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VOL. XXXI • NO. 194 • 5 SECTIONS 20 PAGES • P18 • SUNDAY, AUGUST 27, 2017 • www.manilastandard.net • editorial@thestandard.com.ph
FUNERAL FUELS OUTRAGE VS EJK T
HOUSANDS of Filipinos Saturday called for an end to extrajudicial killings as the funeral of a boy killed by police turned into the largest single demonstration yet against President Rodrigo Duterte’s brutal drug war.
BY THE HEROES. An unidentified male snaps the picture of his female companion beside the bronze figures of Filipino heroes at the Andres Bonifacio shrine at riverside Liwasang Bonifacio (formerly Plaza Lawton) two days before the country marks National Heroes Day. (Story on A3) Ey Acasio
The killing of 17-year-old Kian Loyd delos Santos last week triggered rare protests against Duterte’s controversial but popular campaign to eradicate drugs, with critics saying it highlighted rampant rights abuses by police enforcing the crackdown. Delos Santos’ slay had sparked public outrage and raised questions on the conduct of police operations while the boy, who dreamed of becoming a policeman, was laid to rest while his family cried out for justice. Delos Santos was buried on Saturday afternoon at the La Loma Cemetery in a ceremony attended by hundreds and watched by thousands more on social media. During the rites, hundreds of onlookers scrambled for space to get a closer look, blocking those who carried the teen’s casket into his crypt, his final resting place among multi-level niches at the cemetery. Earlier, the teen’s funeral car—a truck bedecked with flowers where his casket was placed—made a sentimental stop at Caloocan City’s Police Community Precinct 7, the station where the cops linked to his death were assigned. Wearing “Justice for Kian” T-shirts, the slain teen’s family attended his funeral Mass Saturday morning at the Sta. Quiteria Church. Saldy delos Santos, father of the slain teen, gave an emotive message and ode to his son at the Mass rites. Since Duterte’s term began 14 months ago, police have reported killing 3,500 people in anti-drug operations, with thousands more murdered over drug-related crimes and in unexplained circumstances. Duterte and his drug war are backed by a large majority of Filipinos fed up with high crime and a slow-moving judicial system, according to national polls. Turn to A2
COPS-SUSPECTS MAY TURN STATE WITNESSES—PAO
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PALACE GIVES PH ATHLETES A PAT ON BACK By John Paolo Bencito THE Palace on Saturday expressed gratitude to athletes who raked in medals for the country in the ongoing 29th Southeast Asian Games in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. “Congratulations to all Filipino athletes who played and won in yesterday’s events in the Southeast Asian Games in Malaysia,” Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella said in a statement read over state-run radio dzRB. As of August 26, the Philippines has won 15 gold, 21 silver, and 36 bronze medals. Turn to A2
NOKOR FIRES SHORT-RANGE MISSILES SEOUL—North Korea fired three short-range ballistic missiles Saturday, the US military said, reviving tensions with Washington after President Donald Trump had said Pyongyang was starting to show some “respect.” The launches come as tens of thousands of South Korean and US troops take part in joint military drills in the south of the peninsula, which the North views as highly provocative. Following an initial US assessment saying that two of the missiles had “failed in flight”, a spokesman for the US Pacific Command later said the two weapons had not failed but “flew approximately 250 kilometers (155 miles) in a northeastern direction.” One of the three missiles blew up “almost immediately,” with none of the weapons posing a threat to either North America or the US territory of Guam, the spokesman said. Lee Il-Woo, an analyst at Korea Defence Network, said the launches represented a “low-level provocative act” carried out in response to Turn to A2
RODY TO EAT 'BALUT' AMID OUTBREAK By John Paolo Bencito
By John Paolo Bencito
PUBLIC Attorneys Office chief Persida Acosta on Saturday raised the possibility of having accused Caloocan cops in the brutal killing of 17-year-old Kian delos Santos as ‘state witnesses’ should they come clean and help ensure that the boy’s family finds justice. “If anyone of those charged would turn into a state witness, it would be good because God could even forgive him—if remorse was there,” Acosta said in a radio interview. Acosta, who is serving as legal counsel to the Delos Santos family, did not detail however whether she sees a higher official as having ordered the killing. To be considered state witnesses, the policemen involved in the killing Turn to A2
JUDO, TAEKWONDO SAVE DAY FOR PH
POIGNANT STOP. The funeral march for slain 17-year-old Kian Loyd delos Santos makes a pause in the socalled last mile in front of Caloocan City Police Community Precinct 7, where the three policemen implicated in his death—for which they face murder charges—were assigned. Andrew Rabulan
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PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte will be feasting on balut (duck eggs), barbecue and fried duck to assure the public that poultry and poultry products are safe to eat amid the avian flu, a senior Cabinet official said. In a recent Facebook post, Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol said that the President will join poultry, duck and quail farmers in a “boodle fight” in San Fernando, Pampanga to restore “consumers’ confidence that Philippine poultry products are safe to eat” despite the bird flu outbreak that hit three towns in Pampanga and Nueva Ecija. “Ako daw dapat ang magkain ng balut para malaman ng mga tao na safe na,” Pinol said, quoting the President who instructed the Presidential Management Staff “ to squeeze into his tight schedule my request for him to support the poultry industry.” Turn to A2
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GOVT OKAYS LIFTING OF BAN ON UBER UBER said on Saturday that it expects to resume operations in the Philippines “soon” after regulators agreed to lift a ban slapped against the American ridesharing giant in exchange for a fine. The government meted Uber a onemonth suspension on Aug. 14 following a tussle over driver permits, sparking public outrage as some 66,000 vehicles were forced off the streets. Hundreds of thousands of Manila commuters find Uber and its ride-sharing rivals welcome alternatives to the country’s notoriously poor and overcrowded buses and trains, run-down taxis and irascible cab drivers. But late Friday, the government’s transport agency said it would lift the ban following an Uber appeal. It ordered the US firm to pay a fine of P190 million ($3.7 million) and give its drivers financial aid for lost earnings. “The online ride-sharing services of the respondent USI [Uber] will be restored when it has paid the amount of fine and the said financial assistance remitted,” a Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board resolution said. Uber said it would comply with the ruling, which also requires it to pay about $391,000 a day in financial assistance—split between its Philippine drivers—until the company restores its operations. “We’re working hard to meet the conditions for the lifting of the suspension and hope to resume operations as soon as possible,” Uber said in a brief statement that did not give a timetable. The Philippine transportation agency last year imposed a moratorium on the processing of new applications for ride-sharing services as it studied how to regulate a growing industry. Officials said while southeast Asian rival Grab eventually followed the directive, Uber defied it, while other transport groups accused Uber of acting above the law. Uber said this month it was accepting new applications for vehicles but was not processing them pending its discussions with regulators. It also urged the government to simplify the accreditation process, with a representative telling a congressional enquiry: “We cannot impose 1900s regulations on today’s technological innovations.” Meanwhile, Senator Grace Poe said the hefty penalty imposed by the country’s transport regulator against Uber should serve as a warning to the app-based transport firm, as she welcomed the decision of the Land Transportation Franchising Regulatory Board to lift its 30-day suspension. With AFP
RODY...
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“Poultry stakeholders said President Duterte’s endorsement by eating balut, barbecue and fried duck will end the slump in the sales of poultry and poultry products following the bird flu [scare],” the Agriculture chief said. Citing market data, Pinol said that from a high of P90 per kilo, broiler chicken prices plummeted to P25 per kilo—“causing massive losses to poultry raisers.” Joining the President in the “boodle fight” on Monday will be key officials of the administration including former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, and other local officials. Piñol made the announcement as the Palace on Saturday assured there has been no documented case yet of bird-to-human infection from a stronger avian flu virus in the country. “The results are in—all those who showed flu-like symptoms have already tested negative for the AH5N6 virus, according to the Department of Health [DOH],” Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella said in a statement read over state radio dzRB. The DA earlier announced that it has completed the culling of fowls in affected municipalities, which was first reported in San Luis town in Pampanga, where the H5N6 strain was detected. Piñol said that the Agriculture Department has already downloaded P51-million to the Regional Office III and San Luis town while another P20million in no-collateral, no-interest loans is also being readied. Additional funds for the farmers of Jaen and San Isidro in Nueva Ecija will also be downloaded, DA officials said. Last week, the DA lifted the shipment ban on poultry products from Luzon, even as it tried to control an outbreak at some farms in Nueva Ecija.
ENERGY CHIEF UPBEAT ON OIL HUNT IN WPS T
HE Philippines will soon lift its moratorium on oil and gas exploration in the disputed West Philippine Sea waters as part of a “strategic, win-win” solution with China, Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi said as the country tries to court China and Japan for $135 billion worth of investments to stabilize the country’s power supply. Cusi said his office is seeking to allow the Manny V. Pangilinan-led consortium PXP Energy Corp., one of the companies whose Reed Bank operations were disrupted in 2014, to resume drilling at Service Contract 72, which contains the Sampaguita gas discovery that holds an estimated 11.4 trillion cubic feet of reserves. “We would really like to be pragmatic in our approach to joint exploration,” Cusi said in a Bloomberg interview. “Now, the pathway is becoming clearer.” Cusi noted that the country’s energy reserves were already “at that level where we have a very thin reserve.” The energy chief likewise noted that the Philippines had planned to sign a contract with China National Offshore Oil Corp., Beijing’s third largest state-run oil company, but “was never completed, for joint exploration in uncontested areas.” A spokesman for the Chinese company didn’t respond to Bloomberg’s requests for comment. Earlier, President Rodrigo Duterte said that Manila and Beijing may conduct a “joint venture” in the dis-
FUNERAL...
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But Delos Santos’ murder has dominated the media and sparked public outrage. Police said, CCTV footage emerged of two policemen dragging the unarmed boy away moments before he was killed. After his family held a wake for him at home, around 3,000 people including his classmates, neighbors, nuns, priests and human rights activists marched under cloudy skies to protest his killing, according to an AFP photographer at the scene. “Kian is the name and face of the truth. We must not allow the truth to die with Kian’s murder,” said Father Robert Reyes, one of several Catholic priests who celebrated a church Mass for the boy on Saturday. Duterte, who had controversially drawn parallels between his drug campaign to Hitler’s extermination of Jews and vowed to protect police from prosecution, has promised to bring the boy’s killers to justice. The slow-moving procession snaked through narrow streets as participants, many wearing black ribbons, carried posters that read “Stop Killing the Poor,” “Justice for Kian,” and “Rehabilitation not Persecution.” Following their claims of Delos Santos being involved in the drugs trade, police told a public investigation on Thursday that they only read about his alleged narcotics activity on “social media” after his death. A police autopsy also concluded the boy was fatally shot in the head twice as he lay prone on the ground. Amnesty International alleged in a report released in February that Philippine police shot dead defenseless people, fabricated evidence, paid assassins to murder drug addicts, and stole from those they killed or the victims’ relatives. As he bade goodbye to his slain son, father Saldy could not help but question why it had to be his child. The father was in tears as he addressed hundreds of condoling friends and loved ones at the funeral Mass for the boy at the Sta. Quiteria Church Saturday morning. Delos Santos, who was unable to sleep on the final night of his son’s wake, admitted he was still at a loss for words. Amnesty International also said police were being paid by their superiors to kill drug suspects, and documented victims as young as eight years old. AFP
puted waters, but declined to provide details about the joint exploration as he revealed that the talks were already ongoing. “Wala pa sila pero [They are not yet here but] we are into it already. We are there already, may partner na [There’s a partner already],” the President said in a media interview following his second State of the Nation Address. “‘Di ko lang masabi kung sino. Nandoon na ang atin pati kanila [I just cannot reveal the partner. Our representatives and their representatives are there]. They are talking and they are exploring,” he added. Reed Bank, an underwater mountain off the Philippine coast is believed to hold significant oil and gas deposits which falls exclusively within the country’s exclusive economic zone, which according to the UN Convention on the Law of the Seas (UNCLOS), places it firmly in the Philippines’ possession. Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, however, warned that the Philippine Constitution bans “joint development” within the country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ)—adding that
while companies are allowed to drill in the sea, given certain guidelines— state-to-state arrangements violates the charter. China has long sought to exploit what it believes could be more than 100 billion barrels of oil and hundreds of trillions of cubic feet of natural gas lurking beneath the South China Sea while claiming the entire sea in a so-called “nine-dash line,” a move rejected by the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan. In the same interview, Cusi said that they are working to fast-track $135 billion worth of power projects, which were already in the negotiating table to help in boosting generation capacity by 43 gigawatts in the coming decades. Projects endorsed by his office will be approved within 30 days under an order recently signed by Duterte, instead of the months or even years it had taken proponents in the past, he said. “There’s a lot of expressions of interest to invest in the Philippines, and we’re going to make it easy for investors,” Cusi said in an interview Wednesday in Taguig City. “We are open to all parties, all countries. In all the trips we had, we made the sales pitch.” The world’s two biggest economies after the U.S. have poured billions into the region’s energy development. Japan has either sponsored or financed 21 projects with a combined value of $23.7 billion that are currently under construction or planned in Southeast Asia, while China has backed 21 projects worth $32.8 billion, according to BMI Re-
search. Duterte has tried to develop closer ties with China since taking power last year as he seeks both new power plants and offshore gas resources, particularly for the island of Luzon that accounts for about two-thirds of the economy but has precarious electricity supplies. The forecast power needed through 2040— roughly three times the generation capacity of Singapore—will support economic growth encouraged by airports, railways and bridges that the president has promised to build, Cusi said. The Philippines also plans to start building by next year a 100 billionpeso ($1.95 billion) liquefied natural gas terminal to supply plants that generate a combined 3.5 gigawatts of power. The facilities now rely on the Malampaya gas field off Palawan province, which is expected to be depleted by 2024. The LNG terminal project, to be built in Batangas province south of the capital Manila, will have an initial annual capacity of 5 million metric tons when it starts by 2021 and will include a power plant with a capacity of between 200 megawatts and 800 megawatts, Cusi said. It will later be expanded to 10 million tons, as the nation has ambitions to be a LNG trading hub for Asia, Cusi said. Tokyo Gas Co., Osaka Gas Co. and Mitsui & Co. have been “nominated” by the Japanese government for the LNG project, which will be developed by a consortium headed by state-run Philippine National Oil Co., Cusi said. Private Philippine companies are welcome to join, he added. Bloomberg, with John Paolo Bencito
COPS-SUSPECTS...
NOKOR...
From A1
should be the least guilty, adding that they must testify against their associates or accomplices. Meanwhile, United Nations Special Rapporteur on Extra-Judicial Executions Agnes Callamard on Saturday urged the Philippines to make the death of Delos Santos the last in the war on drugs. “My heart-felt condolences to #kian family and to all families victimized by this cruel war. #Makehisdeaththelast #Philippines,” Callamard wrote on her Twitter. Acosta stressed that being a state witness did not mean the police would be off the hook before the charges could be downgraded. On Friday, Delos Santos’ bereaved kin filed murder and torture complaints against Police Officer 3 Arnel Oares and Police Officers 1 Jeremias Pereda and Jerwin Cruz before the Justice Department. The family also included the policemen’s supervisor, Caloocan City Precinct 7 commander Chief Insp. Amor Cerillo, and several unidentified individuals in their complaint. Kian, a Grade 11 student, was killed Aug. 16 in a city-wide antidrug operation, with the policemen claiming the teenager had fired at them first, prompting them to shoot back and kill the boy.
From A1
But CCTV footage that showed Kian being dragged by two policemen, and eyewitnesses contradicted their account, and a police crime laboratory report said Kian had no gunpowder residue on either hand, indicating he had not fired a gun before he died. The teen succumbed to three gunshot wounds: two in the head and one in his back. On Saturday, Delos Santos’ remains were finally laid to rest at the La Loma Cemetery in an apartmenttype crypt after more than five hours, as hundreds of people joined the funeral procession. The Palace, meanwhile, claimed that the Duterte administration would not tolerate wrongdoings or illegal acts from any law enforcement officer, as they noted the filing of charges against Caloocan policemen. “Charges have been filed against the policemen involved in the death of Kian de los Santos,” Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella said in a statement read over state radio dzRB. Abella underscored that President Duterte himself had reminded law enforcement officers that he would not tolerate their wrongdoings or illegal acts. “The filing of a criminal complaint underscores this resolve of the government,” Abella said.
PALACE...
From A1
The country bagged silver medals courtesy of Ruben Gonzales Jr. and Francis Casey Alcantara in Tennis’ Men’s Doubles; James Deiparine for Men’s Aquatic Swimming 100-meter Breaststroke; and Hazel Jagonoy, Rosita Bradborn, Vilma Greenless for Women’s Lawn Bowls—Triples. Zion Rose Nelson, Kayla Anise Maico Richardson, Kyla Ashley Maico Richardson and Eloisa Luzon won a bronze medal in the Women’s Athletics 4x100-meter relay. Eric Shauwn Cray, Anfernee Lopena, Archand Christian Bagsit, and Trenten Anthony Beram also won
bronze medals for the Men’s Athletics 4x100-meter relay. Other athletes who won bronze medal are Marestella Sunang in Women’s Athletics Field-Long Jump; Melvin Calano in Men’s Athletics Field-Javelin Throw; and Denise Dy and Katharina Lehnert in Tennis’ Women’s Doubles. The Palace urged Filipinos to support our athletes participating in the biennial games. “So, inaanyayahan natin ang ating mga kababayan na patuloy po tayong manood at suportahan ang ating mga atletang Pinoy,” the Palace said. John Paolo Bencito
the US-South Korea exercises, which are seen by Pyongyang as a rehearsal for an invasion of its own territory. The joint exercises started Monday at a time of heightened tensions between Pyongyang and Washington, after two successful intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launches carried out by North Korea last month apparently brought most of the United States into range for the first time. Analyst Yang Uk at the Korea Defence and Security Forum told AFP the latest launches by Pyongyang were “carefully calibrated... to avoid revving up tensions too high beyond its control”. The launches, which took place over a span of 30 minutes, came as North Korean state media reported that leader Kim Jong-Un oversaw a military exercise simulating a special forces assault on South Korean border islands involving aircraft, “multiple-missile launchers” and howitzers. ‘Wiped out the enemy’ Shells hit islands standing in for South Korea’s Baengnyeong and Yeonpyeong islands while special forces landed in rubber boats or parachuted in and “wiped out the desperate enemy with various combat methods,” the Korean Central News Agency said. The North bombarded Yeonpyeong island in November 2010 in response to a South Korean live-fire drill near the tense sea border, killing four South Koreans—two soldiers and two civilians—and prompting Seoul to return the fire. “Kim Jong-Un expressed great satisfaction over the successful target-striking contest,” it said. North Korea’s ICBM launches last month triggered an intense warning by Trump that Washington could rain “fire and fury” on the North. Pyongyang then threatened to fire a salvo of missiles towards the US territory of Guam, but later backed away from the plan and tensions had eased. Trump said Wednesday that Kim Jong-Un was “starting to respect” the United States, hours after Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said talks with the nuclear-armed North over its banned weapons programs might be possible “in the near future.” AFP
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2,047 PEOPLE DISPLACED BY ‘JOLINA,’ NOW ON EXIT
OME 549 families—or 2,047 people—in Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon and the Cordilleras, have been displaced by Tropical Storm “Jolina,” the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council reported Saturday.
No death nor injury has been reported. NDRRMC executive director Ricardo Jalad said 253 families or 928 persons were being served in 25 evacuation centers, and another 296 families or 1,119 individuals assisted outside evacuation centers. Sea turbulence may persist in waters off Northern and Central Luzon even while Jolina (international name Pakhar) was moving away from the country during the weekend. “That’ll make sailing there still dangerous,” said weather forecaster Samuel Duran from Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration.
Weathermen located Jolina over Northern Luzon landmass before dawn Saturday, fanning turbulence in seas in the area, where many from the eastern seaboard fish for a living. “Such direct effect of Jolina will increasingly ease as this storm moves away from landmass, however,” Duran said. The southwest monsoon or ‘habagat,’ which Jolina enhances and “pulls” while this storm moves west-northwestwards away from the country, will instead fan sea turbulence in Northern Luzon waters, he said. Weathermen expect ‘habagat’ to do the same in waters along Central Luzon’s western seaboard. In its Severe Weather Bulletin 13 released Saturday, Pagasa located Jolina at some 120 km west of Sinait town in Ilocos Sur, south of Badoc and Pinili towns in Ilocos Norte, as of 10 a.m. Jolina then packed maximum sustained winds of 80 kph near its center and gustiness of up to 95 kph, weathermen said. “The storm accelerated and re-intensified as it continued moving in a west-northwest direction,” Pagasa said. Duran said Jolina “pulling” the enhanced
‘habagat’ towards Northern Luzon while this storm was moving away from that area. “The enhanced ‘habagat’ is beginning to fan sea turbulence there,” he said. On Saturday, Pagasa warned about possible rough to very rough seas and waves up to 4.5 meters high from Jolina-enhanced strong to gale-force winds expected in Northern Luzon’s Batanes province, Calayan and Babuyan islands as well as northern coast of Cagayan province. “Fishing boats and other small seacraft are advised not to venture out into sea while larger sea vessels are alerted against big waves,” Pagasa said in its 10 a.m. Gale Warning released Saturday. Rough to very rough seas and waves up to 4.5 meters high are also likely along Central Luzon’s west-lying Zambales and Bataan provinces due to expected strong to gale-force winds associated with Jolina-enhanced ‘habagat,’ Pagasa noted. Pagasa cautioned small seacraft against sailing in such seas and alerted larger sea vessels about waves expected there. “We expect Jolina to exit Philippine Area of Responsibility between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. this Saturday,” he said. PNA
RAINS DESPITE.
