Manila Standard - 2017 April 30 - Sunday

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VOL. XXXI • NO. 75 • 5 SECTIONS 20 PAGES • P18 • SUNDAY, APRIL 30, 2017 • www.manilastandard.net • editorial@thestandard.com.ph

RODY WARNS ASEAN VS DRUG MENACE P

RESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte warned Southeast Asian leaders on Saturday they were facing a “massive” illegal drug menace that could destroy their societies, as he called for a united response. Duterte, who has faced international condemnation for his own crackdown on drugs that has claimed thousands of lives, also insisted that outsiders should not interfere in Southeast Asia’s affairs. “The illegal drug trade is massive but it is not impregnable,” Duterte said in a speech to open an Association of Southeast Asian Nations leaders summit. “With political will and cooperation, it can be dismantled. It can be destroyed before it destroys our societies.” Duterte urged the leaders to be

“resolute in realizing a drug-free Asean.” Duterte has relentlessly railed against criticism of his drug war, which the London-based Amnesty International and other rights groups have warned may amount to a crime against humanity. Duterte has said he is “happy to slaughter” millions of addicts in his quest to stop the Philippines, which has a population of more than 105 million people, from becoming a narco-state, and that human rights cannot stand in the way of eradicating drugs.

Police have reported killing 2,724 people as part of Duterte’s anti-drug campaign, although authorities insist the shootings have been in self-defense. Many thousands of others have been killed by shadowy vigilantes, according to rights groups. A Filipino lawyer filed a complaint this week against Duterte at the International Criminal Court, accusing him of “mass murder” and alleging that as many as 8,000 people had died in the drug war. In his speech to Asean leaders, Duterte highlighted the bloc’s tradition of “non-interference.” He did this while talking about relations with the United States and the European Union, which have expressed concern about alleged extrajudicial killings in his drug war. “Dialogue relations can be made more productive, constructive if the valued principle of non-inter-

ference in the internal affairs of the Asean member-states is observed,” Duterte said. Rights groups said in the lead-up to the summit that Asean leaders were unlikely to criticize Duterte, with Human Rights Watch calling the bloc “a club of cozy dictators or rights abusers.” Among the heads of undemocratic regimes in Manila are Thai military junta chief Prayut Chan-OCha, Cambodia’s Hun Sen, a former Khmer Rouge cadre, and Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei. Some Asean leaders expressed support for Duterte and his drug war in Manila. “We also share your country’s concerns on the devastating effects of drugs upon society and I understand your personal resolve in combating it,” Bolkiah said as Duterte hosted him at the presidential palace on Thursday. AFP

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TRUMP’S ‘CHAOTIC DISCOVERY OF POWER’

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BINIBINING PILIPINAS 2017 HOT PICKS

ABU SAYYAF HENCHMAN KILLED IN SULU CLASH HANDS SAY IT. (From left) Asean officials join hands, which speak volumes for their regional alliance in this ‘family photo’ at the start of their Summit in Manila Saturday: Prime Minister Najib Razak (Malaysia); State Counsellor and Foreign Minister Aung San Suu Kyi (Myanmar); Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha (Thailand); Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (Vietnam); President Rodrigo Duterte (Philippines); Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong (Singapore); Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah (Brunei); Prime Minister Hun Sen (Cambodia); President Joko Widodo (Indonesia) and Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith (Laos). Duterte faced pushback at the regional meeting in his efforts to weaken Southeast Asian resistance to Chinese expansionism in the contested South China Sea, according to diplomats. AFP

CHINA CALLED OUT FOR MILITARY BUILDUP By John Paolo Bencito and Vito Barcelo IN A move likely to frustrate Beijing, President Rodrigo Duterte on Saturday firmed up a stronglyworded statement calling out China’s massive militarization and island building activities as chair-

man of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations, ending speculations he will steer the regional bloc to China’s wishes of toning down the content of the communiqué. Earlier drafts of the chairman’s Statement showed Duterte was likely to gloss over China’s incur-

sions, a move that echoed the positions of Asean member-states Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam that were seen as being friendlier to China. Following China’s heavy lobbying for Manila to “water down” the communiqué, including “land reclamation and militarization” first seen last year in Laos, but not fea-

tured in an earlier draft of this year’s statement seen on Wednesday. “We took note of the serious concerns expressed by some leaders over recent developments and escalation of activities in the area, which may further raise tensions and erode trust and confidence in Turn to A2

NOKOR ASKED TO STOP NUKE, MISSILE TESTS By John Paolo Bencito THE 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations, its leaders meeting in Manila this weekend, told North Korea to comply with international law and immediately halt its subsequent missile launches, seen to further aggravate tensions within the Korean Peninsula and the greater Asean region. “We urge the DPRK to immediately cease all actions that violate its international obligations and contravene United Nations Security Council resolutions,” President Rodrigo Duterte, who chairs the Asean, said in his chairman’s statement. “The actions of the DPRK have resulted in an escalation of tensions that can

affect peace and stability in the entire region.” “We reaffirm the importance of compliance with international law and the full implementation of all relevant UNSC resolutions,” it added. From Seoul, Agence France-Presse said North Korea test-fired a ballistic missile Saturday in apparent defiance of a concerted US push for tougher international sanctions to curb Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons ambitions. The latest launch, which South Korea said was a failure, came just hours after US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson warned the UN Security Council of “catastrophic consequences” if the Turn to A2

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By Francisco Tuyay and John Paolo Bencito A NOTORIOUS henchman of top Abu Sayyaf Group leader Radullan Sahiron was killed after military tracker teams hunting down prominent extremists in the country’s far south stumbled at the extremist group in a coastal town in Sulu late Friday. Initial military reports said Alhabsy Misaya, the ASG’s most dreaded sub-leader who often sailed across the sea border and into Malaysian waters to snatch victims, was pinned down by Marine troops in the outskirts of Indanan, Sulu. Armed Forces Chief of Staff Gen. Eduardo Año confirmed the killing of Misaya whom he said was slain during military operations between the towns of Indanan and Parang in Sulu. Turn to A2

TRUMP URGED: SHOW RESTRAINT

By John Paolo Bencito

COMBINED FIREPOWER. This undated picture, released by North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency on Wednesday—a report AFP says it cannot independently verify—shows the combined fire demonstration of the services of the Korean People’s Army in celebration of its 85th founding anniversary at the airport of eastern front. AFP/KCNA

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PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte made an appeal to US President Donald Trump to avoid any movements that may escalate the tensions in the Korean Peninsula, which he said would directly affect Asia, where more than half the world’s population of more than six billion live. “Just show restraint. America is the biggest stick and it will do well to just be prudent,” Duterte, aswering reporters’ questions, told a news conference at the bayside Philippine International Convention Center. “We know we are playing with somebody who relishes missiles and everything. It is putting mother earth, the planet, at the edge. The first victim would be Asia, Southeast Asia, the whole of the Asean countries because if those are really nuclear warheads that means the end of the world.”

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ASEAN TELLS PARTNERS: NO TO MEDDLING

'SECRET CELL' EASES JAIL, SAYS TOP COP

By John Paolo Bencito LEADERS of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations on Saturday cautioned its dialogue partners against meddling with the domestic affairs of its 10 member-states amid sharp international criticism on the treatment of the Rohingya minority in Myanmar and the allegations of extrajudicial deaths in the Philippines. “We reiterate the call for dialogue partners to honor the valued principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of Asean member states, including respect for the right of every Member State to pursue its national interests free from external interference as enshrined in the United Nations and the Asean Charter,” President Rodrigo Duterte said in his chairman’s statement. “This reflects the sovereign equality of all States and the reality that productive relations should be based on mutual benefit and respect,” he added. While enjoying widespread support for her fight against the military junta in their country, Myanmar’s Foreign Secretary and State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi is being criticized for her failure to address the issue of the Rohingya minority. Duterte, on the other hand, has been criticized domestically and internationally for his anti-drug campaign which has seen thousands of drug suspects either get killed or jailed. In the same statement, Duterte said the policy of non-interference has been proven crucial in deepening relations within the bloc and with its partners. “These are relations that are valued. But they can be much more valuable and stronger if we learn to respect each other’s independence and treat each other as a sovereign equal,” he said. “Let me say again, relations bear fruit when they are based on mutual respect and benefit. Dialogue relations will be made more productive, constructive if the valued principle of noninterference in the internal affairs of the Asean member states,” he added. Duterte emphasized how Asean was founded based on mutual respect for independence, sovereignty, equality, and territorial integrity.

By Maricel V. Cruz

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HILIPPINE National Police chief Dir. Gen. Ronald dela Rosa has defended the detention of a dozen people inside a closet-sized secret cell at the Manila Police District Station 1 in Tondo in a case that raised further alarm about abuses under President Rodrigo Duterte’s deadly war on drugs. The Commission on Human Rights discovered a dozen men and women packed into the tiny cell behind a wooden cabinet during an unannounced visit to the police station in a Manila slum neighborhood late Thursday evening. The resulting outcry saw officers suspended and an official inquiry launched, but on late Friday Dela Rosa visited the police station and defended his men’s actions. “As long as the prisoners were not tortured or extorted, it’s okay with

me,” he told reporters. The detainees said they had been held for about a week after being arrested on allegations of drug use or trafficking and that police had demanded hefty payments in exchange for their freedom. Dela Rosa rejected the allegations and accused the CHR, an independent government body, of plotting to embarrass Duterte’s government. The scandal came to light as Duterte, who won last year’s presi-

dential election on a pledge to kill tens of thousands of criminals, hosted fellow leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations at their annual meeting. Manila police chief Oscar Albayalde has conceded that congested detention facilities are widespread. Police have since reported killing 2,724 people as part of Duterte’s anti-drug campaign, although authorities insist the shootings have been in self-defense. Many thousands of others have been killed by shadowy vigilantes, according to rights groups. International rights monitor Human Rights Watch on Saturday called on the Philippines to free all “unlawfully detained” suspects and abolish unofficial police lock-up cells. “Secret jails may just be one more form of police criminality that has multiplied during the drug war,” the group’s deputy Asia director Phelim

Kine said in a statement. A party-list lawmaker has also sought a congressional probe into the secret detention cell. Deputy minority leader and Kabayan party-list Rep. Harry Roque, a former human rights lawyer, said he will file a resolution for the probe on possible violations of Republic Act No. 9745 or the Anti-Torture Act of 2009 once Congress resumes session on Tuesday. “I find it profoundly disturbing that these men and women were illegally detained—because there appears to be no records of their arrest—and subjected to cruel, degrading, and inhumane conditions,” Roque said. “The PNP should step back in the manner the war on drugs is being carried out because it appears to embolden scalawags. The PNP leadership should prosecute these miscreants to show resolve to follow the Rule of Law,” Roque added. With AFP

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the region,” the communiqué read. It added: “We reaffirmed the importance of enhancing mutual trust and confidence, exercising self-restraint in the conduct of activities, avoiding actions, such as land reclamation and militarization that may further complicate the situation, and pursuing the settlement of disputes by peaceful means, without resorting to the threat or use of force, in accordance with the universally recognized principles of international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea [Unclos].” Meanwhile, Duterte expressed concerns over threats to regional peace and stability, while also stressing the need to tackle pressing issues like drug trafficking and terrorism in the region, the Department of Foreign Affairs said. The Asean leaders will discuss the proposed code of conduct in the South China Sea between Asean and China, the framework of which is being negotiated by Asean officials in the hope of finalizing it this year, the DFA said. The DFA said Duterte called for “peaceful resolution of disputes” and respect for rule of law, saying, “In an era where there can be much of uncertainly, we must faithfully adhere to the supremacy of the law and rely on the primacy of rules as responsible members of the international community.” In a related development, the Chinese embassy in Manila said it noted relevant statement of the Philippines with regard to the SCS issue, saying China’s position on the South China Sea issue was consistent and clear. “The Chinese side is ready to continue following the agreement reached between the leaders of our two countries, properly handle sea-related issues with the Philippines, and constantly create a favorable environment for the sound and steady development of the bilateral relationship as well as our practical cooperation in various fields,” Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Geng Shuang said. Asean leaders will confirm their “shared commitment to maintaining and promoting peace, security and stability in the region, as well as to the peaceful resolution of disputes, including full respect for legal and diplomatic processes, without resorting to the threat or use of force,” the DFA said. With AFP

CONTINUING POVERTY. Militant groups march along Quirino Avenue in Manila where an Asean Summit is being held, to decry what they call the continuing poverty in the region despite 40 years after Asean was founded in Kuala Lumpur. Norman Cruz

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In Manila, Malacañang welcomed Misaya’s death, with Presidential Spokesman Ernesto Abella saying “The military has confirmed the death of Alhabsy Misaya, considered the most notorious kidnapper in the Abu Sayyaf Group. “The incident occurred in a clash with government troops late Friday evening, dealing a big blow to the notorious kidnap-forransom terrorist group.” Misaya has been blamed for abductions of dozens of Malaysians and Indonesian hostages, including one who was beheaded. Misaya’s killing came a week after security forces pinned down ASG sub-leader Muamar Askhlim alias “Abu Rami” along with seven other bandits in the Inabanga, Bohol encounter with the former. Misaya was behind the spate of kidnappings in Sabah, Malaysia, including the abduction of five Malaysian crewmen of Tugboat Serudung in Dent Haven Tammbisan, Lahad Datu Island. Recently, two of the Malaysian kidnap victims were rescued by Philippine Marine Ready Force Sulu led by Maj. Angcap of the Marines Special Operations Group in the waters off Kalinggalang Caluan, near Pata Island. Recently, Misaya was tagged in the abduction of Vietnamese sailors off Basilan. At least eight bandits under Misaya were killed during the rescue operations. The military incurred no casualties during the latest fight with the extremist group, who were reported to have scampered in smaller groups to evade pursuing security forces, the military said. The AFP hierarchy could not provide further details on the killing of Misaya but the military chase against bandits was continuing. “The AFP could not provide details yet due to ongoing followup operations that may jeopardize its successful accomplishment,” Año said in a statement. Año said Misaya was a Sulu-based ASG sub-leader and a native of Barangay Bunot, Indanan, Sulu. Records showed Misaya had a standing warrant of arrest for kidnapping and serious illegal detention. The ASG sub-leader himself was involved in many celebrated kidnapping incidents such as the Oct. 22 Malagutay bombing that killed US serviceman Sgt. Mark Jackson and the wounding of 23 others, including another US serviceman. Misaya was also the architect of the January 2009 bombing of the Salaam Bridge in Barangay Bato-Bato in Indanan, Sulu and March 2011 bombing of Dennis Coffee Shop in the vicinity of Barangay San Raymundo, Jolo that killed four civilians and the wounding of 11 others.

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international community—most notably China—failed to pressure the North into abandoning its weapons program. Military options for dealing with the North were still “on the table,” Tillerson warned in his first address to the UN body. The launch ratchets up tensions on the Korean Peninsula, with Washington and Pyongyang locked in an ever-tighter spiral of threat, counter-threat and escalating military preparedness. On Friday, Asean foreign ministers issued a statement expressing “grave concern” over North Korea’s recent nuclear weapons tests and ballistic missile launches, despite Pyongyang’s appeal for support. Pyongyang launched two nuclear tests in 2016 and subsequent launches using ballistic missile technology like the submarinelaunched ballistic missile, which has sparked distress in neighboring South Korea. Asean Secretary-General Le Luong Minh said the regional bloc’s position on the ongoing tensions on the Korean Peninsula was “very clear and consistent.” Minh said Asean’s stand included calling for the de-escalation of the standoff and for the resumption of the six-party talks. The six-party talks involving North and South Korea, China, the US, Japan and Russia collapsed in 2008 after a rocket launch by the Pyongyang regime. North Korea had earlier requested for Asean’s support in its row with the US over USSouth Korean military exercises on the Korean Peninsula. In a letter to Minh, North Korea’s Foreign Minister Ri Yong-Ho warned the situation on the peninsula was on “the brink of war” because of Washington’s actions. Ri also urged Minh to inform member nations’ foreign ministers “about the grave situation”. The bloc likewise urged “all parties con-

cerned” to “cease all provocative actions and exercise self-restraint to de-escalate the tension and refrain from actions that may aggravate the situation.” “We also reiterate our full support for the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, and for the concerned Parties to exercise restraint in order to maintain peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula. We strongly urged the DPRK to comply with these resolutions and acknowledged the importance to exercise self-restraint and called on all parties to exert collective efforts in the interest of maintaining peace, security and stability in the region and the world.” US President Donald Trump, who has warned of a “major conflict” with North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un’s regime, said the latest test was a pointed snub to China—he North’s main ally and economic lifeline. “North Korea disrespected the wishes of China and its highly respected President when it launched, though unsuccessfully, a missile today. Bad!” Trump tweeted. The US is deploying a naval strike group led by an aircraft carrier to the Korean Peninsula, and a missile-defense system called Terminal High Altitude Area Defense that officials say will be operational “within days”. North Korea recently conducted its biggestever firing drill and has threatened to “bury at sea” the US aircraft carrier, amid signs it could be preparing for a sixth nuclear test. South Korea’s defense ministry said it suspected Saturday’s missile test had failed after a brief flight, while the US military’s Pacific Command confirmed the rocket did not leave North Korean territory. South Korea condemned the launch, with foreign ministry spokesman Cho June-Hyuck saying if the North continued to “play with fire,” it would “face strong punitive steps in various levels,” including from the UN Security Council. With AFP

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NPA BURNS 2 PLANTS IN DAVAO By F. Pearl A. Gajunera

Workers remove debris from a collapsed house after a 7.2-magnitude earthquake hit General Santos City in Mindanao on Saturday. The temblor triggered a tsunami warning that was later lifted, Philippine and American authorities said. AFP

7.2 QUAKE SHAKES SARANGANI; 2 HURT

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7.2-MAGNITUDE earthquake struck off Sarangani in the southern Philippines early Saturday, officials said, damaging several buildings and injuring two people as panicked residents fled the coast following a tsunami warning. The state-run Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology’s reading was higher than the United States Geological Service’s reading of 6.8 for the temblor. The epicenter was about 53 kilometers off Mindanao’s south coast, USGS added. USGS authorities warned of potential hazardous waves in the southern region of Mindanao and Indonesia after the quake hit at 4:23 a.m. (2023 GMT Friday), but the tsunami alert was lifted less than two hours later. Residents were jolted from their beds and ran onto the streets as the earthquake shook the area, leaving cracks in a hospital, two government buildings and a port, as well as triggering the collapse of at least

one house and causing a brief power outage. “The floor appeared to rise first before swaying violently from side to side. Then the lights went out,” said Adrian Morallas, who was at work at the civil defense office in General Santos City at the time of the quake. “I ducked and took cover under my desk in line with our disaster training, though it was very difficult to do that in the dark with the ground shaking.” Morallas said coastal communities near General Santos were told to evacuate as a precaution, though authorities do not know how many people actually left their homes. Meanwhile, Malacañang assured victims of the magnitude-7.2 earthquake that struck Sarangani on Saturday that help is coming their way. “We ask our people, particularly residents of Sarangani, to stay calm and yet remain vigilant and alert. Our disaster officials are now conducting rapid damage assessment and we assure those affected that immediate assistance will be provided,” Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella said. The quake struck at a depth of 41 kilometers off Mindanao island, the USGS said. “We do not expect major damage

after this event,” Phivolcs head Renato Solidum said on ABS-CBN television in Manila. Morallas said two people were injured during the evacuations in the Mindanao coastal towns of Glan and Malapatan. One person was hit by a falling rock while a pregnant woman hurt herself when she fell. The Philippines lies on the so-called Ring of Fire, a vast Pacific Ocean region where many of Earth’s quakes and volcanic eruptions occur. A 6.0-magnitude earthquake damaged dozens of houses on central Mindanao on April 12, while a trio of strong quakes battered buildings and caused panicked tourists to flee a popular resort near Manila on April 8. A 6.5-magnitude quake killed eight people and left more than 250 injured outside the Mindanao city of Surigao in February, and another 5.9-magnitude tremor killed one person there last month. Before Surigao, the last lethal earthquake to hit the country was a 7.1-magnitude tremor that left more than 220 people dead and destroyed historic churches when it struck the central islands in October 2013. AFP with John Paolo Bencito

‘TEN YEARS ON, JONAS BURGOS STILL MISSING’ By Maricel V. Cruz A MILITANT lawmaker on Saturday said Armed Forces chief of staff Eduardo Año and other military officials should be held accountable for the abduction and disappearance of peasant activist-organizer Jonas Burgos a decade ago. “Ten years after the abduction of Jonas Burgos, not a single military official—this includes AFP chief Eduardo Ańo, then an Army Coronel at the time of the abduction of Burgos in 2007— have been charged and punished,” Anakpawis Rep. Ariel Casilao of Makabayan Bloc said. Casilao said aside from being absolved of the abduction of Burgos, Ańo was made the AFP chief of staff by the Duterte government “while his cohorts, Lt. Col. Melquiades Feliciano

and now Major Harry Baliaga Jr. of the 56th Infantry Battalion, also remains scot-free.” Until now, Casilao said the country’s human rights situation has not improved, as various cases of rights violations against ordinary people “are continuously violated by the state forces, especially those who are advocating for the welfare of the marginalized people and critical to government policies and program.” “What happened to Jonas Burgos was a clear example of that,” the lawmaker said. “Mr. Burgos was a peasant organizer in Bulacan. Before his abduction, he helped poor and landless peasants on how to improve their yield, as Jonas was an agriculturist by profession. He also educated them on how to assert their rights.”

