Manila Standard - 2017 October 29 - Sunday

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VOL. XXXI • NO. 257 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P18 • SUNDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2017 • www.manilastandard.net • editorial@manilastandard.net

'MASSIVE RESPONSE IF NOKOR NUKES US' S EOUL, South Korea—US Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis on Saturday warned North Korea of a “massive military response” to any use of nuclear weapons as tensions remain sky-high ahead of Donald Trump’s visit to South Korea.

Pyongyang in recent months has sparked global alarm by conducting a sixth nuclear test and test-launching missiles capable of reaching the US mainland, while Trump and the North’s young ruler Kim Jong-Un have traded threats of war and personal insults.

Mattis, on a trip to Seoul for annual defense talks, maintained that diplomacy remained a “preferred

course of action” but stressed, “our diplomats are most effective when backed by credible military force.”

“Make no mistake—any attack on the United States or our allies will be defeated,” Mattis said at a joint press conference with his South Korean counterpart Song Young-Moo. “Any use of nuclear weapons by the North will be met with a massive military response, effective

and overwhelming,” Mattis said, adding Washington “does not accept a nuclear North Korea.”

“I cannot imagine a condition under which the United States will accept North Korea as a nuclear power,” he said.

Mattis did not specify the threshold of nuclear weapon activity that would trigger a military response.

Pyongyang’s Foreign Minister Ri Yong-Ho said on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly last month that his country could test a nuclear bomb over the Pacific.

But Mattis said Pyongyang should “harbor no illusion,” saying the isolated state is militarily “overmatched” by the US and South Korea—a key ally of Washington that

hosts 28,500 US troops.

‘Not rushing to war’ Mattis’ trip comes ahead of Trump’s first presidential visit to South Korea next month as part of his Asia tour which also includes Japan, China, Vietnam and the Philippines.

All eyes will be on Trump’s message to the North and Kim. Trump is expected to deliver a speech at the South’s parliament and to visit an US military base during a Nov. 7-8 trip to Seoul.

Trump’s recent remark that “only one thing will work” with the North fueled concerns of a potential conflict on the divided peninsula where the 1950-53 Korean War Turn to A2 had left millions dead.

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte helped a Filipino boy based in California with his homework, saying hello to him, his classmates and his teacher.

In a letter, 11-year-old Andre Esteban, who lives in California, asked if Duterte could grant his “special favor” for a short video message for an assignment he’s doing in class.

“My name is Andre Gabriel Custodio Esteban from Fresno, CA, USA. I am 11 years old and in 6th grade at Fresno Adventist Academy. I am a proud Filipino and I really like you as our president and I wish to meet you someday,” his handwritten letter, posted by his mother Almyra Grace last Oct. 26 on social networking site Facebook.

“I am doing a Nationality report about the Philippines on Nov. 15, 2017. I am interested in talking about you in my class. I know that you are very busy because you are a hardworking president. I admire you greatly. But can I ask you a special favor? Can you please send me a short video clip of you saying hello to my teacher, Mrs. Ricchiuti [Ri-kyu-ti], my classmates, and I?” In a 48-second video clip posted

by Special Assistant to the President Secretary Christopher “Bong” Go on Saturday morning, Oct. 28— Duterte said he had received the 11-year-old’s handwritten letter.

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OPPOSITION SLAMS ROQUE'S 'DUBIOUS ROLE' OPPOSITION lawmakers Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman and Ifugao Rep. Teddy Baguilat scored the appointment of former Kabayan Party-list Rep. Harry Roque as the new spokesperson of President Rodrigo Duterte.

Lagman said Roque’s appointment to the Cabinet confirmed that the former Kabayan Party-list representative defended the President’s “wayward policies.”

“The projected appointment of Rep. Harry Roque as presidential spokesman with the rank of Cabinet secretary confirms his dubious role in defending the President’s wayward policies even as he is nominally a Deputy Minority Leader of the House of Representatives,” the Albay representative said in a statement.

Lagman also cited Roque’s stance on drug-related killings, extension of martial law, the measly budget for the Commission on Human Rights, and the recommendation for the impeachment of Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales.

“Roque has minimized the grave import of the unabated extrajudicial killings related to the President’s deadly campaign against Turn to A2

BRIGHT BEGINNING. President Rodrigo Duterte receives Friday a bracelet from one of the pupils of the Center for Brighter Beginnings Inc. during the school’s 25th founding anniversary at the Davao Convention and Trade Center in Davao City. Malacañang Photo

DU30 JAPAN-BOUND, EYES ONE-ON-ONE WITH ABE

By John Paolo Bencito

IN A DREAM. Despite the gathering crowds and noise at the Manila South Cemetery on Saturday, a mother and her child appear to enjoy some pleasant sleep and dreams before they and kin start to clear the areas of their departed loved ones in one of the metropolis’ graveyards. Diana Noche twitter.com/ MlaStandard

facebook.com/ ManilaStandardPH

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte leaves Sunday for a two-day visit to Japan until the end of the month to meet with the Japanese Emperor Akihito and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, aimed at enhancing trade relations and influencing peace and stability in the region, particularly in the Korean Peninsula.

Japan, the country’s top source of official development assistance, is much concerned about China’s growing power in the South China Sea and sees cooperation with the Philippines, which lies on the waterway’s eastern side, as key to helping prevent the spread of Beijing’s influence into the western Pacific.

Before leaving, Duterte is set to give a departure statement at Davao City at around 8 p.m., where he is scheduled to outline the expected outcome in his visit to the country’s strong economic ally.

On Monday, Duterte is set to meet with high-ranking Japanese government officials and influential captains of industry.

Courtesy calls were set among and between President Duterte and Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono, JICA

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president Shinichi Kitaoka, while Prime Minister Abe will be hosting a dinner for him and the Philippine delegation.

Duterte will likewise witness the signing of business letters of intent and various documents and have a joint press statement.

On the second day of Duterte’s visit, Tuesday, he will be meeting with the descendants of the late Japanese Prime Minister Takeo Fukuda, on whom he will confer the Gawad Sikatuna award.

Fukuda, the 42nd Prime Minister of Japan, made a cornerstone on which Japan’s foreign diplomacy has been guided by the Fukuda Doctrine, better known as “Kokoro-to-Kokoro”, or “Heart to Heart” Doctrine.

Duterte will also meet with former Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida, who chairs Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party Policy Research Council.

Capping Duterte’s visit is his audience with Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko, before leaving for Davao—arriving Tuesday night.

Duterte was to meet with Abe in June for bilateral talks on defense cooperation, but this was postponed due to the Turn to A2

US DRUG CRISIS OVER OPIOIDS PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Saturday predicted that the United States’ crackdown on opioid drugs was in “total disorder” even before firebrand US President Donald Trump declared it a “national health emergency.”

Duterte, who repeatedly railed at former US President Barack Obama for criticizing his bloody war on drugs, admitted feeling vindicated after America finally realized the gravity of its drug crisis.

“Before I left, I was viewing CNN. Trump has declared a national emergency because of drugs.

Sinabi ko na eh. Sinabi ko, kayo paimbestiga-imbestiga kay [Barack] Obama noon. One day to your sorrow. Oh kita mo ngayon. He just declared,” Duterte said in a speech in front of children in Davao City.

Duterte earlier called on Obama to “go to hell” after reprimanding the former US president in public over the drug crackdown.

“It’s national, it’s because it affects the health. Tsaka [Also] illegal substance affects the health and affects the peace. Huwag mong kalimutan ‘yan [Do not forget that],” he said. “It is health, it is law and order,” he added.

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SUNDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2017 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

'MASSIVE...

From A1 But Mattis has repeatedly stressed a diplomatic solution to ease tension during his trip to Asia this week, saying Washington was “not rushing to war” and its goal was “not war.”

Some Trump advisers have said US military options are limited when Pyongyang could launch an artillery barrage on the South’s capital Seoul— only about 50 kilometers from the border and home to 10 million people.

The North is estimated to have some 10,000 artillery pieces and at least 50 short-range missiles stationed along its heavily fortified border with the South.

The country has made significant progress in its atomic and missile technology under Kim, who took power after the death of his father and longtime ruler, Kim Jong-Il, in 2011.

Since then he has overseen four of the country’s six nuclear tests and hailed its nuclear weapons as a “treasured sword” to protect itself from potential invasion by the “imperialist enemy” the US. Growing nuclear threats by the North prompted calls by some Seoul lawmakers to deploy tactical US nuclear weapons in the South, but Song dismissed such a possibility.

“We believe that tactical nukes are not worth deploying to the Korean peninsula,” Song said, adding Seoul was capable of responding to potential nuclear attacks by the North without its own atomic weapon. AFP

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Marawi crisis, which began on May 23.

Duterte’s visit to Japan comes ahead of Abe’s attendance at the 31st Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit and Related Meetings in November.

Although not an Asean member, Japan is among the dialogue partners invited to the summit.

Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Robespierre Bolivar said Duterte’s second visit to Japan was an evidence of the strong and deep bonds between the two countries.

Discussions are also expected to include regional developments, including peace and stability in the region, particularly in the Korean Peninsula.

“We want to reinforce the JapanPhilippines economic partnership,” Bolivar said.

For his part, Deputy Chief of Mission Takehiro Kano said Japan was considering the way forward, particularly on how it could support the rehabilitation and reconstruction of Marawi City.

“So far, we have already provided some humanitarian assistance with the international organizations. But now, we are in a different phase. And then we are in close contact with the Philippine government,” he said.

“I think there are various kinds of needs like the reconstruction of the communities or human resources and getting the people back to the communities and so forth. So based upon the needs assessment and information provided by the Philippine government, we are looking to what we can do,” he added.

Japan is the country’s top source of official development assistance for the first half of 2017.

Loans from Japan amounted to $4.84 billion, which is 44.83 of the total ODA received by the country during that period.

The Philippines has over six decades of diplomatic relations with Japan.

Duterte earlier visited Tokyo in October 2016, where he called Japan a “special friend who’s closer than a brother.”

Abe, who recently won in the snap elections, was also the first head of government to visit the country after Duterte won last year.

Duterte met with Abe in Malacañang and even welcomed the Japanese prime minister to his home in Davao City.

OMBUDSMAN'S ACTION ON MABILOG 'TOO LATE'

By John Paolo Bencito

the cousin of [Senator Franklin] Drilon. The Ombudsman, in a very, very late gesture, fired [or] stripped him of his mayorship to deceive the public that they are supportive of me,” Duterte said.

Earlier, President Duterte called out Mabilog, this time, threatening the latter that he was his “next” target.

Mabilog left the country on Aug. 31 after Duterte repeatedly warned Mabilog to end his drug ties or else, be killed if he continues his drugrelated activities.

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RESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Friday night described as ‘pretentious’ the move of the Office of the Ombudsman to dismiss Iloilo City Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog, saying that it was a “very, very late gesture” against his next target.

In a speech at Davao City, plaint against Mabilog to pretend Duterte claimed that the Ombuds- that it supports his administration. man simply acted on the com“Look at Mabilog, I think he is

The Iloilo City mayor’s wife and children also went overseas so as not to risk their safety.

Mabilog went on sick leave until the end of October, citing health concerns.

The Ombudsman’s Office had earlier gained Duterte’s ire when it started an investigation into the President’s alleged multibillion-peso bank accounts.

Overall Deputy Ombudsman Arthur Carandang led the investigation, which stemmed from Senator Antonio Trillanes IV’s complaint.

FEWER PINOYS THINK DRUG WAR HITS ONLY THE POOR THE number of Filipinos who believe that it is only the poor and not the rich who are being killed in the administration’s bloody drug war slipped by six points in the previous quarter, but it remained the majority sentiment, the latest Social Weather Stations survey revealed.

Nationwide, 54 percent of Filipinos agreed that only the poor were

FIL-AM...

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“Good day. I would like to say hello to Mrs. Richiutti and his (sic) students in Fresno Adventist Academy in California, USA, especially to you, Andre Esteban. Andre, I received your letter request, and I am most happy to oblige,” Duterte said.

Duterte also expressed confidence that Esteban would do great in his “nationality report,” a school project.

“I am sure that you will do [a] great report about our beloved country, the Philippines. Continue being a good son and study well and may God bless you and your family and all of us in this planet earth,” the President said.

In the caption accompanying the video message, Go assured the kid that Duterte “is working hard to build a brighter future for children like you.”

“We also hope to meet you in person here in the Philippines soon. We are confident that you will do great in your report. Hope this helps. God bless you, Andre.”

Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol also got wind of the letter, saying that he requested the Presidential Communications Operations Office to record a video clip of Duterte’s message for the boy, his classmates, and his teacher. John Paolo Bencito

getting killed, down from 60 percent in June this year.

Of the 54 percent, some 31 percent “strongly agree” while the remaining 23 percent said they “somewhat agree” with the sentiment.

Another 25 percent of those surveyed disagreed that only poor people are being killed while 21 percent remain undecided.

The survey result showed a net agreement score +29, classified by SWS as “moderately strong.”

Net agreement that only poor drug pushers are killed was highest in Metro Manila at a very strong +49, down 12 points from the extremely strong +61 in June.

It stayed very strong in Balance Luzon at +37, up by 3 points from +34 during the second quarter survey.

At least 50 percent of the respondents agreed that many of those killed in the anti-drug campaign did not fight back, while 23 percent disagreed and 26 percent remained undecided.

The survey, conducted from Sept. 23-27, had 1,500 respondents and a sampling error margin at ±3 percent for national percentages.

John Paolo Bencito

OPPOSITION...

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the drug menace; he voted for the confirmation of the declaration of martial law and its extension; and he did not vote against the reduction of the CHR budget to P1,000 and even called for a zero budget for the CHR,” Lagman added.

But Roque vowed no compromise on his values as he takes on the job of speaking on behalf of President Duterte.

In a statement, Roque said he “carefully considered” accepting the position to talk human rights with the President—a major concern under the administration’s violent crackdown against illegal drugs, which has killed thousands of suspected drug criminals.

“My position on human rights has not changed,” he said.

“By accepting this position, I am not condoning the violence surrounding the government’s anti-drug campaign, nor do I intend to further the same. Regardless of whether I am a member of Congress or of the President’s Cabinet, I continue to value the right to life and dignity of every person and do not support the arbitrary killing of any person by the State,” he added.

In an interview over state radio dzRB, Roque insisted on the regularity of the Duterte administration’s war on drugs.

Roque stressed he saw his new job as an opportunity to “advise the President directly regarding the manner and methods he has used to tackle the problem of drugs.”

“I am committed to reduce, if not totally eradicate, the impact of statements which appear to support genocide or violations of fundamental human rights,” he said.

Roque also vowed to address the possible misinterpretations of the President’s often incoherent and controversial statements.

“I intend to refocus the attention of the people more towards the fundamental position of the State, and less towards the manner by which such has been declared,” he said.

Duterte made the announcement during Roque’s birthday party in Davao City on Friday night—confirming rumors that the firebrand leader was set to have a new mouthpiece.

“To make his entrance dramatic, he will be attending the first Cabinet meeting on Monday,” the President also said.

Roque is expected to formally take over the tasks of spokesman after Duterte’s three-day working visit to Japan from Oct. 29 to 31.

Roque will be replacing spokesperson Ernesto Abella, who has a rank of undersecretary and is a pastor by calling.

At the same time, Roque thanked Duterte for trusting him to be his official spokesperson.

“I have much deliberation and careful consideration, I decided to accept the President’s offer to be his spokesperson, as has been announced by the President himself last night [Friday],” he said.

“I considered the position with the specific purpose of getting an audience with the President to address key human rights issues in the Philippines.

As a member of Congress, my voice is limited. Politicians who relentlessly criticize the administration are simply ignored and labeled as “destabilizers.” By taking this position, I hope to be able to advise the President directly regarding the manner and methods he has used to tackle the problem of drugs. I have already expressed my willingness to serve as an adviser on the matter,” Roque’s statement read.

“The statements uttered by the President on human rights issues are

precisely what drew me towards the position of spokesperson. Over the past two years, the administration has repeatedly clarified and reinterpreted the remarks of the President. More often than not, the media and the Filipino people have looked to the spokesperson to determine the true intention behind the President’s statements,” he said.

“Thus, the spokesperson plays a pivotal role in confirming the policy of the State. By taking up this position, I intend to refocus the attention of the people more towards the fundamental position of the State, and less towards the manner by which such has been declared. Similarly, I am committing to reduce, if not totally eradicate, the impact of statements which appear to support genocide or violations of fundamental human rights,” he added.

“I must also stress that my position on human rights has not changed.

I am a firm advocate for the protection and preservation of fundamental human rights of all persons. My track record in legislation demonstrates this. In particular, I have lobbied for universal health care, the protection of internally displaced persons, and the rights of journalists from extralegal violence, and I look forward to these bills being enacted into law,” he pointed out.

He said it does not that he is not condoning the violence surrounding the government’s anti-drug campaign, “nor do I intend to further the same” when he accepted the President’s offer.

“Regardless of whether I am a member of Congress or of the President’s Cabinet, I continue to value the right to life and dignity of every person and do not support the arbitrary killing of any person by the State,” he added. John Paolo Bencito and Rio N. Araja

US DRUG...

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The President last February, however, admitted taking “fentanyl” more than the required dosage of the pain reliever to ease his pain, even remarking that he is on “cloud nine” while using the highlyaddictive drug.

Duterte explained to children why he was always mad at those who criticize him.

“Alam ninyo kung bakit nagagalit ako sa TV? Kasi yung mga bad people, ayaw ko sila dito sa mundong ito (Do you know why I get mad on TV? It’s because of the bad people, I don’t want them here in our world)” Duterte said.

“Kaya gusto ko silang mawala para walang gugulo sa buhay ninyo [That’s why I want them to disappear so that

they won’t mess up your lives],” he added.