Workers defy whipping winds and torrential rains— while refurbishing during the weekend the facade of the multi-million-peso Cultural Center of the Philippines’ ‘Tanghalang Pambansa’ in Pasay City—caused by Tropical Storm ‘Jolina’ which lashed villages in the Cagayan Valley, the Cordilleras and Central Luzon. Ey Acasio
QUICK ACCREDITATION OF UNIVERSITIES URGED By Maricel V. Cruz A HOUSE leader has called on the Commission on Higher Education to expedite the accreditation process for local universities and colleges after one of its commissioners had revealed that only 16 of these schools were qualified to become tuition-free in the next academic year. Camarines Sur Rep. LRay Villafuerte voiced concern that LUCs might be left out of the benefits of the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act or the free college tuition law if only 14 percent out of 111 LUCs were accredited by the CHED. “We urge LUCs across the country to beef up their standards in terms of providing quality education and have their schools evaluated by the CHED, which should, in turn,
speed up this evaluation process to determine the LUCs that can be accredited and can get to enjoy the benefits of the free tuition law by next school year,” Villafuerte said. Republic Act 10931, or the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act, provides free tuition and other fees for students in state universities and colleges as well as LUCs and technical-vocational institutions. SUCs refer to public higher education institutions established by national laws that are financed and maintained by the national government and are governed by their respective independent boards of trustees or regents, while LUCs refer to CHED-accredited tertiary education institutions established and financially supported by local government units.
According to reports quoting CHED commissioner and spokesperson Prospero de Vera III, only 16 LUCs have been accredited by the CHED after passing the Commission’s standards in terms of providing quality tertiary education. Following the signing into law of RA 10931, at least 60 LUCs have applied for accreditation. “While the accreditation process needs to be fast-tracked, the CHED should also make sure that the LUCs that get to benefit from the free tuition law truly meet the standards set by the CHED for LUCs in terms of quality of education, so that public funds would not go to waste and our students are ensured of getting the first-rate education they deserve,” Villafuerte said. The CHED estimated the funds needed to implement the free tuition law next year amount to P20
billion, which only covers the 112 SUCs and the 16 accredited LUCs across the country. Another P3 billion to P4 billion would be needed to fund the free tuition for TVIs, the lawmaker said. Villafuerte earlier welcomed reports that government agencies were now working double time on the implementing rules and regulations of the free tuition law. But he cautioned against coming out with a haphazardly drafted set of IRR that could only lead to delays in implementing this pro-education statute. He had called on the CHED and other agencies involved in the drafting of the IRR to conduct extensive consultations with all affected stakeholders to ensure that the law would be effectively implemented without hitches starting June next year.
TAIWAN SEEKS PH HELP TO EXTRADITE FUGITIVE TAIPEI—Taiwan has asked authorities in the Philippines to arrest and extradite Chen Yu-hao, one of Taiwan’s mostwanted fugitives, Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Eleanor Wang has said. The ministry and the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in the Philippines have made several requests to the Philippine authorities to extradite Chen, former chairman of conglomerate Tuntex Group, having learned that the Taiwanese fugitive was involved in a major investment project in the Southeast Asian country, Wang told the press. Wang said Taipei was urging Manila to arrest and extradite Chen after learning he was planning to invest $369 billion in the Philippines as part of China’s “One Belt, One Road” initiative, which seeks to build a modern Silk Road linking Asia, Africa and Europe. Chen acquired Chinese citizenship in 2013 which enables him to travel to the Philippines freely.
In response, his Republic of China citizenship was revoked. “Taiwan has made repeated requests to the Philippines for help in arresting Chen and send him back to Taiwan. These demonstrate Taiwan’s determination to bring the fugitive to justice,” Wang said. Wang also warned the Philippines about risks related to future investments by Chen as he was identified as one of the top economic criminals to flee Taiwan. Despite the warning, sources from the Philippine Economic Zone Authority, a government-owned agency, said the country continued to welcome Chen’s investment. Chen, a US passport holder, fled Taiwan after dissolving Tuntex Group in 2001, when Taiwanese authorities launched a probe into allegations he embezzled NT$70 billion ($2.31 billion). In addition to the alleged embezzlement and breach of trust, Chen also owes NT$450 million in personal income tax in Taiwan.
TONS OF WASTE. Personnel from the Manila Department of Public Services gear up for the bayanihan spirit as they haul tons of garbage swept and dumped ashore by storm ‘Jolina’ in the vicinity of Roxas Boulevard lapped by waters of Manila Bay. Norman Cruz
LGUS TOLD TO HOLD RITES FOR NATL HEROES By John Paolo Bencito THE Interior Department on Saturday urged local government units to conduct befitting activities to honor the country’s heroes and reawaken the sense of nationhood of the Filipinos as the nation celebrates National Heroes Day on Monday. In a directive, the Interior Department told LGUs to conduct simple but meaningful activities such as flag-raising ceremony, wreath-laying and commemorating rites, display of the Philippine flag in LGU offices, and such other fitting activities in their respective localities. Local governments in Metro Manila are likewise enjoined to participate in the commemorative rites at the Libingan ng mga Bayani in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City which will be led by the National Historical Commission, Department of National Defense and the Armed Forces of the Philippines. Other government agencies and non-government organizations are also expected to take part in the ceremony in other parts of the country. National Heroes Day is a holiday which traces its roots to that day meant to honor all the country’s heroes, particularly those whose names have been lost to history. The lack of a specific individual’s name was meant to create an opportunity for every Filipino who has braved death and persecution for the country to be commemorated. Initially set on the last Sunday of August by a declaration of the Philippine Legislature in 1931, the holiday was moved to Nov. 30 during then President Jose P. Laurel’s term. In 2007, the public holiday started being celebrated on the last Monday of August with the enactment of Republic Act 9492 or the Holiday Economics Law.
EXTRA P4B EYED FOR MINING AREAS AN EXTRA P4 billion has been set aside to pay for the 40-percent share of local government units in the annual income derived by the National Treasury from the harvest of mineral deposits and energy reserves in their areas, a lawmaker said on Saturday. “The new money is provided for in the P3.767-trillion budget for 2018, and will be handed out mainly to the LGUs of provinces, cities, municipalities and barangays that abound in metallic and coal mining activities that generate earnings for the national government,” said Makati City Rep. Luis Campos Jr., a deputy minority leader. “The fresh funding is on top of the regular internal revenue allotments due the beneficiary LGUs,” Campos said. Over the last five years, Campos said LGUs received an annual average of P3.4 billion as their combined cut of the proceeds “from the utilization and development of the national wealth within their jurisdictions,” as required by law and the 1987 Constitution. The budget itself does not specify the recipient LGUs and their corresponding allocations, as these are still subject to verification of actual collections and remittances, Campos said. However, based on Department of Budget and Management records, Campos said LGUs in Western Visayas and Caraga took the largest portions of national government income from coal and metallic mining activities, respectively in 2016. Campos said LGUs in Western Visayas received P1.81 billion last year, mainly because Semirara Mining and Power Corp. runs the country’s largest coal mine in an island that forms part of the Municipality of Caluya in Antique. LGUs in Caraga, which hosts several mining projects that produce nickel and other mineral commodities, received P100.5 million last year, the opposition lawmaker said. Under the Local Government Code of 1991, LGUs are entitled to 40 percent of the gross earnings from “mining taxes, royalties from mineral reservations, forestry charges, and fees and revenues collected from energy resources.” Maricel V. Cruz
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HOLD JOB FAIRS FOR ENGINEERS—RECTO
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OVERNMENT agencies with a “build, build, build” mission have been told to hold a job fair in order to fill the vacancies in engineering and other construction-related positions which have been blamed for the slowdown of infrastructure projects. The proposal was made by Senate President Pro-Tempore Ralph Recto, who said the lack in competent manpower to design, approve and oversee public works is a major cause of delay in their delivery. “The backlog is due to what is called technical deficit. Maraming ahensya ay kulang sa mga taong mangangasiwa sa mga proyekto,” Recto said. He identified the agencies as the Department of Public Works and Highways, Department of Education, Department of Transportation and the Department of Health.
“For this year and next year, these four agencies will be building easily P1.5 trillion worth of infrastructure. Hindi pa kasama ang mga pinondohan ng ODA at PPP,” Recto said. Recto was referring to big-ticket infrastructure projects bankrolled by official development aid and Public Private Partnership ventures. The senator said the DPWH has 1,777 vacancies in its approved plantilla of 19,501 personnel while the DOTr’s mother agency, the Department of Transportation and Communications, had 1,297 reported vacancies last year.
With the creation last year of the Department of Information and Communications Technology, the DOTC has been divided into two, the other being the DOTr. Recto said the DepED has also become a major infrastructure builder, with a yearly job order of classrooms in the tens of thousands. In 2017, DepED had a budget to build 47,492 new classrooms, and for 2018, it will be given money to build 47,000 classrooms, Recto said. But in a review of its 2016 spending, the Commission on Audit has scored DepED for failing to use P43 billion out of its P412.4 billion allocated budget that year. The underspending included the failure to use more than half of the funds allotted for buildings and equipment of the tech-vocational track in the senior high, or P2.2 billion out of P4.9 billion, crippling a major aim to produce jobsready graduates
The same is true with the DOH, which has been getting billions of funds a year to build more hospitals, rural health units, and barangay clinics, under the multi-year Health Facilities Enhancement Project. This year, the DOH has a budget of P24.2 billion for HFEP, and P29 billion is proposed for next year. “Ang resulta tuloy ay it is suffering from an acute constipation of projects,” he said. “Ang problema sa DepED, kulang ng engineers. Kaya one to two years delayed ang deliver ng classrooms. Ang DOH, ganoon din, kasi nga bulto ng mga empleyado nila mga manggagamot, hindi mga builders,” Recto lamented. He conceded that this lack of competent technical personnel who will prepare, approve plans for projects, and supervise their construction, is the main culprit for the delays. Recto said this lack of personnel leads to slow spending. “Underspending is an offshoot of being understaffed. “
UNVEILING. President Rodrigo Roa Duterte leads the unveling of Azuela Cove's master plan during its launching in Lanang, Davao City on Aug. 25, 2017. Assisting the President is Ayala Land Inc. chairman Fernando Zobel de Ayala.
MMDA KICKS OUT 12 ‘CORRUPT’ PERSONNEL By Joel E. Zurbano THE Metro Manila Development Authority has announced that at least 12 personnel have been removed and two others were suspended for corruption in the agency. Chairman Danilo Lim said three more MMDA employees were also terminated from the government service while 12 others were ordered suspended after they were tested positive for drug use. “Being true to our promise to cleanse our ranks of erring personnel, we will not let such things pass without the appropriate sanctions. This will serve a warning that no one is above the law," said Lim. The MMDA chief said the agency under his leadership is imposing a one-strike policy and vowed to dismiss from the
WORLD-CLASS. The 55-piece world-class ensemble Manila Symphony Orchestra with conductor Prof. Arturo Molina held a concert dubbed as ‘Sweet Symphonies: Bach vs. Beatles’ at St. Anne Parish (Molo Church) in Iloilo City on Aug. 25, 2017. The concert was held upon the invitation of Ilonggo Senator Franklin M. Drilon, who vows to bring back Iloilo’s culture and arts to their old glory. The renowned orchestra’s last concert in the province was held in 1985. MSO was established in 1926 by Viennese conductor Alexander Lippay. It is one of the oldest orchestras in Asia and continues to enrich the Filipino’s vibrant cultural life through fine music. Joseph Vidal/PRIB
service traffic enforcers and other agency employee found to be corrupt, abusive and remiss in their work. Lim's policy came in the wake of the Commission on Audit report that only a handful of MMDA traffic enforcers are qualified to man and implement traffic rules and regulations on the streets of Metro Manila. The COA report also said that more than 2,000 traffic enforcers currently deployed on the roads in the metropolis have not undergone and passed the required training and examination to perform traffic duties. Lim said he welcomes anyone to come forward and file a complaint against erring MMDA personnel. Last year, a total of 91 MMDA personnel were preventively suspended for various
cases while 257 were reprimanded. The agency also placed under its blacklist 25 towing firm personnel who were tested positive for drug use. The drug test was conducted for accredited towing firm personnel in line with the agency's new policy to stop extortion and other illegal activity involving towing firms. Those who tested positive for drug use cannot renew their accreditation or apply anymore from MMDA-accredited towing firms; their identification cards have also been confiscated. The MMDA urged the people to report abusive personnel via the agency's social networking sites. Motorists or any complainant can report the so-called “bad eggs” within the agency via the agency's Facebook, and the website,
mmda.gov.ph where the complaint portal "I Will Act" is hosted. The complaint portal is in collaboration with members of the Inter-agency on Traffic (I-ACT), which is composed of MMDA, Department of Transportation, Land Transportation Office, Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board, and the 17 Metro Manila local government units. The website was also made as part of the MMDA's program to cleanse its ranks of erring personnel amid the ongoing campaign of the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte to get rid of police scalawags and corrupt public officials. The MMDA said that these complaints will be reviewed and investigated by an internal group.
HOUSE OKS NEW IMMIGRATION MEASURE By Maricel V. Cruz A PANEL in the House of Representatives has unanimously approved the substitute bill on bills seeking the creation of a Commission on Immigration, defining its powers and functions, and expanding, rationalizing and further professionalizing its organization. The House committee on justice passed the unnumbered bill titled “Philippine Immigration Act” substituted House Bills 162, 327, 435, 1305, 1697 and 3005 authored by Reps. Feliciano Belmonte Jr., Xavier Jesus Romualdo, Evelina Escudero, Leopoldo Bataoil, Maximo Rodriguez Jr., and Winston Castelo, respectively. The bill declares that it is a policy of the State that in the conduct of its relation with other States, the Philippines shall give paramount consideration to national sovereignty, territorial integrity, national security, national interest, the right to self-determination, the enhancement of economic diplomacy, and the protection of overseas Filipinos in destination countries, as it adheres to the policy of peace, cooperation and amity with all nations.” It also states that the country’s immigration policies, rules and regulations under the proposed Act “shall be applied and administered as instruments for the promotion of domestic and external interests of the country.” Belmonte, one of the bill's authors, said that the proposed Commission on Immigration shall be principally responsible for the administration and enforcement of the Philippine Immigration Act, and “the implementation of all laws, rules, regulations or orders of any competent authority concerning the entry and admission into, stay in, and the departure from the Philippines of all persons.” The bill prescribes that the Commission shall be administered by the Board of Commissioners headed by the commissioner as chairperson, and two deputy commissioners as members. The Commission will be under the control and supervision of the Department of Justice, according to the measure. The proposed law grants the Board of Commissioners both quasi-judicial and rule-making powers. The following are the quasi-judicial powers of the Board: decide on applications or cases relative to cases such as deportation; revocation of immigration status; reacquisition and retention of Philippine citizenship under R.A. 9225; issuance and revocation of all visas and permits; declaration of indigence; legalization of residence in accordance with law; cite and punish for contempt in relation to the discharge of its quasi-judicial functions in accordance with the Rules of Court. On the other hand, its rule-making powers are as follows: prescribe and promulgate rules of procedure for proceedings before it; prepare and publish operations manual and rules of procedure, including schedule of fees, for all transactions entered into by the Commission with the public; and formulate policies, directives, programs and projects of the Commission. The commissioner and two deputy commissioners shall be appointed by the President of the Philippines which shall have the same rank, salary, and privileges of a Department Undersecretary and Department Assistant Secretary, respectively. The bill grants authority to the Board to retain and use every year 50 percent of its collections from immigration fees, fines and penalties, and other income that may be collected by the Commission. In this regard, an Immigration Trust Fund shall also be created, which shall be administered by the Board in accordance with existing government auditing rules and regulations, according to the bill.
FLYERS BRINGING BULLETS STILL AT IT
IGNORANT, uniformed or just hard-headed passengers? Airport and aviation police authorities keep asking this question when apprehending air travelers having in possession of firearms, bullets and other banned items at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. On Saturday, the authorities intercepted a 52-year-old man bound for Caticlan after he was caught carrying a .45 caliber Llama Minimax Sub compact firearm and 16 rounds of live bullets and two magazines at the departure area of NAIA Terminal 3. Silvestre Mendoza Roque is now under the custody of the Police-Aviation Security Group and
will be charged criminally before the Pasay City prosecutors office because of an expired license and carrying a firearm without necessary permits. Roque, a resident of San Roque, Marikina City, claimed he forgot to remove the items from his bag. In Terminal 1, personnel of the Office of Transportation Security manning the initial security check also caught Jean Lolita Abad Manipud Robles, 45, for bringing in 33 pieces of live ammunition hidden inside a green bottle and a match box. Robles was about to board her flight for California, USA via Taipei, when OTS personnel noticed the banned items through x-ray images. She claimed she acciden-
tally brought the said items and placed it in her balikbayan box. Unlike Roque, Robles was allowed to proceed with her flight after documentation and confiscation of the items. Five other cases of passengers who brought bullets and other prohibited items were recorded by the Manila International Airport Authority on the same day at Terminal 3. "We can't explain why. Despite all the [apprehension] incidents, warnings and news reports, more passengers are still bringing those item. We encourage everyone to be aware of this prohibition," said MIAA public information officer Connie Bungag. Joel E. Zurbano
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SUNDAY, AUGUST 27, 2017 Adelle Chua, Editor
Opinion
Joyce Pangco Pañares, Issue Editor
mst.daydesk@gmail.com
EDITORIAL
POP GOES THE WORLD JENNY ORTUOSTE
OUR VAIN SEARCH
A
S THE nation prepares to commemorate National Heroes’ Day on Monday, we face the question of whether heroes actually still exist in this day and age, given the multitude of problems we face. Our blighted recent history reminds us of a collective pattern of searching for modern-day saviors whom we expect to deliver us from our sorry situation into the so-called promised land. That we get disappointed—no, frustrated—every time does not deter us from hoping again, as fervently as before. Look at where this has brought us. We lamented life under a dictatorship and installed somebody we thought would remind us how great democracy could be. But the old problems remained—just the names and structures changed. We also developed the habit of revolting against officials we perceived as corrupt. Their successors promised to clean up the mess they had left behind. So soon after the honeymoon period, however, we found ourselves complaining yet again about our present crop of leaders, accusing them of not making good on their promises and really just preserving the status quo. The same thing happened during last year’s elections, when we installed a maverick city mayor from down South perhaps out of exasperation with the soft-spoken, well-bred
HAPPY 40TH, VOLTES V
national leaders who lured us with promises of change. This leader, who won by a plurality but now still enjoys the support of nearly 80 percent of the people, according to polls, is now facing serious questions about his willingness to follow due process and respect the lives and rights even of the drugs suspects he abhors. And now once again we wonder whether we were wrong to have made judgments according to one’s hero-potential, for lack of a better term. That we shed any illusions that any one person can save this blighted nation of ours is long overdue. The truth is, people are complex as the issues are complex. Politicians, government bureaucrats, private sector workers and civil society representatives have both good and bad attributes. What we remember them for are their actions, their values, their decision-making processes. We would err grievously if we believe they are capable of making right decisions, in all aspects of their lives, all the time. With this we can prepare to answer: What are we prepared to put up with? We will perhaps continue to search for heroes—no, saviors. Perhaps it is embedded in our DNA. It would not, however, hurt to tweak our expectations a little, so that we go for realistic attributes, allow for human lapses, yet still move toward progress and yes, just a bit of salvation.
