Manila Standard - 2018 January 21 - Sunday

SHUTDOWN MARS TRUMP'S FIRST YEAR VOL. XXXI • NO. 338 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P18 • SUNDAY, JANUARY 21, 2018 • www.manilastandard.net • editorial@manilastandard.net

VIVA SANTO NIÑO. Devotees flock to the waterfront district of Tondo in Manila Saturday on the eve of the Viva Santo Niño Parish Church Festival, with each carrying a replica of the Infant Jesus Image in preparation for the procession. Norman Cruz

PALACE ALLIES BLOCK HOUSE'S CON-ASS PLAN

By Joel E. Zurbano and Maricel V. Cruz

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ONSENSUS from a wide spectrum of society—which includes the Catholic Church—is building up against a plan by members of the House of Representatives to convene as a constituent assembly without the participation of the Senate in revising the 1987 Constitution.

Former Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who was elected in 2010 and served as senator under the Nacionalista Party during the time of then President Benigno Aquino, said he was not in favor of the socalled “Con-Ass” to replace the 1987 Constitution as he described the plan initiated by the lower house as a “big mess.”

“The Speaker of the House has decided to take an independent course and he is saying they will go for it without the senators. That’s setting up for conflict.” Marcos said

in an interview with reporters during his visit in Western Visayas this weekend.

In related developments: • A party-list lawmaker on Saturday warned against the inordinate rush to amend the 1987 Constitution, saying rewriting the Charter through a Constituent Assembly (Con-Ass) “is not the right way to do it.”

“Why are the proponents of Charter Change in such a rush that they had to railroad House Concurrent Resolution Number 9 convening Congress into a constituent as-

sembly?” Buhay party-list Rep. Lito Atienza asked.

“The House leadership cited a House rule that allowed only three speeches for and two against as their basis for terminating the period of interpellation and debate.

In a chamber composed of almost 300 members, why limit the interpellations to three and two on such a crucial matter as amendments to the Constitution? That’s ridiculous and very undemocratic. Each member should be allowed ample time to raise questions,” Atienza, a House deputy minority leader, said.

• A Catholic bishop and one of the framers of the 1987 Constitution warned that amending the charter should not be entrusted solely to members of the House of Representatives.

The Senate and the House are deadlocked on whether Congress should vote separately or jointly during charter change deliberations.

Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez has

said congressmen would still form a constituent assembly, referred to often in its shortened form “conass,” if senators choose not to participate.

Novaliches Bishop Emeritus Teodoro Bacani believes a majority of the members of the Lower House merely follow the dictates of Malacañang.

Marcos, who chaired several committees, including the Committee on Local Government and the Committee on Public Works, said the government must “have to find a way that both Houses are involved in a way that it’s consistent with the Constitution.”

Marcos teamed up with the late senator Miriam Defensor Santiago and ran for vice president in the May 9, 2016 Presidential Elections but lost to then Camarines Sur. Rep. Leni Robredo.

The namesake and the only son of the former president Ferdinand Turn to A2

ZERO BUDGET FOR LGUS 'UNCONSTITUTIONAL' THE founder of the administration party Partido Demokratiko ng Pilipinas-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) on Saturday slammed the “unconstitutional” threat made by House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez to deprive funding for provinces that do not support the administration’s party’s push for federalism.

Former Senate President Aquilino Pimentel Jr., whose son is the incumbent Senate President, also warned Alvarez against his power-tripping ways, adding “there is always an end to a man’s power.”

“I don’t think that’s what is stated in the Constitution,” the elder Pimentel told a news briefing in Quezon City.

Pimentel insisted that lawmakers should defy Alvarez’ threats of depriving their constituents for their rightful share of the budget.

“In the caucuses, for example, you can speak out freely on what you feel so it would be made known to the Speaker that nobody stays in power forever,” Pimentel said.

“Now, I’m not saying that there should be a rebellion within the ranks of the bloc that is supporting the Speaker.

But the House members should always remember that they are in public service to serve the public. This is not to serve the interest of any one person,” the 84year old legislator added.

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MULTI-ARTS FESTIVAL. Workers install the Pasinay emblem fronting the Cultural Center of the Philippines theater in Pasay City, with several activities lined up for the 14th Pasinaya Open House Festival 2018 with Palabas at Palihan openikng on Februarfy 3-4. Pasinaya is the largest annual multi-arts festival in the country with more than 300 shows in music, theater, dance, visual arts, film and literature. Ey Acasio

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WASHINGTON—The US government officially shut down on Saturday, the first anniversary of President Donald Trump’s inauguration, after lawmakers failed to agree to a stop-gap spending deal.

Senators were still negotiating on the Senate floor as the clock turned midnight, but Trump’s office issued a statement blaming opposition Democrats for the crisis.

Spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said the Democrats’ insistence that the interim measure include protection for undocumented immigrants who arrived as children killed the deal.

“Senate Democrats own the Schumer Shutdown,” she declared, referring to the minority leader, New York Senator Chuck Schumer, who met with Trump earlier Friday.

“Tonight, they put politics above our national security, military families, vulnerable children, and our country’s ability to serve all Americans.

“We will not negotiate the status of unlawful immigrants while Democrats hold our lawful citizens hostage over their reckless demands,” she warned.

US federal services and military operations deemed essential will continue, but thousands of government workers will be sent home without pay until the crisis is resolved.

Meanwhile, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell held a key procedural vote open past the Turn to A2

US TROOPS BACK IN HARNESS VS ISIS IN SOUTH

By John Paolo Bencito WASHINGTON has restarted its military operation in the Philippines after more than four years, its first formal mission to combat the rise and influence of the jihadist Islamic State (IS) in Southeast Asia, according to a Wall Street Journal report Saturday.

The new operation, to be called “Operation Pacific Eagle-Philippines,” replaces the “Operation Enduring Freedom-Philippines” cancelled in 2014, marks “a new phase of counterterrorism cooperation” efforts between Manila and Washington, said Joe Felter, US deputy assistant secretary of defense for South and Southeast Asia.

The U.S. mission in the Philippines elevated the Overseas Contingency Operation, or OCO, following a Philippine government request last September 2017 to obtain support from the country’s traditional defense ally for added support in its fight against elements of jihadist Islamic State forces, the report said.

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ARMY MEN CLASH WITH MAUTE GOVERNMENT troops and 10 rebels identified with the ISIS-linked Maute group in Masiu, Lanao del Sur clashed shortly after midnight Saturday during combat operations by soldiers, military sources said.

The sources said troops from the 49th Infantry Battalion encountered the group of local terrorists in Barangay Kalilangan at around 12:20 a.m. No casualties were reported from either side.

ISIS stands for Islamic State in Iraq and Syria and is an extremist militant group that rules by Wahhabi/Salafi law. In Arabic, the group is also known as Daesh.

An example of ISIS is the terrorist group that is known for kidnapping western journalists and aid workers as part of their tactics.

According to the military, the terrorists are members of a group headed by one Maute group (Daulah Islamiyah) leader Najib Pundog.

Troops recovered after the encounter an ISIS flag, drug paraphernalia, an M203 grenade Turn to A2

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SUNDAY, JANUARY 21, 2018 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

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Officials in Washington had long been processing the idea for a US-backed intervention in the Philippines, after Daesh-inspired forces launched a failed siege to declare the southern island of Mindanao as its “wilayat” or province in Southeast Asia.

“In every case where we see the resurgence of terror networks, particularly in the fragile areas of the south Philippines, I think it is worth considering whether or not we reinstate a named operation,” Gen. Paul Selva, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told a US Congressional hearing last July 2017.

U.S. officials stressed the U.S. made a mistake when it decided to cancel the military operation to help contain extremist fighters in the Philippines – “Enduring Freedom” – and ‘led to a vacuum that allowed Islamic State to expand and eventually capture Marawi.’

“This reflects the significance of the threat and the desire on the part of the U.S. government to get ahead of the problem, not wait until it more fully metastasizes,” Felter was quoted as saying in the WSJ report.

The siege of Marawi last year, Felter said, “was somewhat of a wake-up call.”

Between 200 and 300 American troops are currently serving in advisory roles in the country.

In addition to these, Washington is providing technical support and equipment, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance by drone.

Funding for the new US mission in the Philippines, as an OCO, will be exempt from “limits on routine spending,” the same used to finance the long-running wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the WSJ explained.

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He also condemned the Davao-born legislator’s inanities when he made such remarks.

The elder Pimentel had earlier urged the public “never to allow any super majority to trample on our rights to speak out” amid proposals by the Congress super majority led by the PDP to preclude elections and extend terms of government officials.

His son, Aquilino III, serves as the current president of PDP-Laban. Alvarez meanwhile sits as its Secretary-General.

Alvarez had earlier threatened legislators that provinces which will not support the administration “will get zero budget.”

“If you don’t want to join, that’s okay.

I’ll respect your right. But you also have to respect my right to give you a zero budget,” he said in a speech in Iloilo Thursday.

In a related development meanwhile, Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto said there was no need for Charter Change when a simple bill could raise local government funds by P283 billion.

In a press relase, Recto said more public funds could be sent to the grassroots without tinkering with the Constitution, an argument that stood fairly against an argument that only through a Charter revision could local governments have a bigger share of tax collections.

Recto said if the intention was to raise the share of provinces, cities, towns and barangays from government income, then such could be done through ordinary legislation.

By Recto’s count, local governments stand to lose P121.5 billion this year due to the “longstanding faulty interpretation of the rule on how the Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) shall be computed.”

Republic Act No. 7160, or the Local Government Code of 1991, grants LGUs (Local Government Units) a 40-percent share from the national government’s internal revenue collection.

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launcher, binoculars, a hand grenade, an RPG, and RPG fuses, anti-tank RPG and 40mm ammunition, the sources said, adding troops were continuing to scour the area.

The Maute group, which has pledged allegiance to international terrorist group ISIS, seized Marawi City in late May, resulting in an armed conflict that dragged on for five months, which prompted President Rodrigo Duterte to impose martial law throughout Mindanao.

Remnants of the terrorist group are believed to be recruiting civilians around Marawi City in exchange for money.

The martial law declaration in the southern region, which was supposed to be lifted in July last year, has been extended until Dec. 31, 2018.

ABU SAYYAF FREES 2 INDONESIAN FISHERMEN

By Francisco Tuyay

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WO Indonesian fishermen kidnapped by Abu Sayyaf militants were released by their captors Saturday evening, police said.

The fishermen were handed over by concerned citizens to Sulu Governor Abdusakur Tan Sr. at his residence at Brgy. Asturias, Jolo at about 7 p.m. Friday night.

They were identified as La Utu Bin La Raali and La Hadi La Edi, captains of fishing vessels, SSK 00520 and SN

11554 respectively, owned by Ching Kai Ling Company.

The Indonesians were cruising off Pegasus Reef and Kuala Kinabatangan near Taganak Island in Tawi-Tawi last Nov. 5, 2016 when they were snatched by armed bandits believed to be members of the Abu Sayyaf.

Senior Supt. Mario Buyuccan, police provincial director of Sulu, said Brig. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana, Commander of Task Force Sulu, went to the house of Gov. Tan and fetched the victims hours after their release.

Buyuccan said the fishermen underwent medical examination and debriefing at Camp Teodolfo Bautista in Bus Bus, Jolo, Sulu.

No specific details were provided on the circumstances of the Indonesians’ release.

The ASG were reportedly forced to free the fishermen following intensified military operations against the terrorist group, who saw majority of

their members decimated as they participated in the Marawi City siege.

At least 974 ISIS-inspired Maute Group and ASG members were killed, including the Abu Sayyaf chieftain and emir of Islamic State in Southeast Asia, Isnilon Hapilon, with Maute leader Omarkhayam Maute and his brother Abdullah, leading to the liberation of the Islamic City Oct. 23 following five months of intense battles.

The ASG bandits are still holding nearly two dozen kidnap victims, including some foreigners believed to be kept somewhere in the Sulu and Basilan jungles.

RIGHS WATCH REPORT MISLEADING—DFA

By Sara Susanne D. Fabunan THE Department of Foreign Affairs on Saturday accused Human Rights Watch of intentionally misleading the international community, after the New York-based advocacy group reported that the human rights situation in the Philippines is at its worst since the time of former

President Ferdinand Marcos.

In a statement released Saturday afternoon, Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano accused the group as being “unfair and unjust”.

“We will not allow Human Rights Watch to portray an unfair and unjust image of our country, nor will we let it question the strength of our democracy,” Cayetano said, taking

RESOURCE PERSONS. Former Senate President Aquilino Pimentel Jr. (right) and Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Zarate show up at a weekly forum in Quezon City on Saturday to discuss federalism and charter change.

Manny Palmero

PALACE...

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Marcos’ sentiment on the issue of Charter Change (Cha-Cha) echoed the statement issued by Sen. Ralph Recto, saying “It takes two to Cha-Cha.” “Going solo is shadow dancing. Or going up the boxing ring for the 12 full rounds with no opponent and then triumphantly declaring yourself winner by unanimous decision,” said Recto.

Members of both Houses of Congress remain in a deadlock on whether they should vote jointly or separately should the lawmakers convene as a constituent assembly to amend the 1987 Constitution.

The 3/4th voting formula, to be exercised by one chamber alone, is the wrong calculus, according to Recto.

“The Constitution speaks of a bicameral legislature. If two bodies are need-

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midnight deadline to pass a spending bill with the chamber well short of the 60 votes needed to advance a House Republican measure to fund the government for another 30 days.

After a day of recriminations and frantic back-and-forth talks, senators milled on the floor of the chamber with the vote still open. McConnell and Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer engaged in shuttle diplomacy, alternating between conferring with their members and each other.

Even as the lawmakers continued

issue with the group’s assessment of the human rights situation in the Philippines in 2017.

In its 2017 Global Report on Human Rights, HRW, which has been consistently critical of President Rodrigo Duterte’s regime, reiterated its claim that the government’s campaign against illegal drugs resulted in the deaths of more than 12,000 persons, mostly the urban poor and including children.

Cayetano slammed the report and accused HRW of politicizing the issue.

“Human Rights Watch has politicized the issue for its own gain and has not done any real research, study or investigation on the human rights situation in the Philippines,” Cayetano said, daring the group to show proof the 12,000 it said were killed were all victims of the government’s war against illegal drugs.

Contrary to HRW’s claims, Cayetano said the number of drug personalities killed is 3,968 in 80,683 antiillegal drugs operations conducted by the government from July 1, 2016 to Dec. 27, 2017.

The operations, which also led to the arrest of 119,023 drug personalities, also resulted in the deaths of 86 law enforcement officers and the wounding of 226 others, the secretary noted.

Under President Duterte, Cayetano said the Philippines is doing ev-

erything it can to protect the rights of everyone, including criminals, unlike before when government was perceived to be protecting only the rights of the powerful.

“It is because this change is disruptive, those who were previously above the law and those who have political interests to advance have resorted to a massive disinformation campaign,” Cayetano said.

“Human Rights Watch is among those that has been deliberately misrepresenting the figures to make it appear that there exists a culture of impunity in the Philippines and that the country’s democratic institutions are at risk. These assertions are unfair to the Philippines and to the Filipino people,” he added.

Democracy “has never been more alive in the Philippines,”Cayetano said, as the country finally has a government “that we can really say is of the people and for the people, and not for the rich and the powerful alone.”

The booming economy is a testament to good governance and adherence to law, he noted.

Proof of this, Cayetano said, are the latest Social Weather Station surveys that showed President Duterte’s public trust rating at 83 percent during the fourth quarter of 2017, and the administration’s public satisfaction rating rising to a record 79 percent during the same period.

ed to pass a bill changing the name of a barangay, then how can one house arrogate upon itself the far more important job of changing the basic law of the land?”

Recto said “there are ways of amending the Charter other than a dubious recourse that violates the Charter itself.”

Recto also said there is no need replacing the constitution when an ordinary legislation can raise local government funds by P283 billion.

He debunked the claims that only through a Charter revision can local governments have a bigger share of tax collections.

Recto said local governments stand to lose P121.5 billion this year due to the longstanding faulty interpretation of the rule on how the Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) shall be computed.

Republic Act No. 7160, or the Local Government Code of 1991, grants LGUs (Local Government Units) a 40-percent share from the national government’s internal revenue collection.

But under the current system, the 40 percent is taken from Bureau of Internal Revenue collections, “but does not in-

clude excise and VAT collections of the Bureau of Customs.”

“This is wrong because VAT and excise taxes are classified as internal revenue, and the BOC is a mere collecting agent of the BIR, so in computing the share of LGUs in determining their IRA, BOC’s VAT and excise tax collections must be factored in,” Recto said.

Recto believes that this injustice to LGUs can be rectified through an Executive Order by President Duterte, “as I am sure that this is an advocacy he believes in, being a former mayor himself.”

Earlier, Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas said a new charter must be crafted through a constitutional convention instead of the Congress sitting as a constituent assembly.

The former president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) insisted that the framers of the Constitution must not only be known for their “probity and their intellectual acumen” but also be “free of vested interests.”