“At pag lumaki na kayo kagaya ng papa mo at mama mo, ang buhay ninyo hindi masyado problema [And when you grow up like your fathers and mothers, your lives will not have much problems].”

Trump on Friday announced steps to fight the opioid crisis in the U.S. by declaring it a national public health emer-

gency and cracking down on the flow of the drug fentanyl.

Trump’s declaration will redirect federal resources and loosen regulations to combat opioid abuse, senior US administration officials said.

His directive, however, does not on its own release any additional funds to deal with a drug crisis that had claimed more

than 59,000 lives in 2016.

Trump did not request any, although his aides said he would soon do so while making little mention of the need for the rapid and costly expansion of medical treatment that public health specialists, including some in his own administration, argue is crucial to addressing the epidemic. John Paolo Bencito

News

GOVT ALLOCATES P843M FOR PUV MODERNIZATION

By Rio N. Araja

T

HE government will spend P843 million in 2018 to jump-start the nationwide implementation of the public utility vehicle (PUV) modernization program, Surigao del Sur Rep. Johnny Pimentel said Saturday.

The initial funding for the program, officially launched only in June, has been included in the 2018 budget of the Department of Transportation, he said.

Pimentel is a member of both the House appropriations committee and the House transportation committee.

“It is a highly constructive program overall. The

government is basically stepping in to assure the public a better way to commute in the years ahead, while giving PUV operators and drivers the opportunity to upgrade their vehicles,” he said.

He said that the operation of PUVs on public road is a privilege granted by the government.

“This is why we have a franchising system.

Those who are in the business of running PUVs have to live up to higher operating standards to ensure that commuters are safely, efficiently and conveniently transferred,” he said.

The modernization program would help generate job opportunities in the automotive industry, a key sector of the economy, he added.

“There’s also no question the shift to lowemission vehicles will help reduce pollutants and improve air quality in a big way,” he raised.

Under the program, all PUVs that are more than 15 years old would be phased out and replaced

with new models equipped with automated fare collection systems, digital security and dashboard cameras, Wifi Internet connectivity, GPS tracking devices and speed limiters.

A combined P2.5-billion special financing plan from two state-run banks would extend lowcost loans to enable PUV operators and drivers to acquire the newly designed passenger buses, vans and jeepneys.

The modernization program would also reform the franchising system to strengthen control over and regulation of PUVs. Fewer new franchises would be issued to PUV operators and drivers who would be compelled to organize themselves into cooperatives or firms to build up accountability, enforcement and compliance.

The DOTr would draw up new PUV routes in consultation with local government units.

VACATION MODE. Passengers flock at the provincial bus terminal in Cubao, Quezon City to rush to their own provinces for a week-long vacation during the observance of the All Saint’s Day and All Souls Day holidays. Manny Palmero

REVIEW LTFRB’S CONTROL OVER TNVS—SOLON CAMARINES Sur Rep. Luis Ray Villafuerte on Saturday said the failure of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board to meet the deadline on the release of guidelines governing the conduct of transport network vehicle services (TNVS)—Grab and Uber— underscores the need to revisit the agency’s task of exercising control over such service providers.

He said the LTFRB may be having a difficult time coming up with a comprehensive set of guidelines for TNVS as well as for transport network companies (TNCs) due to

its misguided interpretation on the role of the service providers.

“The LTFRB treats TNVS and TNCs as common carriers like taxicabs and passenger buses when the nature of the service they provide clearly show that they are not. This is probably the reason it is having a hard time coming up with the guidelines,” he said.

He reacted to reports the LTFRB extended the validity of the provisional authority for TNVS from a year to two years after failing to beat its own deadline on the release of the guidelines.

Senator Grace Poe earlier called on the LTFRB to issue the guidelines before the holiday rush so as not to inconvenience riders.

Villafuerte said to provide a permanent solution to the issue, Congress must swiftly take up and approve his proposal of coming up with a separate regulatory framework for TNCs and TNVS. He filed House Bill No. 6467, saying it is the Department of Transportation, not the LTFRB, that has authority over TNCs and TNVS since such vehicles used in pointto-point (P2P) transport services are

“private carriers,” and not common or public carriers, that fall under LTFRB supervision.

He added that TNCs do not provide transportation services but merely link a potential customer with a third party driver or TNVS, and are therefore not parties to a transportation contract.

Under the bill, the DOTR may also promulgate rules “concerning administration, fees, penalties, additional safety requirements, and financial responsibility requirements,” he said.

Rio N. Araja

MRT 3’S MAINTENANCE PROVIDER A FAKE—NOGRALES METRO Rail Transit Line 3 maintenance provider Busan Universal Rail Inc. is a “fake.”

This was the assertion made

by Puwersa ng Bayaning Atleta Representative Jericho Nograles, who claimed that BURI was illegally occupying space at the MRT-3 depot because there was no contract showing that it was officially the train line’s maintenance provider.

In a radio interview, Nograles said that the P3.8-billion contract that exists with the Department of Transportation (formerly the Department of Transportation and Communications) names Busan Transportation Corp., Edison Development and Construction, Tramat Mercantile, Inc., TMICorp. Inc., and Castan Corp. Joint Venture (“Joint Venture of Busan”) as the MRT3’s maintenance provider.

The DOTr report also said that BURI has a nominal 4.7-percent share in the joint venture.

In fact, Nograles said, BURI was incorporated merely three days before the contract was signed, which means that it was not legally part of the government bidding process— which former transportation officials supposedly helped facilitate, according to the graft case filed by the DOTr

against them.

Nograles said he does not know why BURI’s services have not yet been terminated when it has “done nothing” to address the MRT 3’s poor performance, marked by “technical problems” that interrupt operations almost on a daily basis.

On Oct. 20, the DOTR has already served BURI a notice to terminate its maintenance contract. The maintenance

provider fired back with a statement that said DOTr’s allegations are “bereft of factual and legal basis.”

Nograles said the existing service contract was non-binding because it was signed by former undersecretary for Operations Edwin Lopez instead of former Transportation chief Joseph Emilio Abaya.

The lawmaker is among those actively assailing the glitch-ridden train service’s maintenance providers and managing

agency.

In August, he filed a resolution seeking a probe into the alleged purchase and installation of fake train safety equipment on the MRT3. In May, he asked Congress to look into the unusable coaches purchased by the government from China.

He also released statements criticizing the irregularities in the management of the MRT3.

CALL FOR JUSTICE. On the eve

of the yearly observance of All Saint’s Day, relatives of the victims of alleged extra-judicial killings (EJK) perpetrated under the watch of President Duterte gathered to express their continuing call for justice for their loved ones during a press conference at the Bantayog ng mga Bayani in Quezon City. Photo shows relatives and other supporters of EJK victims offer a flower and light a candle for the victims. Manny Palmero

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SUNDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2017 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

ERAP TO DEPLOY CLEANUP TEAMS IN MANILA CEMETERIES

By Bill Casas TO KEEP the cemetery grounds clean, the city government of Manila will be fielding street sweepers and other cleanup personnel at the Manila North and South cemeteries from Oct. 31 to Nov. 2, Mayor Joseph “Erap” Estrada said on Saturday.

This is on top of the separate contingents of cleaning crews that, since about three weeks ago, have been clearing the sidewalks and removing obstructions in the streets leading to the two biggest public cemeteries in Manila, according to Estrada.

“From Oct. 31 to Nov. 2, we will station street sweepers inside the North and South cemeteries just to ensure that trash will not pile up,” Estrada announced following the recommendation of Task Force Manila Cleanup chief Che Borromeo.

The cleanup, Estrada said, will be carried out in coordination with the cleanup personnel of the North and South cemeteries as well as those from the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority.

Borromeo said dump trucks will also be stationed outside the two cemeteries to haul garbage collected by the sweepers every day to prevent the accumulation of trash inside the cemeteries.

Since the start of the month, he said they have collected dozens of truckloads of garbage from the two cemeteries alone, mostly consisting of tree branches and twigs and empty cans and bottles of paint from people doing early cleaning of their loved ones’ tombs.

“We haul it off every day. We don’t let the garbage cans fill up,” Borromeo said.

The task force chief said they expect to collect more trash after November 1 when the bulk of cemetery visitors have gone home, leaving mounds of garbage everywhere.

“If every single one of the two million who people who come to the North and South cemeteries leaves behind 100 grams of trash, imagine the amount of garbage we have to collect,” Borromeo said.

LP SLAMS DU3O GOV’T ON ‘HORROR STORIES’

THE Senate minority bloc on Saturday said that the allegation that Senator Franklin Drilon and former Interior secretary Mar Roxas were involved in the narco trade was a Palace ploy to sidestep Duterte administration’s “horror stories.”

“Linking Drilon and Roxas to illegal drug crimes is a ‘tactic’ of President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration to run away from their own horror stories,” an LP statement said.

The LP listed down as among the “horror” stories that the Duterte government has manufactured include the entry of the P6.4 billion worth of shabu into the country, unnoticed by the Bureau of Customs. The contraband had easily slipped past BoC’s gates despite the supposed harsh crackdown on illegal drugs.

“Thousands of families are now living in fear and horror due to the deaths of their loved ones in the name of the government’s brutal and bloody campaign against drugs,” the statement said.

“They [Duterte’s minions] are crafting a laughable and outrageous work of fiction to divert the attention of the public from their own terrifying stories,” it added.

The LP made the statement after Drilon and Roxas were tagged as “protectors” of slain drug lord Melvin Odicta by Ricky Serenio, a drug personality in the Visayas, according to a newspaper report.

Last Wednesday, Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II said the Department of Justice will treat Serenio’s affidavit as a complaint.

“The move to link several prominent Liberal Party members to illegal drugs is their attempt to cover their lack of governance, which requires hard work, facts, and truth,” the LP said.

The party instead called on the current administration to focus on addressing the issue of the shabu shipment and holding those responsible—not only Fidel Anoche Dee, a warehouse caretaker arrested as the lone suspect to the smuggling.

In an earlier statement, the LP said that Serenio’s accusation was a “baseless testimony,” alleging that the Duterte administration has a “habit of manufacturing witnesses” to demonize the Party.

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Opinion

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2017

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Adelle Chua, Editor

EDITORIAL

HOW, WHEN, AND WHERE TO WATCH A METEOR SHOWER

By Pecier Decierdo IF YOU were in a dark location with a clear, star-strewn sky, you might get lucky and spot a “shooting star” or meteor. Your eyes have to be fast, though. Meteors come and go in the blink of an eye, which is why things that happen very fast are called “meteoric.”

There are moments, however, when many shooting stars can be seen in quick succession. Such events are called meteor showers, and they are among the easiest stargazing spectacles to enjoy. How do you watch a meteor shower? When and where?

Though sometimes called shooting stars, meteors are not stars. Rather, they are bits of material from outer space falling through the Earth’s atmosphere. As they fall, they rub against the atmosphere until they are so hot they glow.

Meteors var y in sizes from microscopic grains to about the size of a basketball court. Most meteors are the size of dust particles.

Before we go on to meteors, it helps to clarify some related terms. That is, what is the difference between a meteor, meteoroid, meteorite, asteroid, and comet?

Let’s start with the similar sounding ones first. To make recalling all this easier, let’s go through them in chronological order. When a bit of space dust is still in outer space, it is called a meteoroid. When it is already falling through the atmosphere, it is called a meteor. When it hits the ground, it is called a meteorite.

The story of space dust therefore goes from meteoroid, to meteor, to meteorite.

To remember what a meteoroid is, just remember that it rhymes with asteroid, and both are found in outer space.

To remember what a meteor is, just remember ‘meteor shower.’ No one calls it a ‘meteoroid shower’ or a ‘meteorite shower.’

To remember meteorite, just remember that names that end in -ite are usually the names of rocks or minerals. For example, granite is a kind of volcanic rock while stalactites and stalagmites are rocks found in caves.

Asteroids and comets are boulders in outer space. They can be as small as a two-bedroom house or as big as Luzon island.

Asteroids are mostly rock or metal while comets have lots of ice. When comets come close to the Sun, some of the ice melts, releasing gas and giving comets their tail.

Meteor showers exist because of comets. (The Geminids meteor shower is an exception. It happens because of an asteroid.)

When the ice in comets melt, they release bits of rocks along with gas.

Comets leave behind a trail of rocks and dust in their wake. When the Earth passes through this wake of dust, we get a meteor shower.

Meteors that are part of a shower

THE IDEAL SPOKESMAN

S

PEAKING on behalf of a president is a tough job. Speaking for this president, immensely tougher.

Over the past 16 months, we have seen several individuals who tried to take on this role. It goes beyond the title—anybody in Mr. Duterte’s inner circle, being his alter ego, is presumed to speak for him.

Or else they would have been made to step out of the circle.

The President does not appear to be an easy man to work with.

He is hardly succinct, rational and level headed. He veers away from prepared speeches, the production of which he should have been involved in the first place. He is easy to provoke, given to outbursts, given to rambling, and maintains some dated ideas about men and women, leadership, and law and order. With his words he can burn bridges or strike terror in one’s heart.

His allies swear, however, that he has a heart of gold.

To speak for him, thus, takes a lot of firefighting and damage control. A spokesman is always in a bind—he has to stay faithful to the President’s words, at least their spirit, while also appeasing those he may have offended. Spokesmen

have exhorted the people to use “creative imagination” to decipher the President’s words, told us he was joking or in a foul mood, and blamed the media for distorting the message.

Alas, spokesmen through their own lewd and crude remarks, independent of the President’s, have done their share of insulting and embarrassing the people. It makes us wonder—is the bench all that shallow?

A n d n o w t h e Pa l a c e h a s appointed a new spokesman, a law professor previously known for his work in human rights. Some groups believe the new spokesman should not have accepted the post because the administration is now facing accusations of deeds he would have gone up against. On the other hand, he might be able to lend a veneer of acceptability to these actuations. We’ll see.

To speak for somebody who likes to speak a lot, himself, is not a job for the fainthearted. The ideal spokesman, in this case, would be one with great luck and a strong stomach.

Turn to A5

TIME TO GET YOUR SPOOK ON decorations for the home, from the spooky—wispy White Ladies, cobwebby ghosts, animatronics—to the kitschy— SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA—Each year, a Ouija-themed throw pillows and company called Spirit of Halloween sets blankets. Beside the cashier are hollow up pop-up stores in September across plastic pumpkins and bags for trick-orthe suburbs in Northern California. Inside treating. If it’s orange and black, creepy the makeshift premises, usually disused and eerie, or fabulously over-the-top, strip mall spaces, is an abundance of Spirit of Halloween has it.

T h e s t o r e ’s o p e n i n g i n o u r Halloween merchandise. There are racks neighborhood is just one indicator upon racks of costumes for everyone that Halloween season is in full spate from infants to adults. again here in the US, where the holiday There are aisles for “blood,”“makeup,” is much beloved and eagerly awaited as and other accessories. There are

much as other regular festive occasions.

Halloween is everywhere. Cafes carry pumpkin spice once again.

Supermarkets place huge boxes of pumpkins, squashes, and other gourds beside their entrances; customers stop beside them to take pictures.

Some offices and restaurants put up decorations or encourage their workers to come in costume. The company I work for serves a Halloween “feast” each year to employees, of simple snacks and beverages.

On Twitter, some folks have changed

their handles to an “October” name that they will retain the entire month.

For example, Neil Gaiman now goes by “Nails Ghoulman.” I’ve changed mine to “Dr. Octospooky” (rhymes with my last name).

For someone like me who grew up in the Philippines, all this attention given to Halloween is interesting. We have nothing quite like it as a cultural phenomenon.

What comes closest to it would be our observance of hundas, or All Saint’s Day and All Soul’s Day, when

families troop to cemeteries to spend some time at the graves of their dear departed. Similarly, Mexico has its Dia de la Muerte with painted sugar skulls and other artifacts and activities particular to their culture.

We don’t stress the spooky, though.

Our hundas is partly religious, partly ancestor worship, and all respect and fulfillment of familial duty.

But during those all-night vigils at the graveyards, we can be sure to find, here and there, in the midst of an attentive Turn to A5

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From A4

group, the storytellers of ghostly tales, holding their listeners enthralled. We all know someone, even if it’s just Noli de Castro presenting his annual hundas special on “Magandang Gabi, Bayan.”

When I was in high school and living in a ladies’ dorm, I had a roommate named De Ling Pe, whom we called Manang Deding. One afternoon, she gathered several of us around her and told us ghost stories from her childhood. These were events, she said, that actually occurred to her grandfather and other family members.

I don’t remember the stories anymore; what I do recall is the shiver of fear that ran up and down our spines as Manang Deding spoke, the frisson of fear her words evoked, and, because they were “true stories,” as she said, even more frightening. I’ve never met anyone else who could tell ghost stories so well.

I call that my own Halloween experience, scarier than plastic skulls or candle-lit pumpkin faces. There is a dearth of really good oral storytellers, and Manang Deding was marvelous.

I wonder where she is now; I hope she is still spinning her fantastic tales, whether or not on Halloween.

Absent a storyteller, one can read.

I recommend M.R. James, to my mind the foremost writer of the classic type of ghost stories. Shirley Jackson, who wrote the 20th century’s most famous short story, “The Lottery,” in 1948, also wrote novels that are now standards in the genre, including “The Haunting of Hill House.” A collection of her short fiction, “Dark Tales,” was published this year by Penguin Classics.

So as my neighbors choose costumes and spray artificial spiderwebs on their hedges, I’ll be celebrating Halloween my own way—reading a book, pumpkin spice latte in hand, and looking up old episodes of MGB Hundas Edition on Youtube.

This year, keep up your own traditions and consider making new ones. Happy Halloween!

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

HOW,...

From A4

also come from the same part of the sky.

Meteor showers are named after the constellation they seem to shoot out of.

The next major meteor shower is the Leonid meteor shower, named after the constellation Leo. They come from space dust left behind by Comet Temple-Tuttle.

This year, the shower will peak in the night between Nov. 17 and 18.

