Manila Standard - 2017 October 22 - Sunday by Manila Standard

MARAWI PLAN GETS P350-M QUICK FUND

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VOL. XXXI • NO. 250 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P18 • SUNDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2017 • www.manilastandard.net • editorial@manilastandard.net

MANHUNT ON FOR 5 TOP ISIS REMNANTS W By Francisco Tuyay

ESTERN Mindanao Command chief Lt. Gen. Carlito Galvez Jr. has said government security forces are tracking down five terrorists who have the potential to continue the ISIS caliphate threat in the country.

Galvez on GMA News TV program “State of the Nation with Jessica Soho” said they were searching for Malaysian terrorist Amin Bacu, an Indonesian terrorist, and three of Hapilon’s children. He said in a radio interview the security forces were just zeroing in on the top two defiant foreign terrorists defending their last bastion, with the military foreseeing

the closing of curtain of the dark episode of Marawi City from the clutches of evil. Galvez said Islamic State militants—two Malaysians including Amin Bacu and an Indonesian jihadist identified as Ibno Kayin— were the remaining terrorists, now the target of the military’s finishing touches to finally declare the Marawi City siege over. Turn to A2

THE Department of Health has received P350 million in quick release funds, in addition to the almost P137 million the agency has spent for infrastructure rehabilitation efforts in war-ravaged Marawi City. In an interview on dzBB on Saturday, DOH OIC-Secretary Herminigildo Valle said the amount for infrastructure rehabilitation would mostly come from Task Force Bangon Marawi, but a part of it would be contributed by the DOH. He said the amount would be used for rehabilitating partially and completely damaged buildings. The DOH is part of the interagency task force created by President Rodrigo Duterte to head the recovery, reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts for Marawi. Task Force Bangon Marawi is headed by Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana. Valle added the Amai Pakpak Medical Center, located at “ground zero” of the siege, was already in operation, and its some 120 staff members were conducting medical care functions such as surgeries, dialysis and intensive care. Additionally, the officer-incharge said he had oriented the health workers at the hospital to “understand” and “anticipate the Turn to A2

RODY STOKES PEACE TALKS REVIVAL HOPES

By John Paolo Bencito

PEACE talks are set to be revived between the government and communist rebels after both President Rodrigo Duterte and the National Democratic Front expressed openness to resume formal peace negotiations. After several attempts of dismissing peace negotiations, Duterte underscored the need to remain talking with the communists, amid the problems the country is facing such as terrorism, insurgency, and illegal drugs. “Ang problema ko na lang is itong terrorism, which is really ISIS. Yung Maute was just the face, ‘yung Maute ano talaga, ideology ’to. So I’m facing that. I have to talk to the NPA still,” Duterte said in a speech during the launch of Cebu Pacific’s 7th domestic hub in Misamis Oriental. “And there’s the droga, which remains to be a serious problem for our country,” he added. Duterte made the pronouncements after he met with Peace Process Secretary Jesus Dureza and Labor Secretary and government peace panel chairperson Secretary Silvestre Bello III at the Malago Turn to A2

COMING TO TOWN. Different Christmas decorations deck almost every corner of Juan Luna Street in Manila’s Divisoria district as hawkers prepare for the rush of Yuletide shoppers, with only a few days left before the Midnight Masses begin in this largely Christian country of over 106 million people from Batanes down to Tawi-Tawi. Norman Cruz

FBI: DNA TEST SHOWS IT WAS HAPILON THE US Federal Bureau of Investigation confirmed that the DNA samples tested by it, as requested by the Philippine government, matched that of terrorist leader Isnilon Hapilon, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said on Saturday. “We have received an official report that the US Federal Bureau of Investigation has confirmed that taken from a body recovered by our operating units in Marawi matches that of Isnilon Hapilon,” Lorenzana said in a statement. “This process of verification is also being conducted on the cadavers of other terrorists that have been recovered so far,” he added. The confirmation came a day after the DNA samples of Marawi siege leaders Hapilon and Omar Maute were sent to the FBI for testing. Isnilon and Omar were killed in an early morning operation last Monday. Omar was shot in the head by a government sniper while Isnilon died of gunshot wounds to his chest. Hapilon and Maute had a P10-million and P5million reward, respectively, on their heads from the government while the US government, through the FBI, offered a $5-million reward for Isnilon’s apprehension or conviction. President Rodrigo Duterte said Marawi City had Turn to A2 twitter.com/ MlaStandard

JOB WELL DONE. President Rodrigo Duterte acknowledges the salute of government troops from the 1st Infantry Battalion who were preparing to leave at the Laguindingan Airport in Misamis Oriental Friday. The troops were among the first deployed in Marawi City in May to battle against terrorists. Malacañang Photo facebook.com/ ManilaStandardPH

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MANILA BIDS TO HOST FIBA WORLD CUP PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Saturday expressed support to the Philippines’ joint bid along with Japan and Indonesia to host the 2023 FIBA World Cup, as the country aims to gain a favorable decision from the world governing body for the sport. In a statement, Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella described the hosting bid as a “very rare” opportunity expected to “unify the country and will have positive impact on basketball and tourism.” “The Philippines, together with Indonesia and Japan, will bid for the hosting rights for the 2023 FIBA World Cup,” Abella said. “President Duterte backs the FIBA World Cup to support the initiative of Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas Chairman Emeritus Manuel V. Pangilinan and SBP president Al Panlilio,” he added. Under the proposal, Manila, Tokyo and Jakarta will host group stage matches while the Philippines was proposed as the sole host country of the final knockout phase. Turn to A2

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MANHUNT...

DRUG GROUP BLAMED FOR 'PIETA' MAN'S SLAY

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Aside from the terrorist stragglers, Galvez said the troops were also relentlessly tracking down the three sons of Isnilon Hapilon who were with the foreign Islamic militants still resisting the military’s might. Hapilon, the emir of ISIS in Southeast Asia and Omar Maute, Hapilon’s conduit in the terrorist organization in Mindanao, were both killed by a military sniper while attempting to escape at the height of battle inside the main battle area last week. Hapilon and Maute’s killing virtually liberated Marawi City from terrorist occupation for almost five months. With the looming killing of the remnants of terrorists facing imminent collapse, Galvez projected the ending of the Marawi crisis by Sunday. “Most probably tomorrow, we can do it. We can declare it is totally complete,” Galvez projected during the weekend. Malaysian militant Amin Bacu were with four other ISIS fighters, mostly Malaysians, who sought sanctuary in Mindanao after the Malaysians launched a crackdown against ISIS elements in their country last 2013. Baco’s cohorts included University Malaya lecturer Dr. Mahmud Ahmad; stationary shop owner Mohd Najib Husen; former Selayang Municipal Council employee Muhammad Joraimee Awang Raimee, and Jeknal Adil, of Darul Islan Sabah. The military claimed to have killed Dr. Ahmad, the planner and financier of the Marawi attack. Troops are currently tracking where Ahmad’s body was buried. Galvez said Bacu took over the realms of leadership from Hapilon’s death and in control of the deployment of Islamic militants in the region. However, Galvez said they could not totally declare that its mission was accomplished until they eliminated the five persons still within the battle zone trying to survive. Meanwhile, a cousin of Hapilon, along with eight others who operate in Basilan, voluntarily surrendered to military authorities Saturday. AFP Public Affairs Office head, Col. Edgard Arevalo, identified Hapilon’s cousin as Ben Salina Sapilin, alias Ben. “We were able to identify Ben Salina Sapilin who uses the alias “Ben” a cousin of Isnilon Hapilon. He along with other members Ramu Sapilin and Muhamad Endeng surrender to the troops of the 74th Infantry Battlion on October 17 in Albarka Basilan. They brought along with them three high-powered firearms,” Arevalo said. Arevalo said a total 325 ASG members had been neutralized while 124 were killed in military operations; 882 were arrested and 119 surrendered.

MANILA...

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Last Thursday, a three-man FIBA Evaluation Commission started inspecting facilities which will be used should the Philippines, which is bidding to co-host the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup, get the nod from the FIBA Central Board in December. FIBA Central Board and Commission president Hamane Niang of Mali, FIBA Central Board member and treasurer Ingo Weiss of Germany and advisor to the FIBA secretary-general Lubomir Kotleba of Slovak Republic, accompanied by Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas chairman emeritus Manny V. Pangilinan and Philippine Sports Commission chairman Butch Ramirez, paid Duterte a courtesy call at the Mahogany Room of the Manila Hotel before embarking on a two-day ocular inspection of the Philippine International Convention Center, Smart Araneta Coliseum, Mall of Asia Arena and the Philippine Arena. Present during the courtesy call were, among others, Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, Special Assistant to the President Christopher Lawrence Go, SBP president Al Panlilio, SBP executive director Sonny Barrios and SBP deputy executive director for international affairs Butch Antonio. The 2023 World Cup is also the qualifier for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France. The 2019 FIBA World Cup, meanwhile, will be held in eight cities in China—Beijing, Foshan, Wuhan, Shenzhen, Dongguan, Nanjing, Shanghai and Guangzhou—and will be participated by a record 32 teams, according to the FIBA World Cup website. John Paolo Bencito

By John Paolo Bencito

ALACAÑANG on Saturday was quick to clear cops of any responsibility on the death of Michael Siaron, the man in a Pieta-like picture killed last year, claiming that the “real” assailant was a member of a drug syndicate.

Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella, however, did not say who were the people involved. He only vowed to make the perpetrators accountable. “Authorities have put closure on the death of Michael Siaron, whose photo was compared to the Pieta image, after ballistics examination from a recovered firearm revealed that he was killed by a member of a syndicate also involved in the illegal

drug trade,” Abella said. Instead, he proceeded at absolving cops from criticisms at the President’s bloody drug war, where an estimated 7,000 people were killed since the President took office. “The Siaron case verifies what government has said from the start of the campaign against illegal drugs—many of these killings were perpetrated by those involved in drug operations as well; drug traf-

fickers and pushers eliminating each other,” he said. “The relentless attribution of such killings to police operations was both premature and unfair to law abiding enforcement officers who risk life and limb to stop the proliferation of illegal drugs in our society.” Siaron, 30, was shot dead by two unidentified men riding tandem on a motorcycle while walking along Edsa near the Rotonda in Pasay City last July 23, 2016 at around 12:45 a.m. Police said Siaron, allegedly a drug pusher, sustained multiple gunshot wounds in the body. The suspects, who were both wearing full-face helmets, sped away towards Edsa after the shooting. Police said the suspects also dropped a note near Siaron’s body. The note read: “Pusher ako, wag tularan.” Siaron was photographed being

cradled by partner Jennilyn Olayres, like Mary cradling the body of Jesus in Michelangelo’s masterpiece Pieta. Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano earlier claimed in an Al Jazeera interview that all 3,800 Filipinos killed in the Duterte administration’s war on drugs were drug dealers. In an Al Jazeera interview Oct. 6, British journalist Mehdi Hasan cited PNP figures that said 3,850 Filipinos died in police operations from July 1, 2016 to Sept. 16, 2017. “So every single one of the 3 and a half thousand people who were killed was a drug dealer?” Hasan asked Cayetano. “Yes,” the foreign secretary answered. The PNP itself does not label them as proven drug dealers, only as suspects. In Philippine law, a person is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

IMPEACHMENT. Lawyer Larry Gadon (right) tackles the impeachment case he filed against Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno while another lawyer Manny Luna is all ears and waits for his turn to take up the issue during the weekly News Forum at Anabels Restaurant in Quezon City. Manny Palmero

IPU MEDDLING A CASE OF BULLYING—PALACE MALACAÑANG on Saturday branded the move by the Inter-Parliamentary Union to send an observer to monitor and report on the case of Senator Leila De Lima as a “classic example of bullying.” In a statement, Communications Secretary Martin Andanar slammed IPU for “meddling” in the country’s internal affairs. “The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU)’s recommendation to send an observer to monitor the case of

Senator Leila de Lima is a classic example of bullying,” Andanar said. “We should stand up to this kind of meddling into our domestic affairs,” he added. Andanar said that their intent is not to merely observe De Lima’s trial by our laws, “but to meddle in our democratic as well as judicial processes,” “Over and over, pronouncements from the IPU portray the Philippines as a lawless nation when there is abundant evidence to the contrary,”

he added. In its report, the IPU delegation raised doubts about the evidence or lack thereof against De Lima to support the filing of the cases against her. They likewise aired its concern over the statements of President Duterte, Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II and other officials against De Lima that it claimed were meant to portray her as guilty even before the trial started. The delegation called for her im-

RODY...

MARAWI...

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Clubhouse in the Presidential Security Group Compound in Malacañang. Reacting to Duterte’s pronouncements, NDF chief negotiator Fidel Agcaoili said that the revolutionary movement is also open to reviving formal talks with the Government of the Republic of the Philippines. “The NDFP has always been open to continue with the fifth round of the formal talks, which he scuttled in May 2017,” Agcaoili told alternative media outfit Kodao Productions. In a Palace news briefing, Bello earlier said that the peace negotiations with the communists remains “alive” despite the President’s own pronouncements abandoning a possible revival of talks within his term. Saying that the government isn’t sending any formal notice to terminate the peace talks yet, Bello explained that Duterte will not “abandon” his pledge to the Filipino people to bring “lasting peace for our country” in coming up with a successful deal with the communists. “When the President came

mediate release from detention and for the authorities to consider dropping the charges against her. If the trial would proceed, then the delegation urged due process should be accorded to De Lima. De Lima is presently detained at Camp Crame, Quezon City for alleged complicity in the illegal drug trade in the New Bilibid Prison, the proceeds of which she was accused of using for her senatorial campaign. John Paolo Bencito

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in as our president, he made a very clear statement that his legacy to our country and our countrymen is a lasting peace for our country. So I don’t think that the President has abandoned that legacy,” the Labor chief added. Government negotiators earlier canceled the fifth round of formal negotiations last May after failing to secure an open-ended bilateral ceasefire agreement with the NDF. The slated resumption of the talks last August were likewise canceled, amid the lack of enabling environment to proceed with the talks. In his second State of the Nation Address, Duterte warned that the communists will soon be the government’s next target when the crisis in war-torn Marawi City ends. In the same speech, Duterte said he has no plans of becoming a dictator as he chided his political opponents, particularly the “yellows” who have political ambitions and are power hungry. “These are just people who

cannot accept defeat. Iniintriga ako sa lahat,” Duterte said. Duterte had warned that he would declare a revolutionary government if his critics’ attempt to destabilize the government escalates and causes trouble. “I mean, I will serve during my time. Kung sabihin mo, mag-ambisyon ako ng…you must be crazy,” he said. “Huwag kayo maniwala diyan na ambisyoso ako. On the dot ako. On the last day of my term, o earlier than that, I’ll step down. It is not because o—Lahat naman tao may ambisyon pero ‘yung mag-ambisyon ka… You’re being pictured to be one sa opposition. When you can invent that kind of scenario for your fellow men, this is—Ikaw ang may gusto. Kayo yung may mga ambisyon. Hindi ako,” he added. Duterte maintained that he does not intend to stay in power beyond 2022, when his term as President expires, following his controversial declaration that he would set up a revolutionary government.

need to provide medical care” that would be needed in time for the return of the city’s displaced residents. Staff shortage is being augmented by health workers from different regions, Valle said. Meanwhile, a total 22 public schools in Marawi City were totally damaged by the war that lasted over four months, a Department of Education official said Saturday. DepEd Undersecretary Alain del Pascua, in an in-

terview on dzBB, said the affected school buildings were either hit by bombs or were burned. Schools totally destroyed are in the main battle area, Pascua added. DepEd authorities are still determining the extent of the damage to the 22 schools. Last July, the DepEd reported that 10 schools were destroyed just over month into the Marawi siege, and that repairs could cost up to P800 million.

FBI: ...

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been liberated from the terrorists following the confirmation of Hapilon and Omar’s deaths. This, even as pockets of fighting remains in some parts of Marawi. Early on Saturday, Western Mindanao Command’s

Lt. Gen. Ernesto Galvez Jr. said Marawi could be declared totally free from armed clashes on Sunday, as government troops took aim at only three buildings where the few remaining pro-ISIS terrorists are hiding, but still resisting.

News

DUTERTE SAYS TUGADE STAYS AS DOTR SECRETARY By John Paolo Bencito

RANSPORTATION Secretary Arthur Tugade will not be leaving the Cabinet anytime soon after President Rodrigo Duterte himself shot down speculations that he may be the next who might get axed. “There are allegations, he goes day during the launch of Cebu Pathere, he’s corrupt. I said, he doesn’t cific’s 7th Domestic Hub in Cagayan have time for that,” Duterte said Fri- de Oro.