As far as Atienza is concerned, congressmen were elected by the people to ensure delivery of basic services like

healthcare to theor constituents, apart from enacting laws but not necessarily amending the Constitution.

“We are neither Constitutionalists nor legal experts to presume to amend the Constitution. This is best left in the very capable hands of delegates elected by the people in a Constitutional Convention (Con-Con). While we, as lawmakers, should continue our job of crafting laws, instead of sitting as a Constituent Assembly to amend the Constitution,” Atienza said.

Atienza also said that rushing the process of amending the Constitution is sending the wrong signal to the public as to the motive for doing so.

“Admittedly, there are several provisions in the 1987 Constitution which need to be changed -- the economic provisions prohibiting foreign investments in businesses such as telcos and media, as well as the Philippine National Police (PNP) Law where our local chief executives have no control over the police force. I am not against charter change but it should be done through a Con-Con, not Con-Ass,” Atienza pointed out.

their discussions, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders fired off a statement minutes before midnight blasting Democrats as “obstructionist losers, not legislators. ” “When Democrats start paying our armed forces and first responders we will reopen negotiations on immigration reform,” Sanders added in the statement emailed to reporters.

The White House and federal agencies spent Friday mapping out how to proceed if the deadline passed without an agreement. Some departments revived shutdown plans from the Obama years.

The administration wanted as little disruption as possible.

For instance, mail will continue to

be delivered; airport control towers will be staffed; and the Interior Department hopes to keep the national parks open.

A day spent on phone calls and meetings, including a face-to-face discussion between President Donald Trump and Schumer, briefly raised hopes that a solution was within grasp.

But pessimism spread in the Capitol as it was clear no deal had been reached at the White House meeting and the midnight deadline approached.

“I don’t think anybody knows what’s going to happen next,” Senator John Kennedy, a Louisiana Republican, said earlier Friday, before the vote.

The White House Budget Director Mick Mulvaney predicted Republicans

and Democrats would strike an agreement before the weekend was out to provide temporary funding for the government that would let federal agencies open on schedule Monday.

“I think there’s a deal in the next 24 hours,” Mulvaney said on CNN early Friday evening.

If there’s not, both sides were ready to place blame.

Schumer on Thursday blamed the standoff on “complete disarray on the Republican side,” including conflicting signals from Trump on immigration.

Mulvaney, at a White House briefing, said the administration was “preparing for what we’re calling the Schumer Shutdown.” Sanders tweeted out the hashtag #SchumerShutdown.

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NAIA FORMS SPECIAL TEAM AGAINST THIEVES

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By Joel E. Zurbano

ENERAL manager Eddie Monreal of the Manila International Airport Authority has formed a special team from the agency’s police department tasked to wipe out erring individuals engaged in baggage theft.

The MIAA has started deploying Airport Police Department intelligence personnel in the tarmac of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport to monitor transportation of baggage of air travellers at the aircraft to and from the luggage build-up station.

The baggage build-up area is were all luggage of both arriving and outgoing passengers are being sorted and loaded toward the baggage carousel at the arrival area and at the plane, respectively. It is jointly manned by airline employees and airport baggage handling and

security personnel.

Monreal said new faces from the APD intelligence office were tapped to discreetly observe and monitor the baggage movement by pretending to be workers from other departments of the airport.

He hinted that airport baggage handlers commit the theft usually in cahoots with other airport employees.

“They’re not doing it without the help of other workers who are now the subjects of our (surveillance) operation.”

Monreal said all personnel at the tarmac must be frisked before entering or exiting the area, most especially those working from the aircraft to build up station and those who transport baggage of passengers.

“It is time to make our airport an airport free from pilferage,” he added.

-Monreal earlier ordered all baggage handlers and security providers at the airport to wear body cameras while on duty to prevent incidents of baggage theft.

Meanwhile, the Cebu Pacific Air management is now coordinating with MIAA officials to ensure the smooth transition of airport ground services following the announcement of Monreal that he will no longer renew the Lease and Concession Agreement with Miascor Ground Handling Corp. due to alleged pilferage committed by their employees.

Cebu Pacific is one of the airlines under contract with Miascor, which was given by Monreal 60 days to vacate and return to the premises it has occupied inside the airport complex and terminals.

“We are confident that with the assistance of the airport authorities and other stakeholders, there will be no interruption to service continuity,” the airline management said in a statement.

Monreal said in NAIA alone, some 26 pilferage cases were reported in 2016 and 18 of them were reportedly committed by ground handlers from Miascor.

The number of pilferage cases, however, has been reduced from 26 to seven last year.

DU30 ALL SET FOR FIRST-EVER VISIT TO INDIA

NEW DEADLINE ON REALTY, BUSINESS TAX IN MAKATI UP

THE city government of Makati is extending its deadline of assessment of business permits without penalty until Thursday this week, and the payment of business and realty taxes at the end of the month.

The move, according to Mayor Abigail Binay, came after members of the City Council approved City Ordinance No. 2018-001, allowing the deadline of business permit processing and tax payments to be extended, until Jan. 25 and Jan. 31, respectively.

Binay urged the city’s business and real property owners who did not make it on the Jan. 20 deadline to take advantage of the extension to avoid incurring penalties and surcharges.

“We have extended the deadline to accommodate clients who really intend to be prompt in their payments. We urge you not to wait until the deadline again to avoid having to endure longer lines and other inconveniences,” the mayor said.

Under City Ordinance No. 2018-001, the deadline for the assessment of business permits without penalty has been extended from January 20 to January 25, 2018. The acceptance of payments for business licenses without penalty has also been extended up to January 31, 2018, from 8am to 5pm only.

Penalties on late payments of business taxes include a 25 percent surcharge and a two percent penalty per month of delay until the amount due is fully settled. Joel E. Zurbano

TRAVEL AGENCIES SAY DFA’S NEW PLOY NOT ‘DOABLE’

By Vito Barcelo PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte will is set to leave on January 24 for his first ever visit to India and first this year.

Duterte reportedly earlier begged off from going to India but the Department of Foreign Affairs insisted that the President attend the New Delhi from January 24 to 26 for the ASEANIndia Special Commemorative Summit and India’s Republic Day celebration.

The priority areas for cooperation between ASEAN and India are trad and investment, connectivity, agriculture, tourism, culture, science and technology, and climate change.

The DFA said Duterte will deliver messages during the plenary and retreat sessions on January 25.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque has earlier said Duterte’s India trip was planned after his bilateral meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narenda Modi in November last year.

“The President will attend the India-Asean summit from the 24th to the 26th of this month.

We place great importance on our relationship with India, which is considered an emerging economy,” Roque said.

He said the President’s participation is an outcome of his bilateral meeting with the Prime Minister of India at the sidelines of the 31st Asean summit.

The Indian-Asean Summit is the first summit event under the Singapore’s chairmanship of Asean, which has been supportive of the Philippines’ Asean chairmanship last year,” he added.

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SUNDAY, JANUARY 21, 2018 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

RALLY FOR FEDERALISM. President Duterte supporters from different provinces gathered at the Quezon City Memorial Circle during Peoples Congress to call on the president to push through and impelement the country’s shift to federal government. Manny Palmero

DOJ LAUDED FOR FILING CASES VS ERRING COPS

By Sara Susanne D. Fabunan THE Chief of the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) lauded the Department of Justice (DOJ) for filing criminal charges against two Caloocan policemen who were involved in the killing of teenagers Carl Angelo Arnaiz and Reynaldo “Kulot” de Guzman at the height of the government’s anti-illegal drugs campaign in 2017.

PAO chief Persida Acosta said that the charges made by the National Prosecution Service (NPS) only showed that the government will not tolerate any illegal killings by its state agents.

“Justice prevailed,” Acosta said.

“The PAO and the NPS belong to the state, and we will not tolerate any illegal killings even by state agents,” she said in a text message released to reporters on Saturday.

She also said that the DOJ resolution proves that “there is no state-

sponsored illegal killings.”

The decision came after the parents of Carl Angelo and Kulot filed criminal charges against the two cops.

The PAO represented the complainants.

Acosta also relayed the message of the parents who in turn expressed their gratitude to all those who supported their quest for truth.

After the decision, Acosta said that they will now coordinate with the DOJ panel of prosecutors for the trial as they have control of the prosecution.

Base on the 35-page resolution released on Friday, the DOJ panel of prosecutors led by Senior Assistant State Prosecutors Maria Emilia Victorio, found probable cause to charge Police Officer 1 (PO1) Jeffrey Perez and PO1 Ricky Arquilita for two counts of murder and planting of evidence each in violation of Section 38 of Republic Act (RA) No. 10591 or the

Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunitions Regulation Act, in connection with the handgun found with Arnaiz.

The two cops were also meted with two more counts of planting of evidence in violation of RA 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act, due to the shabu and marijuana found with Arnaiz, and two counts of torture in violation of Sections 4 and 14 of RA 9745 or the Anti-Torture Act of 2009 before the Caloocan City Regional Trial Court.

Acting Prosecutor General Jorge Catalan Jr. said murder charges were filed against the two policemen for killing the teens “without risk to themselves.”

“Murder was filed because it was done in a treacherous manner without risk to themselves,” he said.

Catalan said the DOJ cleared taxi driver Tomas Bagcal from the charges even as he insisted that Arnaiz did rob him.

CHILDREN IN ARMED CONFLICT GET PROTECTION FUND

By Maricel V. Cruz

ANOTHER ROAD MISHAP. A garbage truck accidentally fell on its side, causing heavy traffic along Commonwealth Avenue. Manny Palmero.

A PANEL in the House of Representatives has approved the funding provision of a substitute bill seeking to provide special protection for children in situations of armed conflict (CSAC).

The House committee on appropriations, chaired by Rep. Karlo Alexei Nograles of Davao City, approved the bill without amendment to its appropriations provision.

Section 32 of the bill provides that the amount necessary to cover the initial implementation of the Act shall be charged against the current year’s appropriations of the concerned implementing departments/agencies. Thereafter, the amount necessary for its continued implementation shall be included in the budgets of the concerned departments/agencies in the annual General Appropriations Act. The bill endeavors to make the struc-

ture of Executive Order 138 of 2013, which adopted the Comprehensive Program for Children in Armed Conflict, more responsive, according to Rep. Manuel Jose Dalipe of Zamboanga City, one of the principal authors of the bill.

“We cannot allow children to be used by armed groups or armed forces to further their beliefs. We cannot allow their schooling to be disrupted by armed conflict without putting a framework,” said Dalipe.

On the other hand, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) expressed opposition to the bill.

DSWD Undersecretary Mae Fe Templa said existing laws protecting children in various situations as provided by Republic Act 7610, the Juvenile Welfare Act or Republic Act 9344, and the Revised Penal Code are more than enough to protect children in various situations, in particular, situations of armed conflict.

THE suggestion of Foreign Affairs chief for accredited travel agencies to take advantage of the “passport on wheels” may not be doable, as the DFA imposes requirements that the agency could not attain, the Philippine Travel Agency Association chief said.

In an interview, PTAA president Marlene Dado Jante said that requesting for “passport on wheels” requires them to provide for the venue and the documents that should be submitted for screening prior to the event.

“The Travel association should provide the venue and the documents should be screened 3 weeks before the date,” she said, adding that they have rejected the idea when the DFA mentioned the project.

Cayetano on Friday suggested to travel agencies to submit their clients’ passport applications during travel fairs as the DFA will install “passport on wheels” on travel expo events.

“Give us a list of your travel fairs, And kahit a day before and during the travel fairs, maglalagay kami ng mga makina dun, maglalagay kami ng passport on wheel,” the foreign chief said.

Sara Susanne D. Fabunan

EYE FOUNDATION STAGES CONCERT THE Ang Mata’y Alagaan Foundation, Inc. (MATA Foundation) proudly presents “ALL ABOUT LOVE” - a Valentine’s concert with one of the most soughtafter performing artists in the country –– Jed Madela. Set this February 14, 2018 at 7:30 p.m. at the Kia Theater, Araneta Center, Cubao, Quezon City, this fund raising event is intended for the beneficiaries of MATA Foundation.

Dubbed as “The Voice” and “The Singer’s Singer,” multi-awarded singer Jed Madela will join the concert-goers in discovering all about love through music and make them smile, laugh, cry and finally fall in love again.

In 2005, Jed won against 52 countries and became the first Asian to ever win the world’s only Talent Olympics, the World Championships of the Performing Arts (WCOPA) in Hollywood, California, USA. Jed was later adjudged as a five-time Male Recording Artist of the Year during the Philipine Movie Press Club Star Awards for Music, and is the Entertainer of the Year for 2014.

Also performing with Jed Madela is Sarah Faye Bacal, a promising and talented soprano-coloratura who was part of the High School Musical Philippines. She was granted a full scholarship at the Palm Beach Atlantic University located in West Palm Beach, Florida, USA where she earned a degree in Voice Performance (OPERA). She was a champion in singing during her elementary years and had performed in different gatherings and functions here and abroad.

A4

Opinion

SUNDAY, JANUARY 21, 2018

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Adelle Chua, Editor

EDITORIAL

‘REALLY, JOSEP?‘: WATCHING JO KOY LIVE

SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA—He was supposed to do only one show in San Francisco, he said. But then he got calls from Pinoys: “Can you add one more show, please. I was too late to get tickets.”

So Filipino-American comedian Jo Koy (Joseph Glenn Herbert) added another, and another, and still the calls kept coming, until he had six sold-out shows, setting a record at the Warfield Theatre.

My sister was one of those too late to get a ticket, but she’s patient and persistent—she kept hounding the ticket website until, miraculously, two seats opened up for the 6:00 p.m. show on Sunday (Jan. 14).

We arrived at the Warfield about an hour early, taking our places in a long line that stretched from the middle of the block to the corner. The people beside us were mostly Filipino, with a sprinkling of some other ethnicities.

Once they started letting people in, the line flowed fast and smoothly.

Bags were checked and folks passed underneath a scanner. They took away food and water bottles (there were two bars indoors). I heard that afterward there was a huge pile of confiscated Skyflakes and Nagaraya adobo flavor at the entrance.

The Warfield is a regal-looking venue dating back to 1922. Not only does it have great acoustics, its aesthetics hark back to its origins as a vaudeville hall, with red walls and dancers painted across the ceiling. The theater seats 2,300. Do the math— that’s about 13,800 people who came to see Jo Koy in San Francisco alone.

Those who’ve seen Jo Koy’s performances live or on Youtube are familiar with his themes and spiels.

There were no surprises here, but the jokes were mostly fresh (I’d heard a couple before, about his son’s hygiene habits, or lack thereof ) and quite amusing. My inner cynic was silenced as I laughed almost non-stop for an hour and a half along with the rest of the audience.

I’ve noticed that Jo Koy shies away from political jokes—no laughs at Trump’s expense, for instance – and this was echoed in an article I subsequently read. Written by Mariecar Mendoza, the recent interview with Koy quotes him as saying, “I get involved in the political, but I don’t bring it to the stage because that’s not my style,” he said. “That’s never been my style. It’s not even what I listen to. I do enjoy Dennis Miller, I do enjoy Chris Rock when they do their political humor, but it’s never been my goal. ... I love relatable humor.”

Koy, who is half-Caucasian and Pinoy on his mother’s side, was born in Tacoma and draws on his experiences as a Filipino-American for his comedic material. A huge issue for Fil-Ams (for all immigrants, actually) is race, and Jo Koy has a huge repertoire of accents, riffing off on stereotypes of black, white, and Asian folk. “But it’s true!” he protests, and the audience agrees with a roar.

Jo Koy’s standbys, and the crowd favorites, are jokes about how his mother Josie raised him. He mimics her accent—“Josep!”—and that’s become a catchphrase among the FilAm community. Much of his material

BAD EGGS AT OUR GATES

W

E LAUD the nonrenewal of the ground-handling services contract between the Manila International Airport Authority and MIASCOR Aviation Services.

ings. But the fact that their employees do – and get away with it – betrays an incompetence that must not be tolerated.

With this move came instructions from the Transportation Department on baggage handlers: No more uniforms with pockets, It’s a decisive move that should no more loose shoes, no more cell send a strong message to anyone phones while on duty. who dare violate the belongings of Body cameras will be the norm. travelers.

Remember too the bullet-plantThis is not the first time we’ve heard of pilferage. Sometimes they ing practice that became rampant happen to passengers’ luggages, two years ago.

It is saddening that we must now like this recent incident at the Clark International Airport that got the operate from this mindset of suspicion, but experience has proven us President’s ire.

Not even wives of foreign digni- none the wiser.

Pilferage at our gates are an emtaries are spared.

Sometimes they happen to balik- barrassment—what would the inbayan boxes containing goods lov- ternational community say about ingly saved for by Filipinos working Filipinos in general?

More than the esteem of foreignabroad and sent to their families ers, however, what is at stake is here.

We do not think any private com- our opinion of ourselves. Bad eggs pany or even a government agency must not be tolerated, and eggs would willfully make it a policy to must be daunted from turning bad tamper with other people’s belong- in the first place.

