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VOL. XXXI • NO. 96 • 5 SECTIONS 20 PAGES • P18 • SUNDAY, MAY 21, 2017 • www.manilastandard.net • editorial@thestandard.com.ph
BUSINESS/ C1
ASEAN CODE OF CONDUCT COMPLETED
A THOUSAND HANDS. Cultural dancers from China perform 'A Thousand of Hands Guan Yin' during the Philippine Qipao Cultural Association's inauguration ceremony and charity gala dinner entitled 'Love Without Border.' Ver Noveno
GUIYANG, China—Philippine Ambassador to China Jose Santiago Sta. Romana has welcomed the completion of the draft of the framework of the Code of Conduct for the South China Sea territorial disputes. ”This is a welcome development. Bilateral and multilateral efforts to address issues of common concerns can be mutually reinforcing for peace, stability and security,” Sta. Romana said in his opening remarks during Friday’s 1st Meeting of the China-Philippines Bilateral Consultative on the South China Sea at the New World Hotel here. Sta. Romana lauded the senior officials of China and member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations for finally endorsing the clean text of the framework to the Asean foreign ministers. Sta. Romana added that China and the Philippines engaged in a candid but friendly discussion where officials from the two countries tackled almost all contentious issues on the South China Sea Turn to A2 dispute.
PH MAY SUE CHINA OVER WAR THREAT SC JUSTICE PROPOSES, DU30 WAITS FOR 'BETTER TIMES' By John Paolo Bencito and Sara Susanne Fabunan
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RESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Saturday said that he would “wait for better times” to raise the issue of oil extraction and the arbitration ruling in disputed waters “when heads are cooler,” even as Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio insisted that the country should sue China before a United Nations tribunal for threatening war against the country and demand that Beijing comply with an international court ruling that invalidated its claims over the South China Sea.
“It cannot be dismissed because it will be there for all time and it will always bug China,” Duterte said Friday in his new television show, Mula sa Masa, Para sa Masa aired over state broadcaster PTV4. “[We’ll] wait for better times when heads are cooler and when we are, we have the equanimity... both in [our] mind and body to discuss it,” he added. Malacañang earlier denied that President Rodrigo Duterte gave the “green light” to China’s reclamation activities in the West Philippine Sea. Carpio had also said that the Philippines should file damages against Beijing for our failure to utilize resources in the disputed waters, a move being blocked by China. Carpio said China’s recent warning was a “gross violation” of the United Nations Charter, Unclos, and the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia to which China and the Philippines are parties. It was President Duterte himself who revealed that Chinese Turn to A2
PEACE TAKES A HIT WITH ANTI-EU TIRADE By John Paolo Bencito FUNDS in support of the Mindanao peace process will be largely hit by the Philippines’ decision to reject more than €250 million in development assistance from the European Union, EU ambassador to the Philippines said Saturday. EU’s Ambassador Franz Jessen said that the biggest chunk of the €250 million or roughly P13 billion worth of grants for new projects that the government chose to reject will supposedly finance the peace process as well as community development at grassroots level. “A major part of the new spend-
ing will be reserved for Mindanao to support the peace process,” Jessen reiterated. On Friday, President Rodrigo Duterte admitted that it was the suggestion of Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III for him to forgo more than 250 million euros ($278.7 million) in funds for development projects in the country to avoid possible “interference” by the European Union. “The EU, they sent us $200 million. They said, we will grant you. But it needs to be consensual. They told us, we’re giving you to promote human rights, law and order,” Duterte said in his speech before members of the Philippine Coast Guard in Davao. Turn to A2 twitter.com/ MlaStandard
GUNS GALORE. President Rodrigo Duterte (2nd from left) and National Police director general Ronald dela Rosa (right) have a field day with firearms of various sizes, shapes and caliber during Friday's opening of the Defense and Shooting Arms Show held at the SMX Convention Hall in Davao City. Presidential Photo
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WHAT IF 'MY FAMILY'S SLAVE' IS MADE INTO A FILM?
STRICTER GUN CONTROL PROPOSED PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has called for stricter regulations on public ownership of high- powered firearms and ammunition as he ordered newly named Interior Secretary Eduardo Año to prevent these weapons from falling into the hands of criminals and communists. In a speech before gun enthusiasts in Davao City on Friday , Duterte cited the threat posed by the communist rebels which he said have the means to purchase high-powered guns and ammunition from local gun dealers. The communist rebels are earning money through extortion from mining companies and large plantation owners, he said. “So they have the money. So we have to control. Kung may magpabili ka ng armas, make sure kung sino and I would create an office,” he said. “I will give the guidance to the new Interior chief on how to ensure that no firearms would ever, ever land in the hands of an enemy of the state,” the President added. Duterte told gun dealers to advise their clients that they have to work on the papers to buy bullets and arms and to submit them early to get their orders on time. High-powered firearms should not be sold to civilians, he stressed, adding security guards should not be allowed to own firearms. They can be equipped with shotguns to defend themselves. “We can do business but let us make sure that it does not fall into the hands of the enemies. Because it could then make it doubly hard for us, instead of investing on the life of one soldier in a fight, if you give them the firepower and the firearms. I would need about five soldiers to suppress one enemy. Mahirap ‘yan,” he told the guns and ammunition dealers. Turn to A2
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SUNDAY, MAY 21, 2017 mst.daydesk@gmail.com
LIM ADDED TO DU30 'JUNTA' AS MMDA CHAIRMAN PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Saturday appointed yet another general, retired Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim, as the new chairman of the Metro Manila Development Authority, completing his “junta” of former military and police brass appointed to high-profile and sensitive positions within the Cabinet. In a text message to reporters, Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea confirmed Lim’s appointment as the new MMDA chairman, replacing Thomas Orbos, who will remain as the agency’s general manager. Duterte is expected to sign Lim’s appointment papers on Monday, May 22 before he leaves for Russia. A member of the Philippine Military Academy “Makatarungan” Class of 1978 and a graduate of the US West Point Academy, Lim took part in coup attempts against then-Presidents Corazon Aquino and Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. He was jailed in Camp Crame from 2006 to 2010 for rebellion charges, and after his release ran for senator in the 2010 elections, initially as an independent and later under the Liberal Party. Two years later, then-President Benigno Simeon Aquino III appointed Lim to the Bureau of Customs as deputy commissioner for intelligence. He resigned from the post after 22 months, a day after Aquino scolded the whole BOC in his State of the Nation address in July 2013. A native of Solano, Nueva Vizcaya, Lim is the 13th former soldier or policeman in the Duterte government. The Chief Executive’s most recent such appointee is incoming Interior Secretary Eduardo Año, who will take the post in June once he retires as Armed Forces Chief of Staff on Duterte’s orders. Former military and police leaders the President earlier named to serve in the Cabinet include National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu, and National Irrigation Administration chief Ricardo Visaya.
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President Xi Jinping threatened to start a war should the Philippines undertake an oil exploration in the Reed Bank, an underwater mountain near the Philippine coast rich in untapped oil and gas deposits. “As a nation that under its Constitution has renounced war as an instrument of national policy, the Philippines’ recourse is to bring China’s threat of war to another Unclos arbitral tribunal, to secure an order directing China to comply with the ruling of the Unclos arbitral tribunal that declared the Reed Bank part of Philippine EEZ [exclusive economic zone],” Carpio said. Carpio added that the Philippines can also ask for damages for every day of delay that the Philippines is prevented by China from exploiting Philippine EEZ. There is a pressing need for oil exploration because the Malampaya gas field, a key source of energy for the nation’s main island of Luzon, is due to run out in 10 years, according to Carpio. Manila may experience rotating brownouts if the country will not develop a replacement area, a substitute area such as the Reed Bank. “Unless the Philippines develops Reed Bank, Luzon will suffer 10 to 12 hours of brownouts daily 10 years from now. This will devastate the Philippine economy,” Carpio said. Carpio also suggested that the Philippines can also bring China’s threat to go to war against the country before the United Nations General Assembly by sponsoring a resolution condemning China’s threat of war against the Philippines and demanding that China comply with the ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration. He noted that China has no veto in the General Assembly. “Since the Philippines has renounced war as an instrument of national policy, the President has the constitutional duty to use all legal means under international law to protect Philippine EEZ,” said Carpio, one of the country’s leading maritime legal experts and a member of the Philippine legal team to the PCA in The Hague, Netherlands. The arbitral tribunal, which was created under the Unclos where China is a signatory, has already ruled with finality that the Reed Bank is within the Philippines’ EEZ and only the Philippines can exploit the natural resources within Philippine EEZ.
RODY TO JOMA: COME HOME, RECUPERATE P
By John Paolo Bencito
RESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte says that his former mentor and professor, Communist Party of the Philippines founder Jose Maria Sison suffers from a rare bone marrow disease. The President urged Sison to end years of political exile, come back home and be able recuperate here in the country. Sison, however, shot down his former student’s claims, saying that he would only return home if the Comprehensive Agreement on Social and Economic Reforms (CASER) gets signed and approved under the ongoing peace negotiations between the government and com-
munist rebels. “I said Sison can go home here. I will guarantee his safety and freedom. He will be free to walk around, may sakit na eh. Hayaan mo. Sison is seriously sick. He has a rare— something to do with—not leukemia—but sa bone marrow. Parang
ganoon na rin. Come home. I’ll pay for the hospital,” Duterte said at the 25th AFAD Defense and Sporting Arms Show in Davao City. Sison, 78, who was Duterte’s professor in political thought at the Lyceum of the Philippines University, has been in self-exile in Utrecht since 1986. The CPP founding chairman, however, said that while he missed the closing ceremony of the third round of talks at Rome, Italy, he denied having a rare bone marrow disease. “I do not have any rare bone marrow disease. I do not know how President Duterte got that notion. I am now in good health. I have been out of the hospital since March 20,” Sison said in a statement. “I was able to attend the fourth
round of formal talks, and I shall be able to attend the forthcoming fifth one,” Sison said. The CPP founder likewise stressed that only the signing of a CASER would compel him to return to the country. “The Comprehensive Agreement on Social and Economic Reforms must first be signed and approved by the GRP [Government of the Republic of the Philippines[ and NDFP [National Democratic Front of the Philippines] negotiating panels and by their respective principals,” he said. The fifth round of peace talks between the Philippine government and the communist-led National Democratic Front of the Philippines is set to resume this week at Noordwijk in The Netherlands from May 27 to June 1.
E-PASSPORT DEAL PUTS DFA CHIEF IN A BIND By Sara Susanne D. Fabunan FOREIGN Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano is in a bind. He says he wants to speed up the process of passport application and make it more efficient, but his plan is mired in a problematic deal involving the printing of travel documents. Now, Cayetano says he has to study first whether or not the printing of passports under a 10-year deal with APO-Productivity Unit is void and illegal, as recommended by Malacañang. “I’m not doing anything yet except getting an assessment and getting a briefing. But in the meantime we are getting a briefing how are we going to speed up the process,” Cayetano said. “I’m taking care of the short term problem real time, the longer term problem, the [APO] contract, give us few days to be able to answer specifically,”Cayetano stressed. Malacañang has come out with a recommendation declaring the passport printing contract as invalid and illegal after it found out that
APO opened a Joint Venture Agreement with a private-owned printing press UGEC. Cayetano admitted his concern that APO is the one supplying the machines for printing the passport. “If we will invalidate their contract, how can we get more machines? Those are the things I have to consult with the good people of the DFA,” he said. Cayetano said that he heard during one of the Cabinet meetings that BSP cannot accommodate the DFA immediately. He said he wanted a few more days to determine if a bridge can be made in the meantime, and then go for the long-term printing deal. The Philippine Association of Free Labor Union president Terry Tuazon said that the e-passport is overpriced where it should only cost P650 each. DFA currently charges P950 apiece, plus P250 for “overtime charges” if the applicant opts to use th“Except for the electronic chip that is embedded in the e-passport that captures data and security fea-
ASEAN...
union headed by Conrado Molina sued Coloma et al for plunder and graft arising from alleged questionable payment of some P200 million in commissions to 11 “sales specialists” from 2011 to 2015. Cited as co-respondents were Alora, Armando Dimacurot Jr., Jaime Aldaba, Olivia Marcelo, Gerardo Sevilla, Dominic Tajon, and 11 others identified only as John Does. Coloma dismissed the charges as “false and baseless.” According to the CoA, APO-PU paid P70.1 million in “excessive commissions” to the so-called sales specialists in 2015 alone. These unnecessary expenses could have been avoided by hiring a permanent technical staff to handle sales and marketing, the CoA said. Sales specialists, indeed, are extraneous because APO-PU “is already assured of a captured market.” And why is APO-PU, a government-owned corporation, paying membership dues to the SSS which is exclusively for private sector workers? That really baffles the imagination, COA said.
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”There was no issue that was left untouched, almost. We touched on several sensitive issues but we didn’t dwell, we don’t impose on the Chinese,” he said. ”This is the purpose of this bilateral consultative mechanism: to discuss issues that are contentious while we proceed on the non-contentious issues in other fields that are making progress,” Sta. Romana, added. Sta. Romana said the Philippines side raised the issues of arbitration, disputed Spratly islands and the Filipino fishermen’s right to fish in the disputed territory. ”There have been recent incidents in the South China Sea that we raised with them because it is a concern: the fishing rights, the behavior of fishermen, the treatment of the Filipino fishermen in the South China Sea and they clarified their position,” he said. Sta. Romana described the first bilateral meeting under the renewed China-Philippines relations as an “excellent meeting.” ”Because it was very candid, it was very frank but at the same time, it was all conducted in a friendly tone,” the Filipino envoy to China said. ”I mean the differences we have with China did not arise in one night, neither can we solve it in one session,” he added. Although differences were discussed during the three-hour meeting, Sta. Romana said the Philippines side and the China delegation headed by Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin, have found ways to discuss maritime cooperation in the South China Sea. ”So what we are trying to do is to
tures there are no other enhancement to justify the high cost. Digital products are getting cheaper not going expensive,“ Tuazon said. “With 17,000 new applicants [daily] who troop to the various consular offices all over the country that’s a lot of money for the government,” Tuazon noted. APO-Production Unit (APO-PU) and its private partner stand to rake in a P25.5 billion from the 10-year epassport contract, far outweighing the P9 billion offer of a controversial cigarette manufacturer to settle its tax cases with the government. In a previous Commission on Audit report, the agency found a lopsided profit-sharinf formula based on net profit after tax. It said that UGEC, that is a mers subcontractor, is getting 90 percent of net profit, leaving a minimal 10-percent to APO-PU. CoA also said the divided income for the first three quarters of 2015 from the joint venture could not be validated because APO-PU did not submit the pertinent documents. Meanwhile, the APO-PU labor
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create condition that we will create mutual trust and confidence and to build on a better foundation so that eventually we can resolve these issues although it will take sometime,” Sta. Romana said. Sta. Romana said the Philippines and China will pursue possible areas of maritime cooperation in the South China Sea “without prejudice to our respective claims.” ”So this is the significance of this bilateral consultative mechanism that we can discuss contentious issues, we can discuss sensitive issues but we can do it in a candid, frank and friendly way. And at the same time, explore areas of maritime cooperation.'' He said the first bilateral meeting since President Rodrigo Duterte revived the Philippines-China relations was a big step in building a better foundation for the relations between two countries. In a joint press statement, Liu and Sta. Romana initialed the Term of References that was reached during the diplomatic consultations between the two states’ Foreign Ministries in January this year to establish the Bilateral Consultation Mechanism. Both sides agreed the BCM should be a platform for confidence-building measures and for promoting maritime cooperation and maritime security. The BCM will comprise equivalent officials from the respective foreign ministries and relevant maritime affairs agencies. The delegates agreed to hold the BCM once in every six months with the next meeting to be held in Manila later this year.
“But for not receiving it, it was not my idea initially. It was a decision of Carlos Dominguez III, Finance secretary,” the President said. Last February, EU approved a P200million contribution to the peace process for the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front to bankroll the Philippine government’s efforts in monitoring the situation, defuse tensions and create an inclusive political platform for the Bangsamoro peace process. Other programs under the new funding was supposed cover included “the focal areas of inclusive growth, sustainable energy and job creation, and the rule of law,” Jessen said. Under the EU’s seven-year support strategy from 2014 to 2020, the 28-member bloc has allotted more than €325 million in its envelope of development assistance for the Philippines, more than double the grant assistance it gave from 2007-2013 amounting to €130 million or roughly P7 billion. Since the EU delegation in Manila opened some 26 years ago, the 28-nation bloc has already kicked in more than €2.3 billion or P119.6 billion in
development assistance to the country. While the EU top diplomat vowed to continue its work in the Philippines despite the country’s rejection of its development grants, Jessen lamented the postponement of a supposed meeting with Philippine officials to clarify issues concerning its work in the Philippines. “For the time being, we are continuing our work including the preparation of new programs,” Jessen said. “In the Philippines this group was supposed to meet this week, but unfortunately the meeting was postponed. I am sure that when the next meeting takes place outstanding issues will be clarified easily,” he added. Jessen told Philippine officials that the EU development agenda “is fully transparent” amid allegations of “interference” made by the Duterte administration. “Across the world, the EU development agenda is fully transparent. We work hand in hand with different governments; agreements are signed, and respected by both sides. Principal issues are usually discussed by experts in a working group on development cooperation,” he added.
STRICTER...
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Duterte however, encouraged qualified Filipinos to acquire guns to protect their families inside their homes. “If you are qualified, get a gun,” the President said. “It’s better to be prepared. Hindi na masyado sa labas, and problema if you are invaded and there is an invasion in your house, and you have to protect a family.” The President said he is opposed to
arming security guards even before with high caliber firearms particularly those who are assigned to far-flung areas because NPA rebels often seize those weapons. There is a need however, to revise some of the rules in buying guns and ammunition, Duterte said, noting however that it should not harm gun stores in making profit. John Paolo Bencito
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SUNDAY, MAY 21, 2017 mst.daydesk@gmail.com
ANTI-SMOKING GROUP UPBEAT ON ‘BAN’ By Joel E. Zurbano
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HE Health Justice Philippines is optimistic the smoking ban in public places and conveyances will be strictly implemented and not be another ‘ningas cogon,’ saying the national policy is meant to save not just smokers, but also non-smokers who suffer from the ill effects of second-hand smoke. The group praised President Rodrigo Duterte for signing last May 16 the Executive Order 26 on Smoking Ban in the Philippines, which is patterned from Davao City where he served as mayor for several years. The Health Justice said the City of Davao is consistent with the implementation and enforcement of its smoke-free policies. Ten years after its successful smoking ban, different cities and towns in the Philippines have followed even in Southeast Asia. “This latest issuance is a positive step in realizing a smoke-free Philippines. The success of it being implemented still depends on our law enforcers and the Local Government Units. Our hope is that more
Filipinos will become educated about the harms that smoking can bring not only to our health but to the development of our country,” said Health Justice president Mary Ann Mendoza. Under Republic Act 9211 (Tobacco Regulation Act of 2013), all people have a fundamental right to breathe clean air. It stated that there is no safe level of exposure to second-hand smoke, which causes heart disease, cancer, and many other diseases. The group explained that even brief exposure can cause serious damage. It added that only a total ban on smoking in all indoor public places, including workplaces, protects people from the harms of secondhand smoke exposure, helps smokers quit and reduces smoking. “We hope that the policy will be effectively implemented. Having indoor designated smoking areas [DSAs] is not ideal. We hope that building administrators will choose to establish outdoor DSAs or keep their establishments 100 percent smoke-free to better protect the public from second-hand smoke,” Mendoza said. The Health Justice said that aside from national law—Republic Act 9211 (Tobacco Regulation Act of 2013)—there were several measures prohibiting smoking in public places and conveyances in the country. These include city ordinances, and other government policies ban smoking in centers of youth activity, restaurants, food and beverage preparation areas and other public spaces such as Land Transportation
Franchising and Regulatory Board Memorandum Circular 2009-036 (in public vehicles and terminals), and Civil Service Commission Memorandum Circular 17 (in government premises). “But these are not well-enforced,” the HJP said. According to HJP, at least 240 Filipinos die every day from smoking-related diseases. It added exposure to second-hand smoke increases a non-smoker’s chance of developing lung cancer by 20 percent to 30 percent. “No amount of secondhand smoke will ever be safe, and no one should be permitted to irresponsibly place other people’s lives and health in peril by exposing them to secondhand smoke. We must lose no time in providing a smoke-free environment for our children and families,” the group said. HJP is a think tank and advocacy group with legal expertise in tobacco control and health promotion. Metro Manila Development Authority general manager and acting chairman Thomas Orbos said recently his agency resumed its anti-smoking campaign in public conveyances in the metropolis to protect non-smokers, particularly pregnant women and children, from second-hand smoke that causes lung cancer. The agency imposed a P500 fine on both the smoker and the driver. The MMDA is also implementing an information campaign through the social media (@MMDA Facebook and Twitter accounts) sending warnings given to smokers caught in public places.
