outdoor shrines in Europe to duplicate their counterparts in the Holy Land.

The number of stations varied between seven and 30, seven being common.

These were usually placed, often in small buildings, along the approach to a church, as in a set of 1490 by Adam Kraft, leading to the Johanneskirche in Nuremberg, Germany.

In the Philippines, which received the Cross in 1521 through Ferdinand Magellan’s expedition, the Catholic faithful follow the standard set from the 17th to 20th centuries, which has consisted of 14 pictures or sculptures depicting the following scenes: 1. Jesus is condemned to death; 2. Jesus carries His cross; 3. Jesus falls the first time; 4. Jesus meets His mother; 5. Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus to carry the cross; 6. Veronica wipes the

face of Jesus; 7. Jesus falls the second time; 8. Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem; 9. Jesus falls the third time; 10. Jesus is stripped of his garments; 11. Crucifixion: Jesus is nailed to the cross; 12. Jesus dies on the cross; 13. Jesus is taken down from the cross (Deposition or Lamentation); 14. Jesus is laid in the tomb.

While not traditionally part of the Stations, some Catholic Church sources say the Resurrection of Jesus is at times included as a 15th station.

Some have asked what spiritual significance is there that one must go through the Way of the Cross. Church sources say the object of the Stations is to help the faithful “make a spiritual pilgrimage of prayer, through meditating upon the chief scenes of Christ’s sufferings and death.”

Catholic priests say this has become one of the most popular devotions for Roman Catholics, and is often performed in a spirit of reparation for the sufferings and insults that Jesus endured during His Passion.

In the Philippines, with the temperature during Lent rising to what some describe as “oppressively hot and humid,” the lines making the spiritual pilgrimage are lengthening despite the weather.

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DUTERTE ADMITS HE IS JUST A FLIRT

MODERNIZATON INITIATIVE. Senator Richard Gordon, Chinese General Hospital president Dr. James Dy, Dr. Benito Goyokpin, and Dr. Cesar Co (from left) inspect and view the Samsung Digital GC80 X-ray Machine during the launching Friday of its new X-ray Machine and Ultrasound Machine at the 2nd floor of MRI Building of the Chinese General Hospital and Medical Center. Lino Santos

COPS IN MAYOR SLAY AWAIT ‘PROMOTION’

By John Paolo Bencito

P

OLICE involved in the slay last November of detained Albuera, Leyte Mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr. await “promotion” from President Rodrigo Duterte.

The President, who previously promised to pardon the cops involved, said Friday the police simply followed his orders to kill people involved in the drug trade.

The policemen, who shot dead the father of drug lord Kerwin Espinosa inside his jail cell in Baybay City last November 2016, should not worry of conviction because he was ready to grant them absolute pardon, the President said.

During “Digong’s Day for Women” at Malacañang, the President, in a mixture of English and Tagalog, said: “But I tell the police now. If you just followed my order and killed this son of a b*tch...Why do you grieve for a son of a b*tch? He destroyed half of the Visayas.”

He added: “If they [the police] get convicted, there is no problem...I will give the order of pardon to the judge and he will read it, ‘you have just been pardoned’. There, restored to full and political, civil rights.

And with an order reinstating and

promoting them to one rank higher.”

The chief executive defended this move, saying “the President can pardon either conditional or absolute a convicted criminal or grant amnesty with the concurrence of Congress under the Constitution.”

Under the command of Supt.

Marvin Marcos, a CIDG-Region 8 team conducted a pre-dawn operation last Nov. 5 to serve a search warrant on Espinosa, whom they suspected of allegedly keeping a gun and “shabu” (methamphetamine hydrochloride) inside his Baybay cell.

Espinosa and another inmate, Raul Yap, were killed in the raid the police claimed was a “shootout.” The two allegedly fought it out with the CIDG team.

The slain mayor had pleaded not to be taken to the Leyte subprovincial jail in Baybay City, saying he feared for his life there but his plea was ignored.

Duterte claimed many mayors

were involved in the illegal drug trade, and he believed Espinosa was among them.

“These mayors, they are into dealing shabu. They are into it and in two months’ time, they are millionaires,” he added.

He added he was not meddling with the cases filed against the Leyte cops.

“As I have mentioned publicly, I do not meddle in the case of the cops charged with killing the Albuera mayor. It was Aguirre who filed the murder charges. I did not take part,” Duterte claimed.

Former San Beda College of Law Dean Fr. Ranhilio Aquino earlier said Duterte’s pardon offer to cops convicted of killing drug suspects would likely backfire, saying this eroded the criminal justice system.

“Not that I begrudge the President his exercise of his powers. But that makes of the whole judicial process an empty spectacle, does it not, for whether guilty or innocent, the accused shall walk free. More perniciously, to my mind, it sends the very bad message that guilt or innocence do not matter—and that cannot be helpful at all to the rule of law,” Aquino said in his Manila Standard column Friday.

The President and Justice

Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre were law classmates of the San Beda College of Law in Mendiola.

“Finally, it cannot be helpful to the President himself who has already received flak for apparently transgressing the precepts of law with impunity and with arrogance,” he added.

The law dean likewise stressed that Duterte’s statement might even embolden unscrupulous law enforcers to kill indiscriminately in the belief they would be pardoned.

Standing trial for Espinosa’s killing are Supt. Marvin Marcos; Supt. Noel G. Matira, Chief Insp. Leo D. Laraga; SPO4 Melvin M. Cayobit; PO3 Johnny A. Ibañez; Sr. Insp. Deogracias P. Diaz III; SPO2 Benjamin L. Dacallos; PO3 Norman T. Abellanosa; PO1 Jerlan S. Cabiyaan; Chief Insp. Calixto C. Canillas, Jr.; Sr. Insp. Lucrecito A. Candilosas; SPO2 Antonio R. Docil; SPO1 Mark Christian Cadilo; PO2 Jhon Ruel Doculan; and PO2 Jaime P. Bacsal.

Indicted for a separate count of murder for the killing of Raul Yap, Espinosa’s cellmate, are Marcos; Diaz; Dacallos; Abellanosa; Cabiyaan; Canillas; Candilosas; Cadillo; Doculan; Bacsal; SPO4 Juanito A. Duarte; PO1 Lloyd O. Ortigueza; Sr. Insp. Fritz B. Blanco; PO1 Bhernard R. Orpilla; and SPO2 Antonio R. Docil.

HOUSE BODY EYEING MORE TEETH FOR AMLA

By Maricel V. Cruz

THE House committee on banks and financial intermediaries is eyeing the approval in plenary session of the proposed law giving more teeth to the Anti-Money Laundering Act by including the casino industry under the scrutiny of the law when Congress resumes session on May 2.

Eastern Samar Rep. Ben Evardone, the panel chairman, said his committee would want to pass the bill soonest to promote the country’s competitiveness in and transparency of financial transactions.

“We are working double time to approve the measure and hoping to pass this by May in my committee and the plenary,” Evardone said, adding the proposal to include casinos in the coverage of AMLA was now being finalized by a technical working group.

Evardone also welcomed the move

of Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III to include casino as this would toughen AMLA following the $81-million Bangladeshi cyber heist, the biggest hoard of dirty money reported to have entered and left the country last year.

“I fully support the move of Senate President Pimentel to include casinos in the coverage of AMLA,” Evardone said.

“This will enhance the country’s competitiveness (in) and transparency of financial transactions. This will also improve the image of the gaming industry as a haven for investors,” Evardone added.

Congress is poised to amend Republic Act 9160 or AMLA of 2001 by including casinos in its coverage as one of the recommendations of the Financial Action Task Force, a global anti-money laundering and anti-terrorism watchdog, to avoid the potential blacklisting of the Philippines.

TRENDSETTING RITE. Senator Cynthia Villar, chairman of the Senate committee on environment, is joined Friday by Ms. Earth 2017 candidates during the trailblazing ceremony for the eco-tourism facilities of the Las Piñas-Parañaque Wetland Park. Also in photo are Architect Aaron Lasiones and DOT-NCR Director Benjamin Santiago.

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte admitted Friday being an unrepentant flirt but defended himself against critics who accuse him of being prejudiced against women.

In front of ladies who attended “Digong’s Day for Women” at the Palace on Friday, Duterte discussed a photo of him and a woman whom he would not let go, despite her squirming.

“It may be objectionable to you, but I’m usually playful to women, and that’s who I am,” the President said.

“There was this attack against me about holding the hand of a woman [who] was struggling then...there was an item about us.”

In proving his point he was just being flirty, Duterte said he slipped a “brown worm” into the ring finger of the woman whom he identified as his “girlfriend.”

“Actually, whether she liked it or would not admit it, she was actually my girlfriend. If you touched the brown worm, it would squiggle, turn around and curl up,” Duterte said in Filipino.

“I just wanted to place the worm on her finger, and I said since I have no ring to give to you, this is the best stand-in,” he added, eliciting laughter from his audience.

Duterte stressed the woman he refused to identify was no longer with him and contended his loyalty to Honeylet Avanceña, his current partner.

Duterte insisted his fondness of cracking jokes during speeches, adding he was not “the chauvinist pig” or antifeminist his critics picture him to be.

Duterte added he liked to joke around with female policewomen, as well as his nurses, but underlined his respect for women.

The President added he would not follow the advice given by Senator Panfilo Lacson for him to “start behaving like a statesman.”

In the same speech, Duterte regretted his mother, Soledad Roa, never saw him become the President of the Philippines. John Paolo Bencito

CHOPPER FRIGATE TO VISIT MANILA AS THE country strengthens its defense ties with New Zealand, a helicopter frigate, the HMNZS Te Kaha, will be paying a goodwill and port visit to the Philippines from April 4 to 7.

Philippine Navy spokesperson Capt. Lued Lincua said the ship, skippered by Cmdr. Stephen John Lenik, would be docking at Pier 15, South Harbor in Manila.

Other ranking officials in the HMNZS Te Kaha include Commodore James Gilmour, New Zealand Maritime component head.

Lincuna said the visiting ship would be given the usual meeting point procedure off Corregidor Island by the BRP Rajah Humabon.

The Philippines and New Zealand held Bilateral Defense Talks last March 6, expressing their commitment in strengthening and deepening their defense ties.

This was emphasized by Department of National Defense Undersecretary Cardozo Luna during the Bilateral Defense Talks in Manila last March 6.

Present during the BDT were New Zealand Defense Minister Helen Quilter and Defense Undersecretary Cardozo Luna.

Both nations have a bilateral defense cooperation agreement signed in 2012.

During the meeting, Luna expressed his appreciation to New Zealand’s contribution in building up the capacity of Philippine defense forces even as he noted that bilateral relations were pursued within the ambit of multilateral platforms particularly the Asean Defense Ministers Meeting-Plus.

Quilter said New Zealand looked forward to working with the Philippines once more as co-chairman for 2017-2020 of the newly established ADMM-Plus Expert Working Group on Cyber Security. PNA

FOOD CRISIS LOOMS WITH SUMMER SETTING IN

AN OFFICIAL of Green Charcoal Philippines said Saturday the basically agricultural economy would once more experience a possible food crisis with what he called the rising costs of agri products.

“This, in turn, will create havoc and

massive devastation resulting in less food production,” Gonzalo Catan Jr. said in a press statement.

But he said this scenario could be avoided if the country had “an efficient water management program [like a] mini-

water reservoir or water storage to catch and store rain water.”

Catan said some parts of the Cordilleras had small water impounding dams “which mitigate the effects of the drought on crops.”

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SUNDAY, APRIL 2, 2017 Francis S. Lagniton, Issue Editor mst.daydesk@gmail.com

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MMDA TO IMPLEMENT 'HEAT STROKE BREAK'

By Joel E. Zurbano

T

HE Metro Manila Development Authority announced on Saturday that it would implement the daily “heat stroke break” policy to protect the health of its traffic enforcers and other personnel working outdoor during the summer season.

The 30-minute heat stroke break, according to MMDA acting chairman Thomas Orbos, will be implemented beginning this month Friday until May 31 this year.

He said the break is scheduled Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., which health agencies

and weather experts said is the hottest part of the day this summer season.

During these 30-minute breaks, the field MMDA personnel are allowed to leave their posts alternately to rest and get away from the sun.

Orbos said the agency decided to reimplement the policy considering that traffic constables and street sweepers “work continuously under the scorching heat of the sun.”

The special break cover only the traffic constables and street sweepers who are on duty at daytime.

In 2012, an MMDA traffic constable died because of heat stroke.

Experts said symptoms of the heat stroke or thermal distress include dizziness, uncommon thirst, breathing difficulties, headaches, feverishness and even hypertension.

The heat stroke break will be implemented through rotation so a skeletal force of one to two personnel will remain at their posts at any

given time.

Aside from the 30-minute breaks, traffic constables are also provided with summer uniforms and their standard head gears.

MMDA officials said that in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, the Ministry of Labor is requiring companies to provide midday break from 12:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. to laborers who work in open areas during summer.

In 2013, six South African traff ic enforcers also died in KwaZulu-Natal Traffic Department, South Africa due to dehydration and the subsequent heat stroke. In South Africa, summer temperatures are above 30 degrees Celsius, similar to the temperature in Metro Manila.

PRAYERS AND PROCESSION. Parishioners of The Risen Lord say their prayers as they start the 'Station of the Cross' in Barangay Mabolo Tres in Bacoor City in Cavite. Stations of the Cross or the Way of the Cross, also known as Way of Sorrows or Via Crucis, refers to a series of processions passing by images or stations depicting the scenes in the crucifixion of Jesus Christ as part of the Holy Week remembrance. Ey Acasio

DIDIPIO MINE GETS 3 CSR AWARDS IN MALAYSIA

By Brenda Jocson SANTIAGO CITY—OceanaGold Didipio Mine in Kasibu town in Nueva Vizcaya garnered three awards at the 9th Annual Global CSR Summit and Awards and the Global Good Governance Awards 2017 in Westin Langkawi Spa & Resort, Malaysia.

General manager David Way of Didipio Mine said they got the most prestigious award this time as Gold in Best Workplace Practices, Silver in Environmental Excellence and Bronze in Best Community Program.

Way said the people of Didipio are so proud of being recognized as the partner, employer and mining company of choice.

“Our communities have become our families inspiring us to constantly innovate and remain steadfast in providing better lives for them,” he added.

The Malaysia held Summit and Awards on March 30-31 was attended by 150 senior level industry executives, environmentalists, social activists and non-government organizations from Asia and the rest of the world.

Of the 146 entries received from all over the world, a final selection of 38 companies was awarded top honors in the 16 main award categories.

The categories were Best Country Award, Best Community Program, Best Environmental Excellence, Excellence in Provision of Literacy and Education, Empowerment of Women,

Best Workplace Practices, Product Excellence, CSR Leadership, Best CEO, Best Corporate Communications and IR and Best Governed and Most Transparent Company.

Way said the event is the region’s most prestigious, respected platform and longest reigning event for corporate social responsibility and corporate governance recognizing excellent CSR and governance practices from companies and leading brands from the region and the rest of the world, now at its ninth successive year.

There were presentations from over 20 influential speakers including award-winning visionary thought leader Professor Martin

Blake, Ali Jaleel (CEO, Philips Malaysia) and Chandran Nair, founder of Global Institute for Tomorrow and author of “Consumptionomics: Asia’s Role in Reshaping Capitalism and Saving the Planet,” and Professor Ray Wills, managing director of Future Smart.

Anchored on the theme, “Rebooting Capitalism–Exploring New Market Models”, the speakers presented many perspectives and case studies on Asian, Western and hybrid developmental models that sparked much debate and enthusiasm among delegates.

Nair, the event’s keynote speaker, said that Western models of development have not always been successful and Asian countries should not blindly follow their path.

SMC UNIT FILES CASE VS BOC FOR ILLEGAL SEIZURE

By Alena Mae S. Flores SL HARBOR Bulk Terminal Corp., a unit of San Miguel Corp., has filed a case against the Bureau of Customs contesting the agency’s recent seizure of its P751-million bunker fuel cargo.

In its petition filed with the Court of Tax Appeals, the company said the seizure was done without due process and despite a complete set of import documents the company presented.

The petition seeks to nullify the decision issued by the Customs collector of the Port of Limay, Bataan, which ordered the forfeiture of industrial fuel oil imported by SL Harbor and stored in its storage facility.

“We have always stood behind the BoC in its efforts to put a lid on fuel smuggling and improve its revenue generation but it has to be done properly. They cannot just seize products without following the due process of law at the expense of law abiding taxpayers. They should go after the real criminals,” San Miguel president and chief operating officer Ramon Ang said.

Armed with a warrant of seizure and detention dated Dec. 16, 2016, Customs personnel seized 44,000 MT of bunker fuel cargo, consigned to SL Harbor and loaded in M/T Alpine Magnolia and local barge M/T Malolos in Limay, Bataan.

SL Harbor, which is engaged in the business of trading refined petroleum products and allied services, said the alleged inconsistency arises from Custom’s incorrect assumption of the volume being unloaded from M/T Magnolia into the terminal tanks and the volume being loaded from SL Harbor’s existing tax-paid inventory into M/T Malolos barge.

The company said Customs failed to take into account that SL Harbor’s storage tank had existing fuel stock inventory of 6,000 MT at the time of loading.

“There was, therefore, no smuggling, no illegal discharge and no basis for the WSD,” Ang said.

SL Harbor immediately filed a motion to lift the seizure order on Dec. 20, 2016 but on Jan. 20, 2017, Limay District Collector of Customs Julius Premediles issued a decision forfeiting the entire fuel cargo and the vessels on the basis that MT Magnolia allegedly unloaded directly to the barge of MT Malolos without the payment of taxes.

“Perhaps the BoC should focus its efforts on gasoline and diesel smuggling which is becoming more and more rampant,” Ang said.

SL Harbor also said that industrial fuel oil (or bunker fuel oil) is a low value item and can only be used by power plants, sea-faring vessels and other manufacturing plants.

It said the black market for it is so limited that it is a low-margin product.

SL Harbor said industrial fuel is also a “dirty product in the sense that its transport and handling are fraught with environmental risks that it is not an activity that anyone would engage in unless it was absolutely necessary.”

PH'S ACCESS TO EU MARKET TO BE DECIDED BY YEAREND

By Sara D. Fabunan THE European Union is set to decide whether or not the Philippines can still enjoy the duty-free access or GSP+ to EU market by the end of 2017, an assessment report which bases its rating on the country’s compliance with international agreements, including human rights.

EU Ambassador Franz Jessen noted that the monitoring team who went to the country last February to assess if the Philippines still qualifies for trade incentives under GSP+ program, was not a matter of

“interfering” with the domestic issues but to make sure that the country is complying with international agreements, including human rights.

“This is not a question of interfering in domestic affair but it is a way of making sure that we utilize full potential of our mutual interest and that's we are trying to do,” Jessen said in a roundtable discussion among selected journalists.

In February, the EU mission went to the Philippines and stayed for 10 days to assess if the country still qualifies for the zerotariff benefits to the EU market.

Jessen said in order to keep the benefits under the GSP+, the Philippines should make good “steady or slow progress” in its implementation of its commitment to the 27 international treaties and conventions on human rights, labor rights, environment and governance.

“They stayed for 10 days in the country and monitored many different aspects including labor condition, labor convention, environmental gain, environment conditions, they also look at the human right convention where the Philippines is a signatory,” Jessen said.