Turn to A5

IN THE age of Netflix, would people still want to “go to the movies?” Of course there are still commercial movie houses, those housed in malls and which show blockbusters. But a stand-alone structure that shows a different lineup of movies altogether—Filipino classics, for instance, or independent ones?

One such structure stands on Maginhawa Street on Teachers’ Village East, Quezon City. Cinema Centenario is on the second floor of a building that also

houses a meat shop, complete with the happy-looking pig beckoning to customers. Around it – a convenience store, an acupuncture center, a tricycle stand, a gaming cafe. Not particularly an “artsy” vibe, but that’s exactly the point.

Inside, there are 65 seats. Again these are nothing fancy, and certainly you can’t recline (or doze off ). Just sturdy, classic, leather-and-mahogany ones in several rows in front of a screen.

The idea for a cinema came to founder and part-owner Hector Calma in Taiwan, when he was attending a documentary film festival and saw an

LET’S GO TO THE MOVIES

old winery that had been converted into an art space. His first thought: “Walang ganito sa atin (we don’t have something like this back home).” His resolve to build a cinema firmed when he returned to Manila and talked to 10 like-minded friends, all of whom said they were in.

They specifically targeted the Diliman crowd for the cinema. “It’s a captive market,” he said of the mix of students, young professionals, long-time residents. And true enough, soon after its December 1 launch, they have had several full houses and have had to stop selling tickets to people who had

come and lined up.

There are six daily showings, different titles in a day, beginning at noon.

The “last full show” at 12:30 in the morning still sees a sizeable audience —not surprising, really, in the neighborhood. This month, among the 16 offerings are Larawan, Patay Na Si Hesus, Sana Dati, Sakaling Hindi Makarating, MNL 143, Ganito Kami Noon, Ganito Kayo Ngayon, and a collection of short films. The February line-up will be made available soon.

Calma is in charge of programming.

“We make sure each genre is represented,” he says, adding they are in

partnership with some independent film outlets and even ABS-CBN for its film restoration project.

But starting a venture is always challenging, even as most of the challenges are so-called “happy problems” like not being able to accommodate everybody who comes for the shows.

The screening schedules are posted on Facebook, and people may text their reservations (they will be given a control number), but these reservations are still manually recorded. Walk-in are welcome, too. The team is working on making this process easier, says Calma.

Turn to A5

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Opinion ‘REALLY...

From A4 focuses on women – not only his mother, but also his sister Rowena and maternal grandmother “Lola Tina.” Koy also relies on sexual humor, sometimes going to the extreme, to get a rise out of the audience.

He ended the show with a singalong of iconic ‘90s pop songs, encouraging the audience to belt out the lyrics to boy-band tunes. It was a great way to make viewers feel part of the act.

The show we watched was the fifth of sixth he put on in San Francisco, where he kicked off his “Break the Mold” US and Canada tour. As of now, his shows are sold out in many cities and he’s had to add more shows in some. For instance, his gigs in Irvine on Mar. 16, 17, and 18 have five soldout shows, and likewise on Mar. 23, 24, and 25.

Koy dropped out of university to pursue a career in comedy, working his way around the comedy club circuit in Las Vegas until he got his break in 2005, appearing on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” where he received a standing ovation.

He was in over 100 episodes of E’s “Chelsea Lately” with Chelsea Handler, had two specials on Comedy Central (“Don’t Make Him Angry” and “Lights Out”), and recently released his third, the Netflix original “Jo Koy: Live from Seattle.”

His success is hard-earned and well-deserved. We look forward to his reaching greater heights in entertainment, spreading laughter along the way.

Dr. Ortuoste is a California-based writer. Facebook and Twitter: @jennyortuoste

LET’S...

From A4

And when he says team, he means all owners are hands-on, working on different shifts, with four staff members assisting them.

Aside from the showings, Cinema Centenario invites directors, actors, and others behind production. An open forum after the screening, or even a workshop, allows the audience to ask questions and learn more about the processes, the setbacks, and the inspiration that moves the creators.

On such occasions, for instance, viewers learned that the inspiration for such-and-such a film was a break-up after a years-long relationship. “Nalaman tuloy namin yung mga hugot nila (we discovered the places the filmmakers were coming from),” he said.

This is exactly what Calma and his team wanted to achieve—bridge the gap between filmmaker and film viewer, take the former off the pedestal. In the end they’re just like you and me even as they see the world and express themselves differently. *** We have heard sad stories about films being pulled out of commercial cinemas because they are “not making money.” Is the establishment of Centenario a statement against this unabashedly profit-centered practice?

“We are not here to make a statement against anything,” Calma says.

“We don’t wish to say we are better.

We just want to provide more options...here is one more venue for Filipinos to enjoy movies. Hey, look at us!

Why don’t you try us out?”

He talked about reaching people who were not even aware that such cinemas, much less such movies, existed. An elderly couple in the Teachers Village area, for instance, just wandered into the place and saw the film that just happened to be showing at that time. They were gushing when they emerged from the cinema, exclaiming: “May ganito pala (so, there is such a thing)!”

Calma and his business partners live to evoke this expression among the people. “We want to remove the distinction between mainstream movies and alternative movies. It’s better if we simply call it ‘Filipino cinema.’”

This is possible, he believes, even with the hugely popular streaming or download sites, which would give viewers access to movies on demand, and which they could watch anywhere and anytime they want.

“Ultimately you would still go for that collective viewing experience. In a dark theater, these people who don’t know each other will laugh together, be sad together, get scared together,” he said. It’s not just the movie that is the experience, but the act of watching alongside others.

Eventually the plan is to include more good films in the program—more restored classics, for instance, or entries to international film festivals, or now that Oscars season is coming up, Academy Award winners from previous years.

By doing all these, the people behind Cinema Centenario hope to reach out to more Filipinos and awaken in them—if it’s not alive and kicking already—a love for film, a love for life. adellechua@gmail.com

SUNDAY, JANUARY 21, 2018

A5

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

KOREA’S OLYMPIC COMPROMISE IS FOOL’S GOLD

By James Gibney FOR anyone who thinks it’s a major diplomatic breakthrough to have the two Koreas march under one flag at the Winter Olympics and field a joint women’s’ ice hockey team … well, I have a DMZ to sell you.

Yes, next month’s opening ceremony will mark the first sporting event in a decade where the two sides have entered under one banner. But they’ve done it eight times before. And they’ve fielded joint teams twice before.

The last time was in 1991: That brief shining moment was followed by, among other things, six nuclear tests and numerous missile launches, territorial incursions, the shooting of a South Korean tourist, naval skirmishes, the sinking of a South Korean corvette by a North Korean submarine, the shelling of South Korean territory that killed four, attacks on South Korean soldiers patrolling the Demilitarized Zone—not to mention repeated rhetorical barrages slurring South Korea’s elected leaders and representatives in the most visceral terms.

This is not to say the whole thing is meaningless—even if it doesn’t lead to deeper rapprochement, it may still provide a tactical victory for both sides.

President Moon Jae-in of South Korea ran for office pledging to pursue dialogue and reconciliation, and this certainly amounts to that. He also bought himself a little insurance against North Korean disruption during the games, a threat delivered by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in his New Year’s address, when he warned that “As long as this unstable situation, which is neither wartime nor peacetime, persists, the North and the South cannot ensure the success of the scheduled events.”

For his part, Kim gets a propaganda win. South Koreans will see another, more positive side of their neighbor to play on their understandable yearning for an eventual peaceful reunification of the peninsula. Kim, building on what has at times been a relatively vigorous cultural diplomacy campaign, can spin North Korea’s participation back home as a sign of its international acceptance.

SELFIE DIPLOMACY. South Korea’s Lee Eun-ju (left) smiles as she takes a selfie with North Korea’s Hong Un Jong during the artistic gymnastics women’s qualification at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

But in the bigger picture, there are several reasons that this fluttering of Olympic spirit may not amount to anything greater. Kim’s overarching goal is undoubtedly to drive a wedge between the US and South Korea. Yet for all Moon’s hopes of reconciliation, he cannot afford to alienate the US, which guarantees South Korea’s security.

Nor can he go beyond the bounds of South Korean public opinion.

Not only is the public blasé about the Olympics in general, it has responded coolly to this outbreak of sportpolitik. (Support for joint teams and subsidies for North Korea’s delegation is tepid; one South Korean hockey fan has even filed a complaint with a human rights watchdog, arguing that joint teams infringe on the rights of South Korean athletes.)

At the same time, Kim has no incentive to give up his nuclear weapons, which his regime has decided are critical to its survival.

Still, give Kim props for playing a weak hand well. To understand why, look back at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul. At the time, the awarding of the games

to Seoul was seen as the comingout party for a military dictatorship seeking to change its spots and win international acceptance.

President Chun Doo-hwan, who had seized power in 1980, was worried about the possibility of a North Korean disruption of the games and a possible boycott by socialist countries. (Remember, Olympic boycotts were a thing back then.)

Then-dictator Kim Il-sung and the North Koreans, meanwhile, were worried about the prospect of being outshone, if not humiliated, by their neighbor. They proposed to divide up the games 5050 between Seoul and Pyongyang.

After negotiations brokered by the International Olympic Committee, the North was on the brink of a deal that would have granted it the hosting of two sports, some other shared competitions with the South, and an organizing committee—enough for them to claim that they were also “hosting” the Olympics. But the North Korean delegation balked, and the deal went away.

One of many ugly incidents that

followed was the North’s 1987 bombing of a South Korean airliner and its stoking of disturbances in the South, where students and dissidents were all too willing to demonstrate on the North’s behalf.

Ultimately, North Korea boycotted the games, leaving it isolated and the South triumphant, having won prestige and new ties with the socialist bloc in the bargain. By that yardstick, Kim Jong-un has already done better than his grandfather, the revered Great Leader.

For some analysts, the 1988 Olympics amount to one of the great might-have-beens on the still bitterly divided peninsula.

As Sergey Radchenko of Cardiff University put it, if the North had participated in the games, “it may well have been possible to avoid the kind of militant isolation that North Korea found itself in after its sound defeat at the hands of the South.” As pretty as it is to think so, you can’t turn back the clock. Still, even if the Pyeongchang Games next month don’t produce a breakthrough, they may forestall a blowup, and that’s worth a cheer, if not two. Bloomberg

HOW THE AIR WE BREATHE RESULTS IN A BLOOD MOON

By Pecier Decierdo THERE will be a total lunar eclipse this coming January 31. The celestial spectacle will be visible from anywhere in the Philippines roughly between 8:51 p.m. and 10:07 p.m., Philippine standard time.

During the eclipse, the Moon might turn reddish in color, which is why some use the term “blood moon” to describe the event. So why does the Moon turn red during a total lunar eclipse?

The short answer is this: Rayleigh scattering. However, it is worth looking into the longer answer because not only is it more informative, it is also quite beautiful.

First, let us review what lunar eclipses are. A lunar eclipse happens when the Earth is between the Sun and the Moon, so that the Earth’s shadow falls on the Moon.

When the Earth’s shadow covers only a part of the Moon, we observe a partial lunar eclipse. During a partial eclipse, we see the Earth’s round shadow on one side of the Moon. (The shadow is always round, evidence that the Earth is spherical.)

This Jan. 31, a partial eclipse will precede the total eclipse. The partial lunar eclipse will start at 7:48 p.m. As the

eclipse progresses, the Earth’s shadow will cover more of the Moon.

By 8:51 p.m., the Earth’s shadow will fully envelope the Moon. If the Earth did not have an atmosphere, the Moon would be so dark by this time it will probably be invisible.

However, because of the air we breathe and the way sunlight interacts with this air, the Moon will turn into a dark shade of red. This will probably persist until around 10:07 p.m., when the total lunar eclipse will end and give way to a partial lunar eclipse, which will in turn later give way to a penumbral lunar eclipse.

The air we breathe turns the Moon red during a total solar eclipse because of the way it interacts with sunlight.

Sunlight, if you would recall your grade school science, contains the colors of the rainbow. These colors are red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet or ROYGBIV. These colors are actually waves of light that our eyes detect and recognize. The colors differ from each other in the length of their waves. ROYGBIV arranges them in order of decreasing wavelength—red is the longest while violet is the shortest.

These different colors do not interact with the molecules of air in the same

way. Instead, the colors with the shortest wavelengths, like violet, indigo, and blue, get scattered more easily. This is why our sky takes on a bluish color during the day. (It does not appear violet or indigo because of the way our eyes detect color.)

As sunlight passes through more particles in the atmosphere, more of the short wavelength colors get scattered away, leaving only the long wavelength colors, namely red and orange.

This is what happens during a sunset. When the Sun is about to set in the sky, the sunlight must pass through more particles in the atmosphere before it gets to you, so that by the time it reaches you, only red, orange, and a bit of yellow light have “survived.” When this light passes through even more atmosphere, even the yellow and orange can get scattered, leaving only red.

Aside from passing through the Earth’s atmosphere with minimal scattering, the red light coming from the Sun also experiences refraction. Refraction is the way light bends when it goes from one medium to another.

As sunlight moves from outer space to the atmosphere, it can bend toward the Earth. The sunlight that passes through the edge of the Earth bends another time when it moves back into

outer space. This time, it bends toward the Earth’s shadow, bathing this shadow with the reddish color of sunset.

In fact, if you view a total lunar eclipse from the Moon, you will see a reddish ring around the Earth during the time that it blocks the Sun. This red-colored ring is a grand view of all the sunsets and sunrises happening on Earth at that time. During a total lunar eclipse, the Moon turns red because it bathes in the light of a million sunsets.

This is a truly astounding fact and one that makes our appreciation of an already spectacular event—the Moon turning red—even more powerful.

How red the Moon will turn during a given total lunar eclipse depends on the conditions of the atmosphere at the time. During an eclipse that followed the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo, there was so much dust in the atmosphere that the Moon was almost invisible during the total eclipse.

Whatever shade of red the Moon might take this Jan. 31, I hope we get to see it and appreciate the physics that connect us with our wonderful cosmos.

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

World

A6

SUNDAY, JANUARY 21, 2018 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Cesar Barrioquinto, Editor / Jimbo Gulle, Issue Editor

EUROPE ROLLS OUT RED CARPET FOR CHINESE TOURISTS VENICE, Italy—Chinese tourists are big spenders and with the numbers visiting Europe set to soar by nearly 70 percent over the next five years, the countries of the Old Continent are rolling out the red carpet to make the guests feel welcome.

A total 12.4 million Chinese, mostly in guided tour groups, came to Europe in 2017, according to the European Travel Commission. And the Chinese Tourism Academy (CTA) is expecting the number to reach 20.8 million by 2022.

“A few years ago, the Chinese came to Europe solely to do some shopping.

Now, they’re increasingly keen to get know the culture and the countryside,” CTA president Dai Bin told AFP, speaking in Venice, at the launch of the year of tourism between the EU and China.

Festivals, cooking courses... “they want to have personal experiences and visit areas where they don’t see any other Chinese,” said ETC’s executive director, Eduardo Santander.

“They like the cuisine, the music, the blue skies... most of them come from the coast, where pollution is extremely high,” Santander said.

And some were surprised that they can “breathe without coughing,” he added.

China is the world’s biggest market for foreign tourism -- with 129 million Chinese holidaymakers travelling abroad, they account for one fifth of the total number of tourists globally.

And they spend more than twice the amount that, say, US tourists do -- $261 billion in 2016 compared with $123 billion. AFP

FACSIMILE. Pope Francis walks near a graffiti depicting his portrait as he arrives to meet with children at “Hogar Principito” Children’s home in the Peruvian city of Puerto Maldonado on Friday. The Catholic leader sounded a stark warning about the future of the Amazon and its peoples during a visit to the region, saying they had “never been so threatened.” In a speech to thousands of tribe members on the edge of the rainforest in Peru, he said the Amazon and its peoples bore “deep wounds.” AFP

PENCE VISITS MIDEAST AMID EMBASSY STORM WASHINGTON—US Vice President Mike Pence set off for the Middle East on Friday for a trip overshadowed by controversy over plans to move the American embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.

Pence had been due to travel in December last year, but Arab anger over President Donald Trump’s decision to declare Jerusalem Israel’s capital saw many planned meetings cancelled.

The deadly protests that erupted at the time have subsided, but Pence may still face a cold welcome in some capitals and concern over the fate of the UN aid agency for Palestinians or UNRWA. Washington has delayed a $65 million funding package for the cash-strapped body, putting at risk operations to feed, teach and heal thousands of Palestinian refugees.

The Palestinian leadership, already stunned and furious over the Jerusalem decision, has denounced the US administration and had already refused to meet Pence during his planned December trip.

But Pence’s press secretary, Alyssa Farah, said the vice president would still meet the leaders of Egypt, Jordan and Israel on the high-stakes four-day tour. AFP

HAITI CHOLERA EPIDEMIC SEEN TO END IN 2018 PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti—Haiti’s killer cholera epidemic could be over this year, the United Nation’s children’s fund said on Friday, as the number of cases declines following the world’s most virulent outbreak in modern times.