“He doesn’t even know how to count his money,” the President said. Duterte even complimented Tugade. “Secretary Tugade, in respect to his statement, he also has no match, he is bright. He was our brightest classmate in law school,” said Duterte. The President has repeatedly said he would fire government officials even with just a “whiff ” of corrup-

tion. “Even a whiff, or a whisper, of corruption and you’re out,” Duterte warned government officials barely a week before he assumed the presidency in July last year. Duterte has fired even his longtime allies and closest aides from the Cabinet, supposedly over corruption allegations. Most recently, he fired Budget Undersecretary Gertrudo de Leon for “tinkering” with money.

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FEDERALISM TO SOLVE POVERTY, REBELLION —ALVAREZ By Maricel V. Cruz SPEAKER Pantaleon Alvarez has reiterated his full support to the shift to federalism as this would be more responsive to the changing needs of the people and bring peace to Mindanao instead of the present unitary system of government. In his remarks read by lawyer Vincent Noel Aureus, Alvarez, chief legislative officer of the Office of the Speaker during the multisectoral “Forum on Federalism 101: The Philippine Context last week Alvarez said the unitary system has failed to solve the decades-old problems of poverty and insurgency, especially in the countryside “Many have tried but failed to solve the riddle of underdevelopment and elusive peace in the Philippines, particularly the glaring inequalities between Metro Manila, the seat of power, and the far-flung provinces that have persistently lagged behind. This has led us to re-examine our present structure,” Alvarez said. Alvarez said federalism will empower local governments and communities and thus respond in a more timely and effective way to the people’s concerns. It will also help bring peace in Mindanao. “Federalism shall empower our local governments and communities. Most of all, a federal setup could finally let us enjoy the dividends of peace in Mindanao. Respect for political autonomy and diversity are some of the fundamental issues of that conflict,” he said.

AIRASIA EXPANDS OPERATIONS IN CLARK

GRADUATION.

Manila Archbishop Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle leads the graduation rites of some 132 drug surrenderees after a one-year recovery program headed by Sanlakbay at the San Sebastian Church in Quiapo, Manila. The number of drug surrenderees has breached the one-million mark this year following Duterte’s war on drugs. Norman Cruz

JBC TO INTERVIEW SEVEN APPLICANTS FOR CA POST By Sara Susanne Fabunan THE Judicial Bar Council is set to interview seven trial court judges who will vie for a seat at the Court of Appeals. The JBC is set to conduct the interview on Wednesday at the Division Hearing Room of the Supreme Court. Those who will be interviewed are magistrates Alexander Nicandro Acosta, Jimmy Edmund Batara, Marie Grace Javier-Ibay, Rowena de JuanQuinagoran, Evelyn Gamotin-Nery, Romeo Tagra

and Ferdinand Tan. Apart from them, 23 other applicants are also seeking a spot at the CA but will no longer undergo an interview after their previous interviews for past vacancies remain valid. They are Dinnah Aguila-Topacio, Selma Alaras, Emily Alino-Geluz, Evalyn Arellano-Morales, Danilo Cruz, Ma. Celestina Cruz-Mangrobang, Gregorio dela Pena III, Georgina Hidalgo, Liwliwa Hidalgo-Bucu, Perpetuo Lucero Jr., Virgilio Macaraig, Cynthia Marino-Ricablanca, Rosalyn Mislos-Loja, Dorothy Montejo-Gonzaga, Ronald Moreno, Mia

Joy Oallares-Cawed, Walter Ong, Acerey Pacheco, Silvino Pampilo Jr., Richard Paradeza, Vilma Pauig, Angelene Mary Quimpo-Sale, and Merianthe Pacita Zuraek. One of them will be picked by President Rodrigo Duterte to fill the spot which will be left vacant by CA Justice Leoncia Dimagiba who will compulsorily retire on Dec. 1. Dimagiba, a law from the Ateneo de Manila University, had been CA justice since 2009 and, prior to that, was Manila assistant city prosecutor and Parañaque City trial court judge.

PH AIRPORTS TO GET UPGRADES FOR NIGHTTIME COMMERCIAL FLIGHTS By Joel E. Zurbano and Maricel V. Cruz MORE airport facilities in the country are being upgraded and readied for night commercial flight operations to further

ease problems of air traffic congestion. Makati City Rep. Luis Campos Jr. said the government is hastening the rehabilitation and expansion works in eight provincial airports—Naga, Tuguegarao, Cauayan,

UNVEILING. President Rodrigo Duterte leads the unveiling of the Cebu Pacific

commemorative marker during the launch of CGY which is the 7th domestic hub of Cebu Pacific at the Laguindingan Airport in Misamis Oriental on Oct. 20, 2017. Assisting the President are Mindanao Development Authority chairman Abul Khayr Alonto, Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade, Cebu Pacific president and CEO Lance Gokongwei and Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Jesus Dureza. Presidential Photo

Dumaguete, Dipolog, Cotabato, Pagadian and Ozamiz—to enable them to operate for nighttime commercial flights. Campos said the expansion works consist mostly of widening of runway for night landing capabilities and terminal improvement. “This will improve air travel and help decongest the Ninoy Aquino International Airport,” he said. Campos said several domestic flights departing from Manila are being crammed during the daytime because of the inability of many provincial airports to receive flights at night. “This has somewhat contributed to the jamming of the Naia, which has only two runways handling both international and domestic flights,” Campos said. The lawmaker said provincial airports unable to operate at night also have to send out all their Manila-bound flights during the day. At present, Campos said only 19 of the country’s 42 airports are able to receive and dispatch night commercial flights. “The 19 will increase to 27, once the eight airports have been set up for round-the-clock operations.” “There’s no question air travel around the country will be easier for everybody, including foreign tourists, once we get all our airports running at night to maximize their operations,” Campos said.

Campos earlier bared that government has set aside a total of P10.1 billion in fresh funding to modernize the infrastructures of 40 airports in 2018, with Clark International Airport getting the biggest slice of P2.74 billion. Aside from Clark, other airports set to receive additional infrastructure development funds in the 2018 national budget are: Kalibo Airport (P920 million), Bicol International Airport (P899.6 million), Tacloban Airport (P716.1 million), Bukidnon Airport (P425 million), Bohol (Panglao) International Airport, (P386.00 million), Laoag International Airport, (P368.5 million), Cauayan Airport (P306.4 million), Dumaguete Airport (P300 million), Calbayog Airport (P245 million), Zamboanga Airport (P221 million), San Jose Airport, Camarines Sur (P200 million), Surigao Airport (P200 million); Ozamiz Airport (P192.2 million), Butuan Airport (P184.00 million), Dipolog Airport (P182 million), Roxas Airport (P169 million), Cotabato Airport, (P161 million), Basco Airport (P145 million), Ormoc Airport (P128 million), Maasin Airport (P122 million), Antique Airport (P110 million), Sanga-Sanga Airport (P100 million), Pagadian Airport (P84.2 million), Tuguegarao Airport (P61.8 million), San Vicente Airport (P50 million) and Virac Airport (P50 million).

BAGUIO CITY—AirAsia, one of the country’s low-cost carriers, is bullish with its planned expansion to cater to more international and domestic flights following the transfer of its base to the Clark international airport by January next year. AirAsia chief executive officer Capt. Dexter Comendador said the company will be bringing in additional two planes to service its expansion in Clark that will fly the routes of Inchon, South Korea, Bangkok, Thailand, Singapore and Hong Kong, among other domestic and international flights to jumpstart their base in the said area. Comendador reported that AirAsia was able to get a good number of concessions from the government over the past several months which is why the company is inclined to reciprocate the gesture by going back to Clark and to use it as its base for its increasing domestic and international flights. From its existing 17 Airbus 320 planes, AirAsia plans to increase its fleet to around 70 planes within the next 10 to 15 years to help boost the industry and contribute in connecting the country to different parts of the world in the coming years. By 2018, AirAsia plans to increase its fleet to 26 planes pursuant to its modernization and expansion plans. While AirAsia has only 17 planes at the moment, Comendador said that the company is connected to 174 other planes that service some 180 destinations in different parts of the world. He explained that initially Clark was the company’s base but was forced to abandon it following the purchase of additional 12 planes from Zest Air, thus the need for the company to first undergo the required consolidation after the involvement of a huge amount of investment to purchase the other airline company. Comendador said that Manila is already congested, which is why the best thing to do for AirAsia is to venture on expanding and using Clark as its base and eventually build on it in preparation for the sustained growth of the place being strategically located between Metro Manila and Northern Luzon. Aside from Clark, he said that the company is also setting its sights on the expansion of its base to international airports in Davao, Pangalo, Bohol and Palawan where it could connect the said airports to different parts of the world that would result to the expected influx of foreign visitors wanting to visit numerous scenic tourist destinations in different parts of the archipelago. Comendador said that Clark has sufficient space to sustain its expansion programs that will also help airline companies cater to the growing requirements of their own expansions of domestic and international flights to guarantee sustained tourist arrivals wanting to visit the country. Dexter A. See

Opinion

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Adelle Chua, Editor

EDITORIAL

WHAT GRAVITATIONAL WAVES TELL YOU ABOUT THE ORIGIN OF YOUR JEWELRY By Pecier Decierdo THIS week, scientists announced the first detection of gravitational waves from the collision between two neutron stars. Gravitational waves are ripples in spacetime predicted by Einstein more than 100 years ago. The announcement was celebrated as the beginning of “multimessenger astronomy,” the astronomy of observing cosmic events by detecting the light, particles, and now gravitational waves coming from them. In addition to this impor tant milestone, the detection can help shed light on some longstanding debates in astronomy, from the origin of the brightest cosmic flashes to the process that created the silver and gold in your jewelry. The detection announced this week marks the 5th time gravitational waves were detected. The first four came from the merger of two black holes. Black holes are objects so massive not even light can escape their pull. As a result, the first four detections were not accompanied by the detection of light. What makes the latest detection special is the fact that, for the first time, light and gravitational waves were detected coming from the same source. The detection of the space-time ripples was made using the two detectors of the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) in the United States and the Virgo detector in Italy. The three detec tors allowed astronomers using light-gathering telescopes to turn their instruments and look for the light from the explosion. It’s as if a loud bang alerted them to fireworks—the bang would be the gravitational waves, the fireworks would be the light. Some astronomers have compared the advent of multi-messenger astronomy with the transition from the age of silent films, when people only saw moving pictures, to the age of the talking film, when watching a movie means both seeing and hearing. Current instruments were able to detect gravitational waves from colliding black holes and colliding neutron stars because such objects are massive, compact, and move at the frequency to which the instruments are sensitive. Neutron stars are what remains after massive stars explode. A typical neutron star is half the size of Metro Manila, or about the size of Cebu City. However, they can have about twice the mass of the Sun. This means they are very dense objects. A teaspoon of neutron star weighs about 10 million tons! Because of their extreme density, the collision of two neutron stars has long been proposed as the solution to at least two cosmic mysteries. The first mystery is the origin of

#METOO

CAMPAIGN on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram spread this week, aiming to encourage women to speak up about the harassment and abuse they previously experienced but did not talk about.

Women from many countries recounted their harrowing stories, carrying the hashtag #MeToo, that they felt afraid, or intimidated, or ashamed to reveal before. It began with allegations against Hollywood producer, Harvey Weinstein, who was removed from his firm after one woman after another came forward and told of how he used his power to get his way, sexually, with them. Because many spoke up, more became emboldened to talk about what they went through and name their attacker, even as they held their peace for years. What we learned was that most of the culprits did not quite look the part of attacker. They were not monsters or hardened criminals. They were, instead, “normal” people: They had regular jobs, came home to their families, were colleagues or friends or harmless-looking associates. The campaign has had some success. One of the proponents, actor Alyssa Milano, said “If all the women who have been sexually harassed or assaulted wrote

‘Me too’ as a status, we might give people a sense of the magnitude of the problem.” Facebook said that within 24 hours, 4.7 million people around the world engaged in the #metoo conversation, with over 12 million posts, comments, and reactions, reported The Guardian. Journalists, for instance, have been fired from their media organizations after they have been named by their victims. Here at home, much remains to be done. Despite our supposed gains in narrowing the gender gap, we remain a patriarchal society, believing that stewardship over women is merely passed from father to husband, or that victims of harassment or abuse were in some way responsible for what befell them, or taken to task for not speaking out sooner, or that they mean “yes” even when they say “no.” In the end, #MeToo is not just about Weinstein and his prominent actress- or model-victims. It is, instead, about the way women have been consigned to silence because of a prevalence of power and skewed mindset. The spirit of the campaign, beyond actually posting one’s own story on one’s social media account, is a change in disposition. It will not be so sudden. It will take more than one Weinstein or more than one hashtag to change the way we all think about sexual harassment and abuse, and about how it is less of sex than about power. But so long as there is one more woman today who feels emboldened to talk about what she went through, to call out her abuser and help others realize it is never okay, then her courage to overcome the fear and stigma will never be in vain.

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FIL-AM POETS MEET ON A LITCRAWL Eileen invited me to a Lit Crawl, one of the activities of the San Francisco Litquake event that ran from Oct. 5-14 FOR ME, it all started, as a lot of art this year. Along with other poets, she projects and meetups do, with writer was to give readings of her work. Litquake is “the largest independent and columnist Alfred “Krip” Yuson. literary festival on the West Coast,” Knowing that I moved to Northern according to litquake.org. Its goal California last year, Krip connected me is to “whet a broad range of literary with Eileen Tabios, a prolific Filipino poet appetites, present the literary fare in published in eight languages, and urged a variety of traditional and unlikely us to meet. She lives in the wine country, venues, and make it vivid, real, and hours away from me in the East Bay, and entertaining. ” it wasn’t until last week that the stars On Oct. 14, I met Eileen for dinner in aligned for our first meeting.

The City (what residents and Bay Area people call San Francisco) where I also met her husband Tom; Paloma Press publisher Aileen Ibardolaza-Cassinetto and her husband Paul, who gave the dinner; Veronica Montes and her husband Andrew Waghams, celebrating their 26th wedding anniversary; Steve Warner; and Paul’s delightful mother. I brought along my sister, also named Aileen, so that dinner was notable for having three E/Aileens—half of the women at that table. After dining, we proceeded to the

Dovre Club, an Irish bar on Valencia Street where the poets read from their works in a session entitled “Three Sheets to the Wind,” curated by Aileen and presented by Paloma Press, Locofo Chaps, and the Philippine American Literary House. Eileen, Paul, Veronica, and Steve were joined on stage by John Moore Williams and Melinda Luisa de Jesus. Their words were by turns mellow and stinging, poignant and rousing. Some of the poems read were timely, referencing cur rent events and

politics. Others addressed topics such as feminism, the patriarchy, and Philippine heritage. Here are excerpts from “PilipinZ”, one of the poems Eileen read. It’s in her latest book, ‘Love in a Time of Belligerence,’ published this year by Swan World: “I./ I forgot how perfume cannot obliterate. / I forgot children softening harsh wool with thin fingers in exchange for broken rice kernels. / I forgot discovering the limited utility of calm seas. / I forgot the World War II Turn to A5

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Opinion FIL-AM... By Srinivasan Sivabalan DO WE need cash? Humans have used all sorts of things to exchange items of economic value—rare metals, strings of shells and even jugs of whiskey. Those objects have gotten more ephemeral, with paper money replacing most coins, and digital forms increasingly supplanting paper. Could physical cash go away entirely? Economists see great payoffs in a cashless society: lower transaction costs, new tools to manage economic growth and an end to tax evasion and money laundering. Critics see an erosion of privacy, frightening new powers for tyrants and an increase in inequality. The situation Singapore, the Netherlands, France and Sweden have the world’s highest levels of cashless transactions, but Sweden is seen as the most likely to go cashless first. By 2015, only one in five in-store transactions there involved cash, according to its central bank, which is considering whether to issue a cryptocurrency. Its churches were early adopters of donations via mobile phones. China’s city dwellers are rapidly going cashless, thanks to a system that uses encr ypted codes on

Dr. Ortuoste is a California-based writer. Follow her on Facebook and Twitter.