The envoy said that by the end of 2017, the EU mission team will announce whether they will lift the GSP+ benefits in the Philippines.

“It will be done by the end of this year,” Jessen said.

The EU-Generalized Scheme of Preferences (GSP+) allows the Philippines to export 6,274 eligible products duty-free access to the EU market.

The Philippines has been exporting to EU products such as crude coconut oil, canned tuna, pneumatic tires, spectacle lenses, relays, and preserved fruits under GSP+.

A BOY AND HIS KITE. A young boy enjoys the onset of summer by flying his kite on a busy street inside the Baseco Compound in Tondo, Manila. Ey Acasio

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STILL WAITING FOR THAT ‘ASIAN CENTURY’

EDITORIAL

By A. Gary Shilling

REACHING HIGHER

T

HAT things are how they are does not make them necessarily right, or at least acceptable.

When a separated woman admits to being “frail” and engaging in a years-long affair with a man whom she knows to be married, she is pilloried on the streets, in media, and even in the halls of Congress.

She is deemed loose and ridiculed for her immorality.

When a married man admits to having a girlfriend, it is taken for what it is. He feels comfortable bringing her to social and official functions. When he is threatened with an ethics complaint and possible disbarment, he taunts his critics. “Who doesn’t have a girlfriend,” he asks.

Then again, it seems farfetched that he would stray from the example set by his friend and boss, who once said he should have been first in raping a beautiful foreigner, bragged about having multiple wives and girlfriends and unabashedly ogles the legs of female officials if they happen to show up in skirts.

There are champions, but we must be wary of fake ones—or those who waver when their political futures are on the line. Case in point: a female senator who championed women’s reproductive rights but speaks forgivingly, even fondly, about how her colleagues would “talk about boy things and that’s how boys are.”

Some female officials of the Executive Department called on the people to view sexist remarks “with a forgiving heart.” One even said a person can get away with such tasteless remarks so long as one is not married.

To date, the President has not uttered anything about the predicament of the Speaker of the House of Representatives who faces disbarment for having a girlfriend while still married. It’s good to keep quiet, we think. Whatever he says will not be credible—if he supports him he would be living up to his reputation; if he criticizes him he would be a hypocrite.

Standards exist to guide people how to live and how not to live. There are norms for relationships, as there are norms for conducting oneself in public, for not engaging in corruption, for neither profiting from the drug trade nor tolerating it. There, too, are standards for ordinary citizens and higher ones for those who lead them and make decisions for them.

A few manage to live up to these standards; many fail, or struggle. It should remain even, however.

Whether it’s a man or woman reaching for it is immaterial. Clearly this is not happening now, but it’s something to demand of ourselves.

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ALL OVER THE WORLD IN AN UBER POP GOES THE WORLD JENNY ORTUOSTE

SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA— Everyone’s got their own story.

The other day, my sister Aileen shared an article on my Facebook timeline. Posted on Mashable, the title neatly summed up the article’s

gist: “Stunning art blog tells the stories of immigrant cab drivers from around the world.”

The blog, says writer Katie Dupere, is called “Riding Up Front” and was created by a Singaporean immigrant

to the US, Wei-En Tan. The “non-profit art gallery blog” collects stories from immigrant passengers, “recapping real conversations they’ve had with their drivers, and then illustrated by

PEOPLE in the West, certainly Americans, have long had a fascination with the East, with many predicting an inevitable “Asian century” marked by economic and market dominance. I have long disagreed with the consensus on China and other Asian Tigers, and others are beginning to agree.

Many problems stand in the way of the “Asian century.”

Japan dazzled Westerners with the speed of its recovery from the ashes of World War II. Japanese purchases of US trophy properties such as the Pebble Beach golf resort in California and Rockefeller Center in Manhattan in the 1980s, on top of the leaping property and equity prices in Japan, convinced many in the West that Japan would soon take over the world.

Japan’s economic decline in the early 1990s did not curb fascination with Asia. It simply shifted to the rapidly-growing developing economies, the Asian Tigers. The original four, Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan, were later augmented by the likes of Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines and, of course, China—and more recently, Pakistan, Vietnam, Indonesia and Bangladesh.

The late-1990s Asian financial crisis only temporarily disrupted Western fascination with the East and the prospects for an “Asian century.”

The 2007-2009 Great Recession and financial crisis ended rapid economic growth in Western countries and, therefore, the robust demand for exports that were the mainstay of developing economies.

Still, Western zeal for Asia persisted and many, for no logical reasons, believed emerging countries could independently continue to grow rapidly and, indeed, support economic activity in the sluggish US and Europe.

Chinese real economic annual growth rates nosedived from double digits to a recessionary 6.3 percent during the worldwide downturn, but then revived due to the massive 2009 stimulus program. Easy credit fueled a property boom and inflation, and excessive infrastructure spending replaced exports as the growth engine. As with the Asian Tigers earlier, many thought Chinese growth was self-sustaining and unrelated to ongoing sluggish economic performance in North America and Europe, especially after Chinese GDP topped Japan’s in 2009.

There are five main reasons why it won’t get any easier for Asia: 1. Globalization is largely completed. There isn’t much manufacturing in North America and Europe left to be moved to lower-cost developing economies.

At the same time, the West is basically saturated with Asian exports, and those countries are competing fiercely among themselves for limited total export demand. Also, exports are shifting among those countries as lowend production moves from China to places such as Pakistan and Bangladesh, much as they shifted Turn to B2

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STILL..

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out of Japan in earlier decades.

2. The shift from being exportled economies to ones driven by domestic spending, especially by consumers, has been slow. Chinese leaders want this transition, but it is moving at glacial speed.

3. There are government and cultural restraints. Almost all developing Asian economies are tightly controlled by governments.

Top-down regimes stoutly resist reform and often persist until they’re overthrown by revolutions.

The current Mao dynasty in China, as I’ve dubbed it, seems seriously worried about popular unrest due to the lack of promised economic growth and is reducing what little political liberty was previously allowed. President Xi is now the Big Brother with lots of little brothers insuring proper thoughts and actions, even at the local level. In Malaysia, Prime Minister Najib Razak is enmeshed in a multibillion-dollar investment scandal. In the Philippines, crime and drug trafficking are so rampant that President Rodrigo Duterte was elected on a platform of eliminating drug dealers, even by murderous vigilante squads. South Korea’s former president Park Geun-hye was thrown out over corruption.

4. Population problems endure.

Despite the need for new workers in Japan as its population falls and ages, women are still discouraged from entering the labor force, and Japan continues to be unwelcoming toward newcomers. There’s no such thing as an immigration visa despite the fact that 83 percent of Japanese hiring managers have difficulty filling jobs, versus a global average of 38 percent in the last five years. China also has a looming labor shortage and severe limits to economic growth due to its earlier one-child policy, which resulted in about 400 million Chinese not being born. Low fertility rates are also destined to reduce the populations of Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore and South Korea. At the other end of the population spectrum are Asian countries like Indonesia and India, whose population is expected to exceed China’s by 2022.

5. Military threats are growing in Asia, and could severely disrupt stability and retard economic growth if they flare up. China is exercising its military muscles by challenging US military influence in the region by, among other actions, building military islands on reefs in the South China Sea. Japan is abandoning its postWorld War pacifism and shifting from defensive to offensive capabilities. The Russians are also making military threats. The region contains five nuclear-armed countries: China, India and its rival Pakistan, Russia, and—most troubling—North Korea, which is testing long-range missiles.

There may well be an “Asian century” in the future, but don’t hold your breath. It took about a millennium for the West to develop meaningful democracy, the rule of law, large middle classes that support domestic economies and all the institutions that are largely lacking in developing Asian lands.

Bloomberg

ALL...

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artists.”

Some of the art is colorful and intense, and most show some form of vehicle, roads, urban landscapes, and people wearing all sorts of expressions—sad, happy, blank.

“Many of us,” says Dupere, “slide into the back seat of taxis and quickly bury ourselves in our phones to avoid conversation. But [Riding Up Front] is encouraging you to call shotgun and start chatting—especially with drivers of immigrant backgrounds.”

The reason Aileen told me to check it out is because she, too, collects stories of cab drivers—not to illustrate for a blog, but because it’s her way of connecting with people.

The bonus is that she learns a thing or two along the way.

For safety reasons, my sister takes an Uber to and from the BART station each workday. That’s twice a day,

WHY THE HUMANITIES PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN STEM EDUCATION

By Pecier Decierdo IN A world where the value of science, technology, engineering, and math subjects is increasingly appreciated, how much value do people place on the humanities?

For many, this question was put to the test last month when the University of the Philippines voted to adopt a new Generation Education program. Under the new program, students will be required to take somewhere between 21 to 36 units of GE subjects.The current program requires students to take 45 units of GE subjects.

What happened in UP reflects a broader change happening in colleges across the country, where fewer GE subjects are required in the new curriculum proposed by the Commission on Higher Education.

The rollout of the new K-to12 curriculum motivated these changes. Under K-to-12, students entering college would have two additional years of schooling. Proponents of the new GE programs said that a reduction in the number of required subjects addresses two things.

First, it avoids potential redundancies in subject matter already covered in senior high school (Grades 11 and 12). Proponents also point to the fact that many of the educators responsible for draft-

ing the senior high curriculum are themselves GE professors at top universities. It is thus argued that sticking with the current GE program will result in the needless repetition of subjects.

Second, proponents say that such redundancies threaten the opportunity to introduce interdisciplinary subjects that apply different disciplines to real world situations. For example, CHEd’s new GE curriculum includes subjects like ‘Understanding the Self’ and ‘The Contemporary World’. Meanwhile, UP’s new GE program includes courses entitled ‘Ethics and Moral Reasoning in Everyday Life’ and ‘Mathematics, Culture, and Society’.

On the other hand, critics of the new programs lament the drop in the number of GE subjects. One way the issue has been framed is as a debate on the relative value of humanities subjects compared to STEM subjects. Indeed, the incoming changes will result in fewer humanities subjects in the curricula of STEM majors. But it can also result in fewer STEM subjects in the curricula of humanities and social sciences majors, which is also unfortunate.

Another, related way of framing the issue touches on the very purpose of universities. Is it to train diploma-bearing specialists who will add to the pool of highly-skilled in-

dividuals who can contribute to the country’s development? Is it to cultivate well-rounded persons who will become active and critical members of society and the republic? Is it possible to have both as equal priorities, or are there fundamental tensions between the two goals?

Critics of the new GE program see it as a move toward the corporatization of higher education. For my part, I think that if our universities focus on cultivating students to become critical members of society, they will also end up training highly-skilled individuals as a result. A good liberal education can result in an excellent technical education. I am doubtful if the reverse is true.

An education that includes substantial exposure to the humanities has positive effects on students, including STEM majors. Let me give a few examples to support this claim.

In a study by researchers from The New School in New York City, it was found that close reading of literary fiction might increase the readers’ capacity for empathy. It can thus be argued that STEM graduates, from clinicians to field researchers, can greatly benefit from a course on Shakespeare or Balagtas.

Another study, this time by researchers from North Carolina State University, suggests that the critical thinking exercises done in humanities classes can decrease belief in

pseudoscience. In an age when so-called ‘fake news’ can spread like virus, such a potential benefit from taking humanities courses is needed even by STEM specialistsin-training who, after all, cannot be experts at everything outside their field of specialization.

Training in the humanities will also help STEM specialists to effectively communicate their work to policy makers and the broader public. It will also allow them to know the context of their work in the larger scheme of things and give them tools to see the ethical, political, cultural, and economic implications of what they are doing. In other words, the humanities will allow scientists and engineers to tell their story well, and to tell it in such a way that it makes it part of the larger story that includes all of us.

With the new GE programs taking into effect soon, I hope the people in charge find a way to make it work so that all incoming students will still get that liberal education that is not only the hallmark of good higher education but is also indispensable in training good scientists, engineers, citizens, and whole human beings.

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

BEAUTY TAKES ON THE BEAST

By Delil Souleiman ARBIL—When I photograph the women fighters fighting Daesh, it reassures me that there is justice in this world. Daesh, as the Islamic State group is known around here, has mercilessly killed and raped women, children and the elderly.

And here you have girls leaving everything to go and fight them. It gives me faith that there is some justice in the fight between good and evil, between light and darkness.

I love focusing on the women fighters and photographing them, recording for history how brave these women are. When you see a woman fighting, it’s a very enjoyable thing to photograph because it gives your picture beauty and shows that they can fight as well as men. There are only subtle differences between women and men fighters. When I shoot male fighters, power features more prominently in the photos. With women, there is more delicacy and beauty. I guess that’s also why I focus on them more. It makes for a more beautiful picture, adds depth to the story, and records for history how women are on the front lines taking on the Islamists.

Female fighters have their own companies. From what I’ve seen, they are cleaner and seem more organized than their male counterparts. When you visit their quarters, you know right away that women live there, even if it’s on the battlefield, because the quarters are much cleaner and nicer. The men’s quarters are much messier.

five times a week, and sometimes on weekends if she goes out. Some ninety percent of the time, the Uber drivers are immigrants. They come from all over the world, and they each have their own story.

There was Raj, an older man who looked Arab but played Bollywood music in his car. He was well-spoken, and said that he had moved to the US five years ago to work in IT. Instead of music, a young man from Ethiopia played a CD from the US Citizenship and Immigration Services. It was a sample naturalization quiz, and he was studying so that he could pass the citizenship exam and claim the coveted blue passport. We tried answering the quiz along with him (he knew all the answers) until Aileen started asking him about himself. He told his tale, and after some time shushed my sister. “Let’s listen! Now, how many US senators are there?”

A Kurdish female fighter of the Women’s Protection Units who smiled a lot. She was killed by a Daesh sniper in Manjib. AFP

Women and men can work together in the battlefield. Every once in awhile, you’ll of course have men joking with the women fighters, saying that women snipers aren’t as good as men at killing Daesh fighters. This usually bothers the women a lot, because they are very proud of their fighting abilities.

There is no one single reason the women give for having decided to take up arms. I have met Yazidi fighters in Sinjar, who told me that they started fighting after losing homes and siblings to the jihadists. Daesh has been so horrible to the Yazidis, raping and killing. These women said they took up arms to regain their dignity and to take vengeance against the terrorists.

Steve was Hispanic, with a large family over here from Mexico.

“You speak English so well!” he told us, and said that English was not taught in Mexican schools to the extent that it is in the Philippines, where it is a medium of instruction.

Javier had come over from Madrid three years ago. “It is hard to understand the Spanish speakers from other countries,” he said. I mentioned that I was trying to become more proficient in the language. “Learn Castilian—Spain Spanish,” he advised. “Like British English, the original version.”

Bernie, a Filipino, has had partygoers puke in his car. A female passenger of his was so wasted she forgot where she lived; Bernie had to go through her mobile phone and call her friend so that he could drop off his inebriated fare at her home, safe and sound.

All of them said the same

From what I have seen, there has been very little opposition within Kurdish society to the women fighters. For one thing, among Kurds, women play a more prominent role that among some Arab societies.

Women are part of discussions with men in the majority of households and most families will not force their women to do anything, unlike in some other parts of Syria. I personally don’t know of any families where the girls are forced to wear the hijab.

Women go to universities. And girls are often spoiled within families more than boys. So I don’t know of many who would oppose women fighters. As a general rule, Kurdish society respects women fighters.

I don’t have any women in my

family or friends who are fighting.

The closest I got was one female fighter that I saw on the front at alHawl, who told me that she knew my family. I took some pictures of her. She laughed a lot. It was the first and the last time that I saw her. She laughed a lot. It was the first and the last time that I saw her.

Afterwards, I heard that she was killed by a Daesh sniper in Manbij.

That was really disheartening. My photographs are my world and to see heroes of that world die, one after the other, is very sad. I still remember that photo that I took of her, the details of it.

When this war ends, it will be difficult for everyone, but I think especially for the women who fought on the battlefield. There is the obvious pain of having memories of the moments spent with your comrades in a war that claimed so many lives, a war in which they saw so much pain.

But I’m also not sure most of the female fighters will be able to just go back to the lives they had before. I have met some who had stopped fighting, but they can’t remain at home much after they get back to their ‘normal’ life. They say they miss the military life, and the freedom that they had there from society and traditions. They say that on the front they were freer, they were masters of their own fate. Some whom I’ve met refuse to get married after laying down their weapons. They say they prefer to remain their own masters. AFP

things when it came to Uber and their lives. They drove Ubers to make more money on the side, in addition to their income in their day jobs. One fellow had a new baby, a woman from Singapore was taking nursing, a Filipino was trying to pay off his mortgage faster—all incentives to take on a sideline. Steve said his income had improved with Uber—“We used to eat chicken. Now we eat steak! Every night!”

Aileen says another theme she’s noticed that runs through all these stories is that of perseverance. To make money doing this, they said, you have to be willing to make one more trip even when you’re beat, go up to the city (San Francisco) on Friday nights to bring home the drunks from the clubs even when it’s risky, or go out on a weekend even when you’d rather stay home and rest.

One of the things that the Riding

Up Front blog and my sister’s penchant for chatting up drivers have in common is the gathering of narratives that might otherwise remain unspoken. Through such means, these stories are documented.

Even if the stories are told to only one person, those tales may still get passed on. My sister tells us her Uber stories at the dinner table; here I am now telling them to you; and perhaps you might mention it to someone, somewhere.

As Aileen says, Everyone has a story. Everyone’s story has a theme in common with the rest of humanity.

The more stories you know, the more you will realize that we have more that unites us than separates us.

Listen. Listen to the stories, and find your own.

Dr. Ortuoste is a California-based writer. Follow her on Facebook: Jenny Ortuoste, Twitter: @jennyortuoste, Instagram: @jensdecember

World EX-S. KOREAN PRESIDENT PARK IS PRISONER 503 OUSTED South Korean president Park Geun-Hye is now just prisoner 503, incarcerated in a spartan cell while prosecutors decide whether to indict her over a corruption scandal that precipitated her fall from grace.

The former head of state spent her first night in solitary confinement at Seoul Detention Centre after a court Friday ordered her to be held pending charges.

She had her mugshot taken and was given a prison kit including toiletries, a meal tray and a quilt, reports said.

After being processed like any other prisoner, Park, 65, was assigned a 10.6 square metre (114 square feet) solitary cell, larger than the average 6.5 square metre cell, Yonhap news agency said.

“After taking a bath, she changed into green-coloured winter-season prison garb” an official of the Justice Ministry was quoted as saying by the Joongang Ilbo daily.

The chest of Park’s uniform was emblazoned with her prison number -- 503 -- by which she will be known during her incarceration.

Park burst into tears as guards showed her to her cell, TV Chosun said, quoting unidentified sources.

Prosecutors have yet to specify the formal charges against her, but have previously said she is suspected of bribery, abuse of authority, coercion, and leaking government secrets. AFP

NY MAYOR VOWS TO CLOSE DOWN RIKERS ISLAND RAMPANT violence, aging jails: The notorious Rikers Island prison complex could fade into history after New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, in a political aboutface, backed a plan Friday to close it.

“We had to do a lot of work to figure out a path that actually could achieve this goal,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio as he announced the commitment, which he was previously reluctant to make.

“For a long time I have said publicly it was a noble idea but I did not see how it was attainable under the conditions we were facing,” he said at a news conference.

The Democratic mayor, who is running for re-election this year, said it became clear that “we that had to adjust the time line if we were going to be honest about it -- that a decade was the minimum in which it could be done.