Roughly 100 suspected cases were recorded in January, which is the lowest level since the epidemic began in October 2010, and there was no explosion of cases last year even during the rainy season.

“It’s possible to eliminate cholera this year,” said Marc Vincent, UNICEF’s representative in the impoverished Caribbean nation.

“It’s now or never and it’s an opportunity that should not be missed,” he told AFP. About 10,000 people have died since the epidemic began. It was introduced by infected Nepalese UN peacekeepers sent to Haiti after the country’s devastating 2010 earthquake.

“We have asked the government to gather all partners to see how we could really benefit from this historic moment to reach elimination,” Vincent said, expressing hope for a rapid response from Haitian authorities.

During the epidemic Haiti has recorded more than 800,000 cases of cholera, an acute diarrheal infection caused by contaminated food or water.

Haiti’s poor sanitation helped the disease spread. Even now, more than half of rural residents lack access to potable water and only one-quarter of Haitians have access to toilets. AFP

P

TRUMP TO DELIVER DAVOS CLOSING TALK ARIS—A compelling clash of cultures will unfold in the vertiginous Swiss Alps this week as Donald Trump, just over 12 months into his high-wire presidency, confronts the cheerleaders of globalization in Davos.

Having whipped up working-class resentment of the global elite to devastating effect en route to the White House, the United States president’s “America First” vision will run headlong into the haughty ambition of the World Economic Forum (WEF) to map out “a shared future in a fractured world.”

The 2017 gathering ended on the same day as Trump was inaugurated, and many of the discussions during the week dwelt anxiously on what his presidency would portend.

China’s President Xi Jinping, who took the star turn in Davos last year, exploited such misgivings to stake out an alternative vision for the international economy with China playing a lead role in both trade and fighting climate change.

A year on, Trump will be closing the conference with a speech next Friday.

He is relishing his role as apostatein-chief bent on demolishing the pieties held dear by the WEF, which is drawing some 70 other leaders along with thousands of delegates drawn from the worlds of industry, finance and show business, plus protestors opposed to the US president.

The property mogul’s final election campaign advertisement of November 2016 made the distinction brutally clear, casting himself as the defender of hard-working Americans against “global special interests”, over images of Davos perennials such as financier George Soros and Goldman Sachs chief Lloyd Blankfein.

Both are Jewish, and the ad was assailed as anti-Semitic by critics.

So why consort in the Swiss Alps with people who are hate figures to his political base?

In a recent interview with The Wall Street Journal, Trump said part

of his motivation in becoming the first US president to attend Davos since Bill Clinton in 2000 was to be an unabashed “cheerleader for the country”.

Trump also pointed to quickening US economic growth and a roaring stock market as reasons to cheer when he and a large part of his cabinet join leaders such as French President Emmanuel Macron, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Brazilian President Michel Temer in Switzerland.

On Monday, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) will present in Davos an updated overview of the global economy, which is indeed expanding at a broad and healthy clip.

But ahead of the meetings, a WEF survey of nearly 1,000 experts and decision-makers underlined growing anxiety about the risks of environmental disaster and armed conflict -- not least involving North Korea and the United States, after months of bellicose rhetoric from Trump.

Douglas Rediker, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution in Washington who was appointed by

Trump’s predecessor Barack Obama to the IMF’s executive board, said there was no way to reconcile the WEF’s globalist outlook and the Trump dogma.

“It will be a jarring visit even if the president is on his best diplomatic behavior. And that’s a big if,” Rediker said.

Trump will be running up against internationalist foils in Davos this week such as German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Macron, who has subverted one of the US president’s signature lines with his own motto of “Make our planet great again”.

The organizers, mindful of the globe-trotting but all-male caricature of “Davos Man”, are also keen to extol their efforts to promote representation by women, as sexual harassment and the gender pay gap move up the political agenda worldwide.

“Davos Women” will account for 21 percent of the total number of delegates this year, the highest ever proportion, if still relatively meagre.

They include IMF chief Christine Lagarde, IBM head Ginni Rometty and screen star Cate Blanchett. AFP

THAI COPS NAB WILDLIFE TRAFFICKING KINGPIN BANGKOK—Thai police have arrested an alleged kingpin in Asia’s illegal trade in endangered species, dealing a blow to family-run syndicate that smuggles elephant ivory, rhino horn and tiger parts to Chinese and Vietnamese dealers.

Boonchai Bach, 40, a Vietnamese national with Thai citizenship, was arrested on Friday evening over the smuggling of 14 rhino horns worth around $1 million from Africa to Thailand.

His downfall follows the Dec. 12 arrest of Nikorn Wongprachan, a Thai National Parks and Wildlife Conservation official, at Bangkok’s main airport as he attempted to smuggle the rhino horn from the quarantine section to a nearby apartment.

The horn was smuggled into Bangkok by a Chinese man who was arrested a day before on arrival from Johannesburg, South Africa.

The police sting led to Boonchai, who financed the network.

“This is a major smuggling syndicate and Boonchai is a ringleader,” General Chalermkiat Srivorakan, deputy national police chief, told reporters Saturday after the suspect arrived at Suvarnabhumi airport ahead of his remand.

“Boonchai admitted he was involved,” Chalermkiat said, adding he faces up to four years in jail for smuggling parts of protected animals.

For years Boonchai and the Bach family are believed to operate with impunity from Nakhon Phanom in northeast Thailand, bordering Laos -- linchpin players in a multimillion-dollar trade in illegal wildlife.

The town is a pivot point in Asia’s wildlife trafficking chain, in part because it is the narrowest neck of land for smuggled goods to transit through Thailand, into Laos and onto Vietnam, a major market for animal parts used in traditional medicine.

Freeland, a counter-trafficking organization which works closely with Thai police, said the Bach family are part of a sprawling Southeast Asian crime organization dubbed “Hydra.”

The Bachs have “long run the international supply chain of illicit wildlife from Asia and Africa to major dealers in Laos, Vietnam and China,” Freeland said in statement following the announcement of Boonchai’s arrest.

They are believed to work alongside Vixay Keosavang, a Laotian dubbed “the Pablo Escobar of animal trafficking”, who orchestrates a major wildlife trafficking ring from the Communist state, bribing officials to allow him to operate.

Laos has long been a top transit hub for smuggling wildlife products, with widespread corruption and weak law enforcement allowing the criminal ac-

tivity to flourish.

China and Vietnam are among the world’s biggest markets for parts from endangered or protected species including tigers, elephants, rhino and

pangolins.

The traditional medicine market flourishes despite the total lack of scientific evidence as to their efficacy and government campaigns to end the trade. AFP

KINGPIN FALLS. Boonchai Bach (left) is handled by Thai police in Bangkok after his arrest on Saturday. Thai police arrested the alleged kingpin in Asia’s illegal trade in endangered species, dealing a blow to family-run syndicate that smuggles elephant ivory, rhino horn and tiger parts to Chinese and Vietnamese dealers. AFP

Sports

A7

SUNDAY, JANUARY 21, 2018 randyproject@yahoo.com

BRIGHT FUTURE AWAITS BLU GIRLS PITCHER

By Lito Cinco

T

HIS Iloilo native is only 16 years old and currently a Grade 10 student at the Luyos National High School in Tanauan, Batangas but her future in softball looks very good indeed.

Palma is the starting pitcher for the Tanauan City team that recently won the Cebuana Lhuillier-ASAPHIL U-18 Women’s Softball Championship held in Marikina late last year and her superb pitching convinced the organizers to give her the Most Valuable Player (MVP ) award.

Winning is nothing new to this girl who started playing softball seven years ago to follow in the footsteps of her elder sister Royeve, who is now her back-up pitcher in Tanauan.

In 2011 and 2012, she already played for the back-to-back national and Asia Pacific Region champion team Iloilo in age-group softball tourneys and has even reached the World Series in Oregon in the United States.

Even as her home team has disbanded three years ago, she was already in the list of must-have players of her current Tanauan coach Barangay Captain Ramil Mercado, a former PUP softball player and he lost no time in recruiting Royevele and her older sister for his team.

And just to show how good the team has become in just three years, it got eliminated on its first year but reached the finals on its second year in 2016, losing to Bacolod in the final.

In 2017, the team finally emerged champion by beating Sta. Maria, Bulacan in an exciting finale.

It was a mean feat considering that softball is only on its third year as one of the

identified sports of Tanauan Mayor Thony Halili, who has included sports in his core programs, “ as an anti drug abuse campaign for the youth at the same time provide opportunities for young athletes to improve their lives.”

Definitely for Royevele, softball has been very good for her.

Last year, she was recruited to join the Blu Girls and became theyoungest pitcher in the team. She saw action with the team in its three international campaigns abroad and helped improved the world rankings of the Philippines from no.17 to no.15 in the 2017 ranking.

With Royevele holding her own and with the presence of Fil-Ams in the team, “ she had a lot of playing time in important games and that shows the potential of this girl, I believe that in a few years’ time, she will be the country’s top pitcher, “ according to Mercado.

Describing his ward, Mercado cited Royevele’s very good attitude. “she does what she is asked to do by her pitching coach in the Blu Girls, she has leadership potentials that we are developing. On the skills side, she has very good ball speed and can throw the ball where needed, meaning situational awareness. And she is working on her knowledge of the game and wants to be familiar with other positions in the field, “ Mercado added.

For her part, this young athlete, who dreams of be-

Olympic weightlifting silver medalist Hidilyn Diaz

DIAZ, HO LEAD UA FITNESS RETREAT

Royevel Palma shows off her superb pitching form

coming a teacher, has already reached part of her dream in her chosen sport as she has made it to the Blu Girls already and is playing an important role too.

“Gusto ko po makalaro sa World Championship at tingin ko po ay kaya nating makasabay dun sa ibang malakas na teams, yung mga Fil-Ams sa team, malaking tulong, mabi-

bilis at malalaki sila, marami akong natututunan sa kanila. “ said Royevele .

She admits to being nervous when fielded in for big games.

“Pero nilalabanan ko pa at nakakaya naman. Nagpapasalamat po ako dun sa coach ko sa Iloilo, si coach Rey Fuentes, siya nag develop ng attitude ko sa game, maging

humble daw ako palagi. Kay coach Marciano Sta. Maria, pitching coach namin sa Blu Girls sa mga tinuturo niya, kay Coach Ramil, at kay Mayor Halili sa suporta niya sa sports at sa team namin. “ Definitely at her young age, and with the resurgence of softball in the country, this young pitcher will literally go places.

TAGBILARAN WELCOMES FERNANDEZ, CHILDREN’S GAMES MORE than 600 children attended the opening ceremonies of the Children’s Games in Tagbilaran City yesterday.

Fifteen barangays were represented in the said event which gathered children 12 years old and below for two days of fun and plays at the Holy Name University.

PSC Commissioner Ramon Fernandez in his short speech extolled the children participants and their parents, saying in Visayan that “we at the PSC are happy to be here in Tagbilaran.

Thanks to the local government and the Mayor for their assistance and cooperation.”

Mayor Baba Yap of Tagbilaran City will be the guest of honor today at the culmination activity of the event.

Fernandez added that “the PSC wants to reach as many children as possible with this program.”

He commended PSC Chairman Butch Ramirez for crafting the Children’s Games in reply to the marching orders of President Rodrigo Duterte to bring

sports to the countryside and engage the children in play and movement.

Basic skills training in popular sports like volleyball, basketball, lawn tennis and table tennis, traditional and parlor games were enjoyed by the participants.

Fernandez oversees PSC activities in the Visayas and has scheduled a total of 50 legs of the Children’s Games in his area. This leg is the second of 41 scheduled for this year. Their first salvo for 2018 was held in Dumaguete last week.

Philippine Sports Commissioner Mon Fernandez supervises the activities of Children’s Games participants in Tagbilaran City, Bohol.

ABABA ROMPS TO RECORD 7-STROKE WIN AT E RIDGE

Jhonnel Ababa raises his arms in triumph after completing his romp at ICTSI Eagle Ridge Invitational

GEN. TRIAS, Cavite—Jhonnel Ababa broke a long title spell with a record seven-stroke victory at the ICTSI Eagle Ridge Invitational yesterday, recovering with a flourish from each bogey mishap to dominate Elmer Salvador with a closing threeunder 69 at the Aoki course here.

Ababa fought back from a bogey start with a three-birdie string from No. 3, recovered from another missed green miscue on No. 6 with birdies on Nos. 11 and 12 then birdied No. 14 after another bogey, finishing the last four holes unchallenged as Salvador settled for a run of pars from No. 3 and closed out the last seven holes with two bogeys.

Ababa, 33, wound up with a 10-under 278 aggregate, emerging the lone player to churn out a run of under par cards in all four days at the wind-raked layout (68, 71, 70) and beating Salvador, who fumbled with a 74 and a 285, by seven for the most lopsided win thus far in the Philippine Golf Tour Asia put up by ICTSI. “It’s been a long while and I’m very hap-

py to finally score a victory again,” Ababa, who banked $17,500 for his first win since he triumphed in Sabah, Malaysia in 2014.

“I just played superb all week,” added Ababa, who produced 20 birdies against 10 bogeys in an exacting condition in the fourday $100,000 championship, which served as the sixth leg of the region’s newest circuit organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments Inc. “The tournament was his (Ababa) for the taking. But I hope to rebound in the next event,” said Salvador, who took home the $11,500 runner-up prize.

Ababa also extended the locals’ domination of the PGT Asia after Miguel Tabuena topped the kickoff leg in Aboitiz Invitational by one over Angelo Que. Rene Menor bested Thai Pasavee Lertvilai in a record five-hole playoff in the second leg at Splendido; Clyde Mondilla edged Michael Bibat and amateur Tom Kim by two at Riviera; Tony Lascuña outduelled American Nicolas Paez and won by two at Wack Wack and young Justin Quiban nailed a breakthrough at Luisita with a

three-stroke triumph over Joenard Rates in the CAT Open.

Rates, meanwhile, struggled with a 74 but still grabbed third place at 287 worth $7,000, to complete a 1-2-3 finish by the Davao bets while veteran Frankie Miñoza carded a 73 and tied Lascuña, who turned in a 74, and Charles Hong and Keanu Jahns, who shot identical 75s, for fourth with 292s.

Lertvilai birdied two of the last three holes to save a 73 for joint eighth at 293 with Indonesian Jordan Irawan, who also made a 73, compatriot Tommy Mansuwan, who groped for a second stripe 75, and Quiban, who hardly recovered from a disastrous third round 77 with a 75 in the event backed by Custom Clubmakers, Meralco, Champion, Summit Mineral Water, K&G Golf Apparel, BDO, Sharp, KZG, PLDT and M.Y. Shokai Technology, Inc. The runaway victory is expected to boost Ababa’s confidence as the men of the PGT Asia head to Pradera Verde Golf and Country Club in Lubao, Pampanga for the ICTSI Pradera Verde Classic on Jan. 24-27.

UNDER Armour athletes, Gretchen Ho and Olympic silver medalist Hidilyn Diaz will lead Under Armour’s Fitness Retreat on Jan. 27 in the exclusive Balesin Island resort.

These champions in their fields of sports will share their training regimens and fitness routines with the retreat participants with only a limited number of slots One of the highlights of the event will be the Fitness Workout of an Olympian shared by Diaz.

Diaz made history by becoming the first Filipina to take home a medal in the Olympics when she claimed the silver medal in the weightlifting competitions in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. Diaz was also a winner in the recent AIMAG where she bagged the silver medal in the event as part of her preparations for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Participants of the fitness retreat will also learn how to achieve a healthy lifestyle from Aegle Wellness Center Medical Director, Dr. Benedict Valdecañas, over a healthy and delicious gourmet lunch at Ambrosia.

Furthermore, they’ll get to experience Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy, IV Therapy or Thalassotherapy—an anti-ageing and detox medical treatment utilizing sea water and sea minerals, exclusively offered in the Philippines at Aegle - Balesin.

The Under Armour Fitness Retreat in partnership with Aegle Wellness Center, Balesin Island Club, and Sanctband is happening on Jan. 27 at Balesin Island, Quezon.

For inquiries, contact Aegle Wellness Center at (02)737-0077, +63917-821-9795, +63949-889-6237 or info@ aeglewellnesscenter.com.

VELEZ, ROGAN SEAL TITLE TIFF AT PPS-PEPP TENNIS TOURNEY PATRICIA Velez and Aileen Rogan hacked out a pair of cliffhangers to seal a clash for the women’s singles crown while Johnny Arcilla and Jeson Patrombon breezed past their respective semifinal rivals in the first PPS-PEPP Fr. Fernando Suarez Cup at the Colegio San Agustin in Bulacan last Friday.

The top-seeded Velez, who earlier scored a walkover win over Mikaela Vicencio, recovered from a stinging opening set loss by surviving No. 4 Frances Santiago’s gutsy stand in the second frame. The Davaoeno ace then imposed her will in the decider to clinch a 2-6, 7-6(4), 6-3 victory.