WHAT SMOKING BAN? Smokers defy
the intensified campaign on President Rodrigo Duterte’s Executive Order, implementing a smoking ban nationwide, as they smoke openly along the streets of Manila’s Malate area. Ey Acasio
‘DUTERTE HAS SUPPORTERS, NOT TROLLS’ THE country has finally gained momentum in laying down the right mindset and infrastructure for peace, progress and honest governance. This was how Davao City Rep. Karlo Alexei Nograles described Duterte’s first year in office. Nograles said never in the country’s history was there a leader who has commanded great respect and reverence from his people except President Rodrigo Duterte. Because of his multitude of hardline supporters, Nograles said President Duterte is often tagged as having a so-called “troll army.” “His legions of supporters are being unfairly tagged as trolls but in reality, these are ordinary people who are
strong believers of the President. They are not paid hacks,” Nograles said. Nograles said the President’s detractors have tried hard to weaken the president’s popular support but obviously failed in all fronts because of his exceptional success in instituting reforms in the country—reforms he promised to the people when he ran and won for the presidency. “Our people have every reason to celebrate the change promised in the May 9, 2016 elections. In his first year as president, no time was wasted to set our country’s course on the right track. The records will show major gains where past governments have failed and this is the reason why our people are very emotional when their Tatay Digong
is being attacked,” Nograles, House committee on appropriations chairperson and Duterte’s nephew, said. Nograles cited the administration’s war on drugs which he said has effectively shrunk the drug market. “The number of drug offenders who have surrendered to the government and has agreed to be reformed is just mind-boggling. The war against illegal drugs has gained momentum despite the challenge by critics at home and abroad,” Nograles said. The President’s commitment to peace and development is also on track following his multi-pronged approach to end the country’s insurgency problem, Nograles added.
“It is worthy to note that past administrations from 1986 to 2016 have fallen short in ending the communist insurgency. To date, the present government and the CPP-NDFNPA have conducted five rounds of negotiations. The promise of ending hostilities is near; while the prospects for peace and prosperity in Mindanao is also given the highest priority by the president,” he said. Nograles also acknowledged President Duterte’s political will to pursue a an independent foreign policy that will work for the best interests of our country and people. This, despite criticisms against President”s alleged hostility against the United States and the European Union. Maricel V. Cruz
COCA-COLA WITHDRAWS PETITION VS SUGAR ORDER
BASECO HOUSEWIVES. Photo shows (from left) Senate Committee on Environment and Natural Resources chairman, Senator Cynthia Villar as she joins housewives of Baseco in weaving handbags made out of foil sachets at the Villar SIPAG training center after she together with officials from the DoH, DSWD, DENR, signed a memorandum of agreement for Zero Open Defecation Project in Baseco in Tondo, Manila. The project aims to establish a communal septic tank and subsequently provide 100 toilet bowls initially. The first 100 recipients-beneficiaries are those residing in Block 1, Gasangan which is situated near the shore. Ey Acasio
IN THE interest of finding an equitable resolution to the HFCS importation issue involving Sugar Order No. 3, the Coca-Cola FEMSA Philippines has unilaterally withdrawn its Petition for Declaration of Nullity With Prayer for Preliminary Injunction it filed at the Regional Trial Court of Quezon City on March 3, 2017. “This decision is in accordance with the company’s commitment to secure a win-win solution that will further strengthen our relationship with all sugar industry stakeholders, whom we have always considered our partners—a relationship that, we are certain, will contribute to the sustained robustness of the local sugar industry as a whole,” Coca-Cola FEMSA said in a statement. “We believe that engaging in dialogue is key to finding a win-win solution to
address the needs of all sectors. We hope that by continuously working with the government, the local sugar industry, and other stakeholders, this represents not only the organization’s long-standing endeavor to take part in Philippine nation-building but, more importantly, our desire to continue fulfilling our role as a key partner in the country’s economic development,” said Juan Lorenzo Tañada, Coca-Cola FEMSA Philippines Legal and Corporate Affairs director. During the Senate inquiry held on April 18, the Coca-Cola System expressed its concern that the misunderstanding on the HFCS importation issue has affected the Company’s relationship with the sugar industry—but believes that viable solutions can be amicably reached in an atmosphere of respect and openness.
CHINESE INVESTORS EYED TO LOCATE IN NEW MINDANAO ECOZONE By Maricel V. Cruz
A HOUSE leader on Saturday is seeking the establishment of a new state-run special economic zone in Mindanao to help bring in fresh foreign investments, including those from the People’s Republic of China. Surigao del Sur Rep. Johnny Pimentel said the country needs new investors, especially in highly labor-intensive industries “to provide thousands of good-paying jobs and raise the living standards of a greater number of families in Mindanao.” In filing House Bill 2672, Pimentel proposed the creation of the Bislig City Special Economic Zone “to drive employment and consumption growth and overall economic expansion” in Mindanao in general and in Caraga in particular. “We are hoping to attract Chinese investors to build factories in the economic zone, considering our government-to-government as well as people-to-people relations with China have warmed up owing to President Duterte’s independent foreign policy track,” Pimentel said. Located some 208 kilometers northeast of Davao City, Bislig is one of the two component cities of Surigao del Sur—the other being the provincial capital Tandag. The Paper Industries Corp. (Picpo) used to operate from Bislig until the country’s only integrated forest and paper manufacturer folded up. Caraga groups the provinces of Surigao del Sur, Surigao del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Agusan del Norte and Dinagat. In pushing for the bill’s passage, Pimentel invoked the mandate of the 1987 Constitution for the State “to give all regions of the country optimum opportunity to develop, and to promote comprehensive rural development.” “We have to put up new economic zones, particularly in Mindanao and the Visayas, to assure the more equitable distribution.of opportunities,,income and wealth through balanced economic growth,” Pimentel said. Locators at the economic zone shall enjoy income tax holidays and waiver of taxes and duties on imported capital equipment and machinery, among other financial incentives. Foreigners who invest at least $150,000, or P7.4 million in cash, or equipment in any enterprise located in the economic zone shall also enjoy visa and residency privileges, along with their immediate family members.
LAWMAKER SEEKS NIA MAKEOVER
A LAWMAKER on Saturday called anew for a makeover of the National Irrigation Administration by instituting reforms to make the agency financially viable in providing free irrigation to farmers. CamSur Rep. LRay Villafuerte noted that each year, the NIA has been requesting for higher and higher allocations under the national budget, and continues to receive humongous subsidies from the national government to maintain irrigation systems nationwide and fund its free irrigation program. “The NIA despite being a stateowned firm, has been bleeding the government dry. It has even requested a higher budgetary allocation for next year as it has been doing so in the previous years, although its accomplishment rate is far from impressive,” Villafuerte said. Villafuerte, vice chairperson of the House committee on appropriations, cited Bureau of Treasury reports showing that the NIA got P11.08 billion in subsidies in the first quarter —or more than five-fold the P2.06 billion acquired by the agency in the same quarter in 2016—that accounts for over half the P19.7 billion subsidies to government-owned and controlled corporations over that January-March 2017 period. NIA officials earlier said the subsidies granted to it during the period were used to implement irrigation projects all over the country, as well as its free irrigation program. In February alone, NIA received P8.957 billion or almost 90 percent of the subsidies to GOCCs granted in February, Villafuerte said. The NIA has also proposed a P42billion budget next year, which is 11 percent higher than this year’s allocation of P38 billion, he added. Maricel V. Cruz
News AIRLINE MMDA CATCHES 127 PHSUSPENDS DHABI PHONE-USING DRIVERS ABUROUTE A4
SUNDAY, MAY 21, 2017
By Joel E. Zurbano
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OST of those apprehended by the Metro Manila Development Authority during the first full day of implementation of the Anti-Distracted Driving Act were riders of motorcycles, who also figured in the most accidents on the road last year. Data released by the MMDA public information office showed that from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. last Thursday, the agency’s Metro Base through its no-contact apprehension program caught a total of 127 drivers violating the law. It also showed that 89 of those apprehended were motorcycle riders, 25 were private motorists, seven were truck drivers, five were public utility vehicle drivers, and one was a UV Express driver. Republic Act 10913, which prohibits both private and public utility drivers to use mobile communication devices when behind the wheel —and even when stationary during traffic or at stop lights —was created to ensure the safety of motorists and pedestrians, and prevent or lessen the number of road accidents. Based on the 2016 Metro Manila Accident Recording and Analysis System program or MMARAS, reckless motorcycle riding remains the top cause of deaths and injuries
on Metro Manila streets. MMRAS statistics last year showed that motorcycles have the “highest fatality accident rate” at 218 total deaths, followed by trucks (103) and private cars (98). Over 23,000 motorcycles were involved in road accidents last year. Motorcycles also topped the list of vehicles with the most number of injuries at 11,456, followed by cars (7,544) and public utility jeepneys (1,922). In apprehending violators, the MMDA uses high-tech closed-circuit television cameras, which can monitor lights from devices inside heavily tinted cars to determine if drivers are using their mobile phones and other electronic devices while on the road. The Anti-Distracted Driving Act states that writing, reading, sending a text-based message, making phone calls, watching movies, surfing the internet, reading an e-book, or “performing any sort of computation on a mobile device” by a motorist is
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not allowed. The law also covers motorcycles, trucks, cargo haulers carrying hazardous or flammable materials, cyclists, pedicabs, ‘kuligligs’ (improvised motorcycles) and animal or human-powered vehicles.
Automobile Association of the Philippines president Augusto Lagman supported the government’s initiative in enforcing the law, saying other countries have also started policies against using gadgets while driving.
“It’s about time. It’s even worse than drunk driving because you are not looking at the road while using a mobile phone, so you are putting your life and the lives of others in danger,” said Lagman in a television interview.
GIANT JENGA. The city of Mandaluyong, led by Mayor Menchie Abalos, holds an Inter-Department Sports Tounament, featuring different games activities such as giant jenga, sungka and dice. Manny Palmero
By Joel Zurbano FLAG carrier Philippine Airlines on Saturday announced it will temporarily suspend flights to and from Abu Dhabi (PR-656 and PR-657) effective July 8 this year. PAL management officials said they reached the decision to cancel the flights due to route assessment initiatives. “PAL is seeking the kind understanding of affected passengers as the airline implements these operational adjustments,” PAL said in a statement. Passengers who already booked their flight for July 8 onward may refund their tickets or rebook their flight to a ManilaDubai route and be transported by PAL-arranged or assisted bus from Dubai to Abu Dhabi and vice versa. “Affected passengers are advised to avail of any of these options within 30 days from original flight dates, with rebooking/ refunding charges waived. PAL will also communicate with affected passengers via email notification and call-out,” the airline said. Passengers may also call PAL hotline (02) 855-8888, visit their website, or visit their nearest ticketing office or partner travel agent for further information.
DAVAO BRIDGE TO SPUR GROWTH By Vito Barcelo THE P757-million newly rehabilitated and widened Gov. Miranda Bridge in Davao is now open to traffic and can accommodate more heavy cargo trucks carrying agricultural products that frequently ply along the route of Daang Maharlika, the Department of Public Works and Highways said. Public Works Secretary Mark Villar said the Miranda Bridge II, which connects the municipality of Carmen and the City of Tagum in Davao del Norte, is part of
the Duterte administration’s ‘’Build, Build, Build“ program. “The opening of the Gov. Miranda Bridge is only the start of the Duterte administration’s ‘Build Build Build’ program. We are committed to building more bridges throughout the country,” Villar said. Daang Maharlika has an average daily traffic of over 26,000 while the Gov. Miranda Bridge II serves as the main access of motorists from Davao City going to othe r parts of Davao Region and vice versa. Villar said the new bridge
is seen to provide inter-regional linkage without hampering flow of traffic, thus encouraging growth in investment and tourism. “DPWH has widened the meter bridge from two lanes to four lanes with 18 spans and higher elevation at a costs of P757 million to protect the traveling public from the dangers of flooding in the area,” Villar said. “We see farmers benefiting from this project as agricultural lands abound in the area particularly banana and coconut plantations,” he added.
PPI FORUM TO FOCUS ON ASEAN NOW on its 53rd year as the country’s national association of newspapers, the Philippine Press Institute is holding its 21st National Press Forum on May 24-26 in Manila. Themed “ASEAN@50: Beyond the Headlines,” the event coincides with the regional organization’s golden anniversary. The Philippines holds this year’s chairmanship of Asean. “Today, at 50, Asean’s decades-long existence should prompt some earnest reflection on several fronts. How far has it gone in achieving its goals? How much of its multi-pronged vision for the 625 million-strong regional bloc is now undeniably a reality?” says PPI in its concept note explaining the rationale behind this year’s theme. “Asean is not just about the much-ballyhooed, high-profile summits and similar events regularly attended by its leaders and other highranking officials.” “Perhaps it is time Southeast Asia’s national and regional media, including community newspapers, took stock of the state of their coverage of the regional bloc … shining a spotlight where it’s most needed, long after the latest Asean summit has been concluded or regional agreement signed—and long after the visual spectacles that often mark high-level regional meetings have vanished from view.” Former Ambassador Rosario G. Manalo, who has served as the Philippine representative to the Asean Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights and was Special Envoy of former President Fidel V. Ramos for the negotiations of the Asean Charter, will be the keynote speaker. A highly accomplished and experienced diplomat, Manalo has been the country’s ambassador to various countries, including Belgium, France and Sweden. In June 2016, Manalo won a seat in the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women, which monitors the implementation of CEDAW by member-states.
A journalist from Myanmar will also grace PPI’s commemorative occasion as a guest speaker. Saw Yan Naing is a senior reporter at the Thailand-based The Irrawaddy, which focuses on Myanmar. Saw, who belongs to the ethnic Karen minority, writes about human rights and other political and social issues, including ethnic conflicts, in Myanmar. He is a recipient of regional and international fellowships, including the Southeast Asian Press Alliance Journalism Fellowship, Alfred Friendly Press Fellowship, and East-West Center Jefferson Fellowship. He has been honored with a Certificate of Recognition for Courageous Journalism by the US-based non-profit organization Power Mentor, which helps young people develop their leadership skills. The much-anticipated PPI forum will kick off on May 24 with a general assembly and meeting of PPI member-newspapers. This year, 14 community newspapers are vying for awards in five major categories in the 2016 Civic Journalism Community Press Awards, namely, best in photojournalism, best in environmental reporting, best in business and economic reporting, best editorial page, and best edited paper. The regional finalists are Sun.Star Baguio, Cebu Daily News, Edge Davao, The Freeman, Sun.Star Bacolod, Mindanao Daily Mirror, and Sun.Star Pampanga in the daily category; Baguio Chronicle, Metro Post, Davao Catholic Herald, Baguio Midland Courier, The Mindanao Cross, The Negros Chronicle, and Mindanao Observer in the weekly category. The awards program is being managed by the Asian Institute of Journalism and Communication and supported by Nickel Asia Corp., PPI’s principal partner in its civic journalism programs. NAC is also the major supporter of this year’s annual PPI conference. Other minor sponsors are the Philippine Health Insurance Corp., H2O Hotel, Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation, Jetti Petroleum, Inc., McDonald’s, Philippine Veterans Bank, Land Bank of the Philippines, and the City Government of Iligan in Northern Mindanao.
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SUNDAY, MAY 21, 2017 Adelle Chua, Editor
Opinion
Joyce Pangco Pañares, Issue Editor
mst.daydesk@gmail.com
EDITORIAL
EVERYMAN
TRUMP FINDS SELF IN MAJOR POLITICAL FALLOUT By Honor Blanco Cabie COLORADO SPRINGS—US President Donald Trump has found himself in what some political commentators and analysts describe as a downward spiral, which began days back with the presidential decision to abruptly fire FBI Director James Comey. The latest developments at the White House are being watched keenly by allies and foes of the United States—from east of the White House in Britain, France, Germany, Syria, Iraq, Israel and farther east in Australia, Japan, China, South Korea, North Korea and the Philippines. US political observers, including some who were former officials in the White House, say Trump let himself be guided by his own instincts which some see as having been incited by his creeping anger and sense of victimhood about a probe into Russian meddling in the 2016 election which he has considered a “witch hunt.” This week, commentators and analysts from Washington, D.C. to California, have been debating on succeeding developments, particularly on persistent news Trump shared last week highly classified intelligence information with Russia about an ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) plot. Some have said Israel was the source of intelligence information which Trump had shared with Russia’s foreign secretary and ambassador. Citing current and former US officials, diplomatic sources said the information, which is reportedly about an ISIS plot to blow up an airplane with a bomb hidden inside a laptop in a way that could avoid airport security, has endangered the life of an Israeli spy embedded within the terror organization. The terror group killed more than 200 people two years ago when it blew up a Russian airliner with a bomb hidden in a soda can. National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster said this week the common threat the US and Russia face from ISIS justified the disclosure. But the former director of the National Counterterrorism Center, Matt Olsen, told ABC the president’s actions were inappropriate. “Russia is not part of the ISIS coalition. They are not our partner,” he said. Former US ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro warned ABC the incident would “inevitably cause elements in Israel’s intelligence service to demonstrate more caution”when sharing intelligence with its chief ally.
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DISTRACTIONS T
HE Anti-Distracted Driving Act lapsed into law and took effect Thursday. It’s bound to create a stir—if it hasn’t already—because it challenges, in insidious ways, how many people have been acting for many years.
Distracted driving is defined as using telecommunications or entertainment devices while in motion or temporarily stopped at a red traffic light. The law is in reaction to a reality that has evolved, of course. According to the World Health Organization, 1.2 million people around the world die every year because of road accidents – accidents that are predictable and preventable. Here at home, Philippine Statistical Authority numbers tell a similar story. Deaths due to road crashes have been on the rise, peaking at 8,666 in 2014. There are no numbers yet for 2015 and 2016 although we might imagine what they look like. Anecdotal evidence tells us drivers are more prone to commit errors or to be less on guard
when they are using their electronic devices for one reason or another. But many who have developed certain habits over years, even decades, may find it impractical and antiinstinct, especially when their established behavior has not brought them any trouble anyway. There are provisions for exception and emergency— but these no doubt will fail to cover many situations people would consider important. The law is not perfect, sure. A few years from now, it will need amending to reflect evolving changes in technology and driving behavior. It also opens up opportunity for corruption among apprehending officers. First-time violators will have to shell out P5,000—not something to sneeze at, so the temptation to find a way to settle in other ways may be strong. Notwithstanding these dangers, the law must be given a chance. All too often, we don’t give thought to what we do if we’ve become used to them. We no longer evaluate the potential consequences of our acts. It’s a dangerous habit. This new law will at the very least make us rethink why we do what we do—if only to avoid the unsavory scenario of paying the penalty. Different people are distracted in different ways. But there are certain universal distractions and common behaviors associated with road accidents. Lives are always on the line—if not the drivers’, then their passengers, those in other vehicles or innocently standing on the street. This must not be taken lightly, no matter the number of hours we spend on the road every day. We agree it must be jarring to be told what would and would not be a distraction. But it’s a small price to pay for developing better, safer habits.
Turn to B2
SHOWBIZ PERSONALITIES SUPPORT PRS10 POP GOES THE WORLD JENNY ORTUOSTE
HOORAY for this most laudable boost for Philippine literature—a major literary event featuring a writers’ workshop and public lectures on the relevance of writing in the present time. What’s more, it will be held outside
of Imperial Manila, which hopefully is a step further to holding more literary and artistic events in other parts of the country. Here’s the announcement from University of the Philippines professor Joey Baquiran:
“Fifteen young writers in Filipino who are fellows to the 10th Palihang Rogelio Sicat (PRS 10) were given much needed inspiration by goodhearted showbiz personalities. The fellows are: For Poetry: Gabriel Carlos T. Cribe
(Mulanay, Quezon), Xeus dlC Foja (Romblon), Jeffrey B. Javier (Davao), Dave S. Rondina (Tacloban), Glenn Ford B. Tolentino (Taguig), Reyzeljan Josef de los Trinos (Baguio), Janielle dlR. Villamera (QC); Turn to B2
Rolando G. Estabillo Publisher ManilaStandard
Published Monday to Sunday by Philippine Manila Standard Publishing Inc. at 6/F Universal Re Building, 106 Paseo de Roxas, corner Perea St., Legaspi Village, Makati City. Telephone numbers 832-5554, 832-5556, 832-5558 (connecting all departments), (Editorial) 832-5554, (Advertising) 832-5550. P.O. Box 2933, Manila Central Post Office, Manila. Website: www.thestandard. com.ph; e-mail: contact@thestandard.com.ph
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Philippine Press Institute The National Association of Philippine Newspapers
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Chairman Board Member & Chief Legal Adviser Treasury Manager OIC-Ad Solutions Circulation Manager
Ramonchito L. Tomeldan Chin Wong/Ray S. Eñano Joyce Pangco Pañares Adelle Chua
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Chairman Emeritus, Editorial Board
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B2
SUNDAY, MAY 21, 2017 mst.daydesk@gmail.com
TRUMP...
From B1
Former acting Attorney General Sally Yates herself told CNN the Russians had “real leverage” over Michael Flynn, the retired US Army lieutenant general who was the 18th director of the Defense Intelligence Agency and the first national security adviser appointed by Trump. A week after Trump fired Comey, the White House has been busy battling reports the president asked the latter to end the investigation of Flynn. Meanwhile, Republican stalwart John McCain, senior senator from Arizona and his party’s presidential nominee in 2008, has described the crisis thusly, “I think it’s reaching Watergate size and scale.” He was referring to the major political scandal that occurred in the United States in the 1970s, following a break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate office complex in Washington, D.C. A bombshell report in The New York Times this week said Trump made the request of Comey during a February meeting in the Oval Office. Comey has been reported to have detailed the meeting in a memo, which an associate shared with the newspaper. Flynn, ousted from his job in February, is one of several Trump associates under FBI investigation over potential ties to Russia. Political analysts and commentators eventually confirmed the Times report. “I hope you can see your way clear to letting this go, to letting Flynn go,” the president told Comey, according to the memo, the Times and NBC reported. “He is a good guy. I hope you can let this go.” While Trump has defended down-the-line giving highly classified information to Russia, Danny Yatom, the former head of Mossad, Israel’s foreign intelligence organization, has told CBS News Israel “will think twice before conveying very sensitive information.” Following the firing of Comey and the threat there was a taped conversation, analysts have been saying this week there is now a presidency rocked by its most serious self-inflicted crisis yet. This, according to them, has exposed dysfunction and distrust within his West Wing and imperiling his agenda. Across Washington, Trump’s allies are reported to be buzzing about the White House staff competence as well as the president’s state of mind. One Republican Party member close to the White House mused privately about whether Trump was “in the grip of some kind of paranoid delusion.” Trump has been seen stewing all week, visibly aggrieved by sharp media scrutiny of his decision to fire Comey and of his aides’ continuingly shifting explanations, and has been quick to blame his staff, several political analysts quote people who have spoken with him. In private, Trump has severely criticized the communications office headed by Press Secretary Sean Spicer and Communications Director Michael Dubke. Analysts have said Trump has spoken candidly with advisers about a revamp that could include demotions and dismissals. At the same time, Trump has conducted post-mortem interviews with aides about the Comey episode, investigating the headlines he considers unfairly negative, according to White House officials, speaking on condition they would not be identified. Chris Ruddy, a Trump confidant, said: “This was the first major crisis or test they’ve had, and it looks like a lot of systems failed. My experience with the president is when he sees failure, he quickly adapts and tries new things. He’s not a guy that keeps the same ol’.”