That was the breakthrough.”

For years many New York officials and legal experts have been calling for the closure of the huge complex, which shares its name with the island in the East River where it is located.

The site sits between the city’s boroughs of Queens and the Bronx. The first jail there dates back to 1935.

Rikers Island is one of the best-known prisons in the United States, along with Sing Sing in New York state and San Quentin in northern California. AFP

IVANKA TRUMP, HUBBY, BENEFIT FROM BUSINESS EMPIRE DONALD Trump’s daughter Ivanka and her husband Jared Kushner have held on to real estate and business investments valued in the hundreds of millions while working government jobs, according to ethics filings released late Friday by the White House.

The disclosures came in a mass document release showing the wealth and financial assets of scores of senior White House staff members at the time they began government work.

Ivanka Trump’s stake in the Trump International Hotel, located blocks from the White House, is one source of income that could represent a conflict of interest.

Critics have noted that interest groups or foreign governments could stay at the luxury hotel to get in the administration’s good graces.

The White House documents show that Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner, who are both officially close advisers to the president, are still getting income from holdings valued at between $240 million and $740 million.

Ivanka Trump -- who just days ago announced she would officially enter a federal role as an unpaid adviser to the US president -- will hang on to her stake in the Trump International Hotel. AFP

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SUU KYI’S GOVT FACES ACID TEST IN POLLS A

UNG SAN Suu Kyi’s government faced its first test at the ballot box on Saturday in by-elections around Myanmar seen as a barometer for growing disillusionment with her party’s first year in power.

The euphoria that surrounded the democracy icon’s landslide electoral win in 2015 has ebbed as her party struggles to push through promised reforms.

Discontent is particularly acute in ethnic minority areas where many see Suu Kyi as working too closely with the military, which ran the country for 50 years and still controls key levers of government.

With only 19 seats up for election, the poll is unlikely to alter the balance of power in a government firmly dominated by Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy.

But the voting may offer a glimpse of the public’s view on the NLD’s first year in office -- a rocky 12

months marked by a surge in border unrest and disappointing economic gains.

Hundreds of voters lined up outside polling stations on the outskirts of Myanmar’s commercial capital Yangon Saturday, though the scenes lacked the fanfare and enthusiasm of the historic 2015 election.

Chit Min, from Dagon Seikkan suburb, told AFP many of his friends decided not to vote this time around.

“But I am sure the NLD will win again,” he added.

The party will face its toughest challenge to the north in Shan State, where tens of thousands

have been displaced by recent fighting between the army and ethnic insurgents.

“There are many victims of war here and other ethnic areas now,” said Sai One Leng Kham, an upper house MP from the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy.

“Sometimes (the NLD) works without any understanding of what’s going on on the ground.”

In strife-torn Rakhine State on Myanmar’s western coastline, the party will face a strong challenge not only from the local Arakan National Party but also the militarybacked USDP. The USDP led the transitional government that took over from the junta in 2011, but was trounced in elections four years later that swept the NLD to power.

To the south in Mon, the NLD is facing a backlash over the naming of a new bridge after Suu Kyi’s father that many see as a symbol of the party’s disregard for minorities.

Myanmar’s economic and po-

litical elite, including the NLD, have long been dominated by the majority Bamar ethnicity.

“Now more people think MPs from ethnic parties should be in parliament,” said local Nyan Soe, who was among tens of thousands who protested over the bridge.

“The NLD has not been good for ethnic people since it took power.”

Suu Kyi herself is constitutionally barred from campaigning while in office.

But she came out to defend the NLD’s record -- while also conceding that progress in some areas had been slow -- in a rare national address to mark her administration’s one year anniversary on Thursday.

“We have had to face many daunting challenges,” she said, admitting the NLD had “not achieved the level of development that people have expected”.

But she stressed that her party was dedicated to rebuilding the impoverished nation and that this process would take time. AFP

A man casts his vote in a by-election in a polling station in Dagon Seikkan township, eastern Yangon on April 1, 2017.

Aung San Suu Kyi’s government will face its first test at the ballot box on April 1 in by-elections around Myanmar seen as a barometer for growing disillusionment with her party a year after it took office. AFP

VENEZUELA PRESIDENT REJECTS COUP CLAIMS AMID CRISIS VENEZUELA’S President Nicolas Maduro on Friday rejected accusations that moves to consolidate his power in the crisis-hit country violated the constitution, after a sign of division emerged in his camp.

Maduro’s opponents and political analysts alleged a coup after the Supreme Court took over powers from the legislature and removed lawmakers’ immunity.

International powers condemned the moves, which gave the socialist president control over the only major state institution that still had been out of his grasp.

But Maduro said in a speech to cheering supporters late Friday: “In Venezuela, the constitution, civil, political and human rights and people power are in full force.”

The court’s measures earned the government public condemnation for the first time from a senior member of Maduro’s own camp, Attorney General Luisa Ortega, who broke ranks with him on Friday.

She branded the rulings a “rupture of constitutional order,” in a surprise declaration on state television which drew applause from the crowd.

Coming from a staunch supporter of Maduro’s late predecessor Hugo Chavez, it was the strongest sign of divisions in the government camp since its standoff with the center-right opposition started in January 2016.

Maduro responded to Ortega in his

speech by vowing “through dialogue and the constitution, to resolve the impasse” between the attorney general and the court.

He also said he had called a meeting of security chiefs to “deliberate and draw up a resolution.”

The Supreme Court, which has staunchly backed Maduro through an economic and political crisis, assumed the powers of the National Assembly on Wednesday.

The legislative speaker, Julio Borges, called on the military and other institutions to follow Ortega’s example and speak up against Maduro.

“Now is the time to obey the orders of your conscience,” he saStreet protests erupted for a second day Friday in Caracas. Students marched on the Supreme Court, where they scuffled with soldiers.

Protesters also blocked streets in the working-class Petare neighborhood, and opposition lawmakers clashed with Maduro supporters downtown.

Two students and a journalist were arrested, activists said.

International condemnation continued pouring in, adding to the criticism already voiced by the United States, the European Union, Spain, Germany and a host of Latin American countries.

Many observers have said the Supreme Court’s move amounts to a coup. The government rejected that accusation Friday, lashing out at its critics as “imperialists.” AFP

A Venezuelan pro-government supporter scuffles with police personnel in riot gear during a protest in front of the Supreme Court in Caracas on March 31, 2017. Venezuela’s attorney general Luisa Ortega surprisingly broke ranks with President Nicolas Maduro on Friday, condemning recent Supreme Court rulings that consolidated the socialist president’s power as a “rupture of constitutional order.” AFP

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SUNDAY, APRIL 2, 2017 Cesar Barrioquinto, Editor

World

/ Joyce Pangco-Pañares, Issue Editor

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

JAPAN’S CHERRY BLOSSOM FEVER KICKS OFF

This file photo taken on September 20, 2016 shows then-Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump (L) looking on as Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi speaks during a meeting at the Plaza Hotel in New York.Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi is expected to meet on April 3, 2017 with US President Donald Trump, who has made no secret of his admiration for the ex-army chief who overthrew his Islamist predecessor and cracked down on his supporters. This is Sisi’s first state visit to Washington after almost four years of tense relations during the tenure of Trump’s predecessor Barack Obama. Trump had met with Sisi earlier before his election in 2016 on the sidelines of the 71st UN General Assembly, his first meeting with a leader from the Muslim world. Sisi was also reportedly the first leader to congratulate Trump upon his election in November 2016. AFP

EGYPT’S SISI TO MEET DONALD TRUMP

A

fTER four years of tension with the United States, Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi now has a fan in the White House and on Monday he meets President Donald Trump.

The American former reality television star and tycoon has made no secret of his admiration for the ex-army chief who overthrew his Islamist predecessor and cracked down on his supporters.

Mohamed Morsi’s ouster in 2013, a year after he had won Egypt’s first democratic election, and the ensuing crackdown on Islamists prompted then US president Barack Obama to suspend military aid tbo Cairo temporarily.

But when Sisi meets Trump on Monday during his first state visit to Washington, he will see a counterpart who better appreciates his “mission” to fight Islamists and jihadists, without Obama’s handwringing over human rights.

“As a matter of fact Presidentelect Trump has shown deep and great understanding of what is

taking place in the region as a whole and what is taking place in Egypt,” Sisi, who met Trump in September before his election, said in an interview.

A senior White House official said Friday that Trump wants to “build on the strong connection the two presidents established” then.

Trump has been gushing about Sisi.

“He’s a fantastic guy. Took control of Egypt, and he really took control of it,” he told Fox Business of the period after Morsi’s overthrow which saw hundreds of Islamist protesters killed and thousands detained.

And he really took control of it,” he told Fox Business of the period after Morsi’s overthrow which saw hundreds of Islamist protesters killed and thousands detained.

Over the past three years, Sisi has met a trickle of delegations from American think-tanks and other groups, drumming home the importance of supporting him.

“He made a passionate and convincing case for why all nations should stop working with Islamists,” said a member of one delegation who requested anonymity.

Sisi often speaks of himself as though he were a Cassandra whose warnings go unheeded.

“We warned two years ago our European friends, the foreign fighters in Syria will return and commit terrorism in Europe,” he said during a 2016 visit by French President Francois Hollande.

Cairo is pleased by signals from Trump’s administration and Congress that they may consider blacklisting Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood movement, a move which also has its critics in Washington.

“America prepares to confront the Brotherhood,” read a banner headline in red in the official AlAhram newspaper.

“Beyond Sisi being thrilled that

Trump replaced Obama, and the opportunity to turn a page, this is Egypt trying to reassert itself in a more central way to US Middle East strategy,” said Issandr El Amrani, the International Crisis Group’s North Africa director.

Egypt—one of two Arab countries to have a peace treaty with Israel—had traditionally played a central role in US regional alliances, in return receiving $1.3 billion in annual military aid.

Cairo has also mediated between Israel and the Palestinians.

Sisi’s office said he will broach the issue with Trump, who has confusingly suggested that he is fine with either a two-state or a onestate solution to the conflict.

Sisi had already made a goodwill gesture on that front in January, retracting a UN Security Council resolution condemning Israeli settlements after a call from the then president-elect who opposed it.

The resolution was reintroduced after objections by other Security Council members, and passed with the US abstaining. AFP

AUSTRALIA FLOODS RISING WITH 2 DEAD, 4 MISSING FLOODED rivers were still rising Saturday in two Australian states with two women dead and four people missing after torrential rains in the wake of a powerful tropical cyclone.

Queensland police warned that the Logan River, which runs through Beenleigh south of Brisbane, would only hit peak flood levels during the afternoon while further north the city of Rockhampton was also facing a serious threat.

Commissioner Ian Stewart warned there was “still a major risk to the community around Logan and further south caused by that flooding situation.”

Rockhampton, with a population of over 80,000 on the Fitzroy River, was expected to suffer flood levels not seen for a century and Stewart urged residents in low-lying areas to leave.

“By Wednesday, we will be at peak flooding in Rockhampton,” he said.

“It will be a gradual rise, so I encourage people to move now.”

Queensland police tweeted “we currently have four people missing... that we have serious concerns about,” including a 77-year-old man.

Tens of thousands of people have been evacuated from a string of towns in Queensland and New South Wales as the floods move south towards Ballina, cutting roads.

Others have tried to stick it out to save their properties.

The scene was grim along the Logan river.

Casey Bently, a 47-year-old mechanic from North Maclean appeared visibly upset as she looked at her house, submerged to the roof.

“We got as much out as we could in the short time that we had,” she told AFP. “People have lost everything. I’d only just finished renovating the house, and it is all gone again now.”

Nearby a calf was stuck in a tree as a man in a kayak paddled out to see if it was alive. Dozens gathered to watch but by the time two people on jet skis arrived to help the calf only to discover it was dead.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull called on residents in affected areas to exercise caution. AFP

SPACE LAUNCH. SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from space launch complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center, Florida with an SE communications satellite. SpaceX blasted off a recycled rocket for the first time on, using a booster that had previously flown cargo to the astronauts living at the International Space Station. AFP

JAPAN’S cherry blossom season kicks off boozy parties across the country and draws tourists from far and wide, but the annual coming-of-spring ritual isn’t official until inspectors like Hisato Nishii sign off on it.

Over the past few weeks, local weather offices have been sending civil servants like Nishii out to so-called barometer trees that signal when sakura—cherry blossom in Japanese—have bloomed.

It’s no small matter. Millions of Japanese celebrate the explosion of white and pink flowers heralding the change of season, with the Tokyo area expected to hit full bloom this week.

Parks are full, restaurants are packed, and companies get in on the action with sakura-branded merchandise, from pink beer cans to flower-motif candy.

The festivities come at a time when Japan kicks off a new business year, many university graduates start their first full-time jobs, and older colleagues shift into new positions. AFP

SRI LANKA STOPS JUMBO FLYING TO NEW ZEALAND A SRI LANKAN baby elephant gifted to New Zealand has been prevented from leaving the South Asian island after animal activists said it was cruel to separate her from her family.

Six-year-old Nandi was bequeathed to former New Zealand Prime Minister John Key by President Maithripala Sirisena at a meeting in Colombo in February 2016 to mark “excellent bilateral relations” between the two countries.

New Zealand vets had visited Sri Lanka last year to prepare Nandi for the journey to Auckland Zoo. But animal rights activists have since intervened, arguing against moving the elephant to a foreign country where she will likely find it difficult to be separated from her family and adapt to the new climate.

The group of 18 secured a temporary victory Friday when a Sri Lankan court was assured by the state that Nandi would not be flown out of the country pending a final decision on the case next month. AFP

BOKO HARAM KIDNAPS 22 GIRLS, WOMEN BOKO Haram Islamists have abducted 22 girls and women in two separate raids in northeast Nigeria, residents and vigilantes told AFP Friday.

In the first attack on Thursday, the jihadists raided the village of Pulka near border with Cameroon where they kidnapped 18 girls.

“Boko Haram fighters from Mamman Nur camp arrived in pickup vans around 6:00 am and seized 14 young girls aged 17 and below while residents fled into the bush,” a Pulka community leader told AFP by phone.

“They picked four other girls who were fleeing the raid they came across in the bush outside the village,” said the community leader who asked not to be named for fear of reprisals.

According to the official, the attackers were loyal to the faction headed by Abu Musab AlBarnawi, the son of Boko Haram founder Mohammed Yusuf.

Barnawi was appointed last year by the Islamic State group to replace leader Abubakar Shekau, who had pledged allegiance to the Middle East jihadist group in 2015. AFP

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SUNDAY, APRIL 2, 2017

Business

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

TOLEDO BECOMES 1ST FIBER-LINKED CITY IN PH

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By Darwin G. Amojelar TOLEDO City in Cebu province became the first fiber-powered city in the Philippines, where families and enterprises can enjoy worldclass internet connectivity.

PLDT Inc. teamed up with the city government of Toledo to rollout fiber-to-the-home facilities in strategic urban centers under the former’s Fibr City project.

PLDT said the FTTH roll-out would serve the data connectivity needs of Toledo, a fast-growing city with its mining industry and burgeoning tourism sector.

“Fitted with the country’s most powerful broadband, Toledo City will now have access to fiber-fast internet speeds of as much as 1 Gigabit per second,” PLDT first vice president and head of Home Business Oscar Reyes Jr. said.

“PLDT Home’s decision to pioneer its first Fibr City in Toledo is part of expansion plans in Central Philippines where we are accelerating our fiber roll-out aimed at bringing the strongest connections to more Filipinos,” Reyes said.

BROKER.

3Win Realty & Development Corp. managing director Miriam Quiambao-Roberto

BEAUTY QUEEN TURNS INTO REAL ESTATE BROKER

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ROM the glamorous pageant stage, Miriam Quiambao-Roberto is now a wife, a mother, a TV host, an inspirational speaker, entrepreneur, investor, property manager and a real estate broker. Juggling all of these roles, Quiambao still manages to learn and excel.

As the Lamudi Philippines Brokers Awards Night is coming near, more aspirants are getting hyped up to know what it really takes to be one of the best brokers in the country. For this reason, Miriam Quiambao shares the ingredients of her success to other brokers.

The 1999 Miss Universe first runner-up says above all aspects of being a real estate professional, presentation might be the most important.

Whether it is showing a home to a possible buyer or renter, or helping owners sell their properties while clinching the best deal, the job requires a great deal of persuasion and convincing. Unfortunately, this is not as easy as it sounds. Common mistakes are hard selling or being too dull as they present. The most unforgivable, however, is coming unprepared and being unprofessional in front of clients.

ARRIVE ON TIME This is a basic best practice not only in real estate dealings. According to Miriam, being early at the venue sets the tone for how the presentation goes.

As the owner of Q Estates Management and the managing director of 3Win Realty & Development Corp., Miriam is regularly attending meetings and she says that arriving ahead allows one to settle into

the venue before a presentation, avoiding having to rush and be unkempt. Arriving early also gives you the chance to prepare yourself and your visual aids if you have any.

“For brokers and in anything actually where one wants to appear as professional, I would suggest you come on time. In fact, even 15 minutes before the meeting, because that will allow you to relax a little and settle in, and not rush because you’ve found an ample parking space or the venue itself beforehand.

If you are meeting with a seller, it also allows you to prepare with them way before the buyer arrives,” she says.

PREPARATION IS KEY Whether in media or in business, preparation is a necessity. Unlike in a television or movie shoot where mistakes can be corrected, there are no retakes when making a live presentation to a client, so preparation is very important. More than arming yourself with the right words, coming confident and prepared ensures that the clients feels a professional kind of care from you and not just there to push business.

“If there are documents or need-to-know information that are required or that might come up in the meeting, you should already have acquired or researched that way before. If you’re the selling broker, you want to make sure you’ve done your due diligence, so that the person you are selling to does not experience any problems because of your lack of it,” she says.

“Always take note that your reputation is also on the line, so you want to make sure that you are showing your fellow brokers and their buyers or sellers the professionalism they deserve. For instance, you should avoid occurrences where you will present a property for sale that will turn out as a problematic property and will cause delay in the process due to

your lack of research,” Miriam says.

HOW YOU PRESENT YOURSELF “The way you carry yourself and the way you look are the first measure to your character. It can show that you are trustworthy and also reflect on the kind of work that you do. If you look disorderly, they may think that’s how you work.” Going beyond aesthetics, clients prefers to listen to a presentable speaker, and keen to do business with someone knows how to care for him- or herself,” says Miriam.

It is all in the details, says Miriam, as the presentation begins the instant you meet the person or people you are presenting to. “Always practice proper hygiene and present yourself professionally, because they will immediately see that you cared enough to be put together well for the presentation.”

“When you introduce yourself, it is important to give them a nice, firm handshake. Not too long, not too short, not too strong, not too limp but just right. Remember as well that eye contact shows confidence and that you are secure about yourself and your job,” she says.

FINISH STRONG Even if the presentation did not end in a deal, it is still vital to leave a good lasting impression.

Miriam says that business doesn’t end when the presentations are finished, and being appreciative and sending follow-ups can build relationships that all started with that initial meeting.

“It would be nice if you could send them birthday cards or Christmas cards, flowers, or a decently priced bottle of wine. Nothing too expensive, but just something they can remember you by. Those little actions will mean a lot to your clients. Apart from showing professionalism and appreciation of their time, this will likewise ensure that you will be on top of their mind in case they need to buy, sell, or rent property in the future,” she says.

