Manila Standard - 2017 September 03 - Sunday

KID WARRIORS SEEN JOINING MAUTE RANKS

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YOUNG recruits of the Maute group may be sent to reinforce enemy front lines in Marawi City, a military spokesman said Saturday—as troops continue to rid the besieged city of terrorists, at the same time that sources said Isnilon Hapilon, the anointed ‘emir’ of Islamic State-inspired groups, might have already fled to Basilan.

In a radio interview, Armed Forces spokesperson Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla said desperate conditions of the Maute group might force them to finally use child fighters against government forces to prolong the infighting in Marawi City.

“Before, they were not in the front lines but since they’re already in a desperate state, they may be forced to use these children,“ Padilla said in a radio dzBB interview.

Padilla said troops would still attempt to rescue the young Maute group recruits.

“We’re doing our best to rescue the child fighters … and save the hostages,” he said.

In related developments: • Government troops started scouring towns round Marawi for possible Maute sympathizers, a day after President Rodrigo Duterte warned of a possible terrorist spillover from Marawi City.

“We are trying to validate all these reports...As far as the center of Buldon, we have not been able to monitor any such recruitment, but there are isolated areas here,” said Col. Jesus Sarsagat, 603rd Brigade commander.

Sarsagat said army intelligence units were closely monitoring parts of the town near the Cararao complex as it might serve as a route to Butig, hometown of the Maute family.

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NAZARENE PILGRIMAGE. Thousands of San Juaneño devotees of the Nuestro Señor Jesus Nazareno gather round the image Saturday as it was being carried out of the Saint John the Baptist Church—one of the pilgrim churches declared in 2013 by the Archdiocese of Manila—for the weekend procession.

Mayor Guia Gomez implemented a liquor ban 'to maintain peace and order in the city during the occasion.' Norman Cruz

US PLANS MORE SEA PATROLS IN CONFLICT AREAS

ILOILO DRUG LORD DIES IN SHOOTOUT

By John Paolo Bencito

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LOILO City’s most notorious drug personality, Richard Prevendido, was killed in a firefight last Friday night after allegedly shooting at arresting officers, authorities said Saturday.

Chief Inspector Jovie Espenido, meanwhile, would remain as Ozamiz City police chief after his transfer to Iloilo City was canceled, amid protests

by Ozamiz City residents objecting to his transfer.

Philippine National Police chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa said Espenido would be retained at his current assignment as Ozamiz residents currently protested against his transfer as Ozamiz City councilor Ricardo “Ardot” Parojinog remained at large.

President Rodrigo Duterte earlier raised the bounty on Parojinog’s head at P5 million, for allegedly using law enforcers to silence those who defied their power.

Prevendido, who was a high-value target, operates one of the two major

drug groups in Iloilo and is the number 1 most wanted in Western Visayas, Police Sr. Supt. Marlon Tayaba, acting director of the Iloilo Provincial Police, said in a radio dzMM interview.

Dela Rosa on Saturday credited the slay of the alleged No. 1 drug lord in Iloilo to the provincial police office.

Dela Rosa, in an interview on dzBB, made the comment to clear the air of some rumors the killing of Prevendido for resisting arrest was in preparation for the possible assignment of Espenido to Iloilo City.

Coincidentally, Espenido was the chief of police in Albuera, Leyte when suspected drug lord Mayor Rolando Espinosa was killed while in detention.

But Police Regional Office Region 6 Director Cesar Binag said Espenido

would no longer assume his post as chief of police of Iloilo City.

Binag said Espenido’s “cancellation of reassignment” was ordered by the PNP Headquarters in Camp Crame. No reason was stated in the order.

He also reported that Senior Supt.

Henry Binas from Negros Oriental would be the one to head the city’s police force.

President Duterte himself had previously announced Espenido’s Iloilo assignment.

The PNP has yet to say if the change in Espenido’s assignment had anything to do with the death of Prevendido.

Binag said the death of Prevendido would substantially reduce the proliferation of illegal drugs in the city.

Authorities were supposed to serve a warrant stemming from Prevendido’s alleged violation of provisions of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 when the alleged drug lord resisted arrest and prompted him to fire against policemen at his believed hideout at Landheights Subdivision in Barangay Balabago, Jaro in Iloilo.

Recovered from Prevendido were

WASHINGTON—The Pentagon is planning to conduct more regular patrols in the South China Sea—as many as two to three a month—to assert freedom of navigation in disputed waters claimed by China, the Wall Street Journal reported.

The newspaper said the aim was to create a more consistent posture to counter China’s maritime claims, rather than a more ad hoc approach favored during Barack Obama’s administration.

US officials declined to say where or when the new patrols would be made, but said the plan developed by the US Pacific Command called for two or three so-called “freedom of navigation” operations a month over the next few months.

Future patrols also could include US military aircraft as well as US Navy warships, the Journal said.

There have been three “freedom of navigation” operations since President Donald Trump took office in January— the last one by the USS John S. McCain, a destroyer that collided with a cargo ship days later off Singapore, killing 10 sailors.

During the Obama administration, the US Navy conducted four such operations in the South China Sea, where China has asserted its claims by building artificial islands and establishing runways, ports and other facilities on them.

China claims nearly all of the sea, through which $5 trillion in annual shipping trade passes and which is believed to sit atop vast oil and gas deposits.

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an AK45 assault rifle, three caliber .45 guns, bladed weapons, laptops and sachets of around 10 grams of suspected shabu.

Dela Rosa had said the slain drug suspect had an intention to resist arrest after he did not present himself to Camp Crame and had remained in hiding.

The PNP chief said their work on Prevendido came following long-time surveillance against the high-value drug lord, adding the suspects were the only people in the alleged safehouse when they conducted the operation.

Malacañang, meanwhile, said Prevendido’s killing showed risks policemen face against high-value targets.

“The incident shows the enormous risk our police officers face each time warrants are implemented against high-value targets,” Presidential Spokesman Ernesto Abella said.

Iloilo was dragged into the spotlight after President Duterte ordered Espenido to be transferred to Iloilo City, the place he repeatedly tagged as the “most shabulized” and “bedrock of illegal drugs.” With PNA

DUTERTE SON'S SENATE SHOW-UP RULED OUT

PRESIDENTIAL CHAT. President Rodrigo Duterte chats with Armed Forces Chief of Staff Gen. Eduardo Año on the sidelines of the 11th Founding Anniversary celebration of the Eastern Mindanao Command at the Naval Station Felix Apolinario in Panacan, Davao City on Friday. Malacañang Photo

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MALACAÑANG said Saturday there was no more need to summon presidential son Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo “Pulong” Duterte and son-in-law Atty.

Manases Carpio to the Senate inquiry on the smuggling of a P6.4-billion shabu shipment from China that slipped past the Manila port.

This, after Customs broker Mark Taguba retracted and cleared them both of the smuggling allegations.

“With Mark Ruben Taguba II’s statement clearing Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte and Atty. Manases Carpio from involvement in the BoC smuggling issue, there may be no reason for the Senate investigative panel to call the two individuals to attend any hearing in Manila, although they have indicated willingness to testify,” Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella said in a statement.

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Abella, however, clarified the administration respected the Senate’s independence despite calls for the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee to investigate members of the President’s family on their possible involvement in the controversial shipment, which has bared deeply entrenched corruption at the BoC. “The legislature is a co-equal branch of government, and the Executive branch respects the Senate’s independence. We trust its wisdom on this matter,” he said.

On Friday, Taguba apologized to President Rodrigo Duterte’s family, saying talk of their involvement in corruption at the Bureau of Customs was based on hearsay.

In a statement, Taguba even branded as “fake news” claims of Duterte’s and Carpio’s involvement in the shipment of illegal drugs, or the “tara” system

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NEW SPECIES OF CRABS FOUND IN MINDANAO BIOLOGISTS claim to have discovered a new species of freshwater crab in Mindanao, which would be added to 1,300 species of such crabs distributed throughout the tropics and subtrropics.

One of the marine biologists behind the discovery, Jose C.E. Mendoza of the National University of Singapore, in an interview with GMA News, said this was the “fruit of collaborative work.”

“It’s a new species of freshwater crab from Barangay Seloton, in Lake Sebu, South Cotabato. My co-author purchased it from a vendor who was selling crabs and freshwater fish for food,” Mendoza said.

There are around 1,300 species of freshwater crabs, distributed throughout the tropics and subtropics, divided among eight families which show direct development and maternal care of a small number of offspring, in contrast to marine crabs which release thousands of planktonic larvae.

The total number of species of freshwater crabs, including undescribed species is thought to be up to 65 percent higher, potentially up to 2,155 species, although most of the additional species are currently unknown to science.

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BAUTISTA IMMUNE FROM SUIT, SAYS DOJ

FEDERAL SHIFT GOES INTO 'FULL STEAM'

By Sara Susanne D. Fabunan JUSTICE Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre on Saturday said that embattled Commission on Elections chairman Andres Bautista is immune from any criminal charges, unless he will be impeached.

Aguirre explained that the Constitution provides that government officials, while still in office, are immune from any suit until his term ends.

“He’s still an impeachable officer and immune from suit,” Aguirre said.

Bautista’s term, who was appointed by former President Benigno Aquino III in 2015, will expire on 2022.

“The only suit that can be filed against him is an impeachment suit,” said Aguirre, despite his order for a probe of Bautista’s corruption allegations.

He added that charges can be filed against Bautista if the latter will resign as poll chief.

The Secretary has already ordered the Presidential Commission on Good Government to investigate the activities of Bautista when he was still PCGG chairman.

In Department Order No. 551, Aguirre instructed the PCGG to “closely coordinate with the National Bureau of Investigation [NBI], the Commission on Audit [COA] and the Department of Justice [DOJ] in the conduct of its investigation and is further authorized to prosecute cases, when necessary, in accordance with its powers under Executive Order Nos. 1, 2, 14 and 14-A above stated and other relevant laws.”

Among those he wanted checked by the PCGG was a report of the COA on “more than P100-m unliquidated cash disbursements obtained from the Philippine National Bank [PNB] Dollar Escrow Accounts of the PCGG during the time of Chairman J. Andres Bautista as PCGG Chairman and thereafter.”

He also wanted the PCGG to look into the reported abuse of resources of PCGG sequestered and surrendered entities committed during the chairmanship of Andres “including but not limited to the millions of pesos worth of gift checks and gift cards received

by J. Andres Bautista and his staff, including those supposedly given to the members of the media.”

The Secretary sought the scrutiny of ill-gotten wealth, kickbacks and commissions Bautista may have received from, but not limited to, “the alleged payment of purported excessive billings made to law firms supposedly connected to him.”

Aguirre also asked to check “PCGG cases (both civil and criminal) which were dismissed, compromised, or with adverse judgments.”

The DOJ chief also reminded the PCGG of “the recovery and forfeiture of assets under the name of Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos and their cronies that unexplainably remain unsequestered.”

DUTERTE SON'S...

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of bribery at the Bureau of Customs.

Taguba had previously testified that the younger Duterte and Carpio, husband of the former’s sister Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte, were “namedropped” by individuals who had paid “grease money” to Customs officials for the release of shipments of illegal drugs.

On Friday, President Duterte vowed that if there were proof that members of his family were corrupt, he would step down—as long as the evidence did not come from Trillanes, whose supposed allegations he branded as “trash.”

He also defended the younger Duterte and Carpio, saying the latter was just doing his job as a lawyer.

He said if anyone could show him video of his son accepting a bribe, he would step down.

US PLANS...

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Its sweeping claims overlap with Viet-

nam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei—all Asean members—as well as Taiwan.

Washington and Beijing have seen their relations grow increasingly fraught since a promising summit between Trump and China’s Xi Jinping in April. AFP

By Rio N. Araja

A

FTER President Rodrigo Duterte completed the list of the 25 members, led by retired chief justice Renato Puno and ex-Senate president Aquilino Pimentel Jr., that will comprise the Constitutional Commission (Con-Com), Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Ray Villafuerte said on Saturday it’s now “full steam ahead” in Congress to tackle the amendments to the 1987 Constitution, including the shift to federalism.

Villafuerte said the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council also gave priority to the proposed shift to federalism among its 27 priority bills, he said.

Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez is set to meet with Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III to decide when lawmakers from the two legislative chambers could convene as a Constituent Assembly (Con-Ass) to draft a new Constitution toward shift to the federal system

of government, he added.

The committee on constitutional amendments in Congress also recently created four technical working groups tasked to draft a proposed Philippine Federal Constitution.

“All these positive developments mean that the process to shift to federalism is now in full throttle. As I have been saying all along, federalism will only fulfill its goal of redistributing wealth to the countryside if it is accom-

panied by moves to liberalize the Constitution’s restrictive economic provisions,” Villafuerte said.

The amendment of the Constitution must also include the omission of the provisions limiting foreign ownership in various sectors of the economy, he added.

He urged the technical working groups to study the provisions on the national economy and patrimony must strongly consider proposals to relax the restrictions on foreign ownership so that “the country could regain its competitive edge among other Asian economies in attracting long-term foreign direct investments that would supercharge growth and create more jobs, especially in the countryside.”

“Federalism and foreign investments will sustain the economy’s growth momentum and enable the government to put flesh into President Duterte’s vision to disperse growth and development to the regions,” he said.

According to Villafuerte, the first

technical working group was created to help come up with a proposed Philippine Federal Constitution would draft provisions on the Executive-Legislative (Articles VI and VII); New article on Federal and Regional Powers, Numbers of States, and Local Government and Taxation/Allocation of Resources (Article X).

On the other hand, the second group is in charge of the Judiciary (Article VIII), Amendments or Revisions (Article XVII), Suffrage (Article V), Citizenship (Article IV) and Bill of Rights (Article III).

Another TWG will tackle the Preamble, National Territory (Article I), Declaration of Principles and State Policies (Article II), General Provisions (Article XVI) and Transitory Provisions (Article XVIII).

The fourth group shall deal with the provisions on Social Justice, Labor and Others (Article XIII); Education, Science and Others (Article XIV); National Economy and Patrimony (Article XII); New Article on the Bill of Duties; Accountability of Public Officials (Article XI), and Family (Article XV).

FREE PASSAGE. Asserting the freedom of navigation in disputed waters claimed by China, the United States vows to conduct more regular patrols in South China Sea.

NEW SPECIES...

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Mendoza said “Vendors and markets, especially in remote or understudied areas, are one of the first places we look [for] when we survey the biodiversity of those areas...how do people interact with or utilize this biodiversity?”

Mendoza is a lecturer at the National University of Singapore, while his co-author Emerson Y. Sy is based in the Philippine Center for Terrestrial and Aquatic Research.

The details of their serendipitous discovery will be published in the Michael Türkay Memorial Issue of the journal “Crustaceana.”

Mendoza described Türkay as a “carcinologist from the Senckenberg Museum and Research Institute in Frankfurt, Germany” and the new species—Sundathelphusa miguelito—is named after him. “[This is an important discovery] because of the very nature of freshwater crabs. As their name suggests, they are highly dependent on good and healthy freshwater habitats, and because of this, they tend to have very limited distribution ranges,” Mendoza said.

“This species is very likely to be endemic to Mindanao, and worthy of conservation and further study,” he added.

Sundathelphusa miguelito is only the 5th species of freshwater crabs in Mindanao. The most recent discovery was in Agusan del Sur Province in 2001 (Sundathelphusa hades).

Three other species were discovered decades earlier—Sundathelphusa mistio (1904), Sundathelphusa montanoanus (1904), and Sundathelphusa wolterecki (1937).

He and Sy note in their paper that Sundathelphusa miguelito is “regularly collected and sold as food by ambulant fish vendors to nearby municipalities of the province.”

“Yes, it is edible. Most freshwater crabs are. [But caution should be up since] they are known vectors of lung flukes, which cause paragonimiasis in humans who eat them raw,” Mendoza explained.

Mendoza has previously written on other freshwater crabs species, including Sundathelphusa cagayana from Penablanca, Cagayan (described in 2010); Sundathelphusa niwangtiil, from southern Negros (described in 2015); Sundathelphusa orsoni, from northern Negros (described in 2015); and Isolapotamon maranao from Lanao del Sur (described in 2014).

KID WARRIORS...

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Blocking operations along the border of Lanao del Sur and Maguindanao were already established even before news of a possible spillover surfaced, he said.

• Senator Ralph Recto on Saturday urged the government to help wounded soldiers in Marawi City by giving them a much bigger financial assistance and reward.

“If the injuries sustained by the wounded are so severe that they would require lifetime care and assisted living, then it is time to review if existing policies are enough to provide those,” Recto said.

Under existing rules, a soldier or a policeman permanently maimed during combat or operations, gets a one-time P250,000 financial aid. The senator wants this quadrupled to P1 million.

Recto called for the augmentation of the budget for the Comprehensive Social Benefits Program, which lists the aid to be extended to killed and wounded uniformed personnel, as it was based on an estimate of 681 personnel killed or wounded during the entire year.

He said: “The war in Marawi was not factored in. If guns need to be reloaded with ammo, the same is true for the funds of programs to help the wounded and the killed.

“The wounded are the other heroes of Marawi. They are casualties, too. They may not have paid the ultimate sacrifice to keep the peace, but their valor and courage are no less fierce.”

Padilla said the soldiers would be forced to retaliate and defend themselves if Maute child fighters would take up arms and fire at troops.

The military had earlier said they had cornered the Maute group in a 500-square-meter area in Marawi City, with terrorists’ leaders Abdullah and Omar Maute believed to be still in the area.

Government sources said another terrorist leader, Hapilon, remained alive but was no longer in Marawi after he had been seen in Basilan openly as the infighting reached more than a hundred days.

“There has been a rift going on, he’s being baited [to authorities],” sources said, adding there had been demoralization among terrorists ranks.

The military, however, has yet to officially confirm

the information on Hapilon’s whereabouts.

An operation against Hapilon in Marawi City led to the Maute group’s siege last May 23, which prompted President Duterte’s declaration of martial law in Mindanao.

Earlier, Duterte said it was unlikely to lift martial law in Mindanao before the end of 2017 because of a possible spillover of violence brought about by the fighting in Marawi City to the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

Recto said the number of wounded servicemen in Marawi had exceeded the 1,000 mark by now.

The military does not provide a running tally of troops wounded since extremists overran the city on May 23.

But when officials of Armed Forces of the Philippines met with senators on the Marawi crisis prior to the special session of Congress last July 22 to tackle the extension of the state of martial law in Mindanao, the number of wounded government troops had reached 845 by then, Recto said.

“That was the reported figure as of July 17. At that time, the report was 823 AFP personnel wounded plus 22 from the police. That was the figure 47 days ago,” Recto said.

Unlike killed in action, the total to date of which is mentioned in every report, military battlefield reports do not carry a running total of wounded-in-action.

By Aug. 31, the number of soldiers killed had climbed to 136, the latest three wounded in the retaking of a strategic bridge that leads to the city.

Thursday’s push also wounded 54 troops, according to media reports that quoted military spokesmen.

Recto said he was not questioning what appears to be a policy to embargo information on total number of wounded.

“The people deserve the right to salute their heroes,” Recto said.

He said stories of wounded personnel reporting to the front with injuries not yet completely healed depicted men who are heroes.

He said the budget of the AFP Medical Center, pegged at P1.613 billion for 2018, should be increased to accommodate the needs of wounded servicemen.

