Manila Standard - 2017 December 03 - Sunday

SPECIAL UNIT GEARS UP FOR JEEPNEY STRIKE VOL. XXXI • NO. 289 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P18 • SUNDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2017 • www.manilastandard.net • editorial@manilastandard.net

By John Paolo Bencito and Joel Zurbano MALACAÑANG told jeepney operators intending to go on strike next Monday and Tuesday to do their protest rallies peacefully amid government announcement it would reactivate its special unit to assist commuters should the strike push through.

In the Senate, Senator Grace Poe urged transport groups to call off their plan to mount a two-day transport strike as she sought a dialogue to address their concerns about the government’s jeepney modernization program—which would include vehicle inspection tests starting in 2018.

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ALDERMAN, 2 COPS SLAIN IN REBELS' RAID

By Francisco Tuyay and John Paolo Bencito

POINSETTIA PETALS. A worker arranges poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima) flowers at a flower shop inside the Quezon City Memorial Circle, her expectation high of the commercially important plant species of the diverse spurge family, which is indigenous to Mexico, well known for its red and green foliage and is widely used in Christmas floral displays. It derives its common English name from Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first US minister to Mexico. Manny Palmero

P3.5-B VACCINE BUY DUBIOUS, SAYS VACC A

By John Paolo Bencito

N ANTI-CRIME advocacy group on Saturday said it would ask the Department of Justice to order the National Bureau of Investigation to probe the P3.5-billion purchase of the dengue vaccine Dengvaxia, days after its manufacturer raised potential health concerns.

This developed as the Department of Education vowed to monitor some 500,000 schoolchildren who received the dengue vaccine Dengvaxia, after its manufacturer admitted it posed risks to certain recipients.

Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption founding chairman Dante Jimenez said they would formally make the request on Monday.

“This is even worse than any heinous crimes,” Jimenez told a news briefing in Quezon City.

In a statement, the Education Department said: “As the health and safety of our learners are of principal importance, the Department, in close coordination with the Department of Health [DoH], will monitor the condition of learners who have been administered with the dengue vaccine Dengvaxia.”

“As a stakeholder, DepEd will likewise be actively participating in the review and consultations of DoH on the dengue vaccination program,” it added.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III on Saturday said the warning of the potential risk of the dengue vaccine “Dengvaxia” given to people who have not had dengue virus infection prior to receiving the shots should not diminish public confidence in the government’s overall immunization program.

Government’s vaccination efforts, he said, have saved countless children’s lives from vaccinepreventable diseases over the decades.

He also assured parents worrying over their children’s health that the government would be “transparent” with its findings on the dengue vaccine Dengvaxia, one day after he suspended the DoH’s dengue vaccination program pending recommendation on further action from the World Health Organization.

The manufacturer of the world’s

first dengue vaccine admitted the drug might be harmful when administered to individuals not previously infected with dengue.

In January 2016, then Health secretary Dr. Janette Garin said the DoH was spending a total of P3.5 billion for the vaccination program for public school students in areas with high incidence of the potentially fatal disease.

The initial beneficiaries of the free dengue vaccine were nineyear-old children enrolled in government schools at the National Capital Region, Central Luzon, and Calabarzon.

Garin said DoH bought the Food and Drug Administration-licensed Dengvaxia, at P1,000 per dose. This amount included syringes, vaccine carriers, surveillance and monitoring, and implementation costs.

Three doses were procured for Turn to A2

“We will do our best to provide the necessary assistance in the housing needs of the people of Marawi affected by the conflict, including the MSU professors and personnel who have a very important role in promoting peace and inculcating in the hearts and minds of the young that war will bring nothing but destruction,” said Del Rosario, also designated by Duterte as head of Task Force Bangon Marawi.

The MSU main campus is in Marawi City and the homes of several of its employees and instructors were affected by the conflict that hit the city.

“Pag-IBIG Fund fully supports the BALAI Filipino program of HUDCC and the Marawi rehabilitation efforts. The MSU housing project will provide the beneficiaries Turn to A2

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MARTIAL LAW EXTENSION UP NEXT WEEK

By John Paolo Bencito MARTIAL law would have to be extended to ensure the region’s continuous security against terrorism and violent extremism, Malacañang insisted Saturday as President Rodrigo Duterte was expected to decide on the extension of martial law in Mindanao next week after the military had crafted its recommendation.

In a news briefing at Zamboanga City, Palace Spokesman Harry Roque stressed the extension of martial law in Mindanao would guarantee the safety and security of the public, particularly during the Marawi rehabilitation phase.

Roque did not categorically say if military officials supported calls to extend martial law in Mindanao, but he said military rule would help in rebuilding the Islamic city as “the threat of terrorism remains.”

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HANS SY GETS REELECTED TO UN GROUP

PAG-IBIG HEEDS DUTERTE CALL FOR MARAWI REHAB PAG-IBIG Fund, responding to the call of President Rodrigo Duterte for government agencies to provide full support to the Marawi rehabilitation efforts, said it would finance a housing project for the professors and employees of the Mindanao State University.

A groundbreaking ceremony was held at the project site on Nov. 22, attended by Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council and Pag-IBIG Fund Chairperson Eduardo del Rosario, Pag-IBIG Fund Chief Executive Officer Acmad Rizaldy Moti, Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board CEO and Commissioner Lloyd Christopher Lao, MSU president Dr. Habib Macaayong, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, HUDCC Secretary General Falconi Millar, and other government officials.

A SANGGUNIANG Bayan member and a policeman were killed while six other policemen were wounded in two separate attacks by New People’s Army rebels in Cagayan and Camarines Norte provinces Saturday, police said.

Initial reports identified the victims of the latest rebel attacks as Angelo Luis, a member of Baggao, Cagayan Sangguniang Bayan and one P02 Abad, a member of the Camarines Norte Provincial Public Safety Battalion.