PLDT first vice president and head of Home Business Oscar Reyes Jr.

For plans starting at P1,899 a month, subscribers can access compelling entertainment and gaming content from PLDT Home partners and renowned providers like iflix, Netflix, Fox+ and iWant TV at minimal subscription fees.

With a footprint of around 2.8 million homes passed as of end2016, PLDT is further expanding the reach of its FTTH network by about 80 percent to 4.4 million homes passed by the end of the year, making available the ultrafast internet connection to more Filipino families in various parts of the country.

To further extend the reach of its fiber-speed internet service, PLDT also started to deploy hybrid fiber technologies such as Huawei Technologies’ G.fast which can boost data speeds up to 600 to 700 Mbps over existing copper lines.

PLDT envisions that all of its subscribers will be in “smart homes” by end-2018 enabled by PLDT’s combined FTTH and fiber-fast services.

PLDT will thus have an unrivaled robust and cost-efficient platform for offering its growing portfolio of entertainment, “peace of mind” and other “Smart Home” services.

PLDT invested P300 billion or $6 billion over the last 10 years to roll out the country’s most extensive transmission and distribution network infrastructure which now has 150,000 kilometers of fiber optic cables that transport the growing data traffic of its fixed line and mobile networks.

GLOBAL GATEWAY CLARK ANSWER TO METRO MANILA’S CONGESTION A MODERN city is on the rise in Central Luzon to be the country’s next world-class economic hub outside Metro Manila.

The 177-hectare business center, called Global Gateway Clark, is now the top priority location for some of the biggest local and international companies scrambling for prime spots in a fully master-planned property at par with Metro Manila’s Bonifacio Global City.

Michael Russell, president of Global Gateway Development Corp., said the ultramodern city is the solution to some of Metro Manila’s economic problems such as over population, traffic and airport congestion.

Russell said Global Gateway Clark is

completely livable, disaster-ready and designed to accommodate multinational corporations like airline companies, business process outsourcing firms, healthcare industries and transportation facilities essential to a modern day city.

One of the earliest locators in Global Gateway Clark is the Medical City Hospital, bringing the best of the country’s healthcare services to Central Luzon.

Close by is the new three-hectare campus of the University of the Philippines in Clark which will accommodate more scholars.

Clark, just a one-hour drive from Metro Manila through the North Luzon E x pre ss w ay, b o a st s of wor l d - cl a ss

infrastructure such as an international airport. Philippine Airlines, the country’s flagship carrier, has started to expand its operation in Clark International Airport to fly passengers to local, and ultimately international, destinations.

PAL’s senior vice president for operations Ismael Gozon said Clark is very promising to the aviation industry. Other carriers such as Cebu Pacific and AirAsia are also launching new flights from Clark.

Airport authorities said that with less traffic, comfort and better flying experience, passengers from Northern and Central Luzon including Metro Manila will now have a better alternative.

An estimated 24 million Filipinos from Zambales, Pampanga, Bulacan and other neighboring cities and provinces stand to benefit from the additional flights.

Direct flights to Davao, Puerto Princesa, Busuanga in Palawan and some Southeast Asian destinations are already in place.

Global Gateway Clark sits at the crossroads of North Luzon Expressway and Subic Clark Tarlac Expressway and only 30 minutes away from the newly expanded Subic Bay deep-water port and is directly adjacent to Clark International Airport.

Once completed, the city will be divided into four zones: Aeropark, Business Park, Town Center and Logistics Park.

Global Gateway Development Corp. president Michael Russel

Business

C2

SUNDAY, APRIL 2, 2017 business@thestandard.com.ph

Amaia Skies Avenida offers spacious residences in an unbeatable location in Sta. Cruz Manila, close to commercial establishments, hospitals and educational institutions, ideal for all Filipino families.

AMAIA TURNS OVER 800 HOMES BEFORE 2016 ended, no less than 2,000 homes in various locations in the country were opened to new Amaia residents.

These homeowners happily spent the Christmas and New Year holidays in their Amaia residences after accepting the keys to their spanking-new abodes.

Sustaining the momentum, Amaia welcomes 2017 by turning over even more units to happy homeowners. In the first quarter of the year alone, almost 800 homeowners were expected to receive the keys to their brand-new Amaia properties in projects such as Amaia Skies Avenida and Amaia Skies Sta. Mesa, Amaia Scapes Urdaneta, Amaia Steps Altaraza.

This is a part of the projected 4,800 units to be turned over until the end of the year.

The speedy completion and turnover of units is part of Amaia’s commitment to provide affordable and high-quality homes to Filipino families, in the fine tradition of Ayala Land.

Nikie Lingad, Amaia Land’s project development head, said Amaia exhausted all measures to provide the best service to its Filipino customers, making them feel that their investment is worth it.

“With hardworking customers at the core of our operations, we commit the organization to standard work practices that ensure our homes are built and delivered as scheduled to their deserving owners while maintaining high standards of quality,” she said.

Apart from designing and building Amaia properties with the Filipino families’ needs in mind, Amaia also keeps clients happy by making certain that the turnover is smooth and hassle-free.

As Tricia Macawile of Amaia Land’s customer care group said, “We are overjoyed when our new homeowners are happy upon receiving their units.

Many of our clients assert that their new Amaia homes are worth the wait and their investment.”

Turnover of units is done in batches, scheduled by the Amaia Land Customer Care Group.

Amaia projects that are currently offering units for immediate occupancy are as follows: Amaia Scapes Capas, Bauan, Lucena, and North Point (Negros Occidental); Amaia Steps Novaliches, Sucat, Bicutan, Nuvali and Mandaue; Amaia Skies Cubao, Avenida and Sta. Mesa.

Prospective buyers will find it easy to own an Amaia home as Amaia Land offers flexible payment schemes: cash payment, deferred, PagIbig and bank financing.

MALE CEO EXPLAINS WOMEN’S INTIMACY ISSUES

By Othel V. Campos

A

WOMAN may have to deal with a health condition that affects not only her physical well-being but also the way she expresses her sexuality and emotional contentment.

Not a few have been afflicted with this condition which in layman’s term is known as feminine sexual dysfunction. Women who encounter these symptoms often simply ignore them, leading to more serious physical symptoms and deeper emotional and social dissatisfaction.

“This problem is there whether you talk about it or not. Somebody or something has to address that. We have a very focused approach to women’s health, which is one of our focus segments,” says Javed Ghulam Mohammad, chief executive of AJ Research & Pharma Sdn. Bhd., the distributor of feminine intimacy gel V-Sense.

AJ Research & Pharma is an innovative Malaysia-based pharmaceutical, cosmeceutical and nutraceutical company. It seeks to address unmet needs in the healthcare market, and FSD is one of those concerns that the company has identified as a top priority especially within the emerging Asean market.

Mohammad says V-sense is one of the sensational products in Europe and is “one of the most excellent products that can help women resolve intimacy issues.”

An innovative feminine intimacy product, V-sense is the first intimate gel product in the Philippine market capable of restoring natural moisture in the female intimate area as it intensifies sensitivity and help women address symptoms of FSD. The product is specially patented and developed in Italy using natural ingredients derived from plants such as visnadine.

Mohammad says the product is backed by massive collection of clinical data attesting to its efficacy.

While it may be true that such conditions as vaginal dryness and lack of sexual interest are often associated with menopause among more mature women, FSD can occur at any age or stage in life.

Mohammad says FSD is easy to address with proper support system and guidance from a health professional.

Medical treatment involving hormone therapy can be prescribed especially for patients with underlying medical conditions but may come with some risks and undesirable side effects, and must be undertaken only under the guidance of a doctor.

There are also numerous non-medical treatments and lifestyle strategies to overcome FSD, one of which is open communication.

Dialog with one’s partner is key to understanding one’s own body and sexual needs as well. Learn or develop a system of communication to enhance intimacy not just physically but emotionally as well.

Counseling or the professional guidance of a psychologist or medical professional may provide more effective and efficient communication and self-awareness exercises, techniques and tools.

Healthy living is another. An overall lifestyle of health and wellness, limited alcohol intake and

AJ Research & Pharma Sdn. Bhd. chief executive Javed Ghulam Mohammad regular physical activity and exercise can also increase stamina, lighten mood and eliminate stress.

“In the Philippines, you see that the women population is pretty strong. They are working women, leaders in their field. But there must be something there the bothers them. There is a big possibility that whatever ails them may have something to do with FSD,” Mohammad says.

According to data, as much as 43 percent of adult women have experienced at least one manifestation of FSD at one point in their lives.

Symptoms of FSD include the inability to achieve orgasm; low desire to engage in sex; difficulty with sexual response or arousal; and physical conditions such as poor vaginal lubrication and pain.

After its Philippine debut, AJ Research will also launch V-Sense in Dubai, Vietnam and Singapore.

AJ Research & Pharma has recently completed the acquisition of Pascual Total Health Inc. to manage the distribution of AJ’s proprietary products as well as European wellness products to the Philippines.

This year, the Malaysian pharmaceutical

company will start bringing at least 25 to 30 new products through the tail-end of 2017.

“We have a big range of pharmaceutical products that we are introducing every quarter. One of these is moxifloxacin, a high-end, very potent antibiotic and a drug for erectile dysfunction in a different form plus cardiovascular and central nervous system portfolio. Pediatric chewables with lysine and taurine for kids wil be introduced in 5 different variants and at least 5 more products under derma aesthetics,” Mohammad says.

AJ Research via Pascual Total Health is distributing 15 pharmaceutical products in the Philippines.

The company is very aggressive with the quarterly launches, collaborating with US and European pharmaceutical companies for new products it can market globally.

“The board is very happy with Philippine operations. We are willing to invest more in this country, whether another acquisition or setting up of manufacturing facilities. We’re looking for brand acquisition as well, although we’re not in active discussions with any brand yet,” says Mohammad.

CREATIVE ENTREPRENEURS HELP BUILD STRONGER BRANDS THE previous years saw the milk tea boom in the Philippines. This period paved the way for the launch of Serenitea Milk Tea in 2008. Grounded on the simple joys of serving milk tea variants and snack options, Serenitea rose to become one of the fastestgrowing and most recognized milk tea brands in the country.

A few years after their launch, Serenitea’s popularity was challenged by new players.

This led to a saturated market, with several milk tea brands fighting for consumer acceptance and loyalty.

Despite an established customer following, Serenitea’s owner, Juliet “Jules” Herrera-Chen, knew it was time to re-think the brand and its future. “We were somehow stuck, like the business suddenly reached a plateau state, not losing but not also moving up as how we wanted it. As a pioneer, we want to maintain our strong positioning in this category,” says Jules.

The important starting point came when Jules met Aaron Palileo of Bootleg Innovation Design, a customer-centered and creativity-based firm that helps organizations innovate their corporate and brand strategies.

Bootleg specializes in finding new ways for companies to differentiate and innovate in their markets. Bootleg applies a unique brand of consumer needs finding and market sense making involving “human sciences.” At the heart of their process are social scientists that are competent in social anthropology and psychology--disciplines that have developed effective methods to truly understand people and environments.

“We have a highly accomplished team of psychologists and social anthropologists who boast of professional [i.e. clinical and commercial] and academic experience and success,” says Palileo.

L aunched in 2013, B ootleg was established by Aaron Palileo, Paolo Abella and Jay Amante, three creative entrepreneurs who know a thing or two about consumer insighting, brand building and designing experiences.

Palileo is a teacher at Ateneo Graduate School of Business while Abella graduated from New York Film Academy and has worked on commercial videos for multinational brands. Amante, who graduated from AIM’s Managing the Arts Program, owns Blanc Art Gallery, one of

Bootleg Innovation Design partners (from left) Ateneo Graduate School of Business professor and brand manager Aaron Palileo, gallery owner and entrepreneur Jay Amante and filmmaker Paolo Abella.

the country’s top art galleries.

“We started by understanding what Serenitea’s strengths were to begin with.

One is that it is the only brand that uses real imported tealeaves. The local culinary experts we spoke to validated that this was one of the things that made Serenitea special.

We performed digital scans to monitor the sentiments of consumers online and found

out that people already loved Serenitea’s instore experience,” says Palileo.

Bootleg’s psychologist then interviewed various kinds of customers – milk tea fanatics (those loyal to Serenitea and its competitors) as well as high-frequency customers of other beverages like coffee and fruit shakes.

Throughout the process, Abella, Amante and Palileo regularly met with the owners, Jules and her husband, Peter to talk them about their personal and professional dreams and aspirations.

After the insighting process, Bootleg developed long and short-term strategies for Serenitea. Bootleg guided Serenitea in crafting its long-term direction by articulating its overall brand vision, mission and value proposition. Bootleg developed a new tagline that perfectly captured the new brand strategy – “Have a Moment of Serenitea.”

These long-term strategies were then translated into a brand equity development plan, which plotted the specific product, service, price, place, promotion and frontliner strategies and programs.

At the end of the project, Bootleg generated the following outputs for

Serenitea: a new understanding of their customers’ needs and wants on behavioral, psychological, and emotional levels, a better understanding of their direct and indirect competitors, their brand’s real strengths, a more focused long-term brand strategy that serves as a blueprint for present and future growth and a detailed marketing plan.

“Overall, we helped Jules create a better, stronger Serenitea – from knowing and building on her brand’s strength, market and consumers, competitors as well as future directions and growth potentials,” says Abella.

GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES With a more focused marketing and brand strategy, Serenitea preserved its loyal fan base and solidified its leadership in the milk tea category. More importantly, Serenitea has evolved from a straightforward beverage retailer to a place that offers a complete milktea experience as it now offers milk-tea based chocolates and candies.

These strategies and programs allowed them to further grow their customer base.

The chain now currently runs 30 outlets located all over the metro, and in Cebu and Davao City.

Sports

SUNDAY, APRIL 2, 2017

C3

reuelvidal@yahoo.com

FOLAYANG IS MORE MOTIVATED THAN EVER ONE Championship referee raises Danny Kingad’s hand in victory inside the ONE caged. ONE Championship

KINGAD WANTS TO PRESERVE WIN STREAK

ONE Championship Lightweight World Champion Eduard Folayang (left) faces off against challenger Ev Ting on the roof of the Citibank Tower with the Makati skyline in the background. The two square off at ONE: Kings of Destiny on April 21. ONE Championship

By Reuel Vidal

E

DUARD “Landslide” Folayang, who won his ONE Championship Lightweight World title late last year, makes his first defense against challenger Ev Ting in Manila on April 21.

The 33-year-old Folayang has spent years chasing the world MMA crown he now holds. He is motivated, hungry and prepared to defend his hard-earned title.

Folayang, whose wife recently gave birth to their first child, will not be fighting for himself alone this time around.

“Just being with my wife and child makes me more determined to hold on to the crown, not just for myself but for my family,” said Folayang ahead of his defense against a dangerous challenger.

Folayang and Ting faced off during an exclusive media day held by the largest sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), in conjunction with Predator gaming laptops at the Top of the Citi Restaurant in Citibank Tower for their coming fight ONE: Kings of Destiny.

Folayang of the legendary Team Lakay in Baguio City is a grizzled veteran MMA fighter who has been competing in the sport for over a decade. His career

has had its ups and downs.

He has authored spectacular victories and experienced devastating defeats.

He knows how dangerous fighting inside the cage can be. He was left a bloody mess and lost via brutal TKO after Lowen Tynanes split open his left eyebrow with an elbow.

He was even put to sleep after a flying knee by Timofey Nastyukhin smashed on his forehead knocking him senseless.

But he rose from the ashes of those defeats, ascended the difficult trek to the championship and eventually prevailed against all odds. He believes that the difficult road to the top has made him a better, more complete fighter.

“I know how it feels to be a challenger hungry for recognition. I know how it feels to be the underdog facing a favored, better known opponent. I will not underestimate Ting,” said Folayang.

The veteran capped an astonishing 2016 when he won three consecutive bouts against high-profile opponents while showcasing a

highly-improved wrestling and grappling game.

In his last bout, Folayang shocked the world by capturing the ONE Lightweight World Championship with a sensational victory over Japanese MMA and grappling legend Shinya Aoki.

Folayang faces a dangerous opponent in the versatile Ting who adapts to his opponents accordingly.

Ting has beaten grapplers by staying on his feet and trading punches and kicks from afar. He has beaten strikers by taking them to uncharted territory, bringing them down to the mat and winning by submission.

Ting was born in Malaysia but lives and trains out of Auckland, New Zealand.

He owns an impressive 13-3 professional record which includes four wins by submission and also four exciting knockouts.

Ting earned his date with Folayang after defeating MMA veteran Kamal Shalorus, who incidentally has beaten Folayang, by split decision. The victory earned him the right to face the ONE Lightweight

ONE Championship Lightweight World Champion Eduard Folayang proudly holds on to the championship belt during the media launch at Citibank Tower.

world champion.

For more updates on ONE Championship, please visit www.onefc.com, follow on Twitter and Instagram @ONEChampionship, and like on Facebook at https:// www.facebook.com/ ONEChampionship.

ONE Championship is the largest sports media property in Asian history. Headquartered in Singapore, the world’s most exciting mixed martial arts organization hosts the largest sports en-

tertainment events across Asia featuring the best Asian mixed martial artists and world champions, all signed to exclusive contracts, on the largest media broadcast in Asia.

ONE Championship is broadcast to over one billion viewers across 118+ countries around the world with some of the largest global broadcasters, including FOX Sports, Setanta, MNC, Astro, Thairath TV, ABS-CBN, TV5, MYTV, HTV, OSN and more.

DANNY Kingad is a true warrior from the mountains of the Cordilleras and one of the top prospects to come out of Baguio City.

He stakes his unblemished four-win record against Malaysian combatant Muhammad Aiman on the undercard of ONE: Kings of Destiny at the Mall of Asia Arena on April 21.

Kingad aims to cement his stature as one of the highly-regarded flyweights in Asian mixed martial arts (MMA) by preserving his unblemished professional record.

Kingad is a tremendous striker, who also possesses solid grappling skills. In his most recent bout, he needed just one round to submit fellow Filipino flyweight contender Eugene Toquero.

Part of the talented new breed of Team Lakay fighters, Kingad will have his next assignment as a ONE Championship competitor in Aiman. The former MIMMA featherweight titleholder will drop down to ONE Championship’s 61.2-kilogram weight class to lock horns with Kingad.

Despite facing a bigger opponent with a physique of a natural featherweight Kingad remains unfazed as Aiman is entering the flyweight territory.

“This is a different turf for him. The pace is different in this division. He might have the advantage in height, but athletes in this division can negate that with speed and power. That makes it an even playing field,” he said.

Kingad faces a dangerous opponent in Aiman who tallied impressive victories in his last two fights under the ONE Championship banner.

Since encountering a setback in his first pro bout, the 22-year-old Malaysian standout has rallied with a twofight winning streak. He beat Hisyam Samsudin by unanimous decision in his first fight inside the ONE Championship cage and stopped Brazilian grappler Eduardo Novaes in his most recent outing.

“Every single time that Muhammad Aiman is inside the cage, he brings something new to the table. It’s a challenge that can truly benefit my growth as a competitor in this sport,” Kingad said.

Kingad revealed that he is giving it his all in training camp as he anticipates Aiman to bring his A-game.

“Muhammad Aiman is well-versed, but so am I. He will be coming to this fight with all of his grappling and striking arsenal. I am prepared wherever the fight goes,” Kingad said.