TUITION PROTEST. Members of the National Union of Students of the Philippines hold up signs as they call on President Rodrigo R. Duterte to ensure free college tuition nationwide during a press conference in Quezon City. Manny Palmero

DAVAO CITY—New People’s Army rebels torched two manufacturing plants for boxes and plastic of Lapanday Fruits Corp. owned by the Lorenzo family early Saturday, the regional police office said. Around 80 fully armed NPA men attacked the plants at 2 a.m. in Mandug and Bunawan districts here, a few kilometers away from the downtown area, police said. The raiders also seized the high-powered firearms of the plants’ security guards. NPA spokesperson Rigoberto S. Sanchez said the attacks by the 1st Pulang Bagani Battalion “are a punitive action of the rebels against the Lorenzos, who committed numerous crimes against agricultural workers, peasants and lumads.” Sanchez said the NPA also carted away the firearms of the security guards at the Lorenzo ranch in Barangay Pangyan, Calinan District here. The rebels also set up a checkpoint at Tigatto, Buhangin district, where a fish vendor, identified as Larry Timbal Buenafe, 34, a resident of Agdao here was wounded after an improvised explosive device, believed to be left by the fleeing NPAs, went off. Mayor Sara Duterte condemned the rebel attack, especially after she already offered them “a hand of peace.” On reaching the crime scene, the mayor said she was “insulted” by the NPA’s action. “I take what happened today as a personal insult, especially because the local government of Davao City has been supportive of the peace negotiations between the National Government and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines,” she said. On her personal Instagram account, Duterte also questioned the raid, saying the NPA was no longer “fighting for people like Buenafe and the other civilian victims of the atrocities” caused by the rebels.

BARBERS: AXE MUST FALL ON JASARENO A STAUNCH critic of Environment Secretary Regina Lopez said Saturday that the revelations made by the leader of the agency’s mine audit team should serve as the final straw to convince her to fire and sue Leo Jasareno, whom the critic called Lopez’s “trusted yet grossly incompetent and corrupt adviser.” In an affidavit submitted to the Ombudsman, the mine audit team leader—whom Lopez critic Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers did not name—admitted having tampered with the audit results on the orders of Jasareno, the dismissed Environment undersecretary and former head of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau. “This is what I have been saying all along,” Barbers said. “We have incontrovertible evidence pointing to the manipulations of the mine audit, thus those mining companies that violated the laws remain in operation while those who deserve to operate were ordered closed, a decision made by only one man, Leo Jasareno. How it happened is the billion-dollar question that only Jasareno can answer.” “We await the attendance of secretary-designate Gina Lopez and the rest of her cabal in the [House] committee on good government so I can show to her the shenanigans being committed by her most trusted adviser, as well as the other equally corrupt MGB Regional Directors who play God in their areas of jurisdiction,” Barbers added. The lawmaker said if the mine audit team leader’s revelation “does not move the Secretary, then I can only guess why.” In a recent hearing of the House committee on good government and public accountability, chaired by Surigao del Sur Rep. Johnny Pimentel, Barbers said he was shocked to find out that until now, “Lopez was keeping the audit results to herself and a handful of consultants.” Pimentel also protested the “secrecy” that surrounded the audit, and described as “illegal” the manner by which the audit was done, with Lopez overturning the MGB’s recommendations. Maricel V. Cruz

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QUIAPO BLAST HURTS 14; POLICE RULE OUT TERROR By Joel Zurbano and John Paolo Bencito

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OURTEEN people were wounded, eight of them in critical condition, when a pipe bomb exploded in Manila, police said Saturday, but authorities dismissed any link to an Asian leaders’ meeting under way in the capital. The explosion happened late Friday about five kilometers (three miles) from the heavily guarded complex where Association of Southeast Asian Nations leaders are meeting and police said they were investigating the possibility it was a revenge assault or ‘gang war’. A relative of a 14-year-old boy injured in an attack in the same

area by a group of youths earlier in the week had made public threats, police spokeswoman Chief Inspector Kimberly Molitas said. She described the device as a “homemade pipe bomb” stuffed with low-grade explosives, like the ones used to make firecrackers. No one has been arrested.

“The incident is not in any way connected to or directed [at] the ongoing Asean summit,” Ernesto Abella, spokesman for President Rodrigo Duterte, said in a statement. “We assure our people that security measures are in place in today’s event and ask the public for their full understanding and cooperation in this regard.” The Philippines is fighting Islamic militants based in the country’s south who have been blamed by police in the past for deadly bombings as well as kidnappings. National Police chief Ronald dela Rosa who visited the scene ruled out terror attack. He said that prior to the explosion, a youth gang war was monitored by

police in the area. Of the 14 people hurt, six were treated for minor wounds and sent home, while eight others remain in hospital, two of them with serious injuries, Molitas said. Most of the victims were brought to the Jose Reyes Memorial Medical Center in Sta. Cruz, Manila while the others were rushed to the Philippine General Hospital on Taft Avenue. Bomb experts declared the blast site safe and cleared of any explosive materials. The Asean Security Task Force assured delegates attending the summit that there is nothing to worry about and that the situation is under control. With AFP and PNA

Rescue workers attend to a wounded man on a stretcher in an alley in Manila on April 28, 2017, after a homemade pipe bomb exploded. Fourteen people were wounded in the blast, police said, but authorities dismissed any link to an Asian leaders' meeting under way in the capital. AFP

‘ASEAN WORKING CLASS DEPRIVED OF WEALTH BENEFITS’ By Vito Barcelo THE Association of Southeast Asian Nations, of which the Philippines is a member and host to the 30th regional summit, is now the fastestgrowing region in the world in terms of creating economic wealth, but its wealth do not reap the benefit of this growth to the working class, the Partido Manggagawa said in a press statement Saturday. PM secretary-general Judy Ann Miranda said that during the past 50 years, serious inequality and democracy problems hound the region with

its people plunging under dictatorial regimes, one after another, with some living under military juntas. “The region in other words was far from being democractic, not even today. And the region’s working class are the victims of dicatorships and authoritarianism, the PM said in a statement. She explained that this is mainly the reason why the trade union movement in the region is one of the weakest in the world, adding “there is in fact one country in Asean that has yet to define its labor laws.” Asean is also home to hundreds

of export zones where violations of labor rights are rampant. Likewise, migrant workers, particularly women domestic workers from sending countries are into cheap labor and routinely suffer discrminations at work in receiving countries of Asean and in other parts of the world, the PM said. Economically, Asean is divided between rich and poor nations, creating in effect a wide income disparity between people in terms of GDP share per capita. She said Asean is now home to billionaires, landing the Forbes Maga-

SHIPPING FIRM ASKS TAX COURT FOR CASE REVIEW THE Seaworld Management and Trading Inc. has filed a petition for review before the Court of Tax Appeals over the forfeiture of the P1-billion MT Alpine vessel by the Bureau of Customs on Dec. 17, 2016. Customs said that SMTI questioned the legality of the forfeiture by the BOC-Port of Limay and appealed to CTA for the release of the vessel. MT Alpine was accused of unlawful discharge and transfer of fuel oil to MT Malolos without having paid taxes.

District Collector Julius Premediles, head of Port of Limay, disputed SMTI’s claim for appeal. “The non-payment of duties and taxes on the subject shipment which was discharged via loop loading from their vessel to MT Malolos qualifies the importation as contrary to law thus subject to seizure and forfeiture,” Premediles said. He stressed that SMTI should have exhausted all administrative remedies before bringing the case to the CTA. The vessel was forfeited in favor

of the state in accordance with Section 1113 (a) of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act of 2016 and other customs laws, rules, and regulations. Customs Commissioner Nicanor Faeldon has reminded illegal traders to straighten up and strictly observe the rules to avoid problems. “We are guarding all forms of illicit trade no matter how big or small the company, especially agricultural products, cigarettes, drugs, and fuel,” he said. Vito Barcelo

zine’s list of World’s richest people, but said most, if not all of these billionaires, are being deplored by their workers for violating core labor standards such as workers’ rights to security of tenure and freedom of association. Many people in the region also do not enjoy universal social protections thus, were left to live a life of chronic poverty and therefore vulnerable to shocks, the labor group said. “Fifty years of Asean, therefore, is half a century of sufferings and struggles for the region’s working class. Justice for Asean workers,” PM said.

UNICEF BUYS $33-M VACCINES FOR PH KIDS UNICEF procured 2.5 billion doses of vaccines for the use of children in nearly 100 countries in 2016, reaching almost half of the world’s children under the age of five. The figures, released during World Immunization Week, make Unicef the largest buyer of vaccines for children in the world. In the Philippines, Unicef procured $33 million worth of vaccines in 2015 and 2016. The UN children’s agency also dedicated $1.5 million worth of technical assistance and supplies to strengthen immunization in urban poor and conflict areas to reach the most disadvantaged children. Nigeria, Pakistan and Afghanistan, the three remaining polio-endemic countries, each received more doses of vaccines than any other country, with almost 450 million doses of vaccines procured to children in Nigeria, 395 million in Pakistan and over 150 million in Afghanistan. Unicef is the lead procurement agency for the Global Polio Eradication Initiative. Access to immunization has led to a dramatic decrease in deaths of children under five from vaccine-preventable diseases, and has brought the world closer to eradicating polio. Between 2000 and 2015, under five deaths due to measles declined by 85 per cent and those due to neonatal tetanus by 83 per cent. A proportion of the 47 per cent reduction in pneumonia deaths and 57 per cent reduction in diarrhea deaths in this time is also attributed to vaccines. Yet an estimated 19.4 million children around the world still miss out on full vaccinations every year. Around two-thirds of all unvaccinated children live in conflict-affected countries. Weak health systems, poverty and social inequities also mean that 1 in 5 children under five is still not reached with life-saving vaccines. The Philippines has achieved a number of successes in immunization. The immunization program has contributed to the reduction in the under-five mortality rates from 58.2 in 1990 to 28 in 2015 (World Bank, 2016). The country has maintained its polio free status since 2000 and will be validated for Maternal Neonatal Tetanus Elimination this year. Increasing government budget has enabled introduction of new vaccines like PCV13, HPV, IPV, Dengue vaccine and Rotavirus in selected areas. In 2018, Japanese Encephalitis vaccine will also be introduced. In terms of policy, a law has been enacted that mandates free immunization services for infants and children in all government hospitals and health centers. The provision of immunization services has now been expanded to school children, adolescents and senior citizens. Despite these achievements, the Philippines has many opportunities for improving the immunization program. “In the Philippines, there are still millions of unvaccinated children. Children in conflict areas and children in urban poor communities face hazards including overcrowding, unsafe water, air pollution, inadequate sanitation and garbage collection and lack of access to quality health services including vaccines. We must work together to reach all children everywhere, with a particular focus on the most underserved parts of the population,” Unicef Philippines Deputy Representive Julia Rees says.

With Unicef support, a Filipino boy gets vaccinated for measles rubella during an immunization campaign in Region VIII.

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SUNDAY, APRIL 30, 2017 Adelle Chua, Editor

Opinion

Joyce Pangco Pañares, Issue Editor

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MOVIES WRITTEN BY MACHINES

EDITORIAL

F

UNDER ATTACK

By Stephen L. Carter IF YOU’RE looking for a good movie, I suggest that you try “It’s No Game.” If you’ve never heard of it, that’s okay. The film, just released this week, is a bit less than eight minutes long. It tells the story of a pair of Hollywood writers who learn that they are going to be replaced by an artificially intelligent algorithm that generates screenplays. By now I’m sure you’ve guessed the kicker: “It’s No Game” was itself written by an artificially intelligent algorithm that generates screenplays. Although the algorithm is still crude, we may be looking at the future. The algorithm is called Benjamin— it chose its own name—and is the brainchild of director Oscar Sharp and Ross Goodwin, an AI researcher who is a graduate student at New York University. Their idea was to feed a neural network lots of sci-fi screenplays and teleplays to give it a feel for dialogue, setting and plot, and then switch on the bot and see what came out. Last year, as part of a competition, Benjamin scripted “Sunspring,” its first effort at a short sci-fi film. Three people who seem to be trapped somewhere—it feels like a bunker, but the screenplay calls it a “ship”— engage in quick dialogue that is at once utterly nonsensical and yet oddly charming. (Money quote: “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”“That’s right.”) Slate magazine opined that the film “feels like a movie shot in a foreign language you once studied but never really understood.” I don’t entirely agree. The unadorned screenplay is bizarre, but when actually directed and acted, “Sunspring” offers a weirdly compelling tale of passion and betrayal. A monologue at the end is incomprehensible on the page but burns with a certain life on the screen. What we learn from this is that AI can’t really tell a good story yet, but a determined cast and director can sometimes make a lemon of a screenplay into somewhat watery lemonade. “It’s No Game” is a better film than “Sunspring” in part because the story is better. But so is the acting. In particular, David Hasselhoff is by turns funny and creepy as an actor who has been infected by nanobots and voices the thoughts of an AI bot that just happens to be named Benjamin. Yes, a lot of the dialogue is still nonsense, and the ballet number that Benjamin decided to insert toward the end (with an assist from an AI that chooses ballet moves) will try the patience of some viewers. But unlike “Sunspring,” the new film focuses on an actual idea. It’s nicely recursive: an AI-scripted movie about AI-scripted movies. And although the fear of the screenwriters and the robotic nature of the studio mogul are played for laughs, underlying the comedy is an unsubtle prediction: This day will come. Which perhaps it will. In a paper last year, Google explained how it has trained a neural network to write what I suppose we might call short stories, apparently by feeding it a heavy diet of romance novels. They’re not great short stories. Not yet. A sample: “He was silent for a moment. It was quiet for a moment. It was dark and cold. There was a pause. It was

REEDOM House, a human-rights organization, says global press freedom has hit a 13-year low and raises concerns over governments to clamp down on dissent.

“Political leaders and other partisan forces in many democracies— including the United States, Poland, the Philippines, and South Africa—attacked the credibility of independent media and factbased journalism, rejecting the traditional watchdog role of the press in free societies,” head researcher Jennifer Dunham said. The study, available online at https://freedomhouse.org/ sites/default/files/FOTP_2017_booklet_FINAL_April28.pdf, was conducted among 199 countries. It said only 13 percent of the global population enjoyed a free press—defined as robust coverage of political news, guaranteed safety of journalists, minimal intrusion of the state in minimal affairs, and the absence of onerous legal or economic pressures on the press. Forty-two percent live in partly free press while 45 percent live in places where the press is not free. The Philippines’ media environment is characterized as partly free. According to Freedom House, politicians in democratic states exert an effort to erode press rights so they can shape news coverage and delegitimize media outlets. It cites the United States example, whose press remains largely free but which is now threatened by the apparent war that its new president has waged on the media, calling them enemies of the people when they are just a bit critical of him and his team. These findings seem close to home taken in the light of the Duterte administration’s threat to block the renewal of the license of broadcast network ABS-CBN and to go after the Philippine Daily Inquirer. Both news organizations have been castigated by President Rodrigo Duterte for supposed biased reporting. The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines issued a statement saying only tyrants shut down the

news media. “By issuing such threats, Mr. Duterte is blatantly dangling the powers of the presidency and of the state, signaling his willingness to use these to stifle freedom of the press and of expression. And no, lest his mouthpieces attempt to excuse him by invoking hyperbole or his peculiar sense of humor, he was clearly not joking.” In fact Mr. Duterte is quoted on page 16 of the Freedom House report. “The vultures, pretending to be journalists...” he said. To be sure, he is not the first chief executive who has berated the media. Former President Benigno Aquino III repeatedly berated journalists for focusing on the bad news instead of the good. Before him, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo had the police storm the editorial offices of the Daily Tribune for being a possible source of destabilization materials. Philippine media are not and have never been perfect. They will continue to struggle with their realities and face big and small ethical decisions. Media organizations may also find differences within and among each other—but all that is immaterial compared to the fundamental goal that brings everybody to the industry in the first place, to put forth the truth, and arm people with information that they need to be truly free and self-governing. These are challenging times, nationally and globally. Journalists must remind themselves of the reason why they have embraced this profession. It’s not about glorifying oneself or saving the world. It’s doing our job, plain and simple, and fending off anything or anyone that prevents us from doing so.

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PLAY NO GAMES WITH TROLLS

LONG STORY SHORT ADELLE CHUA TROLL is a word that has evolved. It used to refer to a doll with an ugly face and abundant neon-colored hair. I had one of those in high school. The traditional definition goes: It is a mythical, cave-

dwelling being depicted in folklore as either a giant or a dwarf, typically having a very ugly appearance. Now trolls take on a different meaning altogether. They are those who sow discord on the internet. They start arguments and upset people by posting inflammatory, extraneous or off-topic messages in an

online community. We’ve seen trolls at work. They are active, at whatever time of day, and you can easily spot them in, say, the comments section of online publications such as this one. They react to the article, or bash the author, or pick a fight with other commenters. Sometimes they write things completely

unrelated to the article they are supposed to be reacting to. They talk tough. It may be that they are just earnest social media users who feel too strongly about the world and the people around them. True, their comments are incendiary and controversial, often not based on hard facts or present the complete picture.

Sometimes, they are professionals. *** PETA’s A Game of Trolls starts this way—a bunch of paid hacks waging a war with others online. The exercise is akin to “bunong braso” where a battle is won by whoever makes the stronger Turn to B2

Rolando G. Estabillo Publisher ManilaStandard

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THE ONLY REAL LESSON FROM TRUMP’S 100 DAYS THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD DOES NOT EXIST By Pecier Decierdo THIS thing they call “the scientific method?” That does not exist. Let me clarify. Science is often methodical. In fact, a lot of the scientific research being done today follow step-by-step procedures. This step-by-step procedure is often formulated at the very beginning of the research process. There are several reasons why having a step-by-step procedure at the beginning of a research project is crucial. First, a step-by-step procedure is important to formulate at the beginning of a research project because scientists don’t come up with their methods from scratch. Scientific progress happens because scientists build on, improve upon, and learn from the shortcomings of other scientists. Second, research nowadays requires a lot of time and resources. To convince others, and themselves, that their research project is a worthy investment, researchers often need to present promising a step-by-step procedure to a panel that will decide whether or not to support their research. Third, having a step-by-step procedure at the beginning is helpful because it can actually guide the researchers when they are doing their work, which can be very complex. The complexity can come from the fact that the researchers involved in the project may be scattered over different places. Some of the researchers might be working in a lab, while others working on the same project might be in the field gathering samples. A research project can also take a long time, sometimes decades. The only way to keep track of the progress is by knowing which step in the procedure is the project currently in. That said, let me now explain why the so-called “scientific method” does not exist. In school, many of us are taught that science, all of it, follow a rigid step-bystep process. The worst diagrams of the scientific method show a linear procedure. Better diagrams show it as a loop, an ongoing process where the end result feeds into the next cycle, where the conclusion of a research project leads to more questions that can motivate the next round of research. Other diagrams show loops within the process, illustrating that the scientific method is not linear, that it is dynamic. Despite these improvements, it is important to note the concept of the scientific method is fiction. Here are several reasons why. First, there is not a single step-by-step process that all scientists use in doing research. Instead of talking about “the scientific method,” we should talk about the methods of science. There are as many scientific methods as there are scientific discoveries. Each discovery in science followed a unique life story that lead to its being called a “discovery.” Each unique life story is a scientific method. While many scientific discoveries were made in the laboratory and through experimentation, others were made by looking through a telescope, or by sifting through data gathered from the Internet, or going out into the field and recording observations of the behavior of animals. Other scientific discoveries were made using mostly mathematics or computer modeling. Johannes Kepler figured out the laws governing the motion of planets by looking at charts of his mentor Tycho Brahe, and then drawing figures on a piece of paper. Jane Goodall discovered tool use in chimpanzees by chasing after chimps in the forests of Africa, and carefully recording what she saw. Annie Jump Cannon contributed to our understanding of the stars by thinking up a classification scheme based on temperature and spectral type. Second, even the most rigorous step-by-step procedures can be taken to completely new directions by pure accident. Alexander Fleming discovered the penicillin because someone accidentally left a Petri dish and a window open in his lab. Wilhelm Roentgen discovered X-rays when, while performing an experiment involving cathode rays, he noticed that a piece of fluorescent cardboard was lighting up from the other side of the room. When Robert

By Jonathan Bernstein PRESIDENTS have had worse weeks than the one ending Donald Trump’s first 100 days in office, but most of the examples I can think of include resignation and worse. So far this week, Trump has retreated or been defeated on his Mexico wall, on Nafta, on sanctuary cities, and on health care reform. The administration went through something like three positions on North Korea. Trump rolled out a tax reform “plan” that not only has been ridiculed from all sides, but is also basically dead on arrival; Trump’s one-page of bullet points is vague enough that any Congressional product may resemble it, but he’s not likely to be a significant player in shaping what House and Senate Republicans choose to do. Beyond that, Trump gave a series of interviews which mostly served to furnish up new humiliations for him, whether it was complaining to Reuters about how unexpectedly hard the job was or obsessing to AP about cable TV news. Other 100-days profiles featured White House staff and Trump friends basically saying the president is ... a moron? “If you’re an adviser to him, your job is to help him at the margins,” said one Trump confidante. “To talk him out of doing crazy things.” Advisers have tried to curtail Trump’s idle hours, hoping to prevent him from watching cable news or calling old friends and then tweeting about it. That only works during the workday, though—Trump’s evenings and weekends have remained largely his own. Also this week, investigations on the Trump-Russia scandal continued with new revelations about former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn, and a misfire by Ivanka Trump (rapidly walked back) reminded everyone of Trump’s other big scandal involving conflicts of interest, nepotism, emoluments, and more. I suspect I’m missing a few more. The good news? It’s always

MOVIES... From B1 my turn.” This may not be deathless prose, but Google’s AI, which works by interpolating new sentences to link sentences it is provided, seems to have captured something of the genre. Then there’s Heliograf, the Washington Post’s experimental newswriting bot. Heliograf made its debut providing brief updates from the 2016 Olympics in Rio de

Wilson and Arno Penzias accidentally detected the warm afterglow of the birth of the universe, they thought it was just noise caused by pigeons pooping on their radio telescope. Third, different scientists have different styles in doing scientific research. Some scientists are neurotic with their methods, others less so. Some researchers are so freewheeling that when you watch them work, you’d think they were just playing. Science requires just as much creativity as any art. Thinking that one simple, universal method encapsulates all scientific work does a disservice to the immense creativity of the best scientists. Worse, it can stifle the creativity of our best young scientists. The concept of “the scientific method,” though sometimes useful, can also be a harmful oversimplification. It can make science seem formulaic and mechanical and can obscure the fact that science is a deeply human adventure of discovery. I advise anyone who uses that fiction with great caution. Decierdo is resident astronomer and physicist for The Mind Museum.