CHILDREN OF THE SUN By Pecier Decierdo WE ARE children of the Sun. Not only is the Sun the dominant force in the Solar System, it is also the main source of energy that powers so many things around us. Every calorie of energy you use to move came from the Sun. And almost every kilowatthour of electricity we use to light up our homes and businesses, or to power the computer you are reading this from, came from the Sun. Let’s unpack those astounding facts. A calorie is a unit of energy. It is the unit we often use to measure how much energy there is food. A medium-sized apple contains about 70 calories. That’s about the same number of calories in a slice of white bread. A ground beef patty, on the other hand, contains close to 200 calories, while one slice of pepperoni pizza contains nearly 300 calories. When we eat food, our bodies use the energy from food to perform basic functions such as having our hearts beat and moving our muscles. The amount of energy in calories we need to be able to do things depends on our age, sex, weight, level of physical activity, and other factors. A 29-year-old male with a sedentary lifestyle such as myself burns around 2,400 calories every day. A woman of my age, weight, and lifestyle will burn around 1,800 calories per day. Meanwhile, a more
active man my age and weight will burn 3,000 calories per day. When we take in more calories than we burn, our bodies store those calories in the form of fat. We need energy, usually measured in calories, to live. When we are not taking in enough energy in calories to perform our daily tasks, we are undernourished. But where do foods get their energy? In other words, why is there energy stored in food? What’s in a slice of pizza that gives it 300 calories of energy? The energy in food is in the form of chemical energy. Mostly, it’s in the form of carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are chemicals that store energy that can be used by living things. When our body’s cells receive carbohydrates, they use it to perform their specific functions. The carbohydrates that make their way into our bodies ultimately come from the living things that can make them—plants. When we eat plants and plant products, like rice and bread, we consume carbohydrates that plants made. If we eat meat, we are getting the energy from plants indirectly, because the animals from which the meat came get their carbohydrates ultimately from plants. Plants make their own food in the form of carbohydrates. They get their ingredients—carbon dioxide and water—from the air and the ground. But in order to make carbohydrates
In a very literal sense, we owe our existence to that great orb in the sky, our very own local star.
40 minutes of peak operation. A 155-pound or 70-kg man consumes that much energy in one hour of vigorous stationary cycling. The energy we use to power our homes and offices come from power plants. In the Philippines, most power plants generate their energy in one of the following ways: burning fossil fuels, hydroelectric, wind, and solar. For all of these, the energy ultimately comes from the Sun! For solar, it is obvious. But note that fossil fuels are the remains of dead plants and animals. And where did the energy of these plant and animal remains come from? The Sun, of course! How about the wind? Well, winds are powered by the Sun. And how about hydroelectric? Well, the water cycle is also powered by the Sun. Even our means of transportation, from cars to airplanes, from ships to trains, run on petroleum products, which store the Sun’s energy in liquid form. So tomorrow, don’t forget to look out the window and be thankful to the Sun, which, by the way, lends its name to the first day of the week, Sunday. In a very literal sense, we owe our existence to that great orb in the sky, our very own local star. Isn’t that astounding?
from those ingredients, they have to get energy from somewhere. They get their energy from the Sun. So in other words, the energy of the Sun is captured by plants and is stored in the form of carbohydrates, which animals, including us, eat and use to live our lives. Hence, every calorie you use to move, breathe, and think, ultimately came from the Sun. Every bit of energy that goes into the chemical process we call life, came from the Sun. Our lives are lived from borrowed energy from the Sun. In the modern age, our dependence on energy from the Sun goes way beyond that, because almost every kilowatt-hour we use to power the modern world ultimately came from the Sun. A kilowatt-hour is another unit of energy. One kilowatt-hour of energy is equivalent to around Pecier Decierdo is resident 860 food calories. One kilowatthour is the amount of energy your physicist and astronomer of The laptop consumes in 16 hours and Mind Museum.
RUSSIANS ARE LAUGHING AT THE US, NOT JUST AT TRUMP By Leonid Bershidsky PRESIDENT Donald Trump was only half wrong when he tweeted last week that “Russia must be laughing up their sleeves watching as the US tears itself apart.” Russian officials are laughing quite openly. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov’s trolling of FBI Director James Comey’s firing was relatively benign; ostensibly, Lavrov’s mock surprise at being told of the firing could be taken for a diplomat’s polite refusal to discuss the host country’s domestic politics. This week, however, the Russian jokes at the expense of the US got positively unpleasant. First, President Vladimir Putin offered to provide the US Congress with a recording of Lavrov’s conversation with Trump, in which the US president allegedly revealed highly classified information (the word Putin used, zapis, cannot really be translated as “transcript,” as the Kremlin later claimed). The suggestion, of course, was sheer mockery—it’s impossible to imagine the Congress making such a request of Putin, and US legislators tried to answer Putin in kind, Senator Marco Rubio suggesting that if Putin sent the information by email, he “wouldn’t click on the attachment.” Then, on Thursday, the Russian foreign ministry posted a short clip from Lavrov’s meeting with Thorbjorn Jagland, secretarygeneral of the Council of Europe. As the two sat for photographers, the Norwegian politician quipped, “These pictures won’t cause any problems for you?” To this clear reference to the US uproar following the Russian publication of pictures
SHOWBIZ.. From B1 For Story: Wynclef H. Enerio (Taguig), Lance Isaac F. Espejo (Marikina), Meriam G. Lamberte (Leyte), John Patrick F. Solano (San Mateo, Rizal), Fe Esperanza Trampe (Cavite), Raymond A. Ybanez (Cagayan de Oro); For Essay: Jedidiah J. Cortez (Tondo, Manila), Iza Maria T. Gonzalez (QC). This year, the roving literary event will be held in Tacloban City. A roster of luminaries supports it, including Karla Estrada, TV/movie personality and actor Daniel Padilla’s mother; Boy Abunda, a Waray himself and a former NCCA cultural ambassador; scriptwriter Bibeth Orteza; and directors Carlitos Siguion-Reyna and Joel Lamangan who are all known to be generous to beginning writers. Also most supportive is Ma. Cristina Gonzalez-Romualdez, a big
showing Trump and Lavrov acting friendly, the Russian foreign minister replies: “Depends on what kind of secrets you pass on to me.” There’s general laughter around the table: Clearly, this is the kind of Russian humor that travels well in Europe. It’s clear why Putin and his underlings are amused. The mess of intersecting investigations, leaks, pained howls and invective from proTrump and anti-Trump politicians is, to Putin and Lavrov, something right out of 1990’s Moscow, in which President Boris Yeltsin—a big, clumsy populist not unlike Trump— battled the Soviet “deep state” as his family lined its pockets and tried to influence his decisions. Yeltsin, by the way, was nearly impeached for alleged “crimes” that included the Soviet Union’s breakup.Putin, of course, is uncomfortable with the messiness of democracy. He has made sure since his rise in 2000 it never resurfaces in Russia. His take this week on what’s happening in the US was especially revealing: You know what surprises me? They rock the domestic political situation in the US under anti-Russian slogans, and they don’t understand that they’re harming their own country. Then they’re just dumb. Or they understand everything, and then they’re dangerous, dishonest people. But that doesn’t mean he is entirely wrong about the effect the scandals are having on the ability of the US to maintain its special place in the world. Headlines in the US media scream that the Trump administration is falling apart; to Americans, this is Trump’s mess. But to outsiders, and not just to Russians, it’s an all-American mess; it’s about
star in the nineties, now the Tacloban City mayor. Eat Bulaga mainstays Vic Sotto and Wally Bayola are also among the PRS10 sponsors, as are Ai-Ai de las Alas, Monico Villonco, and Cris Villonco. PRS10 will go on from May 23 to 29. A series of public lectures, mostly on the art of writing and its relevance to the present time, will be conducted throughout the workshop. Eros Atalia, the novelist whose works are consistent best-sellers, will deliver the key address on the 24th; Richard Gappi, poet-journalist, will lecture on Panitikan sa Panahon ng Kalamidad (Literature in the Time of Calamity), Joey Baquiran about modern poetry, and critic-scholar Choi Pangilinan about popular literature and criticism on the 25th; then on the 26th well-known author from Leyte-Samar, Jerry Gracio, will talk about the relations between the local and national language with
America’s weakness. Klaus-Dieter Frankenberger wrote in a commentary in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung: Vladimir Putin can only laugh at the political chaos in Washington. One can see why. But damage to democratic institutions and the trivialization of the presidential office is not a laughing matter at all. The current media circus, which amplifies every Trump misstep and forces him to stumble again and again, is different from a previous global spectacle of similarly epic proportions—President Bill Clinton’s Monica Lewinsky scandal. That one had to do with sexual indiscretions, something the world outside the US doesn’t take as seriously as the American public. The current scandal is about constantly repeated allegations concerning US politicians and officials doing the bidding of foreign powers. Trump’s enemies aren’t accusing him of being unfaithful to his wife—they’re calling him mentally impaired, unfit to govern, easily influenced by foreign masterminds such as Putin. Even though there’s still not a shred of public evidence that the Trump campaign colluded with Russia last year, the constant airing of that accusation makes it look as though US institutions have failed to stop a foreign incursion—and are still failing, because the noise around the investigations greatly exceeds anything they have unearthed. To outsiders, it looks as though people who are supposed to be stewarding the Western world are bickering among themselves instead, trying to create major problems for each other out of thin air.
As Trump prepares for his first foreign trip, that’s not the kind of advance publicity the US—not Trump, but his country—really needs. On a visit to Washington on Thursday, German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel made the point gently, in a far friendlier way than Russians have done. “You are citizens of a real superpower, and if America is too much engaged with its interior problems, there will be a vacuum in the international sphere,” Gabriel said. A report in The Washington Post offers a range of similar worries under a headline that, perhaps unsurprisingly, blames Trump and not the other powers involved: “European leaders fear Trump’s political chaos is undermining US power.” The US midterm elections are still 17 months away. It’s too early for the campaign-like heat that’s being generated in Washington. Trump will be around for a while in any case. He needs a breathing space so his visible panic doesn’t damage US interests any more than it has already done. Trump’s political enemies, too, must understand that they are hardly doing the country any favors by harping on yet-unproven but extremely serious accusations. Investigators need some quiet if they are to get anywhere. And the world needs the US as something more reassuring than a soap opera that’s getting increasingly harder for outsiders to follow because of its descent into domestic political and legal trivia. More seriousness, more common sense and less screaming from all quarters is urgently required. Bloomberg
regards to creating literature. This activity is open to the public and will be co-sponsored with UP Tacloban. The writers workshop is led by dramatist Reuel Aguila and fictionist Jimmuel Naval. The teaching faculty are the mentioned lecturers, as well as writers Rommel Rodriguez and Ferdinand Pisigan Jarin. PRS is a project of the UP Department of Filipino and Philippine Literature and the UP Sentro ng Wikang Filipino. *** We hope that like the showbiz personalities mentioned, there are more generous souls out there who would be moved to support Filipino writers in a similar fashion. For Philippine literature to develop and thrive, we need more workshops, literary festivals, books and poetry readings, and such events that celebrate stories and storytelling. These events could be made
possible through sponsorships, particularly recurring corporate sponsorships. At present there are very few companies out there supporting Philippine literature as part of their CSR (corporate social responsibility). So it is all the more that we cherish and are grateful for individual sponsors, in particular those whose plucky backing made the PRS 10 event a reality. Congratulations to the chosen few PRS 10 participants—enjoy your experience, and remember a workshop is always illuminating and sometimes transformative. To the organizers and lecturers, bon courage and best wishes for a successful and fruitful event! Dr. Ortuoste is a Californiabased writer. Follow her on Facebook: Jenny Ortuoste, Twitter: @jennyortuoste, Instagram: @ jensdecember, @artuoste
World
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SUNDAY, MAY 21, 2017 mst.daydesk@gmail.com
141 KILLED IN SOUTH LIBYA AIRBASE ATTACK
HUNGRY. A displaced Syrian boy who fled the Islamic State group stronghold of Raqa eats at a temporary camp in the northern Syrian village of Ain Issa on Friday. AFP
T
TRIPOLI, Libya—An attack on an airbase in south Libya has killed 141 people, mostly soldiers loyal to military strongman Khalifa Haftar, a spokesman for his forces said on Friday. Members of the Third Force militia loyal to the UN-backed Government of National Accord in Tripoli on Thursday attacked the base used by Haftar’s self-proclaimed Libyan National Army (LNA), military sources said earlier. LNA spokesman Ahmad al-Mesmari late Friday said the victims included civilians who worked at the Brak al-Shati airbase or were in the nearby area, also reporting that summary executions took place. “The soldiers were returning from a military parade. They weren’t armed. Most of them were executed,” he said. The GNA said in a statement late Friday a commission of inquiry had been set up to investigate the attack. It said it had decided to suspend its defence minister, al-Mahdi al-
Barghati, and the head of the Third Force from their duties until those responsible were identified. Both the GNA and defense ministry earlier condemned the assault and said they had not ordered any such action. The unity government, the rival administration in eastern Libya and their respective backers are battling for influence in the North African country which has been wracked by chaos since the fall of dictator Moamer Kadhafi in 2011. The LNA does not recognise the authority of the GNA, and instead supports the rival authorities based in the east. The UN envoy to Libya earlier on Friday voiced alarm at reports of the attack on the base, 650 kilometres (400 miles) south of Tripoli. “I am outraged by reports of significant numbers of fatalities, including civilians and by reports that summary executions may have taken place,” UN envoy Martin Kobler said in a statement. AFP
ROUHANI WINS REELECTION
EHRAN, Iran—Iranian President Hassan Rouhani won a resounding reelection victory on Saturday as voters backed his efforts to rebuild foreign ties and kickstart the struggling economy. Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli confirmed the result on state television, saying Rouhani had won 23.5 million votes – 57 percent – compared to 15.8 million – 38.3 percent – for hardline challenger Ebrahim Raisi. It followed a huge 73 percent turnout on Friday which forced authorities to extend polling by several hours. “I congratulate the great victory of the Iranian nation in creat-
ing a huge and memorable epic in the continuation of the path of ‘wisdom and hope’,” tweeted Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri, referring to the government’s slogan. Rouhani, a 68-year-old moderate cleric who spearheaded a 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, framed the election as a choice between greater civil liberties and “extremism.” Hardline cleric Raisi, 56, had positioned himself as a defender of the poor and called for a much
tougher line with the West. But his revolutionary rhetoric and efforts to win over working class voters with promises of increased handouts gained limited traction. “Rouhani’s vote, particularly in rural areas, shows that Iranian people no longer believe in economic populism and radical change,” said Ali Vaez, Iran analyst for the International Crisis Group, a think tank. “They have the maturity to understand that the solution to their country’s predicaments are in competent management of the economy and moderation in international relations,” Vaez told AFP. Rouhani’s central first-term achievement was a deal with six powers led by the United States
that eased crippling economic sanctions in exchange for curbs on Iran’s nuclear programme. He gained a reprieve this week when Washington agreed to continue waiving nuclear-related sanctions, keeping the deal on track for now. But the election comes at a tense moment in relations with the United States, with President Donald Trump still threatening to abandon the accord and visiting Iran’s bitter regional rival Saudi Arabia this weekend. Although Rouhani has been deeply entrenched in Iran’s security establishment since the early days of the revolution, he has emerged as the standard-bearer for reformists after their movement was decimated in the wake of mass protests in 2009.
“We’ve entered this election to tell those practising violence and extremism that your era is over,” he said during the campaign. At recent rallies, his supporters chanted the names of reformist leaders under house arrest since 2011 for their part in the protests. International affairs researcher Foad Izadi, of Tehran University, said Rouhani may now have the leverage to push for more freedoms, despite opposition from the conservative-dominated judiciary and security services. “A number of years have passed (since the 2009 protests) and the country is demonstrating a high level of stability – this gives the system confidence, which means more room for change,” Izadi said.
But the economy remains the number one challenge. Although Rouhani brought inflation down from around 40 percent when he took office in 2013, prices are still rising at nine percent a year. Oil sales have rebounded since the nuclear deal took effect in January last year, but growth in the rest of the economy has been limited, leaving unemployment at 12.5 percent overall, and at almost 30 percent among young people. “We are still not pleased with the situation, but in the four years of Rouhani there has been a relative improvement and I’m voting to keep that,” said Alireza Nikpour, a 40-year-old photographer in Tehran, as he queued to cast his ballot on Friday. AFP
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NOTICE TO THE STOCKHOLDERS OF PHILWEB CORPORATION
To All Retail and/or Non-Strategic Shareholders of PhilWeb Corporation: Please be advised that Gregorio Araneta, Incorporated (the “Bidder”) will file a Tender Offer Report in SEC Form 19-1 with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) and the Philippine Stock Exchange (the “PSE”) pursuant to Section 19 of the Securities Regulation Code in connection with its intention to acquire 663,803,284.00common shares (the “Shares”) of PhilWeb Corporation (“PhilWeb”). The offer price for the acquisition of the Shares is Two Pesos Sixty Centavos, Philippine Currency, (P2.60) per share or a total consideration of One Billion Seven Hundred Twenty Five Million Eight Hundred Eighty-Eight Thousand Five Hundred Thirty Eight Pesos and Forty Centavos (P1,725,888,538.40) and will be payable in cash. The Bidder shall acquire the Shares that may be tendered by any stockholder of PhilWeb in response to the Tender Offer. The Tender Offer shall commence on 19 May 2017 at 9:30 A.M. and shall end on 19 June 2017 at 1:00 P.M. (the “Tender Offer Period”). The Tender Offer Period may be shortened or extended by the Bidder subject to prior approval of the Commission. The Shares to be tendered are intended to be crossed at the PSE on 22 May 2017 (the “Cross Date”). Settlement Date shall be 03 July 2017. MOURNING. Relatives and friends of 15-year-old Jose Francisco Guerrero, who was shot when he went to buy some food and was found trapped in a confrontation between looters and the National Guard in the framework of protests against the government of President Nicolas Maduro, attend his funeral in San Cristobal, Tachira State, Venezuela, on Friday. Despite its vast oil reserves, Venezuela is suffering chronic shortages of food, medicine and other basic supplies. The center-right opposition blames it all on mismanagement and corruption in the Socialist government. AFP
BEIJING: NO ‘UNPROFESSIONAL’ INTERCEPT OF US PLANE BEIJING, China—China has denied US allegations that two Chinese fighter jets acted unprofessionally in intercepting an American military plane earlier this week, saying that its aircraft were acting in accordance with the law.” “Related remarks from the US side are inconsistent with fact,” the Chinese Ministry of Defense said in a statement posted to its website late Friday. “On May 17, a US reconnaissance aircraft was carrying out an operation in airspace over the Chinese Yellow Sea (the northern part of the East China Sea), and Chinese aircraft acted to identify and investigate in accordance with the law,” the
statement said, calling the action “professional” and “safe.” The US Air Force said in an earlier statement Friday that its plane, a WC-135 Constant Phoenix, was conducting a “routine mission” in international airspace when it was intercepted by two Chinese Sukhoi SU-30 fighter aircraft. The WC-135 is a so-called “sniffer plane” designed to scan the atmosphere for signs of nuclear activity. “The WC-135 was operating in accordance with international law. While we are still investigating the incident, initial reports from the US aircrew characterised the intercept as unprofessional,” the Air Force said. The statement out of Bei-
jing came as Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi discussed preparations for the first round of the China-U.S. diplomatic and security dialogue in a phone conversation Saturday with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted in a statement that Yang and Tillerson “exchanged views... of common concern such as the Korean Peninsula,” but did not say whether the aircraft incident was discussed. Mid-air interceptions occur routinely in international airspace, but the US military will often call out foreign pilots if it judges the manoeuvres to be risky or unprofessional. AFP
Stockholders who wish to offer all or a portion of their Shares for sale to the Bidder may do so by securing an Application to Tender Shares form (the “Application Form”) from, and submitting a duly accomplished Application Form together with the documentary requirements to the Transaction Broker, PLATINUM SECURITIES, INC. The Transaction Broker reserves the right to require the tendering stockholder to present additional documents for purposes of determining the validity, eligibility and acceptability of the Shares being tendered by the stockholder pursuant to the Offer. The Shares being tendered for sale to the Bidder must be received by the Transaction Broker in scripless form not later than 1:00 PM of 19 June 2017. Shares received thereafter or without the required documents shall be rejected by the Bidder. The Shares tendered may be withdrawn by the stockholder of record at any time during the tender offer period by submitting a written request for the tendered Shares to the Transaction Broker and surrendering the original Securities In-Receipt issued by the Transaction Broker. The last day to withdraw tendered Shares shall be on 19 June 2017at 1:00 PM. The Shares shall be deemed accepted by the Bidder for payment on 26 June 2017 at 1:00 PM(the “Closing Date”) subject to the condition that the Bidder shall have obtained all corporate, contractual and regulatory approvals, consents and authorizations for the purchase by the Bidder of the Shares. Stockholders are advised to read the Application Form, the Terms of the Tender Offer, and the SEC Form 19-1 filed by the Bidder with the SEC. For queries, please call the Transaction Broker at contact details set forth below. Copies of the Application Form and the SEC Form 19-1 may be obtained by the stockholders of PhilWeb, free of charge, from:
Broker Contact person Address
: : :
Telephone Email
: :
PLATINUM SECURITIES, INC. Mr. William O. Go Unit 801 Antel 2000 Corporate Center, 121 Valero Street, Salcedo Village, Makati City (02)887-1179 / (02) 8866414 plasec223@yahoo.com
(MAY 19,20 & 21, 2017)
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SUNDAY, MAY 21, 2017 Cesar Barrioquinto, Editor / Jimbo Gulle , Issue Editor
World
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AMID SCANDALS, TRUMP STARTS TOUR R
IYADH, Saudi Arabia – US President Donald Trump landed in Saudi Arabia Saturday for the start of an eight-day foreign tour, taking his first steps on the world stage as scandals mount at home.