Another great meteor shower is the Geminid meteor shower, named after the constellation Gemini, which is near the easy-to-spot constellation Orion.

They come from space dust left behind by the asteroid Phaethon.

This year, the shower will peak in the night between Dec. 14 and 15.

To watch a meteor shower, all you need is a dark sky (weather permitting).

Even in a light polluted city, you will still be able to see the brightest meteors during a shower. However, you will see more when you are far from the city lights.

You do not need a telescope or binoculars to view a meteor shower.

In fact, telescopes are useless when watching a meteor shower because they only let you see a very small part of the sky. To enjoy a meteor shower, you need to see as much of the sky as possible.

You do not even need to know the constellations! Although the meteors during a shower shoot out of a particular constellation, they will be seen throughout the entire sky.

Not all meteor showers are the same.

This year, scientists predict around 10 to 15 meteors per hour during the Leonid meteor shower. Meanwhile, the Geminid meteor shower can produce up to 120 meteors per hour! There are rare years, however, when the Leonids beat the Geminids by producing 50,000 meteors per hour!

Meteor showers are lovely sights.

Going out into a dark spot to view one can remind you not only of the grandeur of the universe. It can also remind you of the amazing fact that we, in many ways, are truly connected to that grandeur. It also reminds us of the beauty of knowing about it all.

Pecier Decierdo is resident physicist and astronomer of The Mind Museum.

EVERYMAN

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2017

A5

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WATER SECURITY IN METRO MANILA

By Gen. Reynaldo V. Velasco (ret.)

THE privatization of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System in 1997 is a stroke of master stroke of a genius of then President Fidel Ramos.

Without it, we cannot have achieved our total serviced area now at 96 percent, as well as reduced unaccounted-for water at 11 percent by Manila Water and 29 percent by Maynilad.

One important aspect and enduring effect of the successful legal framework of the publicprivate partnership between MWSS and its concessionaires is the fact that these two water partners have shared their best practices to other parts of the country and also to our Asean neighbors like Vietnam, Myanmar, Indonesia and Cambodia.

At present, MWSS sources 95.6 percent of its total water supply from the Angat and Umiray Rivers and 4 percent from the Laguna Lake.

The remaining supply, 0.4 percent, comes from groundwater sources. It is for this reason that we need to reduce our dependency on Angat Dam which supplies most of the water in Metro Manila.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources has identified 143 critical watersheds throughout the country. Of these critical watersheds, the six of these watersheds that impact

greatly on the water supply of Metro Manila are the Umiray, Angat, Ipo, La Mesa, Marikina and Laguna Lake watersheds.

Recognizing the importance of watersheds in supporting the water supply of Metro Manila and adjoining provinces, MWSS has embarked on projects geared towards the sustainable management of watersheds.

As the MWSS prepares to celebrate its 140th founding anniversary in February 2018, it launched the Annual Million Tree Challenge, a reforestation project to benefit the six critical watersheds. AMTC aims to plant a million trees for the duration of the Duterte administration. Launched last June 23, 2017 at Ipo Dam, AMTC exceeded the one million trees target.

Multipartite stakeholders pledged some 1.5 million trees. Aside from MWSS in which we pledged 50,000 trees, participating agencies included MWSS Regulatory Office with a commitment to plant 20,000 trees, Manila Water at 130,000 trees, Maynilad at 130,000 trees, DENR Region IV-A at 204,000 trees, DENR Region 3 at 500,000 trees, DENR NCR at 30,000 trees, DepEd at 100,000 trees, Bantay Kalikasan at 130,000 trees, World Wildlife Fund (WWF) at 37,000 trees, Philippine Water Works Association at 20,000 trees, UP Mountaineers at 500 trees, local government units

of General Nakar and Bulacan at 100,000 trees, the Wild Bird Photographers of the Philippines at 500 trees, the Rotary Club, Jaycees, Kiwanis, students from various universities and colleges and DepEc through Secretary Briones and Usec Alain del Pascua also contributed substantial number of trees to be planted.

Our MWSS chairman, retired Judge Franklin Demonteverde, himself a stalwart of the Freemason Philippines, has rallied the support of his mason brothers to support the AMTC. Newly confirmed Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu has also thrown in his full support to the AMTC. He outrightly approved the creation of a multi-agency task force through a joint circular involving other agencies such as the DILG, DepED, LGUs, LLDA and Napocor as well as the formation of respective watershed management councils similar to the La Mesa Watershed Management Council that recently approved a 25-year sustainable plan.

Through our collective efforts, we will do wonders in watershed protection to ensure sustainable water supply to future generations. As the famous painter Leonardo da Vinci once said, “Water is the driving force of all nature.”

Gen. Velasco is the administrator of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System.

THE CATALAN CRISIS IS (EVEN NOW) AN AVOIDABLE DISASTER Bloomberg Editorial Board THE latest escalation of the crisis in Catalonia is a grave threat to Spain and a serious test for the European Union. The immediate priority should be moving back from the brink of violent confrontation, and the EU can help by urging restraint on Madrid.

This was an avoidable breakdown. The Catalan leadership is chiefly to blame—first, for holding an unlawful referendum, rendered null by one side’s refusal to take part; and now for acting on that meaningless vote and formally declaring independence. But Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy made things worse with a needlessly aggressive (and notably unsuccessful) attempt to shut the referendum down. He’d be making a similar mistake now by moving to quash Catalonia’s existing powers of self-government.

What Madrid should have done was condemn the referendum itself and ignore its result—and it should take the same tack with the declaration of independence. The government should have offered talks without preconditions, and it still can. Crucially, the argument against secession is one Madrid can still win: Before this crisis began, remember, a majority of Catalans opposed independence.

What’s more, offering openended talks would also be smart tactically, putting the onus on Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont and his allies to explain and

A woman holds a Catalan flag in her hands as she awaits outside the Catalan parliament during a vote to declare independence from Spain on Oct. 27, 2017 in Barcelona. AFP

implement their plan for secession.

Suspending Catalan autonomy, which the Spanish Senate voted to do on Friday, could now oblige Madrid to take action in the face of protests, strikes and civil disobedience. Rajoy has already dismissed Puigdemont and called new elections. Enforcing those edicts might quickly put the government, as before, in the role of aggressor—and leave it outmaneuvered, as before, by the secessionists. Avoiding that slide into

violent conflict should now be the top priority. Efforts to impose control over Catalonia should be paused. It isn’t too late to step back.

If Madrid chooses to settle this argument by any means necessary, Spain will lose in the end, because its reputation will suffer and secessionist sentiment will not be quelled. And the EU, which up to now has refrained from interfering in the dispute, will also lose, because it will have stood by while a member government ended

by force a dispute that could have been settled by peaceful democratic means.

The EU should leave no doubt about whose side it’s on in this quarrel.

It stands for the rule of law, and against an unlawful secessionist campaign. It cannot be a neutral mediator in this matter. However, that shouldn’t stop EU leaders from urging the Spanish government to show more wisdom and restraint in this dispute. That is very much in Europe’s interests, too.

THAT FACEBOOK QUIZ MIGHT NOT BE SO INNOCENT

By Kara Alaimo THE recent disclosures that Russians bought ads from Facebook, Google and Twitter to target US voters in 2016 have left lawmakers investigating how to prevent foreign interference in future elections. But there’s another alarming problem that Congress also needs to address: how to prevent domestic and foreign organizations from duping Americans out of information they unwittingly share on social media—and using the data to try to sway elections.

During the 2016 election, the Trump campaign hired Cambridge Analytica, an American affiliate of a British consulting firm, which built psychological profiles of over 200 million Americans in part by using information they shared on social media. For example, according to The New York Times, hundreds of thousands of Americans took personality quizzes spread by the firm on Facebook, which were designed to reveal how they score on measures of the so-called “big five” personality traits. I’m willing to bet many of those test takers didn’t know

their answers could be used by political consultants to profile and target them— and that they wouldn’t have taken the quizzes if they did.

Cambridge Analytica now says it didn’t use psychographic data when it worked for Trump (though reports it tried to get stolen data from WikiLeaks certainly call the firm’s ethical standards into question). But it—or anyone else— could try to do so in a future election.

That’s why Congress needs to act.

Of course, it should remain legal for an organization to post a question on social media and then list or use the aggregate results (for example, 45 percent of Americans believe x). But if organizations are going to extract personally identifiable information—PII, in industry parlance—from things they post on social media, they should be required to disclose three things: who they are, how they’re funded, and how they’re going to use the data. That way, Americans can make informed decisions about whether they want to share their personal information.

There’s some precedent for this.

Gary Nordlinger, a professional in residence at The George Washington University Graduate School of Political Management, noted that, according to the American Association for Public Opinion Research’s code of ethics, pollsters can’t disclose information to clients or the public that could be used to identify people who participated in surveys without their permission.

Of course, advertisers target people based upon data we probably didn’t realize would be shared all the time. The majority of online ads today are bought through exchanges such as DoubleClick Bid Manager (which is owned by Google) and The Trade Desk. These platforms aggregate thousands of data points on individual consumers—like information from resorts about where they vacationed and data from auto loan providers about what kinds of cars they drive. So, for example, an advertiser can pay for an ad that reaches people in a particular ZIP code who own Priuses or have been to Disney World.

But that doesn’t make it right to dupe Americans out of more information

without their knowledge. We should have the right to keep knowledge about how we think anonymous if we so desire. That’s much more deeply personal than data about what we buy or where we went to school. And such information could be much more useful to a political campaign or corporation trying to manipulate us.

Since quizzes and other questions posed on the Internet are essentially just online polls, the same ethical standards should apply. Of course, compliance with the American Association for Public Opinion Research’s code of ethics is voluntary. But the potential for a foreign government to use such data to try to influence a future election is such a serious threat to American democracy that we need a law to prevent this, rather than another industry code.

Congress should act now to protect us. In the meantime, let’s all be cautious about what we share on social media.

I’m guessing the folks who scored highest in conscientiousness on those Cambridge Analytica quizzes will be most careful. Bloomberg

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

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DRONES NO-NO IN SUMMIT ZONE

By Joel E. Zurbano

D

RONES and other flying devices are not allowed in areas where the 31st Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit will be held in Manila and Clark, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines said on Saturday.

B4588/17) reminding hobbyists and operators of drones and other flying devices that the policy would be implemented “From 09-17 November 2017, 40 nautical miles radius centered on Luneta Park

CAAP spokesman Eric Apolonio said a no-fly zone policy will be imposed during the meetings from Nov. 9 to 17.

He added the agency issued notice to airmen (Notam

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 Clark.”

Apolonio said the policy also prohibited the flying of unmanned aircraft vehicles (UAVs) over populated areas and restricted areas such as airports, military training camps and Malacañang Palace.

The policy states that no person may operate a UAV for hire or rewards unless in possession of a Certificate of Authorization from CAAP. Owners or operators are required to register their equipment with the CAAP, and secure a certification to operate

from the agency.

Violators will be slapped with a fine ranging from P300,000 to P500,000 depending on the gravity of offenses.

Meanwhile, aviation authorities also announced their plans in connection with the observance of All Saints’ and All Souls’ Days.

Additional measures will be in place to ensure safe, reliable, and convenient operations at all 39 commercial airports in the country in the next two weeks.

Coordination has been made with airlines regard-

ing the efficient processing of their passengers especially at the check-in counters.

Additional airline personnel will be deployed as needed to accommodate the increase in travelers.

Check-in counters are opened two hours before departure of a domestic flight while three hours prior for an international flight. Counters close 45 minutes before departure.

Maximum deployment of service and security personnel will be observed and will keep a “no leave” policy dur-

ing the entire duration of Oplan Undas.

Help desks manned by duty officers will also be set up to accommodate passenger concerns.

Travelers are also reminded not to bring prohibited items to the airport and to stow all belongings in one’s carry-on baggage for faster processing at the screening checkpoints.

“We want to make sure that traveling will be as hasslefree as possible as we observe the solemnity of the occasion,” said CAAP chief Jim Sydiongco.

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Republic of the Philippines Department of Health OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY

INVITATION TO PARTICIPATE The Department of Health, in its endeavor to uphold transparency, competitiveness, streamlined procurement process, system of accountability and public monitoring, would like to invite suppliers of Goods, Consulting Services and Infrastructure Projects to attend the DIALOGUE WITH THE SUPPLIERS AND ORIENTATION ON THE 2016 IMPLEMENTING RULES AND REGULATIONS OF REPUBLIC ACT 9184 scheduled on November 10, 2017, from 9:00 A.M. up to 12:00 NN (Dialogue) and 1:00 P.M. up to 5:00 P.M. (Orientation) at the DOH Convention Hall, Department of Health, San Lazaro Compound, Sta. Cruz Manila.

Confirmation Form is available at the Receiving/Releasing Section, Procurement Service, DOH. Deadline of submission is on November 6, 2017.

For more information, please contact Ramil M. Jacinto or Pablo L. Nabong at (02) 651-7800 local 1651.

(SGD) MA. CAROLINA VIDAL-TAIÑO, CPA, MGM, CESO IV Office-in Charge - Undersecretary of Health Office for Administration, Finance, and Procurement (MS-OCT. 29, 2017)

DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES National Capital Region

REGIONAL BIDS AND AWARDS COMMITTEE INVITATION TO BID PROCUREMENT OF MINI Z (HANDHELD BACKSCATTER IMAGING SYSTEM) 1.

The DENR-NCR, through the GAA-CY 20171 intends to apply the sum of EIGHT MILLION SIX HUNDRED TWENTY FIVE THOUSAND PESOS (PhP8,625,000.00) being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the contract for “Procurement of Mini Z (Handheld Backscatter Imaging System).” Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

2.

The DENR-NCR now invites all interested Phil-GEPS registered manufacturers, suppliers, dealers, authorized franchised dealers to Bid for the following project, to wit: Description (Purchase Request No. Quantity 2017-604) Mini Z (Handheld Z Backscatter Imaging 3 System) TOTAL

Unit

Unit Cost

piece 2,875,000.00

Approved Budget for the Contract (PhP) 8,625,000.00 8,625,000.00

Delivery of the Goods is required as indicated in the Bid Data Sheet of the Bidding Documents. Bidders should have completed a contract similar to the project in the last five (5) years. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II. Instruction to Bidders.

3.

Bidding will be conducted in accordance with relevant procedures for open competitive bidding as specified in the IRR of RA 9184 (R.A. 9184), with some amendments, as stated in these bidding documents and is open to all bidders from eligible source countries as defined in the applicable procurement guidelines of the World Bank. The contract shall be awarded to the Lowest Calculated Responsive Bidder (LCRB) who was determined as such during postqualification.

The Estimated Project Cost for this project is Eight Million Six Hundred Twenty Five Thousand Pesos only (PhP8,625,000.00).

4.

Interested bidders may obtain further information from the Regional Bids and Awards Committee of the DENR-NCR and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below from 9:00am to 4:00pm, Mondays to Fridays.

5.

A complete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased by interested Bidders from September 05 to September 22, 2017 from the address below and upon payment of a non-refundable fee for the bidding documents in the amount of Ten Thousand Pesos (Php10,000.00).

It may also be downloaded free of charge from the website of the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) and the DENR-NCR website (http://www.ncr.denr.gov.ph) provided that bidders shall pay the nonrefundable fee for the Bidding Documents not later than the submission of their bids.

6.

The DENR-NCR will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on November 03, 2017 at 10:00 AM at the DENR-NCR Conference Room, 4th Floor, National Ecology Center, East Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City, which shall be open to all interested parties.

7.

Bids must be delivered on or before November 15, 2017 at 10:00 AM at the DENR-NCR BAC Secretariat/Procurement Unit, 3rd Floor, National Ecology Center, East Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City. All bids must be accompanied by a Bid Security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in ITB Clause 18 or in a form of Bid Securing Declaration.

Opening of Bids will immediately follow in the presence of the bidders’ representatives who choose to attend at the address below. Late bids shall not be accepted.

8.

9.

The DENR-NCR reserves the right to accept or reject any bid, to annul the bidding process, and to reject all bids at any time prior to contract award, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.

The DENR-NCR likewise assumes no obligation whatsoever to compensate or indemnify any bidder or winning bidders as the case may be from any expenses or loss that said party(ies) may incur in its participation in the pre-bidding and bidding process nor does it guarantee that an award will be made.

10. For further information, please refer to: BAC Secretariat Procurement Section, 3rd Flr, DENR-NCR Bldg.

National Ecology Center East Avenue, Quezon City Tel. 373-43-99 October 20, 2017.

(SGD) ATTY. ALVIN JOSEPH G. CONSTANTINO Chairperson, Regional Bids and Awards Committee DENR-NCR National Ecology Center, East Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City Telephone No. (078) 304-1800 1

In the case of National Government Agencies, the General Appropriations Act and/or continuing appropriations; in the case of GOCCs, GFIs, and SUCs, the Corporate Budget for the contract approved by the governing Boards; in the case of (LGUs, the Budget for the contract approved by the respective Sanggunian. (Section 5(a), R.A. 9184) (MS-OCT. 29, 2017)

BIRD WATCHING. Senator Cynthia Villar and foreign delegates enjoy watching migratory feathers in their sanctuary on Friday, with the legislator touring the delegates to the 12th session of the Conference of Parties to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of wild animals at the Las Piñas-Parañaque Wetland Park in Manila Bay. Lino Santos

PAL HAS NEW PROMO OFFER TO HELP REBUILD MARAWI FLAG carrier Philippine Airlines announced on Saturday it had offered 1,000 seats for only P1 (one peso) each on the routes Manila-Cagayan, Cebu-Cagayan and Davao-Cagayan for travel until Dec. 14, 2017.

PAL external communications chief and spokesperson Ma. Cielo Villaluna said the airline came up with the offer to support the government in its thrust to rebuild Marawi and to help bring the displaced residents closer to home.