In a report, Sr. Supt. Warren Gaspar Tolito, said Luis was in his house in Awallan, Baggao when the rebels clad in military uniforms barged in and shot the victim at close range.

Tolito said policemen who responded to the scene found the Turn to A2 victim lifeless.

FIRE OLYMPICS. Firemen from the different districts in the country’s National Capital Region compete Saturday in the Bureau of Fire and Fire Volunteers Bucket Relay during the BFP-NCR Regional Fire Olympics 2017, ranging from ground rescue, blitz attack, hose advance and dissemination drills at the bayside Quirino Grandstand.

Norman Cruz

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HANS T. Sy, chairman of the Executive Committee of SM Prime Holdings Inc., continues to lead private sector initiatives in the Philippines HANS SY on disaster resiliency with his reelection as a member of the board of the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction ARISE International Board, the top global business leaders’ group on disaster risk reduction management.

Sy’s reelection was made during the annual general meeting of ARISE at Conrad Hotel in Pasay City Turn to A2 last Wednesday.

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

US ACTION STAR JOINS DU30'S CAMP VISIT PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte brought in a special guest on Friday to rally troops battling Islamic State followers in the south—US action hero Steven Seagal.

The star of 80s and 90s hits like “Hard to Kill” and “Under Siege” joined Duterte in a visit to an army camp on the island of Jolo.

Duterte said the actor was invited to impart martial wisdom to soldiers fighting the feared Abu Sayyaf, a band of Muslim extremists, some of whose members have pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group.

“I know you guys put your life on the line every day. I myself have done and will do the same thing so I understand this is serious business,” Seagal told the soldiers, who have been battling Abu Sayyaf for decades.

The extremist group has been blamed for some of the worst terror attacks in the country’s history including mass kidnappings and deadly bombings.

Some of its members took part in the five-month battle that devastated the southern city of Marawi this year.

“I believe there is a formula that can help the armed forces, the police, the intelligence network to combat this very, very well,” he added.

“I am looking forward to discussing these things with President Duterte at a later time,” he added.

Although his military background outside Hollywood is questionable, Seagal lectured the troops on how they would have to steel themselves for a lengthy war of attrition.

“I hope I can be involved with all of you in this war against all of these evil things,” he said.

A beaming Duterte praised Seagal, telling the troops “he is a soldier so he is on the same wavelength with you when he talks.'' AFP

P3.5-B...

ROAD-SCAM WITNESS DRAWS SOLONS' SUPPORT

By Sara Susanne D. Fabunan

J

USTICE Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II on Saturday said nine Mindanao lawmakers supported the accusations of a whistleblower who exposed alleged irregularities in right of way claims from a road project in General Santos City.

Aguirre, after reading the letter signed by the nine lawmakers, said the issue should be addressed immediately as it involved the people’s money.

“The contents of the letter, signed by nine Congressmen, from the provinces of North Cotabato, South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani and Maguindanao, support the allegations of our whistleblower, Roberto S. Catapang, that numerous transactions involving billions of pe-

sos concerning right of way claims before the DPWH [Department of Public Works and Highways] are possibly tainted with irregularities,” Aguirre said in a statement.

“It becomes more imperative that we get to the bottom of this issue since it is people’s money that is involved,” he added.

Aguirre said he received the letter last Tuesday, Nov. 28, from Deputy Speaker Ferdinand L. Hernandez of the Second District of South Cota-

bato, after his testimony before the Committee on Justice of the House of Representatives in the impeachment complaint hearing against Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno.

The letter was dated July 24, 2017, and was signed by Deputy Speaker Hernandez, Deputy Speaker Bai Sandra A. Sema, representatives Jesus N. Sacdalan, Nancy A. Catamco, Jose L. Tejada, Pedro B. Acharon Jr., Suharto T. Mangudadatu, Horacio P. Suansing Jr., and Rogelio “Ruel” D. Pacquiao of the provinces of South Cotabato, Maguindanao, North Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, and Sarangani Province, respectively.

Aguirre said the letter asked DPWH Secretary Mark Villar and OIC-DPWH Region XII Basir M. Ibrahim that “immediate withholding of the claims should be done.”

Citing reports, the letter also said

numerous transactions being referred to were possibly marred with irregularities, and that the right of way claims were either spurious or based on fabricated documents.

Earlier this week, Catapang told the Department of Justice the name of Eldon Cruz, a brother-in-law of former President Benigno Aquino III, was frequently used by an alleged syndicate in seeking compensation for road right-of-way (RROW) intended for rightful owners affected by the construction of a national highway in General Santos City.

Catapang presented a Jan. 12, 2011 letter supposedly signed by Cruz, husband of Aquino’s eldest sister, Ballsy Aquino Cruz, urging then DPWH secretary Rogelio Singson to endorse the payment for claims with the Department of Budget and Management.

HOUSE MAJORITY RAPPED FOR IMPEACHMENT TACK the committee from participating in the committee’s deliberation, which is contrary to established parliamentary practice, the Chair and supermajority members are now actively monopolizing the proceedings in the so-called ‘impeachment committee’,” Lagman said in a statement.

The House justice panel is chaired

by Rep. Reynaldo Umali, a member of President Rodrigo Dueterte’s PDPLaban party. The supermajority in the House is composed of PDP-La-

OPPOSITION lawmaker Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman on Saturday has accused the so-called “supermajority” in the House of Representatives and the chairman of the House Committee on Justice of ‘monopolizing’ the impeachment proceedings of Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno.

“After denying the Chief Justice’s right to have her counsel crossexamine the complainant and his witnesses, and further barring representatives who are non-members of

ban party members and allies.

Lagman also slammed the House justice committee for “gaping holes” in the impeachment complaint filed by lawyer Larry Gadon.

“The role of the House Committee on Justice is to weigh the evidence, not to gather evidence to plug the gaping loopholes in the Gadon impeachment complaint against Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno,” Lagman said.