Regina Santiago, who stunned No. 3 Miles Vitaliano, 6-3, 6-1, in the quarters, also gave No. 2 Rogan a big scare in their side of the semis duel but the latter regained her rhythm in the second set and fashioned out a 5-7, 6-3, 6-3 victory.

Arcilla and Patrombon, meanwhile, completed the day of the favorites as they rolled past PJ Tierro tormentor Vicente Anasta, 6-2, 6-2, and Bryan Otico, 6-1, 6-0, respectively, to arrange a showdown for the men’s singles title in the Open tournament held in honor of the healing priest and presented by Asiatraders Corp. with Slazenger and Dunlop as official balls.

Tierro and Patrombon later demolished Mark Alcoseba and Joseph Arcilla, 6-2, 6-4, to advance to the finals against Anasta and Johnny Arcilla, who trounced Frank Encarnacion and Leander Lazaro, 6-1, 6-4, in the men’s doubles of the event sponsored by Palawan Pawnshop headed by president/ CEO Bobby Castro and sanctioned by the Unified Tennis Philippines.

Rogan and Bambi Zoleta, on the other hand, ripped Monivic Santos and Vitaliano, 6-2, 6-0, to reach the women’s doubles finals against siblings Frances and Regina Santiago, who shocked Velez and Alexie Santos, 6-1, 6-2.

Meanwhile, this year’s PPS-PEPP calendar will feature nine other festival Open tournaments and 40 age-groupers spread in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. For details, call PPS-PEPP Sports Program Development director and organizer Bobby Mangunay at 0915-4046464.

A8

SUNDAY, JANUARY 21, 2018 Riera U. Mallari, Editor / Reuel Vidal, Issue Editor

Sports

sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

PACIO CONTINUES WORLD TITLE QUEST

Joshua Pacio (right) unloads a spinning wheel kick at his opponent Hayato Suzuki inside the ONE Championship cage during their match in Macau. ONE Championship

J

OSHUA “The Passion” Pacio continues to pursue one remaining dream every time he steps into the ONE Championship cage.

He’s actually had that lifelong dream since he was a young boy growing up in Baguio City in the Philippines.

Pacio has conquered the Philippine and regional martial arts scene. Only one target remains for him—the ONE Strawweight World Championship.

The 22-year-old Team Lakay standout may be one of the younger competitors in the organization, but he has already emerged as a seasoned leader in one of the most well-respected gyms in Asia—Baguio’s Team Lakay—and could be the next martial arts superstar of the Philippines.

Ever since falling short in his bid to capture the ONE Strawweight World Championship title against thentitleholder Yoshitaka “Nobita” Naito in October 2016, Pacio has been a man on a mission as he tries to catapult himself back into title contention.

However, it was not a smooth path going back to the world title stage for Pacio as he has had a mixed results.

After a career-defining split decision win over former world champion Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke

in March, Pacio was submitted by top Japanese prospect Hayato Suzuki in the first round of their recent August clash.

Although he managed to redeem himself by scoring a highlight-reel knockout of former boxing champion and compatriot Roy Doliguez this past November, Pacio still looks for consistency with regards to his performance inside the ONE Championship cage.

“It’s more about consistency. To be consistent inside the cage is what I am aiming for at present. I have to win it all if I want to be back in the title contender’s position. A single loss could bring me back to square one. However, I am willing to work for it,” he said.

Despite the rough road back to vying for the ONE Strawweight World Championship, Pacio is inspired to embrace the grind as he witnessed Team Lakay’s elder statesman Eduard Folayang endure a tumultuous period of uncertainty in

his martial arts career before becoming one of the brightest superstars and most beloved titleholders in ONE Championship history.

“Before he (Folayang) got the belt, he went through a lot of ups and downs in his career. He was beaten and was knocked out twice, but I saw the fire still burning in him,” Pacio said.

“Now, he still goes to the gym and tries to get better and better every day. He taught me a lot about life and its spiritual side, and he taught me positive attitude that will help me in my career.”

According to Pacio, it has been his mantra to turn his heartbreaking losses into lessons that would give him the fresh perspective to persevere and push forward until he achieves his goal.

“My two losses in my career made me realize just how much more I had to improve so that I can become a better martial artist. I realized that there are a lot of holes in my game, and that the only way to get better is to recognize my weaknesses,” Pacio said.

His hunger to take things to another level showed in his most recent outing as he knocked out Doliguez in the second round with a spinning backfist last November.

like Pacio in his promotional debut.

“I was excited about my bout with Pongsiri because it would have been a clash of the young guns. I am not disappointed because it is safety first. If I was the one sick or injured, I would not compete either, so I hope he recovers fast and gets back on track,” he said.

“Lan Ming Qiang is my new opponent now, and I need to adapt quickly to his style. But our game plan is still the same, and I will execute that on January 26.”

Lan is a national sanda champion from Guangxi, China who trains alongside flyweight world title contender “The Southern Eagle” Ma Hao Bin at the Jincan Defense Club.

After a 16-2 Wushu Sanda record and several championship titles, the 24-year-old Chinese prodigy recently made his transition to the MMA cage and already has a pair of stunning victories to his credit.

The opponent change has not affected Pacio or his training at Team Lakay, revealing that he will continue his normal preparation alongside

Joshua Pacio (right) mounts Rabin Catalan and administers ground and pound on his downed opponent.

ONE Championship

Pacio has the chance to make it two in a row as he is set to duke it out with China’s Lan Ming Qiang on the undercard of ONE: Globl Superheroes, which takes place at the 20,000-capacity SM Mall of Asia Arena in Manila, Philippines on Jan. 26.

Pacio was originally scheduled to square off with Pongsiri “The Smiling Assassin” Mitsatit in the co-main event, but the undefeated Thai was forced to withdraw from the contest just a week out from the bout due to injury.

Lan accepted the offer to step in for Mitsatit and face a former world title contender

head coach Mark Sangiao and his world-class teammates.

“The toughest thing about Lan’s skill set is his striking game, but I think I have competed against some of the best strikers in my division. I expect that Lan will be explosive and hungry, so I will stick to our game plan and get the win,” Pacio said.

For Pacio, his encounter against Lan is an opportunity to build some momentum.

“I see this match as a very exciting one because I know we are both warriors, and I know we will put everything on the line on the 26th,” he said.

La Salle Green Archer Andrei Caracut (right) presents WBL MVP Kristine Cayabyab her MVP trophy after she helped Chiang Kai Shek win the 18-under crown.

CARACUT TARGETS RETURN TO FINALS

By Peter Atencio

WITH big changes expected to happen to the La Salle Green Archers in Season 81 of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) men’s basketball tournament, veteran players will need to step up and help the team reach great heights once again.

Now that they are moving on without coach Aldin Ayo, the La Salle Green Archers will have to be ready for what’s in store for them. Preparing to return to the finals will be among their goals in 2018.

Veteran combo guard Andrei Joshua Caracut says this is what the Green Archers are aspiring to achieve when the season begins in September.

“Kapag galing ka sa talo parang gusto mong maglaro ulit. Pero hindi ganoon ang process. Pagdating sa ensayo, kailangan paghirapan mo talaga,” said Caracut when he graced the finals of the BEST Center-Women’s Basketball League finals, and presented trophies and medals to the winning teams as one of their guest alumni players.

When season 80 ended, Caracut now on his third year, averaged 10.5 points, 2.7 rebounds and a steal.

He earned a slot to the Green Archers as one of the top players of the San Beda Red Cubs, who won three straight National Collegiate Athletic Association junior crowns.

Caracut said the experiences he earned in leading the Red Lions to three crowns is something he shared when the Green Archers fought the Ateneo Blue Eagles in the finals of the last two seasons.

“Malaking bagay iyung experience na nadadala ko sa UAAP, iyung exposure na nakuha ko sa Red Cubs,” Caracut said.

Caracut learned how to play basketball first from his father, Noel, who did not have the same opportunities he had when his dad was just starting.

That’s because he had no clinics to join.

“Hindi siya nasuportahan nuon sa kanyang hilig sa basketball. Kaya sa akin niya binuhos. Kasi, walang mga clinics dati,” said Caracut.

At six years old, and while a grade school student at International School for Better Beginnings, Caracut learned many basic moves at the Milo Best Center in Lucena, with coach Allan Ascue as the first coach to help him become a better player.

Being a leader on the court, and as a point guard, was something that his former coach Britt Reroma instilled in him when he joined the Red Cubs later on.

SPOTLIGHT ON COACHES AT JR NBA PRESENTED BY ALASKA LAUNCH Coach Carlos Barroca (right) demonstrates a play with 2017 JrNBA All-Star Kenji Duremdes, son of PBA Legend Kenneth Duremdes.

COACHES took center stage during the launch of the JrNBA/WNBA Philippines 2018 Presented by Alaska last weekend at the Don Bosco Technical Institute in Makati.

The highlight of the event was the Coaches Clinic conducted by NBA coaches Carlos Barroca and Rob Newson for 200 local coaches who hoped to learn the latest trends, rules and changes in international basketball.

The NBA coaches shared coaching principles, tips and basketball plays with their local counterparts, with JrNBA and JrWNBA All-Star alumni serving as demo players to execute the basketball moves.

The league’s global youth basketball participation program is free and open to boys and girls

ages 10-14 throughout its four stages: Skills Clinics in schools and communities, Regional Selection Camps, a National Training Camp and an NBA experience trip. Since its launch in 2007, JrNBA clinics have been implemented in 110 cities and municipalities across the country and the 2018 program will return to key provinces including Agusan Del Norte, Batangas, Benguet, Cavite, Misamis Oriental, and Negros Occidental.

NBA Philippines Managing Director Carlo Singson, together with Alaska Milk Corporation Managing Director Marco Bertacca led the launch along with representatives from Alaska Milk, JrNBA alumni and coaches who participated in the one day seminar.

The annual search for young

and talented ballers is underway as the 2018 edition of the JrNBA/ WNBA Philippines Presented by Alaska was launched over the weekend.

The JrNBA/WNBA Philippines program teaches the fundamental skills and core values of the game at the grassroots level. It is open to the youth 10-14 years old. JrNBA travels around key cities in the country to conduct open clinics and hold the Regional Selection Camps.

Selected boys and girls in the Regional Selection Camps are brought to Manila to participate in the National Selection Camp.

The top players get the chance to be named in the All-star team and participate in the JrNBA Asia camp.

The culmination is an all-expense paid NBA experience trip.

B1

Business

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

SUNDAY, JANUARY 21, 2018

WHY BUSINESS EXECUTIVES EMBRACE CYCLING AS A HOBBY F

RANZIA Executive Cycling Team, a group of executives from various fields and professions like pilots, doctors, businessmen and corporate executives from the Philippines, Hong Kong and Japan get together for two biking events yearly to fuel their passion, join friendly competitions and ultimately maintain a healthy and fit lifestyle.

This year, the team elevates the experience as they announce their partnership with Colnago Manila. Colnago, an Italian cycling frames brand, is known for its unique carbon steel road bike enhanced with signature colors.

As a cycling connoisseur’s bike dream frame, Team Franzia founder and Fly Ace Corp. president Lucio Cochanco is stoked to partner with Colnago Manila.

“Colnago has been a dream frame of mine since my high school days. The design geometry, lugs and paint designs of Ernesto Colnago is a mix of superb engineering science and art put together that made it an Italian pedigree heritage brand. I am happy to be doing a partnership with Colnago for the whole team as the ride of Colnago frames are relaxing while being very responsive at the same time,” said Cochanco.

Established in 1954, Colnago is considered one of the best builders of custom road race in the world and a legend in the bike manufacturing industry. This is the first time that Colnago will collaborate with an executive team in the world, where only 32 Colnago C-60 Special Team Franzia frames will be entirely handcrafted in Italy.

“Our partnership with Team Franzia is something that I have long envisioned for the company. It symbolizes a momentous union of two powerful forces and our unbreakable tradition of excellence and quality. And it couldn’t have been a better occasion because this is also the first big partnership we’re signing in the Philippines, which also coincides with the 85th birthday of our founder, Ernesto Colnago,” said Colnago Philippines marketing head Dale Rosales.

Despite their busy schedules in their respective

Neda Undersecretary Rolando Tungpalan

NEDA OFFICIAL GETS AWARD FROM JAPAN

Ernesto Colnago is a mix of superb engineering science and art put together that made it an Italian pedigree heritage brand.

Team Franzia Founder Lucio Cochanco (center) along with (from left) Team Franzia members Rolly Cruz and Enzo Cochanco, Colnago Philippines’ Harley and Dale Rosales, and Team Francia members Eric Maranello and Bennis Caw.

offices and fields, Franzia Executive Cycling Team makes time to ride together around Metro Manila or nearby towns at least two to three times a week and compete every once in a while.

The group was formed out of a passion that also allows them to manage stress and perform at their best in the workplace. The team also organizes a Team Ride at least twice a year where all members from all over the country and abroad meet to cycle together.

“The spirit of camaraderie and passion for the sport are the basic foundations of Team Franzia. Just like in any gatherings and celebration of success, family and friends share these two values—camaraderie and passion —with nothing less but the world’s best-selling wine,” said Fly Ace Corp. marketing manager Abbie Ng-Reyes.

Team Franzia’s love for cycling and the many benefits it brings such

as the joy of getting to participate in an activity that’s founded on friendship makes the group both inspiring and a motivation to all the executives who wish to enjoy a balanced life.

“A bike frame that’s built for winning performance, such as Colnago, enhances the quality of performance of riders that feel safe at high speed, with calm delight in slinging down descents, with a reassuring safety to the senses as you near your limits that will help us in our upcoming competitions,” said Conchanco.

“Personally, it helps me to reach my goals in every bike ride or competition while pushing myself to do better and come out stronger each time. We hope that this partnership will be for many years as it inspires a positive energy among the hard-working executives of our time,” said Cochanco.

FOOD COMPANY OPENS DOORS OF OPPORTUNITIES TO PWDS MOST companies would think twice about employing persons with disabilities when they can hire people who are perfectly able. But for Bounty Agro Ventures Inc., providing work to PWDs also benefits companies and their employees.

BAVI is one of the local companies that have teamed up with Unilab Foundation for Project Inclusion, a program that helps PWDs obtain and sustain jobs in an actual work environment, giving them renewed hope and confidence in their talents and abilities.

Aljune Atok suffers from visual impairment, having completely lost sight in his left eye. Despite his condition, the 26-year-oldfound work at BAVI and has been a junior programmer in the information systems department for nearly a year.

Aljune grew up in Leyte. After earning his college degree and finishing with Latin honors, he went to Manila to find a good paying job. He recounts that at first, he had to face the fear of discrimination.

However, Aljune did not allow this fear to hamper his goal of landing a permanent job with regular pay. Through his perseverance and determination, he

Aljune Atok

was endorsed by a former superior to Project Inclusion, which later on brought him to BAVI. “What we admire most about Aljune is his attitude towards work. He goes to work every day, eager to learn more and develop new skills,” said senior supervisor Alistair Javillonar. He said the team is inspired by Aljune’s behavior and they believe in his ability to perform beyond his disability.

Recently, Aljune participated in Adaptive Technology for Rehabilitation, Integration and Empowerment of the Visually-Impaired’s very first hackathon

Donna Tolentino

for the blind with the blind where his team won second place when they redesigned the website of the Philippine Military Academy to make it accessible to the blind.

Another physically challenged individual that BAVI took under its wings is Donna Tolentino. Overcoming hearing impairment, she graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Graphics from De La Salle College of St. Benilde and now works as one of BAVI’s finance assistants.

“I felt excited and a bit nervous when

I was invited for interview at BAVI. There were many fears. However, I’ve easily overcome those fears with the help of my colleagues and superior,” Donna recounts. “It delights me that there are organizations like BAVI which are open to accepting someone like me to be one of their employees.”

“She is very detailed and careful when making reports and that is something we appreciate,” said assistant finance manager Mae Jane Adem. She also praised Donna’s optimism towards work that motivates the whole team.

Adem said Donna introduced deaf awareness to the whole team. Now, almost all the team members know basic sign language, which enables them to communicate with Donna.

“We believe that each person has something unique to offer for the progress of the company. What others see as disabilities, we see as something extraordinary that can someday help us reach our goals,” said Ronald Mascariñas, BAVI president and general manager.

“At BAVI, we are always open to giving chances to individuals who have chosen to rise over their disabilities to become company assets,” said Mascariñas.

A TOP official of the National Economic and Development Authority has been conferred a prestigious international award from a Japanese institution.

Neda Undersecretary for investment programming Rolando Tungpalan received the award from Japan International Cooperation Agency for his contributions in the delivery of countless Jica-assisted projects in the Philippines.

Tungpalan is the only Filipino among the 29 individuals selected from all over the world for the Jica Awards in the individual category. The awards, now on its 13th round, are given annually to individuals, projects and organizations in recognition of their longstanding contributions to Jica’s activities in Japan and overseas.