John Paolo Bencito and Joel Zurbano

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VACC TO FILE IMPEACH COMPLAINT VS MORALES

By Rio N. Araja

T

HE Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption bared on Saturday its plan to file an impeachment complaint against Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales in Congress.

“Anytime soon, VACC will make good its threat to file an impeachment complaint against Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales for

various political offenses,” VACC lawyer Manuelito Luna said.

Last May, the group threatened to file impeach raps

against Morales.

According to the VACC, Morales must be held liable for betrayal of public trust due to selective prosecution of cases, violation of the Constitution and/or betrayal of public trust due to inordinate delay or failure to promptly act on complaints and betrayal of public trust due to sanctioning the filing of losing cases in order to shield former President Benigno

Aquino III from his culpability for the death of the SAF 44 troopers during the Jan. 25, 2015 Mamasapano clash in Maguindanao.

Luna said the Ombudsman also violated the 1987 Constitution in applying the abandonment of the condonation doctrine retroactively in the case of Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo in defiance of the Supreme Court’s decision in CarpioMorales vs. Jejomar Binay Jr.

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IN BRIEF ‘DOJ needs additional 1,000 prosecutors’ JUSTICE Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre said on Friday that his office needs more prosecutors to fill up more than 1,000 vacant positions, which he said was the major reason why backlog of cases has increased and continue to pile up.

Aguirre admitted that the number of case backlog has increased from 10,000 when he assumed the office to 14,000 unresolved cases.

“Kailangang-kailangan namin ng mga prosecutors dito [we are in need of prosecutors here],” Aguirre said.

He said that the DoJ has more than 1,000 vacancies.

Aguirre earlier blamed the administration of former President Benigno Aquino III, through the leadership of former DoJ secretary Leila de Lima, for the slow processing of appointment papers which resulted in the vacancies and the backlog of cases.

When he took over the DOJ office, Aguirre said that he inherited a backlog of 10,000 cases and 509 vacancies for prosecutors. Sara D. Fabunan

Local road projects completed—DILG

ANTI-DENGUE. QCPD Director General Guillermo Eleazar, along with Philippine Children’s Medical Center officials and staff, supervise the free dengue vaccination given to the personnel of the QCPD and their families at Camp Karingal in Quezon City. Manny Palmero

EX-BSP DEPUTY NAMED AMLC DIRECTOR

By John Paolo Bencito FORMER Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas deputy director Mel Georgie Racela has been named as the new executive director of the AntiMoney Laundering Council, the Monetary Board confirmed Friday.

“Under Atty. Racela’s leadership, the secretariat’s investigations were aligned with the national campaign against drug trafficking, counter-financing of terrorism, and graft and corruption,” the AMLC Secretariat said in a Sept.

1 statement.

“Vital administrative changes were also initiated to maximize the AMLC’s investigative and legal capabilities,” it added.

Racela, who was designated as AMLC Secretariat officer-in-charge from Feb. 1 to July 31, would replace Julia Bacay-Abad, who had previously resigned after President Rodrigo Duterte accused her of refusing to cooperate with the National Bureau of Investigation in investigating suspected drug criminals.

Prior to joining the AMLC Secretariat, Racela served as deputy director for Special Projects and Reports Group of the BSP Office of Supervisory Policy

Development.

Recently, the AMLC adopted rules on the imposition of administrative sanctions on covered persons, with casinos now deemed as “covered person” under the amended Anti-Money Laundering Act. “His goals are to align policies and rules with international standards and to firmly enforce the law and the rules while nurturing a culture of compliance among covered persons,” the AMLC Secretariat said.

“He aims to elevate the country’s international ratings, such as those made by the Financial Action Task Force,” it added.

NOGRALES BACKS PDEA’S PROPOSED P1.4-B BUDGET DAVAO City Rep. Karlo Alexei Nograles said on Saturday the House committee on appropriations backed the P1.4-billion proposed budget of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency for 2018 and the agency’s P934.5 million to fund items needed in its anti-drug campaign.

Malabon City Rep. Federico Sandoval II asked the PDEA about its much-needed equipment to effectively monitor airport passengers.

“I am fully in support of the budget of PDEA. What equipment do you need so we can help in pushing for their procurement funding?” he asked.

Ako Bicol Rep. Rodel Batocabe also supported PDEA’s budget proposal and called on PDEA officials to beef up their capability and highlight the agency’s accomplishments and programs.

He recommended the visibility of drug enforcement officers at the airports and seaports.

Lanao del Norte Rep. Mohamad Khalid Dimaporo also gave his support to PDEA. “I would like to manifest again my support for the PDEA budget. I know it is hard to obtain the objectives of the President, but this

is the time for PDEA to step up to the plate considering that our President is very serious in this war against drugs,” he said.

He asked PDEA as to how the drug list of the President was being managed and validated.

The 2019 elections are forthcoming, he raised, saying local politicians expressed fear that the drug list could be “used and abused.”

He called on the PDEA and other concerned agencies to put in place security protocols so that the list would not be used for political gain.

During last week’s hearing presided by committee vice chairman, Masbate Rep. Scott Davies Lanete, PDEA’s officer in charge, Assistant Secretary Julius Fajardo gave Congress the assurance that they would be prudent and wise in utilizing its budget in pursuit of drug-free communities.

PDEA has proposed an original budget of P3.375 billion to the Department of Budget and Management, but the DBM approved only P1.448 billion to be spent for personnel services at P774.7 million, maintenance and other operating expenditures at P471.3 million and capital outlay at P593.7 million. Rio N. Araja

BAKWITS’ PLAINT. Muslim ‘Bakwits’, who escaped the war in Marawi City, called on President Rodrigo Duterte to stop military airstrikes and give justice to all victims during a press conference held in Quezon City. Manny Palmero

SOME 1,606 local road projects have been completed in support of President Rodrigo Duterte’s Build, Build, Build program, the Interior Department said Saturday.

The completed road projects were carried out under the Konkreto at Ayos na Lansangan ang Daan Tungo sa Pangkalahatang Kaunlaran (KALSADA) which transitioned to Conditional Matching Grant to Provinces (CMGP) for Road Repair, Rehabilitation, and Improvement in 2017; and Bottom-up Budgeting (BuB)-Local Access Program under the DILG’s Office of Project Development Services (OPDS).

Some 675 local road projects have been funded using the BUB-Local Access Program, with P559.94 million allotted across 12 cities and 181 municipalities in 65 provinces across the country, while 106 out of 208 KALSADA projects for 2016 have already been finished, with an aggregate total of 354.72 kilometers upgraded provincial roads.

DILG’s new program, CMGP, now has 36 ongoing projects, 35 projects on procurement stage; and 126 projects on pre-procurement stage, which would cover the upgrading, rehabilitation and improvement of provincial roads in 78 provinces nationwide.

Interior Undersecretary Austere Panadero said that they are 100 percent “behind the President in building key government infrastructure to propel economic growth.”

“We are proud to say that the completed core local roads all over the country has improved the connectivity of inner barangays to the places of economic convergence in their respective localities,” Panadero said.

During his second State of the Nation Address, Duterte said that the administration is targeting to increase government spending on infrastructure from five percent of the Gross Domestic Product to seven percent GDP by 2022, amounting to a total of P8 to P9 trillion.

Meanwhile, the completion of the one-kilometer Capas-Botolan road this November will cut travel time between Tarlac and Zambaez provinces by one hour and twenty minutes, the Department of Public Works and Highways said.

The P267-million road project is funded under the 2017 Infrastructure Program. John Paolo Bencito and Vito Barcelo

‘Ber’ traffic schemes to be imposed in NCR THE Metro Manila Development Authority is set to reimpose numerous measures in the National Capital Region in line with the government program to ease traffic in the metropolis as the Christmas season draws near.

MMDA spokesperson Celine Pialago said among these measures are the moratorium on road diggings, no delivery of goods during daytime, no mall sales and other crowd-drawing events during weekdays, and the adjusted mall operating hours from the usual 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. to 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Agency officials will be meeting mall, shopping center and commercial establishment operators in Metro Manila to discuss on how and when they will start the reimplementation of the schemes in a bid to lessen the number of vehicles in the metropolis as the peak buying months approaches.

Historically, according to Pialago, the volume of vehicles swells on Epifanio de los Santos Avenue by 10 to 15 percent during the “ber months.”

Shopping malls and other commercial establishments located along Edsa are traffic generators during the Christmas holidays, she added.

At least 16 malls and shopping centers are located along Edsa.

“We expect heavy traffic during this time of the year, and the MMDA is preparing several measures to lessen the burden of motorists,” Pialago said.

Joel E. Zurbano

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Adelle Chua, Editor

WHY FAKE NEWS SPREADS SO FAST ON FACEBOOK

EDITORIAL

By Mark Buchanan HOW can we fight back against the fake news infecting our information feeds and political systems? New research suggests that education and filtering technology might not be enough: The very nature of social media networks could be making us peculiarly vulnerable.

The intentional spreading of false stories has been credited with swaying such monumental events as last year’s Brexit vote and US presidential election. Tech firms such as Alphabet Inc. unit Google and Facebook Inc. have been trying to find ways to weed it out, or at least help users spot it. Some say we need to start earlier, educating children on how to think critically.

But understanding the unique epidemiology of fake news may be no less important. Unlike a typical virus, purveyors of falsehood don’t have to infect people at random. Thanks to the wealth of information available on social media and the advent of targeted advertising, they can go straight for the most susceptible and valuable victims—those most likely to spread the infection.

This insight emerges from a recent study by network theorists Christoph Aymanns, Jakob Foerster and Co-Pierre Georg, who ran computer simulations of the way fake news moves through social networks. Using state-of-theart machine learning algorithms, they examined how individuals might learn to recognize false news, and sought to identify the most important factors in helping fake news spread. They found that the most important catalyst of fake news was the precision with which the purveyor targeted an audience—a task that can easily be accomplished using the data that tech companies routinely gather and sell to advertisers. The key was to seed an initial cluster of believers, who would share or comment on the item, recommending it to others through Twitter or Facebook. False stories spread farther when they were initially aimed at poorly informed people who had a hard time telling if a claim was true or false.

Hence, we’ve unwittingly engineered a social media environment that is inherently prone to fake news epidemics. When marketers use information on surfing habits, opinions and social connections to aim ads at people with just the right interests, this can facilitate beneficial economic exchange. But in the wrong hands, the technology becomes a means for the precision seeding of propaganda.

It’s hard to see how this can change without altering the advertisingcentric business model of social media.

Aymanns suggests that big social media companies could counteract fake news by preventing advertisers from targeting users on the basis of political views, or even by suspending all targeted ads during election campaigns.

But this might be impossible, given how important such advertising has become to the economy. Alternatively, opponents of fake news could use the same targeting technology to identify and educate the most vulnerable people—say, providing them with links to information that might help them avoid being fooled.

The study does offer one positive conclusion: Broad awareness of fake news should tend to work against its success.

Campaigns were much less successful when individuals in the model learned strategies to recognize falsehoods while being fully aware that purveyors were active. This suggests that public information campaigns can work.

In other words, fake news is like a weaponized infectious agent.

Immunization through education can help, but it might not be a comprehensive defense. Bloomberg

PARDON HIS FRENCH F OR the French, a suspect is guilty until he or she is proven innocent.

“They can detain a person almost indefinitely.”

President Rodrigo Duterte made this claim during the celebration of National Heroes’ Day last week, reacting to what he perceived as renewed meddling by UN Special Rapporteur Agnes Callamard, a French citizen. “She should just go home,” he said.

In dismissing Callamard’s points, the President attempted to compare the French way with the Filipino way; suspects here, he said, are presumed innocent until they are proven guilty.

The reference to French criminal law would have made a compelling argument. It would have allowed the President to gather support for his controversial methods by simple association.

Alas, the statement is plain wrong.

The Embassy of France in Manila issued a clarification. “We have to point out that, as in the Philippines, the presumption of innocence until proven guilty is at the core of the French judicial system, based on the principles enshrined in the French Declaration of Human and Civic Rights of August 26, 1789.”

In an attempt at face-saving at this clarification, Palace spokesman Ernesto Abella said: “The Philippines and France share the same values of respect for human rights, due process and accord primacy to the presumption of innocence.”

The President, Abella added, merely wanted to emphasize that no country has a perfect judicial system and to stress the need for amendment to existing laws to ensure that human rights are protected.

We have seen too many of these incidents before and recognize the same patterns again at work: Mr. Duterte makes a bold, emphatic, controversial statement to drive home a point. The facts are dug out and it is revealed the statement is without basis.

Malacañang either tells the public they should not have taken Mr. Duterte’s words literally, or should have used their imagination to interpret them, or that it was not really what he meant.

As a result, a message meant to be powerful is diluted by the erosion of credibility. What a waste.

More than one year into his term, however, the President does not seem keen on changing his speech patterns. Perhaps that is just how he is, or perhaps he believes this is the most effective way to get himself noticed and heard.

One thing is certain: It is not a good way to get himself taken seriously.

This is especially true as just this week the President signed an amendment to the Revised Penal Code that penalizes those who spread fake news.

Before, those who violate Article 154—those who commit the crime of “unlawful use of means of publication and unlawful utterance”—are fined P200 to P1,000. With the amendment, they can now be fined P40,000 to P200,000 aside from imprisonment of one month and one day to six months.

Perhaps it was an honest mistake or sheer carelessness on the part of the President. Certainly he committed nothing illegal and did not endanger public order, or cause damage to the interest or credit of the State.

Still, the President needs to be the first to show reverence toward accuracy and truth. Fewer and fewer instances of “clarification” should make him a better communicator, and a more convincing leader.

LITERARY CONGRATS: PALANCA, BLOODLUST, NJLA, SAWI/WAGI CONGRATULATIONS to the winners of this year’s Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature, held Sept. 1 at Peninsula Manila.

The judges, among them Cristina Pantoja-Hidalgo, Jun Cruz Reyes, J. Neil Garcia, and Vim Nadera bestowed awards on 51 winners, 23 of them first-time awardees.

This year’s awards were also special for being a Novel-Nobela year (these categories are opened only on alternate years).

UP professor Jose Dalisay Jr. received the Gawad Dangal ng Lahi for his contributions

to Philippine literature. A 16-time Palanca winner and Hall of Famer, Dalisay was also the evening’s keynote speaker. *** Congratulations also to Krip Yuson and Gemino H. Abad, editors of “Bloodlust: Philippine Protest Poetry from Marcos to Duterte,” and to the contributors, on the book’s launch last Aug. 31 at the UP College of Arts and Letters.

The tome features the country’s finest poets in a “protest against the cavalier disregard of human rights and lives,” as Yuson says in his introduction to the book.

“Here, then, is the poet’s response to what is happening in our country— from the subtle to the outraged—in four languages. It has been three decades since Filipino poets have reassembled in pages of protest.

“Here are our poets, 65 of them in this collection, with a total of 133 poems. Now we join our voices with those of the rest of our fellow Filipinos who cannot abide by bloodlust.” *** Congratulations in advance to Philippines Graphic magazine Editor-in-

Chief Joel Pablo Salud, Literary Editor Alma Anonas-Carpio, and the rest of their team on their forthcoming literary night, the Nick Joaquin Literary Awards: Nick Joaquin Centennial.

To be held Sept. 13 at BHotel, Quezon City, the annual event bestows awards for the best short fiction and poetry that has appeared in the pages of the magazine in the past year.

The event will also celebrate the centennial birth year of Joaquin, known as the country’s greatest writer in English. A collection of his works, “The Woman Who

Had Two Navels and Tales of the Tropical Gothic” was published earlier this year by Penguin Classics to international critical acclaim. *** Turn to A5

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Opinion NUCLEAR TALKS WITH NORTH KOREA ARE POINTLESS

By Eli Lake HERE’S a shocker. On Wednesday morning, Donald Trump tweeted something that was mostly true: “The US has been talking to North Korea, and paying them extortion money, for 25 years. Talking is not the answer!”

Technically the US government stopped providing North Korea food aid and oil shipments in 2009. But other than that, Trump got this one right. The notion that the current standoff between North Korea and the US and its allies should end in another round of six-party talks recalls the old joke about the definition of insanity: Doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.

Remember North Korea has violated every agreement it has ever made with the international community. From the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty to the 1994 Joint Framework Agreement, the Hermit Kingdom does not keep its word.

And yet, despite Trump’s tweet, it seems like this is the direction America is headed. Kim Jong Un’s ballistic tantrum in recent weeks seems likely to have the same outcome as his father’s past fits. He threatens to incinerate Guam. He keeps testing missiles. The latest one flew over Japan and has prompted yet another rebuke from the United Nations.

Trump correctly stated that more words will not be sufficient. But his administration is already backpedalling.

Secretary of Defense James Mattis told a pool reporter: “We’re never out of diplomatic solutions. We always look for more. We’re never complacent.”

That’s vague enough to leave the door open to something better than another round of summitry. But it doesn’t look good. Already many nonproliferation experts are chiming in with shop worn policy recommendations to combine carrots and sticks with the aim of negotiating another agreement.

It’s quite possible that Trump’s tweet will have the same staying power as his promise to release his tax returns.

Fortunately for Trump, he has other options. To start, he should take a sensible approach to North Korean diplomacy and abandon the fantasy that more talks will persuade the Kim regime to abandon its nuclear weapons. Instead, Trump should engage in what American Enterprise Institute scholar Nicholas Eberstadt has called “threat reduction.”

This does not mean abandoning diplomacy altogether. It would be useful to have a military hotline with the North Koreans to avoid catastrophic miscalculations.

But the US must prepare for more aggression from Pyongyang.

In overlooked congressional testimony from January, Eberstadt recommends a policy of bolstering missile defense systems for South Korea, Japan and the US and encouraging South Korea to bolster its civilian defense capabilities. Eberstadt also recommends doubling down on counter-proliferation, interdicting North Korean ships on the high seas, targeting its illicit procurement network, and other steps past administrations have taken to make it harder for the regime to perfect its missiles and nuclear weapons.

I would add to this list: Covert operations aimed at sabotaging these programs similar to the Stuxnet virus deployed against Iran’s centrifuges in 2009 and 2010.

Eberstadt also warns that it’s important to understand that North Korea’s nuclear program is not just an insurance policy for the survival of the regime, as most experts understand it. He says nuclear weapons are also a component of the country’s strategy to break the US alliance with South Korea. He points out that unification of the peninsula has been a consistent aim of the Kim family since the start of the Korean War. They have shown no sign of giving this up.

This means the US must plan now for a response to a conventional military attack on South Korea.

Trump should also aim to delegitimize North Korea. This is distinct from isolating the regime, which is a mantra every president has said for the last 25 years. North Korea is already isolated.

As I wrote recently, it’s important to continue to support quiet programs to break the information seal the regime tries to impose on its citizens. Ebertsadt elegantly put this principal as follows: “The regime is deadly afraid of what it terms ‘ideological and cultural poisoning,’ what we could call foreign media, international information, cultural exchanges, and the like. We should be saying, bring on the ‘poisoning!’ The more external contact with that enslaved

LITERARY...

From A4 Congratulations as well to University of the Philippines professors Roland B. Tolentino and Rommel B. Rodriguez on the upcoming launch of the anthology “Wagi/Sawi: Mga Kuwentong Luwalhati at Pighati.”