He also accused Speaker Pantale-

on Alvarez of ordering the committee to “continue gathering evidence” because the Chief Justice refuses to resign.

“The committee’s duty is to determine probable cause principally based on the complaint and evidence adduced by Gadon, and not to build up the case for Gadon,” he said.

“The committee must act as an impartial investigator, not an intrepid sleuth.”

From A1

one million children, each successive dose to be given every six months. The school-based dengue immunization was launched in April last year.

This announcement followed an advisory from French-based pharmaceutical company Sanofi Pasteur saying new clinical analysis had found the vaccine was effective for people who have had dengue prior to immunization, but citing a risk of a “severe” case of dengue for people who have not.

This makes around 10 percent of the more than 700,000 school children who received the shots in 2016 at risk from a “severe” case of the disease, said Duque.

Allaying fears from worried parents, Duque said the vaccine would in any case provide a 30-month protection period against dengue and assured the public that the DoH was on top of the situation.

The VACC will also be seeking compensation for the families whose children may have received potentially risky anti-dengue shots, said Jimenez, adding they will be setting up desks to receive complaints from concerned parents.

Jimenez cited news reports as sources of the grounds for the planned request, which he said would demand accountability from officials responsible for the immunization program.

There is an ongoing Senate blue ribbon committee investigation, in aid of legislation, into the government’s P3.5-billion purchase of Dengvaxia, the world’s first dengue vaccine, during the administration of then President Benigno Aquino III. The probe is led by Senator Richard Gordon, who said the purchase and the vaccine’s subsequent testing on around a million Filipino schoolchildren might have been made in “haste.”

The committee has not produced a report yet.

The DoH said on Friday that it would cooperate should the probe resume.

PAG-IBIG...

From A1 decent housing that is within their income and affordability level,” Moti said.

According to Lao, the site development will be through the donation of developers as part of their compliance to the balanced housing requirement.

He added the project will have housing units with 32sq.m. floor area standing on a 100 sq.m. lot, and is offered for only P450,000.

The Memorandum of Understanding on the MSU

MARTIAL...

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“Martial law, I think, will help in reviving Marawi,” Roque said in Filipino.

“Well, anyway, I do not want to preempt the recommendation of the Armed Forces and I do not want to preempt any decision made by the government,” he added.

SPECIAL...

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“Of course, it’s their right to hold a protest rally, but all forms of protests should be done in a peaceful manner,” Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said.

Andanar’s pronouncements was seen as a subtle turn from the stronglyworded statement from Palace Spokesman Harry Roque, who warned that drivers and operators should refrain from joining another round of trans-

ALDERMAN,...

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In a related development: — The Palace is confident that government troops will be able to put an end to the 50-year communist insurgency led by the Communist Party of the Philippines and its armed wing, the New People's Army whom it branded as “traitors” and “out-of-date”—after overcoming a much-larger threat from

housing project was signed on Sept. 21, 2017 at the Sofitel Philippine Plaza in Pasay City by the Pag-IBIG Fund CEO, the MSU President, and the HLURB CEO and commissioner.

Consultative meetings to discuss the operationalization of the project were conducted the following month, with Pag-IBIG Fund distributing survey forms to the target beneficiaries.

Of the 717 who responded to the survey so far, 697 or 97 percent expressed their interest in the housing project.

But Moti emphasized that other institutions and orga-

“But those involved in task force Bangon Marawi, I think, they will feel safer if the President will exercise his power as commander-in-chief.”

The AFP’s proposal will be announced verbatim on Monday, Roque said, adding Duterte this week would receive the AFP recommendation on whether military rule in Mindanao must be prolonged.

Amid the perceived criticism on the possibility of a second extension of martial law, Roque insisted what mat-

tered most was the opinion of those in the ground, and not those far from the battle zone.

“What matters most is the view of the stakeholders, the view of the Mindanaoans on martial law...why should people from Luzon complain? They are not affected,” he said.

In a separate radio interview, Communications Secretary Martin Andanar claimed there were no recorded human rights violations nor abuse of power

from the military when it first implemented martial law last May—a claim disputed by rights groups.

On Friday, Lanao del Sur Assemblyman Zia Alonto Adiong warned that Islamic State-affiliated groups were still recruiting people to their cause of building up a caliphate in Southeast Asia.

“There are several reports we have been receiving that the recruitment activity is now ongoing in some other towns,” Adiong said in a Palace news briefing.

port strikes or face hefty sanctions from the government.

The move to reactive the Quick Reaction Unit followed reports that transport groups would push through with their planned protest on Monday and Tuesday despite a warning from government they might face legal consequence and sanctions on their franchises.

“Yes, we prepared measures, and we have a group who will monitor the strike. At 4 am we have representatives from our metrobase,” said Jose Arturo Garcia Jr., assistant general manager for planning of the Metro Manila Development Auhtority.

In a statement, Poe, chairman of the Senate committee on public services, said she would call for an urgent hearing on Dec. 7 to address issues surrounding the planned modernization, which could mean a phaseout of current jeepney models.

“I understand that certain issues in the modernization program still need to be carefully studied and threshed out with the concerned government agencies…We also want to hear the alternative proposals from different stakeholders,” she said.

Poe is set to file a resolution Monday seeking the committee hearing.

Militant group Piston had threatened to once again hold protests against the planned phase out of jeepneys which would not pass the vehicle inspection test, starting Jan. 1, 2018.

George San Mateo, Piston national president, alleged that the modernization program was only a “front” to sell Euro 4-compliant and electric-powered vehicles to jeepney drivers and operators.

Meanwhile, a consumer group scored the Transportation Department’s plan to modernize jeepneys, saying they were only meant to “allow big vehicle manufacturers and transport operators to take over the industry.”

Islamic State-inspired groups this year.