But the selling period for “Rebuild Marawi (Piso) Fares” is only on Oct. 28 and clients can only avail themselves of the promo at the PAL official website www. philippineairlines.com.

Villaluna said “PAL’s love for Marawi continues via drop down fares, as follows: Manila-Cagayan for P988; Cebu-Cagayan for P788 and Davao-Cagayan for P688.

These fares are available from Oct. 29 up to Nov. 10, with travel dates Oct. 29 to Dec. 14 this year.

These fares, she added, will be available in PAL tick-

eting offices, Reservations 855-8888 and via www.philippineairlines.com. and are exclusive of government taxes, fees, ticketing service charge and surcharges.

Tickets are non-refundable and any rebooking shall be subjected to the appropriate fees and charges. The special fares include: 7-kilogram handcarried baggage, 10-kg free baggage allowance.

The airline is likewise offering free airlift of critical supplies and relief goods for the rebuilding of Marawi City.

PAL is flying donations to Cagayan de Oro, for transport by land to Marawi City, through accredited government agencies, SEC-registered foundations, NGOs, non-profit, charitable, civic and religious organizations.

The program, which covers airlifting of donations within the Philippines only, is flying goods on space availability basis.

Priority goods are urgently needed items such as medicines, ready-to-eat halal processed foods and products, mats and blankets, water purification

tablets and equipment, hygiene supplies such as baby diapers and other commodities which are not readily sourced in the affected areas.

Donors may send an email to the PAL Foundation at palfoundation@pal. com.ph indicating the following details—name and contact details of donors/ organizations, recipient or consignee, contents and estimate cost of donation, weight, etc.

They will be given instructions on the schedule of shipment.

PAL chairman and chief executive officer Lucio Tan has launched a series of corporate social responsibility initiatives since the outbreak of war in Marawi.

The taipan had offered a 40-kilogram baggage allowance to all state forces traveling on all domestic routes on “official or personal capacity” until Dec. 31.

A 20-percent discount is also available for all government troops on regular domestic fare brands, excluding budget economy.

Joel Zurbano

ATIENZA THANKS CMMA FOR AWARD

By Rio N. Araja BUHAY Party-list Rep. Joselito Atienza thanked on Saturday the 39th Catholic Mass Media Awards for giving his weekly television show “Maynila” a special Citation for a drama program.

“Maynila,” a multi-awarded weekly morning Saturday television show of GMA 7, was started by then-mayor Atienza in 1999.

It has been a consistent top-rating program in its time slot and is one of the longest-running block-time TV programs in the broadcast industry.

Atienza’s daughter, executive producer

Angela Lei Atienza-Valdepeñas, received the plaque from CMMA during the awards night at the Star Theater in Pasay City.

She said: “We would like to thank the Catholic Mass Media Awards for this Special Citation in recognition of Maynila’s efforts to continuously give inspiration to our audiences through interesting life stories promoting love of life and the family, as well as traditional Filipino values and culture.

“I am proud of my dad, who started this program 18 years ago. For almost two decades, he has maintained the show’s noble objective of promoting positive values.”

‘FREE MAIN ROADS OF BARRIERS’ THE Metro Manila Development Authority on Saturday urged barangay officials to free main roads and sidewalks in their areas of all forms of traffic-causing obstructions, including illegal vendors.

MMDA traffic supervising officer for operations Edison Nebrija said the lack of cooperation from community leaders was hampering the road clearing operations in Metro Manila.

He added the obstructions affected the flow of traffic and compromised the safety of pedestrians.

“The sustainability of these clearing operations depends on the honest to goodness cooperation between the local government units, barangays, stakeholders and MMDA. We can only do so much, everybody needs to step up to their individual responsibilities and mandates,” said Nebrija.

At least seven barangay officials in Metro Manila have been slapped with administrative cases before the Office of the Ombudsman for their failure to cooperate with the government’s road clearing drive.

“Holding them accountable for their inaction on such programs of national importance is only proper since they are ones on the ground who should safeguard the welfare of their constituents,” said MMDA general manager Thomas Orbos.

The clearing operation is in close coordination with Philippine National Police-Highway Patrol Group, Department of the Interior and Local Government, and Department of Transportation.

Recent operations were conducted along Taft Avenue in Pasay City and Lawton in Manila.

Metro Manila Council resolution No. 0228, approved in 2002, authorizes the MMDA, the National Police and the LGUs to clear the sidewalks, streets, avenues, alleys, bridges, parks and other public places of all illegal structures and obstructions to effect the smooth flow of traffic in NCR. The MMC, the agency’s governing board and policy-making body, came up with that resolution after observing that “public places in Metro Manila are not properly utilized by the road users due to malpractices of some unscrupulous individuals who wantonly utilize these areas for displaying and vending their goods as well as utilizing the same in erecting some structures for commercial and advertising purposes.”

The resolution said “such use of sidewalk applies even to cases involving the use or lease of public places under permits or licenses issued by competent authority upon the theory that such holders could not take advantage of their unlawful permits and licenses and claim that the land in question is a part of a public street or a public place devoted to public use hence beyond the commerce of man.” Joel E. Zurbano

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

Sports

A7

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2017 randyproject@yahoo.com

BID2BIKE TO SPICE UP SUNPIOLOGY

By Randy Caluag

S

HOWING too much class and superior skills, fifteen-yearold Donald Laurejas of Mandaluyong disposed of Rymwell Sagyawan of Itogon, Benguetin less than a minute in the final of their lightweight boxing in Batang Pinoy Luzon in Vigan City.

Mandaluyong City bagged eight of the 15 gold medals at staked in boxing and Laurejas is just one of the products of its excellently unique boxing program.

“Kinuha namin ang mga batang yan sa kalye, yung iba pagala-gala lang and yung iba nangangalakal ng bote. Iyun talaga ang goal namin, bawasan ang mga palaboy sa lansangan at bigyan sila ng pangarap,” said Ricardo Garcia, who acts as head coach of Team Mandaluyong boxing team.

Ricardo is ably aided by his wife, Maura, a public school teacher, in acting as parents to the boxing team members who are provided with food, shelter and allowances by the city government of Mandaluyong.

The children athletes are also scholars at the Andres Bonifacio Integrated School.

In beating his opponent, Laurejas used his height and reach advantage as well as his superior skills in serving notice to the referee to stop the fight for Referee-Stop-Contest win fight in the first round.

His trainer Steven Ramos, an ex-pro boxer, was all praises to his ward. “Masipag ang batang yan sa training, masunuring bata at may galaw na talaga yan, itinuro ko talaga ung experience ko sa pro.”

The other gold medalists for Mandaluyong team were John Vincent Odac, who dominated the bantamweight category, Remar Gomez (lightbantam), Roger Esclamado (light mostquito), Rommel Mercines (mosquito weight), Jessam Lagutap (light paperweight), Bboy Cenita (pinweight) and Nicky Boy Oladive (lightflyweight).

Ramos said they are investing in these children so they can compete in the Palaro and Batang Pinoy, which is the best showcase for grassroots talents, with the ultimate goal of winning a gold medal in the Olympics.

He said they will continue to train for the Batang Pinoy National finals where they will meet the champions from the Visayas and Mindanao regions to determine the best of the best.

The Luzon leg of Batang Pinoy attracted more than 3,000 athletes, all of them hoping to wear Team Philippines uniform in international competitions.

PSI and grassroots development “We are always on the lookout for these young, potential athletes who will be included in our program. We consider their physicals aspects if they are really fit to their chosen sports,” said PSI’s deputy director for Grassroots Development, Marlon Malbog during the PSC-POC Media Group live sports chat.

The Philippine Sports Institute is holding a four-day sports science series, attended by more than 600 participants, at the Baluarte Function Hall, some kilometers meters away from the main hub of the Batang Pinoy meet, organized by the Philippine Sports Commission

John Vincent Odac (left) of Mandaluyong won by unanimous decision

BATANG PINOY

HOME OF FUTURE SPORTS HEROES Samantha Therese Coronel and her father flash the “four” sign

for athletes aged 15 years old and below.

Malbog said that aside from the regular schedules of the PSI in the provinces, the program is also doing seminars in two more places where Batang Pinoy eliminations will be held.

Next stop is Dumaguete.

“We are there to check on the athletes’ physical attributes, like their wingspan, if they are fit to their chosen sport. Then we also look for coaches who will continue the training of the athletes,” Malbog added.

In Vigan, participants in the seminar were local executives, sports leaders, PE teachers, athletes or parents who participated in talks like Sports Nutrition, First Aid in Sports, Assessing Athletic Performance Among Children and Sports Psychology.

Prized finds Another prized find in Batang Pinoy Luzon is Jalil Taguinod, who at won five gold medal medals in swimming.

The sixth grader at Infant Jesus Montessori School topped the 12-under 50-meter, 100m and 200m breaststrokes, 50m backstroke and the 200m individual medley.

What’s exciting about this kid is that he already stands 5-foot-9 at the age of 11. He looks physically strong despite suffering his battle with asthma.

“Kaya po ako pinag swimming dahil po asthma ko. Pero dahil nananalo na po ako, tuloy tuloy na po,” said Taguinod, who will have his first competition wearing the Philippine

The resource speakers and staff of the Philippine Sports Institute with members of the PSC-POC Media Group after the Live Sports Chat

Jochelle Alvarez won two medals for Laguna

team uniform in the Southeast Asian Age-group competition in Brunei in November.

Another swimmer, Samantha Coronel, is showing big promise. The Colegio de San Agustin student bagged four gold medals by winning the 15-years under girls 15-under 50m butterfly, 100m and 200m and 50m backstroke events.

With the full support of his father, a retired banker, she vowed to purse her dream of making it to the national team.

“Pangarap po talaga yan ng bawat atleta. Pero marami pa pong dapat gawin,” added Coronel whose best performance at the pool so far was when she broke the national juniors record in the 50m backstroke.

Coronel is being coached

by Paralympics swimmer Arnel Aba. “He really motivates us and lagi niya sinasabi na siya nga isa lang paa and malayo ang narating, kami pa na kumpleto.”

Charles Andrei Antones in his best attempt in winning the triple jump

In athletics, Jason Jabol and Charles Andy Antones are emerging forces in track in field.

Jabol won four gold medals including the 15-under 200-meter run, boys’ long jump and team relays.

One of ten children from a poor family in Camarines, Jabol said he pursue his dreams to help his family and give them better life.

“Gusto ko pong tulungan ang pamilya ko kaya nagpupursige po ako para manalo,” said Jabol, who represents Dasmarinas City, Cavite.

Like Jabol, Tandones comes from a poor family. The son of the tricycle drive and plain housewife, has no idea of what he entered into.

“Basta po sabi ng coach ko, focus ako sa jump events, especially sa triple jump.”

Probably, his coach saw tremendous potential in his height.

Tandones, who stands 5-8 at age

Jalil Taguinod in action at the pool

14, topped the boys’ triple jump without much opposition.

Another gem of an athlete just waiting to unleash her full potential is Jochelle Alvarez from Pila, Laguna.

The 14-year-old student at Colegio Monterey de Pila dominated the 13-15 girls’s singles and doubles event in the badminton competition of Batang Pinoy Luzon.

Standing 5-5 at her young age, Alvarez is taller than her colleagues at Whackers Club Academy. She was actually a member of the national juniors pool for one year but she moved out to focus on her studies in Laguna.

“Focus po kasi talaga sa training sa national team and kailangan mag stay palagi sa Manila.

Studies po muna ako sa Laguna,” said Alvarez, who idolizes Thai world champion Rathanok Intannon. With reports from Clarisse Ramirez

YOUNG CAGE FANS JOIN NBA FIT PROGRAM DEFENSIVE big man Steven Adams of the Oklahoma Thunder has a penchant for staying calm even under extreme pressure while former Sacramento Kings head coach Reggie Theus electrified the crowd with his energy throughout his journey in the NBA. These Alaska NBA Fit Ambassadors recently visited the country to share their insights during the highlight of the NBA’s comprehensive health and wellness platform at the Gatorade Hoops Center in Mandaluyong City.

NBA Fit encourages the NBA family to ``Be Active, Eat Healthy and Play Together’’ while promoting the values of the game, something that the seven-foot Adams and Theus

have embodied in their careers as player and coach, respectively.

With Alaska Milk Corporation as reliable partner in the Philippines, NBA Fit Week encourages the importance of health, wellness and active lifestyle across different countries.

The special program, which includes donation of Alaska products to Children’s Hour, featured mostly children participating in warm-up exercises, training clinics, Nutri Talk and Nutri Shot Challenge with the special appearance of Adams and Theus.

Aside for the Alaska NBA Fit Activation, the league also held NBA Cares Event and Jr. NBA Clinic at the College of Engineering, PUP

Sta. Mesa campus.

NBA has renovated and improved the Polytechnic University of the Philippines’ basketball gym as part of its NBA Cares program.

The Jr. NBA Clinic took place with 50 children from the PUP neighborhood participating in the beginners clinic and as well as an elite training session for the Jr. NBA Alumni.

The back-to-back clinics were facilitated by Jeffrey Cariaso and PowerCamp coaches with some Alaska Aces as guests.

Drafted 12th overall by the Thunder in 2013, Adams hails from New Zealand and completes the other half of the charismatic OKC Stache Brothers with Enes Kanter.

The famed Laker Girls, an all-fe-

Jr. WNBA/NBA alumni participate in NBA Fit’s basketball clinic at Gatorade Hoops Center

male NBA Cheerleading squad that performs and supports the Los Angeles Lakers

basketball team in home matches, are also ambassadors of NBA Fit.

FANS get the chance to ride with their chosen celebrities as the SunPiology Duo, a fun run/cycling fund-raiser founded by actor Piolo Pascual, holds a Bid2Bike race on Nov. 18 at the Bonifacio Global City in Taguig.

The Bid2Bike, one of the categories in the Sun Life Cycle PH of the SunPiology Duo, will give participants the chance to pedal alongside three-time Tour de France green jersey winner Robbie McEwen and Star Magic artists, led by Pascual, Gerald Anderson, Matteo Guidicelli, Kisses Delavin, Marco Gallo, Gretchen Ho and Iñigo Pascual, among others.

For details and mechanics of the Bid2Bike, visit www.sunpiology.com/bid2bike/.

Bidding starts at P500 until all slots are filled. A maximum bid of P4,000 can also be made for a sure slot in the event backed by title sponsor Sun Life. Winning bidders will get to bike out with their chosen stars in 20km or 40 km races and have their jerseys signed and photo taken.

Proceeds from the bidding will help send underprivileged kids to school under Pascual’s Hebreo Foundation.

Celebrities joining the 20km bike are Delavin, Gallo, Ho and Iñigo Pascual while McEwen, Piolo Pascual, Anderson and Guidicelli will be racing in the 40km side of the event supported by BGC, DOT, Powerade, Rudy Project, F2P, 2GO, Ford, Trek, Cetaphil, Sanicare, Alaska, Alcoplus, Cignal and the Philippine Star.

Meanwhile, the Sun Life Resolution Run will be held on Jan. 20, 2018 at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City.

Bikers of all ages and skill levels now get a chance to strut their wares in the Sun Life Cycle PH with Around 1,500 beginners and enthusiasts aged two to 65 years old are expected to join the Sun Life Cycle PH held in partnership with Sunrise Events Inc. Other categories are the Tricycle Ride (for 2-5 year-olds), Kids’ Ride (for 6-15 years-old), 20km (for 10 years old-andabove) and 40km (for 14-and-above).

All participants will receive a finishers medal.

Riders in the 20-km and 40-km divisions will tackle the route that starts at Bonifacio Global City to Kalayaan Flyover toward Roxas Boulevard then back again to BGC, with the latter going through the course in two loops.

Meanwhile, the running event, now on its ninth year and organized by RunRio, features five categories, the 500-m run for kids, 500-m walk for adults, 3K, 5K and 10K.

PALAWAN PS PINTAFLORES TENNIS OPEN UNWRAPS THE Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala Pintaflores Open Tennis Championship fires off today (Sunday, Oct. 29) with the country’s leading players and rising stars slugging it out for top honors at the Sacata Tennis Club in Negros Occidental.

Jeson Patrombon and Clarice Patrimonio banner the men’s and women’s fields, respectively, both bracing for a tough week-long battle of power and wits in the event hosted

by Mayor Gerardo Valmayor Jr. and the local government units of San Carlos City.

Patrombon kicks off his campaign against Clyde Bienes at 5 p.m. with the 24-year-old Davis Cupper hoping to hurdle his unranked rival for a duel with the winner of the Charles Kinaadman-Reynan Mahusay in the next round of the event organized by the Unified Tennis Philippines headed by OIC for Negros Occidental Criston Carmona and supported by Vice Gov. Bong Lacson and Jules Ledesma.

Second seed PJ Tierro, another veteran Davis Cupper, faces Joseph Singson in the lower half of the draw with No. 3 Fritz Verdad, fourth ranked Vicente Anasta, No. 5 John Mari Altiche and sixth seed Deo Talatayod also eyeing to get past their respective rivals in the early going of the event put up by Palawan Pawnshop.

Patrimonio, on the other hand, launches her drive against Glenda Ong tomorrow with second seed Khim Iglupas facing Yasthyme Rivera and No. 3 Jade Capadocia and fourth ranked Shaira Rivera taking on Ellain Bahonsua and Tracy Llamas, respectively.

“Although the veterans boast of the experience, we expect the young guns to step up and spring some surprises, guaranteeing another exciting week for the fans and the sport,” said Palawan Pawnshop president Bobby Castro.

To accommodate the big number of entries, organizers held a qualifying in the men’s side of the event also staged as part of the host city’s Pintaflores Festival celebrations with Davao’s John David Velez taking one of the four slots. Others vying for spots in the main draw at presstime are Ibarra Ortega, Jr. Bryan Bayking and Dale Estonilo.