Trump can expect a warm welcome in Saudi Arabia where he is to meet King Salman and other senior royals – in sharp contrast to Washington where pressure is building over his team’s alleged links to Moscow. Air Force One had barely taken off when it was announced that James Comey, the former FBI chief fired by Trump, had agreed to testify publicly about Russian interference in the US elections. Reports also emerged that
Trump had called Comey “a nut job” and that the FBI had identified a senior White House official as a “significant person of interest” in its probe of Russian meddling. A red carpet was rolled out and staircase rolled up to Air Force One after it landed at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh shortly before 9:50 a.m. (0650 GMT). Trump and his wife Melania, who dressed conservatively in black but did not cover her hair, walked side-by-side to the tarmac
where they both shook hands with Saudi King Salman. Trump is to hold talks with King Salman and the kingdom’s two powerful crown princes later on Saturday, before giving a speech on Islam to leaders of Muslim countries on Sunday. For Riyadh, the visit is an opportunity to rebuild ties with a key ally, which were strained under Trump’s predecessor Barack Obama who Sunni Arab Gulf states suspected of a tilt towards their Shiite regional rival Iran. That, together with a more muted focus on human rights and the likely announcement of new arms deals, should please Washington’s traditional Sunni Gulf allies. “He’s going to be tougher on Iran,” said Philip Gordon, senior fel-
low at the Council on Foreign Relations. “He’s not going to lecture them on democracy and human rights.” Sunday’s speech to dozens of Muslim leaders has been touted as a major event – along the lines of a landmark address to the Islamic world given by Obama in Cairo in 2009. The speech will be especially sensitive given tensions sparked by the Trump administration’s attempted travel ban targeting several Muslim majority nations and accusations of anti-Islamic rhetoric on the campaign trail. “I’ll speak with Muslim leaders and challenge them to fight hatred and extremism, and embrace a peaceful future for their faith,” Trump said ahead of his visit. afp
BREXIT: THE THRILLER BRITISH FILMMAKERS NEVER WANTED CANNES, France – For British film producers plying their wares at the Cannes festival, the prospect of Brexit represents something between a tale of suspense and an outright horror movie. There are many worried faces amongst all the razzamatazz at the glitzy festival in the south of France – namely those of British film-makers fretting over what exiting the European Union will mean for their country’s powerful movie industry, and the European producers who often work with them. “We’re heartbroken, really,” said British producer Elizabeth Morgan Hemlock, who is currently working with a Parisbased director on a documentary about intelligence agencies. “My time has always been spent travelling to Europe, whether to co-production markets from Gran Canaria or the Berlin film festival, for 20 years. There’s a worry that the laws will change and everything will become harder than it already is. We’re being isolated from our colleagues.” Topping the list of concerns: what the possibility of much tighter immigration controls might mean for the highly-internationalised industry, and the potential loss of access to EU cash that has previously helped fund British hits like Oscar-winner “The King’s Speech” and last year’s Cannes winner “I, Daniel Blake.” Then there is the wider unknown impact of a potential exit from the EU’s single market in the case of a so-called “hard Brexit.” AFP
US TRADE NEGOTIATOR MAKES ASIA DEBUT
SAUDI WELCOME. US President Donald Trump holds a bouquet of flowers upon being welcomed by Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud (unseen) during the former’s arrival at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Saturday. AFPHUNGRY. A displaced Syrian boy who fled the Islamic State group stronghold of Raqa eats at a temporary camp in the northern Syrian village of Ain Issa on Friday. AFP
SWEDEN DROPS RAPE PROBE ON ASSANGE LONDON—WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange gave a clenched fist salute Friday after Swedish prosecutors dropped a seven-year rape allegation, but he insisted the “proper war” over his future was just beginning. Assange stepped into the daylight on the balcony of Ecuador’s London embassy, where he has been holed up since 2012, to celebrate, but said the road was “far from over.”
The 45-year-old Australian’s accuser was angered by the decision and Assange declined to say whether he would leave the embassy. British police could arrest him immediately for breaching earlier bail conditions if he left the building, while US authorities have warned they regard WikiLeaks as a “hostile intelligence service.” “Today is an important victory,” Assange, in a black shirt and jacket, told reporters and a small band of
supporters crowded around the tiny balcony. “But it by no means erases seven years of detention without charge. In prison, under house arrest and almost five years here in this embassy without sunlight. “That is not something that I can forgive. It is not something that I can forget.” Earlier in Stockholm, Marianne Ny, Sweden’s director of public prosecutions, said the rape investi-
gation had been dropped because there was “no reason to believe that the decision to surrender him to Sweden can be executed in the foreseeable future”. “It is no longer proportionate to maintain the arrest of Julian Assange in his absence,” she said. Assange jumped British bail by entering the embassy and claiming asylum, saying he feared he would eventually be extradited to the United States. AFP
RUSSIA SLAMS US-LED STRIKES ON SYRIAN FORCES MOSCOW—Russia on Friday condemned a strike by the US-led coalition against Syrian pro-regime forces as “illegitimate” and said it could harm efforts to fight Islamic State jihadists. “It is illegitimate, unlawful and yet another gross violation of Syria’s sovereignty,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in televised comments while on a trip to Cyprus. He added that Moscow was “concerned” that the “emerging understanding” of the need to unite efforts against the Islamic State group and the former Nusra front is “starting to erode.” US-led warplanes on Thursday carried
out a strike in the east of the country against a convoy of pro-government forces which were heading towards a remote coalition garrison near the border with Jordan. In a statement, the coalition said it had struck “pro-regime forces... that posed a threat to US and partner forces.” The coalition said the strike came after unsuccessful “Russian attempts to dissuade Syrian pro-regime movement” as well as “a coalition aircraft show of force, and the firing of warning shots.” Lavrov said he was “unaware” that Russia had been given any warning of the strike, and said preliminary information
suggested there were civilian casualties. “We are still confirming the details but according to some reports several dozen civilians died as a result of this strike,” he was reported as saying by Russian news wires. His comments echoed an earlier statement by a deputy, Gennady Gatilov, who said the coalition’s strikes on Syrian forces were “unacceptable” and could hinder peace talks. The Russian security council, chaired by President Vladimir Putin, discussed the strike later Friday. Spokesman Dmitry Peskov, quoted by Russian news agencies, said “it was
stressed that such acts are illegitimate and considerably complicate the process of launching de-escalation zones....” Earlier this month, Russia, Iran, and Turkey, agreed to create four “de-escalation zones” across some of Syria’s bloodiest battlegrounds. Russia and Iran have deployed forces to Syria to back up President Bashar alAssad while the US and many of its regional and Western allies have called for the strongman to leave power. The United States infuriated the Kremlin in April by bombing a Syrian air base in response to an alleged chemical attack by Damascus. AFP
HANOI, Vietnam—Donald Trump’s new pointman on trade met Asia-Pacific trade ministers in Hanoi on Saturday as Washington reverses gear on sprawling free trade pacts in favor of one-to-one deals. With his tough rhetoric on winning back American jobs, President Trump’s elevation to the White House has raised serious fears over a new protectionist era. US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, a veteran Reaganera trade negotiator with protectionist credentials, is carrying his administration’s “America First” ethos with him to Vietnam for the two-day Asia-Pacific Economic Community (APEC) trade ministers’ meet. Trump favours bilateral trade deals over the ambitious multilateral pacts of Barack Obama’s administration, which included the sprawling 12-nation TransPacific Partnership (TPP). The US pulled out of the TPP in January, after Trump labelled it a “job killer.” That dismayed the other 11 signatories – including Japan, Australia, Singapore and Vietnam – who saw it as a guarantor of regional free trade. Lighthizer met with his Japanese counterpart on Saturday. The US and Japan “agreed to promote mutually beneficial trade, fight trade barriers and trade distorting measures,” according to a statement from Lighthizer and his Japanese counterpart Hiroshige Seko. Japan is spearheading efforts to keep the TPP afloat. The 11 remaining TPP nations are set to meet Sunday morning and are expected to commit to forging ahead with the pact without Washington, while leaving the door open for the US’ return. AFP
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SUNDAY, MAY 21, 2017
Ray S. Eñano, Editor / Roderick dela Cruz, Issue Editor business@manilastandard.net
FOOD FIRM ADDS 2 TO 3 STORES A DAY
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FOOD industry executive is overseeing the construction of two to three stores a day this year for a fast growing company that sold 70 million chicken last year. Crispin “Pinggoy ” Aquino was appointed in January 2017 as vice president for supply chain management and engineering and executive assistant to the president of Bounty Agro Ventures Inc., a company with a target to open 700 new stores this year under three retail brands— Chooks to Go, Uling Roasters and Reyal Litson Manok. Since Januar y, Pinggoy has been involved in the planning and construction of more than 300 stores nationwide. And he expects BAVI to open additional 300 or more until December. BAVI is a part of the Chen family’s Bounty Fresh Group of Companies— the fastest growing and second largest broiler integrator in the Philippines that registered more than P11 billion in sales in 2016. BAVI president and general manager Ronald Daniel Ricaforte Mascariñas tapped Aquino, 55, to run the supply chain division and engineering unit of the company to support the retail expansion. “By yearend, I think we will have a total of 2,000 stores nationwide,”Pinggoy says in an interview in Makati City. That will make Chooks to Go one of the largest food chains in the country. Chooks to Go, the flagship brand of BAVI, is already the dominant leader in the rotisserie chicken industry, as it has more stores than the combined outlets of its three biggest competitors. On Jan. 1 to May 16 this year alone, BAVI opened 337 stores, about 70 percent of which are under Chooks to Go brand. BAVI had a total of 1,843 stores nationwide as of May 18, according to Pinggoy. These included 1,257 stores under Chooks To Go, 395 under Uling Roasters and 171 under Reyal. The group also diversified into
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MANAGER.
Bounty Agro Ventures Inc. vice president for supply chain management and engineering Crispin “Pinggoy” Aquino the snack industry when it introduced Snok, which sells chicken snacks and French fries. Snok now has 20 stores. Pinggoy, who studied at Philippine Science High School in Quezon City and obtained a BS Degree in Agricultural Engineering at UP Los Baños in 1985
and MBA at UP Diliman, brings with him a 30-year experience in supply chain management, logistics, procurement and operations. He was an executive of Jollibee Foods Corp., IDS Philippines and Ramcar Food Group (KFC, Mr. Donut and Tokyo Tokyo)
HP PHILIPPINES OPENS ENTREHPRENEUR HUB EASILY accessible and ready-to-use, coworking spaces are all the rage in the country today. These spaces are favored by individuals who value freedom and flexibility in their work—from freelancers and startups to small and medium-sized businesses—those who are mobile and tech-driven. Since they need to be adaptive, working in more than one location, this new crop of entrepreneurs and professionals also benefit from sturdy and lightweight devices that boast of powerful technical features. As a move to support the individuals who redefine the work and space, HP Inc. Philippines introduces EntreHPreneur, a campaign dedicated to providing strong business solutions to SMBs in the country. Born out of the desire to empower Filipino SMBs, EntreHPreneur aims to addresses their need for innovative tech solutions and productive environments. With this in mind, HP teamed up with Microsoft and the Penbrothers Co-working Space to develop the EntreHPreneur Hub. An enhanced collaborative working space, the EntreHPreneur Hub is filled with the tech giant’s powerful business tools that will aid business owners, startups and freelancers in their day-to-day operations. These devices are all enterprise-worthy, which can help them all work better and smarter. “We at HP want to improve the modern workspace through various mobile business solutions,” says Kris Seville, HP Philippines’ Business Unit Manager for PC. “Over the years, we have always been on the lookout on ways we can create and reinvent impact among our users. As a leading device and solutions provider for corporations, we wanted to bring our expertise in enterprise to SMBs—startup companies, and other establishments that are on the top of their game when they are mobile and on-the-go.” During the EntreHPreneur Hub reveal, HP showcased devices that make content creation, consumption, and idea generation more efficient and with optimum security. These include: • HP EliteBook x360 – As the world’s thinnest convertible business laptop, the HP EliteBook x360 takes the user seamlessly
from work to personal life. It combines a powerful thin, light, and stylish design with Elite-class enterprise security and mobility, being just 14.95 mm with a battery life of 16.5 hrs. • HP Elite X2 1012 –The HP Elite X2 is a versatile and durable powerhouse. Presenting uncompromised productivity, the HP Elite X2 is built with precisioncrafted keyboards, LTE connectivity, 10hour battery life designed to the exacting standards of the enterprise. • HP Elite X3 - The HP Elite X3 is the first built-for-business 3-in-1 device to deliver seamless phablet, laptop, and desktop business productivity. Let increased output, collaboration, and security be part of dayto-day work with HP Elite X3. • HP EliteDisplays – Work and collaborate in style with HP’s new line of EliteDisplays designed to bring the most out of your HP Elite PC. Choose from a standard display with four-way adjustability and expansive connectivity, a curved display that will stop colleagues and customers in their tracks, a Certified for Skype for Business display designed for efficient collaboration, or a display with an integrated wireless charging stand for your mobile devices. By providing work flexibility and mobility, co-working spaces allow SMBs to have more control on how they work. HP understands this and wants to enhance the experience through the EntreHPreneur Hub. “Here in Penbrothers, we understand the challenges many SMBs face - hiring, payroll, working space - and we have introduced an innovative approach to meet these needs by providing an end-to-end solution,” says Guilherme Faria, Penbrothers co-founder. “The launch of EntreHPreneur Hub further helps young businesses in tackling these challenges, given the flexibility and functionality of their gadgets. We are proud to collaborate with HP Inc. Philippines and Microsoft Philippines on this project.” Starting with the Penbrothers Coworking Space (6th Floor, OPL Bldg. C. Palanca St., Legaspi Village, Makati), the EntreHPreneur Hub will be available in other co-working spaces around Metro Manila in the following months.
and taught Business Management courses at UP Diliman and Ateneo de Manila University. “I graduated from UPLB with a degree in Agriculture Engineering. I was supposed to be designing farm machines. But I have never practiced
that, except in my first job in corn growing,” says Pinggoy, who worked as the operations supervisor of Urban Food Foundation Inc. between January 1986 and May 1991, before he joined Jollibee. Turn to C2
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FOOD...
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H e wo r k e d a s a p ro d u c t i o n supervisor between 1991 and 1996 and as work management analyst in 1997 at Jollibee. He became a faculty member of UP Diliman’s College of Business Administration and ADMU’s Management Engineering Department until 2001, when he joined Ramcar Food Group, the local franchise holder of quick service restaurant KFC and Mister Donut and the owner of Tokyo Tokyo brand. At Ramcar, he held various positions such as manager for systems and methods improvement, director for commissary operations, vice president for supply chain management, vice president for special projects and poultry operations and vice president for logistics. Pinggoy was planning to retire early, but an offer from Mascariñas, the founder of BAVI and a former executive of Purefoods, proved to be challenging enough for him to forgo his retirement plans. “There were other offers from big companies in the food industry, but I chose BAVI,” he says. “I felt challenged by the responsibilities entrusted to me by the president. Because of the trust given to me, I do not want to disappoint the organization about what I can contribute through the wealth of experience I have,” he says. At BAVI, Pinggoy is responsible over purchasing, logistics, store construction, store and plant maintenance, demand planning and inventory management, fleet management, food manufacturing and value added products. He also acts as the executive assistant to the president (Mascariñas). BAVI is aggressively planning the expansion of its store network, with a typical outlet occupying an average of 20 to 25 square meters. “I only started with the company in January this year, but it seems to me like four years,” says Pinggoy. The Chen family built the Bounty Fresh Group of Companies in the 1980s, starting with a poultry farm in Sta. Maria, Bulacan. Bounty Fresh Food Inc. became known for its high-quality and fresh chicken under the Bounty Fresh brand and became a top supplier of fresh-chilled chicken and table eggs to various hotels, restaurants, institutional food companies and supermarkets. As a fully‐integrated poultry company with its own feed mills, Bounty Fresh was able to control cost and become competitive in the market. Mascariñas’ decision to team up with the Chen family gave way to the rapid expansion of the rotisserie chicken industry. BAVI started its flagship brand Chooks to Go in 2008, which was well received by the local market because of its delicious taste even without sauce. Two other retail brands followed—Uling Roasters and Reyal Litson Manok. “All our chicken at retail branches are supplied internally. Our poultry farms are scattered all over the country. That is one of the key factors that worked well for Chooks to Go. We can supply all our stores nationwide using our own chicken at a relatively lower cost,” says Pinggoy. On how BAVI achieved such a a rapid growth, Pinggoy says the company management “executes fast, addresses concerns fast and decides fast.” “The company through the president is generous in many ways. This is why BAVI has grown to what it is today,” he says. Pinggoy says he is confident about the continuous growth of BAVI’s retail network, as chicken is considered a major source of nutrition in the Philippines. The economy is growing and more Filipinos become wage earners and spenders. He says the plan is to “continuously grow the existing retail brands to their saturation point” and offer new product lines in the food business through internal development or acquiring local and international franchise brands. “We prepare for new modes and trends in bringing our products to our customers.” Pinggoy believes that while BAVI is aggressively expanding, there is a need to reduce overall costs by making things work more efficiently especially on areas under his supervision. “We need to make use of our resources more efficiently. We need to reduce wastage. We need to bring down all our costs. We need to reduce the inventory system wide to free up tied-up capital. There is always a better way [and] continuous improvement and management by numbers are some of the consciousness I want to impart. I want to prepare company for the future,” he says. “I am confident that I can help bring it to the next level to support the further expansion of the group,” Pinggoy says. Roderick T. dela Cruz
ERRATUM Venture Capital Cafe and Youth Hostel Leisure and Resort Corp. wish to clarify that it will be building its own hotel at Station 3 on Boracay Island, and that it will not take the place of Red Coconut contrary to what was reported in this space on May 14, 2017. For clarification, Venture Capital Cafe and Youth Hostel Leisure has no transaction or connection whatsoever with the latter company.
CREDIT SUISSE APPOINTS FILIPINO INVESTMENT BANKER
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REDIT Suisse, one of the world’s largest banks based in Switzerland, has tapped a Filipino manager to head the investment banking and capital markets department of its Philippine unit.
Credit Suisse head of Philippines coverage Michael De Guzman
Michael De Guzman, the former managing director of Macquarie Capital Funds in the Philippines, was appointed as the new head of Credit Suisse’s Philippines coverage in Asia-Pacific Investment Banking & Capital Markets department. “As an important addition to Credit Suisse’s leading Southeast Asia franchise, Mr. De Guzman will be responsible for driving the growth of its IBCM business in the Philippines. This includes broadening relationships with entrepreneurs and corporate clients in the market as well as delivering the full range of Credit Suisse’s integrated bank offering in line with its positioning as the Trusted Entrepreneurs’ Bank,” the bank said. De Guzman will report to Pankaj Goel and Rizal Gozali, Credit Suisse’s co-heads of IBCM Southeast Asia based in Singapore. De Guzman brings extensive Asia Pacific investment banking experience across mergers and acquisitions, leverage buyouts, principal investments, equity capital markets and general corporate finance, as well as a deep understanding of the Philippines market. He joins Credit Suisse from Macquarie Group, where he spent 17 years in various roles based around Asia Pacific. For the past eight years, he held the role of head of Macquarie Capital Philippines advising and raising capital for various top Philippine conglomerates. At Macquarie, De Guzman advised on a number of notable transactions in the Philippines including SM Prime’s $8-billion real estate restructuring and $400-million equity raising, Emperador’s $700-million acquisition of Whyte & Mckay, the Ayala/Metro Pacific consortium’s LRT-1 transaction, and the $530 million IPO of SM InvestmentsCorp. “The Philippines is an important part of Credit Suisse’s Southeast Asia franchise, and where the bank has been a leading financial advisor since1992,” the Swiss bank said. Credit Suisse has advised on numerous landmark and innovative transactions in the country, including the Republic of the Philippines accelerated switch tender offer and $2-billion notes offering which marked the bank’s 17th bond offering and/or liability management deal led for the ROP since 2004, and a $1.2-billion rights issue for BDO Unibank. Credit Suisse offers clients its combined expertise in the areas of private banking, investment banking and asset management. It provides advisory services, comprehensive solutions and innovative products to companies, institutional clients and high-net-worth private clients globally, as well as to retail clients in Switzerland. Credit Suisse is headquartered in Zurich and operates in over 50 countries where it employs 46,640 people.