Tolentino and Rodriguez edited this collection of stories that was published last

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2017

A5

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

TRAVEL BARRIERS ARE THE WORST OF THE NEW COLD WAR

By Leonid Bershidsky THE latest loop in the escalation of US-Russia hostilities is probably the dumbest and the most damaging: The two countries are introducing de facto travel restrictions for each other’s citizens, choking off the friendliest, most human channel of communication between them. It’s the biggest step back into the Cold War era that the two governments have taken yet.

The State Department has stopped issuing visas in Yekaterinburg, Vladivostok and St. Petersburg, a response to Russian demands for drastic cuts in US diplomatic mission based in the country. In 2016, those three posts combined issued 46,243 visas, about a third of the turnover of the US embassy in Moscow, now the only visa-issuing office in Russia.

The decision effectively ends all non-essential travel to the US from the Russian hinterland, and even from St. Petersburg, the country’s second city. Most travelers will end up picking a different destination rather than travel to Moscow for a consular interview.

As if that wasn’t enough of a retaliatory move, the US has also ordered Russia to close its San Francisco consulate. The Russian foreign ministry doesn’t break out its data in visa statistics, so it’s not clear how many of the 56,229 Russian tourist visas issued to Americans in 2015 originated there. But the closure of the office will mean an end to all non-essential travel to Russia for people who live on the West Coast.

I understand the logic of diplomatic tit-for-tat, and it doesn’t concern me who started this or whom to blame. One doesn’t need to take sides in the old academic argument over whether tourism is an instrument of peace or a beneficiary of peace. It’s just plain good sense to see that keeping casual travelers out of a country prevents people from forming an unmediated opinion of it.

Stopping Russians who want to see the US from doing it leaves them at the mercy of the Kremlin propaganda machine, which will be happy to tell

them its own stories of life in the US. Creating obstacles for Americans to travel to Russia leaves them a choice between the increasingly antiRussian mainstream press and the export version of the same Kremlin propaganda.

In my travels around the US during the 2016 election campaign, I have met people content with the mainstream narrative of a backward, morally bankrupt, hopelessly corrupt Russian society and the avid watchers of RT, the Russian government-funded TV channel who mistrusted that narrative and admired Russian President Vladimir Putin’s ideology and methods. I couldn’t convince either side that they’d feel quite differently if they ever visited my homeland.

I have also often met Russians who refused to believe my stories of American complexity.

The mutual misunderstanding isn’t as bad yet as it was in the 1980s, when the Soviet Union weakened and the Iron Curtain opened a crack. The Americans I met then were usually shell-shocked by their experience of informal contacts with Russians. The older ones invariably recalled the nuclear drills they’d done in case “the Russians” came. The younger ones listened, open-mouthed, to the Russian rock we’d put on. And I remember how stunned I was when I first came to the US in 1993 and rode a Greyhound bus coast-to-coast, talking to dozens of people along the way; it was uncanny how alike we turned out to be.

With less travel and fewer opportunities to meet each other, it’s only a matter of time before we’re back in the 1980s, knowing next to nothing about each other, devoid of casual, informal contact. The distortions this breeds are worse than the effects of a drop-off in trade, technological sanctions, propaganda wars. These distortions virtually guarantee further escalation—it’s easier to hate people you haven’t met.

It’s especially difficult to understand why the US would embrace travel restrictions with such gusto.

The soft-power advantage is on its side. It’s easier

for Russians to find things to like in the US than for Americans to crack the surface of the more closed, more cautious Russian society. Americans also have more achievements to show off. Why squander this advantage on petty tit-for-tat?

In 2012, Georgia, a country that had lived through a brief Russian invasion in 2008, a country whose citizens had a hard time traveling to Russia, unilaterally abolished visas for Russians. Moscow denounced it as a “propaganda move.” I, and many other Russians, didn’t care: That year, I was among the 513,930 Russian tourists who visited Georgia, up from 278,458 the previous year. I saw first-hand that Georgians were friendly toward us, and I saw what progress the country had made since the 1990s. If letting me come and see it was propaganda, it was definitely effective.

If I had to guess why the US doesn’t make a similar move but appears to enjoy making travel more difficult, I’d side with Bulgarian political scientist Ivan Krastev, who recently published a column in the New York Times saying Americans—and specifically US Liberals—are “mesmerized and terrified” with Russia because it shows them glimpses of America’s own future. “What disturbs liberal America is not that Russia will run the world—far from it,” writes Krastev.

“Rather, the fear, whether liberals fully recognize it or not, is that the United States has started to resemble Russia.” That idea is worthy of more detailed analysis because the similarities are striking indeed. But an instinctive fear of catching Russian social diseases— from fierce nationalism to extreme cynicism—could be behind the American inability to recognize that the US benefits from having as many Russians as possible come to visit.

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, I relished introducing Americans to my country and my city, messy as Russia was back then. Many people both in Russia and in the US will be deprived of this rewarding experience while the current bilateral idiocy lasts. It can’t be forever, though, just as the Iron Curtain wasn’t. Bloomberg

RETIREMENT, DELAYED

By Suzanne Woolley THE baby boom generation has left its mark on music, fitness and politics.

Next up: retirement. While some people dream of the “golden age” of relaxation, sun and travel that their parents enjoyed, many more have looked at the numbers and decided to keep working.

(It takes a lot of savings to finance a 30year vacation.) For others, working is a choice. (Why give up a good income and fulfilling career?) Either way, the generation famous for rewriting the rules is now reshaping life after 65.

The situation Demographics are forcing changes in retirement expectations. From 2025 to 2050, the senior population worldwide is projected to nearly double to 1.6 billion.

That will strain government benefit plans. Meanwhile, the world’s birthrate is declining. Fewer workers mean fewer people paying into pension programs.

So governments are encouraging or forcing people to work longer. In

Germany, 6 percent of people aged 65 and older are working; in the UK, that number is 10 percent; it’s 18 percent in the US. In Japan, where a median age of 46.9 gives it the world’s second-oldest population (surpassed only by Monaco at 52.4), 22 percent of people age 65 and older are still working. There’s room for growth: Surveys show 80 percent of Japanese seniors want to work. Some are finding it hard to live comfortably on pensions alone. Meanwhile, in China and India, only a small percentage of citizens are in any pension system.

The background German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck offered the elderly the world’s first national old-age pension system in 1889. In the US, the first private pension plan was begun by American Express in 1875. By 1929, one-tenth of America’s workforce had company pension plans. Yet that same year, even before the Great Depression hit, 56 percent of Americans 65 and older couldn’t support themselves. The Social

population, the better.”

For now this means continuing to support efforts of North Korean defectors to get portable DVD players loaded up with South Korean television programs over the demilitarized zone through smuggling, drones and other means.

Another component of delegitimizing North Korea should be to awaken South Korean civil society to their responsibility to begin planning for how it will one day have to absorb a population that has lived under a Stalinist tyranny for nearly 70 years.

Greg Scarlatoiu, the executive director Committee for Human Rights in North Korea, has also recommended for the US to push for suspending North Korea’s voting rights at the United Nations. This is a long shot because China to this day has acted most of the time as North Korea’s protector at Turtle Bay. But the message it sends is important. North Korea is not part of the community of nations; it’s a criminal syndicate masquerading as a government.

Many experts have suggested another component should be getting tough

year by UP Press. The launch, program, and introduction of contributors will be held at 4:00 p.m. on Oct. 19 at the Film Studio, UP Film Institute.

Also to be launched are 10 other titles

by Tolentino: “Pag mabilis na umalis, baka di naman talaga dumating at iba pang kwento” (Quezon City: University of the Philippines Press, 2017); “Indie Cinema at Mga Sanaysay sa Topograpiya ng Pelikula ng Filipinas” (Manila: UST Publishing House, 2017); “Kabataang Kulturang Popular at

Mga Sanaysay sa Kartograpiya ng Disaster at Aktibismo sa Filipinas” (Manila: UST Publishing House, 2017); “New Media at Mga Sanaysay sa Platitude ng Bagong Objek ng Media at Mediasyon sa Filipinas” (Manila: UST Publishing House, 2017); “Keywords Essays on Philippine Media and Neocolonialisms” (Quezon City: Ateneo de Manila University Press, 2016); “Araw: Mga Aporismo ng Pagkautal at Pagkaulol” (Quezon City: University of the Philippines Press, 2016);

Security law passed in 1935 included a pension plan. During World War II, wage controls in the U.S. led employers to offer pensions to attract workers.

Private pensions expanded through the 1970s until they covered almost half of workers. By the 1950s, retirees had money to spend and wanted to play. The number of golf courses in the US doubled from about 5,000 in the 1950s to more than 10,000 in the 1980s.

America’s first retirement community, Sun City, opened outside of Phoenix in 1960. Things began to change in 1980 with the introduction of 401(k) plans.

While defined benefit pension plans had promised workers a guaranteed stream of income in retirement, 401(k)s shifted the responsibility to save onto workers, who could contribute a percentage of pre-tax salary into an account they managed. Workers in such plans who invested heavily in the stock market lost value with every crash, and tough economic times led many to take early withdrawals. Fewer US homeowners

reaching retirement age have paid off their mortgages, and student loan debt follows more Americans into retirement.

Medical costs are rising. The result: American baby boomers face a far more uncertain financial future in retirement than their parents did.

The argument Baby boomers are starting retirement without much in the bank. Close to one-fifth of Americans 65 and older are working and more people expect to work past traditional retirement age.

Healthy seniors often want to stay on the job even if they don’t need the money.

Some argue this prevents younger people from advancing in corporations and academia. Governments are encouraging older people to work.

In 2011, the UK abolished its default retirement age of 65; most people now work as long as they want. The graying of the workforce is likely to continue. When asked what age they expect to retire, 10 percent of American baby boomers say “never.” Bloomberg

with China, North Korea’s benefactor and supplier of fuel and electricity. But even Trump has acknowledged that his initial effort to work with Beijing in this regard has so far failed.It’s possible that ratcheting up pressure could get better results. But it’s also a risky strategy because it could spark a trade war or prompt China to become more aggressive in other areas such as the South China Sea, where it continues to build artificial islands as a military foothold.

“Gabi: Mga Aporismo ng Pagtanga at Pagtunganga” (Quezon City: University of the Philippines Press, 2016); “Contestations of the Nation-Space: Cinema, Transnationalism and Cultural Politics in the Marcos-Brocka Philippines” (Quezon City: University of the Philippines Press, 2014); “#Pag-ibig - mga aporismo ng pagnanasa’t pagsinta” (Naga City: Ateneo de Naga University Press, 2014); and, co-edited with Gary Devilles, “Kritikal na Espasyo ng Kulturang Popular” (Quezon City: Ateneo de

For now the most important thing for Trump to do is to prepare for the worst, mitigate the North Korean military threat and lay the groundwork for the day when Koreans can liberate themselves. The one thing he shouldn’t do is apply sanctions today in the hopes of negotiating at some point in the future. As Trump tweeted Wednesday, that’s what the US has been doing for the last quarter-century. Let’s hope he sticks to his guns this time and avoids the same mistake as predecessors.

Bloomberg Manila University Press, 2015).

These books are valuable readings for students of film and film theory, cultural criticism, cultural studies, and communication, as well as film buffs and lovers of Filipino fiction and creative nonfiction.

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

World

A6

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2017 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Cesar Barrioquinto, Editor / Jimbo Gulle, Issue Editor

PRESIDENTIAL POLL ANNULLED

BY KENYAN COURT NAIROBI, Kenya—Kenya’s press on Saturday praised the Supreme Court decision to annul last month’s presidential poll as a hardfought victory for the rule of law, and sign of a maturing democracy.

Pointing to widespread irregularities in the electronic transmission of vote results, Chief Justice David Maraga declared President Uhuru Kenyatta’s victory “invalid, null and void.”

The unexpected ruling in favour of opposition leader Raila Odinga stunned the nation.

The Saturday Standard headlined its front page “Maraga Thunder”, while the Star went with “Not yet, Uhuru” and the Saturday Nation had “Raila’s big victory.”

All agreed that what the Nation termed a “Supreme Bombshell” was a welcome sign of the judiciary’s independence.

“Kenyans have struggled for decades to institutionalise the rule of law. We have fought, shed blood, lost lives and property in search of constitutional order,” the paper said in an editorial.

“Intrinsic in this is the desire to establish independent institutions that provide checks and balances against each other.”

It said the ruling “signalled the end of the era of impunity that has painfully assailed this country for too long.”

Writing in the Star, the president of the Law Society of Kenya wrote that every election except that in 2002 had been plagued by “complaints, irregularities, suspicion of impropriety” that no court had been willing to properly tackle.

The paper’s editorial said the decision “will reverberate for years to come in Kenya and around the continent.” AFP. AFP

SMOKE RISES FROM RUSSIAN US CONSULATE SAN FRANCISCO--Mysterious black smoke was seen rising from a chimney at the Russian consulate in San Francisco on Friday, as firefighters confirmed its occupants were burning unidentified objects on the eve of the mission’s closure.

Washington ordered the shutdown of the facility along with two others on Thursday in a retaliatory move after the Kremlin demanded the US slash staff numbers at its Russian diplomatic missions.

Firefighters were called to the scene in response to alarmed -- or intrigued -- phone calls from citizens, but later clarified there was no cause for concern.

“The Russian embassy had a fire alarm NOT A FIRE everything is okay and we are clearing,” San Francisco Fire tweeted from its official account.

Spokeswoman Mindy Talmadge told AFP that consulate employees “must be” in the middle of burning unknown items.

Firefighters “confirmed there was smoke coming from the chimney but no structural hazard,” she added, without saying whether they entered the building.

The move triggered fevered speculation on Twitter about the nature of the material that had gone up in the flames.

“So they had so much to burn up that they set off their alarms with the smoke?

Hahaha” wrote one user, while another said: “Much easier to burn than shred.” AFP

TV’S ‘INHUMANS’ MAKES HISTORY WITH PREMIERE LOS ANGELES--Superhero show “Marvel’s Inhumans” will make history on Friday when it becomes the first television series to debut in IMAX theaters before its broadcast premiere.

The first two episodes of ABC’s collaboration with the Disney-owned movie studio have been converted into a 75-minute feature that includes scenes shot on IMAX cameras “that are simply extraordinary and should be seen on that screen,” according to executive producer Jeph Loeb.

The episodes will then air on small screens on September 29 at their full length for a combined running time of 84 minutes.

“Marvel’s Inhumans” is based on the comic book series by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby about a royal family of super-powered aliens from the Moon who are exiled to Hawaii.

It stars Anson Mount (“Straw Dogs,” “Seal Team Six”) as Black Bolt, the enigmatic, commanding king of the species who has a voice so powerful that even the slightest whisper can level a city.

Loeb was speaking at last month’s Television Critics Association Summer Press Tour in Beverly Hills, where studio executives were forced to defend themselves against criticism of the show’s look.

Based on an early version of the first episode made available to reviewers, journalists voiced concerns that it did not match Marvel’s usually high standards.

Among the complaints was the observation that the abilities of Ken Leung’s character Karnak were not clear, and that the visuals did not merit an IMAX release.

The criticism came after fans voiced disappointment on social media over the lackluster appearance of the wig worn by Medusa (Serinda Swan), shown in a trailer that dropped in June. AFP

This handout photo taken on August 31, 2017 and provided by South Korean Defense Ministry in Seoul shows bombs hitting a mock target at a shooting range in Gangwon Province during a South Korea-US joint military drill aimed to counter North Korea’s latest missile test. AFP

SOUTH KOREAN MISSILE DEFENSES BOOSTED W

ASHINGTON—The United States and South Korea agreed Friday to strengthen Seoul’s defenses and Washington gave a nod to billions in arms sales to the country, the White House said, days after North Korea fired a missile over Japan and threatened further launches.

In Seoul, the presidential Blue House spokesman confirmed that US President Donald Trump and his South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-in agreed to enhance the country’s deterrence against North Korea by boosting its missile capabilities.

Pyongyang fired an intermediaterange Hwasong-12 over Japan early on Tuesday, which it said was a mere “curtain-raiser” for the North’s “resolute countermeasures” against ongoing USSouth Korean military drills.

It came as US and South Korean forces were nearing the end of the 10-day annual Ulchi Freedom Guardian joint exercises, which the North regards as a rehearsal for invasion.

Trump has insisted that “all options” are on the table in an implied threat of pre-emptive military action, while on Thursday US heavy bombers and stealth jet fighters took part in a joint live fire drill in South Korea intended as a show of force.

Trump and Moon spoke on the phone Friday about North Korean’s “continued destabilizing and escalatory behavior,” the White House said in a statement.

“The two leaders agreed to strengthen our alliance through defense cooperation and to strengthen South Korea’s defense capabilities.

“President Trump provided his conceptual approval of planned purchases

by South Korea of billions of dollars in American military equipment.”

Park Soo-hyun, the spokesman for Seoul’s presidential office, said the leaders had reached an agreement in principle to loosen -- “to the extent hoped by the South Korean side” -- limits on the South’s ballistic missile capability.

Under a bilateral agreement with the United States, Seoul is currently restricted to ballistic missiles with a maximum range of 800 kilometers (500 miles) and payload of 500 kilograms (1100 pounds).

The South wants the maximum warhead weight doubled to one tonne, and the Pentagon has said it was “actively” considering the revision.

Signed with the US in 2001 -- the year South Korea joined the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) -- the agreement initially limited Seoul to rockets with a range of just 300 kilometers, due to US concerns about triggering a regional arms race in Northeast Asia.

However, after a long-range rocket test by North Korea in 2012, Seoul man-

aged to negotiate the near three-fold increase in the range limit to 800 kilometers, putting North Korean military facilities which were previously out of range within reach, as well as parts of China and Japan.

Tensions on the Korean Peninsula are at their highest point in years after a series of missile tests by Pyongyang.

Calls are also mounting in South Korea for Seoul to build nuclear weapons of its own to defend itself as nucleararmed North Korea’s missile stand-off with the US escalates.

The South, which hosts 28,500 US troops to defend it, is banned from building its own nuclear weapons under a 1974 atomic energy deal it signed with Washington, which instead offers a “nuclear umbrella” against potential attacks.

Park said the two leaders reaffirmed the need to bring Pyongyang back to dialogue by applying maximum sanctions and pressure.

However, Trump said after the latest missile test that negotiations with Pyongyang were “not the answer.” AFP

SOME TEXANS HEAD HOME, OTHERS STILL IN PERIL PORT ARTHUR—US President Donald Trump heads to Texas Saturday to assess conditions in the storm-ravaged state as residents of Houston and other cities were returning home to face the grim, possibly years-long task of rebuilding.

One week after Harvey blasted into south-

east Texas as a Category Four hurricane, rescuers were still searching by air and by boat for people trapped in flooded homes.

A fresh blaze broke out Friday evening at a chemical plant in Crosby, northeast of Houston, sending a giant plume of thick black smoke billowing into the sky.

WHERE’S SANTIAGO? A protester uses face paint to question the disappearance of Santiago Maldonado, who vanished on August 1 during a Mapuche protest in Chubut province, Argentina, during a demonstration called by human rights associations asking for his whereabouts in downtown Cordoba, Argentina on Friday. Maldonado went missing when the Gendarmerie dispersed a Mapuche protest in the Pu Lof community, Resistencia, Cushamen Department, some 1,850 km southwest of Buenos Aires. AFP

And as floodwaters receded in Houston, Texas’s biggest city, nearby towns such as Beaumont -- which had lost its water supply -- and Port Arthur were struggling to get back on their feet.