Also on tap in the event, supported by the UTG’s Cebuana Lhuillier, PPS-PEPP, Wilson, Toby’s, BMeg, Citigreen, Babolat and Tru-Flex, is the mixed doubles. For details, call PPS-PEPP sports program development director Bobby Mangunay at 0915-4046464.

A8

Sports

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2017 Riera U. Mallari, Editor / Reuel Vidal, Issue Editor / Randy Caluag, Issue Editor

sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

MIADO, TORRES CHASE DREAMS IN MYANMAR

By Reuel Vidal

D

REAMS will come true in Yangon, Myanmar as Jeremy “The Jaguar” Miado and Jomary “The Zamboanginian Fighter” Torres lead a group of Filipino mixed martial artists who are seeking to stamp their class in the combat game when they fly there tomorrow, Monday to fight in the blockbuster event ONE: Hero’s Dream.

ONE Middleweight World Champion “Burmese Python” Aung La N Sang, a sports icon in Myanmar, faces the biggest challenge of his career against hulking Alain Ngalani in a non-title open weight bout at ONE: Hero’s Dream on Friday Nov. 3, 2017 at the Thuwunna Indoor Stadium.

Miado battles Pongsiri “The Smiling Assassin” Mitsatit of Thailand while Torres enters the cage against Nita Dea of Indonesia in the undercards.

Burn Soriano, who faces Chen Lei of China and Eugene Toquero who meets Ma Hao Bin also of China, are the other Filipinos who will see action in Myanmar.

Miado pursues his dream of following in the footsteps of Filipino icon Manny Pacquiao who blazed the trail for other aspiring fighters to follow.

“I want to compete because this is my passion.

Manny Pacquiao is a superstar in boxing. Everybody knows him. My plan is to do my best to have a name like his in ONE Championship,” said Miado.

Meanwhile, Torres hopes to follow up her spectacular victory over rising ONE Championship star Rika “Tinydoll” Ishige when they fought at ONE: Kings & Conquerors in Macau, China.

“This is my chance to establish my first winning streak in ONE Championship. It’s not impossible.

That’s why I am exerting a tremendous amount of effort in training. I want to keep on winning,” Torres said.

The 21-year-old native of Zamboanga del Norte

Barangay Ginebra point guard LA Tenorio raises his hand in triumph during awarding ceremonies of the 2017 PBA Governors Cup championship series.

TENORIO POWERS GINEBRA TO TITLE Filipino MMA fighter Jeremy “The Jaguar” Miado (left) unloads at opponent Robin Catalan inside the ONE Championship cage during their exciting match. ONE Championship

hopes to extend her success during the three-round encounter against the Indonesian kickboxer.

Soriano, who hoped to follow up his spectacular 15-second demolition of Satya Wirawan August 2016 but instead lost to Saiful Merican in the first round, will try to bounce back.

“I believe that I could have done better in that match with Saiful Merican. I was prepared to go the full three rounds, but I came up short. I just realized that there was something missing,” Soriano said.

The loss to Merican convinced Soriano to turn to renowned fight trainer George Castro for help.

“Right now, I have a tremendous support system

Jomary “The Zamboanginian Fighter” Torres acknowledges the cheers of fans as she enters the ONE Championship cage ahead of her match against Rika Ishige. ONE Championship

in my training, especially with the help of my coach George Castro. He knows how to bring out the best in me. With him in my corner, it is always exciting to

Burn “The Hitman” Soriano passes cheering fight fans as he makes his way to the ONE Championship cage ahead of another match. ONE Championship

prepare for a bout,” Soriano said.

Castro says Soriano has the potential to become a very good if not a great fighter.

“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,” said Castro.

Miado wants to get back on the winning track.

But he faces an enormous challenge against the undefeated Thai prospect.

The three-round bout

against Mitsatit is critical for Miado who lost a split decision to Robin Catalan in his ONE Championship debut this past April. The loss snapped a six-fight MMA winning streak for Miado.

“I am happy that ONE Championship has given me the opportunity to showcase my talent on a global scale. My goal is to be a world champion. This is the first step in my road back to the winner’s circle.

Soon, people will know who I am,” Miado said.

“This is my big opportunity to show people my capabilities as a martial artist. I am very proud and blessed that they are giving me this chance again.

For now, I will do my best and train hard.”

THERE were plenty of heroes in Barangay Ginebra’s title conquest.

None stood taller than the smallest man on the court in LA Tenorio who put off surgery to remove bone spurs in his elbow to lead his team to backto-back victories as Ginebra retained the Philippine Basketball Association Governors’ Cup crown.

It was more than just the numbers. Although Tenorio did submit excellent ones in 13.3 points, 3.7 assists, 2.7 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game in seven bruising matches where he played more than 40 minutes in the final three.

It was the leadership and composure he provided as the supremely confident Tenorio orchestrated Ginebra’s offense and presided over a rambunctious finish which saw the Gin Kings withstand the withering last stand by Meralco in the dying minutes of Game 7 won by Ginebra 101-96.

Tenorio more than earned the trust of Ginebra coach Tim Cone who gave him the opportunity to lead the squad to victory after backup point guard Sol Mercado went down with an injury in Game 4.

Cone just turned over the keys to his court general and Tenorio responded with confidence and aplomb to lead Ginebra to the throne.

Tenorio was scheduled to go under the knife Saturday the day after Game 7 which saw 54,086 souls watch the game.

He responded by playing his best game of the series to score 26 points to go with four assists to lead his team to victory.

Ginebra also won its first back-toback crowns after retaining the Governors’ Cup diadem.

For his efforts Tenorio was chosen the Most Valuable Player of the Finals his third in an 11-year career in the pro league which also yielded three PBA titles.

He won his first Finals MVP crown when he led the Cone-coached Alaska Aces to the 2010 PBA Fiesta Cup crown. He earned his second with Cone last season.

With the award he joined select company when he became the fifth player in league history with three Finals MVP awards after James Yap, Danny Siegle, Eric Menk and Danny Ildefonso.

ADAMSON SOARING FALCONS PURSUE BERTH IN UAAP FINAL FOUR

By Peter Atencio

Adamson University big man Papi Sarr (center) battles for ball possession against UST’s Jon Macasaet (left). Peter Atencio

WITH Papi Sarr back in action the Adamson University Soaring Falcons are back to their winning ways to establish themselves as serious contenders for a Final Four berth in the 80th University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) men’s basketball tournament.

This after the team managed to survive a close game against the University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers.

“At least we were able to prove something. Despite flirting with disaster, we survived this one,” said Adamson coach Franz Pumaren after the Fal-

cons escaped with a 75-70 win on Wednesday evening at the Mall of Asia Arena.

With their seventh triumph in 11 outings, the Falcons are up alone in third place in the team standings.

They are way ahead of the Far Eastern University Tamaraws, who are in fourth with their 5-5 slate.

With the count tied for the last time off Jeepy Faundo’s layup, 66-all, the Falcons broke out of the deadlock behind Jonathan Espeleta’s freebies in the last 1:33.

The Falcons then forced a turnover following successive misses by Jordan Sta.

Ana and Faundo.

In the turnover that followed Jerrick Ahanmisi scored on a drive and a freebie to move the Falcons out of range, 71-66.

Ahanmisi went on finish with 21 points, while Papi Sarr added 12 for the Falcons.

Regie Basibas shot 17 for the Growling Tigers.

Pumaren said they learned a lot from the game with UST going into their game on Sunday against the National University Bulldogs. “ This is a test for us, learning to win close games,” said Pumaren.

The last time the Falcons en-

tered the Final Four was in 2011.

Earlier the Cameroonian recruit starred in the Falcons’ lopsided 75-60 win over the University of the East Red Warriors.

The 6-foot-8 slotman, who finished second in the MVP race last season to Ben Mbala, says he wants to replicate his last season’s performance. He unloaded 15 points, grabbed 16 rebounds and had two steals.

Sarr said he’s not even in his best shape yet. He promises to improve even more.

He added that he believes he’s yet to hit top form after a groin injury kept him from playing in the opener.

B1

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2017

Business

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

FILIPINO PHONE MAKER RISES A

six-year-old Filipino company started producing mobile phones from a factory in Laguna province this year and now plans to become a major player in the so-called ‘Internet of Things’ in the country.

Star Telecom Alliance Resources Inc., the Filipino company behind mobile phones and tablets under the Starmobile brand, has already assembled 20,000 units of UNO B208 and UNO B308 featurephones at a Calamba facility since June 2017, according to Gerardo Balderrama, the sales and marketing head of Starmobile.

“We are the first local brand to actually produce phones here. We are proud of two particular models—UNO B208, which retails for P599 and UNO B308 which retails for P699.

These are made by Filipinos for Filipinos,” says Balderrama.

“The factory is located in Calamba. And this one we are very, very proud of because this is the first time that a local brand is actually producing phones coming from the Philippines,” he says.

Star also teams up with international companies to assemble other featurephones, s m a r t p h o n e s, t a b l e t s, m o b i l e p h o n e accessories, routers, APs, switches and other network devices. The technology company led by chairman and chief executive Joey Uy, president Michael Chen, chief finance officer Ulysses Lao and chief operating officer Jerry Manus, employs around 140 people in its Pasig headquarters.

“We have produced 20,000 units in our Calamba plant. We are very proud of that. We are the first brand that is really able to provide jobs for Filipinos,” says Balderrama.

Balderrama says aside from the 140 employees in the Pasig headquarters, the partner company that runs the Calamba facility has around 500 employees.

Star started its operations from a single room in Pasig City in 2011. The company initially decided to outsource the manufacturing operations to China, but adopted a Filipino brand to appeal to local consumers. In 2015, Starmobile sold around 50,000 phones each month.

Locally produced UNO B308 exhibits premium design with big TFT screen. It has a camera with flash, multimedia player and LED flashlight. It retails for P699.

UNO B208 is a dual-SIM feature phone with a long battery standby time that sells for P599.

It is equipped with FM radio, camera with flash and multimedia playback.

Both featurephones are part of Starmobile’s Star-Tagal Christmas promo which runs until Dec. 31, 2017, where customers who purchase any Starmobile product can get a chance to win prizes. Starmobile is giving away over P4 million worth of prizes, tax-free, including Starmobile devices, home appliances, eight Honda motorcycles, two brand-new Toyota cars or P1 million in cash.

Balderrama says there is a possibility that Star will venture into smartphone assembly in the future. “If it merits that the technology can be brought here, then we can discuss assembling smartphones. That is also our vision or dream to eventually produce or develop smartphones,” he says.

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PHONE MAKER

Starmobile sales and marketing head Gerardo Balderrama

Aside from the two locally-made featurephones, Starmobile also distributes other feature-packed featurephones and smartphones.

“The feature phone market is still very, very strong especially in the provinces. I think, we are still looking at around 50/50 ratio,” he says. “When we see the broadband signal improve in the provinces, then we will see a higher uptake of smartphones. But I am not so sure if that is coming soon. That is also an expensive undertaking to upgrade all your sites to broadband capacity.”

Balderrama says aside from the consumer segment, Star is also moving strong into the corporate sector. It recently teamed up with MLhuillier Group of Companies to design a customized Android smartphone powered by a Smart SIM for the latter’s employees and customers.

He says Star signed a distribution agreement with international network solutions company TP-Link to provide network devices in the country, as the company expands its business beyond smartphones and tablets and into providing connectivity solutions to home, SMEs and enterprise clients.

Balderrama says the company is also expanding its retail distribution to include sari-sari stores and loading stations. It says under the initial phase starting the second half of October 2017, Starmobile’s featurephones will be available in over 20 sari-sari stores and loading stations in Metro Manila, Cagayan De Oro and Zamboanga, providing the brand both urban and rural settings to pilot the pioneering initiative.

“This year, we continue to reach new frontiers in retail as we enter into sari-sari store distribution, again becoming the first tech

brand to explore this channel in the Philippines,” he says.

Balderrama says Star also strengthened its ‘Star Standards’ campaign, highlighting the company’s compliance with international industry certifications. Starmobile’s worldclass standards also apply to its featurephones assembled in its factory in Calamba. “Even though we are a local player, we are proud to say that Starmobile can stand toe-to-toe with products from international brands in terms of performance and durability,” he says.

“We see this as an opportunity for us to strengthen our position as the leading quality local brand. If there is one thing at Startmobile we are very proud of, it is the fact that we can compete with the leading brands when it comes to quality,” says Balderrama.

“Over the years, we have talked to a lot of people. The general sentiment of people is that they are very happy, with the phone that they got,” he says. “The reason why we are able to claim that is because of the very strict standards that we follow for quality. We have come up with the material that actually defines how we envision the products—starting from the suppliers that we choose to deal with, the parts, the software and to our partner factories who are all certified,” he says.

“We ensure that these are all following the European standards for quality. That is why we are proud that our return on defect rate is at an all-time low. Very recently, we have added the tagline ‘tatagal’ on all our handsets. That is what Starmobile stands for. We believe that this is now an opportune time for us to harp on the quality that our phones have,” he says.

Turn to B2

FOOD FIRM INTRODUCES CORNED BEEF WITH ANGUS HIGHLANDS, the brand that introduced the corned beef with Angus in the Philippine market, has launched the new Highlands Gold Corned Beef with actor Piolo Pascual as brand ambassador.

Brenda Miranda, vice president for marketing of Highlands, said: “Filipinos are very accustomed to eating corned beef but there are only a few offerings available in the market today. That’s why we wanted to provide a better option for our dear consumers.”

“Through Highlands Gold, we guarantee a high quality of corned beef satisfaction which our consumers will not find in their usual corned beef, ” Miranda said.

Highlands Gold is not only made from 100-percent pure beef but is made with imported and high-quality Angus.

As the product is made with Angus, Highlands Gold has real and natural beef taste that moms would love, Miranda said.

Compared to ordinary beef, Angus has better marbling which makes the product more delightfully and naturally delicious and tender, according to experts.

They define marbling as the fine white streaks in beef which give the cut its flavor, juiciness and tenderness. The higher amount of marbling, a characteristic Angus is known for, the higher the quality is. No wonder steakhouses offering Angus steaks have good consumer following.

“Being one of the country’s top and trusted brand ambassadors, Piolo is known to be discriminating when it comes to the products he endorses. He only promotes products he patronizes himself,” Miranda said. “ We are h appy to l e ar n that Piolo was already a fan of Highlands Gold even before we tapped him to endorse the brand,” she said.

Pascual said he considers it a blessing to be the brand ambassador of Highlands Gold.

“I’m happy when I tasted it. It is so good! It is something familiar yet new. I will never go back to my old corned beef,” he said.

“And what I like best is that it’s not only made from 100-percent pure beef, it is also made with Angus beef. I love its natural and superior beef taste,” Pascual said.

“Filipinos deserve corned beef with Angus.”

SM OPENS SUSTAINABLE DESIGN MALLS IN PALAWAN AND CAGAYAN SM Prime Holdings Inc., the property arm of SM Investments Corp., has opened two more malls in Luzon, showcasing sustainable designs that respond to various market and environmental changes.

The SM Puerto Princesa City in the tropical capital of Palawan and SM Tuguegarao in the booming town of the North in Cagayan province are both environment-friendly as a part of SM Prime’s commitment to disaster mitigation and the reduction of the property firm’s carbon footprint.

Architect Fides Garcia-Hsu, vice president of SM’s engineering, design and development said the newly opened SM City Puerto Princesa has cost-efficient, energy-saving as well as disaster-mitigation features. The three-story mall, which spans a floor area of over 69,000 square meters has high or clerestory windows to allow natural lighting and minimizing the use of electricity during day time.

She said restaurant and toilet waste are treated through the sewage treatment plant and rainwater collection

is incorporated with the water recycling system which will be repurposed for toilet flushing, plants irrigation, cleaning or maintenance and other non-potable purposes that helps in the conservation of freshwater.

“Recycled water will also be used in the air-conditioning system’s chilled water and cooling towers to reduce fresh water consumption. Paver blocks are strategically used in the parking areas to allow rainwater penetration in the grounds to replenish underground water table,” she said.

The design for SM City Puerto Princesa made by architectural firm DSGN Associates creates a unique identity along the island’s well-known thoroughfare and within a short walk to the popular Baywalk Park and nearby pier. Landscaping and sculptural façade blend the mall into its setting while providing sheltered walkways for pedestrians along the street.

On the other hand, the newly opened SM Center Tuguegarao Downtown which is SM Prime’s 65th mall has taken great

care during the design and throughout construction to preserve two large trees along Mabini Street. As a benefit, the East entrance of the mall is located between two shady tree canopies.

The mall uses LED lighting and has solar panels installed on the roofdeck which can provide 484 KW of electricity. A rainwater catchment located at the entrance driveway can hold an equivalent of 215 cubic meters of floodwater equivalent to 215,000 one-liter soda bottles.

Also designed by DSGN, the SM Center Tuguegarao has blue facade that provides an accent to the main thoroughfare. Its interior is organized around an efficient “T” shaped plan that allows a clear lineof-sight to multiple shops on multiple levels at all times. Strategically placed spacious openings, flanked with sleek escalators and a centrally located elevator and stairs, provide for optimal customer convenience and access to all portions of the mall.

Beyond the mall’s aesthetics, SM believes that investing in sustainability safeguards the welfare of customers, tenants and the malls’ host communities.

“More than distinct and iconic designs, SM also takes great care in considering that the designs fit a purpose, for the convenience of shoppers, for energy conservation, for higher visibility of tenants and for easier navigation which have always been the lessons from our founder, Mr. Henry Sy,” Garcia-Hsu said.

Business

B2

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2017 business@manilastandard.net

BANANA MAGNATE DECRIES EXPULSION FROM PDP REP. Antonio Floirendo Jr., whose family owns the Anflo Group of Companies that include Tagum Agricultural Development Company Inc. and Pearl Farm Beach Resort, says he continues to support President Rodrigo Duterte despite the decision by the national hierarchy of PDP-Laban to expel the banana magnate from the administration’s political party.