WHAT... From A4 some of the brightest flashes in the universe called gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). One top contender as a source of GRBs are supernovae, which are the explosive death of massive stars. Another contender are kilonovae, which are the result of the collision between two neutron stars. When astronomers working at LIGO and Virgo detected gravitational waves from colliding neutron stars, they quickly alerted their counterparts working on light, who as a response turned their telescopes to the appropriate region of the sky. Shortly after that, astronomers working at the Fermi-Gamma Ray Telescope and Integral Telescope detected a GRB coming from the target region. This shows that kilonovae are indeed sources of GRBs. The second mystery is the origin of the heaviest elements in the universe. The lightest elements in the universe, hydrogen and helium, were created during the birth of the universe some 13.8 billion years ago. Heavier elements such as carbon and oxygen are created inside stars. When stars die, they seed the universe with these elements. Since we are made of these elements, we are literally stardust! Stars, however, can create elements only up to iron. Heavier elements, such as arsenic and selenium, are created in supernovae. For a long time, astronomers have puzzled over the origin of the heaviest elements such as gold and uranium. According to calculations, the lighter ones among them can be created by supernovae. However, the amount of these heavy elements in the universe can’t seem to be accounted for by supernovae alone. To explain the observed abundance of heavy elements, astronomers theorized that neutron star collisions produce most of the gold, silver, and other heavy elements in the universe. B y combining the light and gravitational waves detected from the colliding neutron stars, astronomers were able to confirm this theory. In fact, according to calculations, the recently detected neutron star collision produced somewhere between a few tens to a hundred Earth masses worth of gold. Just think about that for a moment. In the dawn of multi-messenger astronomy, we now have realized that the silver and gold in your jewelry were created along with the brightest flashes in the universe during the collision between two neutron stars. And this is just the beginning. Expect a lot more mind-blowing discoveries to come. Pecier Decierdo is the resident physicist and astronomer of The Mind Museum

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

THE END OF CASH?

From A4

concentration camp where amnesiacs tortured by tying together the legs of pregnant women. / I forgot how Beauty dislocates. / I forgot that sense of approaching a labyrinth. /... “I forgot rough skin was a map. / I forgot you losing all Alleluias. /… / I forgot steel will bend to form a heart. / I forgot wax will freeze to form a heart. / I forgot ink will flow to form a heart. / …. “But I will never forget we walk on the same planet and breathe the same air. I will never forget the same sun shines on us. I created my own legacy: No one is a stranger to me.” As these words thr illed and fascinated the audience at Dovre, so did the other poems, which found their own resonances within each individual present. This is the magic of poetry – it is one thing for the poet, and another for the reader, and always something to both. There is also power in the spoken word—when it is clothed with sound, emerging on a puff of warm breath, it is brought to life in a special way. That night, the Dovre Club witnessed litchantment. Eileen and I made sure to let Krip know that we had finally met, taking selfies and tagging him. And with such meetings and greetings, who knows where this journey on the river of words will take us poets and writers next?

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2017

phones for transactions. A credit-card consortium is working to extend it globally. In India, 255 million people use Paytm, a seven-year-old startup backed by China’s Alibaba Group Holding Ltd., to make payments through a virtual wallet. Citibank Australia stopped accepting cash at its branches after most of its customers embraced digital transactions. And the European Central Bank has decided to stop producing the 500euro note in 2018 to counter terrorist financing. India was badly rattled by the government’s decision in November 2016 to suddenly replace the larger bills that made up 86 percent of the currency in circulation to counter tax dodgers and counterfeiters. A shortage of replacement bills meant that companies struggled to pay salaries and millions of poor people couldn’t buy food. The government retreated in June 2017 after the fiasco cut into economic growth, although its effects could be felt almost a year later. The background Since Roman times, people have tried out many alternatives to carrying loads of cash. Arab merchants developed bills of exchange for financing international transactions,

a system that spread to Europe in the late Middle Ages. The earliest known example of a modern check was drawn on an account at Clayton and Morris, a goldsmiths’ bank in London, on Feb. 16, 1659. The next revolution star ted with a forgotten wallet. In 1949, US entrepreneur Frank McNamara visited the Majors Cabin Grill restaurant in New York and had an embarrassing moment while his wife paid the tab. But it gave him an idea, and months later he returned to the same restaurant, this time paying with a small cardboard card. Thus was born the credit-card industry. Shortly thereafter, banks began adopting computing systems that made it easier to keep track of money digitally. Then came the first automated teller machine, which opened in London in 1967. Debit cards had been first tested the year before but only began to be issued in large numbers in the 1980s as ATM networks grew. Online banking took off in the following decade, ending the dominance of cash once and for all. The argument For governments, getting rid of cash would make it easier to crack down on tax evasion and drug

trafficking. Businesses wouldn’t only save money on transaction costs but could benefit if friction-free payments led consumers to buy more. Some economists say that central banks could fight recessions more effectively by imposing negative interest rates—effectively a tax on savings meant to spur spending—if hoarding cash weren’t available as a way to sidestep the penalty. Critics say that in a digital-only economy, governments and banks could take control of your financial life; with a flick of a switch, they could leave you without a penny. Networks can fail. And everybody could be vulnerable to a cyberattack or power outage, as residents of Puerto Rico found after Hurricane Maria destroyed much of the island’s electrical grid. For the world’s poor, arguments about going cashless cut both ways. Billions of poor people in the developing world depend on cash to buy goods for very small amounts, often mere cents. Not all of them can afford phones or other means of interacting with a digital cash network. That could make people who don’t have equal access to banking services into second-class citizens. Bloomberg

NOTHING LEFT TO BURN By Julie Charpentrat SANTA ROSA, California—At a certain point, I just began to run out of words to describe the devastation. Desolate. Lunar. Apocalyptic. What else can you say when hundreds and hundreds of homes turned to ash surround you as far as the eye can see? Just weeks before, in August, I had driven down the lush, verdant hills of California’s wine country with my family. The region did not disappoint—beautiful, with good wine, good food, friendly, laid-back people pouring their heart and energy into the world-class wines they were producing. We had sandwiches and wine in gorgeous vineyards, under blue skies, surrounded by beautiful trees and flowers. The house we rented overlooked green rolling hills. It was all so peaceful and green. Idyllic. Heavenly, you could say. And now I was back, but how the landscape had changed. It was now hellish. Smoke was everywhere, scratching the throat, stinging the eyes. The sky was mostly yellow. And fire was never far away. California is used to wildfires. It’s an annual part of life in this lively state, just like the threat of an earthquake. Sometimes people lose their property. Sometimes there are fatalities. But the fires that broke out in October 2017 have been wildly ferocious in their intensity and speed, fed by strong winds that sometimes propelled the embers across six-lane motorways. People literally fled for their lives, sometimes beating the flames that devoured their homes by mere minutes. And the number of people who have been affected this year has been unprecedented. Dozens dead. Thousands left homeless. “I’ve been with Calfire for 30 years

Here and there, a chimney or a charred tree would poke up through a sea of ash. AFP

and I’ve seen big fires, but this is extraordinary—having that many and that large and going so fast,” one veteran firefighter told me. The policeman who let me through one roadblock was surprised to see that I was from an international media company. “Why are you here? I mean, it’s local news.” “Watch out for downed electricity lines. If you see looters, don’t intervene. Stay safe.” [I didn’t see a single looter.] Entering the affected areas felt like being on a set of an apocalypse movie. Or in the aftermath of an atomic bomb. In Coffey Park, a neighborhood of Santa Rosa, I drove slowly through the streets. Dozens and dozens of houses had been reduced to ashes. Not ruins. Ashes. Most of the homes

here were made of wood and the flames annihilated them in minutes. Later, when I saw the aerial pictures, I would realize that hundreds and hundreds of homes had met this fate. Many of the cars, parked in what used to be garages, have partially melted, as have the garage doors. Bizarrely, many of the metal mailboxes standing at the entrance of the driveways didn’t. In some places, the little that remained was still smoldering. For a moment, I wondered with alarm if the fires could break out again here, but then remembered what a firefighter told me earlier in a devastated parking lot of a supermarket. “There is nothing left to burn around here.” Amid this utter devastation, I was struck by the optimism of the

residents who had come back to look for any things that hadn’t been incinerated. They may have been crying as they picked through the ashes, but every single one whom we met was fiercely looking to the future. “Tomorrow is another day,” said one. Like Michael Desmond, a stocky retired 63-year-old policeman. He cried, his voice choking, as he told us that his life was in this house now reduced to naught. With his nephew, he managed to recover a plate bought in Disneyland and a mug with an inscription “It’s wiser to be in Ireland.” He also made sure to take his mailbox—the metal type on a pole that is typical of American suburbs. “I took my mailbox because it’s going to go back up,” he told us, holding it up defiantly. AFP

TRUMP’S QUIET CAMPAIGN TO UNDERMINE BACKGROUND CHECKS Bloomberg Editorial Board FROM 2008 to 2014, according to the US Department of Justice, background checks prevented 556,496 gun purchases. In the last six months, about that many people have been removed from the national database and are newly eligible to buy a gun. The FBI’s national instant criminal background check system, which screens such transactions, is not quite perfect: It has an accuracy rate of more than 99 percent. President Donald Trump appears determined to make it less effective. In February, Trump reversed a recently adopted regulation designed to restrict access to guns by the

mentally impaired. He stopped the Social Security Administration from sending to the database the names of thousands of Social Security beneficiaries who are too impaired to handle their own affairs. As of 2013, more than 400,000 beneficiaries were prohibited from gun possession and would have had their records reported to the database. Now the consequences of a less heralded decision made that same month have come into focus. Rebuffing the FBI, the Trump administration in February officially narrowed its definition of fugitives, who by federal law are prohibited from purchasing guns. According to the Department of Justice’s new definition, a person must have

crossed state lines to evade justice in order to be considered a fugitive. The decision is consistent with the federal code, which defines a fugitive as one who has “fled from any State to avoid prosecution for a crime or to avoid giving testimony in any criminal proceeding.” But it flies in the face of common sense. The FBI had argued that the prohibition on gun purchases should apply to anyone with an outstanding warrant—regardless of whether they are hunkered down in a local basement or fleeing cross country, which is often impossible to determine, let alone prove. The problem with the backgroundcheck system is not that it is too strict, but that it is too lax.

Thousands of private firearm transactions are not subject to background checks at all, despite ove r w h e l m i n g p u b l i c s u p p o r t for such scrutiny, and too many mental health records are still not submitted for inclusion in the database. Another glaring loophole allows a gun sale to proceed if it hasn’t been officially denied within three days. The gun lobby’s long, destructive effort to arm as many people as possible, with as few qualifications as possible, contributes to more than 100,000 shootings a year, a frenzy unique in the developed world. This particular American carnage is not one the Trump administration appears eager to stop.

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News

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2017 Standard mst.daydesk@gmail.com TODAY Manila

GOVT TO IDENTIFY ONLINE SEX SITES

SOLON WANTS CLIMATE CHANGE DEPT CREATED

By Sara Susanne D. Fabunan

By Maricel V. Cruz

THE Philippine government is set to identify hotspots of online sexual exploitation in the country, Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II said. This action follows the official implementation of the Philippines’ partnership with the United States as the latter is set to provide $784,000 or P40 million to Manila to combat online sexual exploitation of children and child labor trafficking in the National Capital Region and Central Visayas. Aguirre said Saturday the government’s law enforcement agencies had been working with the International Justice Mission to identify these hotspots. “IJM, alongside the Philippine government, would formulate activities that would focus on geographical hotspots for online sexual exploitation of children,” he said in a statement. “Henceforth, this will further enhance the protection of vulnerable children in target regions and nationality,” said Aguirre, also the chairman of Interagency Council Against Child Trafficking. He said this was part of a series of activities under the Child Protection Compact partnership between the Philippines and the United States. Aguirre cited the US State Department’s Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons Office had awarded $3.5 million, equivalent to P175 million, to its implementing partners IJM and the Salvation Army World Service Office. “Being the first in the region, the CPC partnership aims to support sustainable improvements to combat online sexual exploitation of children and child labor trafficking and to expand specialized child protection services and prevention efforts to further improve the coordination among coordinating agencies,” he explained. Aguirre noted both the IJM and the Salvation Army had begun working with the Philippine government and other civil society organizations to strengthen the government’s determination “to investigate, prosecute, and convict child traffickers; give a wide-ranging, trauma informed care for child victims of such crimes; and to stop online sexual exploitation of children and forced labor from happening.” The United States, through the Interagency Council Against Trafficking in Persons, is set to provide $784,000 or P40 million to the Philippines to combat online sexual exploitation of children and child labor trafficking in National Capital Region and Central Visayas. During the announcement of the launching of activities with the Department of Justice, the United States Embassy in Manila, through the State Department’s Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, also provided $3.5 million or P175 million to two implementing partners: International Justice Mission and The Salvation Army World Service Office.

LAWMAKER from the House of Representatives has proposed the creation of a Department of Climate Change that will harmonize and strengthen all national disaster risk reduction efforts in the Philippines, which has been described by the international media as “ground zero for climate disaster.”

In filing his House Bill 6131, Camarines Sur Rep. LRAy Villafuerte said the government could not fully achieve President Rodrigo Duterte’s high and inclusive growth agenda unless the country was best equipped to deal with the erratic weather patterns triggered by climate change. This, since every destructive typhoon season leads to losses equivalent to two percent of Gross Domestic Product and requires post-disaster reconstruction efforts costing an equivalent of another two percent of GDP. GDP refers to the measure of an economy adopted by the United States in 1991, and referred to in the Philippines as the total market value of goods and services produced by

workers and capital within a nation’s borders during a given period (usually one year). “This puts the Philippines’ GDP at least four percent in the hole each year from tropical storms. Clearly, economic progress is unattainable if the country has to constantly deal with mounting losses in productivity, damage to critical infrastructure, damage to food crops and death due to climate change,” Villafuerte said in filing his bill. Villafuerte’s HB 6131 is aimed to reduce the country’s carbon footprint, the first being HB 4739 that aims to impose a climate tax of P1 per one kilogram of CO2 emission in the electricity consumption of residential or household consumers exceeding 60

kilowatthours to generate funds for projects that aim to make the country more resilient to the devastating effects of climate change. Villafuerte said climate change was now considered a national security risk because it endangers public safety and threatens the sustainability of the country’s food supply and economic stability. HB 6131, he said, seeks to create a single specialized government agency—the DCC—that will function not only after the occurrence of disaster, but will work all-year-round to build the country’s capacity and management of climate change; strengthen the planning, execution and financing framework for climate change; enhance leadership and accountability through monitoring, evaluation and review of climate change policies and activities; and ensure effective mechanisms even before disaster strikes. “Climate change and disaster risk reduction and management are closely interrelated and an effective DRRM will enhance adaptive capacity to climate change, climate variability

‘SHORTER PROCESSING OF LICENSE’

GENERAL NOTICE OF GRANCONOMA, INC. DISSOLUTION Please be advised that the GRANCONOMA, INC, doing business at Unit 203, The Manila Residences, 2320 Taft Avenue, Malate 1004 will be dissolved by shareholder and director resolution as of September 30, 2017. All debts owed to the corporation, and all claims against the corporation will be received by Manuel M. Ramirez, at the business address set forth above.

and extreme climate events,” he said in his bill’s explanatory note. Villafuerte said his proposal, once enacted, shall integrate or put under one roof the Climate Change Commission, National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council, People’s Survival Fund, Yolanda Recovery and Rehabilitation Efforts, and the Office of the Presidential Assistant for Rehabilitation and Recovery. Laws addressing climate change, such as the Philippine National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010 and the Climate Change Act of 2009, also need to be strengthened and harmonized, Villafuerte said. “Under the principle of administrative convenience, the efficiency of delivery of frontline services is enhanced through the creation of a fullpledged department which is dedicated to an area of service within its primary competence,” he said. He recalled that the World Bank had designated the Philippines’ expanse of 7,107 islands as one of the world’s most “vulnerable” countries in terms of susceptibility to natural disasters attributed to climate change.

ANNIVERSARY DANCE. A kindergarten pupil of Jireh Alliance School of Kidapawan City dances to a Japanese tune wearing a costume from the Land of the Rising Sun on Saturday to mark the school’s 32nd Foundation Anniversary. Geonarrio Solmerano

THE House of Representatives has readied for referral to the Senate a measure which seeks, among others, to simplify permit and licensing system procedures and streamline the requirements at the national and local levels. The House unanimously passed House Bill 6579 or “An Act Establishing A National Policy On Ease Of Doing Business, Creating For The Purpose The Ease Of Doing Business Commission.” The bill’s authors, led by Batangas Rep. Vilma Santos-Recto, expressed hope the senators would share the same enthusiasm as that of congressmen in passing the bill which also aims to provide a business environment conducive for the establishment and operation of enterprises in the country. They said the enactment of the bill shall promote transparency in government with regard to business registration and other manner of public transactions, to reduce red tape and expedite permitting, licensing, and other similar transactions in government. It also seeks to ensure timely and expeditious processing of business requirements by national government agencies and local government units, Santos-Recto said. Santos-Recto said it would take 16 procedures to navigate and an average of 29 days to start a business in the country. “Compared to our other Asean neighbors in the ‘Ease in Starting a Business’ rankings, the Philippines has performed poorly,” Santos-Recto said. Maricel V. Cruz

(MS-OCT. 15,22 & 29, 2017)

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

InvItatIon to BId for the Procurement of Brand new comPuted tomograPhy (ct) Scanner, 16 SlIce IB no. 2017-319 The Department of Health (DOH), through the General Appropriations Act of 2017 intends to apply the sum of Twenty Two MillionPhilippine Pesos (PhP22,000,000.00) being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the contract for the Procurement of Brand New Computed Tomography (CT) Scanner, 16 Slice under IB No. 2017-319. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening. The DOH now invites bids for the procurement of the above-captioned project.Delivery of the Goods is required within period specified under Section VI. Schedule of Requirements. Bidders should have completed, within the past five (5) years from the date of submission and receipt of bids, a contract similar to the Project, equivalent to at least fifty percent (50%) of the ABC. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II. Instructions to Bidders. Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using a non-discretionary “pass/fail” criterion as specified in the 2016 Revised Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act (RA) 9184, otherwise known as the “Government Procurement Reform Act”. Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, partnerships, or organizations with at least sixty percent (60%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines, and to citizens or organizations of a country the laws or regulations of which grant similar rights or privileges to Filipino citizens, pursuant to RA 5183.