IT HAS been 40 years since the anime show Voltes V first aired in Japan, and when it burst on the TV cartoon scene in the Philippines with its catchy theme song, I was hooked. It was a simpler era, and we played with toys—none of them electronic—and with friends, spending much of our free time in the streets or common areas of our community in a quiet part of Manila. We knew most of our neighbors, and were in and out of each other’s houses. When we were indoors, we watched cartoons. Back then these were American productions, mostly by Hanna Barbera and Warner Bros., so that meant Bugs and Daffy, The Flintstones, and Scooby Doo, and superhero shows Super Friends, Spiderman, and The Hulk. Then one day in May 1978, my stepfather Joseph Sellner called me and my sister over for a chat. He worked for blocktimer Questor, a company that bought airtime on TV, filled it with their own content, and sold advertising spots. “Neni,” he said, “watch this new cartoon I brought in from Japan, and let me know how you like it.” We plonked down on the floor. “Sure, Uncle Joe,” I said. “What is it?” It was Voltes V. I was astounded by the visuals, the storyline, and above all, the music. Beside it, the American cartoons were reduced to pap. I somehow knew this was a turning point in animation. My stepdad had gone to Japan to scout for new content, saw the show, and loved it. So it was his taste in cartoons that launched an unforgettable and important time in Philippine broadcasting. The show, which was first aired in Japan in 1977, found a home on GMA Network. It was an instant hit. Nothing like it had ever been seen before on local TV. Its popularity spread among young children like a gasoline blaze. Come 6:00 p.m. each weekday, parents knew exactly where their kids were—safe at home in front of the TV. We memorized the opening and closing theme songs without knowing the meaning of the words, transcribing them by ear. We related to the characters, choosing one that we resonated to—boys usually chose Steve Armstrong, girls Jamie Robinson. Sellner says the concept of importing a foreign-language show was so new that there was no infrastructure to support it—no translators, no one to do subtitles, and so on. He says he thought of the English names himself (these were subsequently used in the US dubs). They hired local actors to do the voices, and their first translator was the Japanese wife of a friend. Not being a native English speaker, her scripts left much to be desired and Sellner had to doctor most of them. The formulaic nature of each episode, instead of boring us, was like ritual. The call comes to battle a beast fighter. Camp Big Falcon opens up and releases each of the Voltes units. Then comes the war cry: “Let’s volt in!” The characters all press a button at the same time—the switch that causes the units to assemble into the
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RADIOACTIVE SUSHI (PART I) LONG STORY SHORT ADELLE CHUA
FAKE news comes in many forms. It’s that article about a miracle cure that your uncle shared on his Facebook wall. It’s that email warning against eating sushi for supposed radioactive properties. It’s that headline that is in no way related to the actual news story
below it, or an announcement about a holiday that turns out to be from two years ago. It’s a poster that tells a Hindu family to watch over their daughters because some Muslim man on a motorcycle will try to charm her, whisk her away from
everyone she knows and then convert her to Islam. It’s a photo of soldiers who you think are fighting terrorists in Mindanao but who are actually Hondurans embroiled in their own troubles. From the national news agency, it’s a story about doz-
ens of nations expressing their belief that no extrajudicial killings are happening here when no such statements were made. Sometimes it’s your own justice secretary saying opposition figures went to Marawi a few days before the siege, Turn to B2
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SUNDAY, AUGUST 27, 2017 mst.daydesk@gmail.com
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lending political color to the crisis, even waving photos to support his claim. Because of the deluge of information at our fingertips, it is so easy to fall prey to disinformation. At best it sows confusion. But it can also sow hate that might move some people to discord, even violence. It can provide wrong basis for business decisions and lead to loss of assets. Not all of it is intentional. Some just share away indiscriminately, thinking they are doing others a favor. There are those, however, of more sinister persuasions. They know how powerful the Internet is, and spend time and resources to exploit people’s ignorance, or fear, or other vulnerabilities to achieve their end. *** If it’s any consolation to us Filipinos, fake news is a concern in many other countries, too. In fact, Temasek Foundation and the Institute of Policy Studies of Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore deemed it enough of a concern to organize a conference called “Reporting Facts and the Future of Journalism.” The forum, held August 17-19 at Orchard Hotel, Singapore, saw journalists from all over Asia—the Philippines, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Thailand, India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Vietnam, Bhutan, Laos, Malaysia—compare their experiences with fake news and talk about what they could do to prevent it from inflicting further damage to our free societies. “It undermines the premises of our profession,” according to Hong Kongbased journalism professor Cherian George, one of the speakers. Alan John, director of the Asia Journalism Fellowship, challenged the participants, “What is the point of journalism when people will believe anything, anyway?” Really, what can we do? George said it was not just about the Internet; disinformation has been around for a long time. Over the course of history, he said, humankind has fallen prey to at least four great hoaxes – that smoking is safe, that climate change is ok, that everything that goes wrong is the fault of the minority, and that the enemy will kill us. The existence of fake news is a market failure, George said. It requires intervention from multiple fronts. Media have a role especially in promoting literacy and critical thinking to pre-bunk fake news. (Take note: Pre-bunk, not debunk. Fake news, once it has been consumed by the public, already creates damage that is not completely erased even when retractions and clarifications are later on made.) Governments, too (assuming it is not leading the disinformation in the first place), have a role, and not just the enactment of laws as in the case of Germany. It can support or even initiate information campaigns or help establish independent press councils. Will fake news ever go away? It does not seem likely. It’s a trade-off, in this environment where everyone ideally has a voice. “We agree to tolerate a fair amount of risk and pollution in exchange for the freedoms we enjoy,” George said. We must then be able to live with disinformation while taking steps to prevent it from achieving its ends. Historian Farish Ahmad Noor from S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies agreed with George that fake news—distortion or selective framing—is not new territory. He talked about how printed or visual media from the 19th century all shaped narratives of overseas events depicting The Other negatively. Wars in Indonesia, Burma and the Philippines showed that The Other, for instance, was being belligerent when it was merely defending itself. What is bad in all this, said Eric Wishart, former editor-in-chief of Agence France Presse, is that fake news mimics legitimate news so that people cannot easily tell the difference. In a country like the Philippines, for instance, where the two telecommunication companies offer free Facebook with mobile subscription, Facebook sometimes IS the internet, and people tend to immediately believe what appears on their feed. Wahyu Muryadi, editor-in-chief of TEMPO Channel, said that even before “fake news” became a buzz word, Indonesia already had to deal with hoaxes. His compatriot, Septiaji Eko Nugroho, chairman of the Indonesian Anti-Hoax Movement, said people routinely fall for them because of illiteracy, polarized politics and even media participation. “It’s a complex country,” he says, with five religions, 746 languages, 1,340 ethnic groups and more than 17,000 islands. (Continued next week) adellechua@gmail.com
WHY SAMSUNG’S LEE MUST DO HIS TIME By Michael Schuman HISTORY was made in a Seoul court on Friday when Jay Y. Lee, scion of the family that founded the giant Samsung conglomerate, was convicted on bribery and embezzlement charges and sentenced to five years in prison. In theory, the verdict should send a stark signal to the country’s politicians and business leaders that the corrupt shenanigans that have so plagued this otherwise outstanding economy must end. But that message will hit home only if one critical thing happens: Lee does his time, all of it. Many conservative Koreans will argue that Lee is being made a scapegoat. After all, the Samsung executive found himself caught up in a scandal involving no less a figure than former President Park Geun-hye, who was impeached over her alleged role in the corruption scheme. The managers of South Korea’s big business groups, called chaebol, can ill afford to stand on principle when presidential favor is at stake. That’s beside the point, however. Too many excuses for bad business behavior have been made in the past, with the result that Korean corporate titans found guilty of assorted crimes— including Lee’s illustrious father—have routinely been let off the hook. Invariably, they’ve received suspended sentences or presidential pardons, and have slipped back into their corner offices as if nothing ever happened. The signal has been all too clear: Executives can get into trouble for bribing politicians or stealing funds, but not that much. Such misguided leniency
has encouraged scandal after scandal. With Lee’s conviction, Korea has an opportunity to break this embarrassing cycle. The Samsung scion will certainly appeal his sentence, one of the harshest ever handed down to a top chaebol executive. Only by locking Lee up, though, and keeping him there for his full sentence, will the government and courts send a convincing message that corporate malfeasance will no longer be tolerated. This is particularly important right now, for two reasons. Newly-installed president Moon Jaein campaigned as a crusader for reforming the chaebol. But his political party doesn’t control the national legislature, where any bold proposals will likely face stiff opposition from conservatives. Moon’s choice to head the country’s Fair Trade Commission, known as a strident chaebol critic, has already started managing expectations, stating that the new administration doesn’t intend to break up the chaebol system and praising the conglomerates for starting to unwind some of the complicated cross-shareholdings through which families have traditionally maintained control over their companies. Much more needs to be done to clean up those shareholding structures, strengthen corporate governance and break the stranglehold that the chaebol maintain over certain sectors. But until Moon has the political capital to push through more extensive reforms, the best weapon he has is the threat to carry through the laws already on the books. Only if rich and powerful chaebol chiefs believe they’ll pay a price for corporate
skulduggery will they begin to clean up their acts. Equally important, ordinary Koreans need to see someone like Lee serving time. For too long, they’ve been told that these chaebol familymanagers are critical to the nation’s continued economic prosperity. Even Park, who came into office similarly promising to revamp the chaebol system, eventually succumbed to this specious argument and pardoned at least one prominent tycoon. Yet one glance at the recent performance of Samsung Electronics Co. proves the company will be just fine—perhaps even better off—without Lee. Since Lee’s arrest in mid-February, the company’s stock price has surged 24 percent. Last quarter, Samsung Electronics impressively posted record profits. The stellar performance provides evidence that in modern South Korea, the talented and experienced professional executives at its biggest corporations no longer require family patriarchs at the helm to achieve growth and profits. In order to make this all stick, even jailing Lee may not be enough. Whenever he emerges from his cell, Samsung’s shareholders and managers shouldn’t welcome him back into the corporate fold. That would strengthen the message that criminal behavior will no longer be tolerated in Korea’s business community. For his part, Moon can break with his predecessors and avoid any pressure between now and then to pardon Lee. The Samsung scion may be a sacrificial lamb, but it’s a sacrifice that must be made. Bloomberg
HOW TO DEAL WITH A $759-MILLION LOTTERY JACKPOT By Barry Ritholtz ON WEDNESDAY night, Chicopee, Massachusetts resident Mavis Wanczyk won the $759-million Powerball jackpot. Her first act was to call into work to say she wouldn’t be coming in the next day. Or ever again. Before she starts celebrating beating those 292.2 million-to-1 odds, there are a few things Wanczyk needs to consider about her good fortune. If she learns these lessons quickly, then she and her heirs will be much happier and more satisfied with their lives. • Lottery winnings are not what they seem: Let’s start with that $759 million prize. Wanczyk, like most lottery winners, decided to take a lump sum rather than equal annual payments for 30 years. Her lump sum comes out to about $480 million, or $336 million after taxes. That’s still a huge amount of money. Often, taking annual payments is safer. There’s no guarantee that you will invest the lump sum wisely and the annual payments reduce the likelihood that you’ll squander the money as so many lottery winners have in the past.
HAPPY...
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giant robot Voltes V. The theme song starts up, everyone watching starts singing along. (Years later, wags joked that the button turned on the CD player). The battle ensues. We knew the beast fighter was going to get what was coming to it when this weapon was (voice) activated: “Laserrr…. sword!” Then Voltes slices a huge V into the enemy robot. The V flashes bright, the robot explodes. Everyone heaves a sigh of contentment. With the success of the show, Sellner brought in four more anime shows— Mekanda, Daimos, Mazinger Z, and Grendaizer. That’s the order in which they were aired on GMA, from Monday to Thursday, and Voltes on Friday. I was tasked to log the commercials as they aired, so I was required to watch every episode. That was the first “job” I ever had, and I loved every minute of it. Then the dictator Marcos banned “robot shows” from the air. Sellner says he learned about it from the newspapers, along with everyone else. He went on to bring in, as substitutes, the cartoons Candy Candy and Paul in Fantasyland, and the TV show Knight Rider. But Voltes V and the other Questor robot shows, despite their brief stints on air, captured the imagination of the children of my generation. When we hear the theme song, even today, we can still sing along. In our hearts we are still Steve, Mark, Big Bert, Little Jon, and Jamie, fighting the enemy and saving the world. Happy 40th anniversary, Voltes V! Dr. Ortuoste is a California-based writer. Follow her on Facebook: Jenny Ortuoste, Twitter: @jennyortuoste, Instagram: @jensdecember, @ artuoste
• Be wary of strangers, acquaintances and distant relatives: Lots of people come out of the woodwork after something like this is publicized; avoid all of the long-lost high school friends and distant relatives who seem to have suddenly recalled how close the two of you are. If you make any promises to these folks, you could find yourself spending time and money defending yourself in court against the ones who turn out to be parasites. Get an unlisted phone number, move into a hotel two towns over for a few weeks where no one can find you, and sort things out. • Get some help: Inexperience is dangerous; most lottery winners, like many highly paid athletes, have little background managing big sums of money. It’s a daunting responsibility that can overwhelm one’s better judgment. Find some trustworthy people, including a good lawyer, accountant and financial adviser. Ask the smartest wealthy people you know who they use for each. Speak to at least three people from each profession, or more, until you find someone you trust and are comfortable with. Oh, and never give power of attorney to anyone, ever.
• Just say “No”: Learn to say “I have a person who handles that.” This isn’t “Shark Tank”; you are not an angel investor or venture capitalist. Instead of wasting time and money on every wacky investment idea your second cousin has, you can have someone else send a polite letter on official stationery explaining why “we have to pass on this as it does not meet our long-term financial goals, but thank you for thinking of us.” • Create a budget: Develop a longterm budget establishing what you are going to buy in the short term (real estate, cars, boats and other toys) and what you are going to live on. It doesn’t have to be etched in stone, but it shouldn’t be too easy to ignore. • Think long term: At the very least, you will need to think about taxes and estate planning. That’s why you built that team of professionals. You also need to think about your personal security and safety. There are some nuts out there. • Money is a tool; what do you want to accomplish with it? This may be the hardest thing about sudden wealth. Do you have a favorite charity or cause you support? Are there children or other relatives
you want to help? You may end up establishing a charitable foundation so that any wealth transfers are done in the most cost- and tax-efficient way. • Invest intelligently: You want a simple and inexpensive plan to help you achieve your goals. The right portfolio mix should reflect those objectives. In a high-tax state like Massachusetts, a municipalbond portfolio will generate income that’s exempt from federal and state taxes. Based on a return of 2 percent to 3 percent, that could still cover a very lavish lifestyle. The traditional 60 percent stocks and 40 percent bonds should yield an annual return of 5 percent to 6 percent on average. If you are putting money away for future generations or some philanthropic endeavor, then a more aggressive mix of 70-30 or even 80-20 will generate higher returns, but with greater risk and more volatility. • Learn from lottery history: A windfall seems like it should be bring happiness, but too often more money can mean more problems. The record of sad life outcomes for lottery winners is long and dreary. Bloomberg
MAIL MATTER
ROMERO’S CLAIMS ‘LEGALLY UNJUSTIFIED’—OGCC (OGCC’s reaction to Atty. Rodolfo V. Romero’s Busi- be considered outstanding. As a lawyer, Atty. Romero is bound to obey the laws ness Class column published on August 15 “OGCC and promote respect for law and legal processes (Canwas unnecessary from the start.”) non 1, Code of Professional Responsibility), including JUST recently, the OGCC won a case before the Su- the Supreme Court’s decision and resolution denying preme Court (G.R. 227936), for client National Agri- his money claim. He should have accepted the fact Business Corp. (Nabcor) and its former President, Ho- that his claim is legally unjustified as the courts susnesto F. Baniqued, against lawyer Rodolfo V. Romero’s tained. While for Atty. Romero OGCC’s victory in his unjustified claim. Both trial and appellate proceedings very own case does not qualify as “outstanding GOCCin various courts consistently upheld OGCC’s legal po- case victory,” for OGCC every victory scored is valuable as every case is given equal importance and the desition that Atty. Romero’s claim is simply unfounded. In such case, a financially troubled Nabcor engaged served attention. After all, OGCC ultimately serves the Atty. Romero to secure PDIC’s approval in condoning Filipino People’s interests. A word of advice from an anonymous internet all penalties and reducing by half the interests of Nabcor’s P1.708 billion debt in exchange for a 0.49 percent source: sometimes it is easier to smile even when you’re hurting inside, than to explain the whole world commission of P2.094 billion. As it turns out, PDIC did not only enforce all penal- why you’re sad. Finally, Atty. Romero’s factual misinformation should ties, it also disallowed interest reduction. His failure notwithstanding, Nabcor still paid him P5.3 million. be corrected: OGCC was founded not in the 1970s but For ethical considerations, he should have returned on December 1, 1935, and its humble beginning did that fee because he failed to convert his promise. Iron- not stymie the likes of Senator and Supreme Court Asically, he filed a complaint against Nabcor to claim the sociate Justice Ramon Diokno as its first head, Senators Ambrosio Padilla and Juan R. Liwag, Chief Justice balance of the 49 percent commission. After the Supreme Court denied his claim with finali- Querube Makalintal and other seasoned lawyers from ty, he now trains his guns to OGCC, discrediting it in his serving this small office with distinction. Just like them, Business Class column by claiming that it was unnec- OGCC’s complement, past and present, have dedicatessary from the start. He asserts that taking govern- ed their lives in the service of the Filipino people. ment corporate legal work from the OSG and giving Very truly yours, it instead to OGCC produced a negative outcome. To him, such division of government legal work between two offices is anomalous with undesirable results. To RUDOLF PHILIP B. JURADO stress his point, he casts aspersion on OGCC for allegGovernment Corporate Counsel edly not having scored a GOCC-case victory that can
World
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SUNDAY, AUGUST 27, 2017 mst.daydesk@gmail.com
IRANIANS HIT APPLE FOR APPS REMOVAL TEHRAN, Iran—Iranians have been joined by a minister in protest after tech giant Apple removed popular apps from its store, which the American company says has been done to comply with US sanctions. “Today, respecting consumers’ rights is a basic principle which Apple has not followed,” Information and Communication Technology Minister Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi tweeted, promising to “legally pursue” the case. “IT should be used for making human life better and comfortable not a tool for discrimination between countries,” he wrote. The hashtag #StopRemovingIranianApps has been trending on Iranian social media in the past few days, after Apple removed at least 10 of the country’s most popular apps from its online store. Those now missing include Amazonstyle shopping apps Digikala and Bamilo, ride-hailing apps Snapp and Tap30, discount store Takhfifan and a brunch delivery service called Delion. “We are unable to include your app on the App Store,” a message sent to some of those companies reportedly said. “Under the US sanctions regulations, the App Store cannot host, distribute, or do business with apps or developers connected to certain US embargoed countries.” AFP
BOY DIES AFTER SWIMMING IN POLLUTED SEA GAZA CITY, Palestinian Territories—The death of a little boy after swimming in polluted seawater has put the spotlight on Gaza’s pollution crisis and the human impact of desperate electricity shortages in the Palestinian enclave. Mohammed al-Sayis, five, died late last month a few days after swimming in the sewage-polluted waters, with his brothers also hospitalized, his family and health ministry said. Dozens of others have been treated after swimming along the strip’s filthy Mediterranean coastline in the past two months, a ministry spokesman in Gaza said. Pollution in Gaza is not a new phenomena -- a decade of a crippling Israeli blockade, coupled with three devastating wars with the Jewish state since 2008, have left infrastructure falling apart. But the worsening spat between the two leading Palestinian political blocs has exacerbated an already grim situation for the two million residents of the impoverished and densely-populated Gaza Strip. The Palestinian Authority in the West Bank has sought to squeeze the Islamist group Hamas which controls Gaza. In April, it reduced the amount of electricity they buy from Israel for Gaza, where the enclave’s sole power plant is barely operational. AFP
VENEZUELA WARNS TRUMP WITH WAR GAMES CARACAS, Venezuela—Venezuela kicks off two days of military drills on Saturday in response to US President Donald Trump’s threat of military action and newly announced sanctions on the crisis-stricken nation. Trump warned on August 11 that the United States was mulling a range of options against Venezuela, “including a possible military option if necessary.” His Vice President Mike Pence later played down the threat, insisting that Washington was prioritizing a diplomatic solution and economic sanctions. National security advisor HR McMaster followed suit, saying “no military actions are anticipated in the near future.” But tension only surged again when the White House made good on the sanctions threat on Friday, unveiling its first-ever sanctions to target Venezuela as a whole, rather than just Maduro and his inner circle. The measures ban trade in new bonds issued by the Venezuelan government or its cash-cow oil company, PDVSA. That could choke off access to New York debt markets and substantially raise the likelihood of Venezuela being forced into default. Venezuela called the measures the “worst aggression” yet. “We will protect our people and the people of the republic, the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, are going to stand up,” said Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza. AFP
EVENING PRAYERS. Muslim worshippers perform the evening (Isha) prayers at the Kaaba, Islam’s holiest shrine, at the Grand Mosque in Saudi Arabia’s holy city of Mecca on Friday, a week prior to the start of the annual Hajj pilgrimage in the holy city. AFP
YINGLUCK IN DUBAI, AIMS FOR UK ASYLUM B
ANGKOK—Fugitive former Thai premier Yingluck Shinawatra is in Dubai and may try to seek asylum in the United Kingdom, a junta source told AFP Saturday, after fleeing the country to avoid a court ruling in a vanishing act that stunned many Thais. Yingluck, 50, was due on Friday morning to arrive at the Supreme Court for the ruling in her trial for criminal negligence that could have seen her jailed for 10 years. But she did not show up, wrongfooting the court and her supporters alike as she wrote a dramatic closing chapter to the 16-year political saga of her mega-rich Shinawatra family. Speculation swirled on Saturday on the whereabouts of Thailand’s first female prime minister -- and her possible escape route. The junta source, who is wellplaced in the security hierarchy, gave a detailed description of her escape, saying she took a private jet from Thailand to Singapore and
onto Dubai, the base of Shinawatra family patriarch Thaksin, who is Yingluck’s older brother. “Thaksin has long prepared escape plan for his sister... he would not allow his sister to spend even a single day in prison,” the source added, requesting anonymity. “But Dubai is not Yingluck’s final destination,” the source said, adding she may be aiming “to claim asylum in Britain.” Thaksin, who once owned Manchester City football club, owns property in London and spends significant amounts of time in the city. The Shinawatra’s political network remained tight-lipped on Saturday in a media blackout that only served to heighten specula-
tion over her dash from Thailand and the likelihood of a possible deal with the junta to allow her to leave. A senior source inside the family’s Pheu Thai party, also requesting anonymity, on Saturday told AFP Yingluck had fled the country for Dubai a few days before the ruling. The Shinawatra political dynasty emerged in 2001 with a series of groundbreaking pro-poor welfare schemes that won them elections but rattled Thailand’s royalist, armyaligned elite, who battered successive governments linked to the clan with coups, court cases and protests. Yingluck’s government was toppled by a coup in 2014 and she was put on trial over negligence linked to a costly rice subsidy that propped up her rural political base. Thaksin, Yingluck’s elder brother, has been based partly in Dubai since he fled Thailand in 2008 to avoid jail for a corruption conviction. He was toppled from power by a 2006 coup. Thai newspapers reported that Yingluck fled through a land border to Cambodia, flew to Singapore and
on to Dubai, perhaps two days before her court date. It was a disappearing act that appeared to surprise even her family -- an elder brother and sister waited at the court for her arrival alongside thousands of supporters. Shinawatra loyalists expressed sympathy with her shock move, saying the ruling would have been predetermined as her case was politically motivated. “If she has fled abroad it is because this set of judges are appointed by the military and do not come from a democratic system,” Surachet Chaikosol, 59, a ‘Red Shirt’ activist told AFP. “I am glad she will not suffer in jail.” Thai junta chief Prayut Chan-OCha on Friday denied knowledge of Yingluck’s whereabouts and expressed surprise at her no-show “as she always insisted that she would fight the case”. Analysts say Yingluck, who was closely monitored by Thai security services, most likely cut a deal to exit the country. AFP
CLASHES OVER INDIAN ‘RAPE GURU’ KILL 30 PANCHKULA, India—Hundreds of troops Saturday patrolled a northern Indian city hit by deadly clashes that killed at least 30 people after thousands protested a court’s decision to convict a controversial spiritual leader of rape. The army was deployed in Haryana state’s Panchkula city after tens of thousands of followers of guru Ram Rahim Singh went on an angry rampage, attacking television vans and setting fire to dozens of private vehicles. Security forces were put on high alert to ensure there was no repeat of the violence that erupted Friday afternoon, minutes after a special court pronounced the self-styled guru guilty of raping two of his followers. Mobile phone services were disrupted in some parts of Haryana and neighboring Punjab state, where authorities had earlier imposed a curfew following the clashes. Although the curfew was lifted in Panchkula Saturday, restrictions on public assembly remained in place. Haryana police chief B.S. Sandhu told AFP Saturday at least 30 people had died with the toll likely to rise as some of the wounded were being treated for serious head injuries. “The toll within the state is at least 30 dead and around 200 injured
including about 50 police and security personnel,” said Sandhu. “Some of the injured didn’t come to the hospitals fearing that they could face police action or arrests for involvement in the violence,” he said. Official sources told AFP earlier that at least 32 people had died, with most of the fatalities caused by gun shots.