MILLENNIALS ENCOURAGED TO INVEST A LIFE insurance company has tapped a celebrity endorser to teach millennials on how to invest and achieve their life goals. Sun Life Asset Management Company Inc. teamed up with actor Matteo Guidicelli to launch a series of video blogs on investing which they say can help millennials plan their future better. The campaign aims to encourage Filipinos to invest in mutual funds. SLAMCI, the mutual fund unit of Sun Life of Canada, wants to have millennials as investors and chose the 27-year-old actor to lead the vlog campaign. Guidicelli says he has been entrusting his money with Sunlife for the past three years now, with a portion of his earnings steadily going to savings and investment. A survey by Sunlife shows that while 80 percent of millennials consider it important to invest, less than 1 percent actually invest in stocks and funds. “Imagine if we invest in Sunlife now, we will have nicer and bigger travels, five or 10 years from now,” says Guidicelli. “It is about planning your life goals.” The vlogs, dubbed ‘Make it Mutual’ tackle
topics relevant to personal finance such as growing one’s money, beating inflation and investing regularly. “I myself have life goals I’d like to pursue and I’m happy to share that ever since I made it mutual with SLAMCI, I’ve been well on my way to achieving all those goals. It would be great if more Filipinos can experience the same,” says Guidicelli. SLAMCI president Valerie Pama says the company is committed to helping more Filipinos discover the benefits of investing so they may reap its rewards. “We all have goals that we’d like to accomplish, such as buying a house or a car, traveling to a dream destination, or planning a wedding. These are goals that require a significant amount of money, and sometimes, Filipinos become discouraged knowing how much they need to raise to be able to fund their dreams,” she says. “We’d like to show them that by saving and investing in mutual funds, all their dreams can become a reality. They simply have to ‘Make It Mutual.’” Sun Life chief marketing officer Mylene
Lopa says the vlogs are a part of Financial Independence Month campaign in June. “We remain committed to this cause. Sun Life is always eager to promote it in ways that are creative, relatable, easily understandable,” says Lopa. “We will never tire of advocating financial literacy to Filipinos.” Lopa cites a historical performance of SLAMCI funds where investors doubled their investments every 10 years. The company, however, does not give any assurance on the exact rate of return. SLAMCI, the mutual fund arm of Sun Life of Canada (Philippines) Inc., manages P57.8 billion in assets under 11 mutual funds collectively called Sun Life Prosperity Funds. “We are continuously growing. We are gaining more clients. We have 130,000 clients. Our assets under management are getting bigger. A lot of clients are quite confident putting their money with Sunlife. We conservatively manage these assets to the best of our abilities,” says Gerard Bautista, SLAMCI head for bank and alternative channels. Roderick T. dela Cruz
SM MARKETS HELPS ‘MUSHROOMING’ COMMUNITIES SM MARKETS, the largest food retail chain in the country, becomes the first retailer to bring fresh local oyster mushrooms to the supermarket in support of Go Negosyo’s initiative to help engage local farmers. Sourced from Trophy Farm, a Leytebased mushroom farm, the initial order of mushrooms is already available on the shelves of SM Markets’ member stores, SM Supermarket Cebu, SM Supermarket Seaside, Savemore Market Parkmall and Savemore Market Tacloban since early this May. SM Markets has always been suppor tive of small and medium enterprises. Before sourcing mushrooms, SM Markets recently helped the farmers of Nueva Ecija move their locally grown red and white onions. For fresh oyster mushrooms, SM Markets dealt with the Leyte-based Trophy Farm as endorsed by Go Negosyo. SM Markets’ and Go Negosyo’s objective is to help farmers develop their entrepreneurship by connecting them to
local food retailers and suppliers to better move their produce. As one of the pioneering supermarket chains in the country, SM Markets continues to deliver worldclass products and services to over 230 cities and municipalities nationwide and counting. Apart from supporting Go Negosyo’s campaign, SM Markets also develops SMEs suppliers’ expansion by hosting weekend bazaars, offering opportunities to supply for SM Bonus, and helping farmers become sustainable through training under SM Foundation’s Kabalikat sa Kabuhayan program. According to SM Markets, SMEs add more variety to SM’s offerings and in turn, their products are displayed among more popular varieties giving them the same exposure as multinational corporations. SM Markets will help augment mushroom sales SM Markets lends a helping hand to the Oyster Mushroom farmers of Leyte by through communication efforts in enjoining its shoppers to help support putting their produce on the shelves of SM Supermarket Cebu, SM Supermarket Seaside, Savemore Market Parkmall and Savemore Market Tacloban. the initiative.
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SUNDAY, MAY 21, 2017 reuelvidal@yahoo.com
EUSTAQUIO WANTS TO TASTE REVENGE June Mar Fajardo
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED FOR GILAS PILIPINAS
Geje Eustaquio (right) connects with a roundhouse kick which is barely deflected by his opponent Gianni Subba. Eustaquio beat Subba by unanimous decision at ONE: Global Rivals, April 15, 2016. ONE Championship
By Reuel Vidal
R
EVENGE is supposed to be a dish best served cold. Geje “Gravity” Eustaquio gets to prove that adage when he gets his long-awaited rematch against Thai rival Anatpong Bunrad at ONE: Dynasty of Heroes on May 26. Eustaquio has waited two years to experience the sweet taste of vengeance when he gets his shot at Bunrad after the Thai narrowly beat him by split decision at ONE: Valor of Champions on April 24, 2015. And after a bout that could have gone either way and which resulted in a bitter loss, Eustaquio says he’s not about to take any chances and will not let the three judges decide the outcome of the match. “My first fight against him
served as a big lesson. It’s my duty to learn from my mistakes and improve to become a better martial artist. I know what I am capable of. I can’t wait to showcase my talent this coming May 26,” Eustaquio said. Eustaquio has power in both mitts. He knocked out Malaysian standout Saiful Merican with a counter left hook in the first round during their bout January last year. He hopes to score a similarly decisive win over Bunrad.
Geje Eustaquio (left) talks to Manila Standard’s Reuel Vidal before working out at a gym.
“I have to make sure it will be a landslide if it will go to a decision, or if God permits, I will knock him down or submit him. I will go there and do my job. If God permits, I will bring home the victory,” he said. Eustaquio squares off against Bunrad at the 12,000-capacity Singapore Indoor Stadium. He says he’s ready for the challenge. “The last time we fought, it was a razor-thin decision. Maybe I lacked the quantity in striking. There were also cases when his leg kicks, though those were weak ones, did connect. It didn’t hurt as much, but in the eyes of the judges, it had a big impact. So maybe this time, I’ll avoid those leg kicks,” Eustaquio said. Eustaquio believes he won their last bout. He will admit though that it was a close decision and does not the blame the judges. But this time around he wants to leave no doubt by posting a decisive win. He plans to finish his foe by knockout or submission. With a week left before the bout, Eustaquio said he also addressed the mental aspect of the marquee match-up. “As we wrap up the training camp, we now channel our focus on the mental aspect. Since we fought before, we know how high his energy is. I have to be mentally prepared as well,” he said. Twenty eight-year-old Baguio City native Eustaquio will rely on his stamina and plans to consistently put the pressure on his Thai counterpart throughout the fight.
Geje Eustaquio (left) hits Thai rival Anatpong Bunrad on the face with a left straight. Eustaquio lost to Bunrad by split decision at ONE Valor of Champions on April 24, 2015. ONE Championship
Bunrad hasn’t fought since December 2015 when he lost a narrow split decision to Gianna Subba who incidentally was convincingly beaten by Eustaquio by unanimous decision at ONE: Global Rivals April 15, 2016. Bunrad was supposed to battle Eugene Toquero May last year but their bout was cancelled for undisclosed reasons. Eustaquio will undoubtedly be the sharper competitor between the two. For more updates on ONE Championship, please visit www.onefc.com, follow on Twitter and Instagram @ONEChampionship, and like on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ONEChampionship.
ONE Championship is the largest sports media property in Asian history. Headquartered in Singapore, the world’s most exciting mixed martial arts organization hosts the largest sports entertainment events across Asia featuring the best Asian mixed martial artists and world champions, all signed to exclusive contracts, on the largest media broadcast in Asia. ONE Championship is broadcast to over one billion viewers across 118+ countries around the world with some of the largest global broadcasters, including FOX Sports, Setanta, MNC, Astro, Thairath TV, ABS-CBN, TV5, MYTV, HTV, OSN and more.
OVERKILL? Not really, not when the goal was not just win the Southeast Asia Basketball Association Championship but win so convincingly that there is no doubt as to who are the kings of the sport in the region. The Philippine team did just that. Winning its first game by 103 points; scoring over 100 points in every game but their last; and decimating the opposition so badly that the betting line during their games was never who wins but by how big a margin the Philippines will rout the other team. Historically, the Philippines sent just amateur players to compete in the Seaba as well as the SEA Games. But in the face of the ever improving play of our Southeast Asia neighbors the country’s ruling body of the sport decided to send the strongest possible team to the competition. Leading the squad was three-time Philippine Basketball Association Most Valuable Player June Mar Fajardo and the man they call The Beast Calvin Abueva. They were joined by the countr y ’s best basketball players in Jayson Castro, Terrence Romeo, Japeth Ag u i l a r, A l l e i n M a l i k s i , R ay m o n d Almazan and Troy Rosario. Completing the cast were Gilas Cadets Jio Jalalon, Roger Pogoy and Matthew Wright. The team, already strong enough to manhandle every team in the Seaba, was made even stronger with the addition of naturalized player Andray Blatche. I n t he l op s i d e d c ha m p i ons hi p game Gilas Pilipinas trounced Indonesia 97-64 to complete a sweep of the tournament and seal a berth in World Cup qualifiers. Indonesia was supposed to pose a challenge to the national team. Well, if trailing 2-5 at the start of the game and never trailing again; and then winning by 33 points could be considered a challenge then Gilas did get challenged at least once this tournament. Blatche led Gilas with 21 points, on four triples and 10 rebounds despite playing just 20 minutes. Castro, considered the best point guard in Asia, orchestrated the Gilas offense and added 14 points, seven rebounds and five assists. Fajardo had 13 points, four rebounds and two blocks. Abueva was a hyper kinetic bundle of energy as he pressured and harassed the Indonesia offense and collared eight rebounds to go with five points, one steal and one block. Fajardo and Blatche relied on their size and length to score at will inside the paint. When the Indonesians shifted to a zone, outside shooters Wright, Romeo, Jalalon, Castro and even Blatche sniped from afar to complete the rout. Reuel Vidal
SPI VOLCANOES FIGHT FOR 3RD PLACE IN ASIA RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIPS THE SPI Volcanoes are looking to finish strong in their final match of the Asia Rugby Championships as they face United Arab Emirates in a playoff match for third place Saturday, May 27 in Ipoh, Malaysia. The Volcanoes have not been able to withstand and convert pressure into points in their first two matches, going down to Sri Lanka in their opening game on Sunday and Malaysia on Wednesday. “It’s been a tough campaign for us, losing key personnel early in the tournament. Credit to Sri Lanka and Malaysia, they were the better team on the day. We do however have one game left, and want to ensure that we perform to the best of our ability, which I know we can and finish third in the championships,” stand in captain Jake
Robrigado Letts said. The Volcanoes will have to pass UAE, a team the Volcanoes last played in 2013 at Rizal Memorial Stadium, in the playoff match to hold their position in Division 1. In 2013, the Philippines were successful beating the visiting nation 24 points to 8. “The last time we played them it was tough match, they are a new side now and so are we. They have had two close matches in this series also so we know Saturday is going to another tough one,” said veteran prop forward and vice captain Austin Garnica Dacanay. Both the Philippines and UAE have everything to fight for in the playoff match, the winner not only finishes third but also cements their place in Division 1 again in 2018. The loser will be relegated into Division 2. With a string of injuries to the playing
roster, the SPI Volcanoes are expected to keep a similar line up. Michael Estrada Duhig at hooker is hopeful to make a return after being forced to sit out the first two matches with injury. “Looking ahead our coaching staff will field our strongest 23 available. I know the players here have what it takes to win this playoff match. I am more than confident that if we can do the basics well, limit our error rate and play to our shapes we can come away with the win. It’s a new day, we have the opportunity to turn the result in our favor and I know the players will be giving it everything come Saturday,” Letts said. The SPI Philippine Volcanoes will kick off at 2 p.m., Saturday, May 27. Games are covered by Astro, Rugby Pass and showed live on the Asia Rugby Facebook page.
Philippine Volcanoes defenders (white top) try to bring down a Malaysian as they play defense. The Volcanoes were tested by the fierce Malaysian outfit at match two of the Asia Rugby Championships. Asia Rugby
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SUNDAY, MAY 21, 2017 Riera U. Mallari, Editor / Reuel Vidal, Issue Editor / Randy Caluag, Issue Editor
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COMBAT SPORTS TAKE SPOTLIGHT
By Randy Caluag
F
ILIPINOS take pride in their innate passion for martial arts. It’s not surprising that combat sports always serve as the ticket to success for Filipinos in the global sports stage. Of the 10 medals won by the Philippines in the Olympics, the most prestigious and biggest sports show on earth, boxers gave the most numbers of medals with Anthony Villanueva and Mansueto Velasco winning silver. Roel Velasco and Leopoldo Serrantes gave the country a bronze medal each. The third silver medal was delivered by female weightlifter in the last edition of the quadrennial Games in Rio de Janeiro. Combat sports like karate, wushu, taekwondo have made the country proud in the world stage as well. It’s not surprising indeed that the Philippines will again bank on these disciplines as it goes for the elusive gold medal in the next Olympics in Tokyo in 2020. The Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) and the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) have put up united front to make sure in keeping the Filipino warrior spirit by competing regularly in the Asian Martial Arts Games (AIMAG), the 7th edition of which will took place on September 17 to 27 in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan “We will continue to seek ways to discover new talents that will make us proud in the global stage,” said Cong. Mounsour Del Rosario, secretary-general of the Philippine Taekwondo Federation. Del Rosario, a former Olympian and Asian taekwondo champion, has been designated as Chef De Mission to AIMAG that will be participated in by thousands of athletes from 62 countries in Asia and Oceania. “We truly believe in the deep warrior spirit of the Filipino athletes,” added Del Rosario, who decided to expand the program by holding a tournament that will help select members of the national team in non-Olympic sports.
Pre-AIMAG event
Del Rosario, with his assistant chef de mission Raymund Lee Reyes of karate, will organize the Pre-AIMAG tournament, featuring sports like Kickboxing, Kurash, Sambo, Belt Wrestling and Traditional Wrestling on May 29 to June 2 at Harisson Plaza Mall, Manila. The event is open to all Filipino practitioners and can register with the organizers per sport or directly coordinate with the PSC which is funding the event. “With this (Pre-Aimag) event, we will showcase new sports that will help our country achieve more medal for the counrty that’s way we featured this new combat sports event because Filipinos are good in combat sports,” said
Sam Betten
BETTEN SEEKS THREE-PEAT IN REGENT 1550
Veteran internationalist MJ Abrillo (right) is one of the participants in the pre-AIMAG tournament in Harrison Plaza, Manila. (From MJ Abrillo Facebook)
Philippine team chef de mission to AIMAG, Cong. Monsour del Rosario, and hisa asst. CDM Raymund Lee Reyes give their reports to the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) board regarding the country’s preparation for the AIMAG
pines of Brico Santig have bonded to form the Kickboxing Alliance of the Philippines (KAP). Other affiliate gyms like martial arts gyms like New Blood MMA, Cerberus, D Elements, Highland Boxing MMA, Yaw-Yan Kampilan, Biagtan MMA, to name a few, have also expressed their support. “We are very glad that our sport will now be given more chances to be exposed to the new generation. We really should continue our martial arts tradition because of the explosion of mixed martial arts as a professional sport. AIMAG is one of the biggest events where Filipino can show their skills,” said KAP board member Sabrine. Martial arts along with other disciplines like athletics, chess, cycling, lawn tennis, muay thai,
Del Rosario and Reyes with officials of Philippine Sports Commission and sports representatives during a coordination meeting
Reyes, secretary-general of the Philippine Karatedo Federation. “This is also the best time for martial arts groups to unite for the country,” said Reyes, who set kickboxing as good example.
Some of the biggest kickboxing organizations like the Kickboxing and Muay Thai Council of the Philippines, headed by Emmanuel Sabrine, WMKF-Philippines of Gerald Basig, World Kickboxing League-Philip-
weightlifting, taekwondo, billiards, football, swimming, bowling, dancesport, basketbal and futsal will be featured in the actual AIMAG in Uzbekistan. With reports from Nathaniel Mariano
HE’S back. And Sam Betten’s not only chasing a back-to-back title but a rare grand slam in the local version of the world’s largest Olympic distance triathlon series when the Regent 5150 is fired off June 4 in Subic Bay. The 6-4 Aussie topped the last two editions of the event, including a dominating performance last year when he led from start to finish of the challenging 1.5k swim, 40k bike and 10k run event and churned out a 2:06.55 clocking. That should pump Betten all the more this year—not only for the rare chance to become the first triathlete to score a three-peat in the annual event but also to prime up for the another 5150 championship in Bohol later this year. But Betten will be in for a tough outing this time with fellow Aussies and veterans Ben Allen, Mitch Robins and Dan Brown along with Iain Alexandridis of the US going all-out to foil his ambitious bid. “It’s tougher to win twice in a row. So going for three is something very special but very challenging,” said the 29-year-old Betten. While last year’s women’s champ won’t be around to defend her crown, veteran campaigner and bemedalled triathlete Dimity-Lee Duke, also of Australia, is tipped to dispute the title with Hungarian Anna Eberhardt, and Kerry Mulholland and Annelies Jeffries, both from Down Under. To spice up the event, sponsored by the country’s leading snack manufacturing company, the organizing Sunrise Events, Inc. is again putting up a short distance race series, featuring a 750m swim, a 20k bike and a 5k run, that proved to be a big hit last year. Dubbed the Sunrise Sprint, the event is designed for beginners wanting to immerse themselves into triathlon racing, a tri warrior who has been off the circuit and out to make a comeback or simply a triathlon enthusiast. SEI founder Fred Uytengsu said that it has been their desire to expand the base of triathlon since they took the cudgels for the sport in mid-2000 with the Sunrise Sprint providing beginners or those on a comeback trail a fun and friendly racing experience. Regent Foods president and CEO Ricky See, on the other hand, is renewing its sponsorship of the sport as part of the firm’s continuing commitment to support the Filipino’s changing lifestyles and needs. “Regent Foods started to focus in promoting a balanced routine through our participation in fun run events. And after seeing triathlon evolve into what it is today, we are truly proud to be part in supporting the triathlon community with the Regent 5150 event,” said See.
LADY BULLDOGS REPEL FALCONS, COP NAT’L SOFTBALL CROWN NATIONAL U fought back from three runs down with a late charge then leaned on Ethel Cuyo’s big hit in the sixth inning to hack out a thrilling 4-3 victory over Adamson and snare the Cebuana Lhuillier-ASAPHIL National Softball Intercollegiate Championships crown recently at the Sto. Niño Ballpark in Marikina City. The Lady Bulldogs yielded three runs after the fourth but pounced on Adamson’s catching errors in the bottom sixth and equalized at 3 on Clarifel Singh’s two RBIs before Cuyo came through with a hit to put NU on top before the Bustillos-based squad capped its come-from-behind win with a fly-out.
“I’d like to commend every team that participated in this tournament. Everyone did an impressive job in competing against each other and in showing the great potential of Philippine softball. Congratulations to National University and I hope to see everyone again next year,” said ASAPHIL and Cebuana Lhuillier president Jean Henri Lhuillier. Meanwhile, NU’s Mean Ramos took the Best Pitcher award and emerged the league’s MVP while teammate Elsie dela Torre bagged the Best Hitter trophy and UP’s Mary Joy Abanes captured the Best Slugger honors. Other awardees were AdU’s Gelyn Lamata (Most Homeruns) and
Diane Jane Balderama also of AdU (Most RBIs). UP-Diliman placed third while PUP and Rizal Technological University ended up fourth and fifth, respectively. It was a sorry loss for Adamson, which, after a scoreless first two innings, surged ahead with two runs in the third on a sacrifice hit by Diane Balderama coupled with an NU throwing error. The Lady Falcons sustained their form and scored another run in the fourth after Leslie Benabaye battedin a long ball for a January Cantor run before NU, which eased out UPDiliman, 8-3, in the semis, broke the spell with a run in the fifth courtesy of Nicole Ordoyo.
National University’s Ethel Cuyo comes through with a crucial hit to secure the Lady Bulldog’s come-from-behind 4-3 victory over the Adamson Lady Falcons in the finals of the Cebuana LhuillierASAPHIL 2017 National Softball Intercollegiate Championships at the Sto. Niño Ballpark in Marikina.
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SUNDAY, MAY 21, 2017
Jimbo Gulle, Editor
Roger Garcia, Issue Editor
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Divers show the garbage they collected in the waters at Duke Reef, the 30-hectare Marine Protected Area across the Duka Bay Resort in Gingoog City, Misamis Oriental, as part of volunteer efforts for ‘Shore It Up,’ the marine ecological program of the Metro Pacific Investment Corp..
THOUSANDS JOIN MARINE ECOSYSTEM CLEANUP T
HE coastal municipality of Medina in Misamis Oriental recently hosted Shore It Up, a marine ecological program of the Metro Pacific Investment Corp. participated in by volunteer scuba divers from various business groups.