Interested bidders may obtain further information from the COBAC Secretariat, G/F, Bldg. 6, Department of Health, San Lazaro Compound and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given above during 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM, Monday to Friday.

A complete set of Bidding Documents may be acquired by interested Bidders on 23 October 2017 – 13 November 2017 from the address above and upon payment of the applicable fee for the Bidding Documents, pursuant to the latest Guidelines issued by the GPPB, in the amount of Twenty Five Thousand Philippine Pesos (PhP25,000.00). It may also be downloaded free of charge from the website of the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) and the website of the Procuring Entity, provided that Bidders shall pay the applicable fee for the Bidding Documents not later than the submission of their bids. The DOH will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on 30October 2017, 10:00 A.M. at the COBAC Conference Room, Ground Floor, Bldg. 6, Department of Health, Sta. Cruz, Manila, which shall beopen to prospective bidders. Bids must be duly received by the SCOBAC Secretariat at the address below on or before 13 November 2017, 9:00 A.M. All Bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in ITB Clause 18.

6. 7.

Bid opening shall be on 13 November 2017, 9:00 A.M. at the COBAC Conference Room, Ground Floor, Bldg. 6, Department of Health, Sta. Cruz, Manila. Bids will be opened in the presence of the bidders’ representatives who choose to attend at the address above. Late bids shall not be accepted. 8. The DOH reserves the right to reject any and all bids, declare a failure of bidding, or not award the contract at any time prior to contract award in accordance with Section 41 of RA 9184 and its IRR, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders. 9.

For further information, please refer to: Special COBAC Secretariat Department of Health San Lazaro Compound Sta. Cruz, Manila Tel. Nos. 651-7800 local 1625 to 1627; 1650 to 52 Facsimile No.: 741-9775; 740-6830 (SGD) MARIO S. VILLAVERDE, MD, MPM, CESO I Undersecretary of Health Chairperson, Special-COBAC

(MS-OCT. 22, 2017)

BE WARY OF CRIMINALS USING MINORS—POLICE By Joel E. Zurbano POLICE are urging people to be aware of criminals using minors to do dirty deeds, especially this coming holiday season when cases of robbery and other crimes against property are expected to increase. Last Friday, a 14-year-old boy named “Jay” was placed under police custody after he and his companion Angelito Pacheco, 22, were caught for their alleged involvement in a robbery-holdup in Barangay CAA in Las Piñas City. Southern Police District di-

rector Tomas Apolinario Jr. said first to be arrested was Pacheco who later pointed to Jay as his companion when they held up a male victim. Recovered from Pacheco were sumpak, an improvised firearm, and one live ammunition while police found an icepick and the victim’s cellular phone in Jay’s possession. “What kids can do nowadays?” said Apolinario, citing reports the suspects approached and pointed their deadly weapons at the victim who was walking along Aratelis Street around 5:45 a.m.

Because of fear, the victim gave his mobile gadget, Apolinario said. The victim immediately sought assistance from the barangay and police headquarters nearby resulting in the arrest of the suspects. Police urged the people to be aware of petty theft and robbery involving underage criminals as the Christmas season draws near. The authorities said syndicates, especially those dealing in drugs and robbery, were taking advantage of juvenile laws by using children to carry out criminal acts. Republic Act 9344, or the Ju-

venile Justice and Welfare Act of 2006, stated that a child under 15 years old who commits an offense shall remain exempted from criminal liability. Police also cautioned the people against members of Salisi Gang, Siksik Gang and Riles Gang in crowded areas this Yuletide. They described Salisi Gang as gang members who lurk anywhere where there are people— malls, restaurants, fastfood joints, bus terminals, airports, seaports, and computer shops—and were “just waiting for you to get distracted.”

THE AGONY OF HAVING A RARE DISEASE THEY baffle even the finest specialists: rare diseases that affect only a handful of individuals and that are often caused by extremely rare genetic mutations. Euan was declared healthy when he was born in August 2008 at the West Visayas Southern University Medical Center in Iloilo City. But right after he was transferred to the nursery,

blisters on skin suddenly appeared. Worried that it might be an infectious case, Euan was immediately transferred to a private room and placed under isolation. However, even after infusion of various medicines, undergoing several wound test and blood culture, use of different antibiotics (one was only

used as a last recourse for adults with severe viral infection), the blisters and wound kept on appearing and some even getting worse. Sadly, even after being confined for two months, the doctors decided to just discharge Euan without clear explanation and diagnosis of his condition. “With no choice but to

take care of his blisters and open wounds, my husband and I took the initiative to ask around and look for another doctor,” recalls mother Sharon. It was only in 2011, when the couple was recommended to a dermatologist at the Iloilo Mission Hospital. After taking skin samples for biopsy, the doctor, after

a month, came with a new diagnosis: Epidermolysis Bullosa or Butterfly syndrome. Butterfly syndrome is a genetic illness in which, because of missing a vital “glue” that holds it together, the skin blisters peels off at the slightest brush or knock. It leaves sufferers such as Euan covered in red raw wounds and huge blisters.

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

Sports

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2017 reuelvidal@yahoo.com

LAKERS ROOKIE TOO HOT FOR SUNS

Burn Soriano celebrates after knocking out Mario Satya Wirawan with a spinning backfist during ONE: Titles and Titans. ONE Championship

SORIANO TO MAKE LEAP TO NEXT STAGE By Reuel Vidal

ANNY Pacquiao was a good fighter before he met trainer Freddie Roach. But he became a great one only because of lessons learned under Roach’s tutelage. Burn Soriano may well have found his Freddie Roach in new trainer George Castro who will be at the Filipino MMA fighter’s corner in his next fight as an undercard at ONE: Hero’s Dream at the Thuwunna Indoor Stadium in Yangon, Myanmar on Nov. 3, 2017. Castro relocated from Tucson, Arizona, USA to help ONE Heavyweight World Champion Brandon “The Truth” Vera set up the first Alliance MMA branch in the Philippines. Other than Vera, Castro has also worked extensively other highly-regarded veterans of the sport, including Dominick Cruz, Ross Pearson, Jeremy Stephens and Chris Leben. Castro says Soriano shows the potential to be a very good and possibly a great fighter. “I got high expectations for Burn this fight because he’s in much better shape as you can see in the way he looks. Also his mental game is a lot better now,” said Castro during an interview with Manila Standard at the Fight Armory Gym in Timog, Quezon City last Thursday, Oct. 19. “These last few weeks we’ve been preparing mentally because fighting is 80 percent mental. People think it’s a lot physical. I keep telling him in there that it’s not just hit each other back and forth. It’s also about a

game plan. He’s never had a game plan before. He’s never been coached before. Hopefully it all comes together this fight.” Castro believes Soriano’s weakness in his fighting are his conditioning and his mental game. Going into his next fight he says Soriano is 200 percent better than he’s ever been his entire career. “He will have no problem going three rounds if he needs to. Although I don’t believe he will need to. I don’t like making predictions but I don’t see it going three rounds,” said Castro. Burn Soriano (left) misses with a roundhouse left against Soriano will be looking to Saiful Merican. ONE Championship bounce back from a bitter His bout against Merican was bring out the best in me. loss to Saiful “The Vampire” Kuala Lumpur Malaysia. The Filipino hoped to equally spectacular but it was With him in my corner, it is alMerican 10 months ago at ONE: Throne of Tigers at the follow up his spectacular Soriano who retired after the ways exciting to prepare for a bout,” Soriano said. iconic Stadium Negara in 15-second demolition of first round. Satya Wirawan August 2016. “I believe that I could Soriano has always been have done better in that an exciting fighter to match with Saiful Merican. watch. Although holding a I was prepared to go full checkered 3-win, 3-loss card three rounds, but I came all his bouts have ended in up short. I just realized that the first round. The 31-yearthere was something old native of Ilocos Sur has almissing,” Soriano said. ways made sure his audience The loss to Merican received their money’s worth made Soriano realize that in his fights. he needed help. He turned “It is very important for to Castro who came to the me to be entertaining. I take Philippines to set up the re- the risks. I want the crowd nowned Alliance MMA’s new and fans to get what they gym as well as program to want, which is an exciting train MMA fighters. fight. I just enjoy what I am “Right now, I have a tre- doing. I am passionate about mendous support system in it. Everyone should go out and my training, especially with prove something to themthe help of my coach George selves and not to anyone or Coach George Castro (right) talks to MMA fighter Castro. He knows how to anybody else,” Soriano said. Burn Soriano who is listening intently.

LOS ANGELES—What a difference a day makes for Los Angeles Lakers rookie Lonzo Ball who rebounded from a dreadful NBA debut to flirt with a triple double on Friday. Ball had 29 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists in his second NBA game to power the Lakers to a 132-130 win over the Phoenix Suns. “We weren’t proud of yesterday so we came out tonight and gave them a fight,” said Ball, who scored six consecutive points late in the fourth quarter. The highly-touted Ball shot one-of-six from the floor and finished with just three points in a 108-92 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday night. Ball missed his first three field-goal attempts and both free throws before making his only basket, a three-pointer, late in the first half. Clippers Patrick Beverley maligned Ball after the game, saying he wanted to “welcome his little young ass to the NBA.” That was not the case for the league’s second overall draft pick in June against the host Suns, as Ball turned up the heat on the Friday, shooting 12 of 27 from the field. The Lakers led by 12 points in the fourth quarter before the Suns pulled within 122-119 on a Tyson Chandler tipin with 3:22 left. But Ball scored the next three Laker baskets, all on hard drives. The third basket put the Lakers ahead 130-122 with 1:35 left and Los Angeles then held on for the win. Meanwhile, LeBron James has picked up right where he left off last season, scoring 24 points and dishing out eight assists on Friday as the Cleveland Cavaliers cruised past the Milwaukee Bucks 116-97. The four-time NBA most valuable player led the Cavaliers in scoring for the second straight game despite missing most of the pre-season with an injury. When James started the season he knew it was going to take time to fully recover from a sprained left ankle that limited him to just one pre-season game. AFP

Lonzo Ball (2) of the Los Angeles Lakers glides to the hoop against the Phoenix Suns. AFP

VETERAN HUGNATAN STEPS UP FOR MERALCO BOLTS IN PLAYOFFS

Meralco Bolts veteran Reynel Hugnatan (right) tries to dribble past a defender in this file photo.

BLESSING in disguise. They didn’t know it at the time but losing Ranidel De Ocampo—who went out with a calf injury early in Game 3— may well turn out to be the best thing that could happen to the championship aspirations of the Meralco Bolts. Facing a 0-2 deficit in the bestof-seven championship series of the 2017 Philippine Basketball Association Governors’ Cup against Barangay Ginebra the Meralco Bolts lost their prized acquisition from TNT KaTropa after De Ocampo limped out of the court early in the game. Meralco coach Norman Black, who had relegated Reynel Hugnatan to the far end of the Meralco bench after the arrival of De Ocampo, had no choice but to turn to the veteran big man. After averaging just a point

in six minutes of playing time in the first two games of the series Hugnatan exploded 22 quality points off seven-of-12 shooting from three-point distance. He also gobbled up five rebounds, issued two assists and tallied one steal without committing a single turnover to help power the Bolts to a rousing 94-81 win. Even Ginebra coach Tim Cone couldn’t help but admire Hugnatan’s contributions. Cone later said Hugnatan could score from distance just as well as De Ocampo. Hugnatan was also a better defender according to Cone. The Ginebra mentor probably knows Hugnatan as well as, if not better than, Black. After all, Hugnatan was Cone’s starting power forward with the Alaska Aces when the franchise won the 2007 and the 2010 PBA Fiesta Cup crown.

Hugnatan’s deadly outside shooting was so unexpected that it was enough to power the Bolts to the surprise rout of Barangay Ginebra. The result of the game was so shocking that it even drove Cone to lose his cool after the match, as he refused to shake the hand of winning coach Black after the game. This was totally unexpected because it was Cone who initiated the practice of coaches shaking hands after games in the PBA. Hugnatan was at it again in Game 4 when the Bolts equalized the series at two-all by posting a hard-earned 85-83 victory last Friday, October 20 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. Hugnatan again played a key role as he scored points and grabbed important rebounds. He was also responsible for the final

two points which decided the outcome. Hugnatan drove into the paint and attracted the Ginebra defenders leaving Meralco import Allen Durham open underneath. Durham got the drop pass from Hugnatan and scored unmolested from underneath the basket to push Meralco to an 85-83 advantage which turned out to be the final score. Ginebra failed to call a timeout and missed four hurried attempts to tie the game in a wild sequence in the dying seconds. Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good. Without De Ocampo and without another big man in Kelly Nabong coach Black lucked out and was forced to field Hugnatan because he had no other choice. It has so far turned out to be the winning hand the past two games. Reuel Vidal

Sports

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2017 Riera U. Mallari, Editor / Reuel Vidal, Issue Editor / Randy Caluag, Issue Editor

sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

DIE-HARD GINEBRA FAN FOR A DAY

Ginebra fans from the upper box cheer their favorite team

By Randy Caluag

ow I fully understand why the league, Philippine Basketball Association, and its players should owe it to the fans. The paying fans who would spend their last centavo just to watch their favorite players in person. The fans who would troop to the playing arena, come hell or high water. We, sportswriters, are privileged to enter the playing venue for free, get access to the players and coaches for an interview and the team statistics to share with our readers. We cover the games by jotting down the most important part of the game— the turning point, the most significant baskets and so on. When we sit in the press box, we are not allowed to cheer, shout, clap or show any emotion that would favor any team, lest our neutrality and credibility will suffer. For many years that I covered the PBA, I could not let out the fan in me. It has been like I was afflicted with a tumor that could not be operated on. It could not be retrieved, It just stayed there. Then one day, it dawned on me to finally discover what it feels like to be a die-hard basketball fan. Honestly, I don’t cheer for any team. But to deliver a piece that would really describe a die-hard basketball fan, it has to be something about a fan of the Barangay Ginebra, admittedly the most popular basketball team of the decade. Team NSD Team NSD is facebook community of Ginebra fans. The group is just of the fan clubs

in social media. One of the admins in the community, Geexie Kathrene, added to me to their chat group. Here, they talk about updates on their favorite team and players. The schedules of the games. Their thoughts about the most recent game. For Game 4 of the GinebraMeralco series for the PBA Governors’ Cup on Oct. 20, the group decided that some would line up in the morning to buy tickets for the group. Geexie, a para-legal executive, was among the early birds in the group. She was at the Araneta Coliseum ticket booth as early as 9 a.m.

Allen Durham challenges the defense of Ginebra’s Justin Brown Lee and Joe Devance (PBA Media Bureau)

“Kahit kulang ako sa tulog, go lang,” she said with a smile. She got her tickets at 1 in the afternoon. Then she converged with the other members of the group at a restaurant nearby to while away the time. The game wouldn’t start until 7 p.m.