The 50-year-old Singh is known as the “guru in bling” for his penchant for bejewelled costumes and claims to have more than 50 million loyal followers worldwide. The rape case was brought against him after an anonymous letter was sent to then prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 2002 accusing him of re-
Indian police stand guard on a road in Amritsar on Saturday. Security in Haryana and Punjab has been beefed up after followers of controversial guru Ram Rahim Singh went on a rampage Friday after their spiritual leader was convicted of rape. At least 32 people were killed when clashes broke out in northern India. AFP
peatedly raping the sender and several other women in the sect. A judge asked the Central Bureau of Investigations to look into the accusations, but it took years to trace the alleged victims and it was not until 2007 that two women came forward and filed charges. Some 200,000 members of Singh’s sect had gathered in Panchkula in a show of support a day before the verdict, which enraged his followers, with many saying they were in a state of shock. “I have been with dear Ram Rahim Singh for around 14 years. I can bet that all the allegations against our guru are false,” said Rajkumar, a shopkeeper from Haryana who was undergoing treatment at the hospital. “He can’t do any wrong... He works to rid the world of all its troubles,” he told AFP, his head heavily bandaged. Ajay Garg, a doctor in Panchkula, blamed the police for allowing the situation to spiral out of control. “Our family was very scared. We went to the third floor of our house. They (mobs) were out of control and even damaged my car which was parked outside,” he told AFP. Singh’s Dera Sacha Sauda sect, whose headquarters are located in nearby Sirsa town, said it would appeal the verdict. AFP
B4
SUNDAY, AUGUST 27, 2017 Cesar Barrioquinto, Editor / Jimbo Gulle, Issue Editor
World
mst.daydesk@gmail.com
DEFIANT BARCELONA TO MARCH VS. TERROR
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ARCELONA, Spain—Tens of thousands of Spaniards and foreigners are to stage a defiant march against terror through Barcelona on Saturday following last week’s deadly vehicle rampages. The Mediterranean city is in mourning after a van ploughed into crowds on Las Ramblas boulevard on August 17, followed hours later by a car attack in the seaside town of Cambrils. Fifteen were killed in the carnage and Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has called on Spaniards to turn out in force to show their “love” and solidarity with Catalonia where the rampages took place. King Felipe VI will also attend the march, becoming the first Spanish sovereign to take part in a demonstration since the monarchy was re-established in 1975 after the death of dictator Francisco Franco. Europe has been shaken by a spate of deadly Islamist violence
with an increasing number of low-tech attacks using vehicles as weapons or knives. On Friday evening, a man was shot dead in central Brussels after stabbing a soldier while shouting “Allahu akbar” (God is greatest) and shortly afterwards another man with a large knife attacked police in London as they tried to arrest him outside Buckingham Palace. The Spanish premier said Friday the king would be attending the march to demonstrate “his love for the people of Barcelona, of Cambrils, of Catalonia”. “There, with all of Catalan society and all of Spain... we will once again give a clear message of unity
and condemnation of terrorism, and of love for the city of Barcelona,” he added. The warm comments contrast with Rajoy’s earlier criticism of Catalan leaders, with whom he has been at loggerheads over their plans to hold an independence referendum on October 1. But in the aftermath of the attacks which were claimed by the Islamic State group, he and Catalonia’s separatist president Carles Puigdemont made a show of unity and both will attend the march which begins at 6:00 pm (1600 GMT). Already on Friday evening, thousands of people marched against terror in Cambrils, shouting “no tinc por”, which means “not afraid” in Catalan -- as defiantly shouted by locals last week after the attacks. The slogan of the Barcelona demonstration will also be “no tinc por.” Those who tended to the victims last week will be given pride of place at the top of the procession. These include security forces,
emergency workers, residents and shop owners in the Las Ramblas avenue and taxis who took people for free. People like Montse Rovira, the city hall’s head of social emergencies who helped people who were lost or who couldn’t find their loved ones. Over the following days, she and her colleagues gave families psychological support when they were given terrible news, and also helped others like doctors and firefighters. “There are a lot of people who are suffering,” she said, adding that even psychologists themselves had struggled. For her, the march will help “recognise the work of people who have been on the front line.” Saray Gomez, an 18-year-old who works at a flower stall right next to where the van ended its murderous rampage, said it was important “to give a message of unity and peace.” AFP
TRUMP BANS TRANSGENDER US TROOPS WASHINGTON—President Donald Trump on Friday signed a memo effectively barring transgender people from joining the US military, but left the fate of those already serving up to the Pentagon. In a widely anticipated move, Trump directed the military “to return to the longstanding policy and practice on military service by transgender individuals prior to June 2016” -- to go into effect from March 23, 2018. That means an effective ban on new openly transgender personnel and on payment for treatment for those already in the armed forces, aides said. The memorandum calls on Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and homeland security chiefs to submit an implementation plan by mid-February, and granted Mattis broad discretion what to do about currently serving transgender personnel. Trump did leave open the possibility that Mattis, in conjunction with the homeland security chief, could advise “at any time, in writing, that a change to this policy is warranted.” AFP
DONALD PARDONS CONTROVERSIAL EX-SHERIFF ARPAIO WASHINGTON—US President Donald Trump on Friday pardoned controversial former Arizona sheriff Joe Arpaio, who was convicted last month of criminal contempt for illegally targeting Hispanic immigrants. In his first act of presidential clemency, Trump pardoned the deeply-divisive 85-year-old who ignored a federal court order that he stop detaining illegal migrants. “He kept Arizona safe!” Trump tweeted, calling Arpaio a “patriot.” The move earned immediate scorn from Democrats, some Republicans and rights groups, who accused the Republican billionaire of seeking to divide the country -- which is still reeling from Trump’s controversial remarks on racial unrest in Charlottesville. In a statement, the White House said Arpaio -- who made detainees wear pink underwear and housed them in tented desert camps -- had “more than fifty years of admirable service to our nation.” AFP
HATO’S WRATH. A man on a bridge smokes next to a damaged car in the aftermath of Typhoon Hato in Macau on Saturday. The Chinese army on Friday joined relief efforts in Macau, where at least 10 people died after the huge typhoon ripped through the gambling hub. Troops were drafted in to clear piles of debris still blocking streets. AFP
‘DIANA-MANIA’ SPREADS FROM UK ON 20TH YEAR
LIGHT AND SHADE. Kacy Hill performs onstage during MTV Presents ‘VMA Weekend’ at Avalon on Friday in Hollywood, California. AFP
PARIS, France—The 20th anniversary of Princess Diana’s death has filled magazines, newspapers and television screens in Britain for weeks, but not only there: across Europe, media groups are marking the occasion, underlining her international appeal. Britain’s celebrity press have offered special editions, supplements and reams of news articles picking over the impact of her tragic life and death as well as her relationships with her sons and Prince Charles. The popularity of Charles, the heir to the British throne, has plunged as a result of the renewed attention on his former wife and their apparently loveless marriage. In Europe, many media groups have commissioned documentaries, special reports or their own investigations two decades after her death in a Paris car crash on August 31, 1997. In Austria, public broadcaster ORF will screen several documentaries about the princess this week, including one entitled “Diana -- Forever and Ever”, a retrospective of her life inside Buckingham Palace. “It shows a life inside a golden cage, imprisoned by traditions, and Diana’s repeated attempts to break out of this
golden cage,” ORF’s royal expert Lisbeth Bischoff said in a statement to AFP. On August 31, the anniversary of her death, Radio Vienna will dedicate its entire programming to the princess, led by Austrian journalist and Diana fan Ewald Wurzinger who raised a monument to her in a Vienna park in 2013. In France, the public channel France 2 will offer a day of programming about her on Sunday which is to include several documentaries and an investigation. “Twenty years after, it’s time to look again at what she brought to the monarchy in spirit and who she was really,” said one of the channel’s royal experts, Stephane Bern. He said her enduring appeal was her “tragic destiny” which put her among stars whose early deaths have immortalized them, such as American actresses Grace Kelly or Marilyn Monroe. Matthias Gurtler, director of the celebrity weekly Gala, said the magazine had published a special edition on Diana in response to French interest in the British princess. The attraction for her was linked to her image as a rebel and someone who “broke the rules in a stiff and uptight world,” he said. AFP
KNIFE ATTACKS IN BRUSSELS, LONDON STOPPED BRUSSELS, Belgium—A man wielding a knife was shot dead Friday after wounding a soldier in Brussels in a suspected “terrorist attack” while in London counter-terror detectives were investigating a similar attack on police near Buckingham Palace. Belgian prosecutors said the attacker yelled “Allahu akbar” (God is greatest) during the assault before being shot by soldiers in the centre of city which has been on high alert since last year’s carnage at the airport and on the metro. “We believe it is a terrorist attack,” said a spokeswoman for the prosecutors’ office. The attack took place around 8:00 pm (1800 GMT) and Belgian media said the assailant was about 30 and of Somali origin. Less than two hours later, two British police officers were slightly injured while arresting a man with a large knife outside Buckingham Palace in London. The 26-year-old attacker, who was initially detained on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm and assaulting police, was later arrested under the Terrorism Act 2000. AFP
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SUNDAY, AUGUST 27, 2017
Business
Ray S. Eñano, Editor / Roderick dela Cruz, Issue Editor business@manilastandard.net
CEO WANTS BIDET TO SUPPLANT ‘TABO’
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HE youngest country head of a Japanese conglomerate, who started his marketing career by selling beer at bars and restaurants in Manila, is now on a mission to change Filipinos’ bathroom culture, from the ‘tabo’ or dipper system to an automated hygienic technology complete with bidet.
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Lixil Water has a wide range of products— from toilet, bidet, shower, bathroom, bath tub, urinal, lavatory and wash basin to kitchen sink, kitchen accessories and kitchen faucets to ceramic tiles. Alban says Lixil Water will soon launch the Inax brand in the Philippines. Inax is the leading Japanese manufacturer of bidet seats with automated functions. He says Okada Manila, a casino resort put up by a Japanese billionaire, placed an order for 2,500 Inax sets, for the use of its guests. Alban, who became the country manager of Grohe at the age of 36 before the German company was acquired by Lixil in 2014, believes that the local market is now ready for these mid to high-end bathroom solutions. He says the expanding middle-class and the construction boom allowed Lixil Water Technology to book more than 30-percent growth in revenue in the fiscal year ending March 2017. Condominium buildings developed by leading property developers are usually fitted with bathroom products of
BATHROOM CEO. Lixil Water Technology country manager for the Philippines Alen Alban
Lixil, according to Alban. “We are looking for the right timing to introduce more products,” says Alban, who also worked for American Standard before transferring to Grohe. Alban says being the current owner of these two brands, Lixil Water Technology now has a 56-year history in the Philippines. Alban, the youngest among the country heads of Lixil in Asia, attends quarterly meetings overseas to plot the growth path of the company. He says while the Philippines is not the largest market in the region, Lixil is looking at it for growth. Alban, a bachelor who goes to work from his home in Bacoor, Cavite on a daily basis, leads a team of 70 professionals in Lixil Water Technology. He was a Dean’s Lister as a student at De La Salle University where he completed a marketing degree in 1997. He also attended the Ateneo Graduate School of Business. He was active in extra-curricular activities, being an officer and member of Junior Entrepreneurs’ Marketing Association and Junior Philippine Institute of Accountants. Alban considers his ‘people skills’ as a major advantage. He recalls that after graduating
from college, he worked as a senior account executive for a marketing company and handled events. “One time, one of the promo girls we hired for a beer company did not show up. Pressed for time, I had to do the job myself,” he says. “You have to go through a lot, even negative experiences, to learn. It is really hard work that will help you succeed in whatever you are doing,” says Alban. He joined Splash Corp. in November 2000 and managed the Maxi-Peel brand which eventually became a leader in the exfoliant category. He pioneered the trade marketing department of Splash and later became the company’s customer development manager, before he joined American Standard Philippines Ltd. Co. in August 2006. Alban helped revive the new American Standard branding in the Philippines and created successful product portfolio. He was the head of project sales department of the company and was next in line for country leadership position, when he opted to join Grohe Philippines in March 2011. He helped grow Grohe’s business in the Philippines by more than 600 percent in four Turn to C2
AURORA PROVINCE PROMOTED AS ‘CITY OF CHARM’ AURORA province will take center stage as the Philippines’“City of Charm” in the 14th China-Asean Expo in Nanning, Guangxi, China on Sept. 15 to 17. As a part of the Philippine delegation led by the Department of Trade and Industry-Center for International Trade and Expositions and Missions, the local government of Aurora will highlight the province’s wonderful sights, fascinating culture and promising investment opportunities in the ‘City of Charm’ pavilion. In the booth, the Aurora provincial government is also set to feature the
UST GRAD TURNS THESIS INTO DINER IN MANILA By Othel V. Campos
“Our expectation is to really grow and change the bathroom habits of the market— to shift to electronic toilets,” Alen Alban, the 40-year-old country manager of Lixil Water Technology, says in an interview in Makati City. Lixil Corp. is a leading Japanese conglomerate that provides housing and building materials, with unit Lixil Water Technology considered as the world’s leading bathroom company that owns the brands American Standard, Grohe, Inax, Jaxson and Ecocarat.
Lixil Water Technology country manager for the Philippines Alen Alban (second from right), along with other company executives showcase their latest bath tub technology.
Chiquitos owner Celine Tabia wins the Next Gen Entrepreneur Award.
A tourist rides the waves in Baler, Aurora the birthplace of surfing in the Philippines.
amazing sight and economic potential of each of its eight municipalities, namely: Baler, Casiguran, Dilasag, Dinalungan, Dingalan, Dipaculao, Maria
Aurora and San Luis. Caexpo is the second biggest trade event in China, with a total exhibition space of about 80,000 square meters and 4,600 exhibition booths with around 57,000 participants. It is the only international trade fair in the region dedicated to promoting the building of China-Asean Free Trade Area and celebrating regional economic and trade cooperation. “Aurora will be given a chance to promote its premier agriculture sector and tourist destination in the Chinese and Southeast
Asian market. This will lead to more employment and livelihood opportunities to its locals through the entry of foreign and domestic capital that will boost our incomegenerating industries,” said Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions executive director Clayton Tugonon. “Harnessing the economic competitiveness of Aurora province will enable its local to diversify its products and improve the services that it can offer to the local and international markets,” Tugonon said.
WHILE most students are doing thesis to comply with the requirements for a college degree, this young entrepreneur turned hers into a business. Celine Tabia says her thesis has become a diner called Chiquitos, which caters to students passing along Laong Laan and Tolentino Streets near University of Sto. Tomas in Manila. “Chiquitos was still a thesis in 2009. I started out the business in 2010 while finishing school at UST. My mom and dad helped me pull it through. Mom used to take orders while Dad washed the dishes and kitchen stuff. Our household help did the cooking. We used to operate a 10-seat capacity in our first branch in Asturias. It ran for two years,” she says. Tabia says she did a thesis in compliance with her BS Commerce Degree, Major in Entrepreneurship. Chiquitos was named after her late grandfather who was fondly called Quito and her pet Chi. The diner’s main offerings are chicken chops—small deep-fried cuts of chicken breast topped with choice sauce from a select list of proprietary sauces, all crafted by Tabia herself. She says meal choices come and go but the main attractions continue to be the chicken chops, hand-pulled beef and a select roster of student meal paired with drinks starting at an affordable P70 per meal. After Chiquitos’ first branch was closed because of the renovation works on the building that used to house the diner, Tabia used her earnings to bring back Chiquitos at a better spot along Tolentino Street, now bigger with a 50-seat capacity. With her boyfriend as a business partner, they also set out to open another branch of Chiquitos at a busy nook along Laong Laan Street. “We did this so as to cater to the student crowd frequenting the area. But as I see it, the sales were sort of divided on both branches. Nevertheless, both branches are doing well especially during the school season,” she says. The Tolentino branch can rake in as much as P25,000 in sales on a good day, she discloses. A middle child, the second from a brood of four, Tabia has never felt the so called“middle-child syndrome”because of the love and attention her parents lavishly give her and her siblings. With support from her parents, she still does most of the meal preparations at home like meat marination and sauce making. Her entrepreneurial skills first manifested when she was still a high school student at St. Scholastica’s College where she used to peddle small cute notebooks to schoolmates. “I bought those cute notebooks from National Bookstore at P2 each and sold them for P10 apiece to my classmates. Back then I thought that was a good price since the notebooks were really pretty,” she says. In college, she dabbled in selling ladies apparel and opened a online store she fondly calls AntiFashion, where she sells her own creations. Collaborating with a dressmaker in Taytay, Tabia came up with a unique line of ladies’ wearables. The shop now is an amalgamation of apparel imports from Bangok and personal designs of Tabia. “For me, Chiquitos is a work I love but AntiFashion is the play part that I like,” she says. Tabia won first prize for the Next Gen Entrepreneur Award during the 27th Franchising Expo in July 2017.
Business
C2
SUNDAY, AUGUST 27, 2017 business@manilastandard.net
CEO WANTS...
From C1
years, as Grohe became the leading premium bathroom brand in the country. He was appointed country manager of the German company in 2013, a position that he would retain when Lixil acquired Grohe the following year. Lixil posted more than 30 percent growth in sales of American Standard and Grohe in the fiscal year ending March 2017, and the double-digit growth continued in the first quarter of current fiscal year. He received an award from Lixil for his commitment to achieve growth targets above the average industry performance. “We just have to be more aggressive and surpass the market growth of 12 percent. The market is growing, because there is a lot of construction activities. We also would like to get a share from competitors. We are in mid to high-end segments. More people can now afford to buy condos,” he says. About 60 percent of Lixil’s sales are retail (households), while the balance of 40 percent represent corporate transactions. Alban says the biggest clients are property developers, hotels and office buildings. “We are seeing a lot of developments, not only in Metro Manila, but also in Cebu, Iloilo and other cities,” he says. As country manager, Alban meets and deals with a lot of people, from company presidents to plumbers. “You have to be very flexible to do this job,” he says. Alban says he can only succeed as country manager if he has the full support of his employees. “We try to build the capability of our employees through trainings. When I leave, I want the company to be sustainable and not depending on one person for the success of the company. Building the capability of our people is one thing I am focusing on. If you build that, the business side will follow,” he says. He considers his leadership style as democratic. “I cannot do it alone. I give them [employees] leeway to make mistakes. I calculate if the mistake is not detrimental to the business, or if he or she can learn from that mistake,” he says. “Building people and staying focused are important in leading a company. People have different personalities, but if you do the right things, they will realize that even if you have different personalities, it is the goal that will unite you,” says Alban. It is also important to be dedicated and organized to keep the organization running, he says. “If you set a certain goal, stay positive that you will achieve that. It is really the determination that achieves the goal. You do everything you can to achieve it. It starts with planning. Then, there are the organization skills, and getting the right people to work with you,” he says. Alban says the goal right now is to change the bathroom habits of Filipinos. “We are competing with tabo,” he says, referring to dipper, which is popular in Filipino bathrooms. “We are consistently introducing new technologies such as shower control, which is more intuitive, easier to use and with massage functions. In the kitchen, we are introducing new technologies such as Grohe Blue, which deliver fresh, great-tasting filtered water and even sparking water,” he says. “ We are expecting a shift in bathroom technology. Right now, most IoT [Internet of Things] take place in the IT sector. The bathroom also experiences a shift in technology,” says Alban. “We want to be the leader in bathroom solutions. Lixil is the biggest in the world, with the combined brands that we have. We are not even offering everything in the Philippines yet. The economy is growing. The construction sector is growing. Little by little, we choose the right time to put all our portfolio in the Philippines. As the biggest bathroom company in the world, our target is to bring them to the Philippines. In all our activities, we want the Philippines to have the best practices,” says Alban. Roderick T. dela Cruz
UPS Philippines managing director Chris Buono
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WHY THE NEW UPS BOSS IS BULLISH ON PHILIPPINES
HRIS Buono, the new managing director of UPS Philippines, expects that the sustained expansion of the economy will translate into bigger opportunities for the American logistics company, despite the conflict in Mindanao. “I think the future is very bright for both UPS and the Philippines,” says Buono, who succeeded former UPS Philippines head Tim Gohoc who moved on to take a regional role. UPS, formerly United Parcel Service, is a global leader in logistics, offering solutions such as transporting packages and freight, facilitating international trade and deploying advanced technology to more efficiently manage the world of business. UPS serves more than 220 countries and territories worldwide. In the Philippines, it has an existing partnership with local company Air21. UPS, which was founded in Seattle, Washington in 1907 and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, posted $61 billion in revenue in 2016, when it handled 4.9 billion packages and documents. The company transports an average of 19.1 million packages and documents globally each day. It has 434,000 employees worldwide. Buono was based in Singapore as vice president of information technology for UPS Asia Pacific before he was appointed country head in the Philippines. He was instrumental in building UPS’s new IT business analyst team and in implementing the Beijing Olympics’ logistics and warehousing technology, where he and his team achieved a zero-accident rate in an operation that delivered over 19 million items. As country head in the Philippines, he is now responsible for express delivery and logistics operations in the country. His tasks include marketing, business development, international trade services, industrial engineering, human resources, customer service, security, finance and accounting, supply chain solutions as well as ocean, air and ground operations. Buono, who holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Transportation and Logistics from Penn State University, began his career with UPS
in 2003 as IT solutions manager for Asia Pacific. He has personal ties to the Philippines, a country he had been visiting for ten years before he was named country head of UPS. “I love the Philippines. My fiancée is a Filipino as well, so there are some personal ties coming here. Coming here as a visitor for the last ten years is a lot different than coming here and working. The first five months is like getting on the ground, talking to my people, understanding challenges from internal and external perspective, understanding our operations, meeting with multiple different customers, meeting with our partners. The last thing I want is to come in and make sweeping changes, without understanding what is happening on the ground,” he says. Buono will bring a lot of his experience as an IT manager to his job as country head. “One of the things I used to do when I was in IT was actually facilitate a lot of local management processes, so I got the opportunity to come to Clark to train a lot of supervisors on leadership, competency and things like that. That is something I am trying to bring me here to further develop people, not only find successors or find succession plan for growth, but provide opportunities to rotations and opportunities outside the Philippines for locals who are here,” he says. UPS established a foothold in the Philippines in 1997 during the financial crisis. In a span of 20 years, it expanded its operations to employ 1,213 Filipinos. “A bigger portion of our employees in the Philippines operate our international call center which is based out of Clark. Clark is also our hub. Our flights come in and out of Clark. We have about 700 people that sit in Clark, doing call center work for both US, Australia, Singapore to handle a lot of different areas. We have 300 people in UPS operations in the Philippines. We will add folks as needed, where we see them needed,” he says. UPS also deploys around 50 vehicles to transport packages and documents around the country. “We have about 45 to 50 UPS vehicles in and around Metro Manila, as well as Cebu and Clark. With our partnership with Air21, that expands to quite a bit more,” he says. Buono says aside from Air21, “we do look consistently at other organizations that we can potentially work with.”