US President Donald Trump pumps his fist as he walks off Air Force One in Atlanta, Georgia on April 28. AFP

possible Trump could at least somewhat turn it around. He could hire a real chief of staff empowered to clean up the White House. He could start doing the work he’s supposed to be doing— learning about policy and process. Yes, he does have some potential assets to build on if he is capable of doing so. For that matter, he could still divest his holdings and put an end to what is basically a lawless presidency. Realistically, however? What’s happening is exactly what anyone with any sense knew what would happen if he became president— indeed, I agree with Ross Douthat that we’ve been relatively lucky that it hasn’t been worse. We can hope he’ll improve as he goes along, but there’s really no sign of it so far, and no realistic reason to expect it. So what’s the big lesson in Trump’s first 100 days? It’s the same one that’s been obvious all along: Republican party actors should have done whatever it took to defeat his nomination when they had the

chance. Nominations matter, and none more so than the presidential nomination, and they are worth fighting—hard— over. That’s mainly because a party only gets so many opportunities at the presidency, and it’s a disaster for groups within the party to waste them—think Jimmy Carter and the Democrats’ failure to achieve important policy goals in 1977 to 1980. It’s also because of the electoral damage an unpopular presidency can inflict on the party, as we’ve seen in the last three midterm elections. And it’s because presidential nominations are part of defining and (re-)creating the party itself, so that once a party is stuck with a nominee they are stuck with whatever that nominee does. Especially if that nominee wins the White House. As a result of Trump, some groups will be elevated within the Republican Party and others will be sidelined; the party will come to stand for some policies and not others; some individuals who rose with

Trump will be empowered within the party or at least become credentialed as high-profile representatives of the party for years, maybe decades, to come. We’ll never know whether another Republican would have won the 2016 election or not. We’ll never know how, as a worstcase scenario for defeating Trump, how an ugly convention with the party “stealing” the nomination from him would have played out. My guess is it would have been just fine; Trump’s a paper tiger, and those who swore they were loyal to him would have wound up happy to support any nominee against Hillary Clinton. I certainly can’t prove that, however. But it doesn’t matter. Nominating Donald Trump damaged the Republican Party, with the only remaining questions having to do with how bad that damage is. Party leaders let everyone else down by letting this happen. They deserve the blame, and their successors need to learn from this: Never again. Bloomberg

Janeiro. Last fall the Post used the bot to write some of its election coverage. Heliograf’s stories, to be sure, are short, straightforward and not at all analytical. Still, the results are impressive—and pretty much impossible to distinguish from the work of the Post’s human staff. Bloomberg LP also uses automation technologies for its news products. I am not trying to raise some crazed AI alarm, and I don’t think that creative writers will be going out of business any time soon. On the other hand, we live in an era when an AI-created novel

was able to compete for a major literary prize in Japan. Titled “The Day the Computer Writes a Novel,” the book didn’t win, but did make it past the first round. (A judge said that the novel was weak among other things in its descriptions of characters.) So I suppose we had best stay tuned. As for Benjamin, he remains capable of wacky nonsense that somehow sounds terribly Hollywood. Here’s the bot’s own summary of what might be his next effort: THE SQUIRES OF THE LANDSCAPE Set in 1942 in a post-apocalyptic

world, the film follows the journey of a young man who falls in love with a sexy couple who have started to fall in love. As they fall in love, they learn that they are not alone in their own way. The film follows the two groups of people who reconnect with the world and their relationship and the secrets they live. A post-apocalyptic love triangle featuring big secrets, all set in the era of World War II—what’s not to like? Any day now, Hulu and Netflix will start bidding for an eight-part miniseries. I’ll watch. Bloomberg

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It so damaged her relationship with her husband that, when they finally were set free and had a son, the marriage deteriorated. He started another family while she continued to go around the country helping the poor and doing her bit to make the world seem a little more just. *** Meanwhile, Hector is also confronted by ghosts—real ones, of personalities he just read or heard about. Among those killed during the regime were Bobby dela Paz, Eman Lacaba, Edgar Jopson. Hector doubts whether their stories are true, especially since his employer is in the business of telling the younger generation that those dark days were in fact the most glorious in the country’s history. In the manner of A Christmas Carol, the ghosts visit Hector and convince him that their stories are not fiction, and that they were real, and that just because he was not yet around during those times does not mean they must be forgotten, or even negated. In fact, they must be told and retold. These ghosts may as well speak to millennials, whose knowledge of what happened before their time is easily

take-down statement, whether or not it makes sense. They are employed by a shrewd businessman called Bimbam, whose family nurtures ties with a political family deposed decades ago but which is trying to stage a comeback in the present political scene. Hector, played by Myke Salomon, is a thirtysomething employee in this trolling business. He sometimes questions the things they are made to write online, but he needs the job. He shares an apartment with his friends, and is one day surprised when his mother Tere (Upeng Fernandez) visits. In fact she asks if she could stay a few days—and her son is not too thrilled. We soon learn the roots of Hector’s Mom issues. He felt she abandoned him in favor of her advocacy. Growing up, he envied other children who had their parents with them all the time. His mother was almost always away, not knowing when she would see him or even how long she could stay with him at any given time. Aling Tere had reason to fight. She was tortured and raped by her captors.

shaped and swayed by what is available online. The scary thing is, anybody can make anything available online. In the end, Hector quits his job and mends his relationship with his mother after learning of her harrowing past. He begins to understand that in fighting for the many, she was also fighting for him, and that there is no single way for a mother to show her love for her child. This happened to be Tere’s way. As for trolling—it suffices that we know better than dignify their trade by replying or getting into arguments with them. It’s a futile act, because there is no room for healthy, reasonable discourse. The good news is that we get to pick our battles; engaging with trolls would be an utter waste of time and energy. In the end, the new definition is not such a far cry from the original after all: both are ugly. A Game of Trolls was written by Liza Magtoto and directed by Maribel Legarda. It will be shown again in September this year at the PETA-Phinma Theater in New Manila, Quezon City. It is also available for mobile staging around the country for the rest of the year. adellechua@gmail.com

World MYANMAR BUS PLUNGES INTO GORGE; 19 KILLED YANGON, Myanmar—Nineteen people were killed and 21 injured after their bus toppled into a ravine in eastern Myanmar, police said Saturday. The bus was carrying around 40 passengers from central Bago province when it plunged off a highway near Myawaddy, a town on the Thai border, on Friday. “Nineteen people were killed and 21 people were injured, while a few people were lucky to live,” Kyi Lin, the chief of police in Karen state, told AFP. “(The bus) fell down into a narrow and deep gorge,” he said, adding that police believe the driver lost control of the bus because of brake failure. Police and local aid groups have brought the injured to nearby hospitals for urgent care and are making funeral arrangements for the dead, he added. A hospital in Mae Sot, the Thai town across the border, took in seven patients from the crash who were in “critical condition,” a medical worker told AFP. Road accidents are common in impoverished Myanmar, whose transport network is in poor condition after decades of underinvestment by the junta that ruled the country for almost half a century until early 2011. With 20.3 road fatalities per 100,000 people, Myanmar has the second most dangerous roads in Southeast Asia, according to data collected by the World Health Organization in a 2015 report. AFP

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EU TO UNITE BEHIND BREXIT DEMANDS

RUSSELS, Belgium – European Union leaders will give an unprecedented show of unity at a summit in Brussels on Saturday as they adopt tough guidelines for two years of Brexit talks. The heads of the remaining 27 countries are set to demand that Britain resolves the key divorce issues of “people, money and Ireland” before any talks on a future EU-UK trade deal can begin. The united front comes hot on the heels of a war of words between German Chancellor Angela Merkel and British Prime Minister Theresa May over the negotiations. EU President Donald Tusk said in a letter to the leaders that “before discussing our future, we must first sort out our past” and urged them to “unite around this key principle.” In a further move that will rile London, the EU is also set to back automatic membership for North-

ern Ireland if it reunifies with Ireland, and call for Spain to have a say over any deal that affects Gibraltar. They will also discuss for the first time the spoils of Brexit – the relocation of EU medical and banking agencies that are currently based in London. The EU 27 have considerably toughened the guidelines since Tusk first unveiled them in March, shortly after May triggered the twoyear Brexit process. Brussels officials insisted that the EU was more united than ever on Brexit, after years of bitter internal divisions on everything from the euro and migration to how to tackle growing euroskepticism.

May’s decision to call a general election in Britain on June 8, in a bid to shore up her mandate and strengthen her negotiating position, has only stiffened their resolve. “There are issues on which member states agree and issues on which they disagree. Apparently on Brexit all 27 have the same position,” a senior EU official said on the eve of the summit. The first of the key divorce issues the EU guidelines say Britain must resolve is the fate of three million EU citizens living in Britain and one million Britons on the continent, and what happens to their rights to work and claim benefits abroad. The EU 27 also call for action to avoid a “hard border” between the Republic of Ireland and the British province of Northern Ireland, amid fears that Brexit could undermine the peace process. But the most touchy issue of all could be Britain’s exit bill, estimated at around 60 billion euros ($65 million), which mainly covers financial

commitments made by the bloc while Britain was a member. The EU guidelines say that only when “sufficient progress” has been made on these issues can trade talks begin, with sources saying they hope to do that by the end of the year. But they leave the criteria vague and so at Saturday’ summit the leaders will have their first serious discussion on what exactly constitutes sufficient progress. The summit is nevertheless set to be “short” – a far cry from the bloc’s famed all-night marathons on the Greek debt crisis, the senior EU official said. Actual Brexit talks are not expected to begin until after the British election, although the EU is set to give an official mandate to its chief negotiator Michel Barnier on May 22. The run-up to the summit was marked by bad tempered exchanges between Merkel, Europe’s most powerful leader, and May. AFP

CHINA DEPORTS WOMAN CONVICTED OF ‘SPYING’ FOR US SAN FRANCISCO—An American woman convicted of espionage this week has been deported by China, a human rights group that campaigned for her release said Saturday, removing a source of tensions between Washington and Beijing. Sandy Phan-Gillis was detained in March 2015 at the Macau border after visiting mainland China with a trade delegation from the Texas oil capital Houston. She was accused of espionage, stealing state secrets and allegedly passing on intelligence to a third party. She was sentenced to three and a half years in prison and deportation on Wednesday. On Friday, “Phan-Gillis was deported. She arrived in Los Angeles the same day. She was met upon arrival by her husband and members of her family,” the Dui Hua group said in a statement. Her return to the US comes three weeks after Chinese President Xi Jinping met US President Donald Trump in Florida, amid a warming of ties between the two countries.

FIRST DIRECT LONDON-CHINA TRAIN ENDS TRIP BEIJING, China—Laden with whisky and baby milk, the first freight train linking China directly to the United Kingdom arrived in the eastern Chinese city of Yiwu Saturday after a 12,000-kilometer (7,500-mile) trip, becoming the world’s second-longest rail route. The journey is the latest effort in China’s drive to strengthen trade links with western Europe along a modern-day “Silk Road” route. “The train arrived at around 9:30am (0130 GMT) to Yiwu on Saturday,” the Yiwu Tianmeng Industry Company told AFP. The world’s top trading nation launched the “One Belt, One Road” strategy in 2013, and has since poured millions into constructing vast infrastructure links. The train—which was also carrying pharmaceuticals and machinery—departed London on April 10 and passed through France, Belgium, Germany, Poland, Belarus, Russia and Kazakhstan during its 20-day trip before arriving in Yiwu in eastern Zhejiang province, a major wholesale center for small consumer goods. The new route is longer than Russia’s famous Trans-Siberian railway, but about 1,000 kilometers shorter than the record-holding China-Madrid link, which opened in 2014. AFP

AUSTERITY PROTEST. Motorbike taxi drivers protest during a nationwide strike called by unions opposing austerity reforms in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Friday. AFP

SOUL-SEARCHING SCIENTISTS LABOR TO IMPART MESSAGE

BLASTED. An Iraqi policeman checks the site of a blast that took place the previous day in the Iraqi capital Baghdad on Saturday. A car bomb attack on the traffic police compound in central Baghdad killed at least three people and wounded seven, security and medical sources said. AFP

VIENNA, Austria—“We mortals do not understand you.” That’s the heartfelt cry from former United Nations climate chief Christiana Figueres, pleading with scientists to use everyday language to help counter growing public mistrust. Figueres was giving one explanation of why scientists are struggling to get their message across to a sceptical public at a major conference in Vienna this week. Delegates made time for soul-searching at the meeting in the Austrian capital, conceding that they bear part of the blame for alienating some people. Just days after a historic March for Science in Washington, the experts owned up to failures including remoteness and condescension—and operating in an “echo chamber of likeminded people.” “I think it’s the conceitedness, in a way,” said Heike Langenberg, chief editor of the journal Nature Geoscience. “The problem is that scientists have not spoken at an even level with people who are out there,” she told AFP on the sidelines of a European Geosciences Union (EGU) meeting of more than 14,000 experts in 22 fields. “They have tended to give long speeches and not listen.... I think they have underestimated intelligence and overestimated knowledge.” This has contributed to an erosion of

support for science since a high point in the 1960s when humans planted a flag on the Moon. Led by the United States, a trend has grown since then to challenge certain basic tenets that enjoy overwhelming expert consensus – the benefits of childhood vaccination, evidence for species evolution, and the perils of global warming. One prominent doubter, Donald Trump, is now in the White House. He has described climate change as a hoax and linked childhood vaccines to autism. Since taking office, Trump has moved to curb science spending and gag government researchers. A 2012 study in the American Sociological Review reported a dramatic loss of scientific faith among US conservatives, from nearly 50 percent who reported a “great deal” of trust in 1974 to only 35 percent four decades later. Liberal views have consistently hovered around the 50-percent mark. The “politicization” of science is a major part of the problem, conference delegates said. Not only do politicians cherrypick convenient findings, so creating the impression that research is partisan, but also some scientists have trespassed into what Langenberg described as the “public bazaar of opinions.” AFP

B4

SUNDAY, APRIL 30, 2017 Cesar Barrioquinto, Editor

World

/ Joyce Pangco-Pañares, Issue Editor

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

TRUMP’S ‘CHAOTIC DISCOVERY OF POWER’ W

ASHINGTON—From his resounding setbacks in Congress to his stunning policy flip-flops, Donald Trump has faced a steep learning curve in his opening months at the White House. Although the new United States president has shown a capacity to change both his tone and positions, he has struggled to convey a clearly articulated worldview. With the arrival of the symbolic milestone of 100 days in power on Saturday, a cold, hard reality is setting in for the billionaire businessman who promised supporters he would “win, win, win” for them. At this stage of his presidency, Donald Trump is the least popular leader in modern US history – even if his core supporters still fully back him. The 70-year-old president, whose election victory unleashed a political shockwave around the world, is still clinging to the take-no-prisoners, unpredictable, impulsive style that made him a property mogul and reality TV star. But the onetime anti-establishment candidate who promised to “drain the swamp” in Washington appears to have recognized – with a mix of naivete and craftiness – that he has one of the most difficult jobs in the world. In just his first few weeks in office, Trump suffered some crippling blows. Federal courts halted his proposed travel ban and Congress failed to adopt health care reform. “Nobody knew that health care could be so complicated,” he said during his efforts to have Obamacare – his Democratic predecessor’s signature domestic policy achievement – repealed and replaced. And following talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping about North Korea, he said that “after listening for 10 minutes, I realized it’s not so easy.” The demands and constraints of the Oval Office – where every word uttered counts – are quite different from the daily stump speeches Trump made on the campaign trail. Where to turn for advice? What kind of relationship to build with Congress, even when it’s con-

trolled by his own party? How much latitude to afford the usually powerful State and Defense departments? All of his predecessors have said it: moving into the mansion at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue is a shock to the system. “There’s just something about this job as president every president faces – you know, that you think one thing going in and then the pressures of the job or the realities of the world, you know, are different than you thought,” George W. Bush said recently. Aside from his unwavering penchant for morning tweetstorms, often influenced by the ebb and flow of headlines on Fox News, Trump has already changed. In the choice of his teams as well as in some negotiations, a sort of “presidentialization” seems to be unfolding – albeit haltingly. Elevated to the highest office in the United States with no prior political, diplomatic or military experience, Trump says his everevolving approach works. “I do change and I am flexible, and I’m proud of that flexibility,” he said shortly before authorizing air strikes against the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad over what Washington says was a sarin gas attack on civilians. On China, Russia and NATO, his about-faces have reassured some Americans to some extent, as well as some of Washington’s allies. “When a president moves from being so wrong to being so right on such important questions, the sensible response is not to carp but to celebrate, however cautiously,” The Washington Post said in an editorial, reminding readers of the harsh, dark tone of Trump’s inaugural address. But his approach also includes risks. From Syria to North Korea, what is the risk of dragging the United States into a military conflict with an unpredictable outcome, a situ-

BATISTA SET TO BE RELEASED FROM BRAZIL PRISON RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil—Fallen tycoon Eike Batista, who rose to become Brazil’s wealthiest man before surrendering to face corruption charges, may be released from prison while awaiting his trial. Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Gilmar Mendes ruled Friday that though Batista’s alleged crimes were serious, they did not warrant custody during legal proceedings. The 60-year-old former oil and mining magnate is alleged to have paid a $16.5 million bribe to ex-Rio de Janeiro state governor Sergio Cabral, already behind bars for allegedly taking bribes over World Cup and Olympics infrastructure projects. His downfall represented a new landmark in a series of sprawling but interconnected corruption scandals enveloping much of Brazil’s elite. He was incarcerated on January 30 after giving himself up to authorities. AFP

DAD-IN-LAW OF ‘EL CHAPO’ GETS 10-YEAR SENTENCE

US President Donald Trump gives a thumbs-up after arriving on Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC on Friday, following a trip to Atlanta, Georgia. AFP ation Trump warned against on the campaign trail? How would the Republican president react if a major terror attack were to happen on US soil, as it did on 9/11? Both style and substance reveal that Donald J. Trump is an American

president like no other before him. In a disconcerting interview given to Time magazine in March, in which Trump defended his controversial, far-fetched or just plain false statements one by one, he said: “What am I going to tell you? I tend to be right.” AFP