“I ain’t never seen nothing like it in my 37 years,” said Tobias James, surveying the damage to his home in Port Arthur, including the two ruined cars in his flooded garage.

Just two days earlier, the oil and gas refinery worker was hoisted out of rising floodwaters by a rescue helicopter, along with his wife and children.

Harvey has been blamed for at least 42 deaths thus far and tens of billions of dollars of damage.

The White House will ask Congress for $7.9 billion in emergency aid, calling it a “down payment” on the long-term cost of recovering from the catastrophic flooding.

Trump, who has declared Sunday to be a “National Day of Prayer” for victims of Hurricane Harvey, put an upbeat gloss on the situation.

“Texas is healing fast thanks to all of the great men & women who have been working so hard,” he tweeted. “But still so much to do. Will be back tomorrow!”

He added later Friday: “Great progress being made!”

The president is returning to Texas Saturday for his second visit since the megastorm hit, and will also go to neighboring Louisiana, accompanied by First Lady Melania Trump.

Across Port Arthur, meanwhile, rescue workers were still evacuating residents who rode out the storm in their homes.

Jonathan Caldwell, a former police officer, said he and some friends rescued about a dozen people in one flooded neighborhood Friday.

“We had little ones on our shoulders, wading through chest deep water this morning,” he said.

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said most of the city was “now dry” but urged residents living near two overflowing reservoirs to leave their homes -- some 15,000 to 20,000 of them.

Officials said most people have left, but some were holding out -- straining emergency workers who have to maintain services to them, including providing them with water.

Turner said the most pressing needs were housing for people who have lost their homes and debris removal.

He estimated that around 40,000 to 50,000 homes in the Houston area had suffered damage, and said federal assistance was needed urgently.

“We need the resources now,” Turner told CNN. “In fact let me back that up. We need the resources yesterday.”

Texas Governor Greg Abbott said more than 42,000 people spent Thursday night in 258 shelters across Texas and another 3,000 Texans did so in neighboring Louisiana.

While the situation was getting better in much of the state some areas remain dangerous, such as Beaumont, a city of some 120,000 which neighbors Port Arthur in southeast Texas.

Abbott said the Neches River, which runs along the eastern edge of Beaumont, was currently about seven feet (2.1 meters) above the record and was continuing to rise.

“This poses an ongoing threat to Beaumont and the surrounding area,” he said.

A major hospital in Beaumont began evacuating its 200-odd patients on Thursday after the water cut out and a dozen premature babies were airlifted out on Friday. AFP

Sports

CAN PHL PUT FAIR PLAY BACK INTO SEA GAMES?

By Randy Caluag

T

HE Philippines has a golden chance to finally put an order of balance and fair play back into the Southeast Asian Games when it plays host to the biennial games, considered the Olympics in this Asian region.

It has been a tradition for host countries to select the sports that will be competed in the Games but this practice was somewhat abused by some quarters to suit their strengths and dominate the competition, much to the chagrin of the visiting participants.

The hosts were allowed by the SEAG Federation to infuse non-Olympic sports to promote the country’s traditional sports.

However, the host countries went further by injecting sports where they have gold medal potentials and removing events or categories where they have slim chances of winning.

Take the case of boxing where the Malaysian organizers removed the lightweight division where Olympian Charly Suarez was a cinch for the gold. He was forced to go up in weight and fight in the lighwelterweight class where he settled for the bronze medal.

Worse, the judging has suffered terribly with multiple claims of unfair scoring.

Suarez lost to local boy Wuichai Masuk of Malaysia in the semifinals via unanimous decision. Association of Boxing Alliance of the Philippines (ABAP) official Ed Picson was not happy with the decision, saying Suarez was clearly the better fighter.

“Yung kay Suarez, malabo yun,” said Picson. Even other countries like Cambodia and Thailand, have publicly resented officiating, especially in subjective scoring.

Ahmad Shapawi Ismail, director-general of Malaysia’s National Sports Council, said none of the 10 visiting teams had registered an official complaint.

“We have a technical delegate appointed by the international (SEA Games) federation,” he told AFP reporter.

“We have procedures on whatever protests or dissatisfaction (there is) from the teams and until now if I’m not mistaken we haven’t received any official complaints.”

He added: “The bottom line is, there are rules, there are procedures. There is a technical delegate appointed by the international sports federation, and we have to trust those people to deliver the competition properly.”

The absence of a formal complaint however does not mean the scoring was totally clean.

In combat sports, which this writer comprehensively covered, a visiting country fighting a Malaysian should win so convincingly or to go for a knock out, to take the win.

“Pag hindi mo na knock out ang Malaysian, kahit lamang ka sa patama, delikado,” observed a fellow reporter.

Another event where the Malaysia had slim chances

Kathryn Magno of ice skating was the last athlete to compete in the Games while Robert Bachmann, president of the Philippine Squash Federation stayed behind to join the march of athletes. RANDY CALUAG

Printed at the back of the shirts worn by the delegation that marched in the closing ceremony. The Philippines takes its turn to host the SEA Games in 2019.

A small delegation represented the Philippines during the closing ceremony. of winning was the women’s weightlifting where Rio Olympian Hidilyn Diaz should be a huge favorite to win a gold medal.

It was scrapped by the organizers.

“Almost sure (gold) na sana tayo sa event na ito,” said Philippine Weightlifting Association (PWA) president Monico Puentevella.

Tricky scheds

The Malaysian organizers also did the trick in scheduling of games to favor their bets.

Eric Shawn Cray of athletics and the Philippine women’s basketball team fell victims to these shenanigans.

Cray lost his crown as the fastest man of the Games after he was scheduled to run just one hour after his another event—the men’s 400 meter hurdles—which he won. But it took the toll on him as he was visibly spent in taking the men’s 100 meters and eventually losing to Malaysian favorite Khairul Hafiz Jantan.

“Oh yeah, I was definitely tired,” said Cray, although he still bravely put up a close contest losing by just a whip in their neck-and-neck battle to the photo finish.

Cray admitted that had the 400-meter hurdles and 100-meter run been held on different days, he would have definitely given Jantan a run for his money.

“I wish it (the 100 meters) was tomorrow and I could have recovered, and, you know, feel a little better,” added the sprinter, who bared that lactic acid from his three previous races, including the heats, had caused pain throughout his body.

“I’m taped everywhere from my lower back all the way down,” he said.

The Perlas Pilipinas ended with a medal-less campaign in the SEA Games and one of the culprits was the ploy by the organizers was to tire them out before facing host Malaysia.

They were made to play Thailand late night and as they defeated Thailand, the driver of the bus carrying the Filipina ballers “lost” their way going back to their hotel and they were even made to walk hundreds of meters.

And they were to face the well rested Malaysian in the morning the next day. After that ploy and few bad calls, the Filipinas bowed down in defeat to Malaysians who went on to win the gold.

These and that hugely contributed to the lowest gold medal output of Team Philippines in 18 years.

Philippine Squash Federation president Robert Bachmann , who is also the deputy chef de mission of the Philippine delegation, said the silver finishes of the Philippines should also be considered in rating the success of the Filipino athletes.

“We have to consider these silver medals because that was how close we were and most of these may actually be gold medals,” he said.

No officials from the visiting contingents made a formal protest but the hundreds of media members, including the Philippines, were a clear witness to these schemes.

The Bangkok post came out with an editorial saying: “For many Thai officials, athletes, journalists and fans, KL 2017 is

Eric Shawn Cray (3rd from left) settled for silver in the century dash after a loss to a Malaysian rival. Cray had to compete just a little over an hour after topping the 400-meter hurdles. PSC Media

The Perlas Pilipinas ended with a medal-less campaign in the SEA Games—no thanks to a tight schedule and a seemingly iniquitous ploy that made them extremely tired before facing—and eventually losing—host Malaysia in women’s basketball. PSC Media the worst tournament in SEA Games history in terms of both officiating and organising.”

Now the SEA Games is going to the Philippines and this early, discussion are ripe that PH officials will include Filipino sports disciplines like Arnis to

boost its claim to the top.

Unless Filipino officials do away with this malpractice, the vicious cycle of “unsportsmanlike acts” in what is supposed to be a friendly competition among neighbors, will continue.

LADY CHIEFS CRUSH BLAZERS IN PVL ARELLANO U overwhelmed St. Benilde in a duel of the reigning and former NCAA champions, coming away with an emphatic 25-20, 2522, 25-17 victory at the start of the Premier Volleyball League Collegiate Conference at the Filoil Flying V Center in San Juan on Saturday.

Jovielyn Prado blasted in14 hits, spearheading the Lady Chiefs’ attack against the Lady Blazes, whom they beat in the stepladder semifinals on their way to nailing their second NCAA women’s volley crown early this year.

Mary Anne Esguerra backed Prado with 13 markers while Necole Ebuen and Reginal Arocha chipped in nine points apiece and Andrea

Marzan added six hits.

Arellano coach Obet Javier credited their early surge to his wards’ stints in the recent PVL Reinforced and Open Conferences of the league organized by Sports Vision.

“I told them to use their PVL experience and help motivate their younger teammates,” said Javier, referring to veterans Prado, Esguerra, Arocha and Marzan.

Playmaker Rhea Ramirez also dished out 34 excellent sets to help fuel the Lady Chiefs’ 47 attack points.

But he stressed the need for his wards to work harder, especially during their training in anticipation of an uphill battle against UP, Technological Institute of the Philippines, San Beda

Games today 10 a.m. – NU vs San Beda (men’s) 1 p.m. – Ateneo vs FEU (men’s) 4 p.m. – NU vs Lyceum (women’s) 6:30 p.m. – TIP vs San Beda (women’s) and Adamson in Group B play.

Group A is composed of Ateneo, San Sebastian, National U, Lyceum, Far Eastern U and Jose Rizal U. St. Benilde, the NCAA champ in 2016, struggled all game with graduating player Ranya Musa and veteran Rachel Austero combining for just 11 points.

Team captain Klarissa Abriam

and fellow former National U player Marites Pablo led St. Benilde nine and seven points, respectively.

Earlier, La Salle and UST hurdled their respective rivals to set early pace in the men’s side of the seasonending conference of the league backed by Mikasa and Asics.

The Green Spikers fought back from a set down to turn back the St. Benilde Blazers in a tightly-fought match, 25-27, 26-24, 25-23, 25-22, while the Tigers dominated the UP Maroons, 25-17, 25-22, 25-15, both in Group A. Teams vying in Group B are National U, San Beda, Ateneo and Far Eastern U, which open their respective campaigns today (Sunday).

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SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2017 randyproject@yahoo.com

SPORTS VISION TIE-UP BOOSTS UAAP JRS. VOLLEY TILT JUNIOR volleyball gets a big shot in the arm as the UAAP and Sports Vision linked up to raise the level of competition by providing the country’s leading and rising high school players a feel of big-time tournament play starting Sept. 9.

Unlike in previous seasons where the UAAP juniors volley competitions are held at school gyms, the girls’ and boys’ volleyball will now be played at the taraflex floor of the air-conditioned Filoil Flying V Center in San Juan.

“In our continuing effort to develop the sport, particularly our young players, we will provide them good playing conditions which will help raise the level of competition,” said Sports Vision president Moying Martelino.

The UAAP high school volleyball matches will be played in between the men’s and women’s volleyball games of the PVL Collegiate Conference every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.

On Sundays, where there are no PVL games, there will be four boys matches starting at 10 a.m. and a lone girls game at 8 a.m.

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank on behalf of the UAAP, through subhost National University, Sports Vision for offering and helping us in the development of high school volleyball,” said NU athletic director and UAAP board representative Chito Loyzaga in yesterday’s press briefing.

“They (Sports Vision) really helped us to elevate the competition. To give the young promising players and future volleyball superstars a better playing venue so they can really perform at their best,” he added.

The Bullpups are the defending champions in the girls and boys divisions.

Bannered by Faith Nisperos, NU kicks off its title-retention bid against UP Integrated School on Sept. 11 at 2 p.m., while its boys’ squad begins it quest for a back-to-back championship campaign against University of the East on Sept. 10 at 12 noon.

“We are looking forward to it with a lot of excitement,” said Loyzaga.

Simultaneous with the opening rites of UAAP Season 80 at the Mall of Asia Arena, the girls action on Sept. 9 at the San Juan Arena will feature the Eya Laure-led University of Santo Tomas against UPIS at 12 noon, followed by the Adamson-UE duel at 2 p.m.

Before the NU-UE contest on Sept. 10, the boys’ competition will begin with the Ateneo clashing with Adamson at 10 a.m.; De La Salle-Zobel facing UPIS play at 2 p.m., and Far Eastern tangling with UniversityDiliman and UST at 4 p.m

BEST CENTER: NAZARETH TAKES ON LSG New youth basketball force Nazareth School of National University battles La Salle-Greenhills A for a championship slot in the Passerelle Division of the Best Center’s twin basketball tournaments semifinals today at the Xavier School gym.

Nazareth School swept the Group A elimination round with five wins and will take on the Greenies, No. 2 team in Group B with a 4-1 record, at 10 am in this tournament sponsored by Milo.

San Beda College, which swept all its five games in Group B, will face Ateneo de Manila, No. 2 in Group at 4-1, at 11:30 am.

San Sebastian College-Recoletos, which topped Group A with four wins against a loss, meanwhile, shoots for a finals seat in the Small Basketeers Philippines (SBP) against DLS-Zobel, No. 2 in Group B with a 3-1 record, at 1 pm.

LSGH-B, which topped Group A with an unscathed 4-0 mark, takes on Ateneo, also 3-1 in Group B at No. 2, at 2:30 pm.

Battles for third place and championship matches for both divisions will be held on Sept. 17 at the Blue Eagle gym in Katipunan.

St. Benilde Pauline Cardiente keeps the ball in play as Arellano’s Jovielyn Prado and Rhea Ramirez look on during their PVL Collegiate Conference duel.

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Sports

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2017 Riera U. Mallari, Editor / Reuel Vidal, Issue Editor / Randy Caluag, Issue Editor

sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

Stanley Pringle

Vincent Amar Young leads the team practice in preparation for the ambitious quest to repeat playing in the 2018 Rugby Sevens World Cup.

PH VOLCANOES EYE WORLD CUP REPEAT

Photos by Raymond Braganza/PRFU

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FTER getting a taste of playing in the Rugby World Cup four years ago the Philippine Volcanoes are hungry for a repeat.

Why not when getting there the first time was virtually an unimaginable feat. It was the first time in 50 plus years a Philippine national team had progressed through the qualifier rounds to earn their right on the biggest stage. This was in 2013, the challenge now, can the Volcanoes repeat these efforts and qualify for the 2018 Rugby Sevens World Cup? According to the qualification rules, only two teams from Asia will earn a position in the prestigious event. The World Cup is held every four years, (although it would have been five years since the last event) due to the fact Rugby 7s has now been re included as an Olympic sport.

The international federation, known as World Rugby, chose to cater to the Olympic calendar years. This decision allows both the Rugby World Cup and the Olympics to act as world championship events, held evenly, every two years.

The next Rugby Sevens World Cup will be held in San Francisco, USA, from July 20 to 22, 2018.

The Volcanoes, backed by Globe Telecom started their journey Friday, Sept.1, 2017 in H o n g Kong for the first round of the Asia Rugby

Sevens Series at Kings Park The Asia Sevens Series will be held across three legs.

Round 1 was held September 1 and 2 in King’s Park, Hong Kong. The qualification process continues into Round 2 which will be held in Korea on September 23 and 24, 2017. The process concludes with Round 3 in Sri Lanka on October 14 and 15 2017.

The Volcanoes have a new look team, a mix of Filipino youth, Philippine resident players and most evidently, experienced campaigners.

“I think we will surprise a lot of countries. We have a lot of new and exciting players that will only get better with experience. We definitely have the talent to be serious competitors in this year’s Asian series” said Sean Celada Lynch, the only remaining member in this team from the 2013 Rugby Sevens World Cup team.

Lynch’s family hails from Borongan City, Eastern Samar.

His teammate Danny Bembo Matthews has been named Captain. Matthews has family ties from Alaminos, Pangasinan. Matthews led the team in Qatar last February where he was awarded the Most Valuable Player of the tournament, guiding the Volcanoes to a Gold medal performance.

“We expect a high level of rugby. In February it was great to see our combinations come together. Teams will be strong

here in Hong Kong. To qualify for the World Cup we have to beat the best in Asia so we can compete against the world’s best. We are up to the challenge” said Matthews.

The Volcanoes are seeded in Pool A against home town favorites Hong Kong, China and Malaysia.

After day one, the teams were re-seeded based on results.

The second day consists of a cross over to play Pool B participants Japan, Korea, Taipei and Sri Lanka in the playoff finals. Japan finished 4th in the Olympic Games and are tipped to be hot favorites in Hong Kong.

The 2017 Asia Sevens Series will be held across three legs, with Round 2 in Korea on September 23 and 24 and Round 3 in Sri Lanka on October 14

and 15. The team is coached by former New Zealand All Black Frano Botica.

Venue of the first qualifiers is Kings Park, Hong Kong.

The 2017 Asia Rugby Sevens Series players include Edlen Cortez Hernandez, Gregory Waki Golman, Nicholas Molitor, Jackson Junior Pato, Matthews, Tommy Kalaw Gilbert, Lynch, Christopher Arpon Bird, Timothy Bweheni, Joe Palabay Dawson, Ned Plarizan Stephenson and Vincent Amar Young Although relatively new in the Philippines, Rugby is a contact team sport which originated in England way back in the first half of the 19th century. It involves running with an ovalshaped ball in hand from one end of a rectangular field, with H-shaped goalposts on each try line, to the other.

International matches have taken place since 1872. The Rugby World Cup, first held in 1987, takes place every four years. The Six Nations Championship in Europe and The Rugby Championship in the Southern Hemisphere are other major international competitions, held annually.

The sport is played by male and female players of all ages.

In 2014 there were more than six million people playing worldwide with 2.36 million registered players.

World Rugby with the International Rugby Board (IRB) has been the governing body for rugby union since 1886 and currently has 101 countries as full members and 18 associate members.

Edlen Cortez Hernandez

PRINGLE POWERS GLOBALPORT PAST TNT

By Reuel Vidal ANTIPOLO, Rizal—Who needs an import when you’ve already got a player like Stanley Pringle?

GlobalPort Batang Pier seemed like they didn’t when Pringle displayed all around brilliance to lead his team past TNT KaTropa, 119-112, last Friday night, September 1, in a 2017 Philippine Basketball Association Governors’ Cup game at the Ynares Center Antipolo.

Pringle was unstoppable, especially in the second half, as the Batang Pier gave the Tropang Texters a dose of their own run-and-gun, fastbreak all game long medicine.

Sean Anthony and Mike Cortez backed up Pringle as they scored the crucial points late in the game. The pair carried the fight at crunch time as they combined for 17 points in the fourth.

Anthony finished with 21 points while Cortez chipped in 11 markers as they pushed the Batang Pier beyond recall setting their biggest lead of 15 points at 109-94 with less than five minutes left to play.

GlobalPort improved its record to three wins and three losses. TNT (4 wins, 3 losses) slid to seventh place in the standings.