“I think there are a lot of opportunities for us to grow with some companies here, be it different customers as well as other potential companies,” he says. Buono says the gross domestic product growth of nearly 7 percent means opportunities for the growth of businesses, including small and medium enterprises. “We are ready to support what we saw in Q2—that 6.5 percent growth. We are really excited about that. That is our opportunity to grow with the country as well,” he says. UPS is particularly looking at several industries to serve such as industrial manufacturing, the automotive market and retail. “These are the areas that continue to be a focus for us. As markets and sectors come, we want to support as much growth that the country is offering,” says Buono. Another opportunity that UPS is looking at is the wine and liquor trade. UPS can now ship wine, beer and spirits (liquor) to businesses and consumers in 10 destinations across Asia Pacific, he says. Buono says the economic integration of the 10 member-countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations also presents opportunities for UPS. “UPS is supportive of the implementation of Asean road map for the integration of logistic services which aims to liberalize logistics services to ensure that Asean firms have access to world-class service providers. With the Philippines having recently signed the ratification of the protocol on the legal framework to implement the Asean single window, UPS definitely wants to pursue more opportunities to help local businesses take advantage of intensifying inter-Asean trade and grow with UPS as they venture into new markets,” he says. “The Philippines chairmanship of Asean this year should see closer cooperation between the country and other Asean member states to push through the full implementation of these agreements, to deepen the integration of Asean, and help Filipino businesses better take advantage of a true Asean economic community,” he says. “I am truly excited about the opportunity to not only help UPS grow here in the Philippines, but also the opportunity to help local businesses grow,” says Buono. Roderick T. dela Cruz
DANISH SCIENTIST REVEALS BREAKTHROUGH IN PEDIATRIC NUTRITION By Ryan Carlos Gamilla A DANISH scientist has recently visited the Philippines to reveal the latest breakthrough in pediatric nutrition— MFGM, short for Milk Fat Globule Membrane, which he says is compositionally closely similar to human breast milk. MFGM, which is extracted from cow’s milk, is rich in nutrients needed to support a child’s brain development and immunity, according to Tore Jesper Andersen. Andersen, a researcher based in Denmark, clarifies that “the best optimum nutrition for infant is the mother’s milk.” MFGM, he says, is an alternative ingredient which is rich in important nutrients that infants need to build to the brain. MFGM is a tri-layer complex rich in bioactive components that has been proven in studies to support the cognitive development of infants. A study reveals that MFGM also contributes to the behavioral or EQ development of children. “MFGM is a very complex ingredient and there’s a lot of components in it— phospolipids, gangliosides and proteins for all organs with different nutrients. Its importance means that you get closer
Danish scientist Tore Jesper Andersen to optimum nutrition which is the human breast milk and it helps in the development of the cognitive, the brain development and protects against infections, so MFGM has a great potential to narrow the gap [with human breast milk],” says Andersen, one of the leading
experts on MFGM. Andersen says MFGM can change the landscape of pediatric nutrition. “This is not about replicating one of the crucial milk components. It is about successfully extracting MFGM and introducing it to milk formula to maximize its efficacy for the development of our children,” he says. Positive effects of MFGM on cognitive or IQ development among infants were further corroborated by a study published by Dr. Niklas Timby of Umea University in Sweden. The study shows that infants fed with MFGM-enriched milk had significantly higher cognitive scores compared to infants who were fed a formula without MFGM. Also, this cognitive score was not different from result report for breastfed infants. Another study of Timby on the effects of MFGM also shows that the compound is beneficial to strengthening children’s immune system. Milk formula added with MFGM have reportedly reduced incidence of acute otitis media and episodes of bloody diarrhea among infants. A different study conducted by Genevieve Veereman-Wauters established that children who consumed formula
enriched with MFGM demonstrated significantly improved parent-reported scores for behavioral regulation compared to children receiving control formula without MFGM enrichment. Behind this revolutionary ingredient, a laborious process of getting MFGM from cow’s milk is obvious. “From cow’s milk you could produce cheese, you could also get a recipe called whey and whey’s very very thin, and that you can filter, you go to a membrane filtration, and you end up with a concentrate which is MFGM,” says Andersen. MFGM provides benefits closer to human milk can produce, giving exceptional nutrition for the growth and development of infants and children. “Of course when they are very young, that’s the best time to teach them because that’s when the brain is very malleable,” says Dr. Tippy SumpaicoTanchanco, a developmental behavior pediatrician. Andersen says MFGM is already in foreign markets like China, Europe and America. It’s a matter of time before it reaches the Philippines as well. MFGM is also seen to usher in a new era in pediatric healthcare and nutrition in the Philippines, he says.
Sports
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SUNDAY, AUGUST 27, 2017 reuelvidal@yahoo.com
Chris Tiu (17) controls the rebound against TNT big man Moala Tautuaa.
TIU CITED BY PBA PRESS Filipino-British boxer Marvin John Tupas (middle) connects with a left hook on the face of Malaysian counterpart Adli Hapidz Bin Mohd Fauzi (right) whose face contorts at the force of the blow. Tupas won by spectacular knockout after the referee stopped the bout less than a minute into the first round. PSC Media
FILIPINO BOXERS DISPLAY POTENTIAL
By Reuel Vidal
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UALITY over quantity. The Philippine boxing team to the 2017 Southeast Asia Games may have won just two gold medals, which was less than their 2015 SEA Games haul, but the victories are more impressive and the boxers show more potential to advance to the Olympic stage. Filipino-British Marvin John Tupas won the gold in the light-heavyweight division while Eumir Felix Marcial ruled the middleweight division. Bantamweight Mario Fernandez settled for silver. Light welterweight Charly Suarez and flyweight Ian Clark Bautista annexed bronzes. The Philippines only finished second to Thailan in the boxing tourney with two gold, one silver and two bronze med-
als. The Thais topped the competition with two gold, three silver and a bronze medal. But there are plenty of reasons to be hopeful given the quality of victories by Tupas and Marcial. Tupas was spectacular. He charged at Malaysian Adli Hapidz Bin Mohd Fauzi and unloaded left and right blows to the head and face of his defenseless opponent. After just nine seconds the
Filipino-British boxer Marvin John Tupas (left) and Felix Eumir Marcial show off their gold medals which they won during the 2017 SEA Games in Malaysia. PSC Media
Filipino boxer Felix Eumir Marcial (right) connects with a straight right to the face of Vietnam’s Nguyen Manh Cuong (left) in the middleweight class of the men’s boxing competition of the 29th Southeast Asian Games at the MITEC Hall 8 in Kuala Lumpur. Marcial won via unanimous decision. PSC Media
referee halted the bout to give the Malaysian a standing eight count. After the count the referee allowed the fight to continue but after Tupas delivered a few more hard blows to the face and head of the Malaysian, the referee stopped the fight after just 21 seconds of the first round. In the online interview Tupas said he didn’t want to take any chances to avoid a hometown decision.
“I wasn’t surprised. Once we get in, we are there to destroy people. Nothing more. I came to win,” said Tupas. Meanwhile, Marcial, who hurt his hand earlier in the tourney, outclassed Thailand’s Pathomsak Kuttiya of Thailand in the middleweight finals despite fighting with one hand virtually tied behind his back. Marcial dominated the three-round finals bout to win the title decisively.
Both fighters have now set their sights on the 2020 Tokyo Olympics following their decisive victories in the boxing competition 29th Southeast Asia Games. Marcial and Tupas said the Olympics are their final goal in plans outlined by officials of the Alliance of Boxing Associations of the Philippines (ABAP). They are taking it one step at a time. First the SEA Games. Then the Asian Games next year. They will then target the qualifying tournaments with the Olympics as the ultimate goal. Boxing coach Pat Gaspi said they are preparing the two protégés for bigger and better things. Both are undergoing intensive strength and conditioning to develop strength and power. The two boxers are themselves something of an anomaly in local amateur boxing. Marcial is built like a bodybuilder and hits with the power of a professional boxer. Tupas, who is mestizo and tall enough to be basketball player, is even more impressive. The two are a complete departure from the traditional Filipino amateur boxers, who come from very poor families, were generally smaller, skinnier and fought in the lighter classes. Marcial and Tupas could herald the next generation of Filipino boxers who will not be short of stature and limb, look malnourished and fight in the lightest categories. Dare we say it? Olympic gold in boxing.
WHO says the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters are doomed to mediocrity without longtime coach Yeng Guiao? Chris Tiu and the rest of his teammates made sure experts won’t ever be saying that with back-to-back victories over the Kia Picanto and the TNT KaTropa the past week in the 2017 Philippine Basketball Association Governors Cup. With the pair of victories Rain or Shine (3 wins, 2 losses) climbed into a tie at sixth place with TNT (3-2). Leading the standings are the unbeaten Star Hotshots (4-0), the Meralco Bolts (5-1), Barangay Ginebra San Miguel (3-1), the San Miguel Beermen (3-1) and the NLEX Road Warriors (5-2). The other teams include the Blackwater Elite (3-3), the GlobalPort Batang Pier (2-3), the Phoenix Petroleum Fuelmasters (2-6), the Alaska Aces (0-5) and Kia (0-7). With his effort Tiu captured the PBA Press Corps Player of the Week award after helping Rain or Shine to those wins in the PBA Governors’ Cup. Tiu earned the citation for the period of Aug. 13-20 over teammates Jericho Cruz and Beau Belga, Meralco’s Garvo Lanete, Blackwater playmaker Roi Sumang, GlobalPort’s Stanley Pringle and NLEX’s Kevin Alas. Rain or Shine has been in transition since management decided to trade longtime resident gunner Jeff Chan to Phoenix in exchange for Mark Borboran. The Elasto Painters also had to deal with the absence of ace defender Gabe Norwood and Raymond Almazan, both on loan to Gilas in the FIBA Asia Cup in Beirut, Lebanon. But Tiu showed why he’s a key contributor for coach Caloy Garcia as he averaged 9.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 7.0 assists off the bench to help Rain or Shine register victories over KIA and TNT. The 32-year-old Tiu provided instant offense with 13 points, highlighted by three triples, pulled down five rebounds and issued eight assists as Rain or Shine subdued KIA, 94-86 on Aug. 13. A week later, Tiu contributed did just enough—tallying six points, five rebounds and six assists as Rain or Shine clobbered TNT, 105-73. Tiu is a product of Ateneo De Manila University. He was a member of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines men’s seniors champion in 2008 and a two-time member of the UAAP Mythical Five (2007, 2008). He was a key member of the Philippine national team which won the gold in the 2011 Southeast Asia Basketball Association and the 2011 Southeast Asian Games and which won the bronze in the 2011 William Jones Cup.
LADIES VOLLEYBALL TEAM IMPROVES SEAG PERFORMANCE
Philippine women’s volleyball outside hitter Alyssa Valdez (2) hammers the ball through the blocking hands of a Vietnamese defender during their women’s volleyball match in the 29th Southeast Asian Games. The Vietnamese prevailed, 26-24, 25-12, 25-23. PSC Media
DESPITE back-to-back, straight-set losses to Vietnam and Thailand the Philippine Ladies Volleyball team will improve its 2015 Southeast Asia Games finish. In 2015 the Philippines placed fifth behind champion Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia and Singapore. The Philippine squad takes the floor against Vietnam today for the bronze medal and will place higher than fifth even if they lose their match. The Philippines dropped a 24-26, 1225, 23-25 decision to Vietnam to complete its elimination round schedule which meant the team had to face perennial ladies volleyball champion Thailand in the semifinals. The Thai ladies volleyball team is like the Philippine men’s basketball team in
SEA Games competition. They are looking for their 13th straight gold medal, after placing second to Japan in the 2017 AVC Asian Senior Women’s Championship. Alyssa Valdez and Jaja Santiago powered the Filipinas to an early six-point, 8-2, lead in the third set. But the Vietnamese were quick to regain their composure and climbed all the way back to post the hard-earned third set victory. Tran Thi Thanh Thuy led Vietnam with 19 points. Middle blocker Nguyen Thi Ngoc Hoa added 11 markers. The Philippine squad had competent attackers in middle blocker Santiago, outside hitter Valdez and opposite hitter Jovelyn Gonzaga. But they seemed to have forgotten the basics as they
yielded 28 ball-handling errors. Yesterday, the Philippines then endured a 21-25, 17-25, 17-25 shellacking from Thailand in the semifinals at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre Hall 11. The Pinay spikers teased their fans and managed to keep the game close in the first set before yielding 21-25. But that was as close as they got as powerhouse Thailand then imposed its might with quick attacks and deceptive serves. By the third set the Thais put in their second stringers which continued their beatdown of the Filipinas. Thailand thus moved to the goldmedal game in the tournament as heavy favorites.
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Sports
SUNDAY, AUGUST 27, 2017 Riera U. Mallari, Editor / Reuel Vidal, Issue Editor / Randy Caluag, Issue Editor
sports_mstandard@yahoo.com
Anna Clarice Patrimonio returns a forehand against the Thai top seed Luksika Kumkhum (PSC Media Team) Kiyomi Watanabe (white gi) of the Philippines pins Orapin Senatham of Thailand en route to the golden victory via ippon (PSC Media Team)
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JUDO, TAEKWONDO SAVE DAY FOR PHL
UALA LUMPUR—The Philippine men’s poomsae team successfully defended its gold medal at the start of the taekwondo competition while Judoka Kiyomi Watanabe masterfully beat her foes one after another en route to the minted podium in the 29th Southeast Asian Games here. The trio of Dustin Jacob Mella, Raphael Enrico Mella and Rodolfo Reyes, Jr. had a near-flawless execution to gain a total of 8.40 points and beat five other rivals at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Center in an event that the Nationals have been dominating since the Myanmar SEA Games in 2013. Malaysia settled for the silver medal and Indonesia for the bronze medal. In Judo, the 20—year-old Filipina-Japanese won all her victories in the female -63kg division, capping her mighty performance with an ippon win in just 36 seconds over Orapin Senatham of Thailand. “It’s not easy. There was pressure on my part to win but I did my best for the country,” said Watanabe in Nihonggo, through her Cebuana mother, Irene. Meanwhile, the women’s poomsae squad of Jocel Lyn Ninobla, Rinna Babanto and Juvenile Faye Crisostomo tallied 8.27 points to settle for bronze. Reyes also won the bronze in men’s individual event. Both Raphael and Dustin Mella were part of the team that won the gold in 2013 and 2015 SEA Games while Reyes joined the team only this year. “All the hard work and sacrifices paid off. Lahat ng mga
hirap naming sa training was worth it,” said the 22-year-old Dustin, a Business Economics student at the University of the Philippines-Diliman and eldest of four siblings. “We trained almost half day daily plus yung workouts pa. Binigay lang naming ang best namin para sa bansa at naging patas naman ang mga judges,” said Raphael of the team that also won the bronze in the Korean Open last June. Reyes was also overwhelmed with the victory, saying their four years together helped a lot. They will just rest for a few days to start preparing for the 5th Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games this coming September 17-27 in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan.
World Grand Prix and the AVC Asian Senior Women’s Championship. With the setback, the Nationals kissed their chances for gold medal goodbye and were relegated to the battle for bronze medal against Vietnam, which suffered a 25-18, 21-25, 27-29, 25-15, 13-15 setback to Indonesia in the other semifinal pairing. Match is set on Sunday at 10 am with the Vietnamese coming in as heavy favorites after hammering a straightset conquest of the Filipinos in the group stage Thursday. The 21-year old Santiago delivered 10 kills, four aces and a block for 15 points while Valdez chipped in 10 markers for the Philippines, which gamely challenged 12-time SEA Games gold medalist Thailand in the first set before losing control in the second and third sets. “Thailand is a veteran team that plays at a very high level,” said head coach
The Philippine trio of Dustin Jacob Mella, Raphael Enrico Mella and Rodolfo Reyes, Jr ., in gold medal winning performance in the team poomsae event in taekwondo (PSC Media Team)
Francis Vicente, noting the disparity in the error department where the Thais committed only 11 while the Philippines had 18. “This game shows that our volleyball program still has a
Lady spikers bow to Thais
The Philippines absorbed yet another sorry loss, this time to reigning champion Thailand, 21-25, 17-25, 17-25, in the semifinals of the 29th Southeast Asian Games women’s volleyball tournament Saturday at the MITEC Hall 11 here. Jaja Santiago and Alyssa Valdez provided the spark, but the Nationals simply couldn’t handle the stronger, more experienced, Thai squad that is fresh from a successful stint in the FIVB
Outside spiker Jaja Santiago led the Filipina spikers’ losing cause
long way to go. We still have a lot to learn and need more international exposure.” No less than Department of Foreign Affairs Sec. Alan Peter Cayetano was in attendance to extend his support and talk to the players after the match. An avid volleyball supporter who was appointed as chairman of the organizing committee of the 30th Southeast Asian Games in 2019, Cayetano vowed to support the training and international exposure of the national women’s volleyball team. “This is just the start,” Cayetano told members of the team. “After this, you will just take a brief rest and start training again for other international competitions. I am behind you all the way.” Team captain Pleumjit Thinkaow and Kokram Pimpichaya registered 13 markers apiece for Thailand, which also had more attacks, 43-34, and blocks, 7-3, than the Filipinos.
PATRIMONIO BAGS SILVER IN TENNIS THAI top seed Luksika Kumkhum outclassed Filipina netter Ana Clarice Patrimonio, 6-0, 6-1, to capture the women’s tennis singles gold medal at on the center court of the National Tennis Center located at the heart of the Malaysian capital here. After a two-hour delay caused by rain, Kumkhum, once ranked No. 85 in the world, needed just 48 minutes in dispatching Patrimonio, who settled for the silver medal. “Medyo ninerbiyos po ako sa dami ng tao. Pero masaya na rin dahil naka-silver,” admitted the pretty netter and daughter of former PBA star Alvin Patrimonio for her lackluster showing. “I will try to do better in the 2019 SEA Games,” added the unseeded Patrimonio, 23, who advanced to finals after vanquishing Cambodian fourth seed Andrea Ka, 7-6 (6-5), 7-6 (6-5), in the semifinals last Friday. I t was her first individual silver medal in three SEA G ames out i n g s a f t e r s h a r i n g t he women’s team silver in the 2015 Singapore SEA Games. “You have to hand it to Clarice, she played well the whole week but the Thai was just too strong,” noted coach Cris Cuarto. Ruben Gonzales and Francis Casey Alcantara netted the Philippine squad’s other silver medal in men’s doubles while the Filipino bets also had a pair of bronze medals in the mixed doubles through Gonzales and Denise Dy and the women’s doubles from Dy and Fil-German Katharina Lehnert. Their output was lower compared to the one gold, three silver and three bronze medals they took home from Singapore two years ago.
CYNA, PRINCESS JOIN LPGT PRADERA HUNT CYNA Rodriguez and Princess Superal take time out from their Symetra Tour campaign as they banner the field in the ICTSI Pradera Verde Ladies Classic firing off Tuesday at the Pradera Verde Golf and Country Club in Lubao, Pampanga. Rodriguez and Superal, the two winningest players on the ICTSI Ladies Philippine Golf Tour, are expected to slug it out for top honors in the P750,000 event owing to their talent and form although a slew of players are also out to foil their bid in the 54-hole championship sponsored by ICTSI.
They include Pauline del Rosario, who has racked up two victories in her rookie year at Orchard and Baguio legs and finished twice, the last at Riviera where she lost by one to amateur Abby Arevalo on the final hole. Former leg winners Chihiro Ikeda, Fil-Am Cristina Corpus and Sarah Ababa and Korean Euna Koh are also going all out to nail their second win in the seventh leg of the circuit organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments Inc. Thais Tiranan Yoopan and Sarinee Thithiratanakorn, on the other hand, are
also raring to spoil the locals’ bid at the long but flat layout which hosted the first Southeast Asia vs Phl Ladies Golf Challenge early this year. Although Arevalo won’t be around to go for a second straight victory, a talentladen cast of amateurs is joining the title hunt, led by former LPGT leg winner Bernice Olivarez-Ilas and Sofia Chabon of The Country Club team, along with teammates Sam Dizon, Laia Barro and Mafy Singson, Marianne Bustos, Jonah Ilagan, Sheila Ward and Kinjo Mana of Japan. Club bet Annika Pineda-Cayabyab,
12, also hopes to cash in on her local knowledge of the bunker-laden course that could challenge the best in the fold in the presence of the wind. But focus will be on Rodriguez, a three-time LPGT Order of Merit winner, and Superal, who has posted convincing victories both as an amateur and pro, who are both on a break from the Symetra Tour in the US and are tipped to clash for the top P150,000 purse in the event backed by Custom Clubmakers, BDO, Meralco, Sharp, KZG, PLDT, Champion, Summit Mineral Water and K&G Golf.