POPE FRANCIS SET TO PRAY WITH EGYPT’S CHRISTIANS

HEADING. Egyptian security forces keep watch as people walk outside the stadium where Pope Francis will celebrate a mass on Saturday in Cairo. Pope Francis is set to lead a mass for Egypt’s small Catholic community as he visits the country in support of its Christians following a series of deadly church bombings. AFP

CAIRO, Egypt—Pope Francis is set to lead a mass for Egypt’s small Catholic community on Saturday as he visits the country in support of its Christians following a series of deadly church bombings. The spiritual leader of the world’s almost 1.3 billion Catholics will lead mass for some 30,000 believers in a stadium on the outskirts of Cairo. The event will bring together members of all Catholic rites in the country – Coptic, Armenian, Maronite and Melkite. Egypt’s Catholic community is estimated at about 272,000. The Argentine pontiff will give a homily during the mass, which is to be held in Arabic and Latin. After lunching with Egyptian bishops, the pope will meet seminarians before wrapping up his 27-hour visit in the afternoon. Earlier this week, 23-year-old student Karim Saber said he was impatient to see the pope in his country. “By coming to Egypt, the pope is showing us that nothing can prevent us from praying, including terrorism,”

he said, referring to recent church bombings. The bombings killed 29 people in Cairo in December, and 45 people north of the capital earlier this month. All were claimed by the Islamic State group. Ibrahim Isaac, the Catholic Coptic patriarch in Egypt, has said the papal visit represents “moral and spiritual support” at a time when “the succession of incidents is causing a form of frustration among the people, and sometimes anger.” Christians, who make up around 10 percent of Egypt’s population of 92 million, have long complained of marginalization in the Muslim-majority country. Egypt has the largest Christian community of the Middle East. While most of Egypt’s Christians are Coptic Orthodox, Roman Catholics have also lived in the country since the fifth century. Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, Catholic orders in Egypt – Franciscans, Dominicans, Jesuits – developed a network of schools, hospitals and charitable activities. AFP

HERMOSILLO, Mexico—A Mexican judge has sentenced the father-in-law of drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman to more than a decade in prison, Mexican officials said Friday. Ines Coronel Barreras, 49, was accused of smuggling marijuana to the United States and was arrested in the town of Agua Prieta, which borders the US state of Arizona. The judge condemned Coronel – the father of Guzman’s third wife, former beauty queen Emma Coronel – to 10 years, five months and nine days in prison, in addition to a fine equivalent to 15,930 pesos ($847). The US Treasury Department had designated Coronel as a “key operative” of the Sinaloa drug cartel prior to his 2013 arrest. He was detained alongside four other men, with police also seizing two vehicles, four rifles, one gun and 255 kilograms of marijuana. Guzman – the powerful Sinaloa cartel’s notorious leader accused of running one of the world’s biggest drug empires – is currently detained in Manhattan where he is awaiting trial. AFP

MARINES RETURN TO AFGHANISTAN’S TENSE HELMAND ASHKAR GAH, Afghanistan— United States Marines returned to Afghanistan’s volatile Helmand province Saturday, the first to be deployed in the wartorn country since NATO forces ended their combat role in 2014. Commander of US and NATO forces in Afghanistan General John Nicholson attended a handover ceremony marking the return of the prestigious force in the poppy-growing southern province, where American forces faced heated fighting until 2014, an AFP photographer said. Some 300 Marines will form part of NATO’s train, assist and advise mission in the province, which for years was the centrepiece of the US and British military intervention in Afghanistan – only for it to slip deeper into a quagmire of instability. The ceremony marking the deployment, first announced in January, came one day after the resurgent Taliban announced the launch of their “spring offensive,” heralding a fresh fighting season. The Taliban effectively control or contest 10 of the 14 districts in Helmand, the deadliest province for British and US troops over the last decade and blighted by a huge opium harvest that helps fund the insurgency. AFP

C1

SUNDAY, APRIL 30, 2017

Business

Ray S. Eñano, Editor / Roderick dela Cruz, Issue Editor business@manilastandard.net

NOVELIST WANTS TO REWRITE PH REAL ESTATE INDUSTRY

I

t takes about 24 minutes to go down a 30-story residential building with 1,200 units near a commercial business district in Metro Manila—sometimes longer than it takes to travel to work.

“This is because of the congestion in queuing at the elevator,” says Prof. Enrique Soriano, a real estate expert from Ateneo Graduate School of Business. Soriano says “cookie-cutter” units like this now abound in Metro Manila. “It is happening to a lot that we have been monitoring. This is because their value proposition is low price. But in the end, it is going to boomerang in the industry itself. That’s what scares a lot of people like me. Watch out for developers who are cookie cutters, who have no value to offer,” he says. He says unit owners of low-value real estate units are likely to default on their monthly amortization, because of the bad experience with the units. “If you compute that in multiples of 100 who will default, it is now a problem of the bank. Your default rate is going to affect the viability of the banking industry and the property sector,” he says. This emerging situation in the real state sector is what Rex Drilon II tries to avoid. Drilon, an author and property executive, reemerged from retirement five years ago to establish a company that aims to offer better real estate products in the country. He is the author of“Patriots on the Street,”a novel about love of country. Keyland Corp., a five-year-old company established by Drilon, started its business renovating buildings in Makati City like the one at the corner of Ayala Ave. and Paseo de Roxas. Seeing the need for better-quality condominium units, Keyland introduced Casa de Sequoia in Las Piñas City for first-home buyers and has recently launched 110 Benavidez Serviced Residences in Makati City for the investor market. Casa de Sequoia is a one-hectare property project with six low-rise buildings that cater to the affordable market. Other ongoing projects are Signa Designer Residences and Southkey Place. “We envision ourselves as a niche player. We started with zero landbank, as against Ortigas with 4,000 hectares to start with or Ayala with 600 hectares to start with. There are other bigger players. The intention of Keyland is really to create its own niche, no different from when we were running Ortigas,” says Drilon, a former chief operating officer of Ortigas & Company Limited Partnership who helped transform Greenhills Shopping Center into the most profitable mall in the country on per square meter basis. He also headed several units of developer Ayala Land Inc. Drilon, the founding chairman of Keyland, says the company’s goal is to offer great value to homeowners and investors alike. “There is value in identifying your core competence, core market. Keyland is still a startup. Our board approved just last month a 10-year investment program that will invest significant numbers. The vision is to be one of the key players in the industry, not necessarily the biggest, but probably [with] the best value-formoney,” he says. Keyland also teamed up with The Ascott Ltd. of Singapore, the world’s largest international serviced residences operator, to launch 110 Benavidez Serviced Residences in Legaspi Village, Makati City. Keyland president and chief executive Jose Ma. Montinola says the company started by renovating old office buildings and leasing them out to business process outsourcing companies and other tenants. “Our chairman’s strategy then was to buy existing buildings, do a quick retrofit, magically turn it around and start leasing. That’s what we did for three office buildings in Makati. They were all existing office buildings. We didn’t tear them down. Tearing them down would entail four or five years to finish. So we bought them, renovated them in

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NOVELIST.

Keyland Corp. chairman Rex Drilon II nine months and leased them in 12 months. Our office buildings are all 100-percent leased out. Once we had the cashflow, we started doing residential,” says Montinola. Keyland now operates five office buildings with a combined floor area of 50,000 square meters. Montinola says the next stage is the development of residential buildings such as Casa de Sequoia and 110 Benavidez Serviced Residences. “It took us a year to get some traction [for the first project]. Now, it [Casa de Sequoia] is almost sold out. It took us a while, but once we finished our first building, the market saw the price point. It is really value for money. That’s why we now have a faster velocity with our projects,” he says. Keyland has more projects in the pipeline. “Most of our projects are owned 100-percent by Keyland. But we also have a joint venture partner for two Alabang projects. We also have a joint venture with Robinsons,” he says. “After this, we have a property that we recently acquired in Salcedo Village. We are in the planning stage for that. We have another property in Legaspi Village. That’s also in the pipeline. So we have two more in the pipeline,” Montinola says. Montinola says 110 Benavidez Serviced Residences, a 32-story residential tower near Greenbelt in Legaspi Village, will have 209 units, including 67 private residences and 142 serviced apartments that will be managed by Ascott under the brand Citadines Benavidez. He says the project is aimed at the investor market, who can afford to shell out P7.5 million to P15 million for studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom units that will have an annual return on investment of 6 percent

to 8 percent. The project is expected to be operational by the first half of 2022, according to Ascott regional general manager for the Philippines and Thailand Arthur Gindap. Gindap says Ascott, which is led by Singaporebased Capital Land, is now the world’s largest operator of service residences, referring to hotel units that are designed for long staying guests. “In the Philippines, half of our business is in the hotel model,” he says. Ascott, which owns the brands Ascott, Citadines and Somerset, aims to develop new brands for the millennials. “In the hospitality space, the return that we offer is the highest in the industry,”says Gindap. “By 2020, we will have around 5,000 units in the Philippines. That translates to about 25 to 30 properties. So we are quite bullish.” Montinola says the partnership with Ascott is in line with Keyland’s value proposition. “We always want to come up with a product that is unique, that has a certain appeal to whatever target market we are looking at. We don’t want to just keep doing condos, just like everybody else. We have a selling proposition,” he says. Keyland is investing P1.2 billion in 100 Benavidez and expects to generate P2 billion in sales. The unit is being sold at P220,000 per square meter, but it will be fully furnished into a hotel room. The project will also have a rooftop infinity pool, fitness center and hotel lobby. Keyland signed a 15-year partnership agreement with Ascott. “When you have a partner like Ascott Turn to C2

Kickstart President Minette Navarrete introduces Globe Future Makers Program to the local startup community.

GLOBE ENGAGES FILIPINO STARTUPS GLOBE Telecom has engaged the local startup community to be part of Globe Future Makers, a social innovation program which seeks to adopt game-changing digital solutions to address various causes of poverty in the country in line with the company’s sustainability commitment to create positive societal impact. Startup founders and members met with Globe representatives at the recent staging of Kickstart Venture Inc.’s signature startup community mixer Raid The Fridge, a monthly open networking event that gathers startup founders for opportunities to learn, engage, or collaborate with investors, developers, corporations, the government and even with media. During the presentation, Globe invited the startups to participate in the program and be part in bringing about positive changes especially to the marginalized sector of society as a response to UN Sustainable Development Goal No. 9 which calls for investment in infrastructure and innovation to find lasting solutions to both economic and environmental challenges. “Poverty, the lack of access to quality health care and education, the negative impact of climate change to the environment, and the displacement of communities due to armed conflict remain society’s most pressing and pervasive issues. These are the issues that the Globe Future Makers Program wants to address. By offering efficient, sustainable solutions for the bottom and middle of the pyramid, startups can make massive impact to help drive social development in the Philippines,” said Minette Navarrete, president of Kickstart, the country’s leading venture capital firm and wholly-owned subsidiary of Globe. “Globe and Kickstart believe that systemic solutions are possible! Startups focused on solving social problems can use technology to make impact at scale, and the Globe Future Makers Program is intended to support social innovation, so that we can build a better future for everyone,” said Navarrete. Th e p ro gra m i s o p e n to anyone with a working prototype, preferably a pilot test done with potential beneficiaries. Entries should clearly articulate how technology is being used to optimize the social impact of the organization on the four focus areas, namely healthcare, learning and education, climate change, and peace and order. Application will be accepted until May 7, 2017, after which, selection and evaluation of all entries will be conducted.

BAYAN ACADEMY, JPMORGAN BOOST FILIPINO ANIMATORS’ SKILLS BAYAN Academy’s Technical and Livelihood Center, in partnership with JPMorgan Chase & Co., has recently completed a Technopreneurship course on 2D and 3D Animation NC III in Quezon City. The four-month program for 2D animation and five-month program for 3D animation aim to equip aspiring Filipino animators with the necessary skills essential to their success and critical to ongoing efforts of both public and private institutions to boost job creation within the animation industry in the country. A total of 50 graduates received their certificates of completion from Bayan Academy for successfully completing 840 and 1,040

hours of classroom training in the 2D and 3D Animation NC III courses, respectively. They also finished at least 120 hours of internship which included project immersion to further enhance their competencies, and test their attitude and workplace relationships. Of the 50 graduates, 47 already passed the TESDA assessment; while the remaining 3 are scheduled to take their tests. Graduates of 3D animation who One of the scholars is 21-year old are scholars of Bayan Academy and JP Pamela Ladrillo who is currently employed Morgan Chase by a local animation studio. According to her, the training she received prepared her to find women animators, I’m confident for the demands of the job. “I learned a lot that I can compete amongst the best in from my training and while it is uncommon the industry. I am now a 3D animator but

my employer -– impressed with my work –- saw my potential to do 3D modeling too,” Pamela said. For one of the grant beneficiaries, Marlon Rapsing, the course helped him fast-track his career in Animation.“The skills I’ve learned, plus the exposure and training I’ve received helped me deliver high-value creative services which made me stand out from the competition,” he said. Rapsing is now with Tycoon Animation, the fastest growing animation company in the Philippines, as a junior animator along with five former trainees. Sharing Rapsing’s success story are six other graduates of the program who are

now 2D and 3D animators in Dreamlords Digital, a direct-to-digital studio based in Las Vegas and Manila, specializing in games and gamified apps. Another inspiring grantee is Marissa Cassica who left her previous work to pursue her passion. After finishing the program, she was accepted in September 2016 as an artist and production officer at SGNFX, an integrated in-house design and manufacturing company. After three months, she was promoted to operations division head managing at least 20 people from different departments such as administration, purchasing, design, sales and production.

Business

C2

SUNDAY, APRIL 30, 2017 business@manilastandard.net

DENTISTS HOLDING BIGGEST CONFAB

PARTICIPANTS in the 108th annual convention of the Philippine Dental Association—considered the biggest gathering of its kind on May 1 to May 5 at SMX Convention Center in Pasay City—can look forward to an enriching and fruitful experience. Dr. Carlos Buendia, PDA president and Dr. Mark Villalobos, PDA president-elect and general chair said the full-packed convention proper would have the opening ceremony on May 1 with Dr. Rainnier Reyes, officer-in-charge of Board of Dentistry at Professional Regulation Commission as keynote speaker. Scientific sessions hosted by the general and specialty affiliates of the PDA will feature foreign and local lecturers on May 1 to 5. A fellowship night will feature interactive production numbers using state-of-the-art stage design and technology, amusing event accents and elements, wacky and entertaining games and raffle on May 2. A daily health screening program will offer a wide array of medical services to all registered dentists on May 2 to 4 while the president’s night will be held on May 5. Capping the event is the awards night on May 6. In addition to the scientific sessions, the convention, which has for its theme “PDA: Challenging the Next Generation of Leaders,” also provides a symposium for government and health center dentists, PDA officers and volunteers who engage in community dentistry. Private practitioners who wish to practice non-invasive dentistry for their patients can be further enlightened with the topic “Minimum Intervention for Community Dentistry” which will highlight evidence-based strategies aimed at addressing the severe and chronic problem of caries among Filipinos. There will be another symposium for dental students. The Dental Trade Exhibits, a permanent fixture in PDA’s annual conventions, will showcase state-of-the-art dental equipment and latest dental materials, par ticipated in by 357 local and international traders. The exhibit design is based on international standards so participants can comfortably move around the venue.

NOVELIST...

From C1

managing the building for you, it retains its original form. After 15 years, it will still look like it’s new because the standards that they are following cannot be altered,” Montinola says. Meanwhile, Soriano believes that the property sector still has room for growth, despite the presence of some “cookie cutter” projects. “It has been a boom and bust cycle within the property sector since 1987. I have seen three or four cycles in the sector. The only good thing about the sector is that it is technically an unreal estate market. Why? Because there are still many who have no houses,” he says. “The papers report that the housing backlog is around 5 million units. That’s the official number. If you ask me, it is around 7 million. Every year, around 40,000 to 50,000 houses are in demand in the mid-market and around 400,000 units in the low-end market. We can only supply practically 22 percent to 23 percent. It keeps on building up,” he says. “And the huge migration of people from the the provinces all the way to Metro Manila, that is around 200,000 to 300,000 a year,” says Soriano. Soriano says the huge housing backlog is not an excuse to build “cookiecutter” houses. “To be in the market, you need to be competitive. You need to have a compelling and a powerful value proposition,” says Soriano. Roderick T. dela Cruz A NEW tourism destination which combines a scenic river, amazing natural attractions, varied flora and fauna, an interesting agricultural community and a colorful festival is beginning to draw a lot of visitors in Cagayan province. Casagan, an agricultural village first inhabited by Aetas in Sta. Ana, Cagayan is now known for its bountiful rice fields and beautiful Tangatan River where villagers use a wooden boat called “takuli” to transport passengers and their agricultural products from the farm to the market. The river, a source of income and food for Casagan residents, offers a variety of fish and edible shells. A version of the story goes that the name of the village originated from the Aeta word “Casagan” which means “a place to meet together.” Aetas were the first inhabitants in the barangay and used to build their huts along the riverbank. Clearing in the area began with the arrival of settlers from other areas who were drawn by fertile soil and nearby thick forest where narra, ipil and lawan grew. Casagan thus became an agricultural barangay and is now one of

AMWAY REACHES OUT TO YOUNG FILIPINOS By Othel V. Campos

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fter two decades of bringing quality consumer products to Filipinos, Amway Philippines is building a new center and introducing new products to reach out to new demographics—the millennials. In its 20th year in the country, the company unveiled fresh initiatives to keep up with changing consumer profile. “What do you do if you’re a company 20 years in the market already. Sometimes, you have to keep innovating. That’s what Amway is known for,” says Amway Philippines country manager Ma. Elenita Olmedo. “For one, we are coming up with products specific for the Filipino market. One of the biggest things we’ll be doing in the near future is we will be having our new physical infrastructure and we call it the Brand Experience Center. We’re moving our headquarters and location for Amway distribution center. We’re opening up in a way that you can shop and be experiencing Amway in a whole new way,” Olmedo says. The new Amway center will serve as a second home for Amway business owners –a place that gives more room for expanding distribution and consumer base. Amway Philippines is also expanding its product line to accommodate timely products specific to Filipino consumers, especially the youth. The company has 200 active products in the Philippines. Global lineup covers more than 450 products. “We will have a brand specific to the Philippines that will reach younger demographics. This Amway brand will not be available anywhere else. Since beauty and skin care still dominates direct selling, this is where we want to be,” Olmedo says. A report by market research firm Euromonitor shows that direct selling business in the Philippines is worth P62.7 billion annually. Of this, skin care and the make-up category is about P19 billion. “And that is mostly mass. Amway as a prestige brand targets the huge opportunities presented by the local cosmetics sector. We see the potential and that’s what we want to capture. That’s where we are going and while we can’t say we’ll be majority, we want a big

[market share],” says Olmedo. The prestige category is only about 20 percent of total skin care and cosmetics. Product launch is planned at the end of the first semester. Amway ’s main produc ts will remain Nutralite health supplements, its lifeblood accounting for 50 percent of total sales. Nutralite health supplements are produced using 100-percent plant derivatives from lycopene to flavanols. Amway has its own certified organic farms where most of the plants and herbs needed to sustain the health supplement segment are grown. In the Philippines, Amway teamed up with local coffee company Figaro to co-develop an energy-packed instant coffee product called Achievers Coffee in 2011. Because of the distinc t characteristic of the Filipino consumer, the Philippines has been chosen as pilot testing site for Amway products. T h e c o u n t r y ’s y o u n g demographics, social savviness of the Filipino youth and penchant for all things western contributed to it being a pilot test site for Amway. “Which means that if you’re going to pilot test anything that has some global influence, deserves some global impact in the future, the Philippine has every good ground for doing that. We’ve been testing a lot of digital and social initiatives in the Philippines. So, it’s for this reason that we’ve been identified to pilot test some products,” Olmedo says. She says the Philippines is in a unique position to provide a fertile testing ground for new ideas for Amway. “Our economy is currently among the fastest-growing in Southeast Asia, and has been on this stable trend in recent years. Growth is being driven by in-market consumption. With declining poverty incidence and rising income, the Philippines is fast becoming an upper middleincome country, providing more opportunities for retailing, especially for consumer goods in the fast-growing categories

Amway Philippines country manager Ma. Elenita Olmedo

of health and wellness, beauty and home care,” she says. “The Philippines is in a sweet spot as the 100 million skews young, with about 70 percent of the population below the age of 35, and average age, as of last survey, is now at 23 year old. The Philippines is also among the largest English speaking population in Asean, very western in orientation, and therefore, any new initiative piloted in the market will have

great applicability globally,” she says. “What’s really driving the business is the sponsoring growth or the increasing number of distributors joining the organization. This is one of the indicators of a company’s health –when it is being driven by people joining the business,” says Olmedo. Amway Philippines has more than 60,000 distributors nationwide.