Most members of NSD are students. The millennials who inherited their being Ginebra fans from their parents, who were solid Sonny Jaworski fans. Some are holdovers from the Jaworski era, like Maritz Velicario, who like her husband, has been a

Members of Team NSD

long-time Ginebra follower. “Sobrang nakaka addict po ang maging basketball fan, laluna na po ung bonding namin,” added Geexie. Then we got our upper box tickets, just a notch lower than the bleacher seats. It was my first time to watch from that view above the Coliseum. We joined Team NSD. We availed of the red TEAM NSD shirts made by one of the group’s admins. Then we cheered our lungs out. I was up there where no media colleagues could see me. It was a different experience. Unlike when I was covering at ringside and would follow and record every significant stage of the game. On that night, I was cheering for every basket. I couldn’t remember the biggest lead by either team or how many times Ginebra and Meralco changed leads in the game. I didn’t even notice if coaches Norman Black and Time Cone shook hands after the game. It was because we would cheer for every Ginebra point and we would fall silent every time Meralco basket. I could remember anything. All I could remember was I was shouting my lungs out, together with the crowd. In the final seconds of the game, we were just shouting that most of us didn’t even realize that Ginebra has a couple of timeouts left that It did not elect to use. We fell silent again when the buzzer sounded after a miss by Ginebra import Justin Brown Lee. The boxscores showed Meralco leading the final count, 85-83. Then I overheard quite a lot comments from the crowd. “Ay tapos na pala. Nakalimutan yata na wala nang oras,” I overheard someone asking. “Bat hindi tumawag timeout si coach?” “Masisira kasi ang momentum e, fastbreak kasi.” “Parang wala nang time-out.” “Hinde Meron.” Up there in the upper box, the fans are the commentators, the analysts, the coaches. The mood turned gloomy for a whil until somebody shouted in a cheerful tone.

View from above

BATANG PINOY KICKS OFF IN VIGAN

VIGAN, Ilocos Sur—Around 6,000 athletes and coaches from over 122 local government units in Luzon converged at the President Elpidio Quirino Stadium here in Bantayan, Ilocos Sur t compete in Batang Pinoy Luzon Games. Action in elimination games start today in different venues. Philippine Sports Commission Chairman William I. Ramirez is optimistic that the hosting of Ilocos Sur province of the Batang Pinoy Luzon Games will be successful. “It’s just a coincidence that Vigan will be able to have some practice of hosting of the Batang Pinoy regional games,” Ramirez said. “I think Gov. Ryan [Singson] will do a very good job of hosting the Luzon Leg of the Batang Pinoy.” Provincial sports coordinator Marius Cabudol said they have invited Department of Education assistant secretary Tonisito Umali to be the guest of honor. Ramirez will be represented by PSC Commissioner Charles Raymond Maxey as the former’s schedule won’t permit him to attend. Other officials expected to grace the opening ceremonies are Ilocos Sur governor Ryan Luis Singson, Ilocos Norte governor Imee Marcos, Pangasinan governor Amado Espino III, La Union governor Francisco Emmanuel Ortega III, and Vigan City Mayor Juan Carlo Medina. The opening ceremony will kick off at around 1 p.m. with the parade of delegations while table tennis gold medalist Wrency Abad and consistent Batang Pinoy Medalist Ralf Justine A. Chan will lead the torch relay and oath of sportsmanship, respectively.

CHAIRMAN’S GOLF CUP AT FAIRWAYS & BLUEWATER THE Fairways & Bluewater Resort Golf and Country Club, the premier golfing hub in Boracay, makes its return to the local golf scene as it revives the Chairman’s Cup next month. First held in 1997, the Chairman’s Cup is aimed at thanking its members and friends for their support to the club’s programs. “We are excited to bring the Chairman’s Cup into its regular schedule,” said Fairways & Bluewater chairman Wilbur Chan, adding that the 12th staging of the event is also in response to the members’ clamor. Chan said the club’s Board of Directors had wanted to present the Graham Marsh-designed course in its championship form and the rehabilitation took a little longer than usual to ensure the readiness of the par-72 layout. Tasked to implement the course plan is tournament director Raymond Bunquin, whose maintenance team has been working double time to fast track its development. “The course has vastly improved. The undulating fairways are now rolling like it used to and the greens are maturing just in time for the Chairman’s Cup,” said Bunquin. Backing up the event are Skyjet Airlines, Gatessoft Corp., Pacsports Philippines Inc., Philippine Airlines, The Turf Company, Pagcor Casino Filipino, Inquirer Golf and Business Mirror.

DAQUIGAN FASTEST AT SEPANG CIRCUIT VINTAGE car racing champion Dexter Daquigan left his comfort zone and tried racing at the Sepang Circuit in Malaysia for the Classic Mini Championship Asia for the second time with only a podium finish in his mind. He ended up winning it all. A many-time Classic Aspirated Cup Series champion on Philippine soil, Daquigan of Mus Mini Malaysian Job/Mohspeed Racing Team took his driving skills in Malaysia, where he discovered that preparation is still the supreme reason why champion racers find ways to beat the competition. “I really prepared myself for this race. I’ve never prepared myself like this since I started racing cars in 2014,” admitted Daquigan. “I am physically and mentally prepared for this race. I learned my mistakes during the first time I raced in Sepang last May.” And Daquigan’s intense preparations showed. After yielding to Malaysian Jeffrey Chew of JC Works Mini in the pre-final race, Daquigan drove a tactical race when it mattered in the final race as he set the pace right on the get

go. Chew tried to close the gap every lap, but Daquigan kept his focus all the way to the finish, winning by 1.385 seconds and submitting a best time of 2:56.17. Liaw Hee Wong of Johor Classic Mini placed third. “Once the red lights went off, I pushed myself to the limit and had a good position in the first corner to the first lap. I then started hammering it down until I managed to pull a gap little by little. But Jeffrey was very fast in turns 7 and 8 as he closed the gap every lap. But I tried to focus and did not make any mistake. We had a good battle, but I kept the lead until the last turn, all the way to the chequered flag,” said Daquigan. Daquigan emphasized that racing is a team effort, too and not just about the driver and his car. “I had the best people on my side, like Muslim Harin, the head mechanic of Mus Mini Malaysian Job, and Hafiz Bachok, the 2016 Classic Mini Championship overall champion, who was my coach,” said Daquigan.

Another factor that contributed greatly to the win was his setup, done at the Mus Malaysian Job garage, where the team did the final adjustments to the car, with the help of Daquigan’s Filipino mechanics Morris Miranda, Eddie Farreras and Armand Hipolito, with the support of head Malaysian mechanic Harin. Daquigan also had his crucial shakedowns at the Johor Circuit. “It was a really nice experience at the Johor Circuit, as it was a very challenging track with uphill, downhill, camber, off camber spots, everything in one package,” said Daquigan. “Since we already had a shakedown at the Johor Circuit, I knew we can fight for a podium (finish), not expecting to be 1st place overall, but we’ll take it (win).” Daquigan added: “The most important thing was we managed to tune the suspension and made a last-minute final adjustment that made me more comfortable with my race car. We were able to win the Open Class despite having a lower engine displacement in our race car. We were able to give a good battle

Dexter Daquigan celebrates his triumph at the Classic Mini Championship Asia at the Sepang Circuit in Malaysia. and demonstrate my driving skills, proving to the world that a Filipino can compete abroad and win at the same time.” With his triumph on Malaysian soil,

Daquigan suddenly became a hot commodity as he was invited to the K4GP, a 24-Hour Race, also at the Sepang Circuit on Nov. 17 to 19.

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SUNDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2017

Business

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

LADY EXECUTIVE BUILDS PH TOURISM DATABASE

GERMAN FIRM NAMES FILIPINO COUNTRY HEAD

Edler Panlilio, the new managing director of SAP Philippines Inc

TOURISM ADVOCATES

Yapak PH team headed by founder and chief executive Diane Zoleta (center, seated in blue jeans) and chief operating officer Trichie de Vera (standing, third from right), together with Dayang Media Productions, Digiteer Digital, Trespaña Productions and photographer Paulo Navarra.

N AVID traveler and media production executive is spearheading a campaign to build a comprehensive travel information portal about Philippine tourism in a bid to spread the culture of tourism across the country and generate livelihood for Filipinos along the way.

“We believe that tourism is a key driver of the economy,” says Diane Zoleta, the founder and chief executive of Yapak.ph, the first aggregator of tourism information about the Philippines. Her experience as an advertising executive who organized photoshoots in exotic places all over the country and as a talent manager who brought artists and celebrities to numerous town fiestas in the provinces has opened her eyes to the beauty and rich heritage of the Philippines. At the same time, a visit to Thailand in the 1990s, where ‘tuk tuk’ and cab drivers provided helpful tips and laminated maps on destinations as if they were tour guides, has awakened her desire to make Filipinos embrace tourism the way the Thais promoted their country. “We have more to offer. And yet, Filipinos are not as entrepreneurial when it comes to promoting tourism. How nice it would be if we Filipinos know the best destinations in our country. That is the main goal of Yapak.ph. We want to enable Filipinos to promote the Philippines,” says Zoleta. Zoleta, who earned a degree in Broadcast Communication from the University of the Philippines and now heads Dayang Media Productions and Star Models International Talent Management Agency, wants all Filipinos to help promote the Philippines as a primary tourism destination and raise the bar on the quality of services and products provided to travelers from all over the world. She initially planned to produce a travel map, like the ones presented by ‘tuk tuk’ and cab drivers in Thailand, but the idea grew much bigger with the onset of digital technologies. Zoleta teamed up with fellow Rotarian, Trichie

de Vera, the country representative of iCare Benefits Philippines Inc. to put Yapak.ph into operation. “We will launch our website on Oct. 24. The website is going to be the information portal— an initial platform that will evolve into more technology-based initiatives. Unlike any other information portal, Yapak.ph will hopefully have everything that you want to know about the Philippines in just one site,” says de Vera, also an alumna of the University of the Philippines, who serves as chief operating officer of Yapak.ph. Zoleta, who helped produce some of the most memorable television commercials and print ads for ‘It’s More Fun in the Philippines’, developed the idea for Yapak.ph as early seven years ago and started engaging her team of advertising professionals and university students to shoot travel sites and collate local travel information two years ago. “Seven years ago, I wanted to start a Philippine travel map. My idea was to provide free travel maps at that time, when Internet was not yet prevalent in the country. The map would encourage people to travel and walk, hence the word ‘yapak’,” she says. The advent of technology, however, encouraged Zoleta to produce a more comprehensive tourism portal that contains not just a map, but also information, tips and guides that will help foreign and domestic tourists discover provinces, cities, towns and even barangays in the Philippines. Now, Yapak.ph is considered a pioneer in providing the public with an engaging and personalized website on anything and everything about the Philippines. As a pioneer in tourism aggregation, its mission is to aggregate and organize Philippine tourism and travel information and services to make them “simple yet comprehensive, distinct yet diverse, accessible yet aggregated, in an experiential, personalized, and time efficient manner.” “ We aim to become the nation’s most comprehensive tourism information portal unifying a wide range of data about the Philippines—from its travel destinations, local communities, culture, cuisines, events and more,” she says. Zoleta says while other websites focus on

just four topics such as adventure, eco-tourism, sustainable tourism and destinations, Yapak. ph encompasses 16 categories in the tourism industry. It provides information on such areas as medical tourism, health establishments, extreme adventures, museum, sports, nightlife, Filipino heritage, social entrepreneurship, knowledge exchange, beaches, pocket parks, nature, food finds, newest spots around the block and history, culture and the arts. “We realized that there are different kinds of tourism. We enumerated 16 of them,” she says. Zoleta says the overall vision is “to make the Philippines the No. 1 tourist destination in Southeast Asia by providing the Filipinos and the international community global access to a central information hub and a one stop online store for Philippine tourism and travel in one aggregated site.” “We offer an expansive ecosystem on Philippine travel and tourism, built on a convergence of three elements: a travel and tourism information portal, a network of partnerships and alliances, and an engaged community of travelers and supporters of Philippine tourism,” she says. Zoleta says more than just an information portal, Yapak.ph aims to builds a growing network of digital and offsite stakeholders who have a shared vision of making the Philippines the top tourist destination in Southeast Asia. “ We are fostering engagement, where each stakeholder is an active contributor in strengthening local tourism, elevating it as a major driver of the Philippine economy, not only for the purpose of consumption spending but in delivering social impact,” she says. She recalls that when she visited Thailand, the ‘tuk tuk’ driver who brought her to different destinations also took her to a gold store. “As I was browsing the merchandise, I saw that one of the ladies working in the said store handed the man a gas voucher. On our way back to my hotel, I asked him what the voucher was for, and he told me that whenever he brought tourists into the establishment, the owners gave him a gas voucher for his trouble, even if the tourist didn’t end up buying anything from the store,” Zoleta says. Zoleta came back to the Philippines with Turn to B2

GERMAN software company SAP SE announced the appointment of Edler Panlilio as the new managing director of SAP Philippines Inc. In this new role, Panlilio will be responsible for leading and driving business growth and operations in the Philippines, building on the 22-year establishment of SAP in the country. He will report directly to Claus Andresen, president and managing director of SAP Southeast Asia. A 20-year veteran in the IT industry, Panlilio joined SAP in 2013 and was most recently the senior director of key accounts managing a combined salesforce of key account managers, cloud specialists, platform and CRM specialists focused on the top customers for SAP Philippines. Prior to joining SAP, Panlilio spent more than a decade in his career holding leadership roles and responsibilities with various multi-national IT organizations based in the Philippines, including Symantec, Sun Microsystems and Logica. Panlilio replaced Ryan Poggi, who will take on another executive role within SAP Asia Pacific Japan. Commenting on Panlilio’s appointment, Andresen said: “The Philippines economy remains vibrant and is the 10th fastest growing economy in the world. With a stable and sustainable economic environment, SAP is well poised to help the Philippines economy grow by supporting the country’s digital agenda with our technology.” “Edler’s promotion signifies a strong leadership bench that we have in Southeast Asia, and SAP’s commitment to the development of our talents. I am confident that Edler will be able to build on our growth trajectory and accelerate our growth plans in the Philippines,” Andresen said. Panlilio said: “The Philippines has a great opportunity to leapfrog into the next phase of digitization as government organizations and companies in the private sector embark on a digital transformation journey.” “Being a global market leader, SAP has the transfor mative innovations needed to help local government and businesses strive to be a globally competitive Filipino nation with Digital. I am delighted to be a part of the SAP family and look forward to lead the team to help the Philippines run better, and improve people’s lives,” said Panlilio.

MALOLOS CITY ADOPTS ALL-IN-ONE CITIZEN ID CARDS M A LO LO S Cit y, the capital of Bulacan province, has tapped PayMaya Philippines, the country’s pioneer and leader in digital financial services, to enable its constituents with all-in-one citizen ID cards that can be used to access citizen services, pay for fees and transactions, as well as receive cash allowances and other monetary benefits from the local government. As a start, the citizen ID cards will be available to government employees and resident beneficiaries of Malolos, including student scholars, senior citizens, single parents and persons with disabilities. Beyond helping make disbursements of

allowances and financial assistance more efficient, the city is pushing for financial inclusion as it embraces the digital economy. The city also intends to use the platform to enable the transportation and tourism sectors as it builds the whole payment ecosystem not just with cards and disbursement tools but also with payment acceptance systems. “Our goal is to make our constituents enjoy the benefits of digital. With this all-in-one citizen card initiative powered by PayMaya, we are enabling our citizens have a better quality of life and access to the digital economy. At the same time, we are

also accelerating the transformation of Malolos City as a truly digital city,” said Malolos City Mayor Christian Natividad. “Digital opens up many opportunities especially for the unconnected, unbanked and underserved. Congratulations to Malolos City for this forward-looking initiative as it is transforming their local government, people and communities into fully equipped digital and global citizens,” said Manuel Pangilinan, chairman of PLDT Inc., Smart Communications, Voyager Innovations and PayMaya Philippines. “Our mission is to bring the advantages of digital financial

services to more institutions and their constituents. True to its pioneering spirit and historical tradition as the site of the proclamation of the first constitutional republic in Asia, Malolos City joins other digitally transformed or DX Cities as one of the early adopters of enabling payment technologies,” said Orlando Vea, president and chief executive of PayMaya Philippines. Aside from Malolos City, PayMaya i s b e i n g u s e d by o t h e r l o c a l governments including Balanga City, Muntinlupa City, Catbalogan City and Tacloban City. It is also being used as all-in-one ID cards by schools and as disbursement cards by enterprises.

Malolos City Mayor Christian Natividad (left) and PLDT, Smart, Voyager and PayMaya Philippines chairman Manuel Pangilinan shake hands during the partnership ceremony for the all-in-one citizen ID cards in the city.