“Undersecretary Tungpalan has been instrumental in steer ing the par tnership between the Philippine and Japanese governments to where it is today,” Susumu Ito, Jica Chief Representative in the Philippines said of Tungpalan at a ceremony held in Makati City.

At the awarding ceremony, Tungpalan was joined by other recipients of the Jica Pre s i d e nt Awa rd s i n t h e project category, including Public Works Secretary Mark Villar and Interior and Local Government Undersecretary Austere Panadero.

Tungpalan thanked Jica and said the award likewise“belongs to Neda, the institution that I have also served for four decades.”

Tungpalan, who started his career in public service in 1976, chairs the Investment Coordination Committee Technical Board, the interagency committee of the Neda Board that screens public sector investments and infrastructure projects before these are elevated to the ICC-Cabinet Committee for approval.

The ICC-TB deliberates proposals and considers various options available to implement and finance a project. “ The projects that have been given awards today are testimonies of the impact that our cooperation has achieved in the last four decades,” Tungpalan said.

Jica also conferred the Jica Chief Representative Awards o n fo r m e r Pu b l i c Wo r k s Undersecretar y Raul Asis; Mary Mediatrix Villanueva, chairperson of the Dios Mabalos Po Foundation Inc.; Japan Agricultural Exchange Council; and the Philippine Rice Research Institute.

Business

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SUNDAY, JANUARY 21, 2018 business@manilastandard.net

EXPERT SEES PH STAYING AS A DYNAMIC ECONOMY

Lundgreen’s Capital founder and CEO Peter Lundgreen

A DANISH investment advisor expects the Philippines to remain among the most dynamic economies in the world in 2018.

Peter Lundgreen, the founder and chief executive of Copenhagen-based Lundgreen’s Capital, expects Asia to continue to offer the best opportunities for businesses because of the region’s high gross domestic product growth.

“I expect corporate earnings in many Asian countries to continue to manifest upbeat results during 2018,” he says.

China, he says, will not surprise positively with a higher growth than expected this year while India will explore an improved GDP growth. He says while Japan enjoyed a higher GDP growth in 2017, the base in 2016 was low, meaning only a modest growth in 2017 made the growth numbers look good on a relative basis. “As the Japanese growth isn’t accelerating, then I expect that this year will look just modest,” he says.

Lundgreen says: “One of the most dynamic and improving economies actually still remains the Philippine economy.”

Lundgreen’s Capital is regulated

by Danish financial authority ‘Finanstilsynet’ and has a license to offer individual investment advice and risk management consulting in the European Union. It also has an office in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City which Lundgreen visits three or four times a year, to monitor the situation in Asia, including China.

Lundgreen says on a global scale for 2018, Asia remains the most interesting economic zone for investors. “The Eurozone, as usual, seems to be in the process of defining itself. Thus, the political energy is not spent on creating new improved conditions for economic growth and certainly not to make the growth jump forward,” he says.

“In the United States, a positive surprise could emerge this year. As the country is by far the world’s largest economy where an unexpected higher GDP growth of half a percentage point would be noticeable for the whole global GDP growth. If the scenario should materialize, then it requires that the new tax reform contributes positively to economic growth pretty soon,” says Lundgreen.

Lundgreen says the American growth is back in an upward curve generating a positive and self-reinforcing effect.

“That is why I expect in particular small and mid-sized business and middleincome class households to take the bite i.e. to spend and invest more due to the tax reform. Probably enough to reach a GDP growth of 2.5 percent this year but if it’s forceful enough to meet the magic 3 percent is unknown.

Though my expectation is that the United States has the best potential to contribute the biggest advancement of global GDP growth in 2018,” he says.

Lundgreen says this k ind of consumption will be good news for exporters to the US – including Philippine exporters. “Though it also emphasizes the need for rate hikes in the US, which for sure will come, and it adds the pressure on the Philippine central bank to follow.”

“Another expected effect is a stronger US dollar during this year, which will drag the Philippine peso higher towards the Euro – the growing export destination for the Philippines,” says Lundgreen.

ZAP’s leadership team includes (from left) co-founder Angelique Uy, co-founder and chief executive Dustin Cheng and co-founder Terence Lok.

MOBILE APP REDEFINES LOYALTY PROGRAM IN PH

Z

AP, a leading creator of loyalty programs for businesses, recently raised P27.5 million from a new funding round backed by investors including Venture Capital Holdings and Kickstart Ventures, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Globe Telecom.

This brings ZAP’s total funding to about P70 million, after it also bagged P42.3 million in a previous round of funding.

Kickstart Ventures president Minette Navarrete says of its support for ZAP: “Kickstart has a bias for innovative, high-impact solutions, and we certainly found those in ZAP. Retail loyalty programs have proven their value globally, both as a means to grow revenue andretain customers.”

“While there are many solutions providers out there, we’ve not seen any who has the scale and breadth of ZAP. ZAP’s growth and value of transactions handled–over P2 billion and growing monthly—give us confidence that they create value for merchants and shoppers alike,” says Navarrete.

ZAP co-founder and CEO Dustin Cheng says the new funding puts the company in a stronger position as it prepares to expand its network of partner merchants and enter the payments space through continued product and team development.

ZAP provides a merchant-branded, customizable, loyalty program to over 800 businesses in the Philippines. It takes pride in having the simplest, quickest way for customers and businesses to be connected, as only a mobile number is needed for customers to sign up to any loyalty service. Customers get updated with their points balance through SMS, while merchants enjoy a range of services including consumer insights and targeted mobile messaging.

Total Philippines, Chatime, Vikings, Happy Lemon, Florabel Group, Frankie’s New York Buffalo Wings and Kiehl’sare just some of ZAP’s over 800 partner merchants.

ZAP started operations in 2013 using the coalition model, or a shared points system across all its partner merchants. The set-up was initially promising, but merchants’ interest decreased overtime as they did not see the expected customer loyalty create an impact on their businesses.

“In the coalition or open loop model, customers can earn their points in one merchant, and redeem those points in another. Merchants had to pay ZAP for the points earned plus a service charge on top, even if there was no guarantee that these points would be redeemed in their store. Our merchants realized later on that this did not positively contribute to their business and actually defeats the core concept of loyalty, which is repeated transactions in the same store or business. It promoted loyalty to the coalition and not to the

specific merchant,” Cheng says.

Thus, ZAP pivoted to its current merchantbranded model to maximize the effectivity of its loyalty program. In this model, points gained in one merchant’s store may only be used in the same store or in the merchant’s other branches.

“We found that this model was a better fit for our merchants’ businesses. Merchants do not have to pay for points given out since it can only be redeemed in their store. This way, merchants can guarantee that the customers come back to them. In fact, we saw a 2000-percent rise in merchant usage of ZAP’s platform after we introduced the merchant-branded model,” Cheng says.

With e-commerce enjoying a steady growth in usage in the Philippines, along with the entry of other tech and telco firms in this space, ZAP will also soon diversify and mark its own foray into payments.

Cheng says while various mobile payment providers are pushing the service for consumers, payments alone will not be able to drive consumer adoption. “Loyalty plus payments presents a stronger overall value proposition to both merchants and consumers, and that is what we, at ZAP, are looking to provide,” he says.

Cheng says that this year, ZAP will focus on expanding its client portfolio with more big-name brands while continuing to implement product and service improvements to help businesses in customer acquisition, retention and management.

JEEPNEYS TRANSFORM INTO MODERN PUVS THREE industry groups have showcased prototypes of modern public utility vehicles as the government pushes for the Jeepney Modernization Program with a plan to launch 200,000 new PUVs over the next three years.

The Automotive Body Makers Association of the Philippines and the Truck Manufacturers Association together with the Philippine Parts Maker Association showcased their prototypes of the modern PUV at the PhilApex 2017 exhibit in cooperation with Department of Trade and Industry on Oct. 12 to 13, 2017. This gave the public and the transport industry a first glimpse of how the modern jeepneys will look like.

Both operators and drivers viewed the new breed of jeepney prototypes made by local body builders using mainstream platforms such as Isuzu, Hino, Fuso, Tata, Hyundai, Foton and Jinbei.

The modern PUV is different.

Designed in conformance to the new standards set by the Bureau of Philippine Standards, it has side doors instead of rear doors, no hood and a higher ceiling that allows for standing passengers.

This translates into more passengers.

Emergency exits are mandated and some units will even have provisions for PWD passengers. It has also been designed to be air-conditioned.

The modern PUV has a brand new Euro 4 compliant diesel engine, brand

new parts and components from bumper to bumper and an automated fare collection system.

Meanwhile, the year 2018 looks very bright for the domestic EV industry, according to the Electric Vehicle Association of the Philippines.

EVAP president Rommel Juan said the Asean EV Summit attracted various international players and organizations in the region, resulting in the organization of the Asean Federation of Electric and Hybrid Vehicle Associations.

“The year 2018 opened and greeted us with two sets of good news. First was the PUV Modernization Program of the Department of Transportation which mandates that the modern PUV must have either a Euro 4 compliant diesel engine or an electric motor. Good

news No. 2 was that electric vehicles were exempted from excise tax while the excise tax for hybrid vehicles was cut by half”.

Juan said with these twin positive developments, he foresees that many formal carmakers will be pushing their electric cars and EV platforms in the Philippine market very soon.

“One such carmaker is Mitsubishi Motors with its I-Mievs and Outlander PHEV. We also caught a glimpse of the Nissan Leaf at the Asean EV Summit and we look forward to Nissan’s introduction of the Leaf to the Philippine market soon. And of course, the new excise tax law might be the needed push for Toyota to sell more Prius Hybrids”.

“In the infrastructure front, specifically with respect to battery charging stations, EVAP is happy to

note that QEV of the Aboitiz Group, one of the charging infrastructure companies which entered Philippine shores, recently signed a memorandum of agreement with Pilipinas Shell and the SM Group to put up charging stations nationwide. This will surely encourage the use of EVs as the issue of range anxiety will be addressed”.

Juan said the electric tricycle project is also seeing the light at the end of the tunnel with EV pioneer and now Department of Energy Assistant Secretary Bodie Pulido at the helm in the deployment of DOE ETrikes nationwide.

“Finally, the PUV Modernization is now in full swing. Old, dilapidated jeepneys are being taken off the roads by the DOTr, Metro Manila Development Authority and the Land Transportation Office. This, coupled with President Duterte’s order to rid our streets of jeepneys that are not roadworthy, will finally open the minds of jeepney drivers and operators to the idea of PUV modernization” he said.

“We are now in close coordination with the DOTr and once their Route Rationalization Plan is released, we will finally be able to determine where e-Jeepneys can be deployed. All in all, we expect many developments in the electric vehicle industry in 2018. We ask our fellow Filipinos to join us in an ecofriendly ride to the future of Philippine transport on board our electric vehicles,” said Juan.

Tech & Gadgets

B3

SUNDAY, JANUARY 21, 2018 rumallari@thestandard.com.ph

SAMSUNG LAUDED FOR SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVES BY US AGENCY

ASUS PH UNVEILS ITS BATTERY KING

Wi-Fi, or up to 13 hours of video playback. Its massive capacity also allows it to be used as a handy power bank to charge other devices.

The battery system in ZenFone Max Plus features ASUS PowerMaster, a suite of intelligent power-management technologies that work in concert to optimize battery life, ensure safety and long-term performance, provide reverse-charging capability, and more. Twelve safety checkpoints—including temperature monitoring and overvoltage protection —combined with automatic maintenance settings keep ZenFone Max Plus’ battery running optimally, providing a 2X-longer average lifespan compared to other smartphone batteries.

MAXimum Security

ZenFone Max Plus is the first ZenFone —and one of the very few phones in its class—to feature Face Unlock, which gives users a quick, secure and convenient alternative to the rear fingerprint sensor for unlocking the phone when wearing gloves or in inclement weather conditions.

With ZenFone Max Plus, photo lovers can enjoy unrivaled creative possibilities.

N

O need to bring those bulky powerbanks, people.

After much teasing and speculation, ASUS Philippines could not have started the new year any better and bigger than with the arrival of the highly-anticipated ASUS ZenFone Max Plus, aptly called the “Battery King”.

The latest addition to the heralded ZenFone Max series of smartphones packs a whopping 4,130 mAh battery life and becomes the first official smartphone of the company that has an 18:9 full view FHD+ display – ultimately making it perfect for those who want uncompromised performance with long-lasting battery life.

“This is the beginning of all beginnings, and our excitement is at an all-time high with the opportunity to start the year anew with a launch as big as this,” said ASUS Philippines Country Manager for Systems Group, George Su. “We thank everyone who has supported us in the past years, and now, we invite you all once again for another round of game-changing innovation in the mobile industry with our latest offering, the ZenFone Max Plus!” added Su.

MEET THE BATTERY KING

With its expanded viewing area, compact size, dual rear cameras, convenient face- and fingerprint-recognition security, and a high-capacity 4,130mAh battery—the signature of the ZenFone Max Series—the ASUS ZenFone Max Plus offers a class-leading combination

of features designed to encompass all life’s adventures. ZenFone Max Plus has the stamina to go the distance, and lets photo-lovers see the bigger picture with a wider range of creative options—all in a stylish metal design that’s ergonomic and comfortable to hold.

MAXimum Display

The up to Full HD+ 5.7-inch full-view display in ZenFone Max Plus has an ultrawide 18:9 aspect ratio and ultrathin bezels that give it an 80% screen-tobody ratio. This allowed engineers to craft an amazingly compact and ergonomic body that’s no larger than most standard 5.2-inch smartphones.

The greatly expanded viewing area makes viewing photos and watching widescreen videos incredibly immersive, and when browsing the web there’s less need for scrolling. Multitasking is also easier, as two apps fit comfortably sideby-side on the screen.

The slim and elegant size, premium metal finish and 2.5D-curved front edges of ZenFone Max Plus make it exceptionally comfortable to hold, with significantly less bulk than a standard 5.7-inch phone. It’s available in three gorgeous colors to match the user’s

GERALD ANDERSON IS THE HERO OF MAX

style: Deepsea Black, Sunlight Gold, and Azure Silver.

MAXimum Photos

With ZenFone Max Plus, photo lovers can enjoy unrivaled creative possibilities. In addition to the front f/2.0 selfie camera, ZenFone Max Plus features an advanced dual rear-camera system designed to take mobile photography to new heights. Its 16MP PixelMaster main camera is equipped with a wide, f/2.0 aperture lens to capture clearer photos, and a phase-detection autofocus (PDAF) system that can accurately focus on the subject in just 0.03 seconds even if the subject is moving.

The secondary 120° wide-angle camera has a 200%-wider field of view than standard smartphone cameras, allowing more scenery or people to fit in the frame for dramatic landscape shots, better group photos, and a more convenient photography experience in confined indoor spaces.

MAXimum Stamina

The hallmark of the ZenFone Max Series is the huge battery capacity, designed for serious travellers and those who need maximum battery endurance. ZenFone Max Plus has a high-capacity, high-density 4,130mAh battery that not only gives it incredible staying power, but also contributes to its unbelievably compact dimensions.

ZenFone Max Plus offers users up to 26 hours on standby, 26 hours of 3G talk time, up to 21 hours of web browsing on

Next in line to the lovely Bea Alonzo —ZenFone’s Brand Ambassador for ZenFone 4 and the ZenFone 4 Selfie Series —celebrated Filipino TV and movie actor, Gerald Anderson, joins the ASUS family as the newest face of the ZenFone Max Plus. Hailed as the Action Drama Prince, Anderson caught wind of the ZenFone Max Plus and immediately thought it fitting to his active, busy but all-around lifestyle.

“I’m very excited and happy to be part of this amazing brand and to be the exact embodiment of a smartphone that fits not only my lifestyle but everyone else’s,” the actor claimed. “I hope to give this opportunity my all and hope for everyone’s support as well.”

PRICE MARKET AVAILABILITY

People can enjoy the all-in-one greatness of the ZenFone Max Plus for just P11,995.00! While only onsite buyers on the day of the launch were given chances to limited edition ZenFone Max Plus jackets and Zenny Dolls, overall buyers of the ZenFone Max Plus beginning January 14, 2018, will still be gifted limited edition JBL Bluetooth Headset alongside a patented clear case and OTG cable until supplies last.

The ZenFone Max Plus is also available on Home Credit for 6 months on 0% interest.

For even more information on the ZenFone Max Plus, tune in to ASUS Philippines’ Official Facebook Page and ASUS ZenTalk Forum.

SCHICK: NEW LEVEL OF SMOOTHNESS SCHICK PHILIPPINES, one of the well-known brands in the grooming industry, recently launched a new level of smoothness through its latest campaign for the new year—Move Smooth, Shave Smooth.

During the event, the“Man of Smooth Moves“, Smooth Lee was formally introduced to the public as the ambassador of smoothness.

Smooth Lee personifies the man of today—sleek, charming, fun, active and smart. As every man has his own adventure, Lee uses his smooth, suave moves to make to overcome different shaving challenges as he goes through a journey facing the Shaving Villains. And with the help of Schick, he’s ready to spread smoothness one shave at the time.