Cyna Rodriguez is one of the favorites
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SUNDAY, AUGUST 27, 2017
Jimbo Gulle, Editor
Roger Garcia, Issue Editor
LGUs
Local Gov’t Units
mslocalgov@gmail.com
DOE OFFICE TEACHES 50 ‘ENERGY SMART’ MAKATI KIDS
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Part of the Save the Kids PH program in Tacloban City is the Margarita’s Save the Girls, in which young local girls (pictured) are trained in livelihood projects such as baking and accessory making, both as a form of therapy and as a tool to encourage financial independence.
SAVE THE KIDS PH
EMPOWERING, PROVIDING HOPE FOR THE YOUTH OF TACLOBAN
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ACLOBAN CITY—Four years after the massive devastation brought about by Super Typhoon ”Haiyan,” this city’s local folks and its leaders continue to strive in earnest to help transform not only its land but likewise its people, particularly the youth that experienced the harrowing experience of a massive disaster that almost totally displaced their otherwise normal growing-up years of their lives.
Save the Kids PH recently launched its initial program in the city with a host of activities that more than anything else provided hope and empowered the young populace of this city. Rep. Yedda Romualdez, together with the Save the Kids PH officials, led in the ongoing efforts to promote and solicit massive participation among the younger generation of the city, in their quest to boost the trademark resilience of Filipinos specifically the people of Tacloban. “Empowering the kids emotionally and financially, at the same time enlivening their spirits and enhancing their self-worth are key components of the Save the Kids program,” Romualdez said. “Through teachings and subsequent immediate implementation of livelihood projects, the youth’s financial and self-sustaining abilities could, by and large, get them to stand on their feet and help in building a better future for themselves as well as their beloved homeland,” she added. Another critical aspect of the pro-
gram is to prepare them to become both physically and emotionally fit through various fitness, wellness and programs. Typhoon Haiyan’s impact was so much more than just the city’s environment; the natural disaster affected a recorded 9,679,059 people in total and left more than 10,000 dead in Leyte’s small capital alone. Almost four years after the devastation the residents are still reeling and trying to recover from the devastation. The ‘Save the Kids’ council felt that donating food and clothes to suffering victims was far from enough and thus chose Tacloban as the location of the organization’s launch in order to truly help kids sustain their emotional transformation that have had their homes, families, and basically everything stripped away from them. Save the Kids PH is an umbrella organization which—in partnership with government agencies, NGOs, and other groups—focuses on helping and empowering disadvantaged kids through livelihood programs, rehabilitation activities
Each program also starts with a proper singing of the national anthem to stimulate nationalism among the youth. and counselling. With Margarita Te as president, Martin Alindogan as vice president, and Rico and Renzo Lago as council members, Save the Kids is comprised of students of a variety of ages and schools; the organization is structured to ensure continuity and sustainability in future years. The launch had two simultaneous programs—Margarita’s Save the Girls, for which young girls are trained in livelihood projects such as baking and accessory-making, both as a form of therapy and as a tool to encourage financial independence, and Martin’s Rebound. ph, a basketball bootcamp meant to keep boys physically active and away from the harmful habits they may be inclined to be doing. The children were also invited to engage in a “Zumbathon” led
by both locally- and Manila-based Zumba instructors. The day commenced with an opening ceremony held at the main open gym. Around 200 girls, aged 13-17 years old, and boys aged 9-12 years old. Save the Kids PH officials led by Te and Alindogan personally assisted the conduct of various programs lined-up during the launch day activity These includes, accessory-making workshop provided by The Bead Shop group with Margarita as the lead coordinator. The tasks—to assemble bracelets and lanyards—were quite the challenge. The idea was that once they were familiar with the procedure, they would be able to make their own accessories and sell them. Turn to D2
THE Department of Energy taught 50 more grade school students on how to use energy efficiently recently bringing to 455 the number of its Energy Smart Kids. The DoE Consumer Welfare and Promotion Office staff conducted the energy briefing for grade school students to create awareness on energy conservation and efficient use of electricity at the DoE Headquarters in Bonifacio Global City with Energy Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi attending the said workshop. “As part of the E-Power Mo! Campaign, we are more than committed to educate our youngsters to empower them so they’ll be able to discern the relevance of energy in their daily lives,” Cusi said in his talk during the event. “We have to inculcate the significance of energy to these children as early as possible to enable us to develop their energy consciousness and become part of our own army who can rally for efficient use of energy, among other energy aspirations that we have,” he added. Student participants from Grades V and VI students of Cembo Elementary School in Makati were accompanied by their science coordinator, Jeanne L. Angcaya, and Grade V teacher, Michael Madueño. DoE-CWPO head Helen B. Arias introduced the Energy Smart Kids Program and how DoE endeavors to make students “energy smart” by exposing them to new situations, new faces and true-tolife energy applications. The students were oriented on basic electricity concepts and household energy conservation tips. Engineers from the Renewable Energy Management Bureau highlighted the potentials of renewable energy. Sources of biomass and how they are transformed to produce electricity including the principles of solar and wind energy, the geologic settings of geothermal systems and how water is used to generate electricity were also presented and explained by top power engineers and experts. As take-home exercises, students were also asked to work on “Who Left the Lights on” by using logic to determine who is the culprit among the names mentioned in the short story; and on the “Energy Waste Coloring Page,” which directs the students to encircle all examples of energy being wasted in the given house configuration. As a tradition since its inception in 2016, the half-day educational program ended with the Pledge of Commitment branding the students as “Energy Cost Busters” to apply their newly acquired learning on energy in their day to day living.
REPUBLIC COMMITS TO REGREENING DANAO COAST
OVER 500 eco-warriors led by employees of Republic, together with representatives from the city government, the Federation and the CENRO, lent a hand transplanting 2,000 mangrove seedlings and propagules along the coast of Barangay Dungo-an. Aligned with Republic Cement’s advocacy for water sustainability, the company’s regreening initiatives included mangroves, recognized as nature’s bio-shields in tropical ocean coastlines. Mangrove forests also contribute to the protection of coastal areas from storm surges, by serving as filter for ocean trash and debris, and as breeding ground for fish and other aquatic life, nurturing the ecosystem
of the communities. The cement firm continues its commitment to the environment with a three-year Mangrove Reforestation and Rehabilitation Project with the DENR, the City Government of Danao and the Women’s Federation of Danao City. Similar efforts were made last year, at Sitio Dancar, Danao, in celebration of Arbor Day. “We’re confident that whatever effort we put into taking care of our water bodies today will ultimately help secure our children’s future. This continues to motivate us,” shared lawyer Anda Bolinas, Republic Cement’s Sustainability director.
Fostering environmental responsibility in all aspects of its operations, Republic Cement also focuses on integrating sustainable consumption in its production practices, including product formulation of blended cement which features fly ash, a coal combustion by-product, and environmentfriendly alternative fuels such as rice husk and refuse-derived fuel. Aside from Danao, Republic continues to partner with the local government, the DENR and people’s organizations to grow and maintain mangrove sites in Malolos, Bulacan and Bayug Island, Iligan City, an area almost totally wiped out by Tropical Storm ”Sendong” in 2011.
One of over 500 eco-warriors, led by employees of Republic Cement, lend a hand in transplanting 2,000 mangrove seedlings and propagules along the coast of Barangay Dungo-an in Danao City.
LGUs
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SUNDAY, AUGUST 27, 2017 mst.daydesk@gmail.com
PANGASINAN HOSTS PH FOLK DANCE PROGRAM
HOW THE MARANAOS LOST MARAWI WILL ‘HISTORICAL INJUSTICES’ BE CORRECTED?
By Dexter A. See
By Nash Maulana
LINGAYEN, Pangasinan—Educators from all over Northern Luzon region donning authentic costumes depicting Philippine cultural heritage presented folk dances to highlight this year’s regional seminar on Philippine folk dances hosted by the province of Pangasinan. Highlighting the ‘echo seminar’ mounted by the Philippine Folkdance Society, in partnership with the provincial government of Pangasinan, was the presentation of folk dances by the delegates held recently at the Provincial Training and Development Center here. Another feature of Pangasinan’s unique heritage during the regional seminar was the showcase of ‘binungey,’ a research dance to be registered as official folk dance of the Philippines, which was presented by the Danggoan Pangasinan, the performing arts group of the provincial government. PFDS president Childe Libertad said the province of Pangasinan under the watch of Gov. Amado I. Espino, III has sustained various programs which help preserve and enrich the cultural heritage of Pangasinan ‘for the next generations of Pangasinenses to appreciate, be proud of, and uphold.” “Having this ‘echo seminar’ in Pangasinan gives advantage to physical education and dance teachers who would want to participate in the national seminar on Philippine folk dances, but can’t participate due to financial considerations,” Libertad said. About 200 educators and performing arts students from schools divisions of Department of Education, and tertiary education institutions; and representatives of local government units participated in the folk dance seminar. The regional seminar brought the PFDS accredited folk dance trainers to Pangasinan to share their knowledge on literature and choreography of Philippine folk dances. Philippine folk dances taught during the seminar were: tiklos, haplik, kuradang, pang-alay, pupuri, la jota jogad. The participants also received training from the St. Louis University-Baguio City dance troupe members who taught contemporary dance, a course which is also offered in the Senior High School.
ARAWI CITY—Reporters here recently asked Lanao del Sur Assemblyman Zia Alonto Adiong to help them identify areas in ruins in this city from an array of photographs.
EMPOWERING,...
From D1
Additionally, the products created would be sold by Save the Kids, and the entirety of the profits would be given to those who took part in the workshop, contributing to the concept of livelihood and subsistence. Following the accessory-making was a baking demo in which Margarita exhibited the creation of two baked goods, brownies and homemade oreos, using the 1st district’s own tsokolate tablea (chocolate). Likewise with the bracelets and lanyards, the children could make a profit by selling these baked goods. While the girls’ livelihood project was ongoing, the boys, quite eager and already dressed in athletic wear and basketball shoes, began with the two-day basketball camp with Rebound.ph. Martin, alongside his own coach, trained 100 boys by teaching them the fundamentals of the game and drills that they can practice on their own. This was followed by a mini-tournament which fired up the kids’ competitive spirits. At the end of the camp, each kid went home with their own basketball, a signature gift from Rebound.ph. Lastly, to end the program, the girls and boys enjoyed themselves by partaking in the lively Zumbathon, led by a fellow Taclobaño, Robert Nee, with the kids requesting for one song after another. The dancing brought all its participants together as a community— aside from the Tacloban children and Save the Kids council, staff members and Taclobaño Zumba enthusiasts joined in to further expand the size and diversity of the crowd moving as one. The result of the outreach was rewarding and worthwhile, with the experience having left positive impacts on both the children from Tacloban and the members of Save the Kids.
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Alonto, the spokesman of the Provincial Crisis Management Committee, admitted, after a long pause, that he could hardly name them, as shown by the images appearing in current camera shots. President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, who has often said that he wanted to "correct the historical injustices done to the Bangsamoro," is seen as the first Philippine President to give back to the Maranaos the birthright of land possession, which they have lost to the government since the colonial periods. Mr. Duterte also traces a Maranao ancestry from his maternal bloodline—and, in fact, his Muslim appointees to top posts are from Lanao: Director General Gene Mamondiong of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, Secretary Abul Khayr Alonto of the Mindanao Development Authority, and Dabs Mama-o, the Presidential Adviser on Overseas Filipino Workers and Muslim Concerns. The President may also have the last ink to put an end to a series of public land policy proclamations by Philippine Presidents from as far back as 1934 through 1992, which have subdivided
Marawi for some vital interests and purposes. According to the records of the old Bureau of Lands, now the Land Management Bureau, Marawi City has a total area of 8,396 hectares. During a recent meeting here, Gov. Mujiv Hataman of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao submitted copies of LMB records to the Presidential Task Force on the Rehabilitation of Marawi created by Mr. Duterte. “Practically, there's nothing left (of the city's land area) to the Maranaos,” Hataman told the Manila Standard. ARMM Environment Secretary Hadji Kahal Q. Kedtag said the regional Department of Environment and Natural Resources office has preserved original copies of the documents from a sequence of older sources. Of the city’s original total area, the government has classified 6,667.16 hectares as a military reservation under Presidential Proclamation 453, issued by President Elpidio Quirino on Dec. 23, 1953. It was apparently a “midnight” executive issuance, since Quirino's term officially ended on Dec. 30, 1953, after he started as a constitutionally succeeding Vice President with the death of President Manuel Roxas in 1948. Also toward the end of his term, President Carlos Garcia issued PP 806 on Dec. 4, 1961, to set aside 999.356 hectares of Marawi for the Mindanao State University school campus, following the enactment that year of Republic Act 1387, the MSU charter authored by Senator Ahmad Domocao Alonto. Three months before he died in a plane crash on March 17, 1957, President Ramon Magsay-
say signed PP 375 on Dec. 26, 1956 to apportion 171.45 hectares in Marawi for the Lanao Provincial Capitol. On May 22, 1959, Lanao was divided into Lanao del Norte and Lanao del Sur, which has retained the Marawi-based capitol. Still, on Dec. 3, 1974, President Ferdinand Marcos signed PP 1354, putting 803.14 hectares in the city under the control of the state-run National Power Corp. for the development of hydroelectric power facilities. President Fidel Ramos then signed PP 992 on June 26, 1992, allocating 3.0697 hectares for the development of the Lanao Park and Library. In all, the total area of the apportioned parts of Marawi is 8,644.1836. This means 248.1836 hectares of the lands divided by those presidential proclamations do not actually belong to the city, which has a total area of only 8,396 hectares, per its original survey in the records of the Bureau of Lands. Mas Yahya, a veteran journalist and local publisher, asked: “Why did our forebears agree to turn our lands in Marawi City or Lanao into a Military Reservation? Who was in collusion [with the government]?” Around 300,000 people have been displaced since pro-ISIS militants, said to be of different nationalities, occupied the city on May 23 and seized at least 80 people, including a Catholic priest. Government security forces are into the third month of heavy ground offensives and air attacks on Marawi, but extremists in urban battle fashion have been evasive, moving from one house or level to another. (To be continued)
SISTERHOOD. City Government officials of Tanauan, Batangas, headed by Mayor Antonio C. Halili (fourth from left) and members of Tanauan's Sangguniang Panlungsod join San Antonio, Nueva Ecija municipal officials led by Vice Mayor Julieta E. Maxwell (fifth from left) to formalize the first sisterhood agreement between the two towns. Roy Tomandao
MAKATI KIDS GET DENGUE VACCINES By Joel E. Zurbano THE Makati City government has started vaccinating public school children aged 9 to 14 years old to boost their immunity against dengue, which according to health officials is the fast emerging pandemic-prone viral disease worldwide. The program, according to Mayor Abigail Binay, kicked off at the Guadalupe Viejo Health Center on Aug. 14 and will continue until Aug. 31. Binay said the community-based vaccination program is part of the city’s larger campaign for dengue prevention, especially since cases of dengue are expected to spike during the rainy season. “We want to give children the best possible defense against dengue since their immune systems are still
developing,” she said. Binay also encouraged parents to bring children aged 9 to 14 years old to the nearest health center or allow their children to be vaccinated in school. The Makati Health Department received some 65,000 dengue vaccines from the Department of Health. Acting on the Mayor’s directive, the MHD mobilized doctors and nurses for the community-based vaccination. To cover more ground, health representatives also went around public elementary schools and high schools. MHD chief Bernard Sese said 5,813 children have been vaccinated in the schools and health centers so far. Nurse Lea Torio of Department of Education-Makati reported that students from 23 out of 39 schools
have already received the free dengue vaccine. Sese said the dengue vaccine they are administering covers all four strains of the dengue virus. Children who signed up for the vaccination program will be receiving a second dose in February 2018; and the third and final dose in August 2018. Apart from the community-based dengue vaccination program, the MHD has also been organizing cleanup drives, doing preventive misting operations as well as holding health education seminars in the barangay and school levels to help prevent the spread of dengue. The dengue virus is carried by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which also transmits the Zika and Chikungunya viruses. The vector mosquitoes
grow in number during the rainy season because of damp weather and stagnant water. Reports showed that the ages of dengue-stricken patients ranged from three to 57 years old, with one to 10 years old as the most affected age group at 43 percent of total cases. World Health Organization officials said dengue is fast emerging pandemic-prone viral disease in many parts of the world. The disease is a mosquito-borne viral infection causing a severe flulike illness and, sometimes causing a potentially lethal complication called severe dengue. It flourishes in urban poor areas, suburbs and the countryside but also affects more affluent neighborhoods in tropical and subtropical countries.
PHILEX GRANTS P3-M PHILHEALTH INSURANCE TO INDIGENT STAKEHOLDERS
GOOD SEED.
Orani Water District general manager Benni Andres plants a sapling during the company's annual tree planting activity in upland Barangay Tala, Orani, Bataan. Butch Gunio
TUBA, Benguet—Philex Mining Corp. has for this year granted an additional health insurance coverage to 620 individuals, together with their families, totalling P3.4 million amount of coverage given to the indigent residents in the outlying communities of its Padcal mine in this province over the past four years. “We received and still continue to receive so many requests for free health insurance from residents in our host and neighboring villages, and granting them forms part of our commitment to assist in the communities and peoples within our areas of operations” said Aurora Dolipas, manager at Padcal’s Community Relations Department. ComRel’s Crisel Rosado and Mila Salinas, meanwhile, stressed that spouses and children of the respective beneficiaries were given the same free health insurance coverage, the funds of which were taken from Padcal’s Social Development and Management
Program, one of the three major CSR, or corporate social responsibility, projects being pursued by Philex Mining. In line with is adherence to conscientious and responsible mining operations, the company is mandated to allot 1.5 percent of its previous year’s total operating expenses for the current year’s SDMP; Information, Education, and Communications campaign; and Development of Mining Technology and Geosciences. Of the total allocated budget, SDMP gets the lion’s share of 75 percent while IEC is given 15 percent and, DMTG, 10 percent. Between 2003 and 2015 alone, Philex Mining had spent P25.2 million for its health care program in its host and neighboring villages. The company had also constructed health care centers and sanitary facilities in the outlying communities. Dexter A. See
Gadgets & Games
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SUNDAY, AUGUST 27, 2017 rumallari@thestandard.com.ph
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OTOROLA brings the sunshine indoors, once again making its mark in the smartphone scene with the Moto Z2 Play and Moto Mods. From instant movie theater vibes to an impromptu house party, Moto Mods are the rainy-day busting devices er that make every day interesting. Moto Insta-Share Projector: Instant Mini-Movie Theater Spend the day binge-watching a new TV series, stream a favorite movie or revisit favorite memories with homemovies the Moto Insta-Share Projector to create a your own private movie theater experience.. The Moto Insta-Share Projector can convert any flat surface big screen up to 70 inches in an instant. This means users can enjoy a movie or two in the comfort of the room as content is projected at the ceiling or any flat surface with a front-row viewing feel. The Moto Insta-Share Projector can extend the screen time up to one hour with its additional battery life, perfect for rainy weekend movie marathons. JBL SoundBoost Speaker: Get The Party Started Drive away rainy day gloom with great music with the JBL SoundBoost Speaker. Keep the party going without worry—this Moto Mod has 10 hours of battery life and a built-in kickstand so you can host your own karaoke session or re-set the mood with upbeat tunes during a storm.
Photo by Giana Atienza
MOTO MODS BRING SUNSHINE ON RAINY DAYS Latinazo
DELL EMC PH INAUGURATES NEW OFFICE By Patricia Bianca Taculao
From instant movie theater vibes to an impromptu house party, Moto Mods are the rainy-day busting devices er that make every day interesting.
Incipio offGRIDTM Power Pack: Instant Recharge Rainy days and tropical storms can mean sudden power failure, but you can avoid any charging mishaps with the handy Incipio offGRIDTM Power Pack, which adds 22 hours of battery life in a snap. Added bonus: It’s also available with wireless charging. Hasselblad True Zoom: Focus In A Snap Sharpen photography skills while stuck indoor on a rainy day with the Hasselblad True Zoom . Go up close with the powerful 10x optical zoom and take
high-quality photos with precision. It also has Xenon flash for great photos in any lighting conditions.Enjoy more flexibility and higher level of control by shooting in RAW format, and physical shutter and zoom controls make capturing great shots easy. You’ll also experience the Hasselblad legacy for the first time on your smartphone Use the advanced imaging experiences to explore your passion for photography and fuel creativity, no matter where you are. Availability and Pricing: Moto Z2 Play and Moto Mods are
available in three exclusive Motorola outlets located in the CyberZone areas of SM Mall of Asia, SM Megamall and SM North EDSA. They are also available in major Motorola retailers nationwide and via online shopping site Lazada. Every purchase of the Moto Z2 Play until Aug. 31 will come bundled with Unlimited Possibilities gift box, full of smartphone accessories that are extremely useful for the dynamic Filipino consumer. This accessories haul includes four freebies, including a Moto Style Shell, protective metal bumper, selfie stick and liquid nano screen protector.
AXA PH REVEALS ONLINE PRODUCT: MY AMBITION Macy Castillo, Head of Commercial Business at Shopee PH, and Ina Raymundo officially launch Shopee 9.9 Mobile Shopee Day.