“We were able to prevail over the ISIS, what more the NPA,” Palace Spokesman Harry Roque said in a news briefing at Zamboanga City.

Employing harsh rhetoric, Roque accused the communists of being “traitors” for launching attacks while their leaders were holding peace talks with the government.

The SB member is an advocate of clean and good government in his turf, the factor the rebels opposed.

“This is the very advocacy of SB An-

gelo Luis is espousing—a clean and good government for the people, that cost his life,” Tolito said.

Minutes after the incident, Tolito immediately put the entire provincial command on heightened alert while policemen and army troops tracked down the perpetrators.

In view of the series of NPA attacks, Tolito assured the public that security measures were implemented to ensure the safety of all potential targets of the NPA, including government vital installations, and ordered that all police

stations be adequately manned.

In Camarines Norte, a policeman was killed when some 50 heavily armed NPA rebels ambushed nine PNP personnel on board two police patrol cars while travelling along the national highway in Labo town early Saturday.

Sr. Insp. Malou Calubaguib, spokesperson of Camarines Norte Police Provincial Office, said the PNP personnel were conducting combat patrol along Barangay Dagit when the rebels detonated an explosive device on their path, sparking an ensued fighting.

nizations in Marawi, both in the public and private sectors, might also apply for a housing project similar to that of the MSU project, which Pag-IBIG Fund may also finance.

Pag-IBIG Fund earlier set aside a P3-billion fund under its Home Rehabilitation/Reconstruction Loan Program to provide PagIBIG members in Marawi access to housing loans that carries low interest rates and under affordable terms.

The Fund also offered a six-month reprieve on all loan payments to help members recover from the conflict in Marawi City.

HANS...

From A1 The announcement was made during the 2017 Top Leaders’ Forum, a private sector conference that make businesses more resilient against disasters, also at the Conrad Hotel.

He is the only Filipino member of the ARISE International Board, along with top global business leaders.

He was first elected to the board in 2015 when ARISE was formed to be a platform for business leaders to share information, experiences, activities and projects on DRRM. Sy has been at the forefront of private sector-led DRRM initiatives in the Philippines because of the vul-

nerability of the country to natural disasters.

Between 1995 and 2015, the Philippines has been ranked 4th among countries with the highest human cost from weather and climate-related disasters by the Centre for Research and Epidemiology of the UNISDR. In 2016, the Philippines has been ranked 3rd in terms of risk and vulnerability due to its inadequate infrastructure primarily due to weaknesses in urban planning development.

Sy has spearheaded the Build Back Better principle in all aspects of infrastructure development to address the ever growing threat of climate change, calamities and other emergencies, SMPHI said in a statement Saturday.

“An efficient and resilient critical infrastructure is imperative for the over-

all well-being of a nation, its citizens, its economy,” Sy earlier said during a UNISDR forum in Cancun, Mexico.

Through its programs, ARISE seeks a substantial reduction of disaster risk and losses in lives, livelihood and health.

It has seven key themes which include DRRM Strategies, Insurance, Investment Metrics, Education and Training, Legal and Regulatory and Urban Risk and Resilience.

Since its inception, ARISE, which has more 140 member companies from around the world and from every sector of the economy, has made headway in setting standards to make businesses more disaster resilient and establishing stronger partnerships with governments to implement DRRM projects.

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CDO STATE U PRESIDENT KILLED BY ASSAILANTS

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HE president of the University of Science and Technology of Southern Philippines in Cagayan de Oro City was killed by still unknown suspects outside his home early Saturday, Dec. 2.

The police said Dr. Ricardo Rotoras, president of USTP, was shot at the Golden Glow North Village in upper Carmen in Cagayan de Oro City.

Police Director Senior Superintendent Robert Roy Bahian said Rotoras sustained gunshot wounds in different parts of the body.

“He was immediately rushed to JR Borja Hospital by his driver. Later on, the victim was pronounced dead. A witness stated that days ago, he noticed suspicious persons at the grassy portion,

near their building and near the perimeter fence of Golden Glow Subdivision,” Bahian said.

Witnesses saw two persons walking away after the incident and were fetched by a black pick-up, which fled towards an unknown direction.

Recovered from the crime scene were empty shells fired from a weapon believed to be a .45 caliber pistol.

Bahian said that Police Station 4 operatives are now conducting an investigation and follow-up operations for the possible arrest of the suspect.

The murder of Rotoras sent shockwaves across the university where Rotoras studied in college, and worked his way up to become the university president.

Rotoras, who served as the head of the USTP since 2006, was on his 4th consecutive term as president of the Philippine Association of State Universities and Colleges. He was supposed to end his two-year term as PASUC head in 2019.

It was during his stint as USTP president when

the university—formerly the Mindanao University of Science and Technology—was declared as the center of science and technology in Southern Philippines.

Cagayan de Oro Mayor Oscar Moreno said he asked the help of Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II and the National Bureau of Investigation for the speedy resolution of the case. He also said he was in close coordination with the police on the matter.

The mayor expressed his deepest condolences to the Rotoras family, and said Dr. Rotoras’ death was a “great” loss to Mindanao’s academic community.

“This is very sad and a great loss to the academic community and Mindanao,” Moreno said over radio MellowTouch.

Meanwhile, the Commission on Higher Education on Saturday condemned the brutal killing of Rotoras.

CUSTOMS POSTS RECORD COLLECTION IN NOVEMBER THE Bureau of Customs posted P46.470-billion revenues in November, its highest recorded monthly collection.

Customs Commissioner Isidro Lapeña reported that five collection districts were able to surpass their monthly targets, namely the ports of Batangas, Davao, Cagayan de Oro, Clark and Tacloban.