Business

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2017 business@manilastandard.net

JDI OFFERS FORMULA TO DEFEAT DENGUE THE rainy season generally sees an alarming increase in dengue and similar mosquito-borne diseases, posing a big threat to the health and wellbeing of Filipino families, especially children under the age of 9 and even those that are yet to be born. Dengue is in fact one of the top 10 killer diseases in the Philippines. From January 1 to May 20 this year, the Department of Health recorded 35,973 dengue cases throughout the country, with 207 reported deaths within the same period. And while the latest figures are lower compared to last year’s, people must remain vigilant in terms of averting an outbreak of the disease in their communities. The same Aedes mosquitoes that carry dengue also transmit the Zika virus, a flu-like mosquito-borne disease that is widespread in tropical countries with big mosquito population. As of February this year, the DOH has tallied a total of 57 Zika cases in the country, seven of which involve pregnant women aged 16 to 32. While a breakthrough dengue vaccine is reportedly now available, most people tend to overlook the fact that there are more practical and more economical ways to get rid of mosquitoes and other disease-carrying insects. This is where Zap All Knockdown multi-insect killer comes in. Distributed by Jardine Distribution Inc., Zap contains a formula that kills dengue and Zika virus-carrying mosquitoes, as well as cockroaches and flies, without any irritating smell. Z a p ’s h i g h - q u a l i t y a c t i v e ingredient—sourced from Sumitomo Chemical, a leading Japanese chemical firm—guarantees faster knockdown power and a long-lasting effect compared to those of other brands in the market. The DOH itself recommends the use of insect repellants and insect killers as self-protection measures to prevent mosquito bites that can cause dengue, Zika, or similar diseases. Maintaining a clean environment and seeking early consultation with the doctor are also highly advised at the onset of symptoms.

LADY...

From B1

so many ideas on to how to help fellow Filipinos do the same or how to provide them with a free service that consolidates all the travel-related information about the country. The result is Yapak.ph, which also includes initiatives such as community service revenue programs to create sustainable livelihood and the formation of Yapak Club, an engagement to connect university and college students. “Yapak Club now has Lyceum chapter and PUP chapter. The good thing about it is that later on, Yapak Club members will also feed information. We are also in talks to have chapters in UE, Adamson, FEU, La Salle and College of Saint Benilde,” says Zoleta. Zoleta says Yapak’s business model will have digital advertising as its main anchor, where companies such as hotels, airlines, transport providers and travel agencies will converge to market their products and services. “With Yapak, we will also create livelihood programs for the people. We will promote even small businesses such as eateries,” she says. Yapak also has a Facebook page which has already attracted 12,000 followers. “We engage the followers by posting three to five articles a day with focus on millennials. We provide tips, tourist spots, food finds or trivia. We also have ‘hugot’ lines complete with graphics,” says Zoleta. Zoleta also plans to launch a journal app, or a travel planner that will remind subscribers of their itinerary. “But the revenue model leans on advertising, because that is our expertise. We envision to put media and advertising together through Yapak,” she says. Roderick T. dela Cruz

WHY CONCEPCION UNIT ADOPTED A NEW NAME By Othel V. Campos

MAJOR provider of elevators, escalators and cooling solutions in the country has embraced a new name to reflect a strategic shift for the building industry and address the changing demands of customers.

Concepcion Building and Industrial Solutions, the commercial division of Concepcion Industrial Corp.,changed its name to Alstra. It remains the company behind Carrier, Otis and Toshiba brands in the Philippines. “Alstra is a name we created. For us, it is synonymous to building solutions itself. It is the same business unit of Concepcion Industrial Corp. Only, we are trying to fit in more sophisticated solutions that will be the trend of the future,” said Alstra director and head of the building and industrial solutions group Rajan Komarasu. Komarasu, who grew up in Singapore, studied in Australia and was posted in the Philippines in 2007, said the transformation idea was conceived three years ago, “when we said we needed to cater to what customers are looking for – the requirement of business to business.” “This required us to totally look at the culture of organization, the people, the systems that we use. We said we need to change this but as we change we need to market ourselves as building solutions expert in the Philippines,” said Komarasu. Komarasu said that in the Philippines it was a big challenge to change old habits, but “we had this huge progress to bringing the organization closer to customers.” “We put in a lot of effort into the areas wherein people might not normally think we are capable of or not worthy of any effort like engineering and project management,” he said. Assistance on engineering design starts right from the concept to implementation stage as well, he said. Alstra will be carrying the same cooling solutions and vertical building solutions such as escalators and elevators. With the rebranding, the company will introduce an expanded menu of building solutions including fire assistance, security protocols, lighting solution, controls and automation using IoT (Internet of Things) that can be packaged however the client wants it. The trend in building solutions, Komarasu said, is slowly getting ahead of the game, “although, in the Philippines, the ones that can only procure these

Alstra director Rajan Komarasu

are the bigger companies. That’s why we’re slowly getting into the game.” Alstra still caters to all segments of the construction industry, with projects in the manufacturing sector, hotels, restaurants, BPOs, service sectors and even banks. It maintains its focus on the commercial and industrial side of the business without losing sight of its beginnings as Filipino white-line manufacturer Condura. The company continues to manufacture and sell windowtype air-conditioning units, its bread and butter once, but sales had since simmered into a single digit growth as it shifted its focus to more technically-challenging cooling solutions on a bigger scale in partnership with Carrier. Condura-Carrier is the first air-conditioning brand in country to be ISO certified. By 2020, Alstra aims to have the entire company product line ISO-certified. Alstra still holds the title as market leader in the airconditioning industry quickly. While its vertical solutions in escalators and elevators have struggled in the past, it has since moved on to a comfortable pace due to consistency in quality and after-service. “We want to make sure there’s consistency in everything we do. On top of this, we want to continue our CSR [corporate social responsibility]. So far, Alstra has spent more than 30,000 hours over the last three years educating our customers, our supply partners and some contractors about efficiency, safety and technology. We want to make sure we have the right partners and most of all, create synergies in the way we operate,” Komarasu said. Mergers and acquisitions will remain part of the company’s

expansion plan. “If we do not have the expertise for the solutions we are offering, then we make sure that we partner with the industry’s best experts,” he said. Alstra’s sales in the first half of 2017 hit P1.8 billion, on track with the company’s target to grow revenues by 15 percent to 20 percent from 2016’s P3.5 billion. This has not yet factored in about P2 billion worth of projects in the pipeline that started coming in the second half. “Based on government figures, there might be a slowdown in construction activities in the next two to three years. Construction permits were down by 3 percent in the first half of 2017 compared to 2016. That’s what is in the PSA [Philippines Statistics Authority] site. Since we’ve expanded our portfolio, we don’t see this dilemma affecting our operations,” Komarasu said. The big drop, he said, came from the Visayas region but the bigger share was still a cco u nte d by t h e N at i o n a l Capital Region. “I think there’s gestation period going on. Although there’s a lot of commitment on the construction side but developers are pulling back as well. We believe that contractors and developers are moving forward with cautious sentiments. There are too many projects out there but because of shortage of manpower and professionals, there is this temporary impact. We believe this is temporary and will not be a lasting trend. What we see now as growing are industrial businesses and institutions,” he said. Komarasu said the company would continue investing in more solutions and improving at least 90 solutions. “As a business, we always need to think positive. We will be very cautious at the same time, so we can achieve our vision to reach P15-billion sales by 2020,” Komarasu said.

AVIATION SECTOR OFFERS ‘HIGHEST PAYING’ JOBS aviation industry, Guico said the road to an aviation career is not for the faint-hearted. Those interested to get into the industry should be passionate and fully equipped with optimal skills and experience to gain a competitive edge. “Though new graduates will find it hard to land an aviation job immediately after graduation, the key is to keep themselves informed about the industry and the specialization they are into. For example, aircraft mechanics should be more open into accepting onthe-job trainings and immersions. This will give them the experience and skills that a large airline company is looking for,” he said. “This is the same with pilot students. The key is to gain experience. Airlines may not be always hiring new pilots, so the option is to start by becoming flight instructors so they will gain flight experience and at the same time enhance their skills. So when the time comes that an airline will be looking for their new set of flight crew, you will be on the top choice,” Guico said. Getting a high-paying job isn’t the sole reason to land in the airlines industry. Alongside the lifechanging chance to see the world are opportunities for career advancement. “Aside from the travel, airlines also provide assistance for career advancement. There is an ongoing trend now of aircraft mechanics and cabin FOLLOWING the growth of the global economy, the demand for aviation professionals continues to grow in the Asia-Pacific region. Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority show that aviation-related occupations – namely aircraft pilots, navigators, and flight engineers – were the highest paying jobs in 2016 with a P116,714 average monthly wage rate. It was followed by securities and finance dealers and brokers (P89,831) and civil engineers (P69,957). The airline industry has prospered over the past decades and the need for aviation experts continues to rise–with 41,000 new aircrafts projected to be built worldwide within the next 20 years. With the boom of aviation in the Philippines, what can aspiring aviation practitioners expect and how should they prepare? “One must be really ready when entering the competitive aviation industry,” said Capt. Ramon Guico III, president and chief executive of WCC Aviation Company Inc. Despite the presence of job opportunities in the

crew advancing to become airline pilots,” he said. Foreseeing the boom in the airlines industry, WCC Aviation is commencing its plans to make quality education more accessible throughout the country by expanding its reach. The company, which is highly regarded not just in the Philippines but also in Asia, aims to soon open a WCC Aviation Branch in Diliman, Quezon City, offering programs such as pilot training and flight attendant course. This is in addition to WCC Aviation’s constant upgrading of its training programs. From its modest beginnings in 2005 with only a small school and two students, WCC Aviation has grown to be a university-grade campus that caters to the needs of the airline industry both locally and abroad. At present, WCC Aviation’s state-of-the-art facilities provides a conducive learning environment. “We are training students not just to become employees but to be critical thinkers. We want them to be the next generation managers and leaders in the industry. That is why we are highlighting ‘character formation’ in our curriculum. By focusing on developing the character of our students, we help them nurture their skills and become responsible individuals that will later be our contribution towards nation-building,” said Guico.

World

Cesar Barrioquinto, Editor / Jimbo Gulle, Issue Editor

JAPAN BRACES FOR ‘LAN’ AHEAD OF ELECTION

\TOKYO, Japan—A powerful typhoon was bearing down on Japan Saturday, a day ahead of national elections, with experts predicting severe winds and heavy rains as the country goes to the polls. Super typhoon Lan, described as “very large” and “very strong” by Japan’s Meteorological Agency, was packing gusts up to 252 kilometres (157 miles) per hour Saturday above Pacific waters south of Japan. As Lan drew closer, voters on remote southern islands in the path of the storm cast their ballots early for Sunday’s election. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center of the US Navy called it a super typhoon. The Japanese agency said Lan would move just east of Okinawa Sunday before grazing the country’s coastal areas, possibly directly hitting Tokyo or surrounding regions, Monday morning. Meteorologists expect strong winds and heavy rain across much of Japan on Sunday. Regardless of weather, however, national surveys have largely predicted that the ruling bloc, led by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, was likely to claim a landslide victory. AFP

‘SMELL OF BLOOD, FLESH’ IN BOMBED KABUL MOSQUE KABUL, Afghanistan—A strong smell of blood and flesh permeated the Imam Zaman mosque in Kabul on Saturday hours after dozens of Shiite worshippers were slaughtered by a suicide bomber during evening prayers. Broken glass and dust covered the red carpet, soaked in the blood of the men, women and children who had been praying on Friday when the attacker blew himself up, causing carnage in the cavernous prayer hall. At least 39 people were killed and 45 others wounded in the assault claimed by the Islamic State group -- one of two deadly mosque attacks on Friday -- capping one of the bloodiest weeks in Afghanistan in recent memory. “The windows of the mosque were broken, and blood and human flesh were spattered everywhere and you could smell blood and human flesh inside the mosque,” Ibrahim, who rushed to the mosque after the blast, told AFP. “This is absolutely barbarism. What kind of Islam is this? They are attacking worshippers at the time of prayers, even mosques are not safe for us to pray.” Hours after the suicide bomb the Taliban fired two rockets at the headquarters of NATO’s Resolute Support mission in the heavily fortified diplomatic quarter of Kabul. There were no reports of casualties but the attack underlined the worsening security in the country. AFP

PROBE: CANCER DIDN’T KILL PABLO NERUDA SANTIAGO, Chile—International experts announced Friday that Chilean Nobel laureate Pablo Neruda did not die of cancer, but could not conclusively determine if he was assassinated by late dictator Augusto Pinochet’s regime. Neruda, a celebrated poet, politician, diplomat and bohemian, died in 1973 aged 69, just days after Pinochet, then the head of the Chilean army, overthrew Socialist president Salvador Allende in a bloody coup. The writer, who was also a prominent member of the Chilean Communist party, had been preparing to flee into exile in Mexico to lead the resistance against Pinochet’s regime. He died in a Santiago clinic where he was being treated for prostate cancer. The subsequent death of former president Eduardo Frei at the same clinic, where he had come for a routine operation, reinforced the thesis that Neruda was murdered. “The (death) certificate does not reflect the real cause of death,” Aurelio Luna said at a news conference on behalf of a panel of experts, referring to the official explanation that cancer killed the famed writer. The group of 16 experts from Canada, Denmark, the US, Spain and Chile, 12 of whom worked in Santiago while the rest worked from abroad, could neither confirm nor rule out the hypothesis that Neruda was murdered. “We do not have that definitive conclusion, we do not have the determination that there was indeed intervention of third parties,” said investigating Judge Mario Carroza, who is handling the case. AFP

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2017

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

SPAIN SET TO GRAB CATALONIA’S POWERS M ADRID, Spain—Spain’s government kicked off a crisis cabinet meeting on Saturday as it prepares to seize powers from Catalonia’s separatist executive in an unprecedented move aimed at stopping the northeastern region’s independence drive. During the meeting, which started around 10 a.m. (0800 GMT), Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy and his ministers will decide on what powers to take away from the wealthy region, which currently enjoys wide autonomy including control over its own policing, education and healthcare. The measures take the country into uncharted legal waters, and come just a day after Madrid won powerful backing from the king and the EU in its battle to keep the country together. King Felipe VI on Friday blasted what he said was an “unacceptable secession attempt” and said the crisis sparked by the region’s banned October 1 independence referen-

dum must be resolved “through legitimate democratic institutions”. “We do not want to give up that which we have built together,” he pleaded. Madrid enjoys constitutional powers to wrest back control of rebellious regions in one of the Western world’s most decentralized nations, but it has never used them. Autonomy is a hugely sensitive issue in semi-autonomous Catalonia, which saw its powers taken away under Spain’s military dictatorship. Home to 7.5 million people, the region fiercely defends its own language and culture. There are fears of unrest if Madrid seeks to impose direct rule of any kind, and Catalan leader Carles

Puigdemont has said such a move could push regional lawmakers to declare unilateral independence. But Rajoy said Friday that Spain had reached a “critical point” after weeks of political limbo and that his government had to act to stop the rule of law being “liquidated”. Rajoy is likely to announce plans to take control of Catalonia’s 16,000-strong police force, the Mossos d’Esquadra, whose leader Josep Lluis Trapero could face up to 15 years in jail on sedition charges for failing to contain separatist protests ahead of the referendum. Madrid could also seek to force new elections -- its preferred solution to Spain’s most protracted political crisis since it returned to democracy in 1977 -- as early as January. Rajoy is due to hold a press conference early Saturday afternoon to announce his plans, which must pass through the Senate where his conservative Popular Party holds a majority -- a process that would take about a week. Speaking on Friday night at

the Princess of Asturias Awards -Spain’s answer to the Nobels -- King Felipe described Catalonia as “an essential part of 21st century Spain”. EU leaders, who were at the ceremony to collect a prize for encouraging harmony in Europe, used their acceptance speeches to demand respect for the law in words that offered implicit backing to Madrid. “Some are sowing discord by deliberately ignoring law,” European parliament head Antonio Tajani said at the awards night in the northern city of Oviedo. He added pointedly: “All too often in the past the prospect of redrawing borders has been presented as a heavenly panacea that has resulted in a hellish mess.” As tensions continue to run high, independence supporters are set to rally in Barcelona Saturday evening calling for the release of Jordi Cuixart and Jordi Sanchez, the leaders of two powerful grassroots separatist groups who have been in jail since Monday pending investigation into sedition charges. AFP

MARCH THROUGH NOWHERE. Rohingya refugees who were stranded walk near the no man’s land area between Bangladesh and Myanmar in the Palongkhali area next to Ukhia on Thursday. Since late August, more than 500,000 Rohingya have fled an army campaign in Myanmar’s Rakhine state that the United Nations has denounced as ethnic cleansing. AFP

‘CZECH TRUMP’ BABIS POISED TO WIN VOTE PRAGUE, Czech Republic—Voters flocked to polling stations on Saturday, the second and final day of a Czech general election expected to sweep into power a billionaire populist dubbed the “Czech Trump” and boost anti-European Union parties. Betting on his anti-euro, anti-migrant and anti-corruption ticket, ANO (Yes) movement chief Andrej Babis, topped opinion polls by a wide margin ahead of the ballot which ends on Saturday afternoon. “I think his policy is for the people,” pensioner Alena Kolarova told AFP in Prague after voting, praising Babis for “restoring order in public finances and tax collection” during his threeyear stint as finance minister that ended in May. Babis said he expected his EU country of 10.8 million people to “enter a new stage” after voting on Friday, adding it needed “a government which will really tackle people’s problems.” Vaclav Vachel, another pensioner, said Babis’s anti-corruption drive was “the key thing,” seemingly unfazed by a fraud indictment the mogul faces for alleged abuse of EU subsidies. Far-right and far-left anti-EU parties are eyeing strong gains which could lead to a fragmented parliament with up to nine parties and few natural coalition allies. Analysts warn of instability and that the Czech Republic’s system of liberal democracy could be disturbed. ANO has already held key posts in the outgoing rocky centre-left coalition under Social Democrat Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka, with Babis serving as finance minister

from 2014 to May this year. A 63-year-old Slovak-born chemicals, food and media tycoon, Babis captured around 25-30 percent support in recent surveys, putting ANO ahead of its current coalition partner, the left-wing Social Democrats, who have just 12.5 percent. Parties protesting against liberal de-

mocracy are poised to win a majority in parliament for the first time since communism fell in 1989, the leading Hospodarske Noviny daily said in a Friday editorial. “And for the first time we face the threat that an openly xenophobic, extremist movement will earn more than 10 percent” of the vote, it added, point-

ing to the far-right anti-EU Freedom and Free Democracy (SPD) of Tokyo-born entrepreneur Tomio Okamura who won backing from France’s far-right National Front. The daily called the elections a “turning point... both for the country’s internal functioning and its anchoring in the European Union.” AFP

SENIOR QUEEN. Ms. New Jersey Carolyn Slade Harden is crowned Ms. Senior America during the 38th Annual National Ms. Senior America 2017 Pageant at the Resorts Casino Hotel in Atlantic City, New Jersey on Thursday. The pageant is held for women between the ages of 60 and 90, where they participate in evening gown presentations, talent performances, and a category in which competitors share their life philosophy. AFP

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2017 Riera U. Mallari, Editor rumallari@thestandard.com.ph

Gadgets & Games

JOLLIBEE IS PH'S NO. 1 IN DIGITAL ENGAGEMENT HE Philippines’ no. 1 fastfood chain is also no. 1 in digital engagement.