NEW TOURISM DESTINATION RISES IN CAGAYAN

the rice producers in Sta. Ana. After its success with Palaui Island’s community-based sustainable tourism program, the Cagayan Economic Zone Authority recognized and identified Casagan as its next area for CBST development.

Ceza, in coordination with Casagan’s barangay unit and the Department of Tourism, officially launched Casagan as a new tourism destination in Cagayan Valley on May 14, 2016, in time for its annual colorful festival. Barangay Casagan celebrates a festival in honor

of San Isidro Labrador in May. To promote Casagan as a destination, Ceza launched a tourism development program dubbed “Casagan-all-you-can” which sends a message of invitation to everyone. It has opened varied activities and interesting sites in the village. Casagan’s geography makes it an exciting destination for river-cruising. A cruise to the river offers a unique natural setting that is composed of varied flora and fauna such as the mangroves and trees that grow along the river banks, the different species that include wild birds that migrate to the area during specific seasons and the fireflies that shine after sunset and before sunrise. The view is made even more spectacular with the surrounding fields and mountains, as the boat reaches the end of the river and the start of the sea. As one takes a cruise along the river, the sight of the man-made hanging bridge adds a spectacle to the fascinating story

of Casagan. The river cruise also leads to one of the area’s gem—the La Mesa Falls. It is a natural waterfalls that is ideal for picnic, swimming and simply just nature-watching. The elevated rock formation of the waterfalls makes it a potential rappelling area. The elevated area can be reached 6.81 kilometers from ParadaBatu entrance and 5.92 kilometers from Tangatan entrance. Adding more spice to the Casagan experience is the use of takuli in the form of a wooden kayak boat. Riding a takuli does not only offer a unique experience but also shares a part of the local culture and tradition. The Casagan experience also introduces the “salamangk a” or cannonball, which is a fruit from a mangrove plant found along Tangatan River. Each “salamangka” fruit, which usually comes out during the summer season, bears a minimum of eight and a maximum of 19 distinctive seeds that, when detached, can make an interesting puzzle, thus the name. The fruit is dried and hardened to make a puzzle out of its seeds.

Sports

ILUSTRE IS BRIGHTEST STAR OF PALARONG PAMBANSA I

T WAS three years of domination at the pool for Maurice Sacho Ilustre. The La Salle Zobel student dished out yet another impeccable performance to emerge the most bemedalled athlete in this year’s Palarong Pambansa in Antique.

Kyla Soguilon

mates Patrick Galvez, Ianiko Limfilipino and Keane Ting to 4x100 meter freestyle honors in 3:42.98. Ilustre is best remembered for breaking a meet record twice in a day in the 2016 Palarong Pambansa. Back then, Ilustre was an incoming 11th grader from La Salle-Zobel. He reached secondary boys 100-meter freestyle finish line with a prayer, and erased a 11 year-old course again in 54.15 seconds at the poolside of the Bicol University-Albay Sports and Cultural Complex On Day 1, Ilustre bested Christian Anor of Davao in 4:12.94 in the 400-meter freestyle, before taking the 200-meter freestyle gold in 2:08.00, which is 32 seconds off the meet record. Two years ago, Maurice Sacho Ilustre ended his campaign with a bang as he and Seth Isaak Martin emerged as the most bemedalled athletes of the 2015 Palaro. He and Martin, who claimed two national junior records, finished with seven gold medals each. But the 15year old Ilustre’s campaign in the secondary boys’ division of the swimming action was among the most memorable in the weeklong meet. Ilustre broke the national junior record he himself set last year in the 200-meter butterfly and claimed a total of six new meet marks in all of the seven events he swept and duplicated his seven-gold sweep, just like last year. “Sobrang saya ko. Kasi nagawa ko ulit ang nagawa ko last year,” said Ilustre in recalling his 2015 stint. On the last day, he snared two more golds in the 200-meter freestyle and the 4x100-meter relay. Both were done in record-breaking fashion after he clocked 1:58.83 in the 200-meter freestyle and 3:43.68 in the relays. He and his NCR teammates Christian Sy, Drew Magbag and Andrei Pogkiongco first reset the 4:10.66 with a new best time of 4:07, in the preliminaries of the 4x100 meter medley relays. They then ruled the finals with the same time.

THREE MATCHES UP AS PVL OPENS SHOP Games today

10 a.m. – Army vs IEM (men’s) 2 p.m. – BaliPure vs Air Force (women’s) 4 p.m. – Pocari Sweat vs Power Smashers (women’s) 6 p.m. – Creamline vs Perlas (women’s)

By Peter Atencio

Ilustre participated in seven swimming events and topped them all in glittering fashion. The 17-year-old capped his farewell stint in Palaro with two gold medals on the last day of swimming competition, including a recordbreaking victory in the secondary 200-meter freestyle. “That’s seven out of seven. And four of these seven are records, and there’s two that’s close to national age group records,” said Ilustre, who admitted that achievements over the past has not sunk in yet. This could be the reason why he’s not feeling emotional, least for now, about his successful campaign. “Maganda ang naging competition ko. But, it has not sunk in yet. Maybe later, it will. And I have to be matured and be better after this,” added Ilustre. Ilustre, an 11th grader at Zobel started his bid on a bright note by grabbing the top honors in the 200-meter backstroke, with a fast clocking of 1:56.44. This allowed him to erase the course record of 1:58.83 that he himself set two years ago. Then, he rallied team-

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La Salle Zobel’s Maurice Sacho Ilustre topped all his seven swimming events in the Palaro. Peter Atencio

Ilustre broke no record when he ruled the 400-meter freestyle, but made a new mark in the 4x100 meter freestyle relay. Ilustre also won the 200-meter butterfly, the 100 and 400 meter freestyle and helped teammates win 4x100 meter medley relays in record-breaking fashion. He also went home with the secondary boys’ 100-meter butterfly plum. When it was finally over, Ilustre found himself in the company of Salle Zobel standout Nicole Meah Pamintuan and Kyla Soguilon, who shone bright in the secondary and elementary girls’ action. The 15-year old Pamintuan ended her stint with six golds, including a recordbreaking feat in the 200-meter freestyle. “Sobrang saya ko. I achieved what I have been preparing for in training,” said Pamintuan. Then, with Samantha Coronel, Althea Baluyut and Suzanne Himor, Pamintuan bannered NCR to the 4x100 freestyle gold, with Region 6 and region 4-a in second

Nicole Pamintuan (top left) with other awardees.

and third. Her other gold medal conquests include the 100-meter backstroke, the 100-m freestyle, the 200-meter individual medley, the 4x100 meter and 4x50 meter freestyle relays. In the elementary girls’ side, Soguilon took her sixth and final gold medal in topping the 50-meter freestyle. “I took it fast, I took it fast,”

said Soguilon on her time of 29.05 seconds. She finished ahead of Kirsten Tan (silver) and Krisha Apin (bronze), and added her to other feats. Her other feats includes the 100-meter backstroke, 50-meter butterfly, the 200IM, the 50-m backstroke and that 4x50 meter freestyle. She had a lone silver in the 4x100-meter medley.

THE Premier Volleyball League fires off today (Sunday, April 3) with an explosive triple-bill tipped to set the tone for another thrilling opening-season conference among the country’s best and brightest players at the FilOil Flying V Center in San Juan. With the organizing Sports Vision renewing its partnership with giant network ABS-CBN to ensure the league’s continued wide TV live and online coverage, the Reinforced Conference promises to go the way the previous editions of the country’s longest, biggest league were held – marked by topnotch action and unpredictability with a level playing field. Top draw Alyssa Valdez banners a Creamline squad out to make an impact in its maiden appearance and the many-time conference league MVP and former UAAP star will have a crack support crew that further makes the Cool Smashers one of the marked teams in the 14th season of the league where it all started. They include Aerieal Patnongon, Coleen Bravo, James Suyat, Janet Serafica, Ivy Remulla, Pau Soriano, Joyce Palad, Aurea Racraquin and Jonalyn Ibisa. Thai coach Tai Bundit will also pin his hopes on reinforcements Kuttika Kaewpin and American Laura Schaudt as they slug it out with the Perlas side anchored by former UP and Ateneo stalwarts and backstopped by Brazilian Rupia Inck and Japanese Naoko Hashimoto in the 6 p.m. main game. The Perlas Lady Spikers will be relying on a combination of experience and youth with a slew of battle-scarred players, led by Amy Ahomiro, Sue Roces, Dzi Gervacio, Ella de Jesus, Sasa Devanadera and Jem Ferrer plus the addition of seasoned reinforcements Inck and Hashimoto putting them in good stead against the best teams in the fold. They also put in a dose of youth and energy as they acquired Kat Bersola and Nicole Tiamzon, who recently completed their five-year tour of duty with the Lady Maroons, to beef up the Lady Spikers’ roster in the league backed by Mikasa and Asics. The other members of the team are Mae Tajima and Amanda Villanueva. “The core of the squad has so much experience and we welcome the addition of Kat and Nicole, they will give this team energy,” said coach Jerry Yee. Hashimoto, who plays for powerhouse Bangkok Glass and a member of the Japan team that snared the silver in the 2013 Asian Championship in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand, is also raring to showcase her wares against her counterparts. The BaliPure-Air Force duel at 2 p.m. and the 4 p.m. clash between the Pocari Sweat Lady Warriors and the Power Smashers are also expected to go down-to-the-wire with the Purest Water Defenders headed by many-time NCAA MVP Grethcel Soltones and import Jennifer Keddy of the US and Thai returnee Jaroensri Bualee and the Jet Spikers boasting of a solid crew backstopped by Thai veteran Patcharee Sangmuan and local mainstays Joy Cases, Wendy Semana and Iari Yongco.

NCR’S BABY FALCONS RIP WV SQUAD, BAG CAGE CROWN SAN JOSE DE BUENAVISTA, Antique— Adamson Baby Falcons standouts Gerry Abadiano and Encho Serrano scored big baskets to lead the National Capital Region to a 75-48 beating of host Western Visayas entry, Sta. Clarita International School of Iloilo. Their huge effort helped propel NCR to the secondary boys’ basketball crown after they were done with their finals encounter with the Ilonggos on the final day of the 2017 Palarong Pambansa. Abadiano and Serrano eked out 27 and 19 points, respectively, as NCR reclaimed the basketball crown it last won in 2015. The Falcons proved so strong in the field that they finished their stint with a seven-game sweep at the Binirayan Sports Complex. NCR’s full-court press overwhelmed their Visayan foes and they never looked back after taking a 30-16 advantage at the end of the first period.

“We prepared well on our defense. And the players executed well,” said NCR coach Goldwyn Monteverde. Monteverde is set to become National University’s next head coach in the UAAP junior basketball scene and after quitting his job with the Adamson Baby Falcons recently. Abadiano’s triple in the last 6:37 allowed NCR to take a whopping 41-20 spread en route to the lopsided win. Bryan Calama-an fired 11 points for the Ilonggos, who fell behind by 28 points in the third canto. Serrano earned the Most Valuable honors in helping keep the Ilonggos at bay with his defense. NCR’s efforts added the Metro Manila delegations’ overall medal haul of 98 golds, 66 silvers and 45 silvers. Meanwhile, NCR also took home the gold in the secondary girls’ basketball action after smashing Negros Region, 57-32.

Southern Tagalog Region (Region IV-A) was second over with a 41-57-57 gold-silver-bronze tally. They stood their ground in secondary girls volleyball when La Salle-Lipa needed five sets to beat NCR’s King’s International School, 20-25, 11-25, 2516, 25-16, 15-9. Western Visayas (36-25-37) placed third while Negros Region was at fourth (26-27-36). Region IV-A went on to sweep the volleyball honors after they stopped Davao Region, 25-23, 24-26, 26-24, 2520. They also grabbed the elementary boys’ basketball honors after their 8641 blasting of Western Visayas. After settling for the silver twice, Region IV-A won the baseball crown at the expense of NCR, 6-3. In football, NCR won over Western Visayas, 3-1, to retain the crown for another year. Peter Atencio

Ralph Bajon of Western Visayas goes for a lay-up against NCR’s Robert John Minerva even as their teammates prepare for a rebound in this piece of action between the two teams in the secondary basketball final. Peter Atencio

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Sports

SUNDAY, APRIL 30, 2017 Riera U. Mallari, Editor / Reuel Vidal, Issue Editor / Randy Caluag, Issue Editor

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Michelle Nicolini (left) unloads a leg kick at Irina Mazepa during their encounter. ONE Championship

JIU-JITSU LEGEND CONTINUES TO ROLL

Alaska Aces forward Calvin Abueva (8) drives past Rain Or Shine Elasto Painters defender Jericho Cruz. Abueva was named one of the players who will represent the Philippines in the SEABA Championship May 12-18 at the Araneta Coliseum.

PH SENDS STRONGEST SQUAD TO SEABA By Reuel Vidal

N

O MERCY. The Philippines will not be taking any chances and will send the strongest possible squad to the Southeast Asia Basketball Association (SEABA) Championship to be held May 12 to 18 here in the country.

This after veteran coach Jong Uichico warned of the improved competition following his scouting tour of the teams that will participate in the tournament. The squad will include the best players in the Philippine Basketball Association led by three-time Most Valuable Player June Mar Fajardo of San Miguel Beer and reigning PBA Commissioner’s Cup Best Player of the Conference Calvin Abueva of the Alaska Aces. The announcement was made April 28, Friday in Lucena. Fajardo was a member of the Gilas Team which played in Cagayan De Oro while Abueva was part of the Luzon All-Stars which played in Lucena during the 2017 PBA All-Star Week. Fajardo is the most dominant player in the PBA right now. He won three consecutive MVP awards and is poised to become arguably the best ever to play in the league. He is big, strong and is unstoppable underneath the goal once he is in position to score. He is also smart and gifted with a soft shooting touch. With Fajardo leading the charge SMB has a virtual lock on the All-Filipino conference. Abueva excels at both ends of the court. He relies on explosive

speed and overwhelming strength to drive strong and finish at the hoop, pull up for jumpshots or dish to open teammates. He is a tenacious defender at the defensive end. He is quick enough to stay in front of the fastest wings in the league yet strong enough to defend the post. He is also a ferocious rebounder who can collar defensive boards and immediately start the Alaska fastbreak offense by bringing down the ball himself. The team also includes PBA veterans in big men Japeth Aguilar of Barangay Ginebra and Raymond Almazan of the Rain Or Shine Elasto Painters. Other veterans in the squad are Star Hotshots scorer Allein Maliksi and Asia’s top point guard Jason Castro of TNT Ka Tropa. PBA’s leading local scorer Terrence Romeo of GlobalPort Batang Pier completes the veteran cast. The team also includes the future of Philippine basketball with former members of the Gilas Cadets in Jio Jalalon of Star, Roger Pogoy of TNT Katropa, and Matthew Wright of Phoenix Petroleum Fuel Masters as well as TNT KaTropa second year player Troy Rosario. The team, already strong

San Miguel Beer center June Mar Fajardo takes it strong to the hoop against defender Jackson Corpuz. Fajardo was named one of the players who will represent the Philippines in the SEABA Championship May 12-18 at the Araneta Coliseum.

enough to manhandle every team in the SEABA, was made even stronger with the addition of naturalized player Andray Blatche. The SEABA will be played May 12 to 18 at the Smart Araneta Colise-

um. The Philippines plays Myanmar 4 p.m., Friday, May 12. The rest of the Gilas games include: Singapore 4 p.m., Saturday, May 13; Malaysia, 4 p.m., Sunday, May 14; and Thailand, 4 p.m., Tuesday, May 16.

BRAZILIAN JIU-JITSU legend Michelle Nicolini continued her ONE Championship streak with another spectacular victory submitting five-time wushu world champion Irina Mazepa in their strawweight encounter at ONE: Kings of Desiny last week. Nicolini and Mazepa engaged in another classic matchup between a grappler and a striker with the grappler negating the striker’s advantage in distance by taking the fight to the mat. The two dynamic female mixed martial artists tested the waters by trading strikes on their feet for the first thirty seconds of the contest. Nicolini, who trains with other BJJ and Muay Thai world champions at Evolve MMA in Singapore, will have none of that. She wasted no time in taking the fight to the canvas, and immediately ended up in side control. Nicolini controlled Mazepa’s position and moved effortlessly into the mount. After attempting a belly-down armbar, the Brazilian was swept to the bottom. For a moment, it looked as if Mazepa was about to inflict some damage from atop a mount. However, it was not meant to be. Nicolini was very comfortable, and knew exactly what she was doing. She quickly moved out of harm’s way and was able to lock in another armbar, which forced the St. Petersburg, Russia native to tap out at the 2:11 mark of the opening stanza. Both fighters are renowned in their disciplines and their bout could just as easily have been a world championship in strawweight if the promotion had a world title in that division. Following the fight, Nicolini pleaded for the inauguration of the ONE Women’s Strawweight World Championship. If a world championship for the division does materialize, the Evolve MMA product will undoubtedly be a top contender. Nicolini improves her MMA record to 4-1. As for Mazepa, she receives the first defeat of her career, and slips to 2-1.

PH VOLCANOES RETAIN TRANSCOM RUGBY TITLE LAGUNA—The Philippine Volcanoes - Philippine Residents XV defeated Singapore in a water-logged match last week at Southern Plains, Laguna to keep the crown in the Transcom Rugby Championship in the country. In wet conditions the visitors started strongly with two penalty conversions racing to a 6 point lead through Charlie Lambert. Philippine Volcano Tim Bweheni stood out for the Philippines scoring all 10 points in the first half through a penalty, a try of his own and a conversion to make it 10 points to 9 after 40 minutes. The Philippine backline was well directed by Joe Palabay Dawson and veteran Gareth Dela Rosa Holgate, the Philippines showing flair at times in the wet whilst the forward pack

tamed the Singaporeans in tough, muddy and wet conditions. Three minutes into the second half the Philippines extended their lead through quick thinking, a brilliantly timed quick tap from Dawson finding a flying Justin Villazor Coveney to bust over the white line for another 5 points. Bweheni converted the try to make it 17 to 9. The Philippines found more breathing space through outside center Gregory Golmann scoring after a superb line break from the Philippine backline crashing over in the 52nd minute. Bweheni’s radar was on securing another two points from the sideline to make it 24 to 9. Singapore fought back not long after, with

a never say die attitude Murray Campbell broke through 25 meters out to set up a 5 pointer for his team. An unsuccessful conversion from Lambert had the Philippines in the lead 24 points to 14 with fifteen minutes on the clock left. The Singaporeans never held back, grinding away at the Philippines defensive line pushing the team to its limits at times. Ill-discipline affected the Philippines with Lambert slotting a crucial penalty to make it 24 to 17 with 5 minutes remaining. On the 78th minute the Philippines secured the match after Bweheni found space to set up Dawson to close out the match 29 points to 17 and securing the Transcom Rugby Championship.

HE’S ALL WET. Joe Palabay Dawson sprints through the water logged pitch as he shows his experience and skill to lead the Philippines past Singapore. Raymond Braganza

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SUNDAY, APRIL 30, 2017

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‘BAMBOO TO SAVE LAGUNA BAY SHED’

ARMM OPENS BLUEPRINT FOR INVESTMENT VENUES By Nash B. Maulana

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OTABATO CITY—While the 30th Asean Summit is being held in Manila, the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao has opened blueprints of potential economic investment venues, including Islamic banking and interregional trading with neighboring East Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Officials and economic gurus disclosed this during this midweek's Investment Priority Plan Roadshow here, organized by the ARMM Regional Board of Investments. The IPP ARMM List (2017-2019) is a three-year guide map to the region's potential investment venues, namely: export industry; agriculture and aquaculture; basic industries; infrastructure; industrial service facilities; engineering industries; logistics; BIMP-EAGA-related investment

enterprises; tourism; health and education services and facilities; halal industry; bank and non-bank financial institution including Islamic banking and finance; and energy. BIMP-EAGA stands for Brunei-IndonesiaMalaysia-Philippines East Asean Growth Area. It was developed during the administration of then President Fidel V. Ramos. The IPP roadshow in ARMM is geared towards “Scaling Up and Dispersing Opportunities” in matching capital prospects with business opportunities to steer economic growth. Lawyer, Ishak Mastura, chairman of RBOI, said ARMM has consistently reached or even exceeded its benchmark target on investment growth rate of P1 billion per annum during the last three years. The region is further improving its economic potentials based on halal industry and enhanced Islamic banking. Meanwhile, Anak Mindanao Party-List Rep. Sitti Dhalia Turabin-Hataman said a bill she has filed seeks to amend the Chatter of Islamic Investment Banking to allow conventional banks to open Islamic Banking Windows, and to increase authorized capitalization on Islamic banking in the country. Former President and now Pampanga Rep.