Preliminary figures of the bureau’s Financial Service revealed that the following ports achieved their monthly collection targets: • Port of Batangas, with P13.339-billion collection, 18 percent higher than its P11.36billion revenue target; • Port of Tacloban, with P59million collection, 177 percent jump from P21-million revenue goal; • Port of Cagayan de Oro, with P1.273-billion collection, 1.1 percent hike from P1.259-billion revenue goal; • Port of Clark, with P149-million collection, 6.6 percent higher than its P140-million revenue target; and • Port of Davao, with P1.56-billion collection, 6.6 percent more than its P1.464-billion revenue target.

“We have been achieving historical collection figures since September, but the latest November collection is really a milestone for BOC, being the highest in the monthly collection ever achieved by BOC. This, despite having only 19 working days. I think we could have surpassed our monthly target if November has the usual number of working days,” Lapeña said in a statement.

He attributed last month’s efficient collection to the increase in the volume of importation by 7.9 percent compared to last year’s volume of the same period, increase in oil prices and also from the “no tara policy” strictly being enforced.

SOLON WANTS FULL SYSTEMS AUDIT ON MRT 3 SYSTEM

By Maricel V. Cruz

A PARTY-LIST lawmaker on Saturday urged the Department of Transportation to conduct a full systems audit first on the entire MRT 3 system before even thinking about getting a new maintenance service contractor.

Puwersa ng Bayaning Atleta partylist Rep. Jericho Nograles said that while he supports the move of DOTr Secretary Arthur Tugade to immediately search for options on who would take over the maintenance of MRT 3 after it rescinded the contract of Busan Universal Rail Inc., he should first get reliable data on the problems that needs to be quickly addressed for the rehabilitation of the MRT3.

“The DOTr should conduct a full system audit first! Hindi ko alam bakit inuuna ni Sec Tugade ang paghahanap ng kontratista kung di pa nila alam gaano kabigat ang problema ng MRT3,” Nograles said.

Nograles, who made a series of exposé on the anomalies surrounding the MRT 3’s previous maintenance deal with BURI, said that the DOTr should have a short term and a long term plan on how to address the problems hounding the train system.

PAL OPENS NEW INTL, DOMESTIC FLIGHTS

By Joel E. Zurbano

LANTERN PARADE. A colorful parade of Christmas lanterns ushers in the month-long celebration and events during the Christmas season in Baguio City. Dave Leprozo

ECIJA AVIAN FLU CONTAINED BY DA, LGU WORKERS AGRICULTURE Secretary Emmanuel Piñol said on Saturday that the reported case of avian influenza in a poultry farm in Cabiao, Nueva Ecija has been “successfully contained” by local officials of the province and workers of the Department of Agriculture.

“In an inspiring story of the beauty of the Filipino Bayanihan Spirit, local officials of the Province of Nueva Ecija and workers of the Department of Agriculture and the Bureau of Animal Industry [BAI] successfully contained an avian influenza case which was reported in an egg layer farm in Cabiao town two weeks ago,” Piñol said in a post on his Facebook page.

He added that the new avian influenza case reported on Nov. 12 was immediately acted upon by officials of Cabiao led by Mayor Ramil Rivera, who directed veterinary officials to submit specimens to the Regional Animal Disease Detection Labora-

tory.

“When the tests turned out positive, he ordered the immediate culling of 42,000 heads of egg layers completing the task on November 22,” Piñol said.

Piñol earlier said that the case was not immediately made public to avoid raising an alarm similar to what happened when a bird flu outbreak was declared last August in one of Cabiao’s neighboring towns, San Isidro, where some 300,000 birds were culled then and the area was placed under quarantine.

“Following the recently approved modified protocol in handling bird flu cases, there will be no more one kilometer radius as containment zone where all fowls will be culled and no 7-km. radius as controlled zone where movement of fowls will not be allowed,” Piñol said.

“Under the new internationally set protocols, only fowls in the affected

farm will be culled while those in the surrounding areas will be monitored and subjected to random tests,” he said.

He also assured affected farm owners, whose fowls were culled, that they will be compensated, while displaced farm workers will also be assisted.

The new protocols were approved during a stakeholders’ consultative forum called by the Philippine Council for Agriculture and Fisheries.

To prevent confusion and panic which could adversely affect the industry, only the Agriculture secretary is the authorized official to issue statements on the bird flu under the guidelines approved during the PCAF forum.

“There is no 100 percent that there will be no more bird flu cases in the future but unlike before, the DA and the sector are more prepared to handle the crisis,” Piñol said.

CONGRESS URGED TO CONSIDER EFFECT OF TAXATION ON SMALL COFFEE FARMERS THE exclusion of pre-packaged coffee products from the Sugar Sweetened Beverages Tax will ensure the competitiveness of the coffee industry and secure the livelihoods of thousands of small coffee farmers in the country.

This was shared by Silang, Cavite Vice Mayor Aidel Paul G. Belamide as the Congress now convenes to deliberate on the final inclusions of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN).

As Congress holds the final deliberations to impose additional tax on SSBs, including 3-in-1 coffee products (powdered and ready-to-drink), Belamide, who is also a farmer in the coffee-growing area of Cavite, urged Congress to look instead into the challenges already affecting the productivity and competitiveness of the coffee sector.

Alongside unpredictable climate and rapid commercial conversion of agriculture lands, he cited the supplydemand gap already affecting the coffee sector.

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

“Demand for coffee today far outpaces what the country can produce.

In fact the country can only yield 25,000 metric tons compared to the demand that stands at 100,000 metric tons,” Belamide said.

“This places already a lot of burden to our small farmers as this demands them to produce more. An increase further in the prices of 3-in-1 coffee products would reduce the consumption of locally produced coffee products. Low demand from consumer will in turn discourage manufacturers of coffee to buy locally coffee beans from us since there’s a decreased market for the product,” Belamide said.