The Meralco Bolts (5-1) and Barangay Ginebra San Miguel (5-1) are tied at the top of the standings. The Star Hotshots (4-1) and the NLEX Road Warriors (6-2) trail closely.

The other teams include the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters (4-2), the San Miguel Beermen (3-2), the Blackwater Elite (4-4), the Phoenix Fuelmasters (2-7), the Alaska Aces (0-6) and Kia Picanto (0-8).

Pringle shot 10 of 16 from the field—on three of five from three-point distance—grabbed eight rebounds, issued four assists and had two steals in a brilliant all-around game as he overshadowed even their hard-working import Murphey Halloway.

Holloway didn’t do too badly either. He scored 24 points and added 17 rebounds. Terrence Romeo had a terrible shooting night as he converted just five of 14 attempts from the field to finish with 13 points.

GlobalPort coach Franz Pumaren said the victory boosted the morale of his players. He said the Batang Pier ran all game long to exploit TNT’s disadvantage of having played a game just two days before. He said the Tropang Texters were tired both physically and mentally.

BRAVES, LA SALLE GREENIES LOOM OVER FIELD Text and photo by Peter Atencio

La Salle Greenhills Greenies big man Ladis Lepalam (10) towers over Arellano University Braves defenders as he attempts to score from underneath the goal.

THE Arellano University Braves and the La Salle Greenhills Greenies are two teams that should not be ignored in the 93rd National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) junior basketball tournament.

They are coming out with convincing victories which have put them on course for good spots in the Final Four.

Arellano’s best player, Aaron Fermin, could be a contender for the MVP race with the way he’s playing the last nine games.

One of their point guards, Marlon Espiritu is coming up with heads-up

plays that contributed to the Braves’ efforts to stay in contention.

On the other hand, the Greenies are relying on their deep bench to pull off surprises as the season progresses. They even took in skills coach Gannon Baker to help the Greenies get their game going right in the second round.

The Braves got winning baskets and winning plays from Espiritu who lifted the Braves to a 67-60 upset of the favorite San Beda Red Cubs, last Aug. 29, Tuesday. The 18-year-old Espiritu said they stuck to their game plan of limiting the Cubs’ offense through their hard-nosed defense.

Espiritu forced three turnovers in the final minute, and with the Red

Cubs closing in, 57-62.

When the Red Cubs came close off Sam Abu Hijle’s three-point play, 60-63, Espiritu responded with a steal off Josh Tagala and a drive in the last 20.5 seconds that gave them a five-point spread, 65-60.

Because of the win, the Braves moved to a share of third with the Letran Squires at 5-4.

Braves coach Tylon Darjuan said the victory gave his team even more confidence that they could win it all.

Arellano’s Aaron Fermin is currently the team’s no. 2 scorer with 17 points, and no. 1 in rebounding with 18 per game.

Meanwhile, it’s been four years since the La Salle Greenhills Greenies

last came up with their best showing.

The last time they did was in 2013, the Greenies had the likes of Kobe Paras and the Rivero brothers, Prince and Ricci, in their roster.

With all three gone, a new generation of gutsy players are showing their mettle in the 93rd National Collegiate Athletic Association junior basketball tournament.

When the Greenies fought off the Arellano Braves, 79-77, last week, they emerged as the top defensive team the end of the first round.

Joshua Marcos played his best game in a long while with 15 points.

Ladis Lepalam knocked in 12 points and grabbed rebounds.

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SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2017

Business

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

HITACHI LAUNCHES HOSPITAL MACHINES

By Ryan Carlos Gamilla

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FILIPINOS TAP GPS TO CHANGE RAIL SYSTEM

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Filipino team has developed a GPSpowered, cloud-based information system that allows passengers to see the trains’ status, location, arrival and departure schedule. Soon, the team plans to use the same technology to overhaul the train signaling system currently used across the world.

The Passenger Assist Rail Display System or Pards, designed by Filipino tech company TrackMate Business Solutions Inc., drew admiration from passengers of Light Rail Transit Line 2 where about 400 screens are already installed onboard to inform them about the status and locations of trains. Pards uses the global positioning system, a satellite-based navigation, to track the trains and put the information on highdefinition screen.

A team of European rail executives will visit the Philippines this month to check the system and study how it can be replicated around the world.

“It is a GPS and graphic interface. Basically, we can give information on speed, location and other important information that you can find using GPS. The premise for the whole thing is that commuters are complaining a lot on social media about the trains and we realize that the bottomline is that they do not know what is happening. We aim to solve that by creating a communication line between the train operator and the passengers. Hence, we created the project Pards,” TrackMate marketing manager Cielo Remorin says in an interview.

“It is like a TV network and signaling system combined together. We have 10 screens per coach, or 40 screens per train, or a total of 400 in LRT Line 2,” says Lemuel dela Cruz, the 44-year-old chief executive of TrackMate.

TrackMate installed Pards along LRT 2 at no cost to the government, says Remorin. Its business model is based on sponsorships by companies that want to promote products or services through commercials or ads on the system.

Dan Palami, chief executive of railway engineering company Autre Porte Global Inc., says Pards has the potential to become a full-blown train signaling system that can bring down the cost of railway operation.

“When they presented it to me, on the commercial side, I told them it offers a much bigger potential in signaling system,” Palami says. “The ballpark figure for a train signaling system is probably $70 million. With this, we are looking at maybe a maximum of $20 million for the system.”

Several companies are now reportedly looking at GPS-powered solutions as the next stage of train signaling system, in place of traditional axle counter sensors which are costly and which take a lot of time to install.

TrackMate has already submitted an application for a utility model intellectual property right for Pards to the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines.

Remorin says as a passenger information system, it

TrackMate Business Solutions Inc. chief executive Lemuel dela Cruz (right) and marketing manager Cielo Remorin can flash information on the screen such as the expected time of arrival, expected time of departure and actual location of the train. “If the train operators have a quick announcement that they want to do in real-time, we can do that,” she says.

TrackMate is an information technology company based in Madrigal Business Park in Alabang, Muntinlupa City which employs 40 professionals to provide GPS solutions to transport and logistics companies.

“We really are engaged in creating software to manage trucks, buses that are powered by GPS. That system is now applied to trains. What you see on the screen is real-time. It has a location component. Passengers would be able to know where the train is in real time,” Remorin says.

She says the first phase of the project—the installation of a dynamic, onboard passenger information display system across all train sets was completed in June, while the second phase involves the release of mobile application for passengers and Light Rail Transit Authority to monitor train schedule and passenger flow.

The project also includes installation of a command center that allows LRTA to monitor train performance, passenger flow, with actual images, in real time.

“The fun part is the command center [for operators]. Anywhere they are, the officials can check the snapshots from CCTV and actual status of the train on their smartphones. We also have a map that summarizes the line. We can set parameters on what need their attention,” Remorin says.

Remorin says that aside from LRT Line 2, TrackMate also presented the project to Light Rail Manila Corp., the operator of LRT Line 1, and the response was positive.

A passenger satisfaction survey of the three rail lines—MRT 3, LRT Line 1 and LRT Line 2—show that commuters using LRT Line 2 are the most satisfied. “LRT Line 2 topped the survey. And Pards is one of the

components mentioned by satisfied passengers,” says Palami.

Palami says a new signaling system based on Pards can easily replace the old system used along MRT 3. The new trains from China cannot be deployed on the line, because their designs are not compatible with the current signaling system which is used to guide the original Czechmade trains.

“We can solve the problem of compatibility. Even if new trains arrive, we can integrate them in our new signaling system. It is at present an information system, but it can migrate to a signaling system because it is GPS based,” says Palami.

“When I saw the technology, we studied it and we have been able to come up with a better version that it could actually allow the system to become a signaling system.”

“Signaling system is a safety feature to manage the traffic of trains so that they will not collide with one another.

The signaling system, through the control center, will show the distance between the trains and where all the trains are. When the trains are nearing the other trains, there is a red light warning the driver that he is not supposed to go. The driver has to follow that and stop. If the driver does not follow, the automatic train protection will kick in that will force the emergency brake,” says Palami.

Palami says Pards can fulfill all those functions. Under its proposal, TrackMate will equip all trains with GPS devices and will build its own communication network for better coverage. “We will know where all the trains are,” he says.

Dela Cruz says it is TrackMate that first harnessed the potential of GPS for the use of train operators and passengers. “Two years ago, we presented the idea to Singapore.

They saw its potential for signaling system, but it took them two years.

Now, they are also doing a pilot project,” he says.

At the moment, Remorin says passengers will benefit a lot from Pards as an information system. “We can inform passengers once a train breaks down. We can also show the flow of passengers. Awareness is what we are trying to achieve. Services become better if passengers are well informed,” she says. Roderick T. dela Cruz

JAPANESE company Hitachi Ltd. and local partner Himex Corp. have launched three state-ofthe-art hospital machines in the Philippines.

H itachi M edical Systems, the healthcare unit of Hitachi, introduced the superconductive magnetic resonance imaging Echelon Smart, three -dimensional breast ultrasound system Sofia and ultrasound scanner Aloca Arrieta 850. Himex Corp. or High Integrated Medical Engineering Exponent makes it possible for local hospitals and medical practitioners to get their hands on the new equipment.

“All of our experiences being in the industry for the past 27 years and the partnership with H itachi M edical Cor p. have strengthened our position to continue to deliver quality and highly technical equipment with strong emphasis on our role as healthcare provider,” says Rema Ohno, the president and chief executive of Himex.

The first product is Hitachi’s 1.5T superconductive MRI Echelon Smart which combines the benefits of low operating cost and optimal image performance available in highend superconductive systems.

“The Hitachi Echelon Smart, a 1.5t superconductive MRI system providing high quality imaging together with a patient-friendly examination environment, it is a smart system, which is very balance in terms of performance and cost,” says Dinesh Mehra, modality manager of Hitachi Medical Systems.

Meanwhile, breast ultrasound Sofia is an automated 3D breast ultrasound system that solves all the economic and logistic c h a l l e n g e s a s s o c i ate d w i t h whole -breast ultrasound by using a full-field radial scanning method.

“Sofia is all about automated process making it extremely reliable, consistent and reproducible,” says Dawn Koo, clinical applications manager of Hitachi.

Aloka-Arrieta 850, a premium ultrasound scanner, features superior image quality, seamless wo r k f l ow, a n d a d va n ce d applications. I t has a single crystal transducers with high quality imaging adapted for a variety of examinations.

“So what does single crystal d o e s fo r y o u c o m p a r e d t o conventional transducer is that it can give you the best image quality, best penetration and good color,” says William Kok, general manager of H itachi Medical Systems Singapore.

Hitachi Ltd., headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, delivers innovations that answer society’s challenges.

It is a global leader in the social innovation business, and it has 335,000 employees worldwide.

DISTRIBUTION UTILITIES EXPLAIN ‘SYSTEM LOSS’ DISTRIBUTION utilities such as Manila Electric Co. said electricity consumers have the right to know the different charges included in the electricity bill, including what is referred to as ‘system loss’. According to Meralco’s data, the system loss charge accounted for around 3 percent of the electricity bill of a household using 200 kilowatthours a month. While relatively small, the consumer still deserves to know what exactly the system loss is, how it is calculated and if it could be brought down.

Two types of system loss There are two types of system loss, the

first being technical loss arising from the characteristics of electrical equipment and materials in the physical delivery of electric energy, including conductor loss and transformer core loss.

In the energy industry, when electricity is transported or transmitted through high power lines from a power generation company 100 kilometers away to a private distribution utility or electric cooperative, there is transmission system loss. Thus, a 1,000-MW output from a generator may become only 980 MW once it finally reaches the DU or EC. When electricity received by the DU or EC is converted for distribution to houses, factories and offices, there is also distribution system

loss.

System loss is inherent in the delivery of electric service—it is not possible to provide electric service without the distribution system incurring some form of energy loss. A proportion of the energy being delivered will always be dissipated as heat and noise. As the distribution system stands ready to deliver power at the moment needed, the distribution system incurs losses even when no electric energy is actually being drawn by a customer. The only way to zero-out system loss in the power system is to turn the power off.

Such losses cannot be eliminated and there are technical and economic limits

to the level to which it can be reduced.

Solutions for technical loss reduction include using bigger wires in bringing electricity to households. However, projects like these are capital intensive so DUs have to seek the approval of the Energy Regulatory Commission first before implementation.

The second type of system loss is referred to as non-technical loss caused by actions external to the power system and consists primarily of electricity theft or pilferage. These losses are highly dependent on the country’s socioeconomic situation, and thus, not entirely within the utility’s control.

DUs and ECs continue to fight electricity

theft and pilferage because of its negative effects. Illegal connections, especially in depressed areas, can oftentimes lead to electrical accidents and fires. Overloaded power lines and transformers due to unregistered consumption could also lead to accidents and brownouts that affect everybody in the community.

DUs and ECs have taken to elevating electric meters on high installations just to keep them away from power pilferers.

However, this has reportedly been not enough to prevent a determined power pilferer. Even the threat of imprisonment for violation of Republic Act No. 7832 (AntiElectricity Pilferage Act of 1994) has not Turn to C2

Business

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BULGOGI FAVORITE KOREAN RESTAURANT BULGOGI Brothers was once again c h o s e n a s t h e “ Favo r i te K o re a n Restaurant” and will now be elevated to the Philippines People’s Choice Awards’ Hall of Fame for being an undisputed favorite in the category for three consecutive years.

Accepting the award during the World Food Expo at SMX Mall of Asia recently were Bulgogi Brothers Newport general manager Dan Adriano and The Bistro Group Shared Services Inc. marketing manager Chanky Tiangco, representing Bulgogi Brothers and The Bistro Group.

“We are deeply honored and grateful for this award. Thank you to the organizers for this recognition, and to all guests who have voted and affirmed our leadership in the Korean casual dining segment,” Tiangco said.

The Philippine People’s Choice Awards is a result of the popular vote or the “people’s favorite” in an online voting conducted over a three-week period via a popular food and travel blog.

A franchise from South Korea, Bulgogi Brothers was brought to the Philippines in 2011 by The Bistro Group, the same company that manages and operates TGIFridays, Italianni’s, Dennys, Texas Roadhouse, Buffalo Wild Wings, Village Tavern and Fish & Co.

INSULAR LIFE HEAD AMONG OUTSTANDING UP ALUMNI INSULAR Life president and chief operating officer Mona Lisa de la Cruz received this year’s University of the Philippines Alumni Association’s distinguished alumni award in financial management excellence.

De la Cruz was given the award during UPAA’s general alumni homecoming on Aug. 19. She was recognized for her leadership, achievements and contributions in the financial services industry, particularly in life insurance.

She is the first woman to rise to the position of president in Insular Life’s over 100-year history. Her rise from technical assistant to head of the mass marketing division to president has been the result of over 35 years of hard work, diligence, commitment, continuous professional and personal improvement and immersion in various areas of insurance operations.

Over the years, she has directed many enhancements in areas like product pricing, risk management, systems and procedures, technology infrastructure, customer service and people development.

As she assumed higher positions, she focused on operational excellence across the organization. She created a culture of continuous improvement in process and technology, skills and capabilities, performance management, mindset and behavior.

The UPAA Distinguished Alumni Awards are conferred on alumni who have demonstrated extraordinary achievements and excellent contributions in their chosen fields that bring about substantial benefits to society and distinct honor to the nation’s top university.

DISTRIBUTION...

From B1 deterred those pilferers. Electricity pilferage has become an attractive business venture for professional pilferers who have managed to transform themselves into big syndicates offering illegal services to big businessmen who want to steal electricity and save on costs at the expense of honest and paying consumers.

Despite the enactment of Republic Act No. 7832, pilferage of electricity has not stopped, albeit, has become more sophisticated, and the combined efforts of law enforcement agencies and utilities are certainly not enough to curb it, leaving consumers practically helpless.

In a recent Senate committee on energy hearing on system losses of DUs, committee chairman Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian said: “After two hearings and all the briefings, it became apparent that the non-technical losses cannot be zero. It can be reduced but looking forward maybe 10 years or even 20 years down the road, it’s impossible to make it zero.”

“I think that’s because of culture and also economics,” the senator said.

Since losses are inherent in the delivery of electric energy, it is common practice for electricity-regulating agencies around the world to allow utilities to include

Monolith Growth Ventures Pte. Ltd. founder and managing director Kenn Francis Costales

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FILIPINO MILLENNIAL WINS GLOBAL CLIENTS

27-year-old Filipino entrepreneur, who used to work for Procter & Gamble’s regional headquarters in Singapore where he helped relaunch the Safeguard brand, is now making a mark in the field of digital marketing, with Australian, US and European companies as his first clients.

In its first year of operation, Monolith Growth Ventures Pte. Ltd., a company established by Kenn Francis Costales and incorporated in Singapore, realized P6 million in revenues and employed seven full-time staff in the Philippines earning in Singapore dollars.

“Monolith is a digital marketing agency. What we do is in the digital space. One part of it is ad buying.

We also do copy writing and design,” Costales says in an interview at a coffee shop in Mandaluyong City.

“One of the reasons why we first served US clients was because they are already prepared for digital marketing. They are asking for it. And the sales cycle—or the process from contacting a lead to closing them—is very short at five to eight weeks. In the Philippines, it is different. You have to talk to the vice president, and you have to educate them on the benefits of digital marketing. It will take five to eight months,” he says.

“Our clients are mostly based in the United States and Australia. But we are now starting to look at the Philippines,” says Costales, who grew up in Davao City.

He studied in Ateneo de Manila University where he obtained Bachelor of Arts in Economics, a degree loaded with Math and statistics, he says. That enabled him to land a job in P&G, one of the world’s largest consumer good companies.

P&G hired him as a fresh graduate of Ateneo in 2011 for his analytical skills and after passing a sevenstep interview process. He became a foreign direct hire in Singapore where he would stay and work for the next four and a half years.

At P&G, Costales led the global brand refresh of Safeguard in China, the Philippines, Pakistan and Mexico which generated $25 million in additional revenue for the business in its first year. He also led the business turnaround for Gillette Bangladesh which grew 50 percent in seven months and was responsible for revamping the pricing and distribution strategy for Olay Philippines.

Costales says his stint at P&G armed him with knowledge on finance and legal services. “Brand

management at P&G is not just marketing, but about everything. You learn about finance, legal and R&D. A brand manager is a business manager also,” he says.

Once he had enough savings, he left his prestigious job to pursue his original dream of establishing his own business. “Ever since I was 14 or 15, I wanted to go to business. I want to have the flexibility that other entrepreneurs enjoy. I realize that businessmen could be flexible with their time. So I decided that once I’m old enough and once I have enough experience, I am going to run my own business,” says Costales, who finished grade school and high school at Ateneo de Davao.

To prepare for his own business, Costales learned programming and coding. Armed with new skills, he tried several ventures, including a ride services application in Cebu, but they did not take off as fast as he hoped. “My long-term goal is to play into software, because digital and software are the future,” he says.

“There are other side projects that also failed. I partnered with a few people before, but our projects did not work out. Good thing I had my savings which I projected would last for two years. I invested in mutual funds and forex,” he says.

Costales also started a blog on growth hacking, which is about digital marketing. “It came to a point that some people were asking my advice and help for marketing. I started getting requests through my blog, asking if I were offering services? I said okay, why not? That’s how Monolith started,” he says.