Floirendo, the second of six children of the late ‘banana king’ Antonio Floirendo Sr., represents the second congressional district of Davao del Norte province. Anflocor, the Floirendoowned conglomerate, has interests in various businesses in Mindanao.

Tadeco, its flagship company, is a major exporter of fresh Cavendish bananas to Japan, Hong Kong, Korea, China and the Middle East.

Floirendo says in a statement that on Oct. 6, “the national hierarchy of the PDP-Laban, without due process as mandated under the par ty ’s constitution and by-laws, issued an ‘immediate termination’ removing me from the group. But it is only now that I am coming out to refute the charges because news about this was released just recently,” he says. ”The letter cited three violations which were attributed to me without even asking in writing my side on the issues. Worse, they imputed against me certain partisan activities I did not even have a clue whatsoever, and accused me maliciously of disloyalty, sowing disunity and discord, and using media to air my grievances,” says Floirendo Floirendo was served notice of expulsion from the party on the following grounds: disloyalty to the party and its leaders; organizing and participating in an unauthorized and unsanctioned party convention; and manifesting grievances to the public fora and media press releases instead of mandated mechanisms for settling internal disputes.

“For a party that has always embraced honorable policies, principles and philosophies that are democratic, legal, moral, and ethical, certainly the issuance of expulsion without even the accused person being given space and time to defend oneself is contrary to what the founders have preached and stood for. It is also notable that one of its present leaders has resorted to fabrication of stories and lies just to advance his interest and his personal crusade against me and my family,” according to Floirendo, without naming specific persons. ”Already at the tail-end of numerous false allegations by this individual who had benefitted avariciously from our family, my being accused of imagined transgressions violates the accepted rules on impartiality, which is what the Party has always fought for,” he says. ”Judging by the action of the signatories, it looks like the claws of authoritarianism has finally pierced the sacred ground the Party has zealously guarded against freebooters, carpetbaggers and opportunists,” he says. ”But despite this unstatesman-like demeanor of a few, let me just reiterate that my full support is still with our President and I shall keep within me the true ideals and virtues of PDP Laban,” says Floirendo.

FILIPINO...

From B1

Balderrama says this early, Star is also exploring Internet of Things including appliance products that consumers at home can benefit from in the future. “Right now, IOT is not that advanced here, but I think in a few years, we will start seeing what IoT can do and even now we are preparing for that,” he says.

“We are very proud of the product line that we have. And we are looking forward to ending 2017 very strongly.

We are also very positive about what 2018 will bring,” says Balderrama.

Roderick T. dela Cruz

TRAFFIC GRIDLOCK SPURS DEMAND FOR DORMITORY

By Cecilia Yap and Ian Sayson

A

YALA Land Inc., which built Manila’s financial district, is expanding into workers’ dormitories as developers target people fed up with battling some of the world’s worst traffic.

The company is investing P3 billion($58 million) building five dormitories on four sites in the Makati and Taguig business districts, comprising 1,500 units that can house as many as 6,000 people, Ayala Land president and chief executive Bobby Dy said in an interview.

The first dormitory will be ready next year, and has received interest from firms wanting to lease entire floors to keep workers close, he said.

“It caters to a segment of the market who would want to stay close to their place of work to improve their productivity and their quality of life,” Dy said.

“There’s really a need for this kind of product if you look at the commute times in the last couple of years.”

Metro Manila was voted the world’s worst city to drive in, according to Waze Inc.’s 2015 driver satisfaction index and congestion costs the economy about P2.4 billion a day. President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration is embarking on a $170 billion infrastructure program that will include adding 1,900 kilometers of railway in a bid to ease traffic gridlock.

The move into dormitories could also help Ayala Land meet its target to get half of revenue from recurring earnings by 2020. The builder is leaning on its track record of developing highend properties to compete with SM Investments Corp., which has already moved into developing dormitories.

Ayala Land will likely look to build dormitories in other cities where the company has estates, Dy said.

“The first mover in dormitories will capture the biggest share of a growing and promising market,” said Rachelle Cruz, analyst at AP Securities Inc. “It’s a new strategic area for property companies seeking recurring income.”

Dormitory venture SM Investments, owned by billionaire Henry Sy, has bought a majority stake in Philippine Urban Living Solutions Inc., which in 2016 opened its largest dormitory project called MyTown New York with 653 beds. The dormitory builder, whose initial shareholders include Franklin Templeton Investments, is expected to have 12 dormitories operating in the next 12 months, up from three now.

Dormitory-style accommodation, or so-called co-living, is also taking off in other Asian cities such as Hong Kong, where stratospheric housing costs are pricing young people out of the property

Ayala Land Inc. president and chief executive Bobby Dy

market.

“Dormitories could generate the same return as an office building,” said Jan Paul Custodio, senior director at property consultant Santos Knight Frank. “It’s like a budget hotel with yearround occupancy and charging by the head.”

Ayala is on track to more than double its mall space to 3 million square meters by 2020, from 1.2 million at the end of 2013, Dy said in the interview. Office space is on target to triple to 1.5 million square meters and hotel rooms to 6,000, he said.

Shares of Ayala Land have risen 34 percent

this year, outpacing the 21 percent gain in the Philippines’ benchmark stock index.

This year, the company has also ventured into serviced offices or co-working spaces for freelancers and startup ventures to help boost recurring earnings.

“As the Philippines enters a demographic sweet spot, there will be increased urbanization,” Dy said. “There’s going to be more workers and that will continue to make cities attractive. The demand for this kind of product will not disappear even with an improvement in infrastructure.”

Bloomberg

TOURISM BOOM SEEN IN NORTH PHILIPPINES A L L the four regions of Nor th Philippines (NorthPhil) comprising the Cordilleras, Ilocos and Pangasinan, Cagayan Valley, and Central Luzon are bracing for a tourism boom arising from the government’s ongoing “Build, Build, Build” infrastructure program.

Part of this massive infrastructure buildup covers the country’s airports, which NorthPhil hosts the most number and stands to benefit the most.

NorthPhil hosts the international airports in Clark, Subic and Laoag; principal domestic airports in Baguio City in the Cordilleras, Basco in Batanes, and Tuguegarao in Cagayan; and the community airports in Bagabag in Nueva Vizcaya, Baler in Aurora, Cauayan and Palanan in Isabela, Iba in Zambales, Itbayat Island in Batanes, Lingayen and Rosales in Pangasinan, Plaridel in Bulacan, Poro Point in La Union, and Vigan in Ilocos Sur. Most of those provinces form part of two super-regions – the North Luzon Agribusiness Quadrangle and the Metro Luzon Urban Beltway, both also accessible by sea.

All of NorthPhil can be reached by land from any of its three international airports, especially Clark with its everincreasing number of international and domestic flights and a passenger volume expected to reach 1.5 million by end-2017. And unlike the international airport in Manila, Clark has so much

Villa Dolores Beach Resort emerges as a new beach destination in Bagac, Bataan, with its modern penthouses and cottages. The resort located in Barangay Saysain is one of the nearest beach destinations west of Metro Manila, according to the resort’s marketing consultant Jojo Gamboa. The resort features beachfront rooms and cottages that features Mediterranean and Modern concepts.

land for expansion.

From Clark, the rest of northern Luzon can be reached by land through three major road arteries of worldclass quality – the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway, North Luzon Expressway and the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway, which is due for completion early next year – thus making tourism traffic more convenient than any other

region of NorthPhil’s magnitude.

All such developments are swiftly increasing the super-region’s absorptive capacity for tourists and tourism investments, making the four regional offices of the Department of Tourism join hands in intensifying the marketing campaign for NorthPhil as a single destination.

“Moreover, the DOT offices in CAR,

Region 1 [Ilocandia], Region 2 [Cagayan Valley] and Region 3 [Central Luzon] have partnered with the private sector [Association of Tourism Officers of Central Luzon and Cebu Pacific Air] in promoting our super-region through the NorthPhil Tourism and Travel Expo, with the SBMA [Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority], CDC [Clark Development Corp.], TIEZA [Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority], NLEX Corp. and the provinces of Aurora, Bataan, Zambales and Pampanga, and the Angeles City Tourism Office as sponsors,” said DOT Region 3 officer-incharge Carol de Guzman-Uy. “Through the expo, we will showcase the finest tourism wonders of North Philippines in one venue—the SM City Clark, Pampanga – on Nov. 17-19,” De Guzman-Uy said.

The event, being organized by the Philippine Exhibits and Themeparks Corp., adopts the theme of the United Nations World Tourism Organization.

The theme International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development highlights the contributions of tourism to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.

“Thus, the NorthPhil Expo also aims to raise awareness on how sustainable tourism can improve the people’s quality of life through developmental governance and community support,” De Guzman-Uy said.

World

Cesar Barrioquinto, Editor / Jimbo Gulle, Issue Editor

HIROSHIMA NUKE MEMORIES LIVE ON WITH THURLOW OTTAWA, Canada—Setsuko Thurlow was 13 years old and standing only a mile away from ground zero when the United States dropped an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima in 1945.

More than 62 years after that horrific day, she will jointly accept the Nobel Peace Prize on behalf of this year’s laureate, the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), an organization in which she has played a major role.

“I remember a bluish-white flash.

My body was flung into the air, and I remember a sensation of floating,” she said in an interview with AFP, describing the day of the bombing.

Thurlow suddenly found herself pinned under a collapsed building with dozens of other people. A stranger eventually pulled her out.

“The city I saw was almost indescribable,” she said.

It was 8:15 a.m. in Hiroshima and the sun had been up for nearly two hours, yet darkness covered the ruins.

“It was like the morning had turned to night,” Thurlow said. “The dirt and particles from the mushroom cloud had prevented the sun’s rays from getting through.” AFP

FIRST CHARGES FILED IN PROBE ON MEDDLING WASHINGTON—A Washington grand jury on Friday approved the first charges in the probe led by independent American prosecutor Robert Mueller, CNN reported, citing sources briefed on the matter.

The approval of the charges -- details of which remain unclear -- would mark a major step forward in the sweeping investigation into potential links between US President Donald Trump’s campaign and Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential vote.

A federal judge ordered that the charges stay sealed, the cable news network said, reporting that anyone charged could be taken into custody as early as Monday.

Reached by AFP, both Mueller’s office and the US Department of Justice declined to comment on the CNN report.

Mueller, a former FBI director, was tapped in May to head the Russia probe -- one of several ongoing investigations on the matter -- shortly after Trump’s shock sacking of then-FBI director James Comey.

That Mueller had impaneled a federal grand jury to investigate potential Russian meddling was seen as a step toward possible criminal indictments.

Trump has not been accused of any wrongdoing but his abrupt firing of Comey is reportedly an area of interest to investigators, along with Trump’s eldest son’s meeting with a Kremlinlinked lawyer during the campaign and Trump’s meetings at the White House with Russian officials. AFP

MYANMAR REAPS ABANDONED ROHINGYA FIELDS RANGOUN, Myanmar—Myanmar’s government began harvesting rice from farmland abandoned by Rohingya in northern Rakhine on Saturday, officials said, a move likely to raise concerns about the prospect of return for more than half a million refugees who have fled communal violence in the area.

The border region has been emptied of most of its Muslim residents since late August, when Myanmar’s military launched a crackdown on Rohingya rebels that the UN says likely amounts to ethnic cleansing.

Hundreds of villages have been burned to the ground, with more than 600,000 Rohingya -- a stateless group in mainly Buddhist Myanmar -- fleeing across the border for sanctuary in Bangladesh.

Under intense global pressure, Myanmar has agreed to repatriate “scrutinized” refugees who can prove their residence in Rakhine.

But details of the plan remain thin, seeding concern about who will be allowed back, what they will return to and how they will live in a region where antiRohingya hatred remains sky-high.

On Saturday the government began harvesting 71,000 acres of rice paddy in Maungdaw -- the Rohingya-majority area hardest-hit by the violence -- according to state media and a local official.

“We started harvesting today in Myo Thu Gyi village tract,” Thein Wai, the head of Maungdaw’s Agricultural Department, told AFP. AFP

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2017

B3

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

CATALONIA WAKES UP UNDER MADRID CONTROL B ARCELONA — Catalonia woke up Saturday under the direct control of Madrid as the Spanish prime minister took drastic measures to quash secession, deposing the region’s leaders and dissolving its parliament hours after lawmakers declared independence.

In a dramatic escalation of a political crisis that has stoked alarm in Europe and sent shockwaves through Spain, Mariano Rajoy also decided to call snap Catalan elections on December 21 to “restore normality” to a region in turmoil.

All eyes this weekend will be on whether Catalonia’s separatist executive willingly steps down and independence supporters carry out their threat of peaceful resistance to Madrid’s takeover.

In the Spanish capital, protesters were due to hit the streets Saturday against Catalonia’s declaration of independence, which while lacking any legal basis has caused strife in a region deeply divided on whether

to split from Spain.

On Friday in Barcelona and other Catalan cities, thousands celebrated their regional parliament’s motion for independence, which passed with 70 votes for, 10 against and two abstentions in a 135-seat chamber that anti-secession MPs had deserted in protest.

Demonstrators in Barcelona broke out in ecstatic shouts of: “Independence!” as the result was announced, while separatist MPs cheered, clapped and embraced before breaking out in the Catalan anthem.

But others glumly assessed the fallout to what they viewed as a hugely damaging and illegal vote.

“They’re forgetting part of the people, the majority,” said Josep Reina, a 34-year-old salesman.

The move to take over Catalan powers is likely to anger many in a region of some 7.5 million people that enjoyed considerable autonomy, with control over its education, healthcare and police.

It is the first time that the central government has curtailed regional autonomy since dictator Francisco Franco’s repressive 1939-75 rule.

Independence supporters have warned they will resist the temporary measure, implemented under Article 155 of the constitution, devised to rein in rebel regions.

“We won’t cave in to Rajoy’s authoritarianism nor to 155,” tweeted the far-left CUP party, an ally of Puigdemont.

The resistance could come in the form of street protests and strikes, all of which have already happened since October 1 when an outlawed independence referendum was marred by police violence as cen-

tral authorities tried to stop people from voting.

Catalan leaders hold up the unregulated referendum that had been banned by the Constitutional Court as a mandate for independence, saying 90 percent voted “Yes” even if only 43 percent of voters turned out.

Federico Santi, Europe analyst at political risk consultancy Eurasia Group, warned there could be “more serious clashes between national police and pro-independence activists,” echoing widelyheld fears.

Speaking after the parliament proclaimed an independent republic, Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont urged activists to “maintain the momentum” in a peaceful manner.

Other measures adopted by the government include the dismissal of the director of the Catalan regional police force, the Mossos d’Esquadra, as well as Catalan government representatives in Madrid and Brussels. AFP

YOUTH PROTEST. Students hold placards reading ‘goodbye’ as they protest during a demonstration in Barcelona on Thursday. Thousands of students rallied in Barcelona in support of Catalan independence and against plans by Spain’s central government to curb the region’s powers. The demonstrators carried red carnations and wore red and yellow Catalan independence flags tied around their necks, and they made their way through the center of the Catalan capital chanting: “Occupation forces out!” AFP

INTRIGUING DETAILS IN ‘JFK’ FILES, BUT NO BOMBSHELL WASHINGTON—Cuban and Russian spies, false leads, strippers, bizarre Central Intelligence Agency murder plots and a furious Federal Bureau of Investigation director.

Newly released secret records are full of intriguing details surrounding the assassination of American president John F. Kennedy.

But Kennedy scholars say the thousands of documents do not appear to contain any bombshell revelations about the November 22, 1963 murder that shocked the world.

President Donald Trump ordered the release on Thursday of 2,800 classified Kennedy assassination records but held back other “sensitive” documents under pressure from the CIA and FBI. That last-minute decision left many Kennedy historians frustrated -- and provided more fuel for the thriving conspiracy industry around the shooting of the charismatic 46-year-old president in Dallas, Texas.

“I was very disappointed,” said Philip Shenon, author of “A Cruel and Shocking Act: The Secret History of the Kennedy Assassination.”

“Most of the documents that were released last night are documents we’d already seen before,” Shenon told AFP. “We just saw them in redacted form previously.”

“The really important documents, sort of the super-secret documents, most of them are not part of the release,” he said.

The Warren Commission, which investigated Kennedy’s murder, determined that Lee Harvey Oswald -- a former Marine Corps sharpshooter -- acted alone but that conclusion has failed to quell years of speculation that others were involved.

Hundreds of books and movies such as

the 1991 Oliver Stone film“JFK”have examined scores of conspiracy theories, pointing the finger at Cold War rivals the Soviet Union or Cuba, the Mafia and even Kennedy’s own vice president, Lyndon Johnson.

While the records released on Thursday by the National Archives contain

reams of new information it will be months before the rest of the files are seen -- if ever.

Trump gave the CIA, FBI and other agencies six months -- until April 26, 2018 -- to make their case for why the remaining documents should not be made public. AFP

FAREWELL, KING. A mourner holds up an image of the late Thai king Bhumibol Adulyadej as she waits with others for his funeral procession to continue in Bangkok on Friday. Thailand’s new king picked bits of bone and ash from his father’s remains to be enshrined as royal relics, after the cremation of the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej capped an extravagant funeral that brought the nation to a standstill. AFP

B4

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2017 Riera U. Mallari, Editor rumallari@thestandard.com.ph

Gadgets & Games

TRUEMONEY REACHES 1M CUSTOMER MARK IN PH T

RUEMONEY Philippines recently achieved one of their biggest milestones to date.

In less than a year of operations in the country, the company already reached its 1 million transacting customer mark.

TrueMoney is a Fintech brand of Ascend Money, a digital finance venture of the C.P. Group from Thailand, one of the largest diversified conglomerates in Asia, and Ant Financial (Alipay), the payments arm of e-commerce giant Alibaba Group.