SHOPEE 9.9 MOBILE SHOPPING DAY SLATED
By Nathanielle Punay
SHOPEE has finally announced its 2nd annual, Southeast Asian-wide, Shopee 9.9 Mobile Shopping Day with better discounts and promotions in a press launch last Aug. 23 at the Manila House Private Club Net Park in Taguig. The event, slated from Sept. 1 to 9, will include discounts that goes up to 99% off, top picks for only P99 in multiple categories and daily promos and giveaways via social media accounts and the Shopee app. Shopee 9.9 will be a Southeast Asian-wide event to be launched in seven countries, including Taiwan, Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia. “Last year, our 9.9 Mobile Shopping Day successfully achieved a five-fold increase in orders and three-fold increase in traffics within 24 hours,” said Macy Castillo, Head of Commercial Business at Shopee. “This year, with over P50 million worth of marketing activities, we
aim to increase traffic by five times and triple our sales. We look forward to having all users across the Philippines join us in the biggest sale of the year.” Shopee now has a gross merchandise value of $3 billion since it came to the Philippines in 2015 with more than 50 million downloads and 100 million listings. The platform now has major partners such as PLDT Alpha Enterprise, Johnson & Johnson, Oppo, Lysol, Sandisk, Mustela and Makeup World. The launch was graced by one of Shopee’s newest endorsers, Ina Raymundo. Shopee is a Southeast Asian eCommerce platform that has only been open to Filipinos since 2015. They have programs such as Shopee Guarantee which offers a secure transaction between the buyers and the sellers and Shopee University that allows the sellers to know more about strengthening their business. Shopee Philippines had also recently celebrated their 2nd anniversary last June.
AXA Philippines has released its latest investment and life insurance plan named “My Ambition,” the first of their products that can be availed and managed online. My Ambition was launched last August 23 at the Green Sun Hotel in Makati City. This insurance plan’s target audience are for the young entrepreneurs who are more comfortable with technology and too busy to consult a financial advisor. The insurance plan can be established with an initial investment of P50,000 to a maximum of P125,000, with several choices suitable for all types of investors ranging from the conservative ones to the risk-takers. Application can be accessed at AXA’s website at www.axa.com.ph that will be started by assessing an investment profile, choosing a suitable portfolio, and paying for the plan that can be through credit cards, debit cards, and other payment options. “Through our initiative, through our products and through how we make our products available to our customers, we try to reach out to every Filipino possible,” Rahul Hora, President and CEO of AXA Philippines said. “We try to figure out how does each Filipino would want to buy or think about insurance and we try to level up our strategy around that particular site. It is all about AXA strengthening its capability on the digital platform. ‘Digital’ is no new concept for us. ‘Digital’ is now a way of life,” he added. The launch was also attended by Gian Javelona, the founder of OrangeApps, and Reese Fernandez, the CEO of Rags2Riches, who are on the list of “Forbes’ 30-under-30” to talk about how they started from nothing and finding and giving business opportunities to youngsters. “I’m just really happy to see opportunities where I am able to give hope in this country,” said Javelona. “At the same time, to give jobs to the people when they think that it’s hopeless. And lastly, to build something where you can see that it is being used by other people and being skilled with it not just in the Philippines but also in other countries.” AXA Philippines also announced that it will move its IT Shared Services Center in the Philippines and is expected to be launched at the 2nd half of 2017. “The Philippines is one of the countries with IT capabilities and IT talents in its abundance and we wanted to take advantage of that and creating employment for the Filipinos,” Rahul stated. AXA is a multinational insurance firm that is headquartered in France and has extended to the Philippines, Canada, United States of America, United Kingdom, Mexico and other parts in the Middle East and Africa. The company was founded in 1816 and has now been labeled as the Best Global Insurance Brand for past eight years. Nathanielle Punay
IN LINE with its 20th year of operation in the country, Dell EMC Philippines provides its customers and partners easier access as it inaugurated its new office located between the Makati and Ortigas business districts. The new Dell EMC office is presently located at the World Plaza Building in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City. “Dell EMC is all about modernizing technology infrastructure and it is our commitment to create working spaces that foster collaboration and support work styles of our team members,” said Country General Manager of Dell EMC Philippines Ronnie Latinazo. Merging the Dell EMC team in one dynamic workplace marked another milestone between the two prominent names in IT. “Centralizing our facilities under one roof gives us a better advantage in streaming our business processes to better serve our customers and partners,” Latinazo added. Previously, the Dell EMC teams were located at two separate facilities - Enterprise Center in Makati and Eastwood Avenue in Quezon City. To further celebrate 20 years of operation, Dell EMC Philippines will host the 2017 Dell EMC Forum. The annual forum is a venue for IT professionals in the country to interact with peers, learn new strategies, gain insights and explore the solutions of Dell EMC that drive IT innovation, enhance workforce mobility and reduce risk in the digital era.
DEALING... From D4 Remove obstructions by rearranging furniture and appliances that block radio waves. • Upgrade your router. Part of maximizing your signal strength is ensuring that your firmware or driver software is updated for optimal performance. • Set up a wireless repeater. As the name implies, a wireless repeater can extend your WiFi coverage to a larger area. This is ideal especially if you have a large or multi-level house. • Migrate your connection. If possible, look for a less crowded channel so you don’t have to share your bandwidth allocation with multiple users. • Ask your service provider. Your service provider knows best how to help you maximize your WiFi connection. You can ask about a customized plan to amplify your connection based on the unique structure of your home and your online habits. Even with the rapid pace of today’s internet and mobile technology, WiFi dead spots are still unavoidable because of structural and network factors that are sometimes beyond our control. Although there are ways to manage dead spots at home, the jury is still out on a holistic and reliable solution that can address WiFi issues for the entire home. Hopefully, the same technology that allows us to enjoy meaningful digital connections at home can also empower us to overcome pesky WiFi dead spots.
OPPO F3 RED AVAILABLE AT 0% VIA HOME CREDIT
OPPO brand ambassadors Coleen Garcia and Robi Domingo are shown with Stephen Cheng, Brand Manager of OPPO Philippines and Garrick Hung, OPPO PH vice president.
THE long wait is over as the all-new OPPO F3 Red Limited Edition is now available in the Philippines, officially launched during the opening of the SM Aura OPPO Concept Store last Aug. 12. OPPO fans who have been eagerly anticipating the release of this model are in for an additional treat, as the OPPO F3 Red Limited Edition, priced at P15,990, is also available at 0% installments through Home Credit Philippines! All customers need to do is present two valid IDs to the Home Credit sales associate in the store, and wait for just a few minutes to get approved for their loan application. The promo is part of OPPO’s Selfie Supreme campaign with Home Credit, where OPPO’s most in demand models can
be availed through very affordable 0% interest monthly payments in participating stores across the country. The new OPPO F3 Limited Edition Red highlights OPPO’s advanced technology infused with flair and a more lifestyle approach, as it is a perfect combination of OPPO F3’s innovative features in premium red color and metal finish. It is the ideal smartphone for users who aspire to create a statement through the smartphones they carry. Not to mention that the OPPO F3 Red is one of the very few smartphones in the market with highquality finish with such distinct color. The OPPO F3 is a dual-selfie camera smartphone that can let customers experience wider selfies and include more
people on a groufie. Additionally, it has 4GB of RAM for multi-tasking and generous 64GB of storage for apps, photos, and videos; all in a sleek metal body and 5.5”Full HD screen protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 5. Customers need not to worry on maintaining the finish of their smartphones because the F3 Red comes with a soft transparent case and a pre-installed screen protector. Other phone accessories and enhancements are also available for purchase at OPPO concept stores. “The new OPPO F3 Red Limited Edition smartphone answers the need of our customers who are looking for a more stylish, chic, and sleek smartphone. OPPO believes that smartphones should
not only be multi-functional, but should also be bold enough to stand out as it’s part of everyone’s daily essentials”, said Stephen Cheng, OPPO Philippines Brand Marketing Manager. OPPO ambassadors Coleen Garcia and Robi Domingo graced the launch event and gladly shared their insights and best moments with the F3 Red. The OPPO F3 Red Limited Edition is now available at OPPO Concept Stores nationwide and in Lazada as the exclusive online store for only P15,990. Online purchasers may check out bit. ly/OPPOF3Red via Lazada for more details. For a complete list of OPPO Concept stores, fans may check out bit.ly/F3RedEdition
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SUNDAY, AUGUST 27, 2017 Riera U. Mallari, Editor rumallari@thestandard.com.ph
Gadgets & Games
LENOVO BOLSTERS ITS LEGION LINE-UP
Gen Intel® Core i7-7700 processor, optional 16GB Intel Optane™ memory for fast system responsiveness, and up to NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 1070 8GB graphics, the Lenovo Legion Y720 Tower offers the critical package of processing and graphical prowess for playing the most demanding titles. Survive battlegrounds with ease and assurance, and blast through an alien invasion without a hiccup on the Lenovo Legion Y720 Tower.
For entry-level gamers— Lenovo Legion Y520 Tower
For console players looking to dip their toes into the expansive world of PC gaming and are looking for their first-ever PC gaming device, Lenovo created the VRready Lenovo LegionY520 Tower for them. This rig puts the necessary graphics and processing speed at the forefront, making it an excellent entry to PC gaming. It also runs on Windows 10 – the best version of Windows for gaming, including support for native live game streaming through Mixer, DirectX® 12, uncapped frame rates and 21:9 wide aspect ratio and the ability to stay connected with fellow gamers through Xbox Live®. All this comes complete with up to a NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 1060 GPU and up to a 7th Gen Intel® Core i7-7700 processor. The Lenovo LegionY520 Tower also comes with Lenovo Entertainment Hub, an app for access to a vast catalog of popular video game codes with VR upscaling on select FPS games.1 The machine also upgrades easily for users who want to swap parts—making the Lenovo Legion Y520 Tower a great introduction to PC gaming.
For entry-level gamers—Lenovo Legion Y520 Tower
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T GAMESCON 2017 in Cologne, Germany, leading global technology brand Lenovo launched four new powerful additions to its Legion gaming lineup family—three VRready Windows® 10 PCs Lenovo Legion Y920, Y720 and Y520 Towers, and the new Lenovo Legion Y25f Gaming Monitor. Combined, the three Lenovo Legion towers give PC gamers of all stripes a level of customization, power and selection that fits their needs. According to Lenovo, community feedback shaped how they developed these new additions. “Among other things, gamers want speed and performance in their devices. We built these new Lenovo Legion towers with that as our main focus. They are designed to easily handle today’s best games, from the most-demanding in terms of graphics to the light ones released by indie platformers,”said Lenovo Philippines Country General Manager Michael Ngan.
For the Hardcore gamer — Lenovo Legion Y920 Tower
The Virtual Reality-ready Legion Y920 Tower is designed for the most serious PC
gamers who want to push every known setting to the max. This fully-stacked machine runs on Windows® 10 and houses up to 7th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-7700K quad-core processors designed to run the most demanding games, from visceral first-person shooters (FPS) to atmospheric space simulators at optimum, uninterrupted speeds. The tower is also powered by up to a NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 1080 8GB graphics card, one of the leading GPUs on the market. It offers exceptional visuals to future-proof the machine to tackle the sequels of today’s chart-topping titles. Gamers who are looking for faster loading times are also in for a treat as the Lenovo Legion
Lenovo Legion Y25f Gaming Monitor
Y920 Tower has optional 32 GB 2800 MHz CORSAIR® VENGEANCE® LPX overclockable DDR4 memory and optional integrated Asetek® liquid cooling to overclock the CPU. This helps with increased frame rate stability, smoother gameplay, reduced system noise and motherboard stress, so gamers can play with confidence and certainty without compromising killstreaks or that split-second first place lead.
For the Mainstream gamer — Lenovo Legion Y720 Tower
The VR-ready Lenovo Legion Y720 Tower gives mainstream players the reliable performance they need to play all-nighters. Loaded with Windows 10® and up to a 7th
Bonus — Lenovo Legion Y25f Gaming Monitor
A 24.5-inch FHD display with a 144Hz refresh rate for sharp undistorted images, the Lenovo Legion Y25f Gaming Monitor brings out incredible details and textures in your favorite games. Featuring all-new HDR capabilities including 400 nits of brightness, the near-frameless display makes images extra vibrant for games that appear to explode off the screen—meaning grass grains are greener and blue skies are clearer. Every frame counts in a competitive gaming session, and the Lenovo Legion Y25f Gaming Monitor has an incredibly fast 1ms extreme response time, equipping players for any high-octane firefight with little-to-no lag. On the customization front, the Lenovo Legion Y25f Gaming Monitor adjusts by height and angle, and offers a convenient headphone hook.
TCL TAKES SMART ENTERTAINMENT TO NEXT LEVEL TCL Multimedia, the world’s third largest TV manufacturer and leading QLED TV innovator, redefines the smart entertainment experience as it recently unveiled the Android M-powered 4K TV C2, the company’s latest offering from TCL CityLine Series. The C2 Smart TV is powered by Android M and allows users to access a wide range of content and functions including Google Play Store, Games, Music, Movie and TV, Chromecast built-in, and Voice Search. Eason Cai, chief executive officer of TCL, said the C2 Smart TV, as well as their other latest models of Smart TV devices, are designed to empower consumers to create touching moments in life and bring people together through memories with its innovative technology.
C2 Smart TV “When people purchase a TV set, what they are really looking for is to create an exciting entertainment experience with their loved ones at home. And with so many different entertainment options families can choose from today, what TCL’s new models can
offer are smart functions that make HD TV episodes, movies, music and more really easy to access,” explained Mr. Cai. Easier App management and navigation. With Google Play Store, the users can search and install all
Android apps for movies, shows, music, and sports. This feature is complemented with its built-in Chromecast streaming capability. It enables the users to cast their favorite videos, games, and apps from their mobile devices in full quality right in their TV screens with just one tap of the Cast button found in Android or iOS devices. User navigation is also made easier and simpler because it is equipped with Google-enabled Voice Search. This feature allows users to go through the installed apps just by voice commands. Wide selection for Video Streaming. And for a more exciting family movie experience, C2 is bundled with Netflix—the world’s leading streaming video service provider. The Netflix application delivers TV episodes and movies of up to 4K
DEALING WITH WIFI DEADSPOTS IMAGINE booking a muchcoveted‘seat sale’flight online for you and your friends. You walk over to the kitchen to grab a snack while waiting for the booking confirmation page to load. All of a sudden, the connection lags and then you are disconnected. You’ve just entered a WiFi dead spot. A WiFi dead spot, also sometimes called a dead zone, is quite simply, an area within your house wherein the WiFi does not work. Anyone who has ever experienced it knows how extremely frustrating and disruptive it can be, es-
pecially if your lifestyle or job is internet-dependent. Why causes WiFi dead spots? WiFi connections work by transmitting radio waves that can be picked up by any device with the right reliever technology. If these waves are interrupted, obstructed or altered, the result is poor network performance or worst, a completely dead spot. Radio waves can be hampered by thick walls, doors, large metal objects and signal interference-producing devices and appliances like microwave
ovens, wireless security and sound systems and baby monitors, among others. If you live in an area with a dense wireless network (e.g. a residential building where every unit has a wireless connection), signal strength will be diminished, possibly creating dead zones. When it comes to the reliability and consistency of your WiFi connection at home, it’s not just the signal strength and the speed that matters. Here are some tips to help you get out of that dead spot: • Assess the problem areas. You can use an ap-
plication like WiFi Analyzer (available on Google Play Store) to assess the strength of your network and the frequency of the surrounding networks. Once you have the application on your mobile device, you can go around your house to see where the signal fluctuates. • Maximize signal strength. Remember: The farther you are from the router, the weaker the signal becomes. Reposition your router to make sure it is in a central spot in the house. The antenna should be up and pointing vertically. Turn to D3
on TCL TV, allowing customers to watch thousands of Netflix content. What’s more, TCL has an exclusive “Netflix” button on the C2 remote, which directs users to Netflix with just one click. There is also“T”button on the remote that directs users to content express, where TV channels and internet content are perfectly integrated for users to discover what they want instantly. High-quality specs and design. In terms of resolution, C2 delivers a stunning viewing experience with its HDR Pro, Wide Color Gamut (WCG), 4K UHD, and Micro Dimming technologies. It delivers an immersive audio experience because of its frontfacing Harman Kardon speakers and the Dolby Audio and Smart TV Volume that combine to give a studio-like effect.
DRONES HELP SWISS RESCUE DOGS FIND THE MISSING WINTERBERG, Switzerland—Capo, a golden retriever wearing a bright orange rescue harness, runs with his handler in tow towards a body sprawled in the high grass as a giant drone whirrs overhead. The scene was part of a simulated dog rescue operation this week aimed at highlighting the rapidly growing use of drones to help speed up and expand such searches in Switzerland. The exercise took place on Wednesday, the same day as a massive landslide on the Piz Cengalo mountain in the Swiss Alps that left eight people missing and triggered a search-and-rescue mission where dogs and drones were deployed. “The main benefit is to gain more time, to be more efficient and to be faster to find the missing person,” Dominique Peter, a pilot with the Swiss Federation of Civil Drones, told AFP. The federation has for nearly a year been working with the Swiss Association for Search and Rescue Dogs (Redog), providing drone teams to help with searchand-rescue. Since then they have assisted with 12 out of 22 Redog missions.
Nose on the ground
“This allows us to have an eye in the air and a nose on the ground,” Redog president Romaine Kuonen told AFP. Her colleague Christa Koller said the goal is to have drones on all missions. She said the drones are particularly useful for searches around cliffs and other areas in the Swiss Alps that are too dangerous for dogs and their handlers to access. The drones, with their mounted highdefinition and infrared cameras, can also quickly survey flat, open areas, leaving the dogs to search in wooded terrain where the drones cannot fly. Wearing a bright orange and yellow emergency worker jumpsuit, Peter expertly steered the Matrice 600, a large, professional-level drone made by the world-leading civilian drone maker DJI, over a vast field. An accompanying search specialist surveys the footage and communicates by mobile phone with Capo’s Redog handler Marie Sarah Beuchat to let her know which direction to send the dog. High-end drones can fly at high speeds, allowing them to quickly cover large areas. The Matrice 600 can fly up to 65 kilometres (40 miles) per hour, while DJI’s Ispire 2, which was also on display Wednesday, can go up to 100 kilometres per hour and five kilometres away from its pilot. “This can save lives,” Peter said. And while the drones used by the rescue teams can cost up to 30,000 euros ($35,000) each, Kuonen insisted that using them saves money because they speed up searches and can often be deployed instead of costly helicopters. Peter stressed though that the drones are meant to complement the work of the dogs, not to replace them. A dog is a “very well-engineered tool for search and rescue,” he said, voicing scepticism that researchers will be able to develop an artificial nose that can match the sensitivity of a canine’s. AFP
SEA GAMES STICKERS.
IN celebration of this year’s Southeast Asian Games, Facebook released a special sticker pack to help people cheer on their favorite athletes. The special edition stickers show the official SEA Games 2017 mascot, “Rimau” in 16 sports-themed moods with local Malaysian expressions such as ‘cun lah’ (awesome) and ‘Bangkit Bersama’ (Rising Together), which is the theme of SEA Games 2017. “Rimau” is inspired by the graceful and powerful Malayan Tiger. People can use the stickers for comments, photos and in Facebook Messenger. The Rimau sticker pack is now available for download in the Sticker Store, which can be accessed in Messenger directly and here http://bit. ly/RimauStickers. The Rimau sticker pack was designed by the Ministry of Youth and Sports Malaysia, Grey Group, m/SIX and Facebook.
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SUNDAY, AUGUST 27, 2017 Isah V. Red, Editor
/
Young Life
Bernadette Lunas, Issue Editor isahred@gmail.com.ph
THE ‘IT GIRLS’
WEAR FASHION TRENDS FROM THE ‘70S
T
HE 1970s may be the most revisited decade ever for the fashion industry thanks to its unique revolutionary trend. During this period, women had the freedom to express themselves with whatever they wanted to wear—whether it was a pair of high cut boots or platform shoes, or tight-fitting pants or an A-line skirt.
HOW TO
STRIKING MAKEUP LOOKS
TIRED of the usual muted, “nomakeup” makeup looks? Them it’s about time to step out of your comfort zone and go for something adventurous, fun, and vibrant. Take a page or two from the following makeup pegs created during the Bold Beauty event hosted by Ever Bilena and Ever Bilena Advance. The looks range from subtle boldness to all-out striking.
Always one step ahead of everyone when it comes to fashion, Anne Curtis, Liz Uy, Isabelle Daza, Solenn Huessaff, and Georgina Wilson—collectively known as the ‘It Girls’—lead the pack sporting some of the ‘70s fashion trends on a comeback trail.
‘90s Beauties
Photo from @solenn on Instagram
High Cut Boots
Scan this icon to view the PDF Photo from @lizzzuy on Instagram
Bell Bottoms and A-line Silhouettes
Women in the ‘70s chose their trousers very seriously. We first had flared pants which were then widened, paving the way for the bell bottoms, until eventually A-line trousers became a trend as well. Exotic and tropical design patterns were also a hit back then. They were a reflection of fashion designers’s inspiration from traveling in several foreign destinations around the globe. Liz hits two birds with one stone in her Emilio Pucci bell bottoms with tropical prints.
Another popular footwear during this period were the edgy high cut boots. ‘70s fashion icon Debbie Harry was usually seen wearing high cut boots especially when she is about to set the stage with her sexy and daring persona. One of the best ways to pull off this look is to wear a patterned or printed top with long V neckline. Complete your ensemble with a crossbody bag.
This look is a modern take on the grunge makeup trend that defined the 1990s. Let your smoky eyes do the talking by shading your eyelids with Ever Bilena Eyeshadow Palette in Brown, defining your lash lines with Ever Bilena All Day Eyeliner Pen, and applying a few coats of Ever Bilena Thicklash Mascara on your lashes. Finish off the look with a dark-colored lip shade, such as Ever Bilena Luxe Lipstick in Diva.
Berry Burst
Paint your face pink. Start off by applying Ever Bilena Eyeshadow Palette in Pink on your eyes. Add a little definition to your peepers with Ever Bilena Superlash Mascara in Black. Complete your bright, candy-colored look with a swipe of Ever Bilena Matte Lipstick in Vivid Violet on your lips.