“For some reason, people from the US and Australia were the ones who asked for my services,” says Costales.

Monolith was incorporated in Singapore.

“Compared to the Philippines, the process of incorporation is much faster in Singapore.. There is an agency in Singapore that incorporates companies and provides accounting services. I engaged them and they informed me about the process for foreigners.

Their only requirements were a virtual office address and a resident director who is based in Singapore,” says Costales.

Costales describes Monolith as a digital marketing agency that helps clients increase their exposure in the digital space. The technology-enabled startup uses internal proprietary software to algorithmically optimize the marketing campaigns of clients for higher return on investments.

It buys, develops and optimizes digital ads such as banner displays on Google, Facebook, Amazon and Bing for clients. In its first year of operations, Monolith helped more than 20 clients grow their online presence and exceed their revenue and ROI targets.

Monolith generates about P600,000 to P700,000 in revenues a month, growing 30 percent to 40 percent every quarter. “For next year, we set a target like P50 million. But I really have to make it full blast,” says Costales.

“Most digital marketing agencies only focus on generating traffic and awareness for their clients through campaigns. We focus on our clients’ revenue and ROI by building the full marketing funnel that goes beyond mere advertising and involves landing page optimization and CRM [customer relationship management] development. We’ve also built internal ad optimization software to enable us to get more revenue, faster,” he says.

Among his clients is The WOD Life AU, Australia’s leading fitness e-commerce brand which generated $1 million in additional revenue through Facebook ads in eight months with a 10-to-1 return on ad spend.

“With our client in Australia, we did so well that they were able to hire their own marketing person.

We helped them become so successful that they could hire their own marketing team. At least we had a good relationship with them. At the end of the day, the goal is to empower businesses to grow,” says Costales.

In the US, Monolith helped Arthur Murray USA, the world’s largest chain of dance studios, generate three times more monthly qualified leads, which helped them further expand the chain in the Midwest.

Now, Costales hopes to establish his name in his home country and give back to society by mentoring companies for their digital marketing efforts. He says it is easier to approach foreign clients because digital marketing is not yet fully developed in the Philippines.

“If you are new, and you are still building your name, you have to give a lot. Once you get that first few clients, that would snowball. Reputation is getting built and you start to get referrals from clients.

Only then can you charge higher. So we conduct workshops and speakerships in conferences. It is about building your reputation at first, and business will come afterwards eventually,” he says.

“Local marketing in the Philippines is still more about likes, engagements, shares. So I think I can position myself with better offerings. While others offer likes or shares, we guarantee certain revenue numbers. I expect this positioning to help in better buying,” says Costales.

Monolith uses a formula in computing the return on investment. “It is traffic times conversion rate.

Conversion rate is the percentage of people who buy in their sites. It is different by industry and by price.

The goal is the ROI,” he says.

“Hopefully with that I can get more local leads.

For the long term, I want local clients. It is more sustainable,” says Costales.

Costales says he hopes to establish a local office in Fort Bonifacio within the year and set up a main office in Singapore where his girlfriend lives. “Eventually, I do plan to come back to Singapore. But my employees are here. In a way, it is my way of giving back to the country,” says Costales. Roderick T. dela Cruz

compensation for system losses as part of their regulated charges.

Setting caps on system loss There have been several attempts over the years to limit or cap the distribution system loss that is passed on to consumers.

In the 1990s, Congress enacted the AntiElectricity Pilferage Act of 1994, which set an initial cap on losses that was gradually reduced over time. In 2008, the ERC issued a resolution further reducing the cap to its present level of 8.5 percent for DUs and 13 percent for ECs. Now, there are proposed legislation in both Houses of Congress that want to bring down the cap still further. In fact, in the bills of Sen. Manny Pacquiao and Reps.

Tiangco and Rodriguez, the proposal is to set the cap at zero percent for DUs and five percent for ECs. These measures are currently being deliberated upon by the energy committees of each House.

The ERC also engaged the services of PowerSolv, an engineering consultancy consisting of University of the Philippines professors and experts in the field of electrical engineering, to develop a plan to bring down system loss for all DUs and ECs. According to PowerSolv, “the conversion or transport of energy cannot achieve 100-percent efficiency”. Hence, system loss cannot be totally eliminated.

PowerSolv recommended to ERC a gradual reduction in caps from 2018 to

2021, after which a review will be made to determine the appropriate caps going forward. The recommendations are now undergoing public consultations nationwide.

Bringing down system loss In order to meet more stringent system loss caps, DUs and ECs need to go on an intensive loss reduction program that would require massive capital and operational expenses. DUs and ECs will be forced to implement absurd projects just to meet an arbitrary lower cap, like the replacement of distribution lines and equipment with bigger facilities even

though these are still working perfectly.

Based on documents submitted to the Senate, Angeles Electric Corp., the utility serving Angeles City, will need to spend P892 million if it is required to lower its system loss to just 5 percent.

For Cagayan Electric Power and Light Company (serving Cagayan de Oro City), the cost would be P1.84 billion, and for Meralco, the cost would be a whopping P65.53 billion. These additional costs will more than offset any reduction in the system loss charge and, in fact, lead to power rate increases to customers.

A t t h e s a m e t i m e, a d d i t i o n a l government resources will be needed

as more law enforcement agencies are called upon to conduct anti-electricity pilferage operations and clearing of illegal connections.

Prof. Rowaldo Del Mundo of the University of the Philippines College of Engineering, during a Senate technical working group meeting on system losses, said that: “DUs will have to prepare a special capex plan specifically targeting how to [bring down losses]. And then they will go to the ERC for the approval of this capex plan and [it] will take a little bit of time for ERC to approve them all. And then after that, maybe all of them may be implemented in one year. But the impact cannot be immediately felt.”

The 2016 “Power Statistics” of the Department of Energy show that the Philippines has gone a long way in lowering its transmission and distribution system losses. From as high as 12.9 percent in 2004, it went down to 9.1 percent in 2016.

Further reductions will require a balance between the benefits of a lower system loss charge and the additional costs to be incurred in actually bring down the losses. The issue is complex, surrounded by numerous technical, economic, and social considerations.

Experts in this field are expected to find the right balance “to ensure the quality, reliability, security and affordability of electric power” that consumers deserve.

LGUs 20,000 FAMILIES FED ON EID'L ADHA SOME 20,000 underprivileged families throughout the country today received beef supplies as two Filipino-Turkish non-government organizations mark the celebration of one of Islam’s most sacred feast days.

San Juan Mayor Guia Gomez led the kick-off ceremonies with officials of the Integrated Center for Alternative Development and the Pacific Dialogue Foundation, Filipino-Turkish NGOs that foster secular education and inter-faith dialogue. In partnership with government agencies and socio-civic groups, the two NGOs have held the annual beef-sharing since 1997 to help indigent families.

Since then, both NGOs have held this on Eid’l Adha for tens of thousands of families in different parts of the country like Baguio City, Zamboanga City, Cebu, Davao, and Metro Manila.

On Eid’l Adha, or the “Festival of Sacrifice,” millions of Muslims around the world including the Philippines commemorated Abraham’s readiness to sacrifice his son to God who, moved by his devotion, provides a lamb to Abraham to be sacrificed instead.

The account of Abraham’s devotion can be found in both the Holy Quran in the Muslim faith, and in the Old Testament of the Holy Bible in the Christian faith.

Devout Muslims mark Eid‘l Adha by performing acts of charity and kindness for those in need and the less privileged.

Both ICAD and PDF are non-stock and nonprofit foundations organized by Filipinos and Turkish nationals with the objective of closer ties between the Philippines and Turkey and the fostering of religious tolerance and multi-cultural exchange.

The ICAD runs secular schools in Metro Manila and Zamboanga City that emphasize science and mathematics. They also participate in socio-civic projects and encourage inter-faith and multi-cultural dialogue to foster understanding and peace.

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SOLUTIONS TO PROTECT CORALS

ARINE biologists and experts recently put forward sciencebased solutions that address issues in coral protection in the country.

In the recent forum on National Coral R&D Program, Wilfredo Roehl Y. Licuanan presented and discussed in his presentation—with the topic “Current Status of PH Coral Reefs and Prospects for the Near Future,” as he recommended to “fix the reef first before transplant.”

Licuanan highlighted the current status of the Philippine coral reefs,” the importance of research for the conservation of corals, the exploration of our scientists and researchers of the Philippine Rise and its overall impact to the economy of the Philippines.

“Reefs do not form overnight. They take thousands of years to develop,” he said adding that the coral reef crisis cannot be resolved by coral gardening as it is expensive and is not practical.

Coral gardening is the cultivation of corals for commercial purposes or coral reef restoration.

According to Licuanan, the method is also risky as instead of actually repairing the damaged coral reef, it might harm the reef even more.

Organized by the Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources, particularly the Marine Resources Research Division headed by Mari-Ann M. Acedera, the forum was part of the recent 2017 National Science and Technology Week celebration.

Another sad reality is that, he said, 80 percent of the coral mortality is actually caused by various human activities and not natural calamities.

Take for example the case of the minesweeper ship USS Guardian that on Jan. 17, 2013 ran aground on the south atoll of the Tubbataha Reefs, a delicate

ecosystem in the Sulu Sea treasured for its rich marine biodiversity.

The grounding damaged 2,345 square meters of coral on the reefs, considered a World Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

“The better thing to do is to take care of the remaining reefs,” he said.

Patrick C. Cabaitan, also a speaker, discussed the topic ‘Sexual Production of Corals and Why Sex is not Enough?’

He said that studying coral reefs is essential to the economy of the Philippines as they also provide for the ecotourism of the country. He emphasized that scientific intervention is an important tool in coral production.

“Corals reproduce through asexual and sexual means but sex is not enough for the corals,” he said.

He suggested that researchers or anyone interested in studying corals pursue basic science to understand reefs; consider other ecological processes in conducting reef restoration efforts, and integrate restoration with management efforts.

Meanwhile, Cesar L. Villanoy, in his talk entitled ‘Updates on the Oceanography of the Benham Rise’, discussed his past researches and the importance of understanding the movement of the waters around Philippines.

His researches addressed pressing concerns of the country particularly in fisheries, harmful algal blooms, storm surges and other complex dynamics of archipelagic oceanography.

He said that it’s vital to understand the movement of the waters and its temperature to be able to formulate policies with regards to management of the country’s marine resources.

He also reminds everyone to always consider the processes that determine our physical environment in order to explain the ecology of organisms and the observed trends.

Hildie Maria E. Nacorda, in her talk entitled ‘On the Benham Bank Biodiversity: Taking Learning to the Next Step’, discussed the expeditions the Philippines has done to determine the economic potential of Benham Rise, now called the Philippine Rise.

Though the two expeditions done in 2014 and 2016 have discovered the existence of marine species in the Philippine Rise, Nacorda said that further studies are needed to fully understand the potential of the rise.

Initial findings of the nationwide assessment of Philippine coral reefs In relation to this call to the public of the marine experts to help in the preservation of the remaining coral reefs, DoST and Department of Environment and Natural Resources are working on a coral reef assessment throughout the country to create a National Coral Reef Status next year.

This is because despite of the Philippine archipelago being well-known for its species-rich coral reefs, there is a lack of updated information on the present status of its coral reefs.

The initial findings of the Nationwide Assessment of Philippine Coral Reefs by Licuanan, et al were published in the Philippine Journal of Science last June 2017.

Reefs sampled were randomly selected from around the country, with the number of assessment stations for each of six biogeographic regions stratified by the total area of reefs in each of these regions. For two years, 166 reefs have been sampled.

Based on live coral cover, more than 90 percent of the sampled reefs are in the poor and fair categories.

So far, the mean hard coral cover of the country at 22 percent is comparable with that of the Indo-Pacific region, but much lower than previous estimates for the Philippines.

These values indicate a marked decline in the condition of local reefs over the last four decades, thereby revealing the urgent need for the revision and update of conservation and management policies.

BATAAN, ZAMBALES MARKED AS POWER HUBS

By Butch Gunio BALANGA CITY—The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines is ready as Bataan and part of Zambales become power hub in the next five years, said a top officer of the transmission company.

“We are ready and expediting the needed transmission lines here in Bataan and Zambales in anticipation that the area to become a power hub in the next five years,” said NGCP North Luzon District 5 head engineer Napoleon Viterbo told officers of Bataan Energy Press Corps during a recent media facility tour and orientation at BCCPP Substation in Limay, Bataan.

“Aside from the existing ones that include GN Power Plant in Mariveles, there will be new power generators in the province, which we see operating in the next few years. In Subic, Zambales, there is to be built 600-magawatt RP Energy power plant,” he said.

“The job of NGCP is to ensure that there will be available transmission facilities for these new power generators,” he explained.

Earlier, NGCP Regional Corporate Communication officer Fely Francisco said NGCP will build Bataan 230-kV Reinforcement Project to accommodate the new power generation in the province.

She also said the transmission company will be building 500-kV CastillejosHermosa transmission line and the 69-kV Floridablanca-Hermosa line project.

She added they are finished with the documentation and ready to proceed with the building of the transmission projects.

IBALONG FESTIVAL. Local officials, led by Legazpi City Mayor Noel Rosal, Vice Mayor Bobby Cristobal and Councilor Vince Baltazar, dressed as prehistoric mythical heroes Baltog, Bantong and Handyong, lead the street parade of Ibalong Festival, Bicol’s biggest non-religious festivity. Now in its 26th edition, it is a popular recreation of a mid-19th century fragments of 60-stanza epic poem penned by Franciscan friar Bernardino de Melendreras about the ancient civilization of Ibalong or present-day Bicol. The almost-forgotten epic was given a new lease in life as a modern festival in 1992 by then Legazpi Mayor Imelda Roces to represent the resilience of the people of Albay amidst natural disasters that often hit the City. The 16-day extravaganza, composed of cultural, sporting, musical and various special events, culminated with the street theater presentation depicting the chapters of the epic legend, participated in by contingents from all over the Bicol region.

AUSTRALIAN STUDY PROGRAM FAIR SET HERE’S great news for all Filipino students seeking global study opportunities in leading education institutions abroad.

Official representatives from Australia’s top universities will answer Filipino students’ inquiries about exploring the range of alternative entry pathways, courses, course fees, entry requirements, scholarships, accom-

modations including possibilities for part-time work opportunities will be presented free of charge to interested Filipino students.

Among the educational institutions that will participate in the scheduled AUG PH Overseas Education Fair will include Murdoch University, Macquarie University, Trinity College, Edith Cowan University, Curtin University and the

University of South Australia.

The event “aims to jump-start the Filipino students’ vast potentials to help them achieve a secured future in years to come particularly in Australia and in other highly developed countries.

The free admission, consultation, assessment and education service is scheduled Sept. 9, 2017 (Saturday, 11

a.m. to 5 p.m.) at the Boracay Ballrooms, Edsa Shangri-La Hotel.

Free registration via https// auggostudyabroad.eventbrite.com.

Others may log in their inquiries through manila@augstudy.com or call (0632) 6558800 and via FB in box: AUG Philippines. Like their Facebook page to get all the updates on all of their 2017 events: AUG PHILIPPINES.

‘MANILA MUST ENFORCE PLASTIC BAG ORDINANCE’ THE EcoWaste Coalition, a waste and pollution watch group, bewailed the delay in the implementation of a key environmental measure that could have helped the City of Manila in reducing its garbage woes.

“This year marks the fifth anniversary of Manila’s plastic bag ordinance, which regrettably remains unimplemented to this day,” said Daniel Alejandre, Zero Waste campaigner, EcoWaste Coalition.

Manila City Ordinance No. 8282 was signed on Sept. 3, 2012 by then Mayor Alfredo Lim. The city government imposed a one-year moratorium on its implementation to enable businesses to make the needed adjustments.

The ordinance prohibits the use of any form of plastic bags on dry goods and regulates their use on wet goods.

It also bans the use of polystyrene and similar materials for food, produce and other products.

“We call upon Mayor Joseph Estrada to give Ordinance 8282 the chance to help the city in cutting its plastic waste, in unclogging the esteros, and in reducing the money spent for cleanup and disposal,” appealed Alejandre.

According to 2013 Commission on Audit yearend reports, Metro Manila spent P4.221 billion in

combined garbage hauling expenses, with Manila spending over P512 million.

“The unrestrained sale, use and disposal of plastic bags in the city contributes to the destruction of Manila Bay, which the government is striving to clean up, rehabilitate and preserve as ordered by the Supreme Court in 2008,” he noted.

“Enforcing the plastic bag ordinance will stir Manileños into shifting to reusable bags and containers, which will help in restoring Manila Bay and other polluted water bodies,” he added.

Waste audits conducted at the Manila Bay in 2006, 2010, 2014 and 2016 by the EcoWaste Coalition, Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives, Greenpeace, Mother Earth Foundation and other groups revealed alarming quantities of plastic marine litter in the bay.

The waste audit conducted in 2016, for example, collected 1,482 kilos of trash, 79 percent of which were assorted plastic materials, comprising of junk food wrappers and sachets (20 percent), plastic bags (17 percent), composite packaging (12 percent), food packaging (9 percent), polystyrene containers (7 percent), diaper liners (7 percent), hard plastics (4 percent), drinking straw (1 percent) and plastic twine (1 percent).

WI-FI PACT. Undersecretary Dave M. Almarinez, president and CEO of the Philippine International Trading Corp., shakes the hand of Undersecretary Eliseo Rio, representing ICT Secretary Rodolfo Salalima as they show the signed Memorandum of Agreement between the PITC and the Department of Information and Communications Technology for Free Wi-Fi nationwide during the PITC 44th Anniversary celebration at the PICC in Pasay City. Roy Tomandao

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Jimbo Gulle, Editor

Roger Garcia, Issue Editor

LGUs

Local Gov’t Units

mslocalgov@gmail.com

‘FAST-TRACK HOUSING FOR YOLANDA VICTIMS’

By Mel R. Caspe

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ACLOBAN CITY—Rep. Albee Benitez, chairman of the House Committee on Housing and Urban Development, has urged the government to fast-track the construction and completion of permanent houses for the victims of Super Typhoon “Yolanda” during the committee’s public hearing in the municipality of Hernani and this city.

The committee held a public hearing on House Resolution No. 599, which seeks to investigate the snail-paced implementation of housing relocation and resettlement project for those who were affected by the typhoon in 2012 in the Community Center in Tacloban. The resolution was filed by Rep. Ben Evardone of the Lone District of Eastern Samar.

Benitez said the February 2017 report of the NHA that of the projected 205,128 homes needed, only 48, 950 units were constructed, and more bothersome is that only 13,997 of the units completed are occupied.

Under construction is 69,768 units, while the rest are either already bid out or yet to be issued a Notice to Proceed by the NHA. The solon said it is the mandate of Congress to oversee where the P7.5billion funding for the resettlement cluster went.

“It is unfortunate that four years after the devastation of ‘Yolanda,’ we are still talking about the construction and completion of permanent housing instead of support programs on how to help the victims to move on with their lives,” Benitez stressed. “The inability of the government to provide permanent homes to the victims is a prolonging of trauma.”

The public hearing is not to point fingers on the agency, Benitez said, but rather to find solution to provide decent permanent homes to the victims and come up with a policy to allow the government to respond better in the face of calamities.

In another report, about P11.25 billion of government funds meant for rehabilitation projects for areas ravaged by the super typhoon remain untouched as of first half of 2017.