Belamide pointed that the whole supply chain will be affected—from growers, to manufacturers, to consumers—if 3-in-1 coffee products are to be taxed eventually. He further stressed that across the supply chain, it will be the coffee farmers who will stand to lose from the taxation. In Silang alone, he said there are already 15,000 coffee farmers.

UNVEILING. Senator Cynthia Villar (second from right) with Ludovico Badoy (left), executive director National Historical Commission, Rene Escalente (second from left), Chairman, National Historical Commission and Vice Mayor Karen Ebaristo of Bacoor lead the unveiling the statue of St. Ezekiel Moreno and two historical markers in Molino Dam in Las Piñas and Bacoor City. Lino Santos

THE Philippines Airlines has announced that it is set to open new domestic and international routes this month and January next year to further ease problem on air traffic congestion at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

PAL external communications chief and spokesperson Ma. Cielo Villaluna said last Friday that the county’s flag carrier inaugurated new routes out of Cebu to further enhance the Visayan hub’s connectivity with Northern Mindanao and the Bicol Region.

She said the new routes—Cebu– Siargao, Cebu–Camiguin, Cebu–Ozamiz and Cebu–Legaspi, utilize PAL’s Bombardier Q400 Next Generation turboprops.

“These are on top of the existing routes from the Queen City of the South namely Cebu Bacolod, Cebu–Busuanga, Cebu–Butuan, Cebu–Cagayan, Cebu–Caticlan, Cebu–Davao, Cebu– General Santos, Cebu– Iloilo, Cebu–Kalibo, Cebu–Puerto Princesa, Cebu–Siargao, Cebu–Tacloban, Cebu–Tagbilaran,” Villaluna said.

Villaluna said flights from Clark to Masbate Calbayog and Catarman were also launched on Dec. 1. She added that PAL’s 86-seater dual class Bombardier Q400s will serve the new domestic connections from the Pampanga.

OPPOSITION RIDING ON REVGOV ISSUE —PALACE

SOME members of the opposition could only be riding on the issue on establishing a revolutionary government to instill fear among the public, Malacañang said Saturday. “[H]indi lang naman po mga kaalyado ang nagsasabi na kailangan ng RevGov. Ginagamit din po yan ng oposisyon para takutin ‘yung taumbayan,” Palace spokesman Harry Roque claimed in a news briefing in Zamboanga City, without clarifying whom he was alluding to.

“Bakit naman magnanais ang isang panalo na Presidente na magRevGov nang walang dahilan...

Magdedeklara lang siya ng RevGov kung naghihingalo na ang ating Republika, at hindi po ‘yan nangyayari ngayon,” he added.

Roque, who maintained that they see no basis to call for a revolutionary government “ for now,” earlier slammed the political opposition for making a fuzz out of the President’s pronouncements.

In a phone patch interview last Thursday, Roque likewise told them to “move on” and find another issue to bring up against President Rodrigo Duterte.

“Even if they are government officials, they [still] have their personal beliefs,” Roque then said.

He asked: “Well to the opposition, don’t you have another issue other than [opposing calls for a] revolutionary government?… Let’s finish this revolutionary government talk and move on. To the opposition, just find another issue.” John Paolo Bencito

A4

Opinion

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2017

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Adelle Chua, Editor

EDITORIAL

HOW WE KNOW THE EARTH IS NOT FLAT BUT ROUND

By Pecier Decierdo

B

EARTH, the planet we all live on, is round. A little more accurately, we could say that the Earth is spherical in shape, like a ball or globe. If you want to get really acc urate, you would say that the Earth is an oblate spheroid.

That is just a fancy way of saying that the Earth is a sphere that is a little bit squished to the side.

Unfortunately, an increasing number of people are denying that the Earth is round. Instead, they claim the Earth is flat! Those people are wrong. Let us go through some of the evidence that shows the Earth is definitely round.

Before we go through them, a note on the language. As I mentioned above, the Earth is an oblate spheroid or a squished sphere.

However, it is not squished by a lot.

Around the equator, the Earth is 40,070 km in circumference. However, if you go around through the poles, it would be around 39,931 km.

The difference between the two circumferences is only 139 km, or like the distance from Manila to Tarlac City.

That is less than half of one percent of the circumference of the Earth.

Since the Earth is not squished by a lot, we can approximate it as a sphere.

Now, back to the question: How do we know the Earth is a sphere?

The simplest answer is: pictures. We know the Earth is a sphere because we have pictures of it from outer space that show it to be spherical in shape!

Some people claim that the hundred of thousands of pictures of Earth taken by satellites and astronauts are all fake.

But which is more likely—that all those pictures are genuine or that all the thousands of satellites and hundreds of astronauts from all over the world are in on a conspiracy to trick us? Obviously, those pictures are telling the truth.

But we do not even need to leave the Earth to see the signs that it is a sphere.

One of these days, when you find yourself on a beach, look far out into sea. Sometimes you will see ships coming to or going from a nearby harbor. Notice that as the ships are moving away, the last part of the ship that will disappear from sight is the top part, such as the mast or chimney. That is because the ship is moving around the curve of a spherical Earth.

Another sign that the Earth is round is the way planes fly. Notice the path of planes on a map. Often, you will see that their paths curve. Sometimes, the curve follows a coastline or some other geographical feature. However, even in the middle of the ocean, their paths seem to curve.

Why is this? Imagine a beach ball.

Next, imagine drawing a straight line on the ball using a marker. Get a knife and rip the ball open. Finally, flatten the ball on the ground. You will observe that the “straight line” you draw is now a curve!

Scientists call the shortest path between two points a geodesic.

The shortest path from Manila to

IMPEACHMENT ATTACHMENT

EFORE it was used for politics, impeachment was a sound, credible and well-regarded mechanism to force accountability among the highest officials of the land.

Enshrined in the Constitution, the grounds and the processes for impeachment are spelled out to give little room for ambiguity and excess.