OLYMPIAN SCHOOLING WILL FLY SINGAPORE FLAG BESIDE LEE

Singapore Olympic gold medalist Joseph Schooling (center) will fly the Singapore flag alongside Angela Lee who defends here ONE Championship Women’s Atomweight world title at ONE: Dynasty of Heroes to be held in Singapore. ONE Championship

SINGAPORE’S biggest sports hero Joseph Schooling will show his solidarity with another sporting legend from Singapore, Angela Lee. The Olympic gold medalist and swimming world champion will accompany ONE Women’s Atomweight World Champion Lee to the cage as part of her entourage during the main event of ONE: Dynasty of Heroes.

The youngest world champion in mixed martial arts history, Lee will face Brazil’s Istela Nunes in a five-round bout which will headline a stacked fight card to hit the Singapore Indoor Stadium in May. Ticket information for ONE: DYNASTY OF HEROES is available at www.onefc.com Lee expressed her gratitude to Singapore’s sporting legend Schooling for the gracious gesture of support.

“I am very happy to be including Olympic

gold medalist Joseph Schooling in my walkout as I defend my world title for the second time, this time right here in Singapore. I can’t wait to hear the roar of the crowd as their two world champions walk out to the cage, one holding the ONE Championship belt and the other with the Singapore national flag!” said.

World champion swimmer Schooling on the other hand said he was happy for the chance to support a fellow Singapore national.

“When ONE Championship approached me last I was definitely keen to show my support for my fellow Singaporean athletes by walking alongside them. However, it was not possible due to school commitments. This time around, I definitely do not want to miss the chance to walk alongside ONE Women’s Atomweight World Champion Angela Lee, as she defends her title against Istela Nunes. I am looking forward to the event on 26 May. It will definitely

be spectacular,” said Schooling.

Lee is one of the promotion’s most outstanding athletes regardless of gender or weight class. She captured the inaugural ONE Women’s Atomweight World Championship with a spectacular victory over Mei Yamaguchi in 2016 and has since then defended the title successfully.

Schooling is a 21-year-old world champion swimmer, born and raised in Singapore and is a third-generation Singaporean. In 2016, Schooling became an Olympic gold medalist, defeating the legendary American swimmer Michael Phelps and setting a world record for the 100m butterfly event at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

He is currently studying at the University of Texas at Austin where he is a prominent member of the Texas Longhorns swimming team.

C4

Sports

SUNDAY, APRIL 2, 2017 Riera U. Mallari, Editor / Reuel Vidal, Issue Editor / Randy Caluag, Issue Editor

sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

Hidilyn Diaz

DIAZ GETTING BACK TO OLD, FINE FORM

By Peter Atencio

Glen Aguilar showing his patented daredevil moves

AGUILAR SHOWS WAY IN DIAMOND SUPERCROSS

W

HAT’S Glen Aguilar secret to his longevity at the race track?

Maybe his irrepressible passion?

The will to win? His love for the game?

Even Aguilar, at 42, is perplexed by his dominant ability at the racetrack as he proved once more that he remains a force to reckon with in Philippine motocross.

“Kahit nga ako nagtataka rin sa sarili ko, pero siguro dahil na rin nga hinahanap ko pa rin ang laro,” said the many-time national champion and international campaigner Aguilar.

Again, he showed the young guns what he’s capable of as he turned back rising star Bornok Mangosong of Davao in the recent second leg of the of Diamond Motor Supercross series at the MX Messiah Fairgrounds in Taytay, Rizal.

Lacking in sleep notwithstanding, Aguilar did not lose composure in the face of a blistering start by Mangosong, who took the early lead right at the first turn.

But Aguilar of KTM Racing, banked on his rich experience and wrested the lead after the third of the 25-lap Pro Open class and slowly pulled away for good before a highly-cheering crowd.

Aguilar currently leads the standings after two legs.

“I’m very happy,” said Aguilar, who won the overall title the 2016 edition of the series featuring the country’s top riders.

Showing that his legs can stand the rigors of an exhausting race held

Bornok Mangosong takes early lead

amid energy-sapping heat, Aguilar masterfully thwarted Mangosong all-out bid to overhaul the lead.

“I need to improve my stamina,” said Mangosong, who also placed second in the first of the five-leg series organized by Xtreme Adrenaline Sports headed by Sam Tamayo of the Generation Congregation.

“Andoon na ako sa point na either I try na humabol and face the danger of crashing or maintain ko na lang ang safe pace and settle for second place.”

In the DC Shoes Ladies Class, Nueva Ecija’s pride Pia Gabriel, as expected, dominated without much resistance.

Gabriel needed to borrow the bike of his older brother Ompong but hardly encountered serious reGlen Aguilar: I love this game sistance from Quiana Reyes of Sta. Maria Bulacan and Shana Tamayo. Mass Communications student Like Aguilar, the 19-year-old from Wesleyan University in Ca-

banatuan City, won his second straight leg.

The series is supported by Dunlop Tires, Dickies, Tireshakk, Yamaha Motor Philippines, Go Pro Philippines, PTT Philippines Corporation, DC Shoes Philippines, Coffee Grounds and Xtreme Adrenaline Sports Entertainment Co. The overall champion in the Pro Open will receive P50,000 with the second placer receiving P20,000.

The third placer will get P10,000.

The Overall winner in the amateur class will take home P5,000.

As the roar of the machines filled the air, fans were also treated to the Diamond Autotune Battleo of the Bands. Top bands headlined by Jon Blaylock’s Firefalldown provided the adrenaline surge for the fans.

Sam Tamayo of the organizing Xtreme Adrenaline Sports expected the opposition to provide stiff competition against the leaders.

“The leaders maintained their positions in leg 2 but the excitement was there as the fans really poured out to enjoy the roaring and flying machines,” said Tamayo, who is a Pastor of the Church of Nazarene in Taytay.

Aside from the Open class, there were also actions for young and old alike.

There were categories for kids, opne underbone, open local endure, amateur open, Yamaha One Make Race, executive and the veterans division where Jing Leongson, Jonjon Antonio, Rowell Casellano and RJ Del Leon competed.

Three more legs to go and the eventual champion will receive a grand prize of P20,000.00 will, P14,000.00 to the second placer and P10,000.00 to the third placer.

THREE months after getting back to training, Olympic silver medallist Hidilyn Diaz is slowly regaining her fine form.

She came up with her heaviest lift during training on Thursday afternoon at the gym inside the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex.

The 26-year old Diaz heaved 110 kgs in the clean and jerk.

Diaz said has not done this since she won the silver medal in the 53-kg class of the 2016 Rio Olympics weightlifting event.

Her lift was 2 kgs short of the 112 kg. that would have allowed her to pull even with Taiwanese Hsu Shu-Ching.

Hsu eventually became the gold medal winner at that time.

“Nakita ko na ang progress ng training ko. Maganda na,” Diaz told this writer during the launch of the Manila Standard’s digital edition at the I’M Hotel in Makati.

It was her biggest lift for the day, and sapped her energy for the rest of the afternoon.

With the 2017 Southeast Asian Games in Kuala Lumpur is now out of her plans, Diaz will focus her preparations on two other top tier events this year.

Diaz is set to join the weightlifting meet in the 2017 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in Turkmenistan this September, and the World Championship this November in Anaheim, California.

To do so, she needs to lose weight.

She said she is currently at least six kilos overweight, and Diaz needs to get back in shape

by August.

It will be Diaz’s first in the multi-event Asian meet in Turkmenistan.

On the other hand, it will be her third time to join the tournament organized by the International Weightlifting Federation in the United States.

Participating in the SEA Games is already out of the question since organizers have deleted many women’s events from the calendar.

She is now training again with coach Tony Agustin, who handled her, before Dondon Aldanete took over to help train her for the Rio de Janeiro Olympics.

Hidilyn is back in school, taking up business management after she accepted a scholarship offer from the College of St. Benilde.

MALAYSIA HOSTS ASIAN U ARCHERY/BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS

By Graham C. Lim KUALA LUMPUR—All roads lead to Malaysia for the inaugural Asian University Archery Championship and 3rd Asian University 3x3 Basketball Championship to be simultaneously staged in April.

The twin competitions are being organized by the Malaysian University Sports Council, under the supervision of MASUM secretary general Mustaza Ahmad.

The archery competitions will be the first ever hosted by the Asian University Sports Federation.

The 3rd Asian University 3x3Basketball Championship, which will be held in Nilai, Malaysia is set from April 12 to 16.

Significantly, this is the first time that two

sports events are being held simultaneously in one site.

The idea is very, very sound as it cuts huge operational costs and other tournament expenses and avoids travel-time hassle that can be draining to some participating countries that may want to take part in both the archery and basketball spectacles.

The Philippines, which will compete under the banner of the Federation of School Sports Association of the Philippines, is sending entries to the competitions in archery and 3x3 basketball (both men’s and women’s divisions).

Accredited FESSAP member, University of Baguio from the Cordillera Autonomous Region, which is under the leadership of its president Dhanna Kerina B. Rodas, in cooperation with her vice president Atty. Rommel Ayson,

executive secretary Mardie Yabot and athletic director Allan Elegado, has been tasked to prepare and send teams to the twin events.

The UB archery team is made up of university athletes Loren Chloe Balaoing and Shanaya Rose Dangla.

Members of the UB Cardinals’ 3x3 men’s basketball squad to be coached by Joel Flores are Cedric B. Tolentino; Reniel Allan Doral; Alfir Quinones; and Ismael Khan Muhammad.

The women’s squad, the Lady Cardinals’ 3x3 basketball contingent mentored by Mary Hazel Yambot, will be powered by Briquel Jane Garcia; Cheryl Ann Magno; Cristy Grace Ramilo and Janine Orca.

The venue for the basketball competitions is the Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia in Nilai, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia.

FESSAP representatives met with sport officials from the University of Baguio at their main campus in Baguio City to finalize its participation in the Asian University Championship for archery and 3x3 basketball in Malaysia.

D1

SUNDAY, APRIL 2, 2017

Jimbo Gulle, Editor

Roger Garcia, Issue Editor

LGUs

Local Gov’t Units

mslocalgov@gmail.com

P550-M US PROJECT TO FIGHT EXTREMISM

By Nash B. Maulana

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ESCOLTA'S HERITAGE. Student Len Micua looks at the drawing of the century-old El Hogar building and other iconic structures in Manila's Escolta District at a booth that aims to revive interest in the historic area and to promote it as a heritage hub during the Anthology Architecture and Design Festival in Puerta Del Parian, Intramuros, Manila. The threeday festival aims to show how architecture matters in Filipinos' daily lives. Norman Cruz

THE WANING ART OF ‘KOMEDIA’IN THE NORTH

By Honor Blanco Cabie

P

INILI, Ilocos Norte—Komedia, for scores the high point of many town fiestas in Northern Philippines, has lost its sound and colors with the last sound of the wind instruments accompanying the staged battle between the brightly robed notch performers.

Komedia had been undoubtedly the greatest and most popular theater during the last 100 years—1798-1898—of the Spanish rule, which began in 1521.

That was the year Portuguese navigator Fernando Magallanes discovered the islands—later to be called Las Islas Filipinas in honor of King Philip II—for Europe, 141 years after an Arab sheikh established the first Muslim mosque in the country’s far southern island of Simunul in the province of Tawi Tawi.

Known among Ilocanos as the “Moro-moro,” from the common Spanish identification

for Muslim, the stage drama had reference to Moors who once invaded Spain.

Abruptly interrupted during the Japanese occupation of the Philippines in the 1940s, komedia resurfaced in the 1950s and used to be staged at the center of each largely agricultural town.

Hundreds, even thousands, trooped to the improvised theater soon before sundown so they would not miss a line from the performers from the time the curtains were raised.

There they waited for the stage prompter and his performing artists, all garbed in colorful costumes.

Near the performance site, the well-heeled and better dressed members of the town’s social class, many returning students from the metropolis, attended formal programs at the amphitheater or open air auditorium.

For three or four nights in those bubble gum years, young Ilocanos—and surprisingly even adults and those in their senior years—enjoyed listening to the stories that usually revolved around tales of love and conquest between Christians and Muslims during the medieval period in Europe.

The ear of listeners in those years could compete with the tympanic membrane of today’s

patrons of telenovelas, mostly imported from overseas.

For nights on end during the town fiesta, the “Muslims” at the performance site were always beaten and ended up embracing the Christian faith.

Unlike in better off towns of the archipelago, the duels between the two sides were not choreographed.

But the lighting—from a 350-candle power Coleman or Petromax gas lamps at the time— was sufficient to sustain the enthusiasm and energy of the crowd who preferred the theater to the plaza or the Ferris wheels nearby.

The dialogues—thanks to the indefatigable prompter who hid very discreetly behind the plywood wall near the hat wearing-musicians—were delivered in rhyming verses.

That, while the participants leisurely strutted across the elevated stage as though digging their brains for an appropriate line of response.

It is not clear when the first komedia was staged in the different towns of northern Philippines. Debate has been going on about the first such performance in the country.

But many historians agreed that the first Turn to D2

WOMEN CO-OPS HELP BOOST FAMILY INCOMES

By Brenda Jocson

SAN AGUSTIN, Isabela—Women-based cooperatives here have launched their annual celebration to encourage the thriving women entrepreneurs, mostly local farmers’ wives who are land tillers themselves, aiming to create additional income for the rising needs of their families.

According to Lilia Castillo of the Provincial Development Authority, these women cooperatives were financially supported in collaboration with the Department of Labor and Employment and the provincial government of Isabela.

Castillo said they continually encourage women cooperatives by creating ways to have them trained in the different skills and courses offered by the Technical Education and Skills Develop-

ment Authority.

“We want women to be financially independent and because of the growing needs of their respective families, women should rightfully have other income while waiting for the harvest or while the husband is out in the fields,” Castillo said.

“Through these cooperatives, a woman could attain a great degree of self-reliance, make them productive and perhaps lessen those women who seek employment overseas as domestic helpers where some unlucky ones suffered grave mental and physical abuses,” she added.

Mayor Cesar A. Mondala said women cooperatives in the municipality had grown in number and productiveness in terms of food production, waste recycling business and dairy aside from being a dominant workforce in agriculture since its organi-

zation in the 1990s.

Mondala said these cooperatives are composed of more than 1,000 members from the 23 barangays of this town funded through a lending scheme with an individual initial loan of P5,000.

“We offer the loan with a minimal interest of one percent annually under a memorandum of agreement with the provincial cooperative development authority and to double the amount of the initial loan upon full payment of the member without any collateral requirement,” Mondala explained.

He said farming is a predominantly male work because of the back-breaking labor, but due to farm mechanization, a female could now do it as good as his male counterpart.

COTABATO CITY—It’s fighting terrorism on all fronts.

The United States government is spending P550 million into a five-year program in the Philippines “to foster an environment that protects youth from extremism and radicalization,” a statement from the US Embassy said.

On Friday, more than 100 young Filipino beneficiaries here finished vocational technical courses, under programs supported by the US Agency for International Development.

USAID Mission Director Dr. Susan Brems said the US government funds the job training course programs under the Mindanao Youth for Development (MyDev) program of the agency.

Dr. Brems said MyDev is being implemented in partnership with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, the Department of Education’s Alternative Learning System, and the Education Development Center.

City Mayor Cynthia GuianiSayadi and Dr. Brems presented the graduates with certificates of completion.

Rizza Mae Farafil, who completed her training course on bread and pastry-making, joins more than 2,600 other graduates from this city under the MyDev program.

“Each of you has the power to promote peace and advance growth in your community. I urge you to take advantage of every opportunity to do so,” Dr. Brems told the graduates, adding: “Your local government, your local business owners, other local organizations, and the USAID are here to help.”

Through the MyDev program, the US government has earmarked P550 million for a five-year program to engage 19,000 Filipino youth in eight conflict-affected areas in Mindanao, she said in a statement.

Farafil said: “As an out-of-school youth, I could not have imagined myself participating in a graduation event like this. Life’s challenges [of] learning something new didn’t come to me early. But because of USAID, opportunities came my way.”

NOVELETA HOSPITAL BREAKS GROUND NOVELETA, Cavite—The local government led by Mayor Dino Reyes Chua and other officials will inaugurate on Monday, April 3, the construction of the Hospital of Noveleta.

It’s a new two-story building to be erected on 370 square meters of land in Barangay San Jose 1 owned

by Mayor Chua, which will be the first public hospital in the municipality. It is located behind the municipal government center here, across the river Ilang-Ilang.

According to Chua, the hospital needs to be constructed immediately to serve the needs of constituents who don’t need to go farther for free hospital services.

The mayor recently made his Deed of Donation for the vacant lot where the hospital will stand.

Chua, along with Vice Mayor Donnie Torres, top Councilor Davey Chua, and local partners will lead the time-capsule ceremony of the program at 9 a.m. after the flag ceremony at the municipal hall.

SMFI GIVES SCOUT RANGERS A HELPING HAND

SM Corporate Communications Head Chito Macapagal, SMFI Executive Director for Health and Wellness Connie Angeles, and First Scout Ranger Regiment Commander Col. Rene Glen Paje unveil the official marker of the joint venture. Inset shows Regiment Surgeon Major Cesar Candelaria inside the refurbished health center.

SAN MIGUEL, Bulacan—With the rigorous training that would-be Scout Rangers are subjected to—under the scorching sun and heavy downpour—it is but natural that they collapse, get dehydrated or suffer heat stroke, stomach upsets and numerous other treatable ailments.

But without a modern facility and lacking in medical supplies, the soldiers are forced to resort to natural medication— using grass and medicinal plants they can find in the 50-hectare Camp Tecson, headquarters of the 1stScout Ranger Regiment here.

SM Foundation saw this predicament in the Army training camp and worked on the rehabilitation of the medical and dental dispensary. The newly-rehabilitated dispensa-

ry was inaugurated and turned over to the soldiers, headed by regiment commander, Col. Rene Glen O. Paje.

The new dispensary—the first aid diagnostic and treatment center for soldiers, trainees and communities surrounding the camp—occupies 223.09 square meters of land within the camp and has the following services: dental, emergency and treatment area; observation room; consultation room; ward; operating room; supply room and administrative office.

The dispensary has a doctor-surgeon, Maj. Cesar Candelaria; a dentist, Capt. Angelo Sarruca—both civilian practitioners who volunteered for military training and practice -- and nurse, Lt. Maria Pa-It. Col. Rene Glen Paje said the dispen-

sary operates 24 hours for seven days a week,“as we never know when an emergency would arise among the soldiers.”

Paje expressed the gratitude of the soldiers for civilian organizations like SM Foundation for showing their care and sympathy to the soldiers’ needs and assured the civilian population that “they would sleep better as we would double our security efforts for the country.”

SMFI Executive Director for Health and Medical Programs Connie Angeles assured the soldiers that the foundation’s help does not stop with the turnover of the completely new medical and dental dispensary but would also take care of maintaining the facility so that it would always be in tiptop shape.

LGUs

SUNDAY, APRIL 2, 2017 D2 Standard TODAY Manila

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

POOR FAMILIES GET HOUSING IN BASECO

By Sandy Araneta

W

HILE urban poor group Kadamay forcibly occupied government housing units in Bulacan, in Manila, another batch of 16 indigent families was awarded with their own houses and lots at the P44.5-million village built by Mayor Joseph “Erap” Estrada in Sitio Dubai, Baseco Compound.