The National Economic and Development Authority said the latest “Yolanda” progress report showed that only P20.94 billion of the P32.19 billion had been disbursed to implementing government agencies.

Of the total funds released, the social services

cluster got the highest share of P8.71 billion, followed by resettlement (P6.09 billion), infrastructure (P4.28 billion), and livelihood (P1.86 billion).

“More than three years after Yolanda struck the region, there are still issues and concerns that impede the smooth and fast implementation of programs and projects in Region 8,” Neda Eastern Visayas regional director Bonifacio Uy told PNA Thursday.

The report also identified five major issues in carrying out post-disaster projects, all related to relocation efforts. These are: delay in the construction of permanent housing projects in this city and other typhoon-hit areas; substandard housing units; poor access to water and power in resettlement sites; livelihood assistance to newlytransferred families; and absence of permanent school building near housing sites.

Citing the National Housing Authority, Neda revealed that only 15,422 houses out of the 56,140 target homes for Eastern Visayas have been built.

Among the major setbacks are unavailable lots, land acquisition issues, procurement concerns, and lack of qualified contractors.

Uy said the central government and regional officials have been working closely to complete all ongoing projects within three years. With PNA

Rep. Alfredo ‘Albee’ B. Benitez (fourth from left), chairman of the House Committee on Housing and Urban Development, and Rep. Ben P. Evardone of the Lone District of Eastern Samar, lead the Public Hearing on House Resolution No. 599 on Friday at the Community Center in Tacloban City. Mel R. Caspe

ANTIPOLO CITY GRABS LGU TOP HONORS THE year 2016 proved to be fruitful for Antipolo as the National Competitiveness Council awarded the city as the country’s Overall Most Competitive in the Component City Category.

Antipolo City bagged the top ranking in that category during the recent Regional Competitiveness Summit in Manila.

NCC recognized the city for its competitiveness as it ranked first in Infrastructure Development, 6th in Economic Dynamism, Top 3 in Government Efficiency and 7th in Resiliency.

The rankings saw the city move up from the 6th spot last year to the top of the list this year.

Meanwhile, the Province of Rizal was

named Most Competitive province in the country for two consecutive years.

Antipolo City Mayor Jun Ynares, who was joined by the city council and employees to receive the prestigious award, was overwhelmed with gratitude.

“It’s just not cooperation but it’s the collaboration of various sectors that helped us topped the list of the Most Competitive Local Government Units in the country,” said Ynares.

To reach the top of the list, Antipolo went the way of collaboration, the mayor said. The city invited the entire community, its partners, and stakeholders to share the journey and go out of their way to make it easier, faster, and more meaningful.

“To achieve economic dynamism,

we asked for the collaboration of our entrepreneur sector, as well as that of the country’s top business conglomerates who have made Antipolo as home to their national and global enterprises,” he added.

To achieve governance efficiency, Antipolo asked for the collaboration of our public service workforce, and the national agencies with frontline offices in the city.

To build a topnotch infrastructure system, the city co-labored with the national government’s infrastructure agencies, and the private utility firms who provide the power and water requirements of the residents and business establishments.

“To create a resilient city, we partnered with various government

agencies [both national and local], private sector companies, and nongovernment organizations and volunteer groups who share their knowledge, expertise, and other resources for disaster preparedness and response, especially among the most vulnerable members of the city,” Ynares added.

On the local government’s part, it created an atmosphere conducive to the growth of the collaboration, the mayor said. To do this, it tapped the collaboration of security and safety agencies, the public health sector, the academe, and even the religious sector.

“The credit for this feat goes to all those who co-labored, and who are part of the shared journey,” Ynares said.

DOST TRAINS KIDS ON DISASTER SURVIVAL

RIZAL’S ARTISTS. The Rizal Artists group join SM mall officials at the opening of the ‘My City, My SM, My Art’ exhibit at the event center of SM City San Mateo in Rizal on Friday. Seated (from left) are Edrick Daniel, Lucky Salayog, Kish Javier, Glenn Blanco, Rembrandt Vocalan, and Franz Marion Vocalan. Standing are (from left) SM senior vice president for Marketing Communications Group Millie Dizon, Daniel Aligaen, Joy Blanco, Peter Paul Blanco, Michael Blanco, Joey Ramos, SM City Taytay mall manager Maureen Fernandez, and SM senior assistant vice president Allan Brosas. Manny Palmero

“WALANG namamatay sa lindol [Nobody dies from earthquake],” says Jeffrey S. Perez, a geologist from Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology.

“Namamatay kapag nabagsakan ng mga gamit sa bahay. Kaya dapat, ngayon pa lang, i-check nyo na ang mga bahay nyo kung ano ang maaaring makaapekto sa inyo. [People die when they get hit by falling objects. That is why as early as now, check the things in your house that might affect you].”

Perez was among the five presenters in the Disaster Summit for Grade School Children held at the recent 2017 National Science and Technology Week at the World Trade Center, Pasay City.

He said that on the average, the Phivolcs records 20 temblors daily. In the last 400 years, the country experienced 90

destructive earthquakes, he also informed.

On the concept of training school kids on disasters, Venus Valdemoro, public information head of the DoSTPhilippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration, said, “Japan trains kids as young five years of age on how to save themselves during disasters.”

Pagasa partnered with the Japan International Cooperation Agency in a three-year development cooperation to enhance the Philippines’ capacity on weather observation and forecasting called Jica-Pagasa on Weather Project or J-POW. The partnership includes conduct of awareness raising activities and seminars, dispatch of experts, and provision of equipment to boost the Philippines’ disaster awareness and resiliency.

Dr. Alberto Cruz Reyes (left) and the Manila Standard’s Orlan Mauricio

HOSPITAL OWNER REYES NAMED TOP BULAKENYO

By Orlan L. Mauricio

FILIPINO family names such as Domingo, Santos, Cruz and Reyes are easily the most common and often referred to as ‘lima singko’ or ‘mamera’, a pre-war idiomatic expression connoting that these surnames can be found almost everywhere.

The name of this year’s Outstanding ‘Dangal ng Lipi ng Bulacan’ awardee is not an exception.

In fact, if one types his complete name ‘Alberto Cruz Reyes’ on Facebook’s search box, it will instantly produce more than a hundred profiles complete with pictures!

Reyes was born on Sept. 2, 1930 during the pre-war years when the daily wage income of a laborer is 50 centavos/day while a public-school teacher was earning only P19 a month.

The 87-year-old true-blue Bulakenyo grew up like any ordinary kid in the rustic barrio of Tabang, Plaridel and walked four kilometers a day to school and back.

His name may be common but it is not ‘cheap.’ Even if there are a thousand of Reyeses in Bulacan and all over the archipelago, Alberto C. Reyes will stand out from the rest by just sifting through his vitae.

A product of public school, Reyes graduated First Honor at the Plaridel Elementary School, (1943) and Valedictorian at the Bulacan High School (former name of Marcelo H. del Pilar High School) in 1947.

He went to college at the University of the Philippines and graduated with a degree in Liberal Arts, with Honors, in 1949. He pursued medicine through a grant (Bailon dela Rama scholarship) and graduated in 1954.

He persevered through sheer hard work, determination and fervent prayers from people whose money were borrowed to bankroll his residency training in surgery at the Reading Hospital in West Reading, Pennsylvania, USA. And later in Allentown Hospital, Allentown, Penn., USA, where he met Juanita Gascon, a young, pretty and fresh graduate from the University of Santo Tomas (1955) who was also taking her post-graduate training in Internal Medicine.

In the summer of 1958, he married Juanita at the Sacred Heart Church in Allentown.

In the 1959 results of the medical board exams published in The Manila Times on April 25, 1960, Reyes, was No. 1 Topnotcher with a perfect grade of 100 percent in Bio-Chemistry, considered the toughest subject in the exams.

In 1968, 10 years after their wedding, Reyes and Dra. Juanita Gascon-Reyes, an anesthesiologist, founded the Sacred Heart Hospital of Malolos (SHHM).

“It was named after the church where we first heard Mass together as sweethearts and said our ’I do’s’ as husband and wife,” he said.

In 2015, Metro Pacific, the business group of Manuel V. Pangilinan, bought a majority stake (51 percent worth P150 million) in the 49-yearold hospital.

To date, it’s the most modern medical center in the province, equipped with state-of-the-art apparatus and often dubbed as “the St. Luke’s Hospital of Bulacan.”

At 87, Dr. Alberto C. Reyes, M.D. does he deserve to be the outstanding 2017 ”Dangal ng Lipi ng Bulacan’’?

The board of judges knows best.

(Editor’s Note: The author nominated Reyes, who was adjudged as the ‘Outstanding awardee’ in this year’s search for Bulacan’s annual ‘Dangal ng Lipi’ awardees in various fields of profession. They will be feted on Sept. 15 at the culminating activities of the ‘Linggo ng Bulacan’ at the Hiyas Pavilion in Malolos City.)

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SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2017 Isah V. Red, Editor

By Bernadette Lunas

R

AYMOND Gutierrez surprised everyone when he revealed on April his lean and fit physique to the public, via a shirtless photo, no less. He shed 65 pounds off his weight and gained the strength to lift, run, and jump— in less than four months.

The 33-year-old host and social media’s new #fitspiration started on his transformation journey in Jan. 2, right after the holidays.

Raymond’s motivation was a simple but compelling one: he hated the way he looked and the way he felt. He wanted to wear clothes he likes and do things without him always catching his breath.

“I was having these thoughts in my head that I can’t continue this life being the way it is—the poor diet and poor lifestyle choices.” he told Manila Standard Young Life. “I thought I really had to make a big change.”

With the help of nutritionist Nadine Tengco, Raymond changed his diet, to which he attributed 70 percent of his successful weight loss. During his 90day challenge, he stopped eating rice and pork, and even quit alcohol—a challenge for a party boy and nightclub owner like him.

“I was a heavy drinker, I was a party boy; nightlife was my number one priority because I own nightclubs. Getting those businesses up and running took a toll on my health,” he related. But firm on his decision to finally change, he redirected his energy towards the most important thing for him. “Now my main priority is my health.”

Fitness coach Arnold Aninion guided him on his workout routine, which included sled work, bench presses, battle ropes, air squats, and running. While Erwan Heusaff, his lifestyle coach, helped him document his journey on social media, thus inspiring many people.

“From January to April was kind of that intense moment,” shared Raymond.

He admitted his journey wasn’t easy—his social life was sacrificed and there were days that he would feel lazy to workout. But he soon discovered, “it’s all a mind game.” He said, “You have to remember it’s you against yourself. You have to constantly remind yourself [on days you feel lazy] that you’ll feel better after you workout.”

The first and perhaps the hardest phase of his transformation journey may be over, but Raymond is not done yet.

“I’m still not finished on whatever my goal is,” he declared.

Raymond said he’s now focusing on building more muscle and being much stronger. His current workout routine: “Before breakfast, I do a 40-minute jog or speed walk. In the afternoon, I train with Arnold wherein we do weights. Sometimes in the evening, I do spinning classes.”

He added, “I try to keep it fun and exciting. I don’t want to do the same thing everyday.”

When it comes to food, Raymond said it’s about

/

RAYMOND GUTIERREZ

Mond's transformation serves as an inspiration to many the better options and balanced proportion. “The good kind of protein, the good kind of fat, the good kind or carb.”

He also doesn’t deprive himself of treats. He shared, “Once in a while I’ll have a sweet dessert, but not everyday.”

After quitting for a while, Raymond enjoys his tipple again, but only occasionally such as during Divine Lee’s wedding and Mayor Pie Alvarez’s birthday recently.

“If it’s a big celebration and if it’s something to celebrate, why not? I don’t want to take that away from me totally,” he emphasized.

According to the “new Mond,” the small decisions that you do on a daily basis make the biggest change.

And, without a doubt, he’s loving the changes he 's feeling right now.

“I feel like a happier and positive person overall. I’m excited to do things everyday, excited to take up new hobbies, new workout classes,” he enthused.

“Everyday I live my life in a very positive way.”

THAT MAKE YOUR SKIN GLOW Berries

Berries

These little wonders do a huge deal for the skin as they are packed with antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties, vitamins, minerals, and flavonoids, which protect skin from aging and keeps it supple and hydrated. MediCard’s Dr. Nicky Montoya suggests opting for red, blue, and black berries as they contain the highest level of antioxidants. Introduce berries to your meal by adding them in oatmeal or salad, or, simply swap them for your usual candy treats.

Salmon

This superfood is rich in protein and omega-3 fatty acids which help the skin maintain its elasticity. Salmon also acts as a natural sunscreen as eating it increases skin’s ability to protect

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

THE JOURNEY TO FITNESS OF

5 FOOD ITEMS

THERE is no shortage of serums, creams, and highlighters that we can apply on our skin to fake a glow. But if you truly want to achieve that much coveted radiance sans cosmetic products, begin from the inside; take note of what you put in your body.

Here are five food items that you can eat for healthy, glowing skin.

Young Life

itself from sun’s damaging rays. It also reduces inflammation and helps prevent skin cancer.

Dr. Montoya recommends eating salmon three times a week for radiant skin.

Sunflower seeds

Sunflower seeds’s vitamin E and beta carotene keep the skin young and healthy. They

Turn to E2

Salmon

Scan this icon to view the PDF

THE NEW MOND. Raymond Gutierrez says changing for the better is all about the small decisions you make on a daily basis.

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SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2017

Isah V. Red, Editor / Nickie Wang, Issue Editor isahred@gmail.com

Showbiz

NICOLE

ASENSIO ROCK MUSIC’S FEMME FATALE

Matthias Rhoads with Marian Rivera

ACTOR FROM VIRAL AD IS

MARIAN RIVERA’S

NEW LEADING

By Nickie Wang

I

MAN

N THIS generation, there are a handful of young artists who break onto scene with their exceptional talent, usually creating their own unique brand that separates them from all the rest. Take classical singer turned rock chick Nicole Asensio for example.

It was in 2010 when we first met Nicole and her band, General Luna. They were performing at the Teatrino Bar in Greenhills when they were introduced as the next music stars to watch out for.

With their killer looks, the first impression was that the ladies were just Pussycat Dolls wannabes, but onstage they showed something so appealing about them that you would consider their sex appeal as just their secondary asset.

At the backstage, Nicole told us how the band got its name, “Our band name was inspired by the lunar eclipse we saw when we were on a road trip.

And yes, it doesn’t have something to do with the famous Philippine hero.”

Since that night, the band went on to perform in bigger venues and numerous music festivals in and around the country before it went on permanent hiatus in the last quarter of 2013. Her connection with her band mates didn’t stop there though. She is still in constant communication with them and works with them once in a while. Sure she misses working with her band.

“I find myself more creative when working with a group,” she said.

Still out presenting herself as a rock chick, Nicole resurfaced in 2015, but this time as a solo artist. She released her debut solo album, Schizoprano, a portmanteau of the words schizophrenic and soprano and inspired by her musical background.

Nicole was trained in classical music and opera. She is also songwriter herself.

Growing up in a family of classical and Broadway singers, she loves the same genre but fuses it with rock. And it is easier to understand because Nicole, according to her previous interview with Manila Standard is a person “who is a fan on fusion and reinvention.” She must have been inspired by soprano Fides Cuyugan Asensio and singer/actor Cocoy Laurel since their blood as legendary musicians runs in Nicole’s veins. She is Fides’s granddaughter and Coco’s niece.

“There’s a time when you need to step out of your comfort zone and learn from other musicians. And when it comes to supportive musical friends, I am blessed.

Musically, I feel more free to collaborate and venture off sound wise – so that’s a plus,” Nicole said.

And in speaking of reinvention, the singer, also known as Diwata among her supporters after appearing in the music video of Abra and Chito Miranda’s song “Diwata,” continues to reevaluate herself by making a clear statement on her latest magazine cover – she’s one sexy rocker chick, a force to be reckoned with.

Nicole is FHM’s ’s September muse. In the cover, the singer appears to be almost naked and is only covered by white laced cloth. And in the magazine’s latest issue, she talked about musical reinvention and her struggles as a solo artist.

“I do feel like it was time but that didn’t make it any easier because I didn’t know how to be a solo artist. I like being in a band. I do miss the girls. Being on the road, traveling together, getting to know each other so well that it hurts. I’m still in touch with a few of my General Luna bandmates.”

Meanwhile the feature article describes Nicole as a soulful songstress who has an otherworldly talent, a sound and voice that helps keep her in the limelight. And that was an apt description of Nicole, and many could no longer wait on else she would dish out as a solo sexy rocker.

ROCK CHICK. Classically trained rock singer and songwriter Nicole Asensio debuts on the cover of a popular men's magazine (inset) as part of her reinvention a solo artist.

Photos from Nicole's Instagram.

TEEJAY MARQUEZ

NOW A REGAL MILLENIAL BABY SocMed superstar Teejay Marquez is officially launched as a Regal Entertainment contract star

ACTOR and social media personality Teejay Marquez was officially launched as Regal Millennial Baby on Wednesday. As a contract star, his first project is a movie with Regal Entertainment opposite an Indonesian actress, among others.

“We wanted to recruit an Indonesian actress to be part of Teejay’s movie with us. Gusto rin naming ipalabas yung pelikula sa Indonesia,” Mother Lily Monteverde said during Teejay’s launch as a Regal Baby.

Some people may not be familiar with the name Teejay Marquez, but in Indonesia, where he’s considered a social

media superstar, the young actor is making a name for himself both in the small and the big screens.

Last year, the 23-year-old announced on Facebook that he’s going to play the lead role in a teen drama entitled Dubsmash The Movie. It’s loosely based on his life as an online celebrity who has almost a million followers on Instagram, half a million followers on Facebook and 135 thousand followers on Twitter only the movie is embellished with romantic twists.

Teejay started in showbiz in 2011 as one of the cast members of GMA-7’s Tween Hearts. He even won the Best Male New TV Personality trophy (tied with his co-star Derrick Monasterio) at PMPC Star Awards on the same year. Four years later, he transferred to ABS-CBN where he landed a role in the hit primetime series Dream Dad topbilled by Zanjoe Marudo and Jana Agoncillo. Most recently, he had a very short stint in the family drama The Greatest Love.

AFTER breaking into the small screen as a commercial model, Matthias Rhoads, the Fil-Am hottie who created a buzz after starring as the groom in the viral fast food commercial, is now set to conquer greater heights alongside Kapuso Primetime Queen Marian Rivera in the new fantasy series, Super Ma’am.

Moonlighting as a model in the Philippines, the 24-year-old worked for multitude jobs before entering the world of show business.

He posed for numerous advertisements and was one of Cosmo Magazine’s 69 Bachelors in 2016. He also revealed that he worked as a graphic artist in New York City before trying his luck in the country.

Armed with the dream of having his own company and becoming the next Anthony Bourdain, Rhoads initially tried pursuing a profession in the finance industry for three years until a few great opportunities landed on his doorstep.

It was also in the same city where he was discovered by agencies after stealing attention as Lapu-Lapu in the Philippine Independence Day Parade back in 2016.

Like other celebrity halfies, the Kapuso actor grew up abroad but it didn’t stop him in taking interest about Filipino culture. In an interview, the Filipino American mutt shared that his mom grew up in Quezon City and later migrated to Chicago to study. His father is from the Washington DC area while his maternal grandfather is a doctor from Batanes and his maternal grandmother, is from Guinobatan, Albay. He became involved in New Orleans Asian Pacific American Society (APAS) where he learned traditional Filipino dances such as La Simpatica and where he started modeling Filipino couture designs.