The center of activity “Duka Reef” was the 30-hectare Marine Protected Area across Duka Bay Resort in Gingoog Bay, a fishery reserve which takes pride in its coral research and enhancement and protection measures. It boasts of 2,000 species of fish, 5,000 species of clams, mollusks and crustaceans, 22 whale and dolphin species; more than 900 seaweed species; and more than 400 coral species. A simultaneous solid waste cleanup along the sevenkilometer stretch along the nine beachfront barangays of the Medina was also held, participated in by 2,023 individuals from government and community organizations. The underwater and coastal cleanup netted 787 kilograms consisting mostly of non-biodegradable solid wastes. “The fight to preserve the environment is easier said than done. It is a life-long quest. In a small way we started protecting our marine biology,” says Medina Mayor Donato Chan. The two-day environmental program also consisted of the Junior Environmental Scouts, a creative educational component for children to inculcate concern for Mother Earth through creative art, story-telling and interactive activities. Facilitated by the MVP Group volunteer divers, the event
gathered some 200 elementary students from Medina. The divers also assembled and deployed of marker buoys where boats can dock near the reef without dropping anchor, which may damage corals. The SIU will also train local fishermen for the Tawike Monitoring Project in recording sightings of whale sharks in Gingoog Bay, which will serve as basis for conservation programs and a possible eco-tourism activity. Since its inception in 2009, SIU has tapped more than 70,000 volunteers, and has partnered with some 300 local and national government agencies, community organizations, socio-civic groups, and private entities. Shore It Up has been hosted by key coastal areas such as Mabini, Batangas; Puerto Galera, Oriental Mindoro; Subic Bay Freep-ort Zone; Hundred Islands National Park in Alaminos City, Pangasinan; Del Carmen in Siargao Island, and Panglao and Pamilacan Islands in Bohol, and Surigao City. As part of a sustained initiatives, previous SIU editions brought about the establishment of Mangrove Propagation and Information Centers, coral laboratories and communitybased environmental programs.
SEEDWORKS HYBRID RICE POSTS HIGHEST YIELD
BAY, Laguna—The hybrid rice developed by SeedWorks Philippines Inc. posted the highest yield among other hybrid palay seed varieties during the rice derby held recently at a rice forum in Cotabato in Mindanao. The TH-82 hybrid rice of SeedWorks Philippines Inc. posted a record high yield at the rice derby held in conjunction with the 4th National Technology Rice Forum held in M’lang, Cotabato. It recorded a total of 8.05 metric tons per hectare, which was certified by the Regional Field Office No. 12 of the Department of Agriculture. This record yield is approximately double the reported national current average production of 4 metric tons per hectare. Out of the different rice hybrids that were tested, whose yield ranged from
Local Gov’t Units
Scientists stand in the field planted with the TH-82 hybrid rice of SeedWorks Philippines Inc. which posted a record high yield at the rice derby held in conjunction with the 4th National Technology Rice Forum held in M’lang, Cotabato.
4 to 6 metric tons per hectare, it was only TH-82 that breached the 8-metric ton per hectare mark. Aside from the high-yielding TH 82, SeedWorks Philippines also produces
another exceptional hybrid rice variety called US-88. This hybrid yielded 6.03 metric tons per hectare in the derby, which is still higher than the current national production average per hectare, and is known for its long grains and excellent eating quality. For the rice derby, which was one of the main highlights of the forum, rice growers in the region allowed the use of their farms for the derby as a show of support to the government’s program on rice hybridization. Many farmers, private seed producers and government officials were among the active participants of the 4th National Rice Technology Forum, which carried the theme “Increase Production through Hybrid Rice Technology, Mindanao: Maghybrid na Kita!”
BAGUIO CITY—Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan said the operator of the State-run Small Town Lottery in the city should first secure a business permit from the local government before their collection and drawing activities in the different parts of the city. The mayor pointed out while the operator was able to secure a license to operate from the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office even without the expressed consent of the local government, it is necessary for the licensed operator to also secure the mandatory business permit from the city because their activities in the city are classified as business. “We learned that the STL operator already started the dry run for its operations but it is important for them to secure the mandatory business permit from the city before their fullblast operations since their activities are considered business operations,” Domogan stressed. He explained that the STL operation is the government’s approach to curbing the proliferation of the age-old jueteng operations, the poor man’s gambling game in the different parts of the country but law enforcers must be vigilant of the possibility that enterprising collection agents might take advantage of the situation to still collect bets not for STL but for jueteng. While it is true that bet collectors are provided by the Pines State Gaming Corp. with uniforms and identification cards, Domogan underscored there is still a big chance for enterprising collectors to collect bets not for the STL draw but for jueteng that continues to persist in the different barangays.
Dexter A. See
PANGASINAN FOOD STALL BUILDING OPENS By Dexter A. See LINGAYEN, Pangasinan—Gov. Amado ‘Pogi’ I. Espino III, Provincial Administrator Nimrod S. Camba and Rev. Fr. Allan Morris Abuan from Our Lady of Purification Parish led the blessing and inauguration of the newly-constructed building comprising three units of nine food stalls located near the Pasalubong Center. The project, which cost P2.5 million, is intended for smallscale vendors who want to avail of a conducive place to sell their goods. General services officer Evan Gladish P. Domalanta said those vendors who used to occupy ambulant stalls in the area will be given priority at a minimal monthly rental fee. Domalanta noted written agreements will be prepared by the provincial government to stipulate the conditions for the stalls rental. Meanwhile, Espino said that to make the place cozier more stalls and fixtures will improve the ambience and transform the area as picnic grove for families or beachgoers.
BPO WORKERS BUILD HOMES, TOUCH LIVES IN SURIGAO
Volunteers from Teleperformance Philippines spend time with children in Siargao after the Bayani Challenge, Gawad Kalinga’s annual home-building project, held in Del Carmen, Surigao del Norte.
VOLUNTEERS from Business Process Outsourcing sector were recently organized to help build houses and repair school facilities in Del Carmen, Surigao province for the annual staging of Gawad Kalinga’s home building project. Dubbed as Bayani Challenge, GK’s home building project with the private sector this year’s project yielded nearly 6,500 volunteer hours that directly benefited 20 families in Siargao Island. Teleperformance, the worldwide leader in outsourced omnichannel customer experience management services, brought together their volunteer employees from Cebu,
Bacolod, Cagayan de Oro, Davao and Metro Manila to participate in the annual event. With the theme, “Tatak Bayani,” for six days, Teleperformance volunteers worked hand-in-hand in building the concrete foundation and framing of 20 housing units, as well as in painting the façade of Del Carmen National High School and Del Carmen Recreational Park. Likewise, the volunteers interacted with more than 50 children during a kiddie party hosted by Teleperformance for the local community. Jeffrey Johnson, senior vice president for Human Capital Resource
Management, expressed his appreciation for the participants. “We are so proud of our committed volunteers and what they have helped accomplish through this initiative. They truly embody our values and culture of service at Teleperformance.” This is the fifth consecutive year that Teleperformance has taken part in the Bayani Challenge. Such communitybuilding initiatives are made possible through the Citizen of the World, Teleperformance’s corporate social responsibility arm, which aims to promote the spirit of volunteerism and teamwork among 40,000 Teleperformance employees in the Philippines.
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STAR PROGRAM GATHERS CEBU WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS THE economic empowerment program of Coca-Cola Philippines for women microentrepreneurs is one of the most responsive and inclusive advocacies in the Asia-Pacific region. To date, the Coca-Cola Sari-sari Store Training and Access to Resources Program has impacted the lives of more than 80,000 women. “The STAR Program in the Philippines is a model program on how Coca-Cola can create a more direct and positive contribution to the development of the communities where we are present,” said John Murphy, The Coca-Cola Company Asia Pacific Group president. Through the “Golden Triangle Partnerships” of Coca-Cola with government agencies, and civil society, the STAR Program further expanded its reach. It now includes women in agriculture; distressed and repatriated women overseas Filipino workers through the Overseas Workers Welfare Association of the Department of Labor and Employment; beneficiaries of the government conditional cash transfer program or the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) of the DSWD-NCR; women microentrepreneurs under the Kapatid Program of both the DTI and GoNegosyo; as well as women in disaster-stricken areas. “This year, we are doubling our efforts to bring the STAR Program to more women by partnering with various government agencies and local government units,” said Gilda Maquilan, 5by20 Lead and Sustainability manager of CocaCola Philippines. During the STAR Caravan held at the Severo Duterte National Elementary School in Danao City in Cebu, Murphy interacted with around 1,000
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SUNDAY, MAY 21, 2017 D2 Standard TODAY Manila
women micro-entrepreneurs. The event enjoined the women in a day of learning, entertainment, and prizes. Potential 5by20 STAR Scholars had the opportunity to understand how the program operates through integrated components. This includes access to resources by connecting them to micro-finance institutions such as Alay sa Kaunlaran, Inc. (ASKI), First Community Cooperative (FICCO), Negros Women for Tomorrow Foundation Inc. (NWTF), ASA Philippines, and National Confederation of Cooperatives (NATCCO); industry membership via the Philippine Association of Stores and Carinderia Owners (PASCO); and integration to the CocaCola value chain via customized business support provided by the bottling partner, Coca-Cola FEMSA Philippines. Coca-Cola Philippines launched the STAR Program in 2011, in line with the 5by20 global initiative of The CocaCola Company to economically empower 5 million women within its value chain by 2020. The Coca-Cola 5by20 STAR Program was implemented in partnership with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority. It is designed for women microentrepreneurs who own and manage sari-sari stores or carinderias to address the barriers they face to help them achieve business success. The STAR Program has three components: access to training, access to resources, and access to peer mentoring. It has 390 accredited facilitators teaching and training women retailers to become better entrepreneurs and is currently being implemented in over 47 locations nationwide.
REGIONAL ORGS CALL FOR CLIMATE RESILIENCE, GREEN GROWTH By Brenda Jocson
D
AVAO CITY—The Climate Change Commission and Mindanao Development Authority calls for the adoption of climate resilience and green growth approach for the development of Mindanao in a conference held here recently.
The Asian Development Bank and a consortium of the Philippine governmenthosted Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture supported the initiative. Dubbed as “Climate Resilience and Green Growth in Mindanao: Road Map to Sustainable and Inclusive Economic Development,” the event solicited wide support from environmental and ecology groups. In a joint statement read by the CCC Commissioner Noel Gaerlan, together with
Dr. Ancha Srinivasan, Principal Climate Change Specialist ADB, and representatives of Secretary Abul Khayr Dangcal Alonto of MinDA and Dr. Gil C. Saguiguit Jr., SEARCA director, they have committed to pursue holistic and integrated climate resilience and green growth road map. They said this road map is based on principles of ecosystems-based development planning, environmental protection, utilization of green and low emission technology, adaptive infrastructure development, consideration for women, children and indigenous peoples and other marginalized communities, and creation of livelihood options and green jobs to uplift the lives of our people in the Philippines in general and Mindanao in particular. “There is an urgency to approach local development planning at three fronts: climate and disaster risk preparedness, environmental stability and economic growth, in the light of the changing and worsening climatic conditions, which are important ingredients in ‘building resilience’ thus saving lives,” Gaerlan said. He also said that at CCC they are aggressively promoting risk- and science-based approach, convergence and integration of various government efforts towards development of climate-adjusted national and local
development plans. On the other hand, Alonto said that Mindanao as food basket is threatened by the impact of climate change. ADB’s Srinivasan also noted that by integrating locally appropriate and genderresponsive climate change mitigation and adaptation actions in comprehensive land use and development plans, Mindanao and its LGUs can lead others in simultaneously addressing poverty and climate change and in achieving sustainable development goals by 2030. For his part, Saguiguit said that Mindanao has vast potentials for agro-industrial development as agriculture remains to be the driver of Mindanao’s development and a major backbone of the Philippine economy. “Our best option against this challenge is to adapt and heighten the resiliency of agriculture to the effects of climate change,” Saguiguit added. The conference was supported by ADB and the Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction (JFPR)-funded project titled “Climate Resilience and Green Growth in Critical Watersheds,” implemented by CCC and commissioned to a consortium composed of SEARCA as lead organization, CTI Engineering Japan, Woodfields Consultants Inc., and ERGONS Project Management.
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 General Appropriations Act CY 2017 intends to procure the following projects listed below:
IB No. 2017-186-A 2017-024-A
Name of Contract Procurement of Trastuzumab-Re-bid Procurement of Mebendazole-Re-bid
ABC (PHP) 79,300,000.00 82,996,000.00
Cost of Bidding Documents (Php) 50,000.00 50,000.00
2. The DOH now invites Bids from eligible Bidders for the procurement of the above-caption projects. Delivery of the Goods is required within the period specified under 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 non-discretionary “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. 2017-186-A 2017-024-A
Name of Contract Procurement of Trastuzumab-Re-bid Procurement of Mebendazole-Re-bid
Activity (Date & Time) Pre-bidding Conference Submission and Opening of Bids 29 May 2017; 10:00 A.M 13 June 2017; 9:00 AM
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: Amount of Bid Security (Not less than the required percentage of the ABC) Form of Bid Security (a) Cash, Cashier’s/manager’s check issued by a Universal or Commercial Bank. (b) Bank draft/guarantee or irrevocable letter of credit issued by a Universal or Commercial Two percent (2%) Bank: Provided, however, that it shall be confirmed or authenticated by a Universal or Commercial Bank, if issued by a foreign bank. (c) Surety bond callable upon demand issued by a surety or insurance company duly Five percent (5%) certified by the Insurance Commission as authorized to issue such security. (d) Bid Securing Declaration 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 (SGD) GERARDO V. BAYUGO, MD, MPH, CESO III Undersecretary of Health COBAC – A Chairperson
(MS-MAY 21, 2017)
Republic of the Philippines Department of Health CENTRAL OFFICE BIDS AND AWARDS COMMITTEE InvItatIon to BId For replacement oF Ip-pBX/voIp to HospItals and ImplementatIon oF FaX over Ip (FoIp) In central oFFIce, regIonal oFFIces and HospItals IB no. 2017-179 1. The Department of Health (DOH), through the General Appropriations Act of 2017 intends to apply the sum of Twenty Three Million Seven Hundred Sixty Thousand Philippine Pesos (PhP23,760,000.00) being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the contract for the Replacement of IP-PBX to Hospitals and Implementation of Fax Over IP (FOIP) in Central Offices and Hospitals under IB No. 2017-179. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening. 2. The DOH now invites bids for the procurement of the above-captioned project.Delivery of the Goods is required within the period specified under SECTION VI. Schedule of Requirements. Bidders should have completed, within three (3) yearsfrom the date of submission and receipt of bids, a contract similar to the Project, equivalent to fifty percent (50%) 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 non-discretionary “pass/fail” criterion as specified in the 2016 RevisedImplementing 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 and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given above during 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM, Monday to Friday. 5. A complete set of Bidding Documents may be acquired by interested Bidders on 22 May – 13June 2017from the address above and upon payment of an applicable fee for the Bidding Documents, pursuant to the latest Guidelines issued by the GPPB in the amount of Twenty Five Thousand Philippine Pesos (PhP25,000.00). It may also be downloaded free of charge from the website of the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) and the website of the Procuring Entity, provided that Bidders shall pay the applicable fee for the Bidding Documents not later than the submission of their bids. 6. The DOH will hold a Pre-bid Conference on 29 May 2017, 10:00 AM at the COBAC Conference Room, Ground Floor, Bldg. 6, Department of Health, Sta. Cruz, Manilawhich shall beopen to prospective bidders. 7. Bids must be duly received by the COBAC-B Secretariat at the address below on or before 13June 2017, 9:00 AM. All Bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in ITB Clause 18. Bid Opening shall be on 13 June 2017, 9:00 AM at the 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. 8. 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 it IRR, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders. 9. For further information, please refer to: COBAC B Secretariat Department of Health San Lazaro Compound Sta. Cruz, Manila Tel. Nos. 651-7800 local 1625 to 1627; 1650 to 52 Facsimile No.: 741-9775; 740-6830 (SGD) MA. CAROLINA V. TAIÑO, CPA, MGM, CESO IV Assistant Secretary of Health COBAC – B Chairperson (MS-MAY 21, 2017)
LION CUB. ‘Christian Amando,’ a white lion cub born at Zoobic Safari in the Subic Bay Freeport and the first white lion cub to be bottle-fed by animal keepers at the park, sucks on the finger of a visitor. See story below. Butch Gunio
ANOTHER WHITE LION BORN IN SUBIC FREEPORT By Butch Gunio SUBIC BAY FREEPORT—Another white lion was born at the Zoobic Safari animal theme park here, the third such birth recorded in this freeport. Zoobic Safari owner Robert Yupangco said the white lion was born last April 3 and is now one and a half months old. The lion cub was named Christian Amando as a tribute to former Zoobic Safari staff Christian Hon, who died before its birth, and Australian
Ambassador to the Philippines Amanda Gorely, who visited the theme park recently. Currently, Christian Amando consumes some 72 ounces of kitten milk replacer (KMR) every day to complete the prescribed food for nursing kittens. Yupangco said lion cubs need supplemental feeding after being breastfed by their mothers for the first three days. They also need colostrum for strengthening of their immune system. “If ever, Christian Amando will be the first white lion bottle-feed
survivor,” said Noe Pasilan, the park’s zoology supervisor, who helped deliver the cub at Zoobic Safari. Amando’s parents, Tisay and JB, both came from a white lion family imported from the Middle East. The white lion is a rare color mutation of the lion. They were thought to have been indigenous to the Timbavati region of South Africa for centuries, although the earliest recorded sighting in this region was in 1938. White lions in the area of
Timbavati are of the same subspecies as the tawny Southeast African lion (Panthera leo krugeri) found in some wildlife reserves in South Africa, and in zoological parks around the world. Until 2009, when the first pride of white lions was reintroduced into the wild, it was widely believed that the white lion could not survive in the natural environment. It is for this reason that a large part of the population of white lions now reside in zoos.
MARINE PLYWOOD: BUILDING BOATS, HOMES AND LIVES LIVING in an archipelago with 7,000-plus islands located on the edge of the Pacific Ocean, the people of the Philippines have made their living from the seas surrounding the country. As a people living close to the water, Filipinos are familiar to both the bounty and the challenges coastal living brings. They have learned to weather through the heat of sun and the onslaught of rain. They are familiar to storms and typhoons —regular visitors to the country. Hence, there is a need for resilient homes for those in land, and durable boats for sea transport, especially for those who make a living out of the sea. “The geography of our country makes boats an important means of transportation and livelihood, especially in the islands. For those in the coastal communities, boats mean life. In the same way, for those living in urban areas,
Marine plywood’s ability to withstand weather conditions that boats are continually subjected to also makes it ideal plywood for house-building materials. It is used for parts of the house that are exposed to different weather conditions, such as ceilings, wall panels, and as roofing base for asphalt shingles.
having a secure home is a primary need,” says Randy Ng, executive vice president of SMWPI, maker of Santa Clara Marine Plywood. “When it comes to our primary needs, we want the construction durable and reliable. And reliability and durability of anything usually begins with the right materials. SMWPI is the
producer of Santa Clara Marine Plywood and we’re proud of this product,” added Ng. Santa Clara Marine Plywood—a household name in durable and long-lasting plywood— has placed quality first in its products. Since 1923, the Santa Clara brand has become the top choice among boat-builders, and
recently to home developers, contractors, hardware store owners, and furniture makers. What used to be a small backyard manufacturer now creates jobs for around 600 individuals in the communities where it operates. Its two sizeable factories in the country—in Davao and Agusan—produces thousands of plywood sheets every month. A further testament to the company’s growth, Santa Clara marine plywood is now available to major hardware stores CitiHardware branches in Davao and Surigao, and Wilcon in key cities in Luzon. Santa Clara marine plywood has been specifically tested to withstand continuous soaking and drying cycles of boats. Boatmen affirm that a Santa Claramade boat does not need to be immediately taken from the water to dry since they are assured that the wood does not easily rot.
CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK
Gadgets & Games
CAPTURE NEW ADVENTURES IN UNDERWATER PHOTOGRAPHY
Understand your camera’s color balance and you’ll surely take remarkable photos worthy of sharing, such as these—a surfer riding the waves and a diver exploring the depths of the sea.
S
UMMERTIME spells the perfect time to explore new places, rekindle or discover passions, and create interesting memories. As we immortalize memories in photographs, it is important to continuously up our game in capturing life’s greatest moments and nature’s wonderful work of art. As beaches and diving spots become safe havens from the Manila heat, underwater photography presents a new method of creatively taking snaps of water and marine life in all its natural glory. It’s not as daunting as you may think, all you need is a good set of equipment, innate curiosity, and a thirst for adventure. Still not convinced? Let seasoned photographer and Sony ambassador Paco Guerrero walk you through the essentials to kickstart you next underwater photography adventure.
series’ new underwater housing, the MPK-URX100A makes the series the perfect companion for multiple adventures. Boasting a usable depth of 40 meters and easy layout controls, the housing gives more opportunities to take the RX100’s power to next level by capturing high quality underwater images and videos. “The combination of the RX100 Suit-up: Invest in highand underwater housing is a perfect quality gear investment for any travel photograArming yourself with top notch pher looking to explore the limits of gear is a pre-requisite to power-up travel and adventure photography. It your adventures. Paco’s weapon of is light, durable, and boasts an incredchoice is the Sony RX100V, a small ible image package,” he adds. and compact camera with powerful features. Safety first: Get comfort“This camera, packed with a 1 inch able in the water sensor and a myriad of features, is the You need to identify water as a safe perfect adventure companion. Even place now that allow you to uncover if it’s small, it has great lenses and the hidden gems of nature. To do this, strong video features (4k, 120p, etc)”, Paco suggests taking scuba courses describes Paco. or even getting lessons from AIDA He also emphasized that the RX100 certified freedivers to master breath
control underwater. He emphasizes that one’s skills in water affects the quality of photos taken. “Whether you are shooting surfers on a wave, free divers in the reef, or diving deep to capture shipwrecks, safety is always the key. So make sure you know where you are going, and take the time to learn about water safety before you go,” he adds.