Estrada personally distributed certificates of usufruct and house keys to 16 informal settler families at the City Hall on Monday, March 27, seven months after the first group of 32 ISF-beneficiaries moved in to the so-called “Dubai” village last August.

“I am elated that more poor families will get to have their own homes,” Estrada said.

“Many more house-andlots will be distributed soon as we continue to find ways to provide decent shelters to the thousands of informal settlers here in Manila,” said Estrada.

Addressing the 16 ISF-

beneficiaries, Estrada said what the city government wants in return is their commitment to help the government fight drugs: “Please help the President, please help your mayor, we want a drug-free country and a drug-free city,” he said.

Urban poor group Dubai Kabalikat president Jeorgie Tenolete said the Dubai housing is the realization of the poor Baseco residents’ dream to have decent homes that they can call their own.

With usufruct rights, the beneficiaries virtually own the property in an indefinite period,

according to Department of the Interior and Local GovernmentManila director Rolynne Javier.

“All they have to do is take care of the property,” Javier said, “but they are not allowed to sell it or have it mortgaged,” he said.

In February last year, Estrada ordered the construction of a housing village in the impoverished community of Baseco. The 3.5-hectare housing site aims to provide permanent settlement to hundreds of ISFs in the community.

The Office of the City Engineer has so far completed a total of 48 bungalow-type row houses, out of the targeted 128 units, each with a floor area of 30 square meters.

The Dubai houses are also designed to be “eco-friendly” or energy-efficient shelters to lessen the effects of climate change, city engineers said.

Each unit has a rainwater harvesting and grey water reuse system that will enable the occupants to collect rainwater and use it for sanitation, thus

significantly reducing expenses on water bills.

With the “green” housing units, Estrada said there will also be no more additional expenses on lighting, cooling and sanitation requirements for the poor families.

Since assuming office in 2013, Estrada has awarded 257 families with their own lots under his “Land for the Landless” program.

Aside from the Dubai housing project, he also has similar housing for City Hall employees.

Republic of the Philippines Department of Transportation and Communications CIVIL AERONAUTICS BOARD IN RE: PETITION FOR ISSUANCE OF FOREIGN AIR CARRIER’S PERMIT T’WAY AIR CO., LTD., Petitioner. x---------------------------------------------x

CAB Case No. EP-189-17/HED022017-012-0

NOTICE OF HEARING Pursuant to the provisions of RA776, as amended, Notice is hereby given that T’WAY AIR CO., LTD. has filed with the Civil Aeronautics Board a petition for issuance of Foreign Air Carrier’s Permit (FACP) to operate scheduled international air transportation services. The above-entitled case is scheduled for hearing on April 18, 2017 at 10:00 AM, CAB Conference Room, Old MIA Road, Pasay City before the undersigned, wherein the applicant shall present relevant evidence. Pre-marking and comparison of documents to be presented during the hearing shall be on April 4, 2017 at 10:00 AM, three (3) days thereafter. Applicant shall submit the marked documents together with the scanned copy to Hearing Examiners’ Division (HED) in accordance to CAB Resolution No. 6 (BM 01-01-27-2016) dated January 27, 2016, otherwise known as Less Paper Transaction of CAB. The applicant is hereby required to have this Notice of Hearing published at least once a week for three (3) consecutive weeks in a broadsheet of national circulation. The Notice of Hearing and the Application shall be served, by this Office, to all concerned parties/airlines, either by facsimile or electronic mail, in compliance with CAB Board Resolution No. 97 (2003).

Parties/airlines opposed to the granting of this application must file their written opposition on or before the scheduled pre-marking date furnishing a copy of the same to the applicant or appear at the hearing with such evidence as may be proper under the circumstances. Failure on the part of any interested party to file their opposition on time or appear at the hearing shall be construed as a waiver of their right to be heard and the Civil Aeronautics Board shall proceed to hear and decide the application on its merits.

Let a copy of the petition and this Notice be posted at the CAB Bulletin Board beginning today.

02 March 2017 Pasay City, Philippines

MARIA ELBEN SL. MORO Hearing Officer

(MS-MAR. 19,26 & APR. 2, 2017)

Republic of the Philippines Department of Health CENTRAL OFFICE BIDS AND AWARDS COMMITTEE

1.

INVITATION TO BID PROCUREMENT OF VARIOUS GOODS The Department of Health (DOH), through the General Appropriations Act CY 2017 intends to apply the sum of Forty Seven Million Two Hundred Thirty Five Thousand Philippine Pesos (PhP47,235,000.00) for the projects listed below. Bids received in excess of each ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening: IB No.

Name of Contract

ABC (PHP)

Cost of Bidding Documents (Php)

Single Largest Completed Contract

IB No. 2017-123

Procurement of Printers

35,735,000.00

25,000.00

11,500,000.00

25,000.00

At least Fifty Percent (50%) of the ABC within the specified period in the Section III. Bid Data Sheet

IB No. 2017-128 Procurement of 16GB Tablet TOTAL

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

47,235,000.00

The DOH now invites Bids from eligible Bidders for the procurement of the above-caption projects. Delivery of the Goods as specified in Section VI. Schedule of Requirements. Bidders should have completed, within the specified years from the date of submission and receipt of bids a contracts similar to each of the above-cited procurement projects stated in the Bidding Documents. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II. Instructions to Bidders.

Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using a non-discretionary “pass/fail” criterion as specified in the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act (RA) 9184, otherwise known as the “Government Procurement Reform Act”.

Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, partnerships, or organizations with at least sixty percent (60%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines, and to citizens or organizations of a country the laws or regulations of which grant similar rights or privileges to Filipino citizens, pursuant to RA 5183 and subject to Commonwealth Act 138.

Interested bidders may obtain further information from the COBAC Secretariat, G/F, Bldg.

6, Department of Health, San Lazaro Compound, Sta. Cruz, Manila and inspect the Bidding Documents at 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday to Friday.

A complete set of Bidding Documents for each procurement package listed above may be acquired by interested bidders on 03 April 2017 to 24 April 2017 from the address above and upon payment of a nonrefundable fee for the Bidding Documents, pursuant to the latest Guidelines issued by the GPPB Resolution No. 04-2012, dated 24 February 2012, in the amount specified above.

It may also be downloaded free of charge from the website of the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) and the website of the Procuring Entity, provided that Bidders who are interested to participate shall pay the applicable fee for the Bidding Documents not later than the submission of their bids.

Bidding Documents Fee may be refunded in accordance with the aforementioned Guidelines based on the grounds provided for under Section 41 of 2016 Revised IRR of RA 9184.

The DOH will hold a Pre-Bid Conference and the Submission and Opening of Bids at the COBAC Conference Room, G/F, Building 6, Department of Health, San Lazaro Compound, Rizal Avenue, Sta. Cruz, Manila, which shall be opened to all interested parties on the schedule given below: IB No.

Name of Contract

IB No. 2017-123 IB No. 2017-128

Procurement of Printers Procurement of 16GB Tablet

Activity (Date & Time) Pre-bidding Conference Submission and Opening of Bids 10 April 2017; 10:00 AM

24 April 2017; 09:00 AM

Bids must be delivered to the address stated below. All Bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated below: Form of Bid Security

Amount of Bid Security (Not less than the required percentage of the ABC)

Cashier’s/manager’s check issued by a Universal or Commercial Bank.

Bank draft/guarantee or irrevocable letter of credit issued by a Universal or Commercial Bank: Provided, however, that it shall be confirmed or authenticated by a Universal or Commercial Bank, if issued by a foreign bank.

Two percent (2%)

Surety bond callable upon demand issued by a surety or insurance company duly certified by the Insurance Commission as authorized to issue such security.

Bid Securing Declaration

8.

9.

Five percent (5%) No percentage required

Bids will be opened in the presence of the Bidders’ representatives who choose to attend at the address below. Late bids shall not be accepted.

The DOH reserves the right to accept or reject any and all bids, declare a failure of bidding, or not award the contract at any time prior to contract award in accordance with Section 41 of RA 9184 and its IRR, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.

For further information, please refer to: COBAC-C Secretariat Department of Health San Lazaro Compound Sta. Cruz, Manila Tel. Nos. 651-7800 local 1625 to 1627; 1650 to 52 Facsimile No.: 741-9775; 740-6830 (SGD) MA. CAROLINA V. TAIÑO, CPA, MGM, CESO IV Assistant Secretary of Health COBAC – B Chairperson

(MS-APR. 2, 2017)

BANGSAMORO COUNCIL. Leaders from various Muslim communities across the country say a prayer before the start of the soft launch of their umbrella organization, the Bangsamoro National Coordinating Council. The group said it fully supports the Duterte administration's plan to shift to a federal system of government, and the President's planned executive appointment of barangay captains. Manny Palmero

TAGUIG‘E-GRADUATION’PLAN SET

By Joel E. Zurbano THE city government of Taguig has relaunched its e-Graduation project, which provides public school students all their needs and expenses during their graduation days.

Mayor Laarni Cayetano said the city government will also broadcast live on the Internet the streaming of the graduation rites of every public school in Taguig so their relatives abroad and outside of the city can view the event online.

“Graduation is an exciting event in the lives of students, but at the same time it brings anxiety to parents who worry of the attendant costs. Luckily for parents of public school students of Taguig City, the local government will be providing

all the needs of the graduates and completers,” she said.

About 13,000 sixth grade students are scheduled to graduate this year, while 8,000 10th grade students are set for completion in public schools in the city.

“We want to assure that these activities will be memorable for the students, also to their beloved parents, that is why we want to make it enjoyable and comfortable for them,” said Cayetano.

“Students and their families can now share their academic milestones with their loved ones outside our city with the advent of the Internet and live streaming,” she added.

Taguig pioneered the e-Graduation in 2012 and has been observing this practice yearly,

where they live-stream all the graduation events in every public school in the city.

City officials are congratulating the graduates and completers for their achievements in the elementary and secondary schools, saying they are like proud parents to these children.

Meanwhile, Mayor Cayetano is encouraging high school graduates to continue their education up to the tertiary level.

Taguig offers free college education at its own university and a P625-million scholarship fund, which finances students’ education in various institutions, including the University of the Philippines, Ateneo de Manila University, and De La Salle University. There are eight types of scholarships granting subsidies of P10,000 to P100,000.

THE WANING...

From D1

komedia script was written by Jesuit Geronimo Perez which was staged in Manila on July 15, 1637.

It was obviously ushered in to mark the triumphant campaigns of Sebastian Hurtado de Corcuera against Muhammad Dipatuan Kudarat, better known as Sultan Kudarat, who ruled the sultanate of Maguindanao from 1619 to 1671.

At the time of his death in 1671, he was, by historical accounts, probably between 80 and 90 years old.

Earlier in 1598, or 77 years after the arrival of Magellan and his fleet, Jesuit students performed komedia in Cebu, now described in picture cards as the queen City of the South.

While the debate breathes every now and then on the exact place where the komedia was first staged, which is beyond the ear-split range of the Ilocanos of the country’s far north, what is clear is that the komedia was for decades a favorite show among different generations.

It used to mark religious festivals or cap an agro-industrial fair and town fiesta. Ilocanos celebrated their fiesta in April or May in honor of their patron saint San Isidro Labrador.

It is enough to soften the impact of the scorching summer sun in any northern town, caressed by the warm sun of northern Philippines during summer.

HOUSING FOR 20 PESOS A DAY. The City Government of Muntinlupa has signed a memorandum of agreement with 11 community organizations for the Savings Mobilization Program in socialized housing last March 22. Mayor Jaime Fresnedi vowed to help indigent constituents acquire decent housing units through the program of the Urban Poor Affairs Office, which encourages beneficiaries to save at least 20 pesos per day for their housing units.

WATER SUPPLY FOR HOMES IN ARINGAY

By Dexter A. See ARINGAY, La Union—At least 5,000 households in the southern part of this town that were longing for a very long time for safe potable water supply will now have it through the installation of around P40 million worth of modern water system by the Metro Agoo Waterworks Inc. “At last, we now have safe drinking water which we are longing for a very long time.

This will help us a lot and will spur economic activities in our town,” said Mayor Eric Sibuma.

Sibuma and MAWI president Roderick Ongcarranceja signed on Friday a memorandum of agreement for the construction of the water distribution facility.

The MOA signing was witnessed by Gov. Francisco Emmanuel Ortega III, Second District Rep. Sandra Eriguel and husband former congressman Franny Eriguel, MAWI Chairman Jolly Ting, and lawyer Rolando Rivera, the legal consultant.

“We hope to finish the construction within three months. We will use purely new pipelines. This is entirely a new system. The water supply is very abundant and more than enough even during summer,” Ting said.

Ting said Aringay is one of the waterless towns in the second district of La Union adjacent to Agoo.

He said MAWI will provide vast water to the residents and businesses of Aringay by connecting the new pipeline to the existing water lines from Agoo which has abundant water supply.

“Water is one of the basic elements to spur economic growth and attract the inflow of investments. With this development, it is expected to boosts the development of Aringay,” he said.

MAWI, a subsidiary of the Calapan Waterworks Corp., launched its operation around five years ago, by delivering to Agoo vast supply of clean and potable water coming from its infiltration well installed along the riverbanks in Barangay Garcia Tubao, La Union.

After 25 years since the devastation of the 1990 killer quake that destroyed the water supply in Agoo, potable drinking water started flowing in the town in December 2015 after MAWI has completed the construction of P400 million worth of water facility.

The July 1990 killer quake has destroyed the water table or aquifer of Agoo and Aringay and that the underground supply becomes salty because these towns are covered by the Lingayen Gulf.

PAMPANGA AETAS GAIN FUNDING FOR COLLEGE SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga—A total of 63 Aeta scholars, mostly from Porac and Floridablanca, received their financial education assistance worth P385,000 from the provincial government during a simple ceremony here yesterday.

Elizabeth Baybayen, Provincial Social Welfare Development officer, said the college scholars received P10,000, while the others received P5,000 each.

Baybayen said the amount given to the scholars represents only the allowances of the Aeta scholars, while their tuition fees are also being shouldered by the provincial government every semester.

The scholars were enrolled in the different local university and colleges in Pampanga, namely Don Honorio Ventura Technological and State University, Mary the Queen College, Megabyte College and the Floridablanca National Agriculture School.

Giving financial assistance to the less fortunate Cabalens like senior citizens, people with disability, single mothers, and students who want to study but cannot financially afford it are some of the regular activities of Gov. Lilia Pineda.

Others who received their financial assistance starting January this year include 957 bedrid-

den elderlies from the third and fourth districts, who through a provincial board resolution received P45 million as social pension.

The senior citizens each received P3,000 in checks they were able to encash through the Land Bank ATM on wheels,which went to the Bren Z Guiao Convention Center to assist the elderly.

Last March 20, about 1,597 persons with disabilities also received P3,000 each. The approval of the P13-million annual budget by the provincial board was also announced at the same time, Baybayen added.

Romeo Dizon

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

Gadgets & Games

D3

SUNDAY, APRIL 2, 2017 rumallari@thestandard.com.ph

ESCAPE TO YOUR NEXT SONY SUMMER ADVENTURE

Selfies will never be the same now with the whole gang in the picture!

GROUFIE ERA BEGINS WITH NEW OPPO F3 PLUS

T

HIS is no joke.

Mobile technology brand OPPO launched its flagship dual selfie camera phone, the F3 Plus—the first-ever smartphone with a wideangle dual front camera to easily accommodate ‘groufies’ in a single shot on April Fool’s Day at Philippine stores as well as in India, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Indonesia.

Its new features, particularly the awesome dual camera and the high-capacity battery are nothing to be laughed at, either.

“Since OPPO started the Selfie Revolution in the Philippines with the F1 Series, we’ve gone through incredible growth especially when we became the country’s second bestselling smartphone in 2016,” OPPO Philippines Brand Marketing Manager Stephen Cheng said.“We are very excited to see the F3 Plus start a new trend in groufies and reinforce our position as the Selfie Expert.”

“The F3 Plus was developed for both selfie lovers and photography buffs who want a smartphone that lets them take stunning shots wherever they are, no matter the

time of day. Our newest camera phone packs state-of-the-art hardware and software in a sleek body to deliver outstanding performance and style, perfect for the urban lifestyle,” Cheng added.

Effortless from selfie to groufie

Set to be the ultimate Selfie Expert, the F3 Plus builds upon the technology of the earlier OPPO F1s to deliver outstanding selfie photography. The new smartphone sports a similar 16-megapixel (MP) selfie camera with a 1/3-inch sensor for clear image results even in low light, as well as an f/2.0 aperture for depth-of-field aesthetic.

The difference lies in the addi-

tional secondary camera. This 8MP groufie-camera has a wide 120-degree angle—105 percent larger than the regular 80-degree lens field of view— which allows more people to fit inside the frame. The wide-angle shot is also complemented by a 6P lens to minimize distortion.

Ease of use has been carefully designed into the front camera’s functionality to reflect OPPO’s “useroriented” philosophy. The built-in Smart Facial Recognition, for instance, notifies users to switch to “Groufie” mode when more than three people are detected. This makes the switch from selfie to groufie effortless while keeping image quality stable.

The new smartphone still comes with the brand’s pioneering image editing software, Beautify 4.0, which offers a range of beautification modes for a flawless look in every selfies and groufies.

Built for professional photography

Significant improvements have also been made for the rearfacing camera. Co-developed by Sony, the 16MP back camera is now powered by a customized

1/2.8-inch IMX398 sensor for fast focusing speed, outstanding noise reduction, and advanced low-light performance—ideal for serious photography.

The sensor has been developed using dual-phase autofocus (DUAL PDAF) technology to double the pixel array area, which is composed of photodiodes that determine the camera’s point of focus. This increases focusing speeds by 40 percent even in less-than-ideal lighting conditions.

Flawless inside and out

The F3 Plus is engineered with hardware designed to support its powerful front and rear cameras.

The phone’s octa-core processor is backed by a 4GB RAM and 64GB ROM to ensure speed, while OPPO’s ColorOS 3.0 optimizes performance to lower energy consumption.

A built-in 4000mAh battery provides more than 284 hours of standby time for whole-day use. OPPO’s proprietary and industry-leading rapid VOOC Charging Solution also cuts charging duration by four times compared with standard units; even five minutes on the plug is enough for a continuous two-hour call.

LENOVO GIVES BACK. Lenovo Philippines recently awarded 10 units of ThinkCentre M73 Tiny Desktop to Miriam College in Quezon City.

This comes a few months after the installation of several Lenovo desktops for the learning institution’s computer laboratories. The Think University program is one of Lenovo’s avenues in helping students and teachers to experience an interactive learning in the classroom through Lenovo devices in delivering the right response to the changing needs of the students. In photo are (from left) Marianne Angeles, Corporate Account Manager of Advance Microsystems Corp.; Janine Librea, Large Enterprise representative for the Commercial Group of Lenovo Philippines; Anna Abola, Marketing Manager of Lenovo Philippines; together with Miriam College officials: Engr. Dexter Llevares, ICTO Manager; Ma. Concepcion Lupisan, Finance Director; Dr. Noel Racho, Human Resources Director; and Dahl Bennett, Communications & Media Coordinator. Lenovo is a $45 billion global Fortune 500 company and a leader in providing innovative consumer, commercial, and enterprise technology.

A VIRAL TV SHOW SEGMENT, THANKS TO SOCIAL MEDIA HOW do you make a TV show go viral?