Also during the press launch, two

of the most popular and well-received products of Edgewell Personal Care—the Schick Exacta 2 Sensitive & Schick Exacta 2 System took center stage and wowed people with its slick design and utility.

The Schick Exacta 2 Sensitive is a disposable razor especially designed for sensitive skin. Though it is disposable, it boasts of many features that ordinary razors don’t have. It has a Safety Cap with air holes that protect you from accidentally cutting yourself from the razor’s blades.

The same air hole also keeps the twin blades dry. It also has a Clean Push Button that makes cleaning the blades easy. The Lubricating Strips with Vitamin E helps protect the skin and moisturize it as you shave to prevent razor burns.

The handle is ergonomically designed

with a No Slip Rubber Grip for easier handling and maneuvering when shaving.

This prevents nicks and cuts since the handle gives you full control of the razor.

And lastly, it has Twin Blades which make shaving faster and smoother especially if you have stubborn hair.

The Schick Exacta 2 System is an upgrade. It is a reusable razor that also carries the same features as Exacta 2 Sensitive. Its Lubricating Strips is enhanced with Pro Vitamin B and Aloe Vera that moisturizes, protects and soothes the skin as you shave. Plus, the twin blades are attached to a slim pivoting head that follows the contour of your face as you glide the razor giving you a very close and smooth shave. It also has the No Slip Grip and the Clean Push Button that is

uniquely found only in Schick razors.

Schick Razors are proud products of Edgewell Personal Care and distributed by Getz Brothers Philippines.

SAMSUNG Electronics Co., Ltd., a global leader in technology and innovation, announced that it has received two awards for its sustainability initiatives by the US Environmental Protection Agency.

The EPA awarded Samsung with the 2017 Cutting Edge Champion Award for its innovative Galaxy Upcycling program, and honored the company’s US e-waste collection efforts with the Gold Tier Award for the fourth consecutive year.

The Galaxy Upcycling program allows Galaxy phone owners to retrofit the hardware and software of antiquated, used Galaxy phones into new technology products such as closed circuit TVs, gaming consoles, and IoT devices. The program puts the tools for transforming devices into new technology in consumers’ hands by providing them with necessary software changes and suggested hardware changes that enable new functionality. The program was created from the company’s innovation hub, C-Lab; and will launch in 2018. The Cutting Edge Champion Award was presented to Samsung for the Galaxy Upcycling program’s innovative and environmentally responsible ways to use a product’s materials throughout its entire life cycle. Samsung has been the exclusive honoree of the Cutting Edge Champion Award since the award’s inception in 2017.

“In an effort to curb e-waste and extend the lifecycle of our existing technology, we introduced the Galaxy Upcycling program which repurposes technology resources into new devices,” said Michael Lawder, Senior Vice President of Customer Care at Samsung Electronics America. “ We’re honored to receive the Cutting Edge Champion Award for this program and our efforts to extend a products’ life-cycle by repurposing its functionality.”

The second distinction was given to Samsung for the company’s long-term commitment to the proper recycling of ewaste in the U.S. In 2016, the company’s electronics recycling program collected and responsibly recycled over 118 million pounds of e-waste in the US, which made it one of the world’s biggest collectors of e-waste. Samsung is being recognized in this category for the fourth year in a row.

“Samsung’s creative reinvention of old electronics through their unique upcycling program is environmental ingenuity at its finest,” said EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt. “I commend Samsung for their innovative efforts to turn old smartphones into new technology products, and I encourage others to follow their lead.”

The awards were presented in Las Vegas at a ceremony during CES 2018.

PERSONAL BUDGET STRATEGY TO CONSIDER EAT healthier, get more exercise, save more money, take up a new hobby – it’s the time of the year to make that list of selfimprovements again. If your New Year’s resolution involves strict budgeting, there are countless of ways to make your funds work the way you need it to.

It’s more than just saving money, because the real question is, how? Global Fintech company Home Credit has six tips that you may consider when doing your budget plan.

1. Track your spending Ask for receipts whenever possible, so you can log your expenses every day. You’re not even required to log them in an Excel spreadsheet (but if that works for you, go ahead!) –just keep it organized, so you can review it anytime. Remember,

your goal here is to be aware of your daily spending habits so you’ll know the things you can live without.

2. The Slush fund Be it an emergency or a car repair, there are high chances of encountering these unfortunate incidents. Keep them from running you into debt by having your emergency fund in an account that’s easily accessible for you. But use them only for emergencies!

3. Focus on one thing A house? A Car? Or just start little like a new appliance or a gadget? The point is to determine one specific goal and focus all your efforts on obtaining it.

You can’t have many financial goals and try to achieve them all simultaneously without draining your other funds. Prioritize one

objective and figure out how you are going to get there. If you think this means you’ll have to trim your expenses, you’re right.

4. The fun fund: cut down on it There are just some days when you can’t resist the impulse to buy something out of boredom. Either that, or you just choose to spend on unnecessary things when you can just opt for a cheaper—rather, simpler way of living. Once you have tracked your spending and found what you don’t need, try to gradually—if not immediately—take it out of your system.

5. The list List, list, and list. You’ve heard it again and again to emphasize its importance. If you have a list for even the smallest things you need to buy, you’ll less likely spend on impulse purchases and

only stick to what you’re looking for. Of course, it’s a totally different issue if you decide to buy something else instead of the one on your list!

6. Installments If you’ve already come up with a budget plan, but think that the monthly costs might still be heavy for you, then you might find it hard to do one time big time payments. Rather than one all-out spending, how about pay in installments to make your monthly costs lighter? Imagine paying for them and still having enough money!

It’s possible, even if you have no credit card. With Home Credit, you can buy yourself a reward and pay for it through installments – at 0% interest rate.

Through their simple application process and fast loan approval,

you can afford the things you want, and still have spare budget to add to your other funds.

It only requires your two valid IDs, a filled-out application form, and 20 minutes of your time to get approved.

Budgeting isn’t just about

living the matipid lifestyle, as we Filipinos like to call it. It’s more on handling your funds wisely by setting your priorities straight and maintaining your discipline to stay within your limits. And if you followed our advice to set your focus on one

thing, Home Credit’s installment promos will make sure that you’ll get it in a budgetfriendly way.

For more info about Home Credit’s promos, loan applications, and store locations, visit www.homecredit.ph.

B4

TECH & Gadgets

SUNDAY, JANUARY 21, 2018 Riera U. Mallari, Editor rumallari@thestandard.com.ph

BEST OF EVERYTHING WITH GALAXY A8, A8+

By Angelica Villanueva

Jeron Teng

S

MAKE WAY FOR OPPO F5 RED

TARTING off the first quarter of the year, Samsung Electronics Philippines Corporation released its new smartphones, the Samsung Galaxy A8 and A8+, while introducing actress-model Yassi Pressman as its newest ambassador at The Penthouse 8747 last January 18.

With its tagline “Experience the best of everything,” Samsung assures its users they would get to experience top quality by combining all the favorite features of Samsung smartphones into one.

“The Galaxy A8 and A8+’s innovative features combine convenience and style to suit the dynamic lifestyle of its users which really suits the character of its newest endorser, Yassi,” explained Nico Gonzales, Marketing Manager for Core Smartphones, Samsung Electronics Philippines Corporation.

“The new Samsung Galaxy A8 and A8+ is built for those who look for the best ways to love and capture moments,” he added.

The Galaxy A8 and A8+ highlight practicality, convenience, and style with its top of the line features such as Samsung’s very first Dual Front Camera with Live Focus and 16MP+8MP F1.9 camera, plus two separate lenses that will capture every memory

The Galaxy A8 and A8+’s innovative features combine convenience and style to suit the dynamic lifestyle of its users which really suits the character of its newest endorser, Yassi Pressman (right). Charles Dantes

and selfies in high definition.

The rear camera, with 16MP F1.7, can also be used in shooting landscapes and wide shots, detailed closeups, and cinematic videos.

Samsung also introduced the A-series’ Bixby Interface that helps users to complete tasks, learn various routines, and remember stuff on their to-do list, making it the perfect companion that will help them to get through everyday stress.

Another feature that Samsung

users will love is that the A-series sports an IP68 water and dust resistance that can withstand various elements such as sweat, rain, sand, and dust to give them an adventure without limits. With the phone’s capacity to be submersed in up to 1.5 meters of fresh water for up to 30 minutes.

“With our aim to upgrade each of our user’s experiences—be it in travel, food escapades, music discoveries —in the form of our camera smartphones that allow them to capture more qual-

ity photos, we are excited to launch the Galaxy A8 and A8+ to the Philippine market,” Gonzales added.

The latest Galaxy A8 and A8+ phones, which come in gold and black colors will be officially available on Jan. 27, 2018, with the suggested retail price of P26, 990 and P32, 990, respectively.

For more information and where it can be bought, you can visit Samsung Philippines’ official Facebook account or website at www.samsung.com/ph.

NESSOTECH PRESENTS NEW PAYMENT APP

By Charles Dantes

Nessotech President and CEO Jessica Palmiano

CONVENIENCE and stressfree, that is the name of the game as Nessotech launched its newest innovation in system solutions, Moneygment - a payment solution mobile application providing remittance for government contributions and loans, as well as tax filling and payment.

Handled by a team of experts in IT and financial sectors and by its President and CEO Jessica Palmiano, Nessotech unveiled the recent establishment of Togetech, created to provide customers with mobile applications that will serves customers from all walks of life.

Togetech understands

the importance of these government contributions, especially Filipinos working abroad. One of the most common problem for Overseas Filipino Workers is their retirement, after years of service, as they often forget to pay for these contributions causing their benefits to be either delay or missing.

Also, Moneygment will cater the growing number of self-employed individuals, freelancers and homemakers paying for the sake of their “kasambahays” or nannies, micro and small enterprises to make government payments more convenient and easy.

“Moneygment does not only focus on providing

convenience for spending but spending on things that will help ‘future-proof’ our customers,” said Palmiano.

“Future-proofing means being responsible citizens through filling and paying taxes, ensuring savings and insurance coverage through utilizing government initiatives provided by SSS, Philhealth, and Pag-ibig,” she added.

Togetech will continuously cooperate with different public institutions to fully develop the app for its payment solution and micro-financing capability.

The Moneygment app is available for download on Android via Play Store and soon on IOS devices.

Angelica Villanueva

OPPO Philippines sure knows how to kick off the year with surprises and exciting opportunities for selfie-lovers everywhere.

Just when everyone thought that selfies could not get any better, comes the OPPO F5 that’s not only best for capturing real moments, but also stylish and trendy.

Just last week, OPPO’s very own influencers were seen flaunting a bright red smartphone on their social media accounts, teasing the public about its upcoming smartphone in fierce red color.

And the long wait is over because the much-awaited OPPO F5 Red is now available in the Philippines in all OPPO concept stores nationwide.

Ready to paint the town RED Living up to its Selfie Expert handle, the OPPO F5 Red is the latest addition to the F5 line-up which boasts of the A.I. Beauty Recognition Technology, designed to capture the real you that can help selfies look more attractive and natural. Now available in fierce red color, the OPPO F5 Red is the ideal smartphone for users who aspire to create a statement through the smartphones they carry. It highlights OPPO’s advanced beauty technology in a more fashionable and lifestyle approach through its distinct color.

The OPPO F5 Red shares similar features with the OPPO F5—from camera specs and beauty technology, speedy facial unlock, and performance. It features a 20MP front camera and a 16MP rear camera with a higher resolution (2160x1080) and better photo quality.

In addition, it has 4GB of RAM best for multi-tasking and a 32GB storage for apps, videos, and selfies.

“The OPPO F5 is making waves in the smartphone market with its proven A.I. Beauty Recognition Technology and we are happy to announce that we are now offering it in a much-desired red color. This answers the need of our customers who are looking for a stylish, functional, and selfie-centric smartphone, ideal for today’s social mediadriven lifestyle,”said Eason De Guzman, OPPO Philippines’ PR Manager.

The OPPO F5 Red is priced at P15,990. And for users who are looking for an OPPO F5 with stronger and more seamless performance, the OPPO F5 6GB in red is also available for P21,990 in all OPPO concept stores nationwide.

For more information about the whole OPPO F5 series, customers may visit http://www.oppo.com/ph/ smartphone-f5. They can also follow OPPO on Facebook via https://www. facebook.com/OPPOPH/ for the store list and latest updates.

UBER LAUNCHES RIDER IDENTIFICATION APP

Uber PH General Manager Laurence Cua

FOR the past few months, Uber has launched various features to improve their services not only for their riders, but also for their partner-drivers.

Last Jan. 16, one of the leading transport network companies launched another feature to add to their Uberdriver app.

With the Philippines as the “social networking capital of the world,” Uber believes that the country will be the perfect place to utilize technology to improve the overall experiences of their drivers and customers by enhancing their safety through the app’s newest feature.

“We believe that technology can help us lean into safety in new ways for our drivers, riders and for the hundreds of

cities we passionately serve,” said Uber in a statement.

With recent incidents of TNC drivers falling prey to criminals and their activities, Uber introduced an app that will verify the rider’s identity and ensure the safety, “control, and peace of mind, helping to keep all driver-partners safe before, during, and after every trip.”

The said feature will require riders without an electronic payment method, specifically riders who pay on cash, to connect their Uber account to their Facebook to verify their identity.

Uber Philippines General Manager Laurence Cua said they are doing this with the help of other TNCs and TNVS leaders such as the LTFRB, PNPHPG, MMDA and Red Cross.

LTFRB Board Member and

Spokesperson Aileen Lizada also expressed the agency’s support to Uber and acknowledge its initiative to launch the first Rider Identification app that will enhance the safety of driver-partners.

“This is one of the outcomes of the Safety and Security Technical Working Group m e e t i n g s c onducted by the LTFRB together with the TNCs, TNVS leaders, PNP-HPG, MMDA, and Red Cross. This will hopefully provide an additional layer of security for our TNVS drivers who provide service to the riding public,” said Lizada.

In the future, Uber hints that more features are going to be launched that will secure the safety of their driverpartners and riders.

Angelica Villanueva

LTFRB's Aileen Lizada

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sunday, january 21, 2018 Isah V. red, Editor

/

Young Life

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

5totips achieve

‘Matte’ about

your fitness resolutions Ask anyone who made a list of New Year’s resolutions this year, and you’ll most certainly hear something fitness-related. In fact, to “lose weight” or to “eat healthier” remains the number one resolution for 2017 of Americans, according to a survey of statistic Brain research Institute.

But these resolutions are easier said than done; they are sometimes unrealistic and oftentimes overwhelming. But they’re not impossible to do. With the help of Nutritionist-Dietitian Cheshire Que, here are five strategies that shun quick fixes in favor of results-producing changes for your health. these tips would especially be beneficial for women.

Martine cajucoM

STYLE MAVEN. Model-entrepreneur Martine Cajucom's current favorite matte lipsticks are those from homegrown label ever Bilena.

sleeping eight hours a day provides a world of good to your mood, memory, and immune system. Lack of sleep is bad especially for females as it contributes to weight gain and obesity that wrecks your monthly period.

M

oDeL-eNtrepreNeur and one of this generation’s ‘It Girls’ Martine Cajucom has been gifted with an eye for detail. taking up Journalism, focusing on photo journalism, in college has allowed her to work on design and photography in clothing companies.

Being a naturally visual person has helped her a great deal when she moved back to the philippines after several years of living in L.A., as she took on the creative director job for sunnies studios. this particular quality about her also reflects on her personal style.

Whether she’s in a comfortable work wear or all dressed up for a glittery event, trust Martine to stand out from the crowd. “I have an eye for color and this has always defined my personal style,” she shares, adding, “this is something people easily notice when they see my profile or my madeup look.” she attributes her personal style to life experiences – her travels, her love for the color pink and her “colorful and full of life” family. “I am very feminine, and pink to me is a color that feels alive,” she says. passing to the standards of a visual person can be difficult, but ever Bilena’s matte lipsticks did so with flying colors. Martine says she immediately fell in love with ever Bilena’s matte lipstick the first time she tried it. “I bought an entire set. I thought it had the best matte formula.”

As she tried the products, Martine avers, “ever Bilena has a broad array of different shades and colors which undoubtedly will match any look.”

An ‘It Girl’ who knows what she wants, Martine is delighted to be part of the ever Bilena family. “this is exciting for me because beauty has been something I’ve always been passionate about,” she says. she also appreciates how the homegrown brand evolved to what and where it is now. “ever Bilena has become a lot more modern in the past five years since I first tried their product and I’m so happy to be part of that movement,” enthuses Martine.

To see more of Martine and learn more about Ever Bilena’s products, visit www.everbilena.com.ph or follow their Facebook page, www.facebook.com/everbilenacosmetics.

Catch up on your 8-hour sleep

Go easy on sweets and fried food

Balance out your calorie intake and minimize junk foods (fried, sweet, and salty). It’s helpful to note that excessive amounts make you cramp, bloat, and may cause a sudden rise and fall on your sugar levels thus affecting your mood as well.