For decades, Jollibee has been capturing the taste buds of Filipinos with its langhap-sarap treats. Lately, the brand has been winning over the hearts of millions online with hit-afterhit digital content. Community Plus, a Mediacom social media listening tool that is used widely amongst various global brands, reports that from January to June 2017, Jollibee outranked all other brands in the quick service restaurant category, particularly in Facebook where it garnered a majority 37% share of engagement, twice greater than its biggest foreign competitor. Social media intelligence tool Thoughtbuzz also reports that Jollibee is the #1 most talked about QSR brand, registering 1.5 million mentions in various digital platforms; almost triple that of its competitors in the same period. Jollibee Global Brand Chief Marketing Officer and PH Marketing Head, Francis Flores shares, “Jollibee’s stellar digital success has been key to sustaining our market leadership in the country, across all our major target markets.” Flores added: “Through world-class, highly engaging online content and digital innovations, we will continue to break the internet to reinforce our position as the Philippines’ most loved, most talked about brand. For us in Jollibee, capturing the hearts of the Filipinos online (and offline) is the ultimate reward.”

The Kwentong Jollibee Success

The brand’s original short-film series, Kwentong Jollibee, has gone viral multiple times this year, and has earned multiple accolades not only from netizens but from industry leaders globally. In February, the highly-evocative “Vow”, “Date”, and “Crush” Valentine’s

Outranking all other QSR brands, Jollibee garnered a 37% share of engagement on Facebook from January to June 2017 according to online content assessment tool Community Plus. Social media intelligence tool Thoughtbuzz also reveals that the brand registered 1.5 million mentions across digital platforms, almost triple that of its competitors in the same period, to become the #1 most talked about QSR brand in the Philippines.

videos successfully wooed the online audience with over 50 million views on Facebook and YouTube, about 1.3 million shares, 7.5 million in engagement, and 82 million reach (72% organic reach). The buzz of Kwentong Jollibee’s Valentine series generated over P150 million in free PR and media values as well. The viral success of the Kwentong Jollibee episodes continued towards mid-year with “Parangal” and “Powers”—back-to-back moving tributes to the sacrifices of moms and the heroic deeds of dads, to provide a comfortable life for the family—as the Mother’s Day and Father’s Day videos garnered positive reactions from netizens and received 8.1 million and 7 million views, respectively. The Kwentong Jollibee series’ most recent viral hit, “Apo” is proof not only of the enterprise’s sustained success

but of Jollibee’s digital content mastery. A Grandparents’ Day special, “Apo” follows a young man recalling his happy childhood memories as he makes his way back home to the embrace of his “second parents”. With a whopping 29million reach, over 14.2million views and an engagement of 1.1 million, Jollibee’s special grandparents’ day tribute solidified the brand’s online leadership. The most recent viral short film was coupled with a heart-tugging CSR effort, Grand Thank You Project, and a special video feature titled “Handog para kay Lola Belen”. The project recognizes hardworking grandparents and gives back the love with a Grandparents’ Day feast for their family and other forms of support such as financial aid. On the Grand Thank You Project’s second year, Jollibee features Lola Belen, a grandmother from Pangasinan who

tirelessly sells local delicacies at a nearby Jollibee branch to provide for her loved ones. The video feature reached over 7.7 million netizens and 5.2 million views.

An Array of World-Class Digital Content

Apart from the emotional Kwentong Jollibee short films, Jollibee has also produced a number of successful online campaigns that have gotten netizens abuzz: from the impressive dance skills of the lovable mascots Jollibee and Friends in the JolliDance Showdown series with more than 29 million Facebook and YouTube views, the quirky quick escape tricks of JolliSavers for every Petsa de Peligro that reached more than 24 million views, to the sumptuous and heartwarming Chickenjoy campaigns that generated more than 28 million views.

ASUS BEEFS UP LINE-UP WITH ZENFONE 4 SELFIE LITE JUST two months after its widelysuccessful, grand ZenFone 4 launch in SMX Convention Center last Aug. 19, ASUS Philippines pulls off yet another surprise that will surely shake up the tech industry anew. With its goal to reclaim the title and throne as the premier selfie and wefie smartphone, ASUS Philippines further beefs up its already fortified ZenFone 4 Selfie line-up with the introduction of a third model in the celebrated series: the ZenFone 4 Selfie Lite. The first and original ZenFone Selfie graced the Philippine market back in 2015 with a front camera that was way ahead of its time and produced stylish grade-A selfies that people thoroughly enjoyed, loved, and treasured. Two years later, the tech giant returns with not only two, but three Selfie smartphones that the Philippine market would love. While the ZenFone 4

Selfie Pro and the ZenFone 4 Selfie each have their own advanced ASUS-grade front cameras that already capture the finest selfies and wefies, it is still quite exciting to see what ASUS’ ZenFone 4 Selfie Lite has to dish out, to further elevate the selfie game and ultimately regain the selfie and wefie throne. WITH THE SELFIE LITE, ANYBODY CAN BE A SelfieMaster Only for the price of P7,995.00, the newest ZenFone 4 Selfie Lite is a 5.5inch HD display beauty that sports a 13MP front camera with a soft LED flash, great for taking a selfie or even a wefie while still looking fresh wherever and whenever. Its rear camera packs a mean

13MP Phase Detection Auto Focus with a n LED real-tone flash feature, which will ensure that the subject will look blur-free and incredible no matter what!

Another unique feature in this bang-for-buck smartphone is the triple slot tray. This allows anyone to share not only one, but Nano sim cards as well as a Micro SD card that allows you to store up to 2TB in one tray. It’s a stylish but practical add-on to this newest variant in the Selfie series. Imagine all the photos and videos one can store! Of course, since all of the ZenFone 4 Selfie series is royally crowned as the SelfieMaster, the ZenFone 4 Selfie Lite must also come with the much-favored SelfieMaster! Beautification on photos, videos, and livestream has never been easier with this first ever, all-in-one beautification technology. Added bonuses to this special app are the collage and slideshow makers, which make it a doozy to share photos anytime and anywhere!

HOME CREDIT INKS P2.25B BANK LOAN, EYES P12B IN RECEIVABLES HOME Credit Philippines, a Praguebased finance technology company that offers in-store financing of smartphones and other goods, recently signed a syndicated loan with a total commitment of P2.25 billion. The loan was arranged by Citigroup Global Markets Asia Limited (Citi) and was participated in by some of the country’s largest banks, namely, Citibank N.A., Union Bank of the Philippines, East West Bank, Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation and CTBC Bank Philippines. According to HCPH’s chief financial officer Zdenek Jankovsky, the loan will be used to sustain its fast and aggressive expansion in the country, as the company’s customer base approaches two million borrowers, supported by a workforce of 8,000 employees and counting. “In only four years of operation in the Philippines, we have rapidly grown our customer base while establishing our presence in all major cities and provinces in the country,” Jankovsky said. “This syndicated loan is highly strategic in sustaining our steep growth, and we are happy to be partnering with leading banks who share our vision.” Jankovsky noted that 2017 is a landmark year for the company, as it completed its nationwide roll-out and gained close to a million new customers on the way to a projected loan receivables volume of P12 billion by year end. “In terms of agility and speed of progress, HCPH can be compared to a startup, especially since we are only four years old. But in terms of customer base and volume being generated, we are already comparable to much older and mature companies,” Jankovsky said. The HCPH executive noted that the company’s success may be attributed to its “financially inclusive” business model, as Home Credit provides loans even to first-time borrowers and those with no credit histories, as well as the ease and speed of loan application. Jankovsky said that Home Credit Philippines has “one of the fastest, if not the fastest, loan processing and approval times” in the industry, with applications approved in as fast as five minutes through their proprietary system, and requiring only two valid IDs from the applicant. These loan products come with “safe lending” features, such as the option to avail of insurance along with the loan; a 15 day “cooling-off ” period that allows customers to pay back the full loan at no added cost within this time period; customerfriendly repayment tools meant to address various financial difficulties; and Home Credit’s “Our Commitment” that promises full transparency on loan products with no hidden charges.

1GO LOADR DELIVERS LOGISTICS INNOVATION IN1GO Technologies, a 100% Filipinoowned IT Services and BPO Company offering a suite of value enterprise solutions in project and sales force management, logistics, distribution and supply chain systems, introduces 1Go Loadr, a web and mobile enabled collaborative platform—an online marketplace —where both logistic outsourcees and services providers—haulers and shippers—converge to address the numerous delivery requirements of customers. Through a revolutionary mobile app that’s downloadable from the Google Play Store, or on the web at www.1go-load.me, haulers of varying scales—whether operating just one truck or an entire fleet—can gain access to a wide variety of goods and items available for shipment, resulting in increased productivity and convenience for both haulers and shippers. “We realized the existence of a gap, a sweet spot, that fleet managers couldn’t fill,” said Manny Miranda, Operations Head of 1Go Tech. “Through 1Go Loadr, we are creating a marketplace among our users. Our business to consumer model allows them to open their fleets of trucks to a larger community.”

Small-scale operators, can benefit from expanded business. Larger fleet operators will enjoy reduced truck downtimes and better operational

Manny Miranda, Operations Head of 1Go Tech

efficiency as well as the ability to manage and deploy their fleets with ease. Shippers will find it is so much easier to find a reliable hauler and the right vehicle that fit their exact shipping requirements, as the service has over 2000 enrolled trucks to take a load on-demand! Peace of mind is assured as the exact

truck location can be tracked in real time including the updated estimated time of arrival through GPS. A photo of the driver and the truck is provided for increased security, together with full transaction details. By downloading the 1Go Loadr app on a smart phone and enrolling, a secured login enables shippers to post their requirements and to find from an extensive directory of enrolled haulers, with complete vehicle specs, the ones capable of matching their needs. Eligible haulers will then be notified. Posted shipping requirements will be assigned on a first-come, first-serve basis. Once a hauler accepts, the shipper can then monitor the whole delivery process from pick-up to final unloading. 1Go Loadr harnesses the power of technology to revolutionize logistics, resulting for cheaper, faster, and highly efficient delivery for utmost customer satisfaction and better business backed by 1Go’s solid experience, impressive roster of world-renowned clients, and robust end-to-end technology solutions. To experience the future of logistics collaboration, download the 1Go Loader app at the Google Play Store or visit www.1go-load.me.

QC Mayor Herbert Bautista and Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte (5th and 7th from left, respectively), with councilors Godofredo Liban, Allan Francisco and Hero Bautista, PLDT Enterprise AVP Dennis Magbatoc, Smart AVP/Head of Community Engagement and Partnerships Gabby R. Cui, PLDT Enterprise Senior Relationship Manager Jojo Alonzo IV and Councilor Elizabeth Delarmente.

SMART WIFI POWERS QUEZON CITY TO provide residents and workers with high quality data connectivity, PLDT wireless subsidiary Smart Communications, Inc. is rolling out carrier-grade Smart Wifi in more areas in Quezon City, Metro Manila’s most populous city. Smart Wifi is now available at the Quezon City Hall, while several Quezon City restaurants have also been transformed into Smart Spots, providing high-speed Wifi to people who live and work in the city. About a fifth of Metro Manila’s more

than 12 million residents, or about 3 million people, live in Quezon City. “By making Smart Wifi available in more high-traffic spaces, we are making high quality connections more accessible for more Filipinos, who can now be more productive because they can access important government services, as well as update their social media while onthe-go,” said Jovy Hernandez, Senior Vice President and Head of Enterprise for PLDT and Smart.

sunday, october 22, 2017 Isah V. Red, Editor

Young Life

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

3 key trends for the holiday season

No matteR how hectic the preparation for holiday festivities get, fashion should not be compromised. this season, expect styles to go full on lengthy and layers to warm us up the chicest way possible. the Sm Store shows how you can wear the three key trends that are expected to dominate the 2017 holiday season.

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#Metoo:

stories of sexual abuse on social Media By Bernadette Lunas

oCIal media has been many things to many people: a tool for communication, a source of information, a platform for discussion. But most recently, it has become a stage where victims of sexual harassment share their harrowing tales of abuse.

Facebook, twitter, and Instagram are currently flooded with per- ted by powerful film producer Harvey Weinstein to women he sonal stories of women (and a couple of men) tagged with #metoo. had worked with. the hashtag started as a call to action by american actress Hollywood bigwigs, including Angelina Jolie, Gwyneth PalAlyssa Milano. In her tweet, she asked people who had experi- trow and Lena Headey, opened up about being harassed by enced sexual abuse to Weinstein. Reese Withreply “me too.” In an acerspoon, on the other companying screenshot, hand, recounted her exshe explained: “If all the perience of being sexuwomen who have been ally abused by a director sexually harassed or aswhen she was just startsaulted wrote ‘me too’ as ing out in her career. a status, we might give male celebrities have people a sense of the also shared their stories magnitude of the probof sexual assault. Hamlem.” ilton star Javier Muñoz milano’s tweet has wrote in reply to milano’s since garnered more viral tweet, “me too. I than 51,000 likes, 24,000 don’t know if [it] means retweets, and 66,000 anything coming from replies from ordinary a gay man but it’s hapwomen and famous pened. multiple times.” personalities includthe recent scandal ing Rosario Dawson, and milano’s online Viola Davis, Gina Rocampaign have inspired driguez, Lily Allen, thousands of individuand, locally, Saab Magals, famous or not, to alona, among others. share their personal stothe viral tweet of american actress alyssa milano that started the #metoo online movement While the “me too” ries of abuse. movement originally the #metoo movestarted by Tarana Bourke in 2006 to spread awareness about ment has revealed what we already know or what many still resexual abuse in underprivileged communities of color, the on- fuse to admit: the magnitude of the problem encompasses staline movement has only caught on and reached a wider scale last tus, race, and gender. Turn to C2 week amid the news of multiple sexual assault allegedly commit-

Stay dry, look Sharp

Sporty and techie Wear a crimson pullover and a pair of jet black technical sweatpants for an outfit that’s comfortable but still looks put together. Be ready to tackle the wet and muddy streets in Saucony Caliber tR. Finish off your look with a cool wearable gadget that tracks your every step and lets you stay connected to your social feeds.

Flower Power Slip into the season’s ‘70s inspired prints and let your flower child run free with a floral printed bell-sleeved top by GtW and a mixed floral trousers from Sfera. exude femininity with a hippie touch when a dainty loose top is matched with a pleated skirt from GtW. Complement this ‘70s bohemian look with a suede hat and a leather bag from Sm accessories. Put the outfit together with a ‘70s inspired flat slingbacks, mules, or platform heels from Parisian.