It is also in APAS where he broadened his network that eventually introduced him to his current agency.

The former aspiring model from New York already had several projects in GMA Network but Super Ma’am is his first major take in his acting career. After signing a contract with GMA Artist Center back in April, Rhoads started appearing in various Kapuso shows including the top-rating Meant to Be, where he was introduced as part of the group Continued on C3

Pets

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SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2017 isahred@gmail.com

ACTOR...

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Model Matthias Rhoads teams up with Marian Rivera in new series

Officers and members of the Cordillera Animal Protection Advocates (CAPA) feed the dogs and cats at Dogs Mountain in La Union

A DOG SANCTUARY A

LL are unwanted, most are victims of cruelty.

IN LA UNION PET TALES

BY DESIREE CARLOS

Some were rescued before they can be cooked as appetizer or main dish.

Some were pulled out from illness-ridden pounds where they were to die slowly because medical attention is not given and there is little or no food at all.

Some were to be put to sleep.

Some were rescued from the streets after being hit by a vehicle, leaving them disabled, unable to walk, or limping.

Some were dying on the streets, others had a severe skin disease or were severely emaciated.

They now live in Dogs Mountain in La Union, a sanctuary for 200-plus dogs and 20 cats.

Eleven years ago, John Hughes, a British animal welfare advocate and animal rights fighter, built this sanctuary for dogs who were rescued from dog meat traders. Since then, Dogs Mountain has welcomed a thousand or more dogs rescued from dog meat traders, the pounds, and streets.

When John died three years ago, co-founder and wife Shirly and her twin sister Ashley continued taking care of the dogs and cats.

It is not easy, of course, considering the limited resources.

Cooking food for 200-plus animals and feeding them twice a day take so much energy and time. The cost of food alone requires a lot of funds. Shirly and Ashley are thus grateful to donors and volunteers who help them.

Last Sunday was one special day for the dogs and cats of Dogs Mountain: officers and members of the Cordillera Animal Protection Advocates (CAPA) visited the dogs, donated dog food, rice and vegetables, and helped prepare the food and feed the dogs and cats.

“CAPA is a non-profit organization composed of professionals and animal enthusiasts who are Baguio-based. Members come from different age group. Some are students, family members, and working professionals,” said Cherrubeth Batuna, president.

“The group is guided by the Philippine Animal Welfare Act and is actively promoting responsible pet ownership through educational programs and conducting free animal vaccinations in barangays,” said vice president Jonathan Gapuz.

CAPA members described their experience in Dogs Mountain as unique and an eye-opener.

Giobanny Matias said it was “fun and enlightening.” He said his interaction with the dogs, who were sweet and approachable, motivated him to be a good veterinarian someday.

Kevin Charles Velasco said: “My Dogs Mountain experience is an eye opener. Help (for the dogs) is a must, and passion is by heart.”

Georgelyn Salupen said this is his first time to visit a shelter for animals and saw how difficult it is to feed many dogs at one go. He enjoyed it though because he loves dogs.

Arthur Licyayo, Jr. was awed by the passion of co-founder Shirly, Ashley, and the three-male staff of Dogs Mountain Sanctuary. “It’s im-

CAPA officers and members with Dogs Mountain co-founder Shirly Hughes and sister Ashley

that challenged the JEYA boys, the weekly anthology Karelasyon, Tonight with Arnold Clavio, Taste Buddies, and the female-oriented talk show, Mars. He also took part in Fiercest of Them All, GMA News TV’s reality modeling show where he joined as a coach and a judge.

In Super Ma’am, Rhoads introduced his character as a researcher, “I came to the Philippines to research the mystery behind the jars with an inscription of a Tamawo which is a mythical] creature.”

Speaking to GMANetwork.com, he also revealed that the show is centered on Pinoy urban legends.

“There are mysterious happenings to the students at a school, and one of the teachers takes it on themselves to fix the bad happenings. This is where my character will cross path with Marian Rivera’s character. There’s something about her that’s so mysterious that I want to find out. You know, her connection with what I’m researching.”

Super Ma’am is set to spice up September nights with its comic fantasy and heart-warming episodes. Completing the members of the cast are actresses Helen Gamboa, and Meg Imperial and Rhoads Kwentong Jollibee co-actors Ash Ortega and Enrico Cuenca. —Sundy Locus

5FromFOOD...

C1 protect it from free radical damage, help diminish appearance of scars, combat UV rays, and delay onset of wrinkles. Sunflowers are packed with essential fatty acids that increase production of collagen and elastin—essential components for a smooth and soft skin.

Green tea

Drinking green tea helps lessen facial redness, flushes out toxins from the body, and improves blood circulation.

Its anti-inflammatory properties may also help delay skin aging. Dr. Montoya recommends drinking at least one cup of green tea daily to read its benefits.

Rose and Ethan readying bowls for distribution measurable. Feeding, cleaning, and caring for 200-plus dogs everyday is a challenge—physically, emotionally and most of all, financially. It takes courage. It is no joke to be in their situation. “ It is my hope that these young men and women will continue to assist sanctuaries and shelters in giving a better life to poor beings who were once homeless and victims of cruelty. I am glad young men and women like them are now actively helping the helpless and voiceless, and have the passion to improve the lot of animals in need. May there be more like them.

Greek yogurt

Greek yogurt is considered an antiaging food as protein from dairy is known to help skin become firmer. It also nurtures vital cells, and breaks down harmful cells and bacteria in the body, thus preventing wrinkles and giving you flawless, glowing skin. Furthermore, yogurt also increases good bacteria in the body, which help fight acne-causing bacteria.

WHERE TO RUN IN METRO MANILA RUNNING outdoors delivers a number of health benefits, however, inhaling polluted air as you keep your pace in the open makes the effort counterproductive. Streets busy with human and vehicle traffic are also a dangerous track option.

These tracks and trails in the city provide a more conducive space for you to hit your cardio goals.

Track 30th

In the middle of the busy Bonifacio Global City commercial-business district is this fitness park for active BGC workers and residents. It features a paved jogging path: a loop of about 310 meters in length that goes around the park filled with open green spaces and trees serving as natural shade in daytime.

Tackle this track in a pair of Merrell’s Bare Access Flex whose technology guarantees flexibility, versatility, comfort, and ground connection on the road and beyond.

Capitol Commons

Included in this 10-hectare mixed use development in Pasig City is a park that has a 300-meter loop where residents can run, jog, and do drills. Meanwhile, children can have fun and play in the park’s outdoor playground.

Bare Access Flex’s FLEXconnect, that offers superior breathability, makes it an ideal shoes for running and after-exercise leisure.

Salcedo Park

A fitness junkie and foodie will find this place a perfect running spot.

Have a Saturday morning jog at Salcedo Park where after you log your laps you can then sample some organic produce at the Salcedo Market.

Make it a family affair and bring along the kids and the family dog.

Slip on a pair of Bare Access Flex with dual directional flex-groove EVA midsole and an M Select GRIP+ outsole for agility and stability on the park’s uneven terrain, wet or dry.

UP Diliman

Every weekend, the campus becomes a car-free zone making it a goto fitness spot for joggers and cyclists in the northern Metro. Five laps around the oval completes a 10km run. There’s also plenty of room for other recreational activities such as yoga, tai chi, and skateboarding.

Hit your fitness goals in Merrell Trail Glove 4 which features a simple design, a sock-like construction for a locked-down fit and a Vibram sole for superior grip.

Filinvest City

Those in the southern part of Metro Manila are lucky for having easy access to Filinvest City’s 9km-worth of grassy trails and dirt paths—perfect for trail running and mountain biking. The trails range from beginner to expert.

If you plan on doing light runs on moderate terrain, the Merrell Agility Charge Flex is your best bet for its Hyperlock TPU film heel counter that provides stability during quick descents and sharp turns. For longer runs and more rugged courses, on the other hand, go for the Agility Peak Flex which has FLEXconnect EVA dual-directional flex-groove to provide optimal traction for both uphill and downhill trails.

Go out on a run around your neighborhood park in Merrell's running shoes

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SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2017 Riera U. Mallari, Editor rumallari@thestandard.com.ph

Gadgets & Games

VIVO NOW RANKED AMONG TOP 5 IN WORLD

Andrea Brillantes taking a groufie with her vivo fans during the Vivo Perfect Selfie Tour at SM Fairview

I

challenged the traditional vendor-dealer relationship smartphone vendors have been accustomed to, and while leading vendors have been able to adapt, smaller players with less marketing and merchandising budget at their disposal were unable to do growth of 66 percent.

“Vivo disrupted the smartphone retail so, thus suffering drops in market shares.” space through cash-rich marketing, agTop of mind brand gressive sales promoter incentives and preHigh-visibility TV, print and billboard viously unseen levels of retailer support,” said Jerome Dominguez, market analyst endorsements of Golden State Warriors for client devices, IDC Asia/Pacific. “This point guard Stephen Curry quickly

N LESS than two years, Vivo has established its place in the highly competitive mobile phone scene, both in the Philippines and abroad.

According to International Data Corporation’s Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker, Vivo is the fastest-growing smartphone brand worldwide, securing a spot among the top 5 premium global brands in the second quarter of 2017, and posting a quarter-to-quarter

made Vivo a top of mind brand among Filipinos.

Meanwhile, weekly mall tours in and out of Metro Manila that included performances from celebrities Tony Labrusca, McCoy de Leon, Sue Ramirez and Andrea Brillantes allowed discerning shoppers to discover the brand’s innovative products and their unique features up close.

Vivo’s flagship product is its V5s, an Android 6.0 mobile phone with 4gb of RAM and a 3000mAh non-removable battery. Available in crown gold, rose gold and matte black, the Vivo V5s boasts the world’s first 20-megapixel front camera with bokeh effect, giving your supersharp selfies a much-desired artistic, defocused background. The powerful front camera is also capable of shooting the Perfect Selfie, Group Selfie (fitting all family members and friends into a single frame) and Softlight Glow Selfie (snap a clear portrait no matter what time of the day). A13-megapixel rear camera captures precious moments with equal crispness and vivid color.

IDC expects smartphone sales to increase in the last quarter of the year when the forthcoming Christmas holidays signal a spike in the demand for quality mobile phones.

IDC is the premier global provider of market intelligence, advisory services and events for the information technology, telecommunications and consumer technology markets. Its Tracker products provide accurate and timely market size, vendor share and forecasts for hundreds of technology markets from more than 100 countries around the globe.

For inquiries about Vivo, visit the Vivo website at www.vivo.com/ph or check out its Facebook (https://www.facebook. com/VivoPhil), Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/vivophil/), and Twitter (https:// twitter.com/vivo_phil) accounts.

FOCAL SPIRIT ONE S IS YOUR PERFECT TRAVEL BUDDY Text and photo by Dino Ray V. Directo III THIS writer is certain that majority of us have experienced boredom during a lengthy road trip or a flight out to a foreign destination. We have all heard of the horrors of budget airlines not having an in-flight entertainment system. Thanks to the guys at Focal Ph, a recent travel abroad was made more bearable with their line of perfect travel buddies.

Gen Tiu, the marketing manager of Waido Corporation, exclusive distributors of Focal headphones and home entertainment systems in the country, sent me a test unit of the Spirit S. Focal’s Spirit S is their entry level headphones competitively priced at P11,000, it is a part of the Focal Headphones family composed of the Spirit Classic and the high-end Spirit Professional.

One noticeable feature of Focal is that their headphones have similar design cues. With the Spirit One S, it is a tasteful combination of black, dark grey and silver finishes with cosmetic touches of metal of what is effectively a plastic headphone. Don’t be misled with the plastic because it is high qual-

ity and it I guess it is meant to reduce weight of the SOS. The metal portions of the headphones make it look high quality and expensive. Overall, this headphone is a looker.

The circular design encloses and cup your ears with soft pads are a convenient and pleasurable way to enjoy the SOS during extended plays. The inside of the cups are finished with a layer of red cloth between your ears and the housing, so everything feels very plush and comfortable. The pads are nice and thick, but the opening for your ears might be a little tight for those with larger ears. The cable that comes with the package is a good length at 1.4m and allows enough slack to connect to a player in your pocket or on your desk with a bit of room to move, but without creating an unwieldy tangle of excess cable.

The cable attaches to the left earpiece with a 3.5mm plug that needs to be pushed in securely.

Listening performance

The Spirit One S leans towards a forgiving bass sound similar to the Spirit Classic, but more so. I sampled a track and listened to “This Girl” by the Kungs, and immediately noticed that the One S had more bass. This

extended bottom end can be good when your strolling on a public and noisy mall, or while car pooling or simply drowning out the splashing of the waves by the seashore. However, the SOS did lack the detail of the bass with the Spirit Classic, but the difference was subtle and easily lost among the noise of commuting. The speaker drivers are 40mm—fairly normal for this range of headphones. Just don’t jack up the volume too much because this can damage your ear but the good news is that musical detail holds at lower volumes so there’s not that urge to increase volume to get impact and detail. If you feel the need to increase volume to a level where you know you shouldn’t, distortion is minimal.

Summary

The Focal Spirit One S Over-ear Headphones is a well engineered and designed product, though audiophiles might feel that it is a bit lacking a bit more. The Spirit One S delivers a rich, deep sound, but the bass can dominate the mix. That being said, This French made headphone does a fantastic job crafting a portable set of over-ear headphones that sounds a great deal better than most popular brands in the market.

WINDOWS 10 SETS NEW STANDARD FOR SECURITY AS WE continue our move to a mobile-first, cloud-first world, data security has been more important than ever. Today’s security threat landscape is one of aggressive and tenacious threats. In previous years, malicious attackers mostly focused on gaining community recognition through their attacks or the thrill of temporarily taking a system offline.

Since then, attacker’s motives have shifted toward making money, including holding devices and data hostage until the owner pays the demanded ransom. Modern attacks increasingly focus on largescale intellectual property theft; targeted system degradation that can result in financial loss; and now even cyberterrorism that threatens the security of individuals, businesses, and national interests all over the world. These attackers are typically highly trained individu-

als and security experts, some of whom are in the employ of nation states that have large budgets and seemingly unlimited human resources. Threats like these require an approach that can meet this challenge.

Security breaches can take 200+ days to detect and industry experts predict there will be over two million new malware apps by the end of the year. These are clear driving factors for governments and business leaders to improve cybersecurity and seek a secure platform.

Windows 10 sets the security standard Windows 10 looks to be the most secure Windows system to date. At the forefront of this security is Windows Defender Advanced Threat Protection (ATP).

ATP wasn’t just built with the

intention of detecting and responding to attacks. Instead it was also designed to provide preventive protection using new next generation approaches that in the past have often been too difficult to engineer or use.

Windows Defender Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) includes seamless integration across the entire Windows threat protection stack to protect, detect, and respond with rich, centralized management. In addition, Windows Defender ATP extends protection to Windows Server OS to protect customers across platforms. New features and capabilities in the suite include Windows Defender Exploit Guard, Windows Defender Application Guard and substantial updates to Windows Defender Device Guard and Windows Defender Antivirus.

Focal Spirit One S

Sony α9

SONY HAULS RECORD 7 EISA AWARDS SONY has been recognized by the European Imaging and Sound Association for delivering inspiring products to its customers that redefine the boundaries of what is possible in the imaging and home theatre markets. This year, Sony was honored with a record seven awards, more than any other manufacturer and more than Sony has ever won in a single year.

EISA Camera of the Year 20172018: Sony α9 (P239,999.00) The Sony α9 is a groundbreaking mirrorless camera that in many ways surpasses traditional DSLR rivals. Thanks to an innovative design, the 24.2 million pixel full-frame image sensor captures up to 20 frames per second in full resolution with no EVF blackout and offers completely silent, vibration-free shooting at up to 1/32,000th second. The new superfast autofocus system, with 693 phase detection AF points covering 93% of the image area, ensures that even fast-moving subjects are in focus. The 5-axis image stabilization allows a 5-step slower shutter speed. The oversampling process and full-frame pixel read-out result in excellent 4K movie quality.

EISA Prosumer Compact System Camera: Sony α6500 (P81,999.00) The α6500 is a very small compact system camera offering professional performance.

EISA Compact Camera 2017-2018: Sony RX100 V (P56,999.00) The Sony RX100 V is a high-tech masterpiece in a very compact body.

Like its predecessor, it offers a 1.0-type sensor and an excellent retractable OLED electronic viewfinder.

EISA Superzoom Camera 20172018: Sony RX10 III (P87,599.00) At just 1095g, the Sony RX10 III is the perfect camera for sports, nature and wildlife photographers looking for an easy to carry all-in-one solution.

EISA Compact System Lens 20172018: Sony FE 100mm F2.8 STF GM OSS (P115,000.00) This 100mm telephoto prime lens offers the outstanding resolution of the G Master series, combined with STF (Smooth Trans Focus) optics for breathtaking bokeh. This lens has been designed to produce extraordinarily smooth, natural bokeh without vignetting.

EISA Professional Compact System Lens 2017-2018: Sony FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS (P169,000.00) The Sony FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS is an impressive lens covering the most popular angles for sports and action photography.

EISA Home Theatre TV 2017-2018: Sony KD-65Z9D (SRP P444,499.00 for 75-inch model) Sony’s 4K flagship delivers an outstanding viewing experience, with excellent color reproduction and best-in-class contrast, plus support of all major HDR formats (including a scheduled upgrade for Dolby Vision).

HEOS SERIES: THE DO-IT-ALL SPEAKER

By Peter Duran IT’S multi-room’s moment.

With the newly launched Heos series by Denon Control, hear all your music effortlessly from anywhere inside your house, office, or establishment.

Welcomed by Beyond Innovations, the leading and most-respected Audio-Video and smart home systems technology solutions provider in the country, the Heos line was formally unveiled last week at the Cities Events Place in Quezon City.

The new Home Entertainment Operating System line presented to the media was the first launch of the product in Southeast-Asia apart from Singapore. The reason, according to the execs is the Filipinos’affinity for music and singing.

The acoustically sculpted,

Heos 5 stylish and powerful multiroom wireless speaker system can be controlled with a free app downloadable on Android, iOS and Kindle. Users can play their favorite music whether it be from music streaming services, internet radio, or music collection from their phone with minimal set-up.

The Heos speakers feature

advanced signal processing that produces excellent sound quality that fills any room. The rechargeable speakers also support Bluetooth and USB input for mass storage and additional options from music sources.

The entry-level Heos 1 is a do-it-all speaker with a humidity-resistant body fea-

turing custom dual drivers, wide range mid-woofer and precision dome tweeter. Also presented was the Heos 3 and 5 ideal for small- to mediumsized rooms and medium to large rooms, respectively.

The Heos 7, on the other hand, is the ultimate wireless speaker of the bunch with a sleek portable design featuring seven drivers, two passive radiators, two custom tweeters and mid-woofers and a large subwoofer backed by five class D amplifiers.

Prices are: Heos 1: P17,500; Heos 3: P23,500; Heos 5: P29,500; Heos 7: P38,500.

The speakers are currently available on Lazada.

For more info about the Heos line specifications, warranty and other products, please visit www.facebook. com/DenonPH and www.beyondinnov.com