Unfor tunately, over the years and across several administrations, impeachment has been reduced to a tool to get rid of government personalities who do not quite get along with the powers-that-be.

Impeachment is supposed to be a solemn exercise, used only as a last, desperate resort. As we have seen— still see—it reeks of desperation indeed but is never a last resort.

It has degenerated instead to game of numbers, a show of force, and a test of loyalty.

There are occasions it is used by the unpopular official himself or herself—a stooge files a barely-substantiated complaint, which even when thrown would suffice until the following year, when the kitchen is not as hot.

Most of the time, however, it is a tool to needle the unwanted official.

Several complainants come forth with accusations—any accusation, so long as there are several—that such and such official committed an impeachable offense. It would be revealed in time if the charges do carry any weight, but by that time comes, public perception would already have been swayed against the impeached public servant. Even if the case is eventually exposed as baseless, at best weak, the damage would have already been done.

We realize this could be a good pastime for lawmakers, if only they did not have a mountain of other things— real things—to do.

Turn to A5

JOY ROJAS LAUNCHES SOLO SHOW; UP RELEASES LATEST LIKHAAN ISSUE

LAWYER Joy Rojas, former general manager of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, launched his first solo show “Strong Material” yesterday (Dec. 2) at the Saturday Group Gallery.

Strong Material was a racehorse that Rojas owned, and most of his work

through the years circles around the themes of horses and horseracing in the abstract style.

Commenting on this collection, ar t maven Cid Reyes said Rojas “pursues a strain of abstrac tion that places deliberate emphasis on the integrity of his material… [ o p t i n g ] fo r t h e e x p l o ra t i o n o f texture through the use of heavy impastos applied in vigorous layers to achieve a tactile quality.”

“The result is an expressive visual statement with meanings that have been coaxed out of the rich and rough

terrain of primal matter. Each work is reflective of the artist’s state of mind and emotion, awakened in him by personal memories.”

Rojas has many recollections related to horses and racing, having been a horseowner and horseman since his young adulthood and once chairman of the Philippine Racing Commission, the government body that supervises the sport.

As a racing writer myself, the titles of some of his works—the “Sun God” series, “Bishop Blue,” “Gypsy Grey”— evoke the features and personalities

of the champion horses and elements of racing from which Rojas draws inspiration. For instance, the horizontal and vertical stripes in “Sound Barrier” remind me of the rail that runs around a racetrack.

Rojas is, as far as I know, the only artist at present exploring this subject matter, and that combined with his powerful use of technique make his works one of a kind.

“Strong Material” runs until Dec. 8 at the Saturday Group Gallery, Shangri-La Mall, Edsa. ***

The University of the PhilippinesDiliman Institute of Creative Writing u n d e r i t s d i r e c t o r D r. R o l a n d Tolentino staged the 17th MadrigalGonzalez Best First Book Awards and launched the eleventh issue of their contemporary literature journal Likhaan at the annual UP Writers’ Night last Dec. 1.

The Madrigal-Gonzalez award winner was V. J. Campilan for “All My Lonely Islands,” and the finalists were Arnie Quibranza Mejia for “Writing Naked: A Memoir,” Francisco Guevara for “The Turn to A5

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Opinion HOW...

From A4

Davao around the Earth is the geodesic between those two places. If the Earth were flat, this geodesic would be an actual straight line. However, since the Earth is round, the geodesic between Manila and Davao looks like a curve on the map.

Speaking of flying from one place to another, we can also see signs of the Earth’s spherical shape by looking up into the night sky from different parts of the world.

If you were in Manila, the North Star is around 15 degrees above the northern horizon. If you hold your fist at arm’s length toward the horizon, that measures 10 degrees of the sky.

Now, if you were in Zamboanga City, the North Star would be hard to find, because it would only be around 7 degrees above the horizon.

Meanwhile, if you were in Iloilo City, the North Star would be close to 10 degrees above the horizon.

This change in the position of the North Star in the sky is a result of you seeing it from different parts of a spherical Earth.

Another piece of evidence from astronomy is the shadow cast by the Earth on the moon during a lunar eclipse. A lunar eclipse is when the moon enters the Earth’s shadow. In every lunar eclipse documented, the shape of the shadow is circular. This can only happen if the Earth were a circle when viewed from all angles. In other words, the Earth has to be a sphere.

There are so many other clues that tell us that the Earth is definitely round.

What other simple pieces of evidence can you think of?

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

JOY...

From A4

Reddest Herring,” and Catherine Torres for “Mariposa Gang and Other Stories.”

Gemino Abad, Randy David, and Sarge Lacuesta were the judges of these debut books.

This year’s issue of Likhaan was edited by UP ICW fellow Dr. Luna Sicat Cleto, with Romulo Baquiran and Isabelita Orlina Reyes as associate editors.

The contributors were R.M. Urquico and Anna Felicia C. Sanchez (short story); Carlomar Arcangel Daoana, Mariel Alonzo, Joel Toledo, and Ned Parfan (poetry): Kat del Rosario, Anna Felicia C. Sanchez, Thomas David Chaves, and myself (essay); Jimmuel Naval, Chuckberry Pascual, Nicko Manipis de Guzman, Arbeen Regalado Acuña, and Abner Dormiendo (maikling kuwento); Allan Popa and Jason Tabinas (tula); Joselito de los Reyes and Eugene Evasco (sanaysay); and Charlson Ong (dula). *** Included in the latest volume of Likhaan is my creative non-fiction work “In the Name of the Father,” part of a larger memoir cycle that includes “Snakes in the Cane” that was published a few years ago in Tomas, the University of Santo Tomas’s literary journal.

Here’s an excerpt from “In the Name of the Father”: … My father recalls that as a child he was sometimes taken along to pambichara or councils at which disputes were settled by my grandfather.

“The Muslims had great speaking skills,” he said. Each party would narrate their side of an incident in flowery, longwinded language, an oratorical style rooted in tradition.