Sporty Chic
In the latter years of the ‘70s, flared or any other wide pants weren’t working anymore for women. So they started wearing tightfitting pants, specifically the track suit, since sporty yet chic outfits became a hit due to the popularity of tennis. As people opted for comfort, platform shoes, like the Gucci pair worn by Anne, were their footwear of choice. Photo from @annecurtissmith on Instagram
Color Shift
Photo from @isabelledaza on Instagram
Midi Dresses
During the ‘70s several designers created skirts that were in between the knee and the ankle calling it the “midi” skirt. While miniskirt lovers that time opposed this trend because they thought Turn to E2
While this look can be extremely bold on a regular day, you can wear it on your next party. Play around with EB Advance 5 Shades Eyeshadow in Rainbow Blaze and apply it on your eyes, upper bones of your cheeks, and tips of your lips. Get a naturally rosy glow with a few swipes of EB Turn to E2
HAPPY FEET
KEDS LAUNCHES SECOND COLLAB WITH RIFLE PAPER CO. FOLLOWING sold-out releases of the premier Spring collaboration of Keds and stationery and lifestyle brand Rifle Paper Co., they are once again launching a new collection for the Fall season. The four-piece collection features Rifle Paper prints, namely Birch Floral (a design of whimsically illustrated blooms), Herb Garden (a beautifully illustrated assortment of florals, fruits,
and herbs), and Queen Anne (a simple, classic patterns in metallic gold), on Keds’s iconic silhouettes Champion, Kickstart, and Triple Decker. The collaboration celebrates two female-led and -focused brands: Keds, a footwear brand dedicated to providing women with accessible, fashionable footwear for over
100 years and Rifle Paper Co., a small stationery business turned international lifestyle brand founded by female entrepreneur Anna Bond. Keds president Gillian Meek says the success of their first collaboration with Bond’s brand is due to the beautiful product alignment with their female empowerment platform and the loyal fan base of both Keds and Rifle Paper Co.
“The response to our collaboration with Keds has been overwhelmingly positive.” enthuses Bond. “We’re excited to provide our customers with another collection of designs, and look forward to continuing what has proven to be a truly authentic partnership.”
Young Life
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SUNDAY, AUGUST 27, 2017 isahred@gmail.com
THE 'IT GIRLS'...
From E1
that longer skirts aged them, it eventually became one of the classic pieces in women’s wardrobe years later. Midi dresses and skirts usually come in somber shades like raisin, plum, murky green, or indigo in the 1970s. Today, red is the color that gives a bold statement—just look at Isabelle’s dress by Réalisation Par.
HALL OF FAME. St. Paul College Balayan bags the Scholastic Readers Cup's most prestigious award, the Winner Circle Champion. Photo from @ilovegeorgina on Instagram
Tinted Sunglasses
Sunglasses tinted in bright shades of bronze, zingy lemon, sky blue, or lily orange were a hit accessory in the ‘70s. Georgina and her company Sunnies Studios are currently offering their take on this eyewear trend.
—Daniel Reyes
STRIKING...
From E1
Advance Blush Duo in Golden Goddess. Polish it off with EB Advance Supreme Lipstick in Kylie.
Sunrise Pink
This show-stopper look highlights the cheeks. Therefore, apply a generous amount of Ever Bilena Cheek Blush in Shy from the apples of your cheeks up to your temples. Let other parts of the face flatter this glowing look by keeping it simple using Ever Bilena Matic Brow Liner in Earth for the eyebrows and Ever Bilena Matte Lipstick in Skin for the lips.
Igari
Try this look that’s currently popular in Japan. Also known as the “hangover” look, the secret of Igari lies in the use of blush. Blend out EB Advance Cheek Color in Poppy and EB Advance Blush Duo in Summer in an inverted triangle shape, from under the eyes down to the cheeks. Finish off the look with EB Advance LTD Liquid Lipstick in Skinny Dip.
CHAMPIONS OF LITERACY
SCHOLASTIC AWARDS READERS CUP 2017 WINNERS By Bernadette Lunas
Aside from winning in the education front, SPC Balayan wins more as it bagged the Scholastic Readers Cup’s Winner Circle Champion hall of fame recognition for winning the Readers Cup in ILLENNIALS are more techie than award—a the last four years—during the awarding ceremony on Aug. 23. bookworm.” Readers Cup awards the top 10 schools with the highest number of books read with passed quizzes during the seven-month contest period within the school year 2016-2017. Stonyhurst Southville International School Batangas claimed the This is the observation of St. Paul College Balayan principal Sr. top spot with 99 books read per student, besting 160 participating schools this year. Norma Michaela Que, SPC. The private school owes its award to the infectious passion for It can be related to the National Book Development Board’s 2012 Readership Survey which found a “slight decline” in the number of reading in their community and to the hard work of the faculty, adFilipino adult readers. From 94 percent in 2003, it went down to ministrators, and students. “Don’t get us wrong, we didn’t force our kids to read,” they 92 percent in point out. 2007, and furAt the second ther down to 88 spot is Stonyhurst percent or 49.2 Southville Intermillion in 2012. national School Reason why Malarayat with 96 urging stubooks read per dents to read student, followed more has been by Holy Cross Colone of the lege of Calinan goals of SPC with 87 books. Balayan, which Rounding up “was not an this year’s wineasy task,” acners are Nuestra cording to Sr. Señora de Guia Norma, prior to Academy (86 their partnerbooks), Immacuship with publate Conception lishing compaSchool of Baliuag ny Scholastic. (81 books), Iloilo Scholastic Scholastic Acadpartners with emy (80 books), schools for its Officials of Stonyhurst Southville International School Batangas accept their Readers Cup 2017 award Saint Mary’s AnAssessment gels College of and EnrichValenzuela (74 ment Program (AEP). AEP, now on its 10th year in the country, is a research-backed books), Saint Joseph College of Rosario (67 books), Scuola San Giuseppe Marello (65 books), and, tied at number 10, Mother Goose literacy program that strengthens balanced literacy instruction. Scholastic reading program manager Cecile Jacinto says Special School System, Inc. and Casa Del Niño Montessori School AEP’s goal is “to make students both proficient readers and avid Ciudad de Calamba (63 books). Benedictine International School and Uno High School were given readers” and build a life-long reading habit. “The AEP of St. Paul Balayan started in 2009, with the aim to the Scholastic Pioneer Award for being Scholastic’s partners since reinforce the reading skills and the comprehension of students,” 2007. Meanwhile, New Era University-General Santos City Branch was awarded the Readers Cup Rookie Award for their success in rallying recalls Sr. Norma. The past eight years have been fruitful for the Batangas-based reading on the first year of their AEP implementation. Through this program, Scholastic provides their partner schools campus, as the AEP successfully brought back the culture of reading in their community. The principal shares “Students have with physical books, mostly English, although Jacinto says “there’s become more critical in choosing references and literature for a conscious effort” to bring in books by Filipino authors and illusthe investigatory projects and their communication skills and trators. And to keep up with time, they have recently included a library of e-books for students who want to read on their tablets. vocabulary have improved.”
“M
A RESCUER AT HEART PET TALES
BY DESIREE CARLOS
Conrad sleeping on Jen's chair
SHE has been rescuing strays for 10 years now. It thus came naturally to her to comfort a wet, shaking pup who survived a terrible accident on Mindanao Avenue in Quezon City last Aug. 15. A cement mixer crushed a car, leaving the pup alone on the street when his owners were brought to the hospital. Jenny B. Ramirez, a 37-year-old licensed criminologist, decided to take care of the pup while waiting for the owners to claim him. One of the victims, Ulysses Ramos (who bought the pup for his two kids hours before the accident), died on the way to the hospital. His wife, Marife, and their two kids survived. A trainee of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) brought the pup named Conrad to the office. Ramirez, who works for the BJMP Directorate for Human Resources Development, saw the pup under the kitchen sink in the office,
took pity on him, immediately got him and hugged him tight. “I placed him on my lap and comforted him. I wiped him with wet tissue. I bought puppy food because they told me he had not eaten anything since the night of Aug. 15,” Ramirez recounted. “He pooped on my pants and on my chair three times I didn’t mind as I am used to such ‘unfortunate events’,” she said. Ramirez recalled that two persons tried to get Conrad from them. “A woman came, claiming she is the relative of Mrs. Ramos and that she was there to claim Conrad. I was hesitant to give the puppy. What if nagkukunwari lang na kamag-anak, para lang makuha ang dog. What if magnanakaw pala,” she said. She recalled that another woman called and said she was going to adopt the pup, claiming the owner had died. Continued on E3
Jenny Ramirez with Conrad, the dog who survived the Aug. 15 accident on Mindanao Avenue
Showbiz
SUNDAY, AUGUST 27 , 2017
INTRODUCING
SAD
TJ MONTERDE By Sundy Locus
T
IS GIL CUERVA
READY TO CUT HIS HAIR?
TJ Monterde makes good music together with his lady love, KZ Tandingan.
uploaded his videos online. Although most of his tracks are certified chart-toppers, TJ’s still has minimal exposure on television that’s why people still ask who he is when someone mentions his name. The singer doesn’t mind that though, instead, he expresses that it actually gives way for some amusing encounters with fans. He also shares his contentment about having a quiet relationship with KZ Tandingan. TJ wrapped up his sold-out first solo concert entitled Ikaw at Ako: The Concert a few months ago at the Music Museum where he also launched his third album Kahit Kunwari. His latest album consists of five all-original acoustic ballads with “Mahika” as the title track. He is currently signed under PolyEast Records, which also released h i s newest record.
FAMILIAR BACKSTORY. TJ Monterde is a rising music star who started from being an Internet celebrity to becoming a bona fide pop artist.
PET TALES...
From E2
She told the caller that the owner is alive and that they were only waiting for the owner to claim the dog. “I told the woman I will turn over the dog sa mommy lang niya. Binagsakan ako ng telepono,” Ramirez recalled. At around 9 p.m. last Aug. 16, she went to Funeraria Paz to turn over the pup to Mrs. Ramos. “The guard said that dogs are not allowed inside. I said ‘Kuya, this dog belongs to the victims of the accident, I need to turn over this dog sa mayari.’ Fortunately, pumayag siya,” Ramirez said. “The son immediately touched Conrad and called Conrad’s name. Parang miss
na miss niya ang dog. I turned over the puppy to Mrs Ramos,” she added. She recalled the moment she handed over Conrad: “Mabigat sa pakiramdam, kasi mami-miss ko si Conrad. He was such a sweet dog. Mabait.” “Naging emosyonal din ako sa loob kasi dama ko ang sakit ng nararamdaman nila. I hope Conrad’s presence will somehow ease the pain na na-e-experience nila ngayon. Lumisan ako sa lugar na may konting kaluwagan sa aking dibdib because the puppy has already been reunited with his human family. I hope that one day I will see Conrad again,” she shared. Mother of 11 dogs
SDAF
Model and showbiz newbie Gil Cuerva is recognizable in a sea of faces with his long locks
HE Internet caters to numerous talents that are often unheard of. With its power to create celebrities out of YouTube and other social media platforms, cyber fame has shown its magic in jumpstarting an artist’s career; proving that cyberspace is definitely a goldmine of talents. Take Justin Bieber, Shawn Mendes, and Troye Sivan for example. They all started from YouTube. In the Philippines, meanwhile, rising balladeer TJ Monterde sets out an example how from being a virtual unknown YouTuber can dominate mainstream music scene. TJ recently dominated the Billboard Philippine top 20 with his four original tracks namely “Dating Tayo,”“Tulad Mo,”“Ikaw At Ako,” and “Ikaw At Ako Pa Rin,” which features longtime girlfriend, KZ Tandingan. With his songs’ captivating lyrics complemented by his soulful voice, TJ charmed his way to the hearts of netizens, earning him a massive 1.5 million following on his social media account. He started uploading his videos on YouTube back in 2011 and now, six years later, his channel has 37 thousand subscribers while his signature track “Ikaw at Ako”, which debuted as the original soundtrack for YouTube’s viral film entitled My Super Fan Girl , has amassed more than 33 million views. Like many other singers, the road to TJ’s newfound fame wasn’t that smooth as anyone could imagine. Leaving his career as a radio personality and a local TV host for ABS-CBN’s regional show MagTV, the 27-year-old singer-songwriter from Cagayan De Oro braved the concrete jungle of Manila to find a record label that’s willing to shelter his talent. He auditioned as a VJ for Myx but didn’t make it. His experience, however, paved way for unexpected opportunities. He met key people from the music industry and started doing voice-overs for television commercials. It was also around the same t i m e w h e n he first
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Jen with rescues (from left) Kikay, Sky, and Browtey
NOT anytime soon. But if the situation calls for it, or if he’s given a role that requires him to sport a shorter do, he would cut his hair pronto. Every guy with long locks has specific reasons why they avoid the barber shop. Maybe it’s a statement, or a story, maybe it’s about his character and who he is. Maybe he just doesn’t like getting his hair cut. For My Love From the Star actor Gil Cuerva, keeping his hair long is more than just a statement, its keeping his identity that separates him from all the rest. “I feel like it gives me an identity. It makes me unique, it makes me who I am. I’ve always wanted to have long hair, even when I was a kid, but I couldn’t do it because of school,” the newbie actor revealed during a recent interview. He further stated that back when he was in grade school and high school at Ateneo de Manila University, he already wanted to grow his hair but because of the hair cut rule, he had to keep his locks short and neat. “I think the haircut rule suppresses your freedom to actually express yourself, in terms of hair. I really don’t get that rule that we really needed to have a short hair,” he said. Gil is currently undergoing acting workshop in preparation for his next TV projects.
Ramirez, mother of a fouryear-old boy, describes herself as a “dog lover and mother of 11 dogs.” She was 17 when she had her first dog, Bonjing, in Zamboanga. The dog died at the age of 18. In 2007, she got Buddy, her first dog in Manila. Since then, she has brought home a lot of sick dogs. “Kahit maliit ang bahay ko, pinilit kong alagaan sila. Kasi ayaw ko nang pakalat-kalat sila. Kawawa sila, wala silang pagkain at walang bahay,” she said. There was a time a dog was left in a plant box. “Parang mamatay na ang dog. Inuwi ko siya, pinaliguan, ginamot ko ang duguang galis sa buong katawan. I named that dog Sunny. Sabi ko, ‘may pag-asa ka pa Sunny, gagamutin kita.’ Gumaling siya,” she re-
called. Responsible rescuing Ramirez urged people who find dogs on the streets to look for their owners and to return them. She stressed these pets are members of the family to many owners. “Masakit sa kanila o sa atin kung mawala o nawala ang alaga natin. Parang anak lang din yan kung nawala sa atin, gagawin natin ang lahat para mahanap ang ating anak.” she said. Ramirez added, “I am not rich. But as long as I can help, I will. There are other rescuers and I know they, too, lack the resources But if we won’t do it, who will? Please be kind to God’s creations.” Author’s Note: Please send pet love stories and inspiring stories involving animals to my email address daycarlos@ yahoo.com.
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Showbiz
SUNDAY, AUGUST 27, 2017 Isah V. Red, Editor / Nickie Wang, Issue Editor isahred@gmail.com
BEA ALONZO WANTS TO WORK WITH
CAN YOU BELT IT LIKE ARIANA GRANDE?
GONG YOO
DANGEROUS WOMAN. International pop superstar Ariana Grande applies some strategic poise as her voice sailed out over the Mall of Asia Arena on Monday.
By Nickie Wang
A
MERICAN pop superstar Ariana Grande emerged from the floor to perform her duet with Nicki Minaj, “Side To Side.” While bouncing along on an exercise bike and dancing among the equipment with shirtless male dancers, she was singing live. She was doing it for almost a minute and didn’t show any hint of exhaustion.
During the 90-minutes concert, Ariana Grande showcased her incredible vocal talent, backed by a solid band and crew of dancers
If it was an ordinary singer, the person would have wheezed from the time he opened his mouth to belt out the first note. Obviously, nobody can do it like Ariana because dancing and pedaling on a stationary bike in rapid succession while singing at the same time is a tough act that can only be done
by a superhuman. The American pop superstar brought Mall of Asia Arena stage to life during the Dangerous Woman World Tour on Monday, which marks her second sold out concert in Manila. The 90-minute and 21-track show was underscored by the 24-year-old diminutive chanteuse’s powerful vocals and infectious energy. It’s good to note that Ariana was even under the weather during the show. “Thank you, guys! I’m really sick today but you guys made me feel so much better. Mahal kita!” Ariana told the crowd at the Smart Music Live-sponsored concert. In a separate Instagram post after the two-hour concert, she poured more love for Filipino Arianators saying, “Manila, I love you always! Thank you for having me and for always bringing me so much light! Whenever I’m under the weather, you give me so much life.” She added, “Thank you for your love, your sincerity, your sense of humor and overall you-ness. You stay recharging me. I love you with all my heart and appreciate you more than you know. Mahal kita!” Ariana won the hearts of people around the world by returning to the stage just three weeks after a suicide bomber attacked her concert in Manchester in May. All-grown up and showing the world how to rise above a tragedy as devastating as the bombing that happened during her concert, asserted her hold over a sold out concert in spite of the rains that flooded some parts of the metro.
With about 10 dancers joining her onstage, Ariana stretched her vocals and dance moves while singing her hits like “One Last Time,” “Let Me Love You,” “Bad Decisions,”“Touch It, Leave Me Lonely,” “Bang Bang,” “Love Me Harder,” “Break Free,” and an emotional rendition of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” which she dedicated to all her fans especially those who died and got injured during her concert in Manchester. While Ariana did not need any extravagant stage design – her vocals as her instrument and her undeniable stage presence were more than enough to punctuate her Manila tour a resounding success. But there’s no denying that Ariana Grande had five costume people have set high expectations changes, from black ensemble, she on Ariana’s second concert in Machanged to white, then grey, and back to black for her finale nila. Many regarded the 2015 show as her best yet. In fact, Honeymoon World Tour can be encapsulated into three words – surprising, entertaining and deafening. Though the concert on Monday was still full of rabid fans screaming from the top of their lungs, the words surprising and entertaining are hardly the right adjectives to describe the Dangerous Woman Tour, unless of course you’re an avid fan. The show opened with Ariana backed up by some dancers grooving through the first song of the night. Initially, one wouldn’t realize that Ariana was actually already part of the lineup due to lack of appropriate lighting (the stage was dark all throughout). Her wardrobe that consisted of black and grey most of the time made her almost unrecognized onstage, if not for her signature ponytail-draped-over-a-shoulder do, she would have blended with her backup dancers. Unlike the scenes from Honeymoon Tour that looked perfect even in pictures taken with a smartphone, Dangerous Woman was the complete opposite. Nonetheless, it was still a perfect show for the audience – many of whom are cat-ear-sporting teens who follow the pop star like she’s the “Dangerous Woman Tour” is all about only singer on vocal showcase and Ariana Grande’s the planet. mature transformation
YOUNG STAR, INDIE ACTS DOMINATE
AWIT AWARDS NOMINATIONS THE Philippine Association of the Record Industry unveiled the nominees for the Awit Awards 2017 last week. Teenage singing sensation Darren Espanto leads 13 artists of MCA Music with a total of 21 nominations for this year’s Awit Awards. Darren is nominated for Album of the Year, Record of the Year, Song of the Year (“Alam” by hitmaking composer Jungee Marcelo), Best Performance by a Male Recording Artist (“Alam”) and Best Collaboration (“I’ll Be There” with Jed Madela). Meanwhile, rising pop-rock indie group Autotelic earned four nominations namely Record of the Year and Best Performance by a New Group Recording Artist for “Laro,”; and Best Rock/Alternative Recording and Best Performance by a Group Recording Artist
for “Gising.” Another indie act got most nominations, MilesExperience is nominated in three categories — Best Performance by a New Group Recording Artist for “Silakbo,” Best Rock/ Alternative Recording and Best Performance by a Group Recording Artist for “Love Supreme.” Now on its 30th season, the Awit Awards aims to recognize the best contributions to the music industry for the past year, as well as to celebrate the Filipino’s passion and love for music. Last year, Sarah Geronimo and Ebe Dancel took home the top honors at the 29th Awit Awards. Geronimo won Album of the Year for “The Great Unknown,” while Dancel bagged the Song of the Year award for “Bawat Daan.”
Teen pop sensation Darren Espanto leads the nominees in the 30th Awit Awards
Bea Alonzo (top) speaks about her dream to collaborate with Korean star Gong Yoo (bottom)
KAPAMILYA Bea Alonzo confessed that she wants to work with hallyu star Gong Yoo, the Korean celebrity who made a name internationally for his remarkable roles in series 1st Shop of Coffee Prince, Guardian: The Lonely and Great God (also known as Goblin) and movie Train to Busan. “I hope I could meet him someday. Nakakatuwa kasi siyempre kasi we’re both endorsing the same product. I hope one day we can star in an online short film series,” Bea told Manila Standard in a recent interview when she was launched as the first local endorser for Asus Zenfone series. “I’ve seen Train to Busan. I haven’t seen Goblin yet but I want to see it. Sabi nga nila maganda daw. Yung mga PA ko, fans sila ni Gong Yoo,” she added. As the ambassador of the mobile phone band, Bea will release a series of webisodes produced specially by technology company brand for its consumers and Bea’s fans. The actress dropped hints on what to expect from the webisodes and why they will be relevant to young people. She revealed that the webisodes will feature top moments captured with her phone. Asked if she would be the one to decide to personally capture those moments, Bea still put meeting Gong Yoo as her top choice. “My number one is to finally Gong Yoo. Sana ma-capture ‘yun. Number two, ‘yung reaction ng fans when they finally see the webisodes. Number three, when I get to travel to my favorite destinations and finally be able to go to places that I want to go to. Number four, pag-gising ko. Kasi syempre you’re thankful that you’re still alive. You always have to be thankful and grateful that you’re still alive. Number five, kahit yung dinner lang with family nai-inspire ako,” she beamed. – Sundy Locus