For talk show host James Corden, what he did was invite famous personalities for a ride, tape sing-a-longs and duets, and share the videos via social media for the world to see. Thus, Carpool Karaoke on The Late Late Show was born.

Carpool Karaoke has featured the likes of Mariah Carey, Lady Gaga, Selena Gomez, One Direction, Adele, and former First Lady Michelle Obama. These and other acts have taken the digitala world by storm, turning what started as a TV show segment into a global phenomenon.

With each guest guaranteed to deliver a hit performance, here’s a wish list of celebrities we want to make an appearance on the segment:

Meryl Streep

The three-time Oscar Winner received her 18th Academy Award nomination for Florence Foster Jenkins, a biopic portraying the life

in the live-adaptation of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. Now the world is on a countdown to witness her Carpool Karaoke debut.

Former President Barack Obama

Hop aboard the world’s most musical ride Carpool karaoke acts we want to see on The Late Late Show with James Corden

of an American soprano who drove audiences wild with her horrible singing. The character required Meryl to do some artful bad singing, but the artist is never behind in pulling off musical acts like her performance in Into the Woods.

Emma Watson

Emma Watson’s journey from Harry Potter sweetheart to feminist fighter has endeared her to countless fans the world over. She sparked so much excitement and nostalgia after announcing that she will star

The 44th President of the United States has been out of office for less than three months, but a lot of people already miss him for his humor, wit, and charm. Should the dream appearance happen soon, viewers will want the former president to exceed another performance of his that made headlines: dancing to the tune of Eminem’s“Lose Yourself” during a backstage moment at the Democratic National Convention last year.

The X Factor UK Judges

What might we expect if topnotch music executives plus a Broadway singer come together in James Corden’s car? A powerhouse performance no less! Former Pussycat Dolls lead Nicole Scherzinger, tal-

ent manager Louis Walsh, and music manager Sharon Osbourne made their comebacks last year as judges at The X Factor UK, where they are still trying to best co-judge Simon Cowell. Will they be able to outshine him in a Carpool Karaoke ride?

Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling

The La La Land stars put on a brilliant chemistry on-screen that earned them critical acclaim and accolades, including an Academy Award for Emma and a Golden Globe for Ryan. We’re not over the duo’s performance and we want their magic to sweep us off our feet again.

The Late Late Show airs at 11:45 p.m. on weekdays, express from the US, on RTL CBS Entertainment available on SKYcable channels 53 (SD) and 196 (HD), Destiny Cable channel 53, Dream Satellite channel 17, and Cablelink channels 37 (SD) and 313 (HD).

THIS summer, seek adventure and travel with a Sony device.

Under Sony’s “Summer Vibe” campaign, customers can get great deals on their devices across the digital imaging and personal audio categories.

From March 24 to June 18, Filipinos nationwide can enjoy cash discounts on some of Sony’s hottest devices.

Travel to an exciting destination and shoot amazing photos with the Sony A7M2 Alpha mirrorless camera.

You can choose from 3 different A7M2 Zeiss lens package—wide-angle lens kit, portrait lens kit package and all-around lens kit package all at 12 months’ installment at 0% interest.

Aspiring photographers can upgrade their photography game with the lightweight A5100, now at the summer promo cash price of P26,999.00.

Compact and well-featured, the A5100 is designed for entry-level photographers looking to master their skill.

Consumers can also find offers on Zeiss and G Master lenses, camera accessories, and many more.

Listen in excellent high-resolution with the latest headphones and speakers from Sony’s Extra Bass Line and High Res/Noise Cancelling line up. Get the noise-cancelling MDR-1000X at the promo price of P17,999, available at 12 months to pay at 0% interest. At a 10% discount, you can grab the MDR100ABN, MDR-XB50BS, and SRS-HG1 and hear your summer song in style.

Whether it is capturing new places with a digital camera or listening to new tunes in style, Sony has your summer gadget to make the season unforgettable. Head to your nearest Sony Center to get to know more about these exciting deals.

For more information on the latest products from Sony, visit www.sony. com.ph/. To hear the latest from Sony Philippines, like and follow them on social media: Facebook (facebook.com/ SonyPhilippines), Twitter (twitter.com/ SonyPHinc), and Instagram (instagram. com/sonyPHInc).

RICOH...

From D4

RICOH’s multi-function printers (MFP) can convert a scanned page to text or PDF, as well as print on a wider variety of papers to produce business cards, brochures, flyers and banners up to 320mm by 1260mm or more than four feet long.

The 10.1” Smart Operation Panel provides a user interface very similar to smart phones, with enhanced widgets and faster response speed. And by accessing RICOH’s Integrated Cloud Enterprise Solutions, documents can be scanned and emailed, or directly be saved in a folder or cloud storage such as Google Drive, Dropbox, and Evernote.

RICOH MFPs can also automatically bind up to five printed pages without the need for staple wire, so documents can be prepared faster. Moreover, an in-built human detector sensor wakes up the machine from sleep mode as soon as a user is nearby—its 0.5 second switch-on time is the fastest in its class.

Meanwhile, presentations can be done in easier and more interactive ways with RICOH’s network projectors. Discussions are more efficiently facilitated as the projectors allow up to four mobile devices to wirelessly project images simultaneously. The projectors can also show 3D images and feature a built-in speaker to play audio.

RICOH’s Interactive White Board—a more sophisticated version of the penand-eraser writing board—allows multiple conference participants to make annotations on a projected image or content remotely and at the same time.

It can also save, e-mail or print what is written on the board.

In addition, RICOH’s Unified Communication System (UCS) equipment makes videoconference meetings more effective, as these por table devices have high video quality and are simple to use. Using the Internet, laptops can share data anywhere and in real time. Mobile phones can also be connected and linked to up to 20 sites during a meeting.All these features are available without expensive video conferencing hardware.

RICOH products are showcased at its main office in Makati (tel. no. 8659500) and branches located in Laguna (045-502-7243), and Cebu (032-2564559). For more information, visit www.ricoh.com.ph

D4

SUNDAY, APRIL 2, 2017 Riera U. Mallari, Editor rumallari@thestandard.com.ph

Gadgets & Games

SAMSUNG EYES REBOUND WITH S8 AND BIXBY

Samsung Director of Product Marketing Suzanne De Silva unveils the Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+ during Samsung Unpacked at David Geffen Hall on March 29, 2017 in New York City. AFP

N

EW YORK—Samsung on Wednesday unveiled its new Galaxy S8 smartphones, incorporating the virtual assistant Bixby, as the market leader seeks to rebound from a chaotic handset recall and a corruption scandal.

The South Korean giant’s mobile chief DJ Koh told a New York event the Galaxy S8 and S8+ handsets marked “a new era of smartphone design.”

Fitted with screens of 5.8 and 6.2 inches, the two handsets include Samsung’s upgraded digital assistant Bixby, competing in a crowded field that includes Apple’s Siri, Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa.

The most striking feature of the new phones is what Samsung dubs an “infinity display”—an expanded glass screen that covers the entire front of the device and appears to curve seamlessly around its edges. The home button has been replaced with a pressure-sensitive section embedded under the screen.

Both phones are water resistant and allow for biometric authentication with fingerprint and iris scanners.

Bixby marks a further step into services for the world’s biggest smartphone vendor, allowing users to shop, search for images and get details about nearby places with image recognition technology and geolocation.

Samsung’s services chief Sriram Thodla said Bixby would allow for better navigation of applications on the phone.

“We’ve built intelligence into the camera,” he said.

“If you see something you want to buy, just point the camera at it and Bixby will find it from one of our partners.”

The digital assistant will also enhance the phone’s capabilities as a remote control for connected home devices, Thodla said.

The South Korean electronics giant late last year bought Viv, an artificial intelligence startup with co-founders

who were part of the team that built virtual assistant Siri, which Apple bought some seven years ago.

As Samsung’s top-line handsets, the Galaxy S8 models will challenge the latest Apple iPhones.

The new phones will be available starting April 21, Samsung said. In the US market, they will be sold through major carriers and retailers, with unlocked devices priced from $725.

After the debacle

The Galaxy S8 release comes after Samsung was forced to recall its Note 7 phones for catching fire due to overheating batteries.

The debacle cost the South Korean company billions of dollars in lost profit and hammered its global reputation and credibility, during a torrid period that has also seen it embroiled in a corruption scandal.

Its vice-chairman Lee Jae-Yong, heir to the parent Samsung group, has been arrested and indicted for bribery, along with four other senior executives, in connection with a graft scandal that saw ex-president Park Geun-Hye impeached.

Positive reviews

Analysts offered generally positive reviews while expressing caution over the high price tag.

“The price of the new phones is up to $100 higher than their predecessors and almost all of the premium smartphones they’ll be competing with, which feels like a big risk,” said Jan Dawson of Jackdaw Research.

Dawson said Samsung is betting “that its phones will justify a higher price, whereas it could have used these new phones as a way to drive higher sales after a couple of years of stagnation.”

Patrick Moorhead of Moor Insights & Strategy said he was “impressed than I thought I’d be,” adding that Samsung had “done everything they could at this point” to produce a quality handset.

Avi Greengart of the consultancy Current Analysis said in a tweet that the new phone “has a lot of new tech but not much changed in the camera. Its all about the (amazing) form factor.”

Bob O’Donnell of Technalysis Research tweeted that “The phone as a true pocket computer is starting to get more real.”

RICOH: IMPROVING PRODUCTIVITY GLOBAL imaging and electronics leader RICOH continuously seeks to improve business productivity and cost-efficiency with its innovative technologies that simplify the most demanding day-to-day processes— from printing and photocopying of documents and visuals, to conducting presentations and meetings with counterparts from around the world online.

Revolutionizing ways of doing things through more creative and time-saving solutions is the underlying principle behind the company’s “Workstyle Innovation Technology,” said RICOH Philippines president and CEO Eric Sulit.

“As markets become more competitive, industries are even more so geared towards cost efficiency and productive workflows. RICOH continuously streamlines technology and processes to help companies meet the needs of these changing times,” adds Sulit.

The company brings its line of printers and photocopiers, projectors, and videoconferencing devices more effectively to users through a series of exclusive, hands-on pocket sessions targeting various industries, the most recent of which was at the Philippine Economic Zone Authority area in Laguna where manufacturing companies abound.

Improved and simplified processes are vital for manufacturing companies as they accelerated production in more cost-effective yet high-quality ways, according to Sulit.

For instance, RICOH provides a wide variety of solutions or software for cost accounting, including the EZ Charger Xpress which is a software that customizes automated cost charging for different users of printing equipment. Under this scheme, an IT administrator can track and set a limit on the usage level of individual users or departments. It also offers full document management, including archiving.

Turn to D3

RICOH’s multi-function printers can convert a scanned page to text or PDF, as well as print on a wider variety of papers to produce business cards, brochures, flyers and banners.

DELL WYSE 3040

DELL UNVEILS WYSE 3040 DELL announces its lightest, smallest and most power-efficient thin clienti that offers superb performance and manageability for task and basic productivity users.

Compatible with Citrix, Microsoft and VMware virtual workspace environments, the Wyse 3040 thin client provides a cost-effective endpoint solution that is highly secure, yet easy to deploy and manage. It is the industry’s first entry-level Intel x86-based quad-core thin client, delivering robust connectivity options and a choice of Wyse ThinOS or ThinLinux operating systems.

Today’s workforce requires access to highly efficient, powerful systems and tools that enable them to innovate, collaborate and share information in a secure environment. In fact, more than 70 percent of millennials feel that advanced technology is crucial to a collaborative, productive and efficient work environment, according to the Dell Future Ready Workforce Study. The Wyse 3040 thin client is an affordable, efficient and easy to manage endpoint solution that allows IT managers to keep costs low while supporting basic productivity and light multitasking. It is ideal for customers across a range of industries, including highly-regulated sectors such as retail, finance, healthcare and education.

“Our customers are looking for that ideal blend of security, performance, energy efficiency and price,” said Jai Sahney, Director, Cloud Client Computing, South Asia, Dell. “The new Wyse 3040 thin client—the smallest and most efficient thin client—exceeds expectations of what an entrylevel thin client can do.”

With a new slim line form factor starting at just 0.24kg (0.53lbs), the Wyse 3040 is the first entry-level thin client to feature an Intel Atom X5 1.44GHz quad-core processor that supports up to 2GB DDR3 RAM and 8GB flash. Designed for efficiency, the Wyse 3040 delivers 30 percent better performance than previous generations, making it ideal for light multimedia use and local application activity. With its small size, it’s also easy to mount on the back of a monitor for a clean, de-cluttered workspace. Additional features include: Choice in Operating System: The Wyse 3040 comes with the virusresistant Wyse ThinOS software that is ultra-secure with no published APIs and therefore no attack surface. Starting in June 2017, customers will also be able to choose Wyse ThinLinux, a thin client-optimized software based on SUSE Linux that has been further hardened and optimized by Dell for thin client environments.

Robust Connectivity: Supporting a broad range of peripheral attachments and network connections to meet business needs, the Wyse 3040 thin client includes two DisplayPort interfaces, support for dual digital display (2560x1600), and four USB ports—one of which is USB 3.1 Gen 1 for high-speed connectivity.

A SMARTPHONE THAT COMPLEMENTS USER'S LIFESTYLE OVER the past couple of years, smartphones have truly taken over the world and shaped modern culture through allowing for constant and immediate access to a world of information and entertainment. Smartphones come in all shapes, sizes, and materials—with something for every kind of users, each with a specific set of tech and lifestyle needs.

However, the smartphone market has become increasingly crowded, but users’ expectations and demands are far from being satisfied. The pressure is on for smartphone manufacturers to deliver not only cutting-edge technology, but also plenty of opportunities for creativity, connectivity, and meaningful experiences.

For users, by users

LG, a global innovation leader, believes that the smartphone of tomorrow is powered by technology designed to complement different aspects of the user’s life. This belief is the core of its latest flagship smartphone, the LG G6.

Instead of cramming novel yet eventually inept features into every model, LG has constantly worked to place user concerns at the forefront in every part of the design and development process. The G6, the latest iteration of the successful premium G range, is the culmination of the company’s efforts to enhance user-friendliness and complement users’ lifestyles.

Amplifying life at the palm of in a taller 5.7-inch display in a device that your hand comfortably fits in one hand. This single-

LG smartphones have always been known for their sleek, stylish design, but the company is taking this reputation to the next level with the G6. A seamless combination of ergonomic single-handed usability, a new type of display design, and a water- and dust-resistant body, the G6 serves not only as a capable and durable device but as an empowering companion in today’s fast-paced, information-heavy, and demanding world.

The G6 allows users to see and immerse themselves more in the screen while holding a whole lot less of phone— LG developed a new smartphone body with significantly smaller bezels to pack

handed usability is complemented by the device’s IP68 rating and military standards that allows users to focus on their lives, instead of worrying about their delicate smartphones.

Built for the unexpected, the G6 is sealed against dust and can be safely immersed in water up to one meter in depth for up to 30 minutes and is less vulnerable to accidental drops or rough everyday use.

This new flagship smartphone also has user safety in mind, as the G6 is powered by a battery that allows users to keep going without worry, as it was repeatedly tested to high standards.

LG believes that the smartphone of tomorrow is powered by technology designed to complement different aspects of the user’s life.

E1

SUNDAY, APRIL 2, 2017 Isah V. Red, Editor

/

Young Life

Bernadette Lunas, Issue Editor isahred@gmail.com.ph

HOW TO BE READY FOR YOUR

FIRST JOB Scan this icon to view the PDF

JOB-READY. Fresh graduates entering the workforce need to know the basic things to help them land a job and, once hired, ease through the adjustment period.

By Bernadette Lunas

I

f you’re a fresh college graduate, you’re most likely excited to finally spend summer vacation, after many sleepless nights thinking about it. Well, you just got your diploma, and you deserve it. But if you really want to take advantage of this break, don’t just prepare itineraries, make yourself job-ready.

While school taught us vital information useful in our chosen field, it’s not enough to prepare us from the culture shock that is the world of work—especially those who had little to no experience working or being an employee. In addition, considering that you are just one of the thousands who have graduated this year, your degree and diploma could only take you so far.

You have to stand out to land a job.

Recent data collected by online recruitment portal JobStreet. com revealed the top priority of employers in hiring a fresh grad is the latter’s attitude.

Employers who participated in JobStreet Fresh Graduates Report 2017 said they are looking at the applicant’s positive attitude towards work. Field of study and asking salary are the second and third considerations, respectively.

Millennials have the reputation of leaving a company after a short period of time. This attitude is driven by several factors; such as better opportunity offered in another firm or industry, desire to look for a job that gives them a sense of purpose, and inclination to get as much experience from different employers as possible, among others.

Aside from knowing what the hiring manager might look for past your resume, there are a couple more ways to make yourself ready for that job—may it be your dream job or not.

Build a working-man/ working-woman wardrobe. Dressing professionally is a requisite in many industries. And while this has evolved as many companies have become lenient to what their employees wear to work, it is still important to appear—not only on your interview day but to work, every day—in clothes that are

THE shoe brand that puts Ladies First since 1916 taps women from all walks of life to share empowering messages for their fellow women. Bloggers, visual artists, and performers, among other awesome ladies, start the campaign of creating handwritten letters of inspirational messages here in the Philippines.

Those who want to inspire other women, too may

send their Letters for Ladies to KedsLettersforLadies@ gmail.com or personally at Keds stores nationwide, and get a chance to win goodie bags from Keds.

Visit keds.com.ph to know more about this campaign and the brand.

Check out some of the inspiring messages for women:

DATE IDEA:

WORKOUT AND HANGOUT

Typical dates include watching a movie in the cinema, eating at a fancy or hip restaurant, and going to an amusement park, among a couple more others. These are called “typical” for the very reason that they are almost fail-proof and tried and tested ways to bond with your significant someone.

But if you want to spice up your date or make it a bit more active, schedule an Turn to E2

pleasant, comfortable, and would make you look like you are serious in what you do.

Enlist the help of someone with experience working to help you pick out the staple items you would need in your grownup wardrobe.

Develop your skill set and know more about the company you have your eyes on. Read more about your field or enroll in seminars or lectures to further advance your knowledge. Better yet, schedule a coffee date with someone in the same field as yours or a mentor you trust to ask them about the industry you will soon enter and the important skills and information you would need to ease you through the adjustment period.

Learn more about the company or companies you are planning to apply to, because there are only a few things that impress an HR officer than an applicant who knows about the firm he wants to be a part of.

Improve your self-management skills. Numerous responsibilities in and out the classroom have taught students to balance their time and resources. It’s just like that, but this time find out the best way to manage your time at work: start a routine of getting in bed and waking up at the same time, know the best route going to your office, and keep an organized workspace.

Fresh grads need to acknowledge that their diploma and degree could only take them so far; they need to know how to stand out from the crowd to get the job they want.

LETTERS FOR LADIES

On Him: Saucony Kineta Relay in black; On Her: Saucony Kineta Relay in fuchsia/berry

On Him: Saucony Kineta Relay in brown/canvas; On Her: Saucony Kineta Relay in black/black

Young Life

E2

SUNDAY, APRIL 2, 2017 isahred@gmail.com

DATE IDEA...

From E1

endorphin-filled day wherein you and your loved one work together towards your fitness goals and spend the remainder of the day enjoying the company of each other.

Style hack: You can do all this things sans the hassle of changing into different shoes. Slip on a pair that you can work out and hangout in so you’re ready whenever, wherever.