Getting that perfect shot: Timing is key
Now that you’ve got everything together, you need to know when to take that perfect picture. Paco recommends shooting in the early morning or late afternoon. He emphasizes that during these times, the light will come into the water at an angle and can present more dramatic lighting conditions.
To achieve more realistic, but equally dramatic photographs, he recommends understanding your camera’s color balance. This way, you are able to capture the water’s proper colors. Put these two elements together and you’ll surely take remarkable photos worthy of sharing. Travelling and shooting in the Philippines mean always being around water. Given this, it’s important to have gear that can make possible shooting subjects on both dry land and underwater. What are you waiting for? Equip your RX100 with the newest MPKURX100A and start your journey to underwater photography. The new MPK-URX100A underwater housing will be available on all Sony Centre Stores and authorized dealers on May 26 with an SRP of P16,890.00
OPPO SEIZES GROWTH WITH SELFIE EXPERT F1S OPPO’s flagship selfie phone, the F1s, closed 2016 as the bestselling smartphone in the Philippines according to global market research expert GfK. The brand already ranked second among competitors in July the same year, quickly becoming a top choice in the local market since the introduction of its line of selfie-focused camera phones, the F1 Series. “We’ve always pushed the brand further to create a product that consumers can trust,” OPPO Philippines Brand Marketing Manager Stephen Cheng said. “With the success of the
F1s, we are confident that we’ve come up with a camera phone that addressed the need for better selfies as well as overall smartphone performance.” Based on GfK data, the F1s accounted for 7.1 and 6.4 percent of total smartphone units sold in November and December 2016 respectively across all price segments. Other OPPO phones also made it to the top ten list including the Neo 7 at the fourth spot and the A37 at the tenth spot.
A Legacy of Firsts
The first-ever selfie phone
with a 16MP front-facing camera, the F1s emerged from years of innovation that sought to revolutionize mobile photography. These breakthroughs include OPPO’s motorized rotating camera, the Ultra HD feature, and the groundbreaking “5x Dual Camera Zoom”—the world’s first periscopic smartphone camera lens showcased at the 2017 Mobile World Congress. Adding to OPPO’s tally of firsts is the introduction of the wide-angle, 120-degree secondary camera featured in the brand’s line of dual selfie
phones, the F3 Series, which includes the F3 Plus and the recently launched F3. This new innovation now enables users to switch from standard selfies to groufies without having to use a selfie stick. “OPPO remains determined at delivering the best mobile experience by pioneering camera phone technology that will transform everyday life into moments worth saving,”Cheng added. To learn more about OPPO, please visit https://www.facebook. com/OPPOPH/ or log on to http:// www.oppo.com/ph/index.html.
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SUNDAY, MAY 21, 2017 rumallari@thestandard.com.ph
MICROSOFT UNVEILS TEAMS By Klyde Manansala IN OUR world of work, why do we need to build super teams? As the access to mobile devices has increased the ability of professionals to work from anywhere at anytime, Microsoft once again stepped up its game as it unveiled the Microsoft Teams—a “chat-based workspace” for Office 365. Microsoft noticed that employees who come to businesses today are mostly millennials, who prefer using digital tools and smart devices. Even those who had been in the industry for years are continuously upgrading their way of finishing their work in a digital workplace, so Microsoft introduced the most comprehensive productivity solution in the market today, Microsoft Teams, the newest piece added to Office 365. “It’s good to see that leaders of various enterprise organizations here in the Philippines recognize the need for digital transformation. And we’re very happy to share that Microsoft just launched Microsoft Teams,” Christian Lim, the Country Business Group Lead of Microsoft PH, said. Similar to what corporate technology workers are experiencing to messaging chats today, Teams is also capable of threaded chats. But, it has its own uniqueness. Microsoft has added more than 100 new features for Teams including the option for public teams, scheduled meetings, and mobile voice calling. It can accommodate up to 600 users in a single team and the application has also added stickers, giphy support and other features such as memes to appeal to millennial users. “It’s not just messaging, you can actually work together inside teams. You can customize it. You can personalize channels, you can personalize memes. It’s grounded on our security platform today,” Lim said. Teams is also integrated with the users’ outlook or e-mail. People can easily switch and send a mail as well. And since Teams is part of Office 365, users can open and work on documents such as Excel, Word, Powerpoint in Teams itself. “The idea is that, we’re actually asking people to reduce their email use. You just stay in Teams and you’ll be able to work documents there, communicate with one another fast, schedule meetings, just by using Teams without moving to any other applications,” Lim said. “Collaboration is really the way to move forward for an organization. It’s supposed to make them more efficient, to maximize the use and time of their employees.” Teams was made generally made available to all Office 365 globally last March and is now available in 180 countries today. It is localized as well in 19 languages.
CYBER...
From D4
his early IT skills, correcting him during a business call. Using a simple explanation from dad on how one smart phone game worked, Reuben then figured out it was the same kind of algorithm behind the popular video game Angry Birds. “He has always surprised us. Every moment when we teach him something he’s usually the one who ends up teaching us,” Mano Paul told AFP. But Paul said he been “shocked” by the vulnerabilities discovered in kids’ toys, after Reuben first hacked a toy car, before moving onto more complicated things. “It means that my kids are playing with timebombs, that over time somebody who is bad or malicious can exploit.” Now the family has helped Reuben, who is also the youngest American to have become a Shaolin Kung Fu black belt, to set up his CyberShaolin non-profit organization. AFP
PREMIUM CINEMATIC EXPERIENCES RIGHT AT YOUR HOME LG’s 2017 OLED models is now equipped with Dolby Atmos, providing 360-degree surround sound experience giving the ultimate and best cinematic experience right from your homes A great home entertainment system should have an amazing TV right at the helm—a TV that delivers not only superior picture quality, but also immersive sound that brings images to life right at the comfort of one’s home. LG Electronics’ OLED—Organic Light Emitting Diode—2017 TV technology continues to be a trailblazing innovation that has consistently impressed tech experts, journalists, and even consumers for its ability to display the most realistic color range, the darkest blacks, and crystal-clear details through unique, unparalleled technology. At the heart of the LG OLED TV is a groundbreaking new technology that harnesses organic, self-lighting pixels that take display quality to a level never seen on a television set before. While the LG OLED TV has reaped numer-
ous awards and accolades from the global tech community for its breathtaking display, there is more to it than meets the eye. “At LG Electronics, we believe that a great TV doesn’t only deliver mindblowing visuals,” said LG Philippines Vice President for Home Entertainment Tony An. “TV is an audio-visual experience. With this in mind, we designed and developed the 2017 OLED Series to deliver dramatic, fully-immersive sound through Dolby Atmos.”
Through the Dolby Atmos technology present in LG OLED TVs, consumers can truly enjoy cinematic experiences in their own home. Fully immersive sound means that viewers get to be a part of all the fun, drama, and action of their favorite TV shows and movies—including ground-shaking explosions, raindrops drumming on windowpanes, catchy musical scores, and heartstopping dialogue. True surround sound pipes in the audio tracks from all directions, delivering the sound as though they are occurring in real life. “And that’s what sets the LG OLED apart from the other home entertainment systems, which just bank on a lot of speakers that mimic—but fail to fulfill—surroundsound features,” added An.
First of its kind
The 2017 LG OLED TV series is the first television in the world to feature both Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, the same technology that delivers a fully immersive sound experience formerly found only in theaters and movie houses. This surround-sound technology brought about by Dolby Atmos was developed in Dolby Laboratories to create a 360-degree sound system that envelops viewers from every direction. “The challenge in developing home en-
LG’s 2017 OLED TV series brings unprecedented excellence in sound, picture quality
tertainment systems is to recreate that cinematic experience,” shared An. “With the race toward creating better and better displays, many have forgotten about the sound ele-
ment. This was why we saw a great opportunity in imbuing the LG 2017 OLED series with the gold surround-sound standard, the Dolby Atmos technology.”
Perfect combination
Dolby Atmos is the perfect feature that complements LG 2017 OLED TVs’ Dolby Vision capability, which has been built-in in the series this year.
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SUNDAY, MAY 21, 2017 Riera U. Mallari, Editor rumallari@thestandard.com.ph
Gadgets & Games
TRIO OF FORMIDABLE SMARTPHONES FROM LG
HP PLUGS PRINT SECURITY NEEDS OF PH BUSINESSES FROM startups to large enterprises, today’s offices are already digitally integrated and many devices are connected to the network. At the same time, security risks come in many, ever-changing forms and most people are not aware that they can also put their devices—even their printers—at risk of cyber-attacks when left unchecked. Unsecured devices as such are particularly vulnerable blind spots, especially in enterprise networks. A recent Spiceworks survey sponsored by HP support this; 43 percent of IT professionals from North America, EMEA, and Asia Pacific say that printers are completely ignored in their respective endpoint security practices and only 16 percent see printers being at risk for data breach. With the goal of addressing this concern and upholding its commitment to developing the world’s most secure printers, HP Inc. Philippines conducted a discussion on HP Print Security, a new business solution that aims to reinforce protective and technological systems.
The protection every business needs
The all-new LG K 2017 Series (from left) LG K7 in brown, LG K10 in gold and LG K8 in black
A
SMARTPHONE that turns heads and delivers impressive performance does not have to cost an arm and a leg, as LG Electronics’ latest range of mid-tier mobile devices prove. The all-new LG K 2017 Series— now available in the Philippines— include a trio of formidable smartphones that brings LG’s signature innovation right at the palm of users’ hands. This new LG smartphone family offers a contemporary look and feel, as well as premium-like features, all at affordable prices. The 2017 LG K10, K8, and K7 are sleekly designed, LTE-enabled mobile devices made with the global tech leader’s core philosophy of creating innovation for a better life.
empty battery with a full one. This smartphone also boasts of a fast and efficient 1.5 GHz Octa Core processor with 2GB RAM, perfect for multitasking, and the new Android 7.0 Nougat that brings incredible look, feel and function to the K10. Capturing life’s best moments is more fun with the standard and wide angle lenses that are found in not only the K10’s 13MP rear camera, but also its 5MP front camera, allowing all-encompassing groufies of up to 120 degrees. Pictures taken with these cameras are stunning on the K10’s 5.3-inch HD display, which Go further delivers the innovative touch-screen with the LG K10 2017 experience that LG has always been Do more for longer with the LG known for. Complementing this gorK10 2017, which comes with a pow- geous display screen is the rounded, erful 2,800mAh removable battery smooth-edged body for a contemand allows the option to swap an porary ergonomic design.
LG K8 2017: Effortless multitasking
The LG K8 2017 is powered by a 1.3 GHz Quad Core processor that makes performing multiple tasks simultaneously easier. Complementing this powerful core is a 5.0-inch 2.5D Arc Glass Display, which delivers images in stunning HD and an edge-free feel never before seen in mid-range mobile devices. The K8 comes with the Android 6.0 Marshmallow, a perfect combination of hardware and software to empower users to enjoy the ultimate Android experience in an affordable device. This model also sports a 13MP rear camera which produces crisp, vibrant photos as well as a removable 2,800mAh battery for the option to swap batteries in a snap.
True efficiency with the LG K7 2017
Embodying true efficiency—performance- and cost-wise—is the LG K7 2017, which delivers more value than expected for its super-affordable price. With a 1.1 GHz Quad Core processor,
Android 6.0 Marshmallow OS and 2,500 mAh battery, the K7 makes for a good entry-level phone that goes beyond basic features. Designed to deliver impressive camera performance, the K7’s autofocus 5MP front and 8MP rear cameras make for fun, easy and interesting ways of taking photos. With the Gesture Interval Shot, users can imply raise a hand at the camera, make a fist twice and automatically capture four selfies in sequence with this feature. The 5.0-inch FWVGA display is made of 2.5D Arc Glass for a premium edge-free design that perfectly complements the modern angles and curves of the K7. Even with a big, immersive screen, the smartphone is lightweight and specifically designed to fit the curves of the user’s hand for a more comfortable, secure grip. The 2017 K Series models are available in authorized LG dealers nationwide for only P8,990.00 (K10); P7,490.00 (K8) and P5,490.00 (K7). For more details, visit lg.com/ph, like @ LGMobilePH on Facebook, and follow @LGPhilippines on Instagram.
CYBER KID SHOWS TOYS CAN BE USED AS 'WEAPONS' THE HAGUE, Netherlands—An 11-year-old “cyber ninja”stunned an audience of security experts Tuesday by hacking into a teddy bear via bluetooth to show how interconnected smart toys “can be weaponized”. American wunderkind Reuben Paul may be still only in 5th grade at his school in Austin, Texas, but he and his teddy bear Bob wowed hundreds at a timely cyber security conference in The Netherlands. “From airplanes to automobiles, from smart phones to smart homes, anything or any toy can be part of the” Internet of Things (IOT),”he said, a small figure pacing the huge stage at the World Forum in The Hague. “From terminators to teddy bears, anything or any toy can be weaponised.” To demonstrate, he deployed his cuddly bear, which
connects to the icloud via wifi and bluetooth smart technology to receive and transmit messages. Plugging into his laptop a rogue device known as a “raspberry pi”—a small credit card size computer —Reuben scanned the hall for available bluetooth devices, and to everyone’s amazement including his own, suddenly downloaded dozens of numbers including some of top officials. Then using a computer language programme, called Python, he hacked into his bear via its bluetooth address to turn on one of its lights and record a message from the audience. “Most internet-connected things have a bluetooth functionality ... I basically showed how I could connect to it, and send commands to it, by recording audio and
playing the light,” he told AFP later. “IOT home appliances, things that can be used in our everyday lives, our cars, lights, refrigerators, everything like this that is connected can be used and weaponised to spy on us or harm us.” They can be used to steal private information such as passwords, as remote surveillance to spy on kids, or employ a GPS to find out where a person is. More chillingly, a toy could say “meet me at this location and I will pick you up,” Reuben said.
‘Timebombs’
His father, information technology expert Mano Paul, told how aged about six Reuben had revealed Turn to D3
HP Print Security, which comprises of strong default security settings and tools, and services, systematically ensures the protection of a business: Device Security, which can detect and prevent attacks in real time; Data Security, which ensures that only authorized users and devices can access stored data; and Document Security, which can reduce unnecessary print jobs, protect sensitive documents, and deter document tampering or fraud. “The printers in today’s enterprise environments are as sophisticated as any computing device,” explains Pallasena Viswanath, HP Inc. Philippines Managing Director.“Hackers can easily pull data from a printer’s hard drive, or get access to your company’s network. With this, we want to connect with IT decision makers, CIOs, and CISOs and engage this audience with a message that they’ll pay attention to. It’s extremely important to have all aspects of the ecosystem secured.” To further highlight this, HP Inc. also launched a global campaign this year that kicked off with a four-part web series entitled The Wolf starring Golden Globe winner Christian Slater. The web series focuses on how hackers can easily gain access to a company’s private information simply by breaking through the vulnerable walls of unsecured printers. (Visit hp.com/ TheWol f to learn more about the series.)
Today’s office: Now smart and secure
Today’s security risks are rapidly growing, and so does the need for offices to up their cyber security game. Through HP Print Security, HP lives up to its objective of creating a safer world filled with devices that are capable of protecting themselves. “Most offices see their devices as tools that are used solely for everyday tasks. But this mindset is unknowingly paving the way for threats to break through their walls and figure out which devices can be easily targeted,” explains Viswanath. “HP Print Security aims to gain ground on communicating the importance of the security of these devices, and push the industry forward. We want to empower offices and everyday users with the right knowledge and resources to give them confidence in using their devices,” he adds. For more information about HP Security, visit www.hp.com/go/reinventse curity
SAMSUNG INTRODUCES WORLD'S 1ST 4K TV WITH 8K RESOLUTION
By Peter Paul Duran
THE 4K TV market is starting to get roomy, and SHARP is winding it up a notch in the competition. The electronics giant unveiled the world’s first 4K television with an unheard of 8K resolution during their product launch at the Shangri-La Manila in BGC. The new SHARP AQUOS XU Series powered by Android TV™ has the globe’s highest picture resolution to date, better put, the TV that can give you the “closest thing to reality.”
The AQUOS Super Premium XU type LC-80XU930X (80-inch) and the LC-70XU830X (70-inch) live up once more to Sharp’s position as an innovator in the industry with the new models being able to give users 8K resolution despite not having a native HD source. It integrates a 4K QuattronTM Pro panel with the world’s first X8 Master Engine Pro processor technology to achieve the capability to upgrade image quality through pixel furcation allowing it to convert images to 8K. Also, it offers a more immer-
The new SHARP AQUOS XU Series has the highest picture resolution to date.
sive watching experience with its tight pixel density, while carrying 4k resolution at 60fps to bring out its highest potential definition. It also has the Rich Color Pro that gives 40 percent wider color range than the conventional TV. Meanwhile, standard interface such as a super speed USB and MHL 3.0 allows users to enjoy HD content from smartphones and SD memory cards. Wireless gaming is also made possible with its Bluetooth and built-in WiFi. The XU series also has seamless access to content, enabling
users to choose from a wide variety of videos, music, and games. It has added features such as the touchpad and the Google Voice search function and anyome can easily connect to pre-installed apps such as Netflix, YouTube, Google Play, Google Cast and many more. Experience the powerful and meaningful connections with Sharp as part of its year-long campaign ‘Be Original’ which speaks of the company’s core drive for originality and development of technology that lets people be themselves.
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SUNDAY, MAY 21, 2017 Isah V. Red, Editor
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Young Life
Bernadette Lunas, Issue Editor isahred@gmail.com.ph
AIRism Relaxed Crew Neck Shirt
HEALTHY IS TRENDY. Products and services that help improve overall wellbeing have gained popularity ever since more and more people embrace the healthy lifestyle.
WAYS THAT HELP IMPROVE
HEALTH AND FITNESS By Bernadette Lunas
I
F CURRENT data are any indication, being fit and healthy is now trendy—and millennials are leading the way to wellness.
A large number of individuals aged 19 to 35 pay more for premium health foods, do more gym-based activities, and veer away more often—if not totally— from sugar-laden beverages than any other generations, says a Nielsen Global Health survey. This change of priorities leads to more retail stores offering healthy products, fresh juice bars opening in almost every block, gyms and studios with extended
operating hours and expanded exercise classes, and smart apps and devices that help improve overall wellbeing. Smart wearable devices that track fitness-related data are enjoying popularity among younger as well as older generation. The pioneer in the connected health and fitness market, Fitbit, strengthens its lead by unveiling its slimmest fitness wristband yet, the Fitbit Alta HR. Turn to E2
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UNIQLO SPORT LETS YOU HANG OUT AFTER WORKOUT
ACTIVE wear or sportswear has cropped up its way outside the confines of a gym or athletic field and onto the streets—as an acceptable casual wear. This fashion phenomenon has been met with clothing labels creating active apparel that can be worn across a range of everyday contexts. Japanese fast fashion brand Uniqlo is not one to be left behind as it recently launched in Turn to E2
Young Life
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SUNDAY, MAY 21, 2017 isahred@gmail.com
5FromWAYS... E1 Fitbit Alta HR provides five smart ways to help users reach their health goals.
Tracks your heart rate
Know the health of your heart with the help of PurePulse heart rate technology. This helps measure calorie burn better and determines breathing patterns when in active and resting states.
Assesses your sleep quality
Sleep Stages uses accelerometer data and heart variability, plus Fitbit’s proven algorithms to more accurately estimate how long a person spends in light, deep, and REM sleep stages. Sleep Insights helps the wearer understand connection between their sleep, exercise, diet, weight, and heart rate; and provide them with personalized guidance to help them stick to an ideal schedule.
Motivates you to move
Those who often forget they’ve been sitting at their desk all day would benefit from the fitness band’s Reminders to Move feature. It gives onscreen reminders that encourage you to reach an hourly goal of 250 steps. And once you move—both step and non-step based exercises—its SmartTrack feature automatically recognizes it and records them on the Fitbit app
Lets you stay connected
Like a smartwatch, Fitbit Alta HR keeps you connected with notifications once your phone—which is connected via Bluetooth to the wristband—receives calls, texts, and calendar event notifications. The best thing is, the band’s battery life can last up to seven days.
Offers stylish ways to wear wearable device
It comes in black/stainless steel, blue gray/stainless steel, fuchsia/stainless steel, and coral/stainless steel, each priced at P8,490. While the special edition black/gunmetal and soft pink/rose gold retail at P9,690. The fitness wristband is now available at Digital Walker, Beyond The Box, select Toby’s stores, iBOOK, iCenter, Gadgets in Style, Hivemind, Zalora, Timeline, The Inbox Store, iLiberty, and Rnnr.
Yellow, a labrador rescued by Save ALL, receives his vaccine from Doc Anthony Prado
HAPPY DOG = HAPPY OWNER PET TALES
BY DESIREE CARLOS
A
(Part 1 of 2)
HAPPY dog is a healthy dog.
A healthy dog means less worry and fewer trips to the clinic that is stressful for both the dog and the owner. Thus, a happy dog means one happy owner. So how do we keep our dogs happy and healthy? Here are some of what we have learned from vets and from experience. However, a word of caution for dog owners, especially newbies: Please ask your vet for a medical schedule that will include the health care tips below as the dosage of medicine or schedule of preventive medicine varies for each dog. Also, these tips are for dogs with no known medical condition—chronic or recently developed.