Humble Beginnings and Rapid Growth It wasn’t so long ago when TrueMoney Philippines was just a business concept on a set of PowerPoint slides.

Within the first few months, TrueMoney Philippines grew its workforce from one person to hundreds of employees spread across several regions in the country. The team also launched its core technology system and began offering services on a pilot basis to several partners.

In a few months’ time, it already built what is now one of the largest payment and remittance networks in the country, with over 5,000 TrueMoney Centers.

“Our mission is to provide everyone with ACCESS to affordable and innovative financial services, particularly those who are underbanked and underserved today,” says TrueMoney Philippines CEO Xavier Marzan. “That means being pervasive and going to where these underserved segments are.”

Today, TrueMoney Philippines al-

ready provides services such as payment of e-commerce purchases, bills payment, buying of load and credits, and remittance to multiple provinces nationwide, including far flung areas in Albay, Bataan, Benguet, Bohol, Bukidnon, Cagayan de Oro, Camarines Sur, Cavite, Cebu, Davao, Ilocos, Isabela, Laguna, La Union, Metro Manila, Misamis Oriental, Nueva Ecija, Nueva Vizcaya, Pampanga, Pangasinan, Quezon, Rizal, Tarlac, and Zambales and more!

“Where we are today is just the starting point,” Marzan says. “We are constantly growing our network of partner centers to cover more greenfield areas.”

With an empowered footprint of TrueMoney Centers in strategic corridors, TrueMoney introduced its Money Padala (remittance) service a few months ago. For TrueMoney’s Partner Agents, this meant a more diversified portfolio of services and a greater potential of earning higher income. For its customers, it meant convenience and affordability as TrueMoney’s cashto-cash Money Padala service is one of the lowest sending rates in the country.

While the average rates for domestic remittances today range from 3 percent to more than 10 percent for some providers, TrueMoney rates go as low as only 2 percent of the transaction

amount—without any additional charges to the recipient. So say for remittances of P1,000, the total cost of sending is only P20. The recipient also gets the entire amount without any additional charges.

To reinforce its drive to serve the masses, TrueMoney has also worked with talk show host Boy Abunda in promoting the new brand in the Philippine market.

“This is just the first step,” Marzan adds. “In the coming months, we will be launching additional payment partners and expanding our portfolio of

services. Given our industry, we need to constantly stay ahead of what the market demands. We need to be at the forefront of innovation to address current gaps in the market with new products as well as to solve difficult challenges in an emerging market like ours with new capabilities.”

To know more about TrueMoney and how to become a TrueMoney partner agent, visit www.truemoney.com. ph or call (02) 7189999. You may even text them at 09778063775 (Globe) or 0998565999 (Smart).

6 MUST-HAVE APPS ON YOUR PHONE TODAY'S dynamic lifestyle requires interventions that are quick, functional and easy to use.

Technology and the birth of diverse applications have made things way easier for everyone, even altering our lifestyles. There is now a perfect app for travel, leisure, dining, accommodation, even attractions.

Take a peek at the top 6 lifestyle apps that are now constant in everyone’s phone: Grab & Uber—Who have not hopped in on a Grab or Uber car? The ridesharing revolution in the Philippines latched on the on-demand service vehicle app has grown into a multi-billion peso industry especially in the Philippines that is yet to have its own efficient mass transport system unlike its Asian neighbors. For commuters, getting a convenient, comfortable ride is now at the tip of their fingers. For car owners, they no longer need to buy a second car to use during “coding

days”, they just need to “Grab” it or “Uber” it.

Eatigo—Filipinos today are now known as the dine-

out generation because of their current time-strapped and on-the-go lifestyle and the Eatigo app happens to be the favorite restaurant reservation app of this generation.

Eatigo aims to connect empty tables with empty stomachs and offers 50% discounts on every restaurant, every day—from your favorite hole-in-the-wall to the popular fine dining places. Reservation is fuss-free at its more than 2,000 restaurants across Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, India and the Philippines.Through the eatigo mobile app, diners can browse for restaurants via the curated categories: top 50 restaurants, new restaurants or use“here

& now” to see nearby restaurants. Once a restaurant has been selected, the diner can then reserve a table through the hassle-free booking process.The app is completely free to use—no subscriptions, no vouchers, no hidden fees.

Great selection of dining outlets with amazing discounts, that’s why Eatigo has hit the charts for the top food app.

Spotify—This music and podcast streaming app has been rocking the world of music-lovers of all ages since it was launched October of 2008. Available in Europe, most of the Americas, Australia, New Zealand and parts of Asia, Spotify allows music to be browsed through or searched by parameters such as artist, album, genre, playlist, or record label. Users can create, edit, and share playlists, share tracks on social media, and make playlists with other users. Spotify provides access to more than 30 million songs. As of June 2017, it had more than 140 million monthly active users and more than 60 million paying subscribers as of July 2017.

Netflix—Boasting a massive library of video content at an affordable price, Netflix has dramatically changed today’s viewing habits. Founded in 1997, Netflix started online streaming after 10 years when their titles were only limited to 1,000. Its success exploded in the first quarter

of 2017 with 98.75 million subscribers and breached the 100-million subscriber mark shortly after its first-quarter report in April. Netflix is now available in more than 190 countries and is responsible for at least 35% of downstream internet traffic in North America in 2016, double the traffic of Google’s YouTube and more than eight times as much as Amazon Video over the same period.

AirBnB—Travelers swear by AirBnB as the most seamless app to book your accommodation. You choose your location, your price range, amenities and the type of accommodation you want, key in your preferred dates and number of persons staying and AirBnB gives you a shortlist that would match your requirements and preferences. Easy peasy!

Lalamove—Who would have thought that an app that’s created for van hiring would totally revolutionize this industry?That’s exactly what Lalamove achieved. Created in December 2013 and then known as EasyVan, its main purpose for existence is to leverage on the sharing economy and satisfying a specific logistical need which is van hiring.

Shortly after in July 2014, EasyVan expanded to Singapore, Thailand, Taiwan and numerous cities in Southeast Asia. It has since been re-baptized as “Lalamove” which was seen as a more appropriate name when the fleet of vehicles evolved from just vans to motorcycles and trucks of varying sizes. Lalamove has become synonymous with quick and reliable delivery, the “Lalamove way.”

As our lifestyles take us on the fast lane, the lifestyle apps above make sure we got everything in control to just sit back and enjoy the ride.

SENNHEISER BRINGS LATEST IN GERMAN AUDIO TECH TO PH IF heaven had a sound, this would probably be the closest thing to it.

Leading German audio specialist, Sennheiser recently introduced its full suite of new audio solutions, including the HE 1 headphone, a P3-million pair of audiophile headphones during lavish rites at the Manila Private House Club at the Bonifacio Global City.

Following the success of the legendary Orpheus, Sennheiser is presenting the Philippine debut of Sennheiser HE 1, the new reference headphone system that promises unprecedented audio.

This electrostatic headphone system combines a unique amplifier concept with carefully selected materials and highest quality craftsmanship. Its technical highlights include a frequency response that extends beyond the range of human hearing, resulting in the lowest total harmonic distortion that has ever been measured in an audio reproduction system.

Sennheiser is shaping the future of audio in the country by relaunching locally with its latest campaign, Sennheiser Sound Heroes, and introducing high end audio headphones, amplifiers, portable music and entertainment wireless headphones, DJ, headphones, gaming headsets, as

well as mobile recording microphones for smartphones.

Highlight of the brand’s collection include the highly acclaimed HE 1 headphones—a 3-Million-peso pair of—as well as 3D audio recording devices under the brand’s AMBEO initiative, a framework that develops various 3D audio hardware, software, and workflows.

Sennheiser Sound Heroes is an initiative spearheaded by Sennheiser in Asia, particularly in Korea, Singapore, and now the Philippines. The project will follow 12 local creative personalities on a journey to discover new audio experiences with Sennheiser products, culminating with a trip to Sennheiser’s headquarters and flagship stores in Germany. These 12 personalities

include singers/actors, Khalil Ramos and Jay Gonzaga; radio DJs, Dannie Farmer and Jazmin Reyes; influencers/bloggers, Cha Ocampo, Rhea Bue, Issa Pressman, Deegee Razon, Ira Denise Oyco; vlogger, Maqui Castelo; party emcee, Marga Bermudez; and concert photographer, Magic Liwanag.

As part of the campaign, Sennheiser is also raffling off a chance to join the Sennheiser Sound Heroes in Germany— simply purchase Sennheiser products from participating authorised retailers from Nov. 1, 2017 until Feb. 28, 2018 to be eligible.

More details can be found on the campaign site: http://en-sg.sennheiser.com/ sennheisersoundheroes2017.

“The Philippines is home to a large music-loving community. The demand for high-fidelity sound reproduction continues to rise, whether for movies, music, or games,” said Sennheiser Asia’s Managing Director, Martin Low. “The Sennheiser Sound Heroes project a unique brainchild of Sennheiser’s to keep in tune with this ever-growing, discerning community.”

Highlights of new products entering the local market include three wireless music and entertainment neckband headphones for people on the move: CX 7.00BT (P9,490), MOMENTUM In-Ear Wireless (P12,590) and

MOMENTUM Free (P12,590). All three models feature Bluetooth and NFC integration, a three-button remote, and an integrated high quality in-line microphone for making calls and controlling music. Other notable wireless Sennheiser headphones include the award-winning active noise cancelling Bluetooth wireless travel headset, PXC 550 Wireless (P24,190) and HD 4.50 BTNC (P12,590) wireless noise cancelling headphone for active lifestyles on the go. The latest Sennheiser Gaming models such as the GSP 300 (P5,990) PC/console gaming headset and GSX 1200 Pro (P14,990) gaming audio amplifier will also be introduced to avid Filipino gamers.

Apart from consumer audio products, Sennheiser is also introducing a series of microphones for mobile journalism and action cameras in the form of the MKE 2 elements (P7,629), a high quality waterproof action microphone for GoPro® HERO4 cameras; the HANDMIC DIGITAL (P12,019), a rugged, dynamic handheld microphone for interviews and music recording on iOS, Mac, and PC, made in partnership with Apogee’s analog-to-digital conversion technology; and ClipMic digital (P8,229), a clip-on microphone for mobile recording with iOS devices.

BGC NOW POWERED BY PLDT FIBR LEADING telecoms and digital services provider PLDT has recently completed its program to roll out fiber-powered broadband facilities in the Bonifacio Global City, a thriving business and residential center in Taguig City, providing its residents with Fibr-fast internet speeds.

All residential buildings in BGC are now Fibr-powered by PLDT HOME. Among these buildings are One Serendra, Two Serendra, Bellagio One, Two and Three, Arya Residences, The Icon Residences, The Beaufort, One McKinley Place, 8 Forbestown Road, Essensa East Forbes, Pacific Plaza Towers.

These include all upcoming residential buildings in BGC such as the Grand Hyatt Manila Residences, Uptown Parksuites, High Street South Block’s One and Two Maridien, and Verve Residence Towers, East Gallery Place, West Gallery Place, and the Park Triangle Towers.

“As a cosmopolitan community, BGC residents have a strong need for high-speed broadband to support their digitally-driven lifestyles. PLDT HOME Fibr fulfills this demand,” said PLDT FVP and Head of Home Business Marco Borlongan.

BGC residents can now enjoy ultra-fast broadband speeds for lag-free browsing, gaming and streaming via the game-changing Roku Powered™ TVolution. This entertainment box offers Cignal TV, and over 100 streaming channels including Netflix, iflix, and YouTube.

The powerful connection from PLDT HOME Fibr will also enable families to enjoy the benefits of PLDT’s SmartHome security devices such as the home monitoring system Fam Cam, the cyber security platform Fam Zone, and the multi-functional kiddie gadget Smart Watch.

“They can also now sign up for the country’s first-ever Whole Home WiFi service—the first intelligent Home Wi-Fi technology in the Philippines, designed to blanket the entire home with wireless connectivity,” Borlongan added.

A former military base, BGC is now one of the country’s fastest-growing commercial business districts and residential communities. It is home to many of the country’s leading corporations and a preferred location for many global brands and foreign investors.

BGC is also a popular cultural and leisure destination for city dwellers, with its open spaces, sports fields, parks, art installations, museums, cinemas and diverse array of dining options.

BAYABORDA IS NEW GM OF MICROSOFT PH STARTING Dec. 5, Hans Bayaborda will helm Microsoft Philippines as Managing Director/Countr y General Manager, taking over from Bertrand Launay, who served in the Bayaborda interim.

Hans joins Microsoft Asia Pacific from HPE, where he served as Country General Manager at Hewlett Packard Philippines Corporation, and was responsible for growing the business and building organizational capabilities and talent.

At Microsoft, Hans is responsible for delivering Microsoft’s overall business growth, and its leadership and vision through solutions and services that span security, intelligence, cloud, productivity and communications to help customers realize their digital transformation objectives.

An industry veteran for more than 20 years, Hans has extensive experience in the telecommunications and IT industries, and has served in leadership positions in various large organizations, including Oracle, Bayantel, Globe, and Smart Communications.

“It is a great honor to be part of Microsoft, an organization with a rich history of helping businesses succeed around the world,” said Bayaborda. “Now more than ever, it is an exciting time in the IT industry with Microsoft leading the way in accelerating digital transformation for every organization in the Philippines.”

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sunday, october 29, 2017 Isah V. Red, Editor

/

Young Life

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

6 key Trends spoTTed aT THe manila fasHion fesTival 2017

By Daniel Reyes

T

Terrifyingly imaginaTive Halloween makeup looks SoRRy to say this, but a well puttogether costume is not enough to nail your Halloween look. Complement that Amazonian princess armor and shield with the look of a beautiful and fierce warrior with the help of cosmetic products from NyX Professional Makeup.

HE LATEST Manila Fashion Festival held at Edsa Shangri-la Hotel on oct. 17 to 20, entitled “Beyond” took everyone to a whole new dimension as it showcased various styles expected to dominate the runway and the streets in the next seasons.

Here are six key trends we spotted at the most anticipated bi-annual fashion event in the country. Fashionistas, take note!

Wonder Woman

From left: Daryl Maat; Jinggo Inoncillo; LSW for Garage; and Anthony Ramirez

Graphic prints

Scan this icon to view the PDF

one way to make a statement is by wearing an apparel with a graphic print. Daryl Maat presented a subtly striking dress inspired by the paintings of Degas.

While Maat had a classic inspiration, Jinggo Inoncillo was inspired by the cover of the oldest running comic book publication for children in the Philippines. He designed a sweater, shorts, and a tote bag based from it in his collection for Garage. other designers who fancied graphic prints were LSW for Garage and Anthony Ramirez, who showcased a layered graphic shirt and a graphic print dress, respectively.

Diana is not only known for her skills with the Lasso of Truth but also for her immortal beauty. Ditch that over-contouring and opt to get that warrior princess glow with Strobe of Genius Palette that includes seven shades of illuminating powders to enhance your features. Define your eyes and finish off the look with Wonder Woman’s signature red lips with Liquid Suede Lip Cream in Kitten Heels.

Oversized tops

The oversized button-down was a hot item last year during the New york Fashion Week, but, 12 months later, it seems like it will remain a staple among the stylish crowd.

Arin’s collection showcased an oversized long sleeve shirt dress that exhibited an effortless edgy look. Renan Pacson, on the other hand, created an oversized black neoprene sweater that expressed his revolutionary style.

Although for a subtly oversized #ootd, turn to GyLE that made its debut on MFF’s runway by presenting various possible looks with this trend such as matching an oversized shirt with a pair of wide-leg denim pants.

From left: Arin; Renan Pacson; and GyLE

Wide-leg bottoms

From oversized shirts to wide-leg bottoms, it seems like everything is getting large. For instance was Kc Pusing’s creation of a jumpsuit featuring mesh details and play on patterns and symmetry in muted colors.

Anthony Ramirez, whose inspiration was women’s power in style, created a beautifully unique wide-leg pants to display the feminine silhouette.

Proving that wide-leg trousers are not only for the ladies, Alex Diaz for Junca Salon created his own take on this trend with a supersize wide-leg pants in white with hints of black.

Harley Quinn

The most notable feature in this psychotic super-villain’s face is her messy eyeshadow and lipstick. To achieve this, ace your base with Total Control Drop Foundation that comes in velvety, matte formula, ensuring that everything you put on after this stays in place. Fine tune the amount of foundation you’re applying by simply adjusting the number of drops. Pull the look together with exquisitely defined brows courtesy of Eyebrow Cake Powder kit that comes with tools, wax, and two shades of powder— to help you customize your shade.

From left: Kc Pusing; Anthony Ramirez; and Alex Diaz for Junca Salon

Pleats

Pleat detailing has definitely made a comeback to the fashion limelight, and it is better than ever. one of Esme Palaganas’ creations was a long black pleated skirt inspired by the rice terraces in Banaue.

Meanwhile, Jaz Cerezo mixed sheer fabric with metallic elements and soft drapes to create that sophisticated modern silhouette that gave subtle flairs to her dresses. Mia Arcenas created a micro-pleated knee-length dress showcasing the chic Parisian look in her flowy ensembles.

From left: Esme Palaganas; Jaz Cerezo; and Mia Arcenas

Turn to C2

Joker

Cover your face with white costume makeup or white cream foundation and apply black eyeshadow all over your upper lids and lower lash line—the messier the better to achieve that psychopath look. Swipe a generous amount of Liquid Suede Lip Cream in Cherry Skies on your lips and on to your cheeks for the signature Joker smile. Ensure Turn to C2

young Life

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sunday, october 29, 2017 isahred@gmail.com

10 real life horror stories that will keep you up tonight W

e asked 10 people for the most terrifying thing that happened to them. Just a heads up, in case you’re looking forward to sleeping with lights off tonight, reading this might be a bad idea.