Graphic Arts optical fashion is at its best with the Graphic arts trend. Be Turn to C2

Lock and loaded the utilitarian look, with its neutral colors, complements the somber tone of a gloomy weather. opt for a neutral colored top, preferably in gray, and a pair of denim pants. For some serious grip even on wet, slippery and uneven terrain, slip on the Saucony Peregrine 7, a runner that’s all power with every footstrike, boasting of resilience and energy.

young oung Life

sunday, october 22, 2017 isahred@gmail.com

3Fromkey... C1 sure to turn heads and minds with playful stripes to keep you ahead of everyone. start with a bold color like a red knit top paired with a verticalstriped navy blue skirt from sM Woman. for an elegant approach, try on a striped waist dress by sM Woman. Have an even stronger refined look with either white pointed flats, white chunky heels, or metallic heels, all from Parisian.

intellock locking system is an innovative way to keep your valuables safe

GivinG metals a new liFe By Daniel Reyes Minimal Utilitarian the latest Minimal utilitarian trend is for on-the-go fashionistas. this nofuss fall key look is all about structure and matching pieces that always look effortlesly polished. Live in a big sleeve moment with sM Woman’s grey oversized top and pleated cullotes. cinch your waist with a brown leather belt from sM accessories and finish the look with either ribbon-slides or velvet slides by Parisian. Go to www.thesmstore.com or follow @TheSMStore on Facebook and Instagram for more information.

#metoo... From C1 sexual assault can happen anywhere to anyone. the gut-wrenching accounts of those who went through the ordeal reveal that anyone from a mogul in a bathrobe to a creepy dude at work to a random stranger on the street to your very own relative can ruin your self-esteem by catcalling, touching, or, worst, raping you. it also reveals how victims refuse to fight back and choose to keep their traumatic experience to themselves in fear of humiliation, defamation, and losing a job. it shows that the perpetrators usually get away with their inappropriate advances and live a normal life, while their victims are forever traumatized. the avalanche of #Metoo tagged posts is a clear indication that the statistics we have on sexual abuse may be grossly inaccurate. Here in the Philippines, a 2015 survey by un Women revealed that “3 in 5 women have experienced sexual harassment at least once in their lifetime” and that half of the women to whom unwanted attentions were forced did nothing after the incident. the number could further balloon had women who did not speak up disclose their experience. While #Metoo has sparked a conversation and provided a platform for victims (mostly women) to share their stories, several critics claim that it has removed the blame from men and instead put the weight, once again, on women who had to recount a horrifying experience. “Why are we still demanding that women out themselves as survivors...rather than demanding that men out themselves as abusers,” author Heather Jo Flores wrote in Independent. the online campaign is arguably passive, but a Los angeles-based psychologist said that speaking up on social media can be a positive first step for victims of inappropriate behavior. “People are a little more aware of it,” said dr. Nicole Lightman. Zero tolerance, concrete action, and support from authorities are needed to stop abuse from happening. but if sharing a traumatic experience will shed a light on the breadth of the problem and, at least, unburden the victim/survivor, we should rally behind such a cause. silence enables abuse. and, yes, #Metoo.

Here are quite a number of things much more interesting than metal gates and plant boxes. but a sheet metal fabricating company has innovated ways to transform these simple metal products into something smart and elegant.

Md cutting edge Materials Processing corporation gives metals a new life by recycling them to forge products that harmonize with the environment. the company uses the origami technique wherein a 2d thin sheet of metal is bended and formed into the desired 3d geometry through laser cutting. in its commitment to “push beyond the boundaries of convention,” cutting edge introduces three product lines, namely arcadia, celosia, and intellock, that will make you look at metals in a new light.

interesting. to change this perception, the company offers metal fabrications that come in a variety of colors and textures that match diverse characters and tastes. With celosia, homeowners can customize the design and bring an added sense of personality to their home by choosing the pattern of metals, like peacock and houndstooth patterns, among others. its innovative and tailor-made metal fabrications can be applied to mundane items such as gates, fences, doors, staircase Pockets of greens railings, windows, facades, and dividers. they can even be made Having a garden, or at least a small piece of nature, in a small ur- into wall arts. ban residential space is almost, if at all, impossible for those living in condominium buildings. Smart lock but arcadia plant boxes give everyone, whether they live in a house intellock offers an innovative way to keep your valuables with a backyard or in a studio unit, a chance to plant small greens or such as designer items, important documents, and jewelry arrange flowers to add elegance and nature to their environment. safely. it uses a keyless entry lock using a password and sends “We wanted every filipino individual to be able to have this an sMs to your phone, thus ensuring the safety of your valuopportunity to bring back into their home some pockets of cool ables. greens that they can enjoy in their home, especially now in our urintellock steel storage also guarantees to protect items stored inban dwellings where it’s all cramped and polluted,” explains Mel- side from harsh elements such as severe weather conditions. it can vin Dy, president and owner of Md Gruppe. also be customized by size, color, and celosia metal patterns. Arcadia and Celosia are exclusively distributed by Greenergy VenPersonalized patterns tures. Visit www.GreenergyVentures.com and like Greenergy on FaceMost people often think of metal as something standard and un- book for more information.

arcadia plant boxes

celosia metal fabrications can be used in gates, fences, doors, and more

Millennials teach seniors how to Make video calls

Life is about to change for 68-year-old Evangeline Ganzon, as her son is about to leave for another country. the physical separation would have been difficult for nanay Vangie had she not known how to keep in touch with her loved ones—thankfully she does, with the help of smart Millenniors program. smart’s “Millenniors” program—a play on the words “millennials” and “seniors”—aims to teach technology to the elderly. the second session, held in partnership with adamson university, taught the senior citizens of barangay 734 in Paco, Manila how to use facebook Messenger, make video calls, and watch videos on youtube. employee volunteers from smart led the lecture, while students from adamson university’s computer science department and adamson’s integrated community extension services sat with the elders to provide one-on-one assistance. “it made me happy to see them smile,” shared Toby dela Cruz, a computer science student from adamson.

He added, “some people say that they’re too old for these things—that these are for millennials only. that’s not true. they just got here; they can still learn. We all just learn at our own pace.” indeed, the lesson was initially confusing for nanay Vangie. “the video call was hard at first,” she admitted. but thankfully, the young volunteers were patient and committed to teaching their old students. “We really needed patience because our lolos and lolas are not like us, who could easily understand and absorb the things we were talking about,” said dela cruz. “We just needed to go back to the things they needed to remember, again and again.” the hard work of volunteers was paid off when they saw how the information they taught can possibly enrich the life of senior citizens. Christine Ferrer, a volunteer from smart, was touched upon seeing how one participant reacted after activating Messenger. “i saw a grandmother add her granddaughter on facebook and [sent a] message [to] her right away, ‘Gising ka na ba?’,” she related.

a student from adamson university teaches nanay Vangie how to make video calls and use facebook Messenger

ferrer also noted how happy the seniors were to be taught how to use youtube. “i saw the utter joy of some elders while backtracking what they missed in their favorite teleseryes or basketball games on youtube.” smart community Partnerships senior manager Stephanie Orlino said the Millenniors program is a way the telecommunications company enables digital learning to be accessible to more people. “i am glad we have this program,” nanay Vangie enthused after the session. “i can use the things i learned today to call my son.”

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2017

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

‘SUNDAY PINASAYA’S’ KINDNESS CAMPAIGN STARTS TODAY

By Nickie Wang

The cast of the musical variety show, “Sunday PinaSaya”

HE Dubsmash Queen Maine Mendoza has made a lot of transformations in her life since she appeared on TV as Yaya Dub. She’s recorded a single, made two films and starred in a series with her perennial partner Alden Richards, launched countless brands as a celebrity endorser, and so much more. And now she’s turned her hand to something new as she celebrates another milestone.

Out soon is "Yup, I Am That Girl," Maine Mendoza's book which reveals the real story of the phenomenal star on and off camera

On Thursday, the 22-year-old TV star will meet with her fans at the launching of Yup, I am that Girl, an autobiographical book that gives the public an intimate peak into her life on and off camera. Based on the book description, Yup, I am that Girl is an unfiltered version of her personal blog, Pessimistic Optimist Bella, which she’s been maintaining since 2012. The blog features her random thoughts and personal adventures. And following on that promise, what we can expect from the book is a lighthearted account of her rise to stardom from a virtually unknown girl from Bulacan, to her emergence as a social media darling, and from her non-speaking character as Yaya Dub to the fanfare over the phenomenal success of AlDUb. The title, on the other hand, is inspired by her Twitter account bio that she deactivated in June after posting a series of cryptic messages. With Yup, I am that Girl, Maine joins the ranks of other celebrities who have dabbled into writing like Kathryn Bernardo, Vice Ganda Ganda, Michael V, Sarah Lahbati, Solenn Heussaff, Heart Evangelista Evangelista, Alex Gonzaga, and Andrea Brillantes, to name a few. Yup, I am that Girl, which took Maine more than half a year to finish, is published by Summit Books, which revealed the good news on its Instagram account on Monday. The publishing company shared a teaser video and a sneak peek of the cover of Maine’s book. The same video was shared on Maine’s official Facebook page, 35-seconder teaser is accompanied by a caption that says, “I’m about to release my FIRST EVER BOOK c/o @Summit. books! #YupIAmThatGirl is coming soon to bookstores and newsstands! Stay tuned for book launch details!” Meanwhile, Maine and Alden starred in a movie made for television helmed by Adolf Alix, Jr. The trending show entitled Love is…aired last night and once again captured the hearts of televiewers. Love is…, which redefines love, promise, and commitment, is AlDub’s first project after their GMA-7 series Destined to be Yours and their 2016 movie, Imagine You and Me’

VICE GANDA

EXPLORES MUSIC AND BEAUTY AT THE BIG DOME KNOWN for having the grandest performances and concerts, it is truly expected from the Unkabogable Star Vice Ganda to introduce his cosmetics brand with a big concert. Vice Cosmetics is formally launching its brand in the grandest, biggest and funnest way—a concert dubbed Ganda for All starring its founder and chief creative officer, Vice Ganda. The show will be staged today at 7 p.m. at Smart-Araneta Coliseum as Vice Ganda shows the world that beauty knows no boundaries, beauty knows no age, class and size. And anyone can be beautiful regardless of their status in life. With special performances from Vice

Ganda, guest stars Maymay Entrata, Kisses Delavin, and more, the concert will likely garner at least 10,000 attendees making it possible for Vice Cosmetics to set the record for having the biggest brand launch yet in the Philippines. It will be a night of Ponies, Unicorns and so much beauty, love and music with lots of surprises thrown in between. Fans can get their tickets by buying Vice Cosmetics Phenomenal Lip Kits and Good Vibes Matte Lipsticks at kiosks located in Trinoma, Market! Market! and Farmers Market and The SM Stores at SM Fairview, SM North Edsa, SM Megamall and SM Masinag.

Vice Ganda ventures into makeup with Vice Cosmetics, which he is launching today at the Big Dome

IT IS customary among many Filipinos to repay what is given to them. But this Christmas season, Sunday PinaSaya redefines the cultural trait of “utang na loob” through its advocacy campaign that aims to spread kindness. Instead of paying the gratitude back, the program encourages everyone to just simply pay it forward. Dubbed “I-Share Ang Puso ng Pasko,” the advocacy campaign is told through a 9-week comedy sketch which commences today. It’s the story of the modern day Robin Hoods: Melo, Gaston, and Bart, who are bailed out of jail by a mysterious person named Master Lodi. He gives the ‘Trekkings’ a mission to share good vibes and kindness to two people without expecting any reward. Each of their two recipients will do the same gesture to two people, and then they will do the same to two more, thereafter creating an expanding network of selfless giving. Although the Trekkings are fictional characters, they will encourage real people from all walks of life to join the mission. Each week, cast members of Sunday Pinasaya will join their down-line recipients as they share the heart of Christmas to others. The act of sharing will be featured every Sunday and it shall be symbolized by the giving of a heart-shaped Christmas wreath. GMA First Vice President for Program Management Joey Abacan thanks the viewers for their continued support. “In a way, this campaign is also our gesture of giving back. We are deeply thankful to all our viewers because they made Sunday PinaSaya the undisputed number one Sunday noontime show since it launched in 2015.” Meanwhile, Sunday PinaSaya Supervising Producer Ramel David says, “We are so passionate about this campaign that we want everyone to follow suit. Just imagine how many lives you can potentially touch with just one simple mission that begins with yourself.” Sunday PinaSaya also urges its viewers who will take on the mission to share their stories of giving online. They can post videos or pictures on the official Facebook page of Sunday PinaSaya or on their personal social media accounts, using the hashtag #IShareAngPusoNgPasko. Select stories of giving from the viewers will be featured during the Christmas special of the program this December and will also be invited to watch the episode live and see their favorite SPS hosts. Watch Sunday PinaSaya as “I-Share Ang Puso ng Pasko” stars rolling today. The program will also release the campaign’s official theme song which will be performed by the whole cast.

sunday, october 22, 2017

The paw soak

Desiree Carlos, Editor

Pets

daycarlos28@yahoo.com

Walking

and a good paW soak after By Rhodora Lao

Alking your dog is very important for their physical, mental and emotional health.

Do walk your dogs every day around the neighborhood so they can exercise and smell “pee-mails.” Walking also stimulates their minds, and makes them happy as they get to expend excess energy and “socialize” with other dogs. During these walks, they do their pee and poo business. Please bring toilet paper or newspaper to scoop the poop and put these in a plastic bag for proper disposal later. Often, you will encounter dog and cat droppings—evidence of how some dog owners can be so irresponsible. Try to avoid these droppings and encourage other pet owners to pick up after their pets. Because a lot of diseases can be passed on through infected droppings—some of them deadly like parvo virus—please make sure: 1. your pet’s vaccination is up-todate; 2. your pet’s immune system is strong through proper nutrition; and 3. make sure your pet will not bring into the house any germ and virus.

After walks and exposure outside the tiled areas of the house, please give your pet a good wipe down from the face to the body using baby wipes or a clean face towel. Paws need special attention as they come into contact with dirt, pee and excrement. The simplest way to disinfect them is to do a paw soak. This is very important as you do not want your pet to lick his/her paws with all those dirt he/she could have walked on. A paw soak is very simple. Here are the items you will need: 1. water; 2. povidone-iodine; and 3. a container where you can wash your dog’s paws. The water should be enough to cover the paws. Put the povidone-iodine solution in the water (one teaspoon may be enough) until the color of the mixture is similar to that of iced tea. Mix well. Then let your dog stand inside the basin or container for at least two minutes.

My Furry Bestie

THis corner features pets of animal lovers every week. We hope new owners and those thinking of getting a pet will be encouraged to be responsible “furparents” through these features. We also hope more people will be moved to be kind to animals when they read about the great relationship that can be created between humans and animals. For contributions, please email to daycarlos28@yahoo.com and put My Furry Bestie as subject.

TOOTsiE AnD CHUCHAY are sisters who turned seven months last Oct. 7. Romela Carbonel, their owner, says,"They are my happiness. napkalambing po ng magkapatid. They also take care of a kitten we adopted. They are that sweet and loving. "

Wipe the paw dry after the paw soak .

For medium-sized dogs, you can use a basin where they can stand up. An alternative is a small dipper or tabo but you can only soak one paw at a time. According to Dr. karen Becker, “Povidone-iodine is an organic iodine solution. it's safe, non-toxic, antifungal, antibacterial, and antiyeast.” After soaking the paws in the mixture, wipe their paws dry and they are ready to go! Their feet will smell good —all clean and healthy!

The color of the mixture should look like iced tea.

Rhodora “Rhodes” Lao became a supporter of animal rescue groups in the past year after adopting her first two dogs, Schnitzel and Logan. A wife to a supportive husband, Dennis, and mother to two intelligent and animal-loving daughters Shannen and Sabine, she is passionate about giving the best natural care for her dogs and promoting responsible pet ownership.

POOCHiE, a threeyear-old male labrador, is one playful dog, says owner Jefpoy g. Abaca. "He is super kulit and he always wants to play outside," Jefpoy adds.

kEnOBi, 2, and owner Vanessa gilmar fell in love with each other the first moment they met when kenobi was four months old at the house of Vanessa's mother-in-law. "Unang tingin pa lang niya sa akin, feeling nya ay close na kami. inabot niya ang paws niya sa akin, sabay nagpakarga na. Because of that, i asked Mama if i can be kenobi's mom and i was so glad she said yes," gilmar says. nancy V. Avelino enjoys the company of her rescued dogs. All are asong pinoy or Aspins.