1. HAVE YOUR DOG VACCINATED
Fitbit Alta HR, now available in the Philippines, is currently the world's slimmest fitness wristband. Bernadette Lunas
UNIQLO...
From E1
the Philippines its expanded line-up of Uniqlo Sport collection. The collection incorporates sportswear features into everyday apparel.
Hoodies for outdoor activities
The DRY-EX Full-Zip Hoodie is an outerwear that can take men from leisure to sports activities. Equipped with DRY-EX technology, it maintains a cling-free, comfortable feel throughout your workout, whether high or low intensity. Women who love to workout outdoors would find AIRism UV Cut Mesh Full-Zip Hoodie an ideal choice as it features UV protection technology that blocks 90 percent of harmful UV rays thus minimizing risk of skin damage.
Shirts for gym session and casual day out
Men who prefer versatile t-shirt have many color choices to choose from the DRY-EX Crew Neck T-Shirt. This tee instantly absorbs sweat, leaving you feeling dry and comfortable; its stretch fabric lets you move with ease. The AIRism Relaxed Crew Neck Shirt for women, on the other hand, features including Dry and Cool Touch technology that leaves you feeling cool whether in the gym or out on the streets.
Trousers perfect for summer
When it gets extra hot in the gym or on the courts, the DRY-EX Short Pants keep men cool with improved quickdry capability as well as mesh fabric that provides added breathability. Women with active lifestyles are in Uniqlo’s mind in creating the DRY-EX Ultra Stretch Short Pants. The pants are equipped with quick-drying features and amazing stretch that lets you work out without worrying about movement and keeping fresh.
On the sixth week of the pup and after, or when advised by the veterinarian, have your pup given the series of three vaccinations. Some vets recommend four. But we go for the three shots only. In the end, it is your decision as the owner based on your discussion with your veterinarian. With the last shot, the dog is usually given the anti-rabies shot. This specific vaccine will be discussed further in another column. We, officers of Save Animals of Love and Light (Save ALL), a SEC-registered animal welfare group, prefer the 5-in-1 vaccines which protects a dog from parainfluenza, distemper, parvovirus and hepatitis. To some dogs, the 6-in-1 and the 7-in-1 vaccine may be too strong and can cause some problems later. Please ask your vet what is best for your dog, depending on the breed, size, and physical condition. So why give your dog at least the 5-in-1 vaccine? Med-Vet.com reported that dogs with distemper have a 50 percent survival rate, second only to rabies in global mortality rates. It stressed distemper is preventable with vaccination. Thus, the vaccine is important as a dog with distemper will suffer because it is progressive in nature. “This disease eventually causes severe neurological, respiratory, and dermatologic illness,” Med-Vet.com said. We have rescued dogs with distemper. Some died, some survived. Jelyn NC, a former Save
ALL admin who recently got married, assisted in the rescue and medical treatment of Rex, a shih tzu with distemper. She later adopted Rex who survived the disease but still has some twitching. However, Rex is now one happy dog who loves to play with Jelyn’s other dog. Jelyn never thought of putting Rex to sleep. Like Jelyn, Save ALL always fights with and for the dog to the end—whether the dog will survive or not—and never opts for euthanasia or putting a dog to sleep (PTS). Hepatitis, on the other hand, affects the liver. Med-Vet.com stressed that the vaccine provides 100 percent protection for both type 1 and type 2 Adenovirus infections, “which are incredibly contagious and the cause of canine hepatitis. Dogs of any age can become infected with canine adenovirus, via contact with infected urine, feces, saliva, or mucous.” Parvovirus is also preventable through vaccination. Med-Vet.com noted it is “a severe and lifethreatening infection that causes bloody stool and vomiting to such an extreme degree that it has been known to cause shock and even death.” It added: “This illness is immensely contagious and can affect dogs of all ages, however puppies are even more susceptible. Additionally, while the illness itself is very unpleasant, it also weakens the immune system and destroys the lining of the intestines, setting the patient up for additional infections. Treatment may be very costly, but around 80 percent of puppies recover completely.” Parainfluenza virus, like parvovirus, is highly contagious. It is the most common cause of kennel cough. “Kennel cough is characterized by a dry cough which can last for several months, even with treatment, and is very unpleasant for your dog—potentially leading to pneumonia and death,” Med-Vet.com said. Cost of Vaccination vs. Cost of Medical Treatment Each 5-in-1 vaccine costs P250-P350 only, depending on the clinic. Usually, professional fees are waived but some clinics may charge P150 to P300. If the dog is an adult when you got him or her (the dog was rescued or adopted from a rescuer, thus there is no medical record), we still strongly suggest that you have the series of three shots given to your dog to ensure that the dog is safe from these potentially fatal illnesses. Every year thereafter, we give a booster or one shot only to avoid over-vaccination. How much will you save if you vaccinate your dog? Around 2k to 3k for tests alone. A complete blood test is done and a test for distemper, parvo, erlichia, or leptospirosis will be advised by the vet, depending on the symptoms.
Treatment, on the other hand, will cost you a lot. Allow me give you an example: If your dog is positive for distemper, not only will your other dogs be at a high risk of getting infected, you will need to pay for the following depending on the stage of distemper, among others: A. A strong immune system booster specifically injected to distemper—positive patients: P1,100 minimum per day for at least 7 days B. A medicine for the nerves hopefully to prevent neurological symptoms like twitching: around P300 per bottle if you buy it. C. A medicine to boost the immune system: P350 per bottle if you buy it. D. A liver cleanser: P380 per bottle of 60 tablets given twice a day if you buy the bottle to cleanse the liver of the chemicals from the other medicine E. Vitamin B complex for the nerve system F. In advanced stages, a special medicine is given at P2,500 minimum per shot. Most dogs will need 3-4 shots. G. As a last resort, there is a procedure done which is very expensive. All in all, you will spend at least P10,000 or even P20,000 for tests and treatment if you will buy most of the medicine and your dog will not be confined in the clinic. But the reality is, you will spend more than that if your dog is confined or the medicine is supplied by the clinic. It is difficult to monitor distemper patients and the distemper virus is highly contagious. The dog must be kept 500 meters away from dogs with no vaccines or have compromised immune system, especially from puppies and senior dogs. The clinic has overhead expenses like payment for the staff, rental of their place, electric and water bills, and thus has to charge an amount that will allow them to continue operations and earn, too. Please remember clinics are not charity institutions or run by animal welfare groups. Owners and vets do have to earn an income also. If you continue to be a responsible pet parent, you can avoid unnecessary trips to the clinic. Even Save ALL partner vets Doc Anthony Prado Basa of Sha Sha Clinic, West Avenue, Quezon City and Doc Cerdy Deloso of Deloso Clinic in Deparo, Camarin, Caloocan always remind patients to give the vaccines to prevent illnesses and unnecessary expenses on the part of the owner. But more so, they stress this to PREVENT SUFFERING FOR THE DOG, AND WORSE, DEATH OF YOUR DOG. Thus, through vaccination, you will not only save funds as you will spend only P1,050 for the three series of vaccination and P350 every year for the booster, you will also ensure your dog will live for a long time and enjoy quality life as well.
WIN THE GAME IN WHITE SNEAKERS WHITE sneakers are here to stay, and they’re probably become as timeless as the little black dress. Over two years since the all-white shoe silhouette dominated the runway and conquered the streets, the trend is still around. White kicks remain a staple among A-listers, tastemakers, fashion bloggers, and the regular chick next door. It’s easy to understand why: their minimalist look and neutral hue make them an effortless choice for virtually any outfit, add the comfort factor and you have a versatile pair for those always up and running. Right in the middle of the sunny summer season, classic American sneaker brand Keds launched their latest contribution to the white sneakers trend. The New Court Classics are Keds’s revamped classic styles featuring perforated and smooth leather. Each style matches basic shirt-and-jeans combo or sporty casuals, and dresses down a formal dress or skirt. The Kickstart Perf Leather features a blend of perforated and smooth leather, finished with an accent color. The Ace Sneaker,
meanwhile, is made of soft leather with a sporty flair and refinement courtesy of accent detailing. The sporty yet subdued perforated leather detail on the Triumph Perf Leather makes it a breathable and comfortable choice in hot weather. The Triumph Retro Court offers a different take on the same classic silhouette with its heel-to-toe perforated leather, suede accents, and classic Keds blue detailing. The Champion Retro Court Perf Leather is designed with perforated leather detailing and pops of Keds blue. While the Tournament Retro Court Perf Leather’s T-toe silhouette and cushioned foam collar make it an ideal pair on and off the court. Pull off any athleisure look with the laceto-toe Kickstart Retro Court Leather. Finally, slip in the Double Decker Perf Leather, whose mix of perforated and smooth leathers lets women breeze through summer stylishly and comfortably. -Bernadette Lunas Keds’s New Court Classics, whose prices range from P3,095 to P3,590, are now available at Keds stores and department stores nationwide.
Continued on E3
LEATHER SNEAKERS. Keds updated its classic styles, such as Champion and Kickstart sneakers.
Showbiz
SUNDAY, MAY 21, 2017
E3
FILM EVENT FOR
MUST-SEE K-DRAMAS...
From E4
Strong Woman Do Bong Soon Starring Park Bo-young, who is best known for the 2015 hit Oh My Ghostess, the series is about a young woman who was born with superhuman strength. Her strength is hereditary and passed along only to the women in her family. Her dream is to create a video game with herself as the main character. Though faced with numerous struggles, she manages to control her strength to use it for good causes.
MILLENNIALS
Man to Man From the writers of Descendants of the Sun, the action comedy is about a special bodyguard (Park Hae-jin) with a background in special investigations. He’s described as a mysterious man of many talents, and the drama is about the twisty events that he and the Hallyu star he is supposed to protect encounter. Billed as an action bromance series, the ongoing K-Drama has just been purchased by Netflix to have it internally distributed.
W – Two Worlds Internally telecast in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Hong Kong, the drama will soon be available on Philippine free TV after ABS-CBN acquired the rights for local broadcast. Popular for its unique storyline that blurs the line between reality and fantasy where a young woman is pulled inside the parallel world of a webtoon created by his father, W – Two Worlds is a fantasy romance topbilled by Han Hyo-joo , and model actor Lee Jong-suk, who became immensely popular for his roles in hit series Doctor Stranger (2014) and Pinocchio (2014).
Doctor Crush Starring Kim Rae-won and Park Shin-hye, the medical drama is considered as one of the biggest K-Dramas of 2016. The story introduces Yoo Hye-jung (Park Shin-hye), a headstrong girl in high school with a prickly, gangster personality. However, she changes after meeting her mentor Hong Ji-hong (Kim Rae-won), who plays a key role in transforming her life from a “hopeless” delinquent to a compassionate doctor.
THE National Youth Commission (NYC) is opening its doors to aspiring young filmmakers with the launch of Sine Kabataan Short Film Competition. The competition encourages the youth to develop their creativity and originality in storytelling, touching on important issues of today in line with the celebration of the Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino (PPP), which runs nationwide from Aug. 16 to 22. Through this competition, NYC hopes to receive films that are not just made by the youth but more importantly, are reflective of how they perceive the issues that they face today. Their unique perspective on these important societal issues will hopefully bring more insights for the Agency and for the rest of the audience to have a better grasp and understanding of these matters and how to address them. Sine Kabataan is open to all filmmakers of ages 18 to 24 years old. Prizes in cash and in kind await the winners. Short films that will make it as finalists will be featured along with fulllength features that will be part of PPP. “We believe that film making is one potent medium that the youth can utilize as an opportunity to express their sentiments about issues confronting their generation more creatively,” NYC Chairperson Aiza Seguerra said. Through the Sine Kabataan project, the youth, being one of the most vulnerable sectors should also be given the chance to express themselves by utilizing short films. Issues like mental health, bullying, youth in peace building, domestic violence, teenage pregnancy, and HIV/AIDS, among others.
Reply 1988 The third part of the Reply series displays the Korean culture and politics back in the ‘80s. It centers on family and friendship with characters that are carefully interconnected to each other. Five friends namely Jung-hwan (Ryu Joon-yeol), Sun-woo (Go Kyungpyo), Dong-ryong (Lee Dong-hwi), Taek (Park Bo-gum) and the only girl in the group Deok-sun (Hye-ri) live on the same block with their families. The story follows the filial bond than romance between characters. Reply 1988 holds the record for being the highest rated series in Korean cable TV history.
NYC Chairperson Aiza Seguerra
HAPPY DOG... From E2 2. HAVE YOUR DOG DEWORMED Have your pup or dog dewormed every three months or six months. The number of months depends on your place. Areas that are not cemented or full of gravel, or grassy might be a breeding ground for worms. It is advised that you give a dewormer— there is a tablet your vet can prescribe and can be bought for P100 a piece or even less if you buy in bulk. The dosage depends on the weight of your dog. Again, please ask your vet. The clinics usually charge P150 to P250 depending on the kind of dewormer. Worms can lead to death eventually. Treatment, as in other illnesses, will cost you thousands of pesos. WebMD noted: “Because worms are so common in puppies, vets recommend de-worming them for the first time when they’re 2 to 3 weeks old. Worms can pass from mother to baby before birth or soon after, through her
milk. It will take more than one dose. The first round kills the worms that are there at the time. The second kills those that hatch a few weeks later. Your vet may also want to give your puppy blood, as hookworms drain blood from the wall of the intestines and cause anemia.” It added: “Treatment is much the same for adult dogs with worms. The same kinds of drugs are used, but your dog will get more of the medicine.” “Dogs are ideal hosts—to worms and other parasites, that is. Animals that sniff, slurp, lick, and gobble anything in their paths, including dirt, trash, and poop, are bound to pick up pests. All the things they do with their mouths—groom, kiss, wrestle, and other social habits—can pass along unwanted guests to playmates and companions, canine and human alike,” it said. It added: “Parasites worm their way into most dogs’s lives at one time or another. Your vet may suspect worms if your dog has diarrhea or is vomiting, coughing, chewing or licking under his tail, short of breath, or losing weight. The symptoms and treatments
depend on the type of worm and where it’s living in your dog’s body… Most worms that infect dogs— including roundworms, tapeworms, hookworms, and whipworms—live in the intestines, so that’s the first place for your vet to look.”
(able to cause heartworm disease). The worms are called ‘heartworms’ because the adults live in the heart, lungs, and associated blood vessels of an infected animal,” it added. There are two types of heartworm prevention: in tablet form (P100 per tablet) and the chewable type (P260 3. GIVE HEARTWORM PREVENTION to P380 depending on the size of the TO YOUR DOG dog). The chewable type shows the It is also important to give number of kilos of the dog on the heartworm prevention to your dogs. box. Please ask your vet for the proper What is heartworm? dosage and then keep this instruction The US Food and Drug in your dog’s notebook. Administration described it as “a serious disease that results in severe 4. GIVE MULTIVITAMINS TO YOUR lung disease, heart failure, other DOG organ damage, and death in pets, Your vet will tell you the best mainly dogs, cats, and ferrets.” multivitamin for your dog and the “It is caused by a parasitic worm dosage depending on the age and called Dirofilaria immitis. The worms weight. are spread through the bite of a mosquito. The dog is the definitive 5. PROTECT YOUR DOG FROM TICKS host, meaning that the worms mature AND FLEAS into adults, mate, and produce While an anti-tick and flea spot offspring while living inside a dog. The on—or a liquid put on your dog’s mosquito is the intermediate host, nape—can help remove ticks and meaning that the worms live inside fleas from your dog and keep them a mosquito for a short transition away for a month, your dog’s system period in order to become infective will eventually develop a resistance to
this anti-tick and flea solution. There are ways to keep ticks and fleas away (I will share these tips in another column) but every proposed solution is not 100 percent effective. These pests are everywhere and some even carry the dreaded erlichia disease. Erlichia is like dengue in humans. The best thing to do (as I will always stress) is to keep the immune system of your dog strong. A healthy immune system makes the dog strong enough that disease will not have a serious effect on the dog, or minimizes the effects of the disease and will make the dog respond better and faster to the medical treatment. Note: Please send questions to daycarlos28@yahoo.com and state whether you want your name included when we post the questions and answers from veterinarians and experts. I will not however include advice on medical treatment or dispense one as the licensed vet has to do tests and see your dog before a treatment plan can be designed for your dog. As part of promoting responsible pet ownership, we encourage owners to seek advice from the vets.
E4
Showbiz
SUNDAY, MAY 21, 2017 Isah V. Red, Editor / Nickie Wang, Issue Editor isahred@gmail.com
WHAT IF ‘MY FAMILY’S SLAVE’ IS MADE INTO A FILM? By Nickie Wang
W
HO will be part of the lead cast?
We can’t think of anyone who can impeccably portray Lola but Nora Aunor.. Either Joshua Garcia or Iñigo Pascual can play the young Alex, John Lloyd Cruz or Piolo Pascual can play the old Alex. Julia and Gretchen Barretto are fit for the role of young and old Leticia (Alex’s mother), respectively. Isn’t Ian Veneracion perfect as the husband?
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MUST-SEE
KOREAN DRAMAS HIT Korean series Legend of the Blue Sea, which stars Lee Min Ho and Jun Ji-hyun, and Goblin, top billed by Gong Yoo and Kim Go-eun, are renewing the interest of local viewers in Korean drama. Since their premiere last week, both series have been trending on social media and outshining their competition in rival network. Following the local viewers’ growing fascination on K-Drama again, we are listing down some of the biggest series that Filipino audience must watch out for. Most of them have just finished airing on Korean cable networks and made record-breaking performance in terms of viewership.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve more than likely heard or read the essay written by Pulitzer Prizewinning journalist Alex Tizon, published by the Washington, D.C.-based The Atlantic Magazine as its June cover story. It’s interesting that in this day and age of social media dominance when you have to write down your thoughts in less than 150 characters, express yourself through the use of emojis, or get the attention of the world through an eye-catching photo, people still have the patience to read a long essay, a 120-paragraph article at that. My Family’s Slave is a liberating story about Eudocia Tomas Pulido whom they affectionately called as Lola. The author revealed that his family had kept Lola a slave for more than five decades. “She lived with us for 56 years. She raised me and my siblings without pay. I was 11, a typical American kid, before I realized who she was,” the essay starts. When Tizon’s family moved from the Philippines to the US in the 1960s, they took Lola with them. She was tasked to do all the chores from cooking, cleaning the entire house, doing the laundry, and taking care of the five children. And in the process, the defenseless probinsyana from Tarlac, who was initially given to the author’s mother as a gift from his grandfather, suffered physical and emotional abuse from the author’s parents. The emotional account of this “modern-day slavery” has the entire country talking. Everyone who was able to read the article was touched and by the time you finished reading this story another Filipino is on Twitter defending
AFTER being very vocal about her sentiments on Mocha Uson’s appointment as PCOO assistant secretary, newly crowned Binibining Pilipinas International Mariel De Leon turned to Twitter again to advocate for women’s reproductive health. Following the calls for the Supreme Court to lift the Temporary Restraining Order that is restricting the procurement and distribution of female contraceptives in the country, Christopher de Leon and Sandy Andolong’s daughter posted a series of Tweets calling the attention of the Supreme Court. “TRO on contraceptives. Birth control pills are slowly
going away. What will you do when they’re all gone? Let’s take our bodies back,” the beauty queen said. “What about women with PCOS, acne, severe dysmenorrhea, irregular period, [et cetera]? What about our freedom of choice when it comes to family planning? What about women’s health?” her series of tweets continued. The 23-year-old beauty queen even tagged the official Twitter account of the Supreme Court (@SCPh_PIO) to alert them to the posts. “You’re not ‘pro life’ if you deprive women of something that’s good for our health and our future,” she said in another tweet.
The story of Lola has the entire country talking. Hence, if her story is made into a film, we want (from top to bottom) Nora Aunor, Julia Barretto, Joshua Garcia, and Piolo Pascual to be part of the lead cast.
Alex Tizon against foreigners who don’t have any idea of what our history or culture is. It’s true that the essay is very popular, a few hours after the story came out it went viral on Facebook. The magazine also announced that their website set new records for both single day and concurrent audience driven by its cover story, which came out almost two months after its author’s death. My Family’s Slave mirrors the still ongoing struggle of many Filipino house help either working in the country or overseas. And one of the reasons why the story became viral is because it’s very familiar experience among domestic helpers only Lola was not being paid. She worked tirelessly day and night in exchange for food and shelter. But Lola’s story didn’t end there. Although a bit late, Lola still found her liberation. Perhaps, she died at 83 years old content with the love given to her by the people she unconditionally cared for. This summary alone can be a perfect film inspiration. Imagine how this story that affected a lot of Filipinos in one way or another be made into a feature film. In fact, while reading the essay, without seeing the photos that accompanied the story, one can already create a mental picture of their faces and the deep emotion rooted from their struggles and dilemma.
BEAUTY QUEEN ON
CONTRACEPTIVES AND FAMILY PLANNING FIERCE. There's no stopping Mariel De Leon from speaking her mind
Signal The series was a critical and commercial success. In fact, it is the third highest rated drama in Korean cable television history. The drama went on to win several awards from different award-giving bodies, including Best Drama and Best Screenplay. The story, which is told in fast paced fashion, revolves around a mysterious walkie talkie that allows a detective in 1989 to communicate with a cold case profiler from 2015; with the power of fore and hindsight the two not only solve crimes but prevent them from ever taking place.
Weightlifting Fairy Inspired by the life of a Korean Olympic gold-medalist, it is a coming-of-age story about a group of college athletes who are fighting for their dreams, experiencing and finding love in the process, and growing every step of the way. Although it’s a commercial failure based on its ratings performance, it’s gaining popularity among Hallyu fans when the drama became available for online streaming. Turn to E3