By Raul M. Francia

Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo co-sponsors the Islamic Banking Bill in the House of Representatives. Basically, Islamic banking is non-interest bearing on deposits, but prescribes partnership investments (musharaka), through profit-andloss sharing scheme. A savings or current deposit is charged small percentage for service fee or safekeeping rates. Other IPP roadshows will be scheduled later in key areas of the region, such as Maguindanao, Marawi City, Lanao del Sur, Basilan and Tawi-Tawi. Regional officials raised investment opportunities in ARMM, as well as fiscal and non-fiscal incentives the government can provide or offer investors. Rosamond Belderol, program officer of the Philippine Business for Social Progress, said Inclusive Business Models or IB in the national IPP list also suits ARMM. Belderol said IB covers business activities of medium and large enterprises in the agribusiness and tourism industries, but is also providing business opportunities to micro and small enterprises as part of their value chains. She said IB could help propel the local economy with such business models and social enterprises to bear sustainable economic growth.

WOMEN UNITED. Quezon City Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte (center) and Quezon City General Hospital Director Dr. Josephine Sabando (fourth from right) join hands with other non-government organization officials in signing the memorandum of understanding for the QC Protection Center for victims and survivors of gender-based violence and abuse. Manny Palmero

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MAKATI WON’T BUY LOTS BESIDE WEST VALLEY FAULT By Joel E. Zurbano THE city government of Makati stood pat on its decision not to buy lots situated in identified “danger zones” within five meters on each side of the West Valley Fault. Mayor Abigail Binay made the statement during her presentation of the city's initiatives on disaster resilience at a two-day forum focused on “Building a MultiStakeholder and Integrated Approach to Disaster Resilience” organized by the Carlos P. Romulo Foundation at the Manila Polo Club. “Safety is a must for every

Makatizen. On this I make no exceptions, and certainly leave no room for compromise,” she said. Binay was invited by Ambassador Roberto Romulo, chairman of the Carlos P. Romulo Foundation for Peace and Development, to share the Makati experience with other local chief executives, key officials of local and national government agencies involved in disaster management, and stakeholders from the private sector who attended the conference. In his letter to the mayor, Ambassador Romulo cited the efforts of the city government to

mitigate the impact of a strong earthquake, particularly its move to relocate residents living along the WVF. "There are five other cities in Metro Manila directly affected by the WVF and they can benefit greatly from your experience. You are the first mayor to launch this initiative since the Valley Fault System Atlas was released in 2015,” said Ambassador Romulo in his letter. Last month, Binay spearheaded a series of dialogs with residents of each of four Makati barangays identified to be transected by the

WVF—Pembo, Rizal, Comembo and East Rembo. The new Comprehensive Land Use Plan and Zoning Ordinance of Makati have set a five-meter buffer zone on each side of the fault line and declared these as “open spaces” where no renovation or expansion on existing structures shall be allowed. Instead, they will be converted into linear parks. “I made it clear that the city will not purchase lots on the danger zones. I reminded residents that their lives were far more valuable than material possessions,” Binay said.

PH MATH GENIUSES SQUARE OFF IN METROBANK CHALLENGE FINALS THE country’s math geniuses competed during the national finals of the 2017 Metrobank-MTAP-DepEd Math Challenge National Finals last April 22 at the Metrobank Plaza Auditorium in Makati City. Out of 572,916 students who competed in the nationwide elimination rounds, 44 students representing 29 FOR PAMPANGA. Cleanfuel continues with its busy second quarter of 2017 as it is public and private schools successfully poised to open another gasoline station along Olongapo Highway corner Magliman Road met the “hurdle rate” in their scores, in Barangay Magliman, San Fernando, Pampanga. This new station will offer high-quality Premium 95 octane gasoline, Unleaded 91 and Diesel. Cleanfuel stations feature 24/7 service, a allowing them to advance to the final leg credit card facility, air-conditioned comfort rooms, air and water services, and a drivers lounge of the MMC. for customers, which is not typical for gas stations. For more information about Cleanfuel and The national finals showcased the its other locations, please call (02) 655-6407; (02) 655-9219 or visit www.cleanfuel.ph. mathematical competence of Grade 6

Local Gov’t Units

and Grade 10 students who competed in individual and team categories. The challenge consisted of solving complex mathematical problems mentally within 15 seconds, and additional rounds of 30-second and one-minute questions using pen and paper. As the first math competition in the Philippines to use technology that leads to faster generation of contest results, the MMC provides national finalists with tablet computers, through which they send answers directly to the judges, who then immediately mark them as “correct” or “wrong.”

CALAMBA CITY—The government has laid out an elaborate plan to cover one million hectares of watershed, riverbanks and lake shores with 200 million seedlings of high and commercially productive variety of bamboo in the next five years. At the launch here of the bamboo development plan for the Southern Tagalog region on Wednesday, Environment Undersecretary Demetrio Ignacio said the massive planting of high-quality variety bamboo is a component of the social justice thrust of the Duterte administration, meant to benefit rural communities while preserving and rehabilitating freshwater sources and lakes. “Planting bamboo will mean social justice, for it will benefit the people and the communities. In six years, we will plant in one million hectares,” Ignacio told a crowd of local officials, regional and provincial officials of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and representatives of other government agencies, people’s organizations and environmental groups in Barangay Looc. The riverbank barangay of the city, the birthplace of national hero Jose Rizal, is among the selected pilot areas for the massive bamboo planting program designed to cover nearly 2,000 hectares in Calabarzon area with concentration in the communities surrounding Laguna Lake. The lake, commonly called Laguna Bay, is the largest freshwater lake in the country and second in Asia. Numerous plans are afoot to protect, preserve and rehabilitate it following decades of human abuse resulting to its massive pollution and degradation threatening a major livelihood source for residents in large parts of Rizal, Laguna and Metro Manila.

APPLIANCE MAKER AIDS GENTRI BUKID YOUTH CENTER BEKO Philippines, a global domestic appliance and consumer electronics brand, recently extended its support for St. Mary Euphrasia Integrated Development Foundation Inc.Bukid Kabataan Center, located at Sitio de Fuego, San Francisco in General Trias City, Cavite. The company donated two top-loading washing machines to assist the foundation, in line with the brand’s aim to provide the institution with more efficient laundry operations. "Beko has always provided meaningful solutions that positively impacts communities. We saw the need to offer our assistance to the children of Bukid Kabataan Center, especially when we found out that they needed a better laundry area," said Melchor Zapata, Beko marketing director. Bukid Kabataan Center is a foundation that helps at-risk children, especially girls ages seven to 15 years old. The center provides life-giving environment for its beneficiaries through a community that offers protection and fosters physical and psychological healing. Since most of their beneficiaries are at-risk children, the center’s program and services include providing for their basic needs like food, shelter, and clothing. It also gives counseling and ecotherapy, as well as activities that foster socialization. Education services are also given to the beneficiaries that are focused on building knowledge, fostering right attitudes, instilling of good values, and building capabilities, talents, and skills.

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CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

LEYTE TEACHERS LOSE HOPE ON YOLANDA AID PALO, Leyte—Fidelino Josol, a public high school teacher in this town, expressed doubt on the full release of their long-awaited financial aid after Super Typhoon "Yolanda" in November 2013. “It is unlikely that it will be released,” said Josol, apparently frustrated about the issue. Bobby Seno, a colleague of Josol, also said he is losing hope that he would receive the full assistance due to its years of delay. “I move on for many years now… forget about it,” Seno said, referring to the President’s Social Fund granting financial assistance to government employees, who were hit by a 7.2-magnitude earthquake in Bohol and Super Typhoon “Yolanda” in 2013 during then-President Benigno Aquino III’s administration. Then Presidential Management Staff Secretary Julia Andrea Abad issued a guideline for the fund release on Jan. 7, 2014, yet Josol, Seno and other teachers have only received the half of their aid in late 2015, while others have yet to receive their share. Per government guidelines, government employees whose houses were totally damaged are entitled to receive P100,000 each, while those with partially damaged houses would receive P30,000. However, the disbursement of the fund is done by tranches and batches. “It remains an uphill fight…In essence, the ‘emergency’ factor is no longer present in the giving of this emergency fund. If we don’t have any initiative, nothing will happen on this. Unified support from teachers is urgent to solve

this issue,” admitted Mer Inisa Ogario, Eastern Visayas regional coordinator of Alliance of Concerned Teachers, whose organization has been pushing for the full release of the funds. Ogario said the teachers also sought help from Social Welfare Secretary Judy Taguiwalo to express their appeal to President Rodrigo Duterte to speed up the fund distribution. She also called division heads from concerned division offices who have not yet complied with the liquidation reports. “They should not sit down on this because the lowly teachers are those who are greatly affected,” Ogario said. Aside from selected divisions in Eastern Visayas, education personnel from different divisions in Regions 4-A, 4-B, 5, 6, 7, 10 and 11 are also entitled to the said financial assistance, per guidelines issued by the PMS under Abad. Meanwhile, Ogario disclosed another update from the Department of Education’s Disaster Risk Reduction Management Service on the liquidation status of the PSF Financial Assistance for DepEd Personnel hit by “Yolanda” and the Bohol earthquake. The report said that as of April 18, the divisions with complete submission of liquidation documents from batch 1 include DepEd Regional Office 4-A, Tanauan, Cadiz City, Masbate, Guimaras, Passi, Roxas, Aklan, Antique and Biliran. Those with partial submissions include Palawan, Escalante City, Sagay City, Region 8, and Tacloban.

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NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC This is to inform the public that the following employees are no longer connected with Cirrus Global, Inc. 1. Mary-Ann Darlene M. Casco – April 28, 2017 2. Marlon B. Miranda – April 30, 2017 Any transaction entered into by this person from this date thereafter shall not be honored by the company. MS-APR. 30, 2017)

Republic of the Philippines Department of Health CENTRAL OFFICE BIDS AND AWARDS COMMITTEE Invitation to Bid PROCUREMENT OF VARIOUS GOODS 1.

The Department of Health (DOH), through the Continuing Appropriations Act of 2016 and General Appropriations Act CY 2017 intends to apply the sum of One Hundred Fifty Eight Million Six Hundred Twenty Six Thousand Three Hundred Eighty Philippine Pesos and Four Centavos (PhP 158,626,380.04) for the packages listed below: IB No.

Name of Contract

ABC (PHP)

Cost of Bidding Documents (Php)

2017-060-A

Procurement of Cotrimoxazole – Re-Bid

10,188,365.52

25,000.00

2017-064-A

Procurement of IV Fluids – Re-Bid

30,568,505.00

25,000.00

2017-061-A

Procurement of Oral Rehydration Salts (75-Replacement) – Re-Bid Procurement of Long Lasting Insecticide – Treated Nets TOTAL

2017-205

12,450,344.52

25,000.00

105,419,165.00

50,000.00

158,626,380.04

2.

The DOH now invites Bids from eligible Bidders for the procurement of the above-caption projects. Delivery of the Goods is required as specified in Section VI. Schedule of Requirements. Bidders should have completed contracts similar to the cited projects, equivalent to at least twenty five percent (25%) of the ABC. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II. Instructions to Bidders.

3.

Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using a nondiscretionary “pass/fail” criterion as specified in the 2016 Revised 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.

4.

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

5.

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

Activity (Date & Time) Pre-bidding Submission and Conference Opening of Bids

Name of Contract

2017060-A 2017064-A

Procurement of Cotrimoxazole – Re-Bid Procurement of IV Fluids – Re-Bid

2017061-A

Procurement of Oral Rehydration Salts (75-Replacement) – Re-Bid

2017205

Procurement of Long Lasting Insecticide – Treated Nets

08 May 2017; 09:00 A.M

22 May 2017; 9:00: A.M

08 May 2017; 09:00 A.M

22 May 2017; 9:00: A.M

LANG-AY FESTIVAL. Tribal groups clad in their colorful ethnic costumes depict various stages of the traditional Lang-ay Harvest Festival dance in Bontoc, Mountain Province on Tuesday. The festival highlights the local rice planting cycle and agricultural harvests. Dave Leprozo Jr.

CORDILLERA LEADERS VOW SUPPORT FOR AUTONOMY By Dexter A. See

B

AUKO, Mountain Province—Close to 200 local officials, civil society organization and tribal leaders on Friday signed the Mount Data declaration of support for the establishment of the Autonomous Region of the Cordillera as they anticipate the planned shift from the existing presidential to a federal form of government by the Duterte administration.

The Cordillera officials signed the declaration after the forum entitled “Pioneer Autonomy Advocates, Getting Together,” spearheaded by the Office of the Presidential Assistant on the Peace Process and the Cordillera Regional Development Council at the historic Mount Data hotel that started last April 24. “We, the Cordillerans recognize our differences but we remain united by our shared goal to achieve regional autonomy in order to establish our permanent Cordillera identity, to accelerate the region’s socio-economic development, and to have respon-

sive policies for the Cordillera within the context of our common and distinctive historical and cultural heritage, economic structures and other relevant characteristics, do declare our commitment to support the establishment of an autonomous region of the Cordillera towards federalism,” the declaration stated. The regional leaders declared their commitment by collectively urging President Rodrigo R. Duterte to certify as priority and urgent House Bill No. 5343, which aims to establish the Autonomous Region of the Cordillera.

They want Duterte to “exert all necessary efforts available” to ensure that HB 5343 will be enacted into law without substantial change; support the establishment of regional autonomy in the Cordillera while awaiting the establishment of a federal system of government, and pushing as separate federal state by itself once a federal form of government is operationalized; and adopt the 2017 to 2019 road map for achieving autonomy towards federalism “as our guide in pursuing autonomy in the region.” They also committed to “continue capacitating themselves on the current discourse on federalism vis-à-vis autonomy to become effective advocates; conduct consistent information, education and communication activities to increase awareness and support among our fellow Cordillerans and constituents; active in engaging in programs, projects and activities of the RDCCAR in forwarding autonomy at various levels.” The groups intend to “pursue a process of healing, reconciliation and building back cohesive

CENTRO INTRODUCES MODERN ISUZU JEEPNEY SOLUTION THE modernization of the jeepney takes a step closer to realization, as public and government pressure mounts on the Department of Transportation to implement its Jeepney Modernization Program. This will effectively ban all jeepneys 15 years and older from plying the streets. With this in mind, leading truck body builder Centro Manufacturing Corp. has gone ahead to produce its prototype of the modern jeepney using the Isuzu NHR light truck platform. The prototype features a side entrance and perimeter and center-facing bench seats, while the front will have doors on

both sides. The Isuzu-Centro jeepney prototype was exhibited at the 2017 Isuzu Truck Fest at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City from April 20 to 23. Senior sales manager Vic Belisario said Centro chose the Isuzu NHR light truck platform because it is already tried and tested for Philippine roads in terms of endurance and durability. “Due to its popularity, maintenance, servicing and spare parts are not a problem at all. It is also the same chassis platform that we use for our Isuzu iVAN microbus conversion which we have

been producing since 2011. We and our customers are very happy with its performance and reliability.” “The jeepney prototype currently has a seating capacity of 17 passengers and is powered by a 2.8-liter diesel engine,” Belisario added. “But we plan to introduce a longer variant with a seating capacity of 23 passengers.” “It makes sense the jeepney will be powered and produced by Isuzu since the majority of the jeepneys around the country now use Isuzu engines,” says Hiroto Nakaguro, head of Sales Department of Isuzu Philippines Corp.

6.Bid must be duly received by the COBAC-A Secretariat at the address below on or before the date given above. 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 (a) (b)

(c)

(d)

Cash, 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. 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

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

Two percent (2%)

Five percent (5%) No percentage required

Bid opening shall be at COBAC Conference Room, Ground Floor, Bldg. 6, Department of Health, Sta. Cruz, Manila. Bids will be opened in the presence of the Bidders’ representatives who choose to attend at the address above. Late bids shall not be accepted. 7.

The DOH reserves the right to 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.

8.

For further information, please refer to: COBAC-A Secretariat Building No. 6 Department of Health San Lazaro Compound, Rizal Avenue, Sta. Cruz, Manila Tel. Nos. 651-7800 local 1625 to 1627; 1650 to 52 Facsimile No.: 741-9775

(MS-APR. 30, 2017)

(SGD) GERARDO V. BAYUGO, MD, MPH, CESO III Undersecretary of Health COBAC – A Chairperson :

relationships to advance the advocacy for the attainment of regional autonomy, and support the initiatives of the OPAPP that facilitate the region’s autonomy advocacy together with Muslim Mindanao.” Key personalities present during the forum were Presidential Peace Adviser Jesus Dureza, RDCCAR Chairman and Baguio City Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan, Mountain Province Gov. Bonifacio Lacwasan Jr., Mountain Province Vice Gov. Francis Tauli, Kalinga Gov. Jocel C. Baac, and Kalinga Vice Gov. James Edubba. Provincial and municipal officials of the Mountain Province, leaders and members of the fragmented Cordillera Peoples Liberation Army, and numerous representatives from various civil society organizations were also present. Meanwhile, Dureza said the national government should “reward” the Cordillerans for embracing peace for three decades now as its leverage to convince national leaders to grant their long overdue clamor for autonomy towards federalism.

MEDICAL MISSIONS. In March and early April, SM Foundation’s medical and dental teams’ hands were full,

with missions in Naga, Quezon City, Cebu, Cavite, Valenzuela, San Juan, and Pangasinan at SM City Malls in the respective localities, as well as the Mowelfund Compound in Quezon City, Punlaan School in San Juan, and BAIPHIL in Bayambang, Pangasinan. A total of 10,784 beneficiaries gained consultations with volunteer doctors and free full dosage of drug prescriptions, and x-ray and other laboratory examinations. The medical mission at SM City Naga (left) serviced 1,026 beneficiaries; SM City Novaliches, 1,007; SM Seaside City Cebu (right), 2,028; SM City Consolacion, 1,069; Mowelfund, Quezon City, 401; SM City Molino, 1,404; SM City Valenzuela, 1,121; Punlaan School, 164; and BAIPHIL-Bayambang, 2,564.

TAGBILARAN GETS USAID WATER HELP NEARLY 190,000 residents of Tagbilaran City in Bohol can look forward to improved water supply and sanitation services with a collaborative partnership between the city government and Maynilad Water Academy. With the arrangement, facilitated by the United States Embassy in the Philippines’ US Agency for International Development, the city government and Maynilad Water Services, through its Maynilad Water Academy, will develop and implement a oneyear joint work plan that will improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the Tagbilaran City Waterworks System. Participants will exchange best practices, expertise, and technology in water supply operation and non-revenue water management through joint data gathering and consultation, coaching and mentoring, study visits, and on-the-job training. USAID has been working with the TCWS since 2016, helping the government-managed utility provide water services for longer hours and expand household connections to water services. These measures support the city government’s vision of providing clean, potable, adequate, sustainable, and resilient services by 2030.

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

Gadgets & Games

D3

SUNDAY, APRIL 30, 2017 rumallari@thestandard.com.ph

IMAGINE CUP TO INDONESIA; PH TEAM 2ND RUNNER-UP By using HP printers, entrepreneurs can also add value to their products and services.

HP KNOWS VALUE OF 10 CENTAVOS caption cation caption captin caption caption caption caption captin captin caption

Members of the Philippine representative Team Opticode bagged 2nd runner-up at the Imagine Cup 2017. JR Padlan

By Klyde Manansala

T

EAM CIMOL of Indonesia was hailed as the firstever Microsoft’s Imagine Cup Southeast Asia Champion at the Solaire Resorts and Casino and will be headed to the Seattle World Finals, together with seven other ASEAN countries, including the Philippines to present their very own innovative ideas. Due to the widespread false information in the internet which leads to misunderstanding among users, Adinda Putra, Tifani Warnita, and Feryandi Nurdiantoro built a web-based application, which can identify whether a certain textual information such as news is a hoax or not. The Indonesian students from In-

stitut Teknologi Bandung won $3,000 and got the chance chance to shoot for the title of world champion and the $100,000 in Seattle, where they will compete with the best and brightest teams across the globe. Out of the 10 Asian teams which vied for the seven spots in the I magine Cup World Finals, the Philippines’ Team Opticode placed

2nd runner-up and bagged $1,000. The Filipino team will also fly to Seattle to demo its application called “Minerva,” built by the students of the Lyceum of The Philippines University in Laguna, namely Christian Lou Cepe, Jasmine Pearl Raymundo, and Rochel Reyes. Cepe came up with the idea of Minerva, a virtual assistant mobile application for the visually impaired, helping them identify the objects around them by just pointing their cameras at them. Cepe said Minerva was inspired by t h e s c re e n i n g to o l c a l l e d “Eyeanaemia,” which was created by Dr. Jennifer Tang, a co-founder of Stat Innovations. Eyeanaemia also won the Microsoft’s Imagine Cup global student technology competition in 2014. “We realize the problems that

visually impaired people experience everyday, so we wanted them to imagine things around the world by the use of Minerva,” Cepe said. Aside from detecting objects around, they are planning to include a phone call support for communication purposes and a music player for entertainment. Also part of the innovation of Minerva is putting the application on a lens such as an eyeglass so visually-impaired people can just wear it to detect objects around them, and for music and phone calls. The five other teams who will compete in Seattle are Team Echo Innovators (Nepal); Team Parasitica (Bangladesh), winner of the People’s Choice Award; Team Welse (Thailand); Team Titans (Sri Lanka); and first-runner up Team HeartSound (Singapore).