Martine's eye for detail and color has defined her personal style—a style that makes her stand out from the crowd.

Eat fresh

Que strongly advises women currently on their monthly period to eat fruits and vegetables Turn to C2

Magical celebrations at the malls

If there’s one thing we noticed in the recent holiday celebration, it’s that filipinos have started going out of their homes to celebrate the holidays.

And for many, the most enjoyable, convenient, and truly magi-

cal destination is sM supermalls, a one-stop shop and wonderland. some of the most stunning previous displays at sM supermalls include the Looney toons snow Village in 2014, the Christmas 3D Turn to C2 hannah the panda greets kids at the Grand Mascot parade

sM's first-ever digital underwater adveture featuring larger-than-life sea creatures at sM Aura premier

young Life

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sunday, january 21, 2018 isahred@gmail.com

5Fromtips...

C1 high in fiber to keep them light and less bloated. and because they’re high in fiber as well as vitamins and antioxidants, they help increase your satiety, making you feel full in just a few, smaller servings.

Que recommends adding ampalaya (rich in iron and insulin-like properties), malunggay and other dark leafy vegetables (rich in iron), carrots (high in Vitamin a), kangkong or Chinese spinach (rich in calcium), and chayote (rich in fiber and folate) to your diet. she suggests keeping a food journal to set up your meal plan to success.

FRESH AND COOL. Blackwater's social media ambassadors (from left) Isaiah Fermin, Martin Villanueva, darielle Visperas, and dyrham Palfrey embody the different personas of men who smell good and feel good.

Four personas oF men

Take a multivitamin supplement

If your intake of nutrient-rich food is inadequate, supplementing your health with multivitamins offers a great deal of help. Take multivitamins that have all the necessary vitamins including calcium for strong bones and folate for a healthy heart and sound mind. Those experiencing heavy menstrual flow are advised to take an iron supplement to prevent iron deficiency anemia.

W

who smell good

hILe it only takes a few spritzes of perfume to make a man smell good, having a solid personality makes a whole lot of difference.

Blackwater, a fragrance and grooming line for men, made sure it does not only have goodlooking guys to be its faces; they must show what it’s like to smell good and feel good.

Isaiah Fermin, Martin Villanueva, Darielle Visperas, and Dyrham Palfrey fit the bill as Blackwater’s brand ambassadors, each representing the brand’s different personas.

Isaiah is a 21-year-old online entrepreneur currently taking up hotel and restaurant Management at Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Marikina. his interest in business started in high school when he set up

four mobile prepaid stations. aside from running a successful online store, Isaiah, or The Gentleman, is looking forward to his exciting job as social media ambassador for Blackwater.

Martin has been a commercial model for almost 10 years. The 23-year-old campus sweetheart is a member of runcav Movers, grand prize winner of Eat Bulaga’s Trumpets dance Challenge. his charm has earned him The heartthrob title.

Model, singer, and dancer, 17-year-old darielle fits his new role to a T. The senior

high school student enjoys performing and happily welcomes any opportunity to share his talent with an audience, thus making him the perfect man to personify The artist persona. seventeen-year-old dyrham, from Lingayen, Pangasinan, has been swimming since the age of six and won his first gold medal at 12 years old when he competed in Palarong Pambansa. he is now part of the national university varsity swimming team and dreams of competing in an international swimming competition—perfectly fitting his The athlete persona.

The four Blackwater Persona winners received cash prizes, official contracts as Blackwater’s social media ambassadors, Blackwater products, and make-over sessions at the urban Barber.

Move, move, move

desk jobs, long commutes, and too much Facebook and netflix are about as fattening as a steady diet of bacon and hotdogs. here are some ways to stand up and just go: walk around your home while on the phone, dance while cooking, wash your car instead of taking it to the car wash, grab a coffee to-go and walk as you sip. Mindful movement can offset all the sitting you can’t avoid and may help you to burn more calories a day. and if you find yourself constantly using your period as an excuse to not go to the gym, take it from restaurateur and blogger Dianne Salazar. she said, “That time of the month doesn’t need to hinder you from physical activities like working out. It actually helps you feel less sluggish and it boosts your mood.

I do CrossFit almost everyday even when I’m on my period and I need not worry about leaks and discomfort, thanks to jeunesse anion all night Pad! It gives me maximum protection even when I lift heavy weights.” available at Watsons, Mercury drug stores, and other leading supermarkets and groceries nationwide, jeunesse anion also offers ultra day non-wing, ultra day pad, ultra night pad, all-night pad, and panty liner to help every woman go through her period with ease and comfort.

magiCal...

From C1

art Museum in 2015, and Igloo Fun Park in 2016. This year, it presented a special theme in malls nationwide, its biggest and grandest yet with magical Pixar- and disney-themed holiday displays, complete with gigantic tree centerpieces.

These breathtaking displays utilize advanced technology, such as sM aura Premier’s enchanting Christmas under the sea experience with sM’s first-ever digital underwater adventure, featuring larger-than-life sea creatures. sM supermalls also featured annual pyromusical shows, illumination festivals, and grand Christmas parades, always making sure to top the festivities from the year before.

The participating properties to the Certified hospitality supervisor program in region XI included seda abreeza, elysia spa, Infinity suites, star hotel, Waterfront Insular hotel davao, Primepower Manpower services, Camp holiday resort and recreation area, hotel esse, Malagos Garden, Microtel, Cicada hills Costa Marina, aLu hotel, My hotel, and uno hotel.

DoT Region Xi sTRengThens hospiTaliTy secToR

The Tourism department of region XI tapped asia World hospitality and ahLeI in its effort to strengthen its hospitality sector.

More than 30 participants attended the recently concluded Certified hospitality supervisor program in region XI, delivered by the asia World hospitality. The participating properties included hotels, resorts, spas, and other tourism-related communities.

The Certified hospitality supervisor is designed for hospitality supervisors, forming part of an elite group of hospitality professionals around the world. This designation recognizes the high-level of expertise of an individual in the sector, acknowledging that education, experience, and dedication are instrumental.

The department of Tourism in region XI, led by regional director Roberto Alabado III and Clarence Yog hosted the workshop, with Shyrra Lou Martina DoJadulco and Damaris Damayo-Bacalso as the trainers.

For more information, log on to asiaworldhospitality.com, email info@asiaworldhospitality.com, or call (02) 556-7994 or 0917-5232128.

More than 30 participants attended the recently concluded Certified hospitality supervisor program delivered by the asia World hospitality

Showbiz

SUNDAY, JANUARY 21, 2018

C3

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

DAVID LICAUCO Yassi Pressman is the new face of Samsung’s flagship mobile devices, the Galaxy A8 and the Galaxy A8+

By Nickie Wang

M

OST people believe that New Year’s resolutions, more than any other goals, are meant to be broken first. Hence, a new campaign that encourages people to stick to their goals with the help of a few personalities that walk the talk has been unveiled.

Social media influencer, model and aspiring actor David Licauco has joined the roster of celebrities, including Hayden Kho, Melissa Ricks, Victor Basa, and Gretchen Ho, in a campaign that aims to inspire people especially the young ones to reinvent in a healthy way and to leave time to love themselves.

For his part on the campaign spearheaded by Watsons called #HappyNewYou, the 22-year-old hunk presented fitness hacks -- doable steps to break down goals into smaller plans to make achieving our New Year’s resolutions less daunting.

The former Mr. Chinatown runner-up, who spends some good time in a gym to sculpt his physique, shared that achieving our fitness goals should start by changing our lifestyle – from the food we eat to the kind of exercise that we do to help us keep fit.

“In terms of diet, protein is the way to go. But people have different protein requirement, so for me it’s all about balance because you need to know what your goal really is. I don’t deprive myself from eating the food I like, say I eat too much today, I make sure to work out hard in the evening. That’s the kind of ‘balance’ I follow,” he said.

He further said that eating “real food” would also help someone achieve his weight and body goals.

“Most of the time, we no longer want to cook our meal, we opt for junk and processed food. But if we want to lose more, we need to eat more ‘real food’ and take supplement that promote good digestive health. It’s a good thing that there are readily available products at Watsons that can help us maintain our diet,” he explained.

Apart from flushing out the toxins inside the body, he also talked about “perfect proper form” when it comes to exercise.

David, whose favorite exercise is dumbbell squats, demonstrated how to properly do his preferred exercise routine during the Watsons campaign’s media launch held on Wednesday.

“There’s a chance that we get

A BUSY YASSI

#HAPPYNEWYOU SQUAD. David Licauco joins other celebrities including (clockwise) Victor Basa, Gretchen Ho, Melissa Ricks and Hayden Kho in promoting Watsons’ campaign on looking good and living healthy. injured if we don’t do it right.

And we injured ourselves, we wouldn’t be able to exercise to begin with,” the Euphoria Maxx ambassador added.

And summing up his fitness hacks, the Kapuso star said that the trick to a healthy and active lifestyle is to leave just a few minutes for yourself that if you can’t hit the gym, a ten-minute workout at home will still go a long way. Picking up a yoga mat and some dumbbells will also do the trick. As for the diet, his advice is to balance your diet with the right supplements.

With Watsons campaign everyone is encouraged to get a slimmer waistline with Cosmo Body, increase their endurance while toning up muscles with Euphoria Maxx, and enhance your overall health with Organique Acai juice supplement.

FITSPIRATION. Aspiring actor and social media influencer David Licauco encourages people to eat good food, exercise regularly, and use supplements that can help maintain a healthy and fit body.

SARAH G’S

‘SANDATA’

YASSI Pressman is now a household name, thanks to the primetime series that seems to have opened a lot of doors for the young star as she’s busy with projects and product endorsements more than ever.

In an interview with the press during an event where she was launched as the newest brand ambassador of a premium mobile device, the 22-year-old Kapamilya star revealed that she’s going to have an even busier schedule for the first half of the year.

“Apart from taping for FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano, I’ll be promoting my film Ang Pambansang Third Wheel. It’s going to be a crazy schedule for me for the first half [of the year],” she told Manila Standard.

Her response prompted us to ask whether the primetime series, where she plays the female lead opposite Coco Martin, would be extended for a few more months or if it’s finally going to bid the small screen goodbye just like what was previously announced.

Yassi was tightlipped and begged to just wait for the official announcement.

Meanwhile, Yassi was launched as the new face of Samsung’s flagship mobile devices, the Galaxy A8 and the Galaxy A8+. The collaboration brought her to Japan to shoot for a TVC and promotional video that highlight the premium mid-range phones’ inherited features from Samsung’s flagship Galaxy S series siblings, such as Bixby and Infinity display.

“We enjoyed the entire trip; it felt like not work at all. We enjoyed the place that we went to like the karaoke place, food strips, and the place where there were so many cosplayers.

It was memorable as well when we had a rain shot. Everybody was using an umbrella and we were capturing the rain using our phone without worrying if our phone would get wet because they are water resistant,” she said.

STORMS TO NO. 1 Pop Star Royalty Sarah G drops her new EDMinspired single ‘Sandata,’ which is now available on numerous platforms for download and streaming.

WITHIN hours after its release, Sarah Geronimo’s comeback single “Sandata” instantly topped iTunes Philippines’ singles chart.

Prior to the single’s official release on Jan. 12, Viva Records shared a teaser of the single on Twitter. The announcement became a trending topic and built up anticipation since the label also revealed that the single was available for pre-order.

It’s been nearly three years since Sarah G’s last album, The Great Unknown, which was released in December 2015. The record spawned the hit “Tala,” the album’s titular track, and saw her creative collaboration with the band Hale for the single “The Great Unknown.”

The record label has yet to detail the creative minds behind the single. It is also unclear if it’s meant to be a carrier track of an upcoming album.

The release of “Sandata” comes advance of the singer’s upcoming U.S. tour, Sarah’s first international gig since she had a concert series in 2015. She is also set to take the lead in the local adaptation of the Korean film Miss Granny co-starring James Reid. The movie is slated for release this year under Viva Films.

The Kapamilya star prepares for a busy 2018 with TV and movie projects and numerous product endorsements

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SUNDAY, JANUARY 21, 2018

Desiree Carlos, Editor

Pets

daycarlos28@yahoo.com

LUCKY 10 Rescued cat Lucky enjoys the good life in Mommy Eleanor's home.

By Eleanor Agulto

I

(First of 2 parts)

ALREADY had 9 cats. Count them, 9.

One - Posey, the diva, who’s fond of her human folks but snubs other cats.

Two – B2, the gentle, gray tabby who’s very much at home in the garage.

Three – Gus, another garage cat, the small but terrible free spirit.

Four – Nina, the nervous feline who wants to be brave but can’t quite summon enough courage.

Five – Jao, the tortie whose face resembles the Phantom of the Opera.

Six – Billy Boy, the orange tabby who’s the lookalike of our senior cat, William (R.I.P.).

Seven – Liam, the noisy kitten I’ve picked up after almost being crushed by a speeding car.

Eight – Snow, my lovely, odd-eyed rescue.

Nine – Yuki, the white kitty who followed my youngest son from church all the way home.

I was close to being a crazy cat lady. So why would I want a tenth cat?

The more obvious reason: I’m an animal welfare advocate.

People who know me know this.

The other reason: I’ve always wanted a black cat. I’m aware that black cats are considered unlucky, the familiars of witches. I didn’t care; I yearned for one. I was actually looking for chances to get my hands on a black cat, preferably one that needed rescuing.

Then one day, the opportunity came along.

Khrysta, one of the moving forces behind Friends of Campus Animals (FOCA), called me to ask if I could take in another cat. It seemed that a scraggly group of strays in UP Diliman had been rounded up, and they must be rescued before they got sick or euthanized at the city pound. One of them appeared to be a young, black mama…

I was off in a flash.

When I saw the little black cat, my heart melted. She was inside a rusty, unkempt, miserable-looking cage where the strays’ food mingled with poop. The other cats meowed heartily, as if plead-

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.

Lucky with furmom Eleanor Agulto when they won the Best Story Award at the University of the Philippines (U.P.) Cat Picnic event for Lucky's incredible and heartwarming rescue story.

ing to be let out these dilapidated pens. But the black mama – so still and quiet and frail-looking – was hugging her tiny kitten, as if assuring her that everything would be all right.

Of course I had to take the kitten, too; she needed her mother. My husband disapproved of still another addition to the cat menagerie, but I told him that we’d find a new home for the baby when she got a bit older.

The first order of the day: I gave the black cat a new name.

From that day forward, she would be called Lucky, because that what she was – an unfortunate cat whose luck had turned.

Before going home, I brought Lucky to the vet for her needed shots and a thorough bath. She didn’t like getting wet,

RILEY (black and white), two years old, and BOGART (brown), five years old, are rescued dogs of Angie Umbac.

“We try to spend as much time together as possible, even when I come home very tired,” Angie says.

and you could tell she couldn’t understand why she had to be shampooed, why every nook and cranny of her ears had to be cleaned, and why in heaven’s name she had to bear that noisy, hot air spewing gizmo.

But she patiently went through it all with only a few meows of complaint.

It was during the bath that the vet’s assistant showed us that Lucky had a big bald patch at her side. Maybe it was a scar, maybe it was caused by trauma, who knew?

An hour or so later, in our kitchen, it was time for introductions. I took the now clean and fragrant Lucky from her carrier. This was the black cat I always wanted to have, but would she like me? She was born a stray; would she be willing to be domesticated? Would she want to run away to the great outdoors instead of being my pet?

Lucky gave me a few tentative sniffs and stared at me with her marble green eyes. She then slowly rubbed her body against mine, again, then again, faster this time. As I ran my fingers through the length of her back, her curious expression turned to pleasant surprise. And when I tickled her chin and rubbed her ears, her eyes turned to happy slits and she began to purr. The whirring sound vibrated louder as I massaged her dainty little head. Then all of a sudden, the purring stopped. She gazed into my eyes once more, decided to give me a couple of licks, settled comfortably into my lap, and went to sleep.

As I cradled this little black cat, who looked like she’s having sweet, sweet dreams, I knew for sure – my baby’s home.

(To be continued next week) About the author: Eleanor Agulto a partner and creative director, 5BC -professional screener, Ad Standards Council and head of the Institutional Communcation and Advancement Office of La Salle Greenhills.

She won creative excellence awards from the London International Advertising Awards, Creativity 26, Philippine Advertising Congress, Philippine Association of National Advertisers (PANA), Creative Guild and the Colgate-Palmolive Co. Her advocacies are "No to Bullying" and animal welfare.

She taught in Colegio de San Juan de Letran for 16.5 years, in UP Diliman for 16 years and the University of Asia and the Pacific for 8 years.

CHUCHAY is so sweet, says mommy Romela Carbonel. When it is eating time, she is the last one to touch the food. She makes sure first that every one has already eaten. She is that sweet and loving.

She also loves sleeping with Mommy Romela.

“I love her—one of my 12 babies-- so much!

They are my happiness and stress reliever,” says Romela.