We were in my mom’s home in the province for a week. as with most houses in the rural village, the comfort room is located a few steps outside of the house. one night, while everyone was asleep, I woke up with an urge to pee. I went to the bathroom. When the light won’t turn on, I just sat on the toilet and did my business. suddenly there was a light knocking on the door, so I hurried. When I opened the door, there was no one outside. I asked the next morning who was knocking the bathroom door, and no one answered.

–Andrea When I was in college, studying Industrial design, I was like a zombie because I did not get enough sleep. It was three o’ clock in the morning and I went into my dad’s office to get something to help me with my plate. after getting what I needed, I locked the office and turned around. When I unintentionally looked at the mirror at the end of the hall, I saw a white shadow with a face behind me.

–Dale It was my last class, 6 to 9 p.m., and there were only a few classes in the building so some halls were dark. When I went to the bathroom, I saw a kid whom I thought was a child of a professor. I asked her what she was doing in the dark, wondering if she was lost. she did not respond and just kept on fidgeting, so I just said “okay then, take care of yourself.” While I was heading to my classroom, I looked back where the kid was sitting; she was suddenly gone, without any sound.

–Nikki I was lying down on a mattress on the floor watching tV. suddenly I felt sleepy, but before I finally fell asleep I felt someone tugging my hair. I woke up feeling a slight pain on my scalp.

I was alone that day.

–Mary Anne We were at caleruega for a retreat. I heard a lot of ghost stories about the place but I didn’t believe any of it. on our second night, past midnight, we heard a girl screaming so loud as if she was dying. We tried to look for her but we didn’t see anyone.

–Michael

We had an event which finished a bit late at around 12 midnight. We then brought some of our equipment in our organization’s room, which was located on the fourth floor of the building. Prior to that, I have been hearing stories that there was a ghost playing on the fourth floor every night, but I didn’t believe it. after dropping our equipment, we immediately headed for the elevator to go down to the ground floor. but when the doors opened, we were brought back to the the fourth floor. We felt the elevator going down but ended on the same floor.

–Candice It was nine in the morning when the carpenters working at our compound heard that there was a lady crying in my uncle’s house, which was peculiar because nobody was home. It made them uncomfortable so they looked inside and found that there was nobody in the house, but just the two of them who went in.

–Eric I was in my second year as a college student when me and my roommates started hearing strange sound coming from nowhere. We will only hear this either when we were alone of if there was only one of us awake past midnight. one night, when I was sick and alone in the dormitory, I heard someone seemingly stomping. I immediately got out of bed and went home.

–Danielle ever since I joined the college-based theater organization, we always offer food at the bridge of the theater in the education auditorium. We do this because there was a high school girl who, while putting the backdrop for a play, fell from the bridge and died. We offer food so that she won’t interrupt our productions.

–Tim My cousins and I went to a vacant, hilly spot in Laguna to do a bit of exploration one afternoon. When my cousins stopped from exhaustion, I went ahead and went down from a particularly high hill. below, I saw a girl under a tree, when I tried to approach her, I saw that she was wearing torn clothes and her face looked like it was decaying. I shouted. and she also shouted. We had the same voice. I ran quickly and never looked back.

–Christine Compiled by Daniel Reyes

terrifyingly...

from C1

your hard work stays in place with the help of Matte setting spray.

6fromkey trends...

C1 Sheer dresses

several designers love sheer for it radiates elegance and sexiness at the same time. cheetah rivera tackled this soft and delicate fabric by focusing on vibrant colors with uber feminine touches. as for rob ortega, a juxtaposition of minimalism and high glamour was the basis of his pieces such as his sheer midi dress with silver sequence detailing.

Lyn Galo, one of Preview’s emerging fashion talents, in collaboration with at control created a sheer dress embellished with crystal beads, lace, and tassels.

From left: cheetah rivera; rob ortega; and Lyn Galo

Tassels

Skull head

If you prefer this classic Halloween look, all you need is white cream foundation, black eyeliner, black eyeshadow, and steady hands to draw all the necessary details to mimic a skull head. even though you look like a walking skeleton and are literally covered in face paint, doesn’t mean you can’t feel fresh. a few spritz of the lightweight Matte setting spray will make sure your makeup stays put after a night of partying.

everyone’s picking on this funky trend because of it’s celebratory vibe that is definitely making a statement. Palaganas presented a crop top and tight ankle-length skirt that has tassels on it which depicted a colonial spanish silhouette.

GyLe incorporated tassels to one of his looks by mixing a tangerine yellow top with a tassel combined to a wide-leg denim pants. tassel detailing integrated with pompoms can also be applied to men’s fashion as seen in Ziggy savella’s collection for Garage. savella used a tassel choker while pompoms accented the ends of the shirt and the trousers’ sides.

From left: esme Palaganas; GyLe; and Ziggy savella for Garage

Showbiz

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2017

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

FILM FEST

FOR MILLENNIALS

By Nickie Wang QCINEMA International Film Festival (QCinema) attracted young film aficionados during its 10-day run in various venues in Quezon City.

During the QCinema Awards Night, held at the Novotel Manila Araneta Center on Thursday, Vice Mayor Joy Belmxonte was proud to announce that the festival was bigger this year and was well received by younger audience.

“In Quezon City, the average age of the population is 24. And compared last year more young people headed to the cinemas to watch the film featured by the festival. Indeed, QCinema is the film fest for the millennials,” Belmonte told select cinephiles, film industry titans, and city government representatives who joined in the evening of indie film celebration.

The biggest winner of the night was Balangiga: Howling Wilderness, which was cited for its “solid

Public servant and boxing champ Sen. Manny Pacquiao hosts GMA 7's newest drama anthology, "Stories for the Soul."

INSPIRING VIEWERS WITH

‘STORIES FOR THE SOUL’ A

NEW inspiring drama anthology that aims to lift up and encourage the viewers about life is brought to light starting today.

Entitled Stories for the Soul, the new program on GMA 7 showcases stories inspired by characters and stories from the Bible, also known as greatest book ever written.

The inspirational drama anthology is presented by public servant and boxing champ

Sen. Manny ‘Pacman’ Pacquiao, who has also experienced hardships in life yet managed to rise from it.

According to Sen. Manny, his story allowed him to understand that life’s process may be painful but it also entails enlightening experiences, thus, this paved the way to his firm spiritual growth.

“There was a time na nadapa tayo at nagkamali, pero ang Panginoon ang nagbigay sa akin ng conviction. Yung change of heart ko, Siya ang may gawa. Binago niya ang puso ko. He made me understand that everything has a reason.”

He also added, “Palagi ko ngang sinasabi

‘Who am I, Lord, kung wala ka?’ Kasi siya talaga ang nagdala sa kung nasaan man ako ngayon. I believe that He put me this far for a purpose and that purpose is for me to glorify His name.”

In the show, Sen. Manny presents stories that aim to give hope and at the same time motivate one to become an inspiration to others.

Kapuso Network’s boy band T.O.P. gives viewers an even more heart-warming experience as it performs its original sound track entitled “Mararating Din” while each episode is helmed by esteemed directors in the industry.

Be inspired as Stories For the Soul starts airing today at 10:20 p.m. on GMA 7.

THOUSANDS GATHER AT MAINE MENDOZA’S BOOK LAUNCH

Maine Mendoza’s autobiography "Yup, I Am That Girl" was sold out in less than less than four hours after the announcement of its release.

MAINE Mendoza’s autobiography Yup, I Am That Girl was sold out in less than four hours after the announcement of its release.

And during its launch held on Thursday at the activity center of Trinoma in Quezon City, thousands of fans flocked to the venue just to have a glimpse of their idol and to have their copies of the book signed.

The event trended on Twitter with more than 1 million tweets related to the book launch sent from many parts of the world.

The conversation peaked at 6:00 p.m. on Oct. 26 with nearly 60,000 tweets per minute.

The teary-eyed Mendoza thanked all her fans who gathered at the mall’s activity center for their unparalleled support and their patience in waiting so they could celebrate with her in this “another milestone in her career.”

“I don’t think I had any big achievement when I was young or even when I was a student. I wrote than in my book. I think, my biggest achievements came after I joined show-

biz and became part of Eat Bulaga and of course when I was paired with Alden Richards,” Mendoza told the press during the launch.

“When I was around 13 years old, I secretly dreamt of becoming a showbiz personality and seeing myself on billboards and in magazines,” Mendoza confided. “But I knew it was far-fetched because of my ‘mahiyain’ personality.” A victorious Maine then declares, “Ta-da! Look at where I am now. Akalain mo nga naman. Puwede rin pala, no?’ Who would have thought I could live out this fantasy? Kaya I am telling you guys, nothing’s impossible in this world—not even your wildest dreams! Puwedeng-puwede ’yang matupad.”

Yup, I Am That Girl is available in newsstands, bookstores, convenience stores, and supermarkets nationwide for P295. Each copy comes with eight free exclusive mini-photos of Mendoza for fans to collect. Nickie Wang

‘Balangiga: Howling Wilderness‘ is QCinema's biggest winner taking home three major awards including Best Director for Khavn.

vision, with sensitive performances paired with strong visual, aural and poetic narrative. It is an elegy to the tragic history of the Philippines as seen through the eyes of a boy that is both a celebration and a lamentation of humanity.”

The film won Best Picture, Best Director for Khavn, Best Actor for Justine Samson, and Best Supporting Actor for Pio Del Rio. Dapol Tan Payawar Na Tayug 1931 (The Ashes and Ghosts of Tayug 1931) by Christopher Gozum won the “Circle Competition NETPAC Jury Award” and filmmaker Emerson Reyes, the creator of Dormitoryo (Walang Katapusang Kwarto), received the “Circle Competition Gender Sensitivity Award.

Another big winner was of the night was Mikhail Red’s Neomanila. It bagged the Best Artistic Achievement (Cinematography) award, and the Audience Choice Trophy.

Best Screenplay went to Andrian Legaspi and John Bedia for their notable work in The Chanters. The film’s star Jally Nae Gilbaliga, meanwhile won Best Actress.

Best Supporting Actress recognition was given to Sheenly Gener for her role in Dormitoryo (Walang Katapusang Kwarto).

In the QC Shorts roster, Babylon

by Keith Deligero, took home the QC Shorts Best Picture award “for its humorous, quirky journey through Visayan landscapes and mindsets paired with very timely and serious political message.”

Gikan Sa Ngitngit Nga Kinailadman by Kiri Dalena won the QC Shorts Jury Prize and Phyllis Grande’s Kun ‘Di Man was presented with the Audience Choice Award.

QCinema raises a toast to foreign female directors as it presents an all-women slate of winners for its international competitions.

Close-Knit by Naoko Ogigami was recognized as the Rainbow QC Best Picture, while Eliza Hittman’s Beach Rats won the Rainbow QC Jury Prize. Mouly Surya’s Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts garnered the Asian Next Wave Best Film and Kiki Sugino collected the Asian Next Wave Jury Prize for her film Snow Woman.

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sunday, october 29, 2017

Desiree Carlos, Editor

Pets

daycarlos28@yahoo.com

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.

Pawsitively scary 2 was held last Oct. 14 in sM Center Angono to celebrate halloween and promote bonding of pet owners and their furry cute pets. in the photo are the participants dressed in tandem with their dogs and cats, judges, and Bernie Alfonso (on stage, middle), Philippine pet fashion icon. More events have been lined up by Doodles Paw Couture for November to celebrate halloween with pets.

Pawsitive News

hALEY (left), 5, and UNA, 3, are “super friendly and sweet, “ says owner Mhalot san Juan sarmiento. Both are female shih tzus, Mhalot says.

Soldiers give shelter to Marawi dogs

Dogs laze around inside a military headquarter in Marawi where soldiers take care of them.

Pups who were born in a military hQ in Marawi are kept safe by soldiers.

Pet Blessing held in General Trias, Cavite The historic san Francisco de Asis parish church in General Trias (GenTri) City, Cavite and the local government unit of Gentri celebrated the yearly Feast Day of its patron saint with a pet blessing and free anti-rabies shots for pets. in a week-long celebration early this month, Fr. Jun Poblete, parish priest, held a mass before the pet blessing.

At the city plaza, the Gentri local government led by Mayor Antonio Ferrer, in coordination with the agriculture department, provided free anti-rabies vaccines for pets.

Thousands of devotees of st. Francis of Assisi, including city officials led by Mayor Antonio Ferrer, also joined the Fiesta Caracol around the city proper. (Dennis Abrina)

When terrorists attacked the city of Marawi, residents had to flee fast. Unfortunately, they had to leave their pets behind.

Animal welfare groups sent dog and cat food with the help of the vet office of the iligan City local government and members of media who brought the food inside Marawi. soldiers fed the dogs and cats despite the ongoing crisis then.

After the military got complete control over some areas, soldiers took in dogs in their headquarters and gave the poor souls food and shelter. some mama dogs gave birth in the military headquarters and the soldiers took care of them too.

Many thanks to iligan city vet Dr. Dahlia Molo Valera for the photos.

Fr. Arman Mitojo, assistant parish priest of san Francisco de Asis, blessing pets at the city esplanade.

(Photo by Dennis Abrina)

COCO is a five-year-old, “dollfaced” Persian cat who is “just like Garfield in the cartoon,” says owner Lala Villoria-Datiles. “he is tamad na matakaw, “ Lala says.

MiLKY, now 1 year and 7 months old, is the second dog of Lourdes Caliwan. “ i instantly fell in love with her at first sight. i knew then i must save her so even if i didn’t have much money at that time, i blindly bought her (for P800 from from a street peddler),” says Lourdes.

Safe home remedieS for dogS with mange pet tales

By desiree carlos AN iNCrEAsiNG number of dogs with demodectic mange or galis have been spotted by animal lovers on the streets of Metro Manila and posted in Facebook for rescue.

This is saddening because most of these dogs were apparently abandoned by their owners, with some deliberately dumped on a vacant lot, as far away from home as possible to get rid of the pet, or niligaw. They have been neglected because of their physical condition.

This also makes us in the animal welfare world so mad because demodectic mange can be treated. Please do not dump your dog on a vacant lot or abandon him/her just because the pet developed mange. it is not the dog’s fault. if you can not handle mange or galis, then please, do not get a dog ever again. in two earlier columns, i have discussed how to prevent mange. in brief, you can prevent mange by keeping your dog’s immune system strong through proper nutrition and keeping her mental and emotional state healthy, and making sure your place is clean.

This kind of mange is caused by a small mite demodex canis which is present in all dogs but which multiplies fast when the dog is not healthy.

Organicfacts.com says: “.. if a dog is suffering from malnutrition, abuse, or a severely compromised immune system, those mites can begin to reproduce rapidly and start to wreak havoc on the canine’s fur. This can result in hair loss in small patches and mild irritation but can be as se-

rious as widespread hair loss, infections, and lifethreatening complications. For our beloved pets, it can be difficult to see them going through so much pain without being able to help.”

Treating mange is not that expensive as long as you find a vet who does not over charge.

You will pay for : 1. cost of test to determine what kind of mange your dog has (about P150- P200); 2. the professional fee (about P150 to P300); 3. an injection or oral meds (about P300); and 4. medicated shampoo (about P250 to P300) or soap (P70 to P110). i strongly suggest you bring your dog to the vet for the prescription medicine: one is injected (the dosage should be determined by your doctor alone); the other is a tablet.

Two warnings: Never inject on your dog and please, do not overuse prescription meds. Why? This can cause damage to the liver and kidneys.

Most dogs i know who were given oral meds developed liver problems a few months later.

To avoid overusing meds, please do the following to complement what your vet is doing to treat your dog: 1. start feeding good, nutritious food to your dog. Avoid chicken or its by-products when a dog has developed mange. This irritates their skin more.

2. Do make sure the place where your dog stays is clean.

3. Make your dog feel loved and make him/ her happy. hug your pet, give belly rubs more often, walk your dog, among others.

4. Give your dog a bath once a week. Your vet might prescribe medicated soap or shampoo too.

5. Clean your dog’s beddings.

6. UsE NATUrAL hOME rEMEDiEs. These home remedies will lower the treatment cost further.

You can do one or a combination of two or three of the following home remedies: 1. Madre de Cacao fresh leaves with virgin coconut oil a. Pound the leaves of madre de cacao b. Miix virgin coconut oil. c. Apply or rub on affected areas. d. Let it stay for at least two hours e. remove the mixture using cloth soaked in water. Then bathe your dog using the soap or shampoo your vet recommended 2. Aloe Vera Organicfacts.com says aloe vera is a natural antiseptic and is an antiparasitic, thus, “.it makes for an ideal home remedy for mange.” spread aloe vera, either in gel or tea form, on the affected areas twice a day.

Organicfacts.com says results will be seen in a few days.

3. Lemon and garlic a. soak 6-10 cloves of garlic with lemon peels in water overnight.

Organicfacts says: “the resulting liquid will be infused with a wide variety of beneficial organic compounds to stimulate healing and neutralize the parasites on your dog. “ b. Apply on affected parts. “it might smell a bit strange, but it will get the job done,” Organicfacts.com adds.

4. Apple cider vinegar Put a small amount of apple cider vinegar to your dog’s usual food.

5. honey spread honey on the affected areas. honey will

Mango is now one happy, handsome dog after treatment which combined vet-prescribed meds with good food, multivitamins to strengthen his immune system, lots of hugs and love, and safe home remedies approved by the vet.

a. suffocate the parasites that are reproducing so rapidly, and b. sooth the inflamed areas and stimulate rapid healing.

6.Olive oil Olive oil or other cooking oils placed on the affected areas can alleviate the inflammation and the waxy build-up on the skin due to mange, and eliminate the parasites in the affected area.

Warning: These home remedies may be effective but life-threatening secondary infections can occur. i strongly suggest that you bring your pet to the vet for proper treatment, and to discuss the treatment plan. Please also inform your vet about the home remedies you want to use. have a great sunday. Namaste!