FLARE UP YOUR STYLE WITH CHERRY MOBILE P1 SERIES CHERRY Mobile delivers double the lens power and performance with the highly-anticipated Flare P1 Mini, Flare P1 and Flare P1 Plus, proving that whatever your lifestyle is, there’s a mobile phone suited to your personality.

Flare P1: Your ultimate travel companion

Enjoy more of mobile phone photography with the newest Cherry Mobile Flare P1 smartphone showcasing dual rear camera lens. Sporting a 13MP and 2MP dual back shooter, the device can be your ultimate travel companion as Flare P1 Mini: Fits this produces like-worthy photos. You your budget and pocket can also enjoy the smartphone’s 5MP The perfect size for travel, the front camera which is suited for your Cherr y Mobile Flare P1 M ini is perfect selfies. What’s even better is that a compact device that has a 4” the Flare P1 has a bokeh effect feature capacitive screen, 5MP back and where taking photos through your mo2MP front cameras. A perfect fit for bile device seems to be attainable. Now, your pocket, this is not only suited all you will just need in your photo opto those who are in a tight budget portunity moments is one sleek, handy but also to those who want to own and compact device that could produce a quality latest smartphone in the high quality pictures. market. Delighting trendsetters and goThe Cherry Mobile Flare P1 Mini getters who also expect seamless mobile runs on your favorite Marshmallow experience, the Flare P1 runs on the latest 6.0 OS, coupled with 4GB internal Nougat 7.0 OS coupled with 1GB RAM storage which can be expanded and 16GB internal storage expandable up to 32GB via microSD. It also has up to 32GB via microSD. Enjoy photos a sleek exterior and is lightweight that are more vivid and detailed on your making it a perfect fit to your wallet. 5” HD IPS screen. Moreover, aspiring With an affordable price of photographers and avid social media P1,799SRP, continue to live big with users will surely find greater pleasure in the Cherry Mobile Flare P1 Mini. capturing and posting daily snaps online.

Flare P1 Mini

Be one of the firsts to own the Cherry Mobile Flare P1 reasonably priced at P3,999SRP.

Flare P1 Plus: Your partner in mobile phone photography

Level up your passion in photography while enjoying the latest in mobile technology with the Cherry Mobile

Flare P1 Plus. Sharing almost the same specifications with Cherry Mobile Flare P1, the P1 Plus is one good option if you’re betting for an upgrade. With its 13MP and 5MP dual rear cameras, you can now continue your passion in taking photos as it can execute stunning results with the device’s bokeh feature. Through this, capturing picturesque views like a pro will never be a problem as the Flare P1 Plus can give that bokeh effect and more. With a price tag of P5,999SRP, the Cherry Mobile Flare P1 Plus sports a 5.5” full-HD display. It runs on the latest Nougat 7.0 OS, and with its ample 2GB RAM and 16GB internal storage (expandable up to 64GB via microSD), you’re assured that this smartphone can keep up with your fast-paced digital lifestyle. Play with its photography functions and upload photos directly and conveniently to your social media accounts as the Cherry Mobile Flare P1 Plus is 700MHz LTE-ready. Flare up your style and upgrade your mobile phone photography with the latest Cherry Mobile Flare P1 Series available at all Cherry Mobile concept stores and kiosks nationwide.

MORE BRANDS TRUST SHOPEE SHOPPING online from your favorite brands can now be done with just one checkout as Shopee announces its partnership with even more popular brands. “Shopee started as a platform where users could buy from and sell to other users. As we grew, more established brands started joining Shopee as they saw an opportunity to easily expand their online business to a wider audience while receiving constant support from the Shopee team on managing and growing their online shops,”said Macy Castillo, Shopee’s Head of Commercial Business. Beginning this April, Filipinos are now able to conveniently shop for mobiles and gadgets, electronics, health and beauty, fashion, and

accessories from favorite brands such as PC Express, Red Fox, Cherry Mobile, Promate, Playground, Belo Baby, and Unisilver Jewelry right on their mobile phones via the Shopee app. Unisilver Jewelry, for one, expressed its enthusiasm in joining Shopee. “It is the most innovative and hasslefree mobile shopping app out there and we wanted to be part of it!” Meanwhile, Playground mobile accessories shared its reason for joining as, “Because Shopee is trustworthy, very easy to use, and takes care of its sellers and buyers. PC Express added: “Shopee enables us to better serve our customers by providing them an easy, fun,

and safe way to purchase our products online.” Launched last 2015, Shopee quickly gained momentum towards becoming the mobile shopping app of choice by over 2 million Filipinos to date. Shopee is available for download for free on Google Play and the App Store. Visit www.shopee.ph for more information. Users have credited their frequent use of the app with the convenience Shopee offers buyers and sellers alike—buyers enjoy the different payment methods available and Free Shipping services, while sellers benefit from package pick-ups directly from their location of choice and nationwide delivery.

WHAT is the value of 10 centavos? For most businesses, it could equate to a paper clip, while another could compare it to a folder. But for a company that uses HP equipment, it could mean lowered operating costs that can translate to profits. This is most true for home and small- or medium-sized businesses where investing in quality equipment and innovative technology can spell the big difference. By using HP printers such as the HP DeskJet GT5820 or GT5810 All-in-One Printers for their business needs, entrepreneurs can also add value to their products and services, towards achieving business success. With HP’s superior-quality inks and printers that work the first time every time, businesses can also realize savings by minimizing print wastage and electricity consumption. Ensure business growth and success by reinventing the way you run your small- or medium-sized company today. Go to the nearest HP reseller to get your own HP all-in-one printer and Original HP Ink to make your business investment worth it! To know more about how you can grow your business by reinventing the value of 10 centavos, check out HP’s new television commercial at https://twitter.com/i/web/status/809706562126221312 and visit their official website http://www8. hp.com/ph/en/printers/deskjet-gt.html for more details!

JABRA...

From D4

Omni-directional microphone with 360-degree pick-up for up to six ‘in room’ attendees, 15 hours of battery life and a HiFi grade speaker for crystal clear conversation and music. The Jabra Speak 710 builds upon the success of the Speak Series, which has sold over 1 million units worldwide delivering an audio performance twice as powerful as its predecessor. It also adds an incredible smart feature enabling two units to be wirelessly linked together with the touch of a finger. Pair two devices and create an immersive sound or expand the room coverage from six to twelve attendees.

Compact design, Maximum portability

Research shows a third of conference calls are delayed due to setup issues with connections and speaker phones, 15 per cent of meeting time is spent on ‘getting started’, and one of the most common frustrations is poor sound quality4. With its simple plug-and-play setup, the Jabra Speak 710 guarantees a quick and easy-to-use speakerphone experience with premium audio to offices and small conference rooms. It works with all types of smart devices and seamlessly integrates with all Unified Communications platforms eliminating the need for dial pad solutions—and challenging the traditional hardware approach to conference calling. With more power than ever before, the Jabra Speak 710 Series comes in a small, compact design, with an integrated folding stand for extra flexibility. Connect to a smart device or laptop in seconds via USB or Bluetooth via the enclosed dongle. This provides a 30-meter range for laptops or 10 meter for smartphones.

Powerful music speaker

DONATION. Consumer finance company Home Credit, in partnership with the

Department of Education, recently donated printers to schools throughout the Negros Island Region. The turnover is part of a nationwide donation of over 1,000 printers by Home Credit to be distributed by the DepEd to beneficiary schools across the country. The donation to Negros was formalized recently in a turnover ceremony at SMX Bacolod, attended by local officials and school representatives from the region. In photo are (from left) DepEd Regional Director Gilbert T. Sadsad, DepEd Assistant Secretary Atty. Nepomuceno A. Malaluan, DepEd Assistant Regional Director Salustiano Jimenez, Home Credit Philippines Corporate Communications Director Jerome Mangahas, Dr. Erlinda Calumpang, ASDS Lelanie Cabrera, and Dr. Rachel Picardal at the turnover ceremony. Photo courtesy of DepEd-Negros

Effortlessly switching between music and calls, the Speak 710 also transforms into a powerful music speaker. Simply connect to an online music streaming service or music library on the mobile device. “The Jabra Speak 710 is the perfect tool for everyone who cannot afford to have unreliable and uncomfortable collaboration tools. Offering extended mobility combined with an immersive audio and true music experience, this makes it the exclusive business partner and music companion for any business leader and C-level executive who values productivity and efficiency,” states Lee.

D4

Gadgets & Games

SUNDAY, APRIL 30, 2017 Riera U. Mallari, Editor rumallari@thestandard.com.ph

MACHINES TO RESTORE MEMORY, CARE FOR KIDS

Samsung 360 Cassette

UPGRADE WORKPLACE WITH SAMSUNG 360 CASSETTE

A Boston Dynamics Spot robot mingles with the crowd at the TED Conference in Vancouver, Canada. "I think it won't be too long before we're using robots to take care of our parents, or help our children take care of us," Boston Dynamics robotics company founder Marc Raibert said during TED talk on stage. AFP

V

ANCOUVER—Intelligent machines of the future will help restore memory, mind your children, fetch your coffee and even care for aging parents. It will all be part of a brave new world of the not-so-distant future, in which innovative smart machines, rather than being the undoing of people -- as some have long feared -- actually enhance humans. That was the vision outlined at the prestigious TED Conference by experts who say technology will allow people to take on tasks they might only have dreamed of in the past. “Super-intelligence should give us super-human abilities,” Tom Gruber, head of the team responsible for Apple’s Siri digital assistant, said during an on-stage talk Tuesday night.

“Artificial intelligence can enable partnerships where each human on the team is doing what they do best,” he told the popular technology conference. Gruber, a co-creator of Siri and artificial intelligence research at Apple, told of being drawn to the field three decades ago by the potential for technology to meet people’s needs. “I am happy to see that the idea of an intelligent personal assistant is mainstream,” he said. Now he has set his sights on smart machines, and is turning the thinking about the technology on its head. “Instead of asking how smart we Smarter machines, can make our machines, let’s ask how smarter humans smart our machines can make us,” “As machines get smarter, so do Gruber said. we,” Gruber said. Already smart personal assistants

are taking hold, pioneered by the likes of Apple’s Siri. South Korean giant Samsung created Bixby to break into the surging market for voice-activated virtual assistants, which includes Amazon’s Alexa, Google’s Assistant and Microsoft’s Cortana. Amazon appears to have impacted the sector the most with its connected speakers using Alexa. The service allows users a wide range of voice interactions for music, news, purchases and connects with smart home devices.

Remembering everything

Gruber envisions artificial intelligence—AI—getting even more personal, perhaps augmenting human memory. “Human memory is famously flawed—like, where did the 1960s go and can I go there too?” Gruber quipped. He spoke of a future in which artificial intelligence remembers everyone met during a lifetime and details of

everything someone read, heard, said or did. “From the tiniest clue it could help you retrieve anything you’ve seen or heard before,” he said. “I believe AI will make personal memory enhancement a reality; I think it’s inevitable.” Such memories would need to be private, with people choosing what to keep, and be kept absolutely secure, he maintained.

Surefooted robots

Boston Dynamics robotics company founder Marc Raibert was at TED with a four-legged SpotMini robot nimble enough to frolic amid the conference crowd. He smiled but would not comment when asked by AFP about the potential to imbue the gadget with the kind of artificial intelligence described by fellow speakers. Raibert did, however, note that the robots are designed to be compatible with new “user interfaces.” AFP

LG SUPER UHD TELEVISION IS NETFLIX APPROVED FOR the third consecutive year, the latest 2017 TV models from LG Electronics have been recognized as Netflix Recommended TVs by the global internet TV company that popularized streaming. The evaluation program identifies TVs that deliver excellent Netflix performance and superb viewing experience. For the first time, LG’s 2017 UHD models includes a dedicated Netflix button on the remote control, enabling users to both turn on the TV and launch Netflix with the press of a single button. LG’s newest TVs also feature the latest version of Netflix that allows easy access to the service directly

2017 LG OLED TV

from the home screen. LG has ensured that its entire 2017 lineup of premium TVs

support the full palette of HDR formats with Active HDR to render brighter scenes and greater

shadow details when displaying HDR contents, including Dolby Vision, HDR10 and HLG. With their superb line of 2017 TV models, LG Philippines is inviting everyone to experience the best of Netflix’s titles in 4K and HDR and stream superb picture quality with greater definition and more accurate colors with higher range. Starting May 6 to July 16, purchase any LG UHD, Super UHD, or OLED models and enjoy a 3-month subscription of Netflix premium with 4K UHD Plan which offers unlimited TV programs and films on 4 simultaneous screens in HD and Ultra HD. “We are incredibly proud that our 2017TVs are once again being

recognized as Netflix Recommended TVs,” said Brian Kwon, president of the LG Electronics Home Entertainment Company. “Because of such recognition, we will continue to find ways to give smart TV owners faster, easier access to 4K HDR content and a more enjoyable viewing experience from our TVs.” “LG has been an industry leader in delivering excellent Netflix access and performance on their Smart TVs,” said Scott Mirer, vice president, Device Partner Ecosystem at Netflix. “The Netflix Recommended TVs in LG’s 2017 lineup continue that leadership, and provide our members with an even better Netflix experience.”

TODAY'S fast-paced world has people spending majority of their time in the workplace. Because of this, businesses must always ensure that their space is comfortable and conducive for productivity. Proper temperature is an important factor and Samsung has the right cooling solution to address it. From design to performance, the Samsung 360 Cassette builds a smarter future for businesses. It boasts of the world’s first circular design with an innovative 360 degree airflow that ensures optimal air conditioning and eliminates hot spots. With the 360 Cassette, consumers will not suffer from cold draft and instead have a per fect even cooling experience resembling that of natural wind. Air flow is not concentrated in a certain area so this helps eliminate more instances of unproductivity and discomfort. This especially applies to places where customer comfort is essential like hospitals and restaurants, as well as places where people stay for a longer period of time like schools or libraries. Its unique bladeless design makes cooling more efficient as it provides 100% of air volume without any loss, compared to traditional 4-way Cassette units, which can lose up to 25% of air volume. With its fast cooling feature, the 360 Cassette ensures cooling efficiency. The circular design also allows the 360 Cassette to be placed beautifully in any setting, making it a great choice for many modern architects and interior designers. Businesses even have the option to customize their 360 Cassette with any color and design, making it the ideal air conditioning unit for any establishment that is very particular about its branding, but also gives due importance to functionality. The new line-up of Samsung System Air Conditioners is available at authorized Samsung dealers nationwide. For more details, visit www. samsung.com/ph.

JABRA SPEAK 710: BUSINESS PARTNER, MUSIC COMPANION JABRA, the leader in the development of professional communications and sound solutions, today announced the local availability of the Jabra Speak 710. The latest addition to the award winning Jabra Speak series, the Speak 710 is a premium, portable speakerphone designed both for professional and personal usage, and ensures great sound for conference calls and music. The Jabra Speak 710 is a high-end personal device providing premium HiFi grade audio and superior Unified Communication experience.

Perfect For Business Communication

The Jabra Speak 710 is the per-

fect partner for business leaders and C-level executives. This highly mobile target group works on average almost 58 hours a week, of which they spend nearly 2.5 hours in meetings every day. Besides having a highly collaborative job, they also travel a lot—with 86 per cent spending up to ten days per month on the road1. To accommodate their lifestyle, business leaders and C-level executives require solutions that support mobility, collaboration, connectivity and flexibility. As they mainly work in a distributed team in different time zones, they need extended collaboration and

mobility to enable conference calls whether they are on the road, in the office, at home or in a hotel. About 40 percent of business leaders use speakerphones for conference calls once or twice a week, while 21 percent will use them three to five times in a week2. However, far too often, audiences experience a major impact on the effectiveness of calls3. For a business group that spends a large amount of time on the phone and in meetings, this has serious effect on productivity. “We at Jabra aspire to make life sound better for our users,” said Wayne Lee, Product Management and Alliances Manager, APAC.

The Jabra Speak 710 continues the lineage of our award winning Speak series that offer intelligent business sound solutions. These devices empower users to be even more productive, by helping users concentrate more, communicate and collaborate better, and make conversation easier. We do this by helping them block out noise while delivering crystal-clear sound, Lee adds.

First Professional and Personal Conferencing Device

The Jabra Speak 710 is the first truly professional and personal conferencing device, boasting an Turn to D3

The latest edition to award winning Jabra Speak Series provides an immersive call and sound experience for business leaders and C-level executives with high mobility

E1

SUNDAY, APRIL 30, 2017 Isah V. Red, Editor

/

Young Life

Bernadette Lunas, Issue Editor isahred@gmail.com.ph

HOW TO TAKE IG-WORTHY TRAVEL PHOTOS

PACKING TIPS FOR YOUR NEXT TRIP

A WEEKEND getaway or a weeklong holiday can instantly become a trip to the land of stress and misery when you did not pack your bag well. Manila Standard Young Life does half of the job for you as we share these 10 road-tested packing tips you find useful wherever you are heading.

Make a packing checklist

Start packing days or week ahead by listing down all the things you intend to bring on your trip. A packing checklist helps you determine which items are already available and packed, and which are otherwise.

Scan this icon to view the PDF

By Bernadette Lunas

M

UCH like how we want to show what we’re having for dinner to our friends on social media, we also do whenever we’re traveling. It’s no longer enough that we tell our friends that we spent the weekend in a secluded island in Palawan or the week-long holiday in Batanes; you have to show proof—“photos or it didn’t happen” they say. WANDERLUST.

Taking photos during your travel is one thing, taking travel photos that will get multiple double taps is another, and taking photos that showcase the beauty of a destination is a different specie altogether. SinoPinas (@sinopinas on Instagram) has successfully done the third aforementioned point. Founded by John Austria, Raniel Hernandez, Alexis Lim, and Karl Ivan Presentacion, SinoPinas is an online community of Filipinos in a quest of discovering local destinations and introducing them on different perspectives, depending on the contributor’s submission. Anyone can submit their travel photos by labeling their images #Si____ (the location) as if introducing the said spot. With more than 73,000 followers as of this writing, SinoPinas is the leading Instagram account that features the Philippines, our local version of @beautifuldestinations if you will. Its co-founders share the basic techniques to make your travel photos IG-worthy.

Don't just take photos to show where you are to your friends on social media. Showcase the beauty of the destination whenever you travel. (Photos of Sagada by @aimeealiga, Samar by @dylancastillo, and Palawan by @thomito12 via @sinopinas on Instagram)

Roll your clothes

portraiture. Make use of shadows as they can soften naturally harsh light or highlight your subject.

Rolling instead of folding your clothes saves more space as well as lessen creasing. Tightly roll your clothes and put them in vacuum packs and in packing cubes for the ultimate space-saving technique.

Research

Pack multi-purpose items

Follow the rule of thirds

It wouldn’t be called a rule for nothing, and SinoPinas founders emphasize following this to make your photos look dynamic and aesthetically pleasing. Divide your frame using two vertical and two horizontal lines. Align your subject with the guide lines or at their intersection points. It doesn’t have to be perfectly lined up, though, just make it close. Finally, make creative use of the negative space around your subject.

Find the right light

When you have an interesting subject and have determined a good composition, all you need is to find the right light. Sunrise and sunset, also known as the Golden Hour, are the best light in

Use packing aids

Putting your clothes, shoes, and toiletries in packing cubes helps keep your suitcase organized and finding things easier. To further maximize luggage space, place your clothes in compression or vacuum packs.

Know more about the destination you’re going to beforehand to determine which parts you want to photograph. It also helps in finding out the best time to go to said locations depending on your photography purpose, for instance when there is less people.

Prepare your gadgets

Before embarking on an adventure or a photo walk session, make sure your gear are fully charged. Bring extra batteries and power bank if needed. It also helps if you travel light. Just bring the essentials with you.

Dual to multi-purpose items like a pair of reversible pants, scarves that can be used as an accessory or a blanket or a dress cover-up, and travel pillow that opens into a mini blanket allow you to pack more with less.