Pump up your morning Start the day with a power boosting smoothie and protein bar and go for a quick run to get you two ready for the day. Amp up your morning with a few minutes of exercises that work out your arms, legs, and core muscles.

The instant mood boost and healthy sun exposure will surely be beneficial to smitten couples.

INSPIRATIONAL GRADUATES

Cool down in the afternoon With your brain swimming in happy hormones, take a leisurely walk and enjoy the scenery and fresh air outside. Check out stores you have never seen before and grab a bite and a cool beverage at a nearby cafe.

While the time away talking about important and not-so-important topics.

Treat yourselves at night Cap off your active day with a delightful date you two would love. Slip into your comfortable casual clothes and head over to the mall to enjoy a hearty dinner (you deserve after working out), watch a movie, and share a sweet treat at your go-to dessert place.

Saucony stores are located at Glorietta 3, TriNoma, UP Town Center, and leading sports specialty shops Runnr, Sports Central, Toby’s, Olympic Village, Olympic World, as well as Robinsons Department Store Manila, Landmark TriNoma, and SM Department stores nationwide.

On Him: Saucony Life on the Run Kineta Relay in black/lime twist; On Her: Saucony Kineta Relay Reflex in black/silver

MODEL STUDENTS. From left: Security guard Erwin Macua, habal-habal driver Joyce Dublin, and shoe repairman son Jireh Bautista prove that with determination, discipline, and perseverance, it's possible to finish school—with flying colors. (Photo of Dublin from Abs-Cbn News, of Bautista from Sun Star)

E

ducation opens a door to countless opportunities.

The value of this investment is the reason why many work hard to get it.

But some students’ struggles don’t end in reviewing for exams or completing one project after another. Others have to toil to save enough money for tuition and miscellaneous expenses, while juggling school requirements with work and other responsibilities. It’s difficult and exhausting, to say the least.

These three inspiring graduates prove that with determination and perseverance, it's possible to finish school despite of hardships and chal-

lenges.

From guarding to graduating Erwin Macua works as campus security guard at St. Theresa’s College (STC) for the

past 17 years, but this year was special as he joined the students of the school he works for during their commencement exercise.

Macua, or Kuya Erwin as he is called by students and faculty members, has graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Elementary Education major in General Education degree.

In an interview with SunStar Cebu, Macua shared how he has always dreamt of finishing his studies and how he would sometimes imagine himself wearing a toga. He took a full course load, attending classes from 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., while working night shift from 7:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. In fact, he was on duty on the eve of his graduation.

The 38-year-old guard from Trinidad, Bohol admitted that the pressures of work and school and his responsibilities as husband to wife Irenea and father to three children took a toll on him—to the point of him considering quitting.

But he endured; he even maintained being on the college’s Dean’s list for four years.

According to Macua, he used his small savings to pay for his first year in college and an anonymous donor sponsored his remaining school years.

Macua said he will continue working as security guard at STC while reviewing for Licensure Examination for Teachers (LET).

Driving for diploma Joyce Dublin was an excellent student in high school. He was the class valedictorian and a bright future seemed like waiting for him.

But his mother who sells bread for a living couldn’t support his education, so he was forced to discontinue and instead work as a stockroom checker in a supermarket for five years and eventually as

habal-habal driver in Daanbantayan, Cebu where they live.

According to the report by Abs-Cbn News, a passenger who admired Dublin’s performance in school offered to pay for his education. He then enrolled himself at the Cebu Technological UniversityDaanbantayan Campus, and eventually became a scholar.

His dedication and discipline paid off, as he graduated magna cum laude with a degree on Bachelor of Secondary Education major in Mathematics.

A review center is now offering him a full discount to prepare for LET. The stepping stone to success Jireh Bautista wasn’t born to a rich family. His father, Pantaleon, is a shoe repairman who hardly earns enough to pay for rent and utilities and send his kids to school, and his mother, Belinda, is a homemaker.

What they lack in finances, Jireh makes up for with his achievements in school.

The 21-year-old Computer Science student graduated from Cebu Institute of Technology University with the highest honor, summa cum laude.

He was also recognized as Presidential Awardee for Academic Excellence during CIT-U’s 2017 Parangal.

Bautista told SunStar Cebu his family’s financial struggles led to some of his siblings stopping their studies to make way for others. But thanks to his several scholarship grants, such as from the Department of Science and Technology and Cebu City Government, Bautista was able to finish school.

Bautista did not only take home a diploma and medal during his graduation rites recently, he also took home a wellmaintained car from his sponsor Cebu City National High School Batch 1977.

WHY KIDS SHOULD ENROLL IN SPORTS CLINICS IT’S an easy choice for parents to let their children stay indoors playing with their gadgets during summer break because it’s safe. But if you want to improve their athletic skills and teach them valuable life lessons, enrolling them in a sports clinic is the better option.

Engaging kids in sports, especially team sports like basketball and volleyball improves their skills, allows them to be more active and healthy, builds their social skills, and helps them develop values such as discipline, camaraderie, teamwork and sportsman-

ship, among others.

Sports also encourage kids to continue learning, even when school is over, or as BEST (Basketball Efficiency Scientific Training) Center founder Nicanor Jorge puts it, “Learning is not confined within the four walls of classroom.”

BEST Center offers annual summer sports clinic in key cities across the country. Sponsored by Milo and supported by Chris Sports and Rain or Shine, it provides all the necessary training to help kids have a productive summer.

“Summer is the perfect time for kids to learn new skills, develop values, and meet new friends,” says Jorge.

It uses scientific methods to help

participants learn the fundamentals of basketball and volleyball including handling, dribbling, passing, shooting, spiking, serving, blocking, footwork, and defensive and offensive moves.

More than that, the center also teaches young athlete life skills and values.

“By hosting our annual sports clinics, we are looking forward not only to discovering more promising athletes and future basketball and volleyball stars, but also helping kids in their growth and development,” shares Jorge.

Since its establishment in 1978, BEST Center has produced some of the country’s finest basketball and volleyball players including Chris Tiu, Kiefer Ravena, Michelle Gumabao and Princess Gaiser.

Call (02) 411-6260 or email bestcentersports@gmail.com or follow BEST Center Sports, Inc. on Facebook to know the complete schedule of BEST Center’s classes and tournaments.

BEST Center offers annual summer sports clinics for children

Showbiz

SUNDAY, APRIL 2, 2017

E3

COLDPLAY...

HOT IN SHOWBIZ

From E4

British rock quartet Coldplay is making a stop in Manila this Tuesday

3. Only the hits The setlist of A Head Full of Dreams Tour touches on the early days of the band with “Yellow” from the first album Parachutes.

The show will feature over 20 songs, many of which will be played differently from the recorded versions of the songs, usually combined with intros and outros from other tracks. Apart from the band’s own songs, covers are expected to be performed, with “Heroes” by David Bowie being a staple on the setlist in the previous shows. The concert will include the band’s biggest hits like “A Sky Full of Stars,” “Viva La Vida,” and “The Scientist.”

Radio announcer and showbiz columnist Jobert Sucaldito

S

4. The concert stage(s)

Erik S antos fi les libel case vs. Jobert Sucaldito

HOWBIZ columnist and radio announcer Jobert Sucaldito is in hot water and the situation seems to get worse each day after singer Erik Santos and Cornerstone Entertainment Inc. Founder and President Erickson Raymundo filed a libel case and several other legal complaints against him.

The plaintiffs formally filed their legal complaints against Sucaldito at the Quezon City Prosecutor’s Office on Thursday, March 30 following the latter’s series of Facebook posts and blind items in his radio show pertaining to “a closeted gay singer” and “certain talent management group.”

Sucaldito, on the other hand, said that he is prepared to submit his counter-affidavit as soon as he receives a copy of the legal complaints Santos and Raymundo filed. And he wouldn’t back down affirming that he did not name the people in his blind item, instead Santos’s fans were the ones who reacted to his blind item believing it was their idol that he was referring to.

Cornerstone talent and OPM star Erik Santos

“Are you sure it’s the same Marlon? There’s a lot of Marlons.

I don’t know anything about that,” she told reporters.

In response to the interview, Barraquias said, “I don’t want to say he’s the dad… just the biological dad. And that’s it.

We haven’t had any communication. He hasn’t seen the girls ever.”

Heart reprises Angel’s role Oh no, it’s not Darna though. Heart Evangelista is set to play the role of Alwina, the female protagonist in upcoming GMA Network series Mulawin vs Ravena, a reboot of the toprating Mulawin that aired in 2004.

As expected, people were quick to compare Heart to Angel Locsin, who original played Alwina, especially upon seeing the first’s costume which she revealed on her Instagram account. Moreover, fans of Heart and Angel appear to have revived a decade-old feud pitting the two actors in terms of their look and acting abilities.

Pia Wurtzbach and boyfriend Marlon Stockinger in one of their romantic trips

Pia Wurtzbach’s beau a father Model Kit Barraquias admitted in a recent interview with Philippine Entertainment Portal (Pep) that race car driver Marlon Stockinger is the “biological dad” of her twin daughters.

The report came out a day after former Miss Universe Pia Wurtzbach denied any knowledge of Stockinger having any children.

In an interview with entertainment reporters on Wednesday, Wurtzbach said it was the first time she heard of the rumors.

Who wears it better? Heart Evangelista (left) or Angel Locsin (right) ?

CROSSWORD PUZZLE Sunday, April 2, 2017

ACROSS 1 Yawning gulf 6 Dundee citizens 11 “The Body” Ventura 16 In a snit 21 Deliver a message 22 Journalist — Pyle 23 Murphy Brown’s kid 24 Booster rocket 25 Rigel’s constellation 26 Feed en masse 27 Curriculum — 28 Tracking device 29 Male swan 30 Ventricle neighbor 32 Bounce 34 Some, to Pierre 36 Autumn mo.

37 Woven 39 Quick glimpses 41 Low voices 43 Jeers at 45 Helps with a heist 47 — lazuli 49 Not minor 51 PC adepts 54 Where Khartoum is 55 Did batik 56 Part of SEATO 60 It multiplies by dividing 61 Uta of films 62 Warden 64 Teachers’ org.

65 Pack animal 66 Hairdo feature 67 “No man is an island” poet 68 Caution 70 Tenet 71 Sham 73 Competing for 74 Cold era (2 wds.)

75 Mrs. Dick Tracy 77 Household members 78 Dingbat 79 More fair 80 Macbeth was one 82 Rows 83 Head of the clan 84 Tall cactus 87 Cartons 88 Humerus neighbor 89 Kind of flurry 93 Danish port 94 Sarcastic remarks 95 Godfather portrayer 97 Equal, in combos 98 Range of the Rockies 99 Invited 100 Like good soil 101 Slogan 103 Mild expletive 104 Women’s hats 106 Small pansy 107 Nymph of the sea 108 Sudden silence

110 111 112 113 115 116 117 120 122 124 128 129 131 133 135 136 138 140 142 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151

Director — Bunuel Scallions’ kin Frozen plains Water-balloon sound Track winnings Telegraph inventor Rum drink (2 wds.)

Berate Ocean trenches Least of the litter Grand Tour cont.

Movie frame Dark Pistol-packing Weep loudly Pithy platitude Open-air lobbies Math proportion 1836 battle site Quart, plus Half a cassette (2 wds.)

Revival shouts Navajo lodge Wineglass parts Given to back talk North Dakota city Soft leather

DOWN 1 Earthen jar 2 Long-legged bird 3 Perpetrator’s need 4 — Paulo, Brazil 5 Chatty pet 6 Confidences 7 Egg protectors 8 Saloon sign (2 wds.)

9 Gift for Dad 10 Desiccated 11 Spear 12 Removes a renter 13 Fight (hyph.)

14 Tijuana “Mrs.” 15 Took a gander 16 Feudal tenant 17 It may be fragile 18 Rare gas 19 Pass, as a bill 20 Pub game 31 “Tosca,” e.g.

33 Where Fuji is 35 Chopin opus 38 Grasping sort 40 Nancy’s comics pal 42 Maxim 44 Sporty truck 46 Jazz genre 48 Citrus coolers 50 Edit out 51 Sister’s clothes 52 Bring a smile to 53 Crocus “bulbs” 54 Treats an icy road 55 DeVito or Kaye 57 Close by, for a poet

58 59 61 62 63 66 67 69 72 73 74 76 78 79 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 90 91 92 94 95 96 99

Twilled fabric Spud Terre —, Ind. Splices Fast-moving snake Bingo variant Units of force Main roles Narrow squeak Tarzan’s transport Wooden horse saga Daring feat Put the kibosh on Shrewd Laces into (2 wds.)

Ear parts Andes ruminant Murmur, as the wind Farewell Heredity units Ten-speeds Where Asia begins Saltpeter Ancient Rome’s port Tree locale NASA outfits (hyph.)

Reserved a flight Shaman’s findings Greenish-blue

100 102 105 106 107 109 111 112 114 115 116 117 118 119 121 123 125 126 127 130 132 134 137 139 141 143

Is prone Gavel-banger’s cry Stan’s comic foil “La Traviata” penner Sip slowly FDR veep A little night music Crowning Indiana team Polo participants Wool that doesn’t scratch Daily trio Taxpayer’s dread In a foul mood Whey companion Down the hatch Meter reading Land rover?

Carnivore’s delight (hyph.)

Bonny miss Bloke’s streetcar Dit opposites Valuable stone — Maria (coffee liqueur) Mademoiselle’s date Piniella of the diamond

The tour is typically split into five parts; an introduction on the main A-stage; a performance on the B-stage; a second set on the A-stage; a set on the outward C-stage; and finally an encore on the A-stage. Songs played on the A-stage are accompanied by the show’s full laser light and pyrotechnic visuals, while performances on the B-stage are not accompanied by such, and songs played on the C-stage are strictly acoustic performances.

5. A big show from a big band Coldplay wasn’t called one of the biggest bands in the world for nothing. In the previous legs of A Head Full of Dreams Tour, Coldplay was able to make the show intimate amid entertaining 30,000 to 50,000 fans. It’s the band’s signature, and one has to personally experience it for him to understand how the band does it. The Manila leg is the tour’s 67th stop and will have 48 more stops thereafter. As of this writing, the band has already earned $250 million since the tour began.

E4

Showbiz

SUNDAY, APRIL 2, 2017 Isah V. Red, Editor / Nickie Wang, Issue Editor isahred@gmail.com

THE NEXT LOVE TEAM

TO WATCH OUT FOR

5

THINGS

TO EXPECT AT COLDPLAY

MANILA TOUR

DUE to high demand, additional 6,000 concert tickets were released by Music Management International (MMI), the promoter of British band Coldplay, who is making a stop in Manila for a one-night concert on Tuesday.

The chemistry between Joshua Garcia and Julia Barretto is impeccable fans see them not just a rising love team but a perfect pair as well off camera

By Nickie wang

L

IKE we have always said, chemistry is not just that science subject we painfully stumbled with in high school.

It’s also that inexpressible spark between two actors that can easily be noticed onscreen. And that alone, makes chemistry an interesting topic.

The love team of newcomer Joshua Garcia and former child star Julia Barretto can be likened to one of Chemistry’s major branches known as Organic. Not delving deep into the very definition of this discipline, it’s easy to say that together, the two look very natural and pleasing to the eyes. They click so much people assume that they are already making some good music in real life.

Off-cam, JoshLia still looks like a perfect pair. The rising male star helped out in the preparation for the young actress’s 20th birthday two weeks ago. It was a gesture that her family commended well on social media. On Instagram, Julia’s mother, Marjorie, shared a short clip from the celebration dinner showing Joshua sitting right next to her daughter as everyone wished her a happy birthday.

That’s the same thing we saw when the two headlined a new TVC for fast food giant Jollibee.

The fun commercial sees Joshua and Julia as if they were born to do it that if their reactions were fake then that means they’re just great actors.

It was also in the same event when a video of them slow dancing while wrapped in each other’s arms was taken. The clip made rounds online and instantly became viral.

Otherwise known as JoshLia (a portmanteau of their first names), the onscreen pair first teamed up in romcom Vince & Kath & James, the highest grossing entry at last year’s Metro Manila Film festival earning over P120 million. Then the two shared the screen for the second time in an episode of Maalaala Mo Kaya, which on the other hand, fared well in the ratings game.

Since their paring, fans have been clamoring to see Joshua and Julia again in one project. It’s a positive response that means people see them as a pair that can be lined up alongside the biggest love teams in the land.

And since their network wanted to strike the iron while it’s hot, the fans are assured they’ve got something to look forward to.

ROBIN THICKE RETURNS TO MANILA American singer and songwriter Robin Thicke was the main star at the inauguration of The Fountain, the centerpiece of the resort and casino complex Okada Manila in Entertainment City in Parañaque.

mance, pop singer Cyrus crotch-grabbed herself and dry-humped the male singer (a dance move known as twert) while the members of the audience collectively gasped in awe.

The “Blurred Line” singer joined the grand celebration on Friday with live performances by the acrobatic and circus act World of Wonders, Asia’s Got Talent finalist Gerphil Flores, and the Manila Philharmonic Orchestra. Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach hosted the inaugural show.

Meanwhile, billed as the world’s largest multicolor dancing water feature, The Fountain is situated at the heart of the 44-hectare resort, Okada Manila. The show was enhanced with a highly immersive projection mapping onto the glass surface of the 800 meter-long crystal corridor surrounding the dancing water spectacle, which will create a whimsical augmented and interactive reality. Additionally, the spectacle served as a special preview of the advanced projection mapping experience, the Crystal Corridor, capped with a stunning fireworks display.

Thicke is a multi-awarded singer who became controversial when he shared the stage with Miley Cyrus during the MTV Video Music Awards in Brooklyn in 2013. The now-infamous performance was a medley of Cyrus’s “We Can’t Stop,” and Thicke’s global smash hit “Blurred Lines.” During the perfor-

The concert is part of the Grammy winning band’s A Head Full of Dreams Tour that kicked off in La Plata, Argentina, on March 31 last year.

Now, before you brave the expected terrible traffic situation on Edsa on Tuesday, here’s a glimpse of what to expect during the Coldplay concert: 1. 35,000 euphoric fans The MOA Concert Grounds has a capacity of around 30,000 to 80,000 people. After the release of 6,000 additional tickets, from the original 29,000, the concert venue will reverberate with 35,000 screaming fans. If you’ve been in a concert with that number of attendance, you know how

Several days after, the two seemed to be at a loss for words when directly asked by the media to share how they ended up slow dancing.

“It happened so quickly. It was not my plan,” Joshua explained to which Julia retorted, “From the very beginning my friends and family know that Beauty and the Beats is one of my favorite songs. Out of nowhere hinila ako ni Joshua.”

That may be a sudden and an unplanned event, but that short clip already gave their fans a glimpse of their being comfortable in each other’s company, which makes them more at ease when they face the camera. People see that, and they obviously like what they are seeing.

a massive audience sounds like, and you know how difficult it’s going to be to look for a parking space or even hail a cab if you’re communicating to and from the venue.

2. Remarkably simple, pero rock Fireworks and confetti cannons will be kept until the end of the show. That’s based on the previous legs of the much anticipated and much talked about concert tour. But also expect for some explosive numbers at the beginning of the show. And by explosive we mean literal explosion just like what happened in Melbourne when the concert stage was set ablaze to welcome the rock quartet. Continued on E3

Coldplay frontman Chris Martin