Take advantage of editing tools and applications

Thank the heavens for editing tools, we can easily edit our photos—remove distractions, enhance the images, and apply filters—in a few taps. SinoPinas recommends Instagram's editing tools, Snapseed, VSCO, and Touch Retouch. Co-founder John Austria reiterates, “Make sure that every photo you’re taking is well edited before you put it online.”

Never be contented

SinoPinas founders John Austria, Raniel Hernandez, Alexis Lim, and Karl Ivan Presentacion share tips and techniques to make your travel photos look dynamic and aestheticall pleasing (Photo from @sinopinas)

"When it comes to photography, don’t settle to ‘just okay.’ Take as many shots as you can so you can have a pool of choices,” says Austria. If you want to capture a place sans people, SinoPinas urges you to just wait for a while, if not, use editing apps that can remove unnecessary elements in your photos.

Protect your stuff

Avoid liquid leaks by taking the lid off liquid bottles and putting a layer of cling wrap on the neck of the container before replacing Turn to E2

DIFFERENT BAGS FOR DIFFERENT ADVENTURES

Bring everything you need in Tamarack backpack

WHAT’S IN your bag is just as important as what IS For long trek your bag whether you’re going on a three-day getEquipped with a hydration bladder, the Myers backaway or a day-long trip of home-work-home. pack is perfect for long treks during summer. The soft Know which kind of bag best suits your adven- padded shoulder straps are adjustable at the top, alture requirements—whatever they may be. lowing for better load distribution. It’s also decked with elastic lycra side pockets, safety whistles, and internal For multi-day getaway organizer panel with zipper pocket. Multi-day trips mean more stuff to carry. Merrell’s Tamarack backpack makes carrying heavy load easiFor week-long holiday er thanks to its comfortable padded back panel sysOn trips where you need an extra bag just in case tem with sturdy construction. It also features a chest you over packed, opt for the Discover backpack strap with integrated safety whistle, a padded ad- or the Wander duffel bag. Both bags are spacious justable hip belt, side and internal slip pockets, and enough and can be folded into their front pocket— a reflective logo. transforming into a small, easy to bring package.

For overnight stay Pack your stuff in the casual and versatile Brookfield backpack whose features include a large hood with integrated pocket, felt front flap, double multi-position webbing and hook closure, and front stash pocket. For day trip Milton sling bag’s front stash pocket with hook and loop closure, padded tablet compartment, and adjustable shoulder strap ensure that all your everyday essentials are within reach. These bags from Merrell are available at Merrell stores and select specialty and department stores nationwide.

Young Life

E2

SUNDAY, APRIL 30, 2017 isahred@gmail.com

METRO MANILA SUMMER SURVIVAL KIT SWELTERING heat combined with dirt and pollution makes summer in Metro Manila utterly unbearable. And if you’re a commuter, your daily trip becomes more challenging because it’s difficult to look and smell fresh when your face is melting and your seat-mate’s sweaty arm is sticking to yours. Don’t let the heat of the sun put a damper on the fun, with a help of these summer must-haves.

ISLAND HOPPING ON A ZIPLINE

Comfortable walking shoes

Give your most used body part, your feet, the pampering it deserves with durable and comfortable shoes. Go for Skechers Go Walk whose features promote effortless walking.

Extra shirt

An extra shirt always comes in handy when the one you’re wearing becomes damp with sweat or stained.

Oil blotting sheets

By Bernadette Lunas

T

HE thrill of riding an aerial cable and the excitement of discovering cliff-backed islands and pristine white beaches of El Nido in Palawan are combined in one zipline ride.

Two-year-old El Nido Zipline (owned and operated by Palawan Zipline Adventure, Inc.) in Brgy. Corong-corong, El Nido, Palawan offers an exhilarating and picturesque outdoor adventure to locals and tourists. The zipline, the first in the area, takes riders on a 750-meter one-way ride that goes as high as 262-feet above sea level. For over a minute, riders can revel in the beauty of El Nido seascape and landscape from above. The ride takes off on top of a hill on top of Orange Pearl Resort, goes downhill over silky white sand beaches and water, and finally lands on an island. Aside from popular islands, islets, and white sand beaches, it also offers a perfect view of the famous Bacuit Bay of El Nido. “Its top of the hill takeoff with a commanding view and landing on an island makes us different from the rest of the country’s ziplines,” El Nido Zipline owner Baham Mitra proudly told Manila Standard Young Life. According to Mitra, the ride is popular among young tour-

ists, aged 16 to 45, as, he says, there is a challenging climb going up the lift-off portion as well as on the island upon landing to the take-off area. Mainly an addition to the tourist attractions in El Nido, the outdoor ride also serves as an alternative activity during rough sea conditions. “Normally during the rainy season, we have less riders but when the coast guard does not allow island hopping for tourists, we witness a big barrage of people lining up to the zipline,” relates Mitra. Mitra, however, emphasizes that safety of riders remains the main priority of the company, followed, of course, by their enjoyment. “When the winds are too strong we do not operate,” he points out. “We also use European made gears to make sure of the durability and safety of our equipment.” To know how you can island hop on a zipline, contact 09464256892 or visit Elnido Zipline on Facebook.

Oily face is a big no-no whether you’re a male or a female.

Anti-bacterial wipes

Sweat is an ideal breeding ground for bacteria, so always bring a pack of anti-bacterial wet towelettes that you can use to wipe your sweaty skin.

Mini electric fan

Those ubiquitous mini fans powered by rechargeable battery are not only cute and portable, but more effective than fanning in keeping us cool.

ISLAND HOPPING, SUPERMAN-STYLE.

El Nido Zipline, the first and only zipline attraction in El Nido, Palawan, offers a unique way to explore the beauty of the island.

Bottled water

Dehydration is nonnegotiable with this kind of weather, so always bring water in a reusable bottle—because keeping yourself hydrated should not be at the expense of our environment.

PACKING... From E1 the lid; seal the container with clear tape. To prevent pressed powder and other compact makeup from cracking, place a flat cotton pad between the product and the lid. Put your shoes in a designated bag or place them in a shower cap. Bring clear Ziploc bags for your electronic gadgets and power outlets.

waiting for majority of your stuff to be returned to you, which could take a day or two, it’s best to have the essentials with you. Apart from wallet and identification documents, pack a set of clothes, small-size toiletries in clear Ziploc bag, first-aid kit (that contains vitamins, medicines, band-aids, antiseptic, essential oils and ointment) electronic gadgets and their respective chargers, power banks, and earphones.

Bring clothes that are versatile and lowmaintenance

Stick to plain and neutral colored clothes as they are easier to mix and match, not to mention no one would most likely notice that you have worn the same shirt Bring essentials in carry-on luggage as long as it doesn’t have remarkable prints. Lost luggage can happen to any of us. So it’s Bring clothes that are made of less-creasing better to be prepared than sorry. While you’re and quick-drying fabric. While denims pants

are easy to style, limit yourself to one pair, in dark color. Choose a pair of versatile and comfortable shoes—especially if your itinerary includes a lot of walking—and another pair of dressy footwear for special events. Don’t forget your flip flops, too.

clothes. This does not only help unburden your suitcase but also beneficial when the temperature changes—you can simply put on your jacket when the mercury drops or remove it when it shoots up.

Bring universal adaptor, extension cord, flashlight and whistle

Perhaps these are things we least consider packing but are actually useful when the situation calls for them. When traveling abroad, always bring a universal adaptor. Extension cord is useful especially if you have several electronic gadgets. Flashlight is for emergency power outage situation or if you find yourself in a dim/unlit area, while whistle comes in handy in instances that may require you to catch attention of other people.

Leave space in your suitcase

Don’t overpack your bag in the beginning of your trip. Make sure to leave ample space espeLayer your outfit cially if you’re shopping and buying souvenirs. Layer your on-the-road outfit by wearing Better yet, always bring a foldable bag where you your heaviest or bulkiest outfit over your lighter can transfer your lighter load.

Showbiz

SUNDAY, APRIL 30, 2017

E3

WHY IS CHARICE TAKING A BREAK?

#WALANGFOREVER. Charice Pempengco and Alyssa Quijano head for Splitsville

BEVY OF BEAUTIES. Binibining Pilipinas frontrunners (first row, from left) De Leon, Elima, Peters, Rodriguez, Pajares, Huelar, Ibe, Calingo, (second row, from left) Asturias, Thomas, Ortega, Sutton, De Leon, Manalo, Clenci, and Borja

STANDARD’S CHOICE

BINIBINING PILIPINAS 2017

HOT PICKS

By Eton Concepcion

I

T WAS a beautiful Saturday afternoon at the Araneta Center when the traditional Binibining Pilipinas parade of beauties, a prelude to the finals, was held featuring this year’s forty lovely candidates each riding in top-down sports cars for all the fans and beauty-watchers to see. From all the Bb. Pilipinas pre-pageant activities, it is the parade of beauties that is highly anticipated and most attended for it gives the people a glimpse of the country’s up-and-coming beauty queens. After the National Costume and Talent competitions, the Bb. Pilipinas 2017 pre-judging committee may already have selected the lucky girls who would or should make the cut as semifinalists to be announced during the grand coronation tonight at the Smart Araneta Coliseum telecast via ABS-CBN.

Standard’s Choice lists down 15 Binibinis who are likely to win in the country’s most prestigious beauty competition and they are: Maria Angelica De Leon, Charmaine Elima, Rachel Peters, Katarina Sonja Rodriquez, Dindi Pajares, Jehza Mae Huelar, Nelda Ibe, Arienne Louise Calingo, Ana Patricia Asturias, Chanel Olive Thomas, Gabriela Patricia Ortega, Sirene Sutton, Angelique de Leon, Maria Camille Manalo, and Elizabeth Clenci.

Given that the competition format will be similar to last year, then the 40 candidates will be narrowed down to the Top 15 semifinalists, we are giving our own forecast for this year’s batch who we feel will have a strong chance to take one of the six the titles at stake. So, who will follow in the footsteps of 2016 Binibining Pilipinas Queens Maxine Medina, Kylie Versoza, Nicole Cordoves, Jennifer Hammond, Nichole Manalo and Joanna Louise Eden?

Showbiz scion Maria Angelica de Leon is the top pick of most pageant watchers to win Miss Universe Philippines crown

After carefully evaluating their performances throughout the competition, giving more weight on how well these ladies communicate their thoughts (as there have been a lot of talk that Q&A portion will play a big part in choosing this year’s winners), in random order, the

CROSSWORD PUZZLE Sunday, April 30, 2017

ACROSS 1 “Abra-Ca- —” 6 Actor’s quest 11 Silent’s — Bara 16 Razorbacks 21 — hoping! 22 Salsa singer — Cruz 23 Fishtailed 24 Usual practice 25 Limber 26 Ounces or inches 27 Fish basket 28 South Bend team 29 Like lawyers’ hours 31 Frighten, as horses 33 Subatomic particle 35 Tappan — 36 Archipelago dot 37 “Othello” heavy 39 Neatnik opposites 41 Seem likely (2 wds.) 43 Common fertilizer 46 Related to Mom 48 Dogpatch’s — Abner 49 Sans markup (2 wds.) 52 Reside 54 Chew out 56 Knight’s gloves 60 Pirate 62 Nintendo rival 64 Compliments 66 Spock’s captain 67 — tai 68 Patch locale 70 Exploding star 72 ASU site 74 High-tech scan 75 Shangri-la 77 Nervous swallow 79 Ms. Paretsky 81 Tackle-box item 82 Thick mass of hair 83 Turkey neighbor 85 Galileo’s home 87 Seal an envelope 89 Look — at 91 Fergie’s daughter 93 Ready to ride 96 Hyundai rival 97 Vast chasms 101 Tweety or Sylvester 102 Yield, as territory 104 Prickly pear 108 Sweater front 109 German river 111 Act worried 113 Proficiency 115 Helen of Troy’s mom 116 Pipe fitting 117 1902 erupter 119 Syngman of Korea 121 What to call a lady 123 Hippie’s digs 124 Upset 126 Chars 128 Used thriftily

130 132 134 136 138 139 141 143 145 149 151 152 156 157 159 161 163 165 167 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177

Fork or spoon Physicist Nikola — Kebab holders Peeved Eau —, Wis. Lab course Coil of yarn Frolics Kind of court Video-game pioneer Purple potato High priestess of Vulcan Opposite of “paleo” Musical symbol Like poppy seeds Lumber sources A Judd Black tea Shuttle course “— Street Blues” LPGA’s Lorena — Presses Car import Lou Grant portrayer Words of approval Ouzo flavor Put in a log Laurel and Getz

DOWN 1 Abu — 2 Patronage 3 Turbot cousin 4 Chiles — (Tex-Mex fare) 5 Between ports 6 Of the eyes 7 Dakar’s nation 8 XV x X + 1 9 River islets 10 Talks hoarsely 11 Magnates 12 Recollect (2 wds.) 13 Flock member 14 Heartfelt 15 Wing it (hyph.) 16 Big bash 17 1914 headline 18 Balearic resort isle 19 Sansei’s parent 20 Bygone anesthetic 30 Attaching cables to the ship post 32 Pamplona cheer 34 Fix a squeak 38 He gave us a lift 40 Portly 42 Harsh criticism 44 Author — Dinesen 45 Smooth and level 47 Tribal adviser 49 Crowning points 50 Yes-man 51 Town — 53 Freud’s concerns 55 Like some stadiums 57 “— a break!”

58 59 61 63 65 69 71 73 76 78 80 84 86 88 90 92 94 95 97 98 99 100 103 105 106 107 110 112 114

Typo Overlooks, maybe Enlist again (hyph.) Mountain hazard Give an address Director — Kazan Rarely rained on — Marbles Robin beaks Furtive sound Angus Young’s band “Sour grapes” coiner Up above “Fish Magic” artist Liverpool poky Dangerous mosquito Jet engine noise Red-waxed cheese Stave off Gainsay Raises one’s voice Capriati foe Hairy twin Soft drink choice Robin of balladry Punch server Enjoys, as benefits Cartoon shrieks Be humiliated

118 120 122 125 127 129 131 133 135 137 140 142 144 145 146 147 148 150 153 154 155 158 160 162 164 166 168

(2 wds.) Slezak of soaps Job rights agcy. Soften If not Ranch wear Confound it! Spiteful to the max Locust trees Chatty feline Not frank Chicago’s st. D.C. lobbyist Demosthenes, e.g. Pester Serenity Makes light of Tintype hue “— — a Rainy Night” First scheme (2 wds.) Gracie or Fred Net surfers Frond producer Hubbard of sci-fi CEO degs. Stooge with bangs Garden-pond fish Quick lunch

Flight attendant Charmaine Elima is one of the top contenders sadfdffdf among pageant repeaters

A FEW weeks back, singer Charice Pempengco posted some troubling messages on Twitter following her announcement that she would be taking a break from showbiz. “Happy for what I’ve achieved, for what I’ve become, for making people happy. I’ll just leave it like that. I’m tired now,” her social media post said. Thereafter, her concert at the Kia Theater scheduled on March 24 was cancelled leaving her fans more curious on the singer’s sudden decision. The concert was supposed to be her chance to thank her fans and give them updates on her personal and professional status.

According to Star Music, the concert was cancelled due to personal reasons without further elaborating on what was troubling the singer. But answer to this puzzle came quickly when the singer’s handler Carl Cabral, in a report by ABS-CBN News on Thursday, confirmed that Charice and her partner for four years have called it quits. In 2013, Charice shocked the world when she came out as a lesbian on national television. On the same year, she also announced her romantic relationship with Alyssa Quijano, a former contestant of The X Factor Philippines. Last October, the pair talked about the secret to their strong relationship and discussed about having kids.

E4

Showbiz

SUNDAY, APRIL 30, 2017 Isah V. Red, Editor / Nickie Wang, Issue Editor isahred@gmail.com

BLACK K-POP, ANYONE?

SWEET NO MORE.

Actress Kris Bernal debuts on the cover of FHM as the magazine's sultry muse for the month of May

CoCo Avenue is hailed as the first black K-Pop duo

KRIS BERNAL By Nickie Wang

K

EMBRACES HER SENSUAL SIDE

LAST week, Will Smith’s eldest son, Jaden, took to Twitter and confirmed that he’ll be “dropping a K-Pop single in the next 4 months.” This came moments after he confirmed that he, sister Willow and Odessa Adlon have formed a band together. This might sound random for anyone but the young Smith is actually a big fan of K-Pop. In 2013, Will and Jaden even visited YG Entertainment, a popular media company that operates as a record label, talent agency, and music production company, when they were in South Korea to promote their film, After Earth. During their visit, Jaden met with K-pop stars G-Dragon and CL.

APUSO star Kris Bernal debuts on the cover of a popular men’s magazine to finally come out of her shell to show a side of her personality unbeknownst to people who still see her as sweet and innocent.

when she was paired with Aljur Abrenica. The two starred in their first afternoon series Sine Novela: Dapat Ka Bang Mahalin? in 2009 and a primetime drama series All My Life in the same year. Since then, Kris has been “Handa na ako sa pagbuhos ng negative playing wholesome roles including her most comments. Pero tinanggap ko rin ang im- recent TV projects like Hiram Na Alaala and bitasyon niyo to do this kasi curious din Little Nanay. ako sa kung ano ang sasabihin [ng mga tao]. I really want to break the box people Two years ago, she started shedding her put me in. Gusto ko rin malaman nila na, “tweetums” image when she did a photo ‘Hey, Kris can do meatier roles...she can shoot for “Muse Philippines,” an online photo be edgier and more daring,” Kris tells the magazine, which features modern, brave, and magazine. inspirational women. In an interview after feature went up online, she was asked if she Kris started in show business when she would dare to appear on FHM cover. Her anjoined Starstruck in 2006 and won as the Ulti- swer was succinct: “I’m still too young for such mate Love Team with Mart Escudero. She be- bold move.” came part of numerous GMA Network shows including Boys Nxt Door, Zaido: Pulis PangkalaAs Kris matures physically and professionwakan, and Dyesebel. ally, she also recognizes her limitations. She admitted in an interview with FHM that amid Although she started in showbiz with Mart her efforts to become a versatile actor, she’s as her partner, she garnered more attention being limited to wholesome roles due to her The 27-year-old actress is the latest cover girl of FHM Philippines, it’s a collaboration that a lot of the magazine’s loyal readers have been waiting for years to happen.

petite frame and to the image she had established when she joined showbiz more than a decade ago. “She finally decided to say yes to FHM for that very reason—to show the public that she has what it takes to make it as a mature actress. Even if it meant ruffling a few more feathers, which she initially felt when she started posting about her newfound liberation on social media earlier this year,” FHM feature story quotes. True enough, the actress started spreading good vibes on social media, posting photos of herself looking comfortable in her own skin. In a photo shoot in Pundaquit, Zambales in March, the actress treated her fans to sneak peak of her latest project with photos of her wearing twopiece bikinis. In one of the posts, she said, “This is exactly the point in my life where I need to ditch the excuses and start being an adult.”

Called CoCo Avenue, the African-American singing duo has recently released a new track called “Eottae” on iTunes which also had a music video released on April 14. The Los Angelesbased group is composed of Jenny Lyric, who hails from St. Louis, and Jenna Rose, who was born in New Brunswick, N.J.

media and garnedred over three million hits on YouTube. Then the two Viva talents released another dance cover, this time to Ed Sheeran’s “Shape of You,” a marimbafueled song about a budding romance.

Like their trending dance covers, their love team shows a lot of potential, which is something their talent management has already recognized. The pair is currently Julian Trono and Ella Cruz are online working on its launching movie, a TV projsensations. Fans keep tabs on them waiting ect, and has recently released a recording for their dance covers. called “Tumalon.” They first teamed up for their steamy Asked what separates them from all other cover of Bruno Mars’s “Versace on the love teams around? They are all-around stars Floor” in January, which trended on social and they are more than ready to prove it.

In December, Jaden Smith brought up G-Dragon on Twitter, saying the BIGBANG member is his “inspiration.” The Korean rapper responded positively and ended with the promising, “Let’s do something.” Meanwhile, another K-pop group has emerged from the United States. But what’s interesting about the group is that they don’t even have any Korean member.

JULIAN TRONO, ELLA CRUZ SHAKE UP COMPETITION IN A world ruled by LizQuen, KathNiel, JaDine, and AlDub, there’s another love team brave enough to go head to head with the biggest onscreen pairs. JulianElla, the love team that has been the talk of the town of late, may just be the next tandem to make the whole competition among love teams even more colorful, not to mention exciting.

Jaden Smith is turning Korean

The duo that sings and raps in Korean is now being hailed as the “First Black K-Pop Group.” Julian Trono and Ella Cruz otherwise known as JulianElla is another big love team to watch