“It was a sunny morning, honored Datu, when I took my banca out to sea.

The sunlight glimmered on the waves like jewels. I gave thanks to Allah for the wondrous beauty around me . . . ” and so on for many minutes, until the point of the matter was reached almost an hour or so later.

My grandfather would listen solemnly, asking questions once in a while to clarify an issue here or argument there. When the entire problem was made clear to him, he would render a judgment for one side or the other or encourage a compromise or settlement, depending on the merits of the case. “’Banar ka, datu, banar ka,’ they would say, bowing to him,” my father said. “’You are wise, datu, you are wise.’

Whatever your lolo (grandfather) said, they abided by. There was no appeal.” …

The essay was painful to write and reveals secrets long-buried, but it was necessary for me to make sense of them and find closure. So-called “dirty laundry” needs to be washed and dried in sunlight to purify it, and that was my aim in writing this.

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

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2017

A5

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

THE UPSIDE OF GIVING UP ON NORTH KOREA

By Eli Lake AMBASSADOR N ik k i Haley ’s remarks this week at the United Nations after North Korea’s latest missile test sounded like what a superpower should say. If war comes, “the North Korean regime will be utterly destroyed.” If China doesn’t cut off oil to the Hermit Kingdom, “we can take the oil situation into our own hands.”

It would have been a great speech in 1997. That was when signatories to the nuclear nonproliferation treaty were loath to violate it. It was before North Korea had tested its first nuclear device. It was before the US cut a deal with Iran to overlook its past nuclear transgressions in exchange for a temporary freeze on its nuclear program and a free pass to test missiles.

I n 2 0 1 7 , t h o u g h , H al e y ’s warnings and the cruder ones from her boss, President Donald Trump, are disconnected from reality. And here it’s important to remember why the president and his envoys are making threats in the first place. All of this is in the service of a discredited policy to not allow North Korea to obtain a nuclear weapon. The idea has been to threaten, coddle and tempt Kim Jong-Un to start negotiations that would lead to him abandoning them.

Well, this is never going to happen. America and her allies have been trying this for about a quarter century and the North Koreans burn us every time. Now North Korea only needs to perfect a nuclear warhead that can survive re-entry into the atmosphere to have a credible nuclear threat against the US. As Michael Auslin, a fellow in contemporary Asia at the Hoover Institution, told me this week: “That’s only a matter of time.

It’s a technical issue at this point.

They are going to get it.”

So it’s time for a new approach: Give up. America should never “accept” North Korea as a nuclear weapon state. But it can end the pointless cycles of pressure and negotiation. The North Koreans have used all that posturing to buy time to perfect their nukes, and the Chinese have artfully used that dance to distract us from countering China’s own predations.

And yes, I know “give up” sounds dangerously un-American. Let’s

Specifications of North Korea’s latest missile. Bloomberg

put it another way: Focus on a battle we have not yet lost.

Instead of wasting the resources o f a n a l re a d y d e p l e t e d S t a t e D e p a r t m e nt o n p re p a r i n g fo r more talks with representatives of an Asian prison state, America’s diplomats and strategic planners can focus on improving our deterrence against Nor th Korea. American diplomacy and military bandwidth can be devoted to countering China’s militarization of the South China Sea and its broader economic and political strategy to turn our Pacific and east Asian allies into vassals of Beijing. In the future, Trump and his diplomats won’t have to spend their meetings with Chinese counterparts pleading with them to get their client state to behave. That’s China’s problem now. America is developing even better technology to shoot North Korean missiles out of the sky before they land.

Then there’s credibility. It’s true that America would have taken a hit with a “give up” strategy a few years ago. But today North Korea is almost there. Despite Trump’s occasional tweeted threats, it’s hard to believe he will order a pre-emptive strike.

Even if he did, it would probably not be all that effective. The fact that North Korea tested its missile this week on a mobile launcher makes it

that much more difficult to take out these sites. This says nothing of the risk that the North would retaliate with conventional artillery shells by destroying the capital of South Korea, Seoul.

Besides, nuclear weapons are e x p e n s i v e. C o u n t r i e s a l r e a d y integrated into the global system face penalties and pressure that outlaws like North Korea really don’t. “By acknowledging the reality of North Korea as a nuclear power, it doesn’t automatically mean Zimbabwe wants a nuclear weapon,” Auslin told me.

“Those who want nuclear weapons are already trying to get them.”

To give up on prevention is to focus on treatment. We need more creative options to deal with the North Korean menace. No longer will American diplomats have to worry about how Pyonyang’s tyrant will react to senior officials speaking the truth about his debased regime. Kim Jong Un wants nukes so his regime can survive.

Nuclear negotiations meant assuring him that America has no interest in seeing his people live in dignity and freedom. America will not have this problem anymore.

Think of the opportunities. The president could elevate and call attention to brave North Korean dissidents. He could encourage them to begin planning for a transition to

Korean democracy. Imagine a White House conference: “Planning for a Korea Without the Kim Regime.” Who knows? With a little luck maybe a constellation of dissidents could form a government in exile. Giving up on stopping a North Korean nuke means getting America on the right side of Korean history.

Finally there is the benefit of stability. Kim will no longer have the ability to throw the region and the world into crisis every time he tests a nuclear device or a missile.

America should still try to sabotage his program through cyber viruses and more conventional means. But in the short term, Kim will lose his ability to get the world to focus on his threats whenever he wishes.

I t ’s s o m e t h i n g t h e Tr u m p administration should think about.

And maybe the next time Kim decides to provoke, the US response can be measured and boring. The Pentagon should trot out some deputy assistant under secretary to say the US frowns upon the latest move, but that North Korea knows fully well what will happen if it ever attacks America or her allies. Meanwhile Trump could tweet something about his upcoming White House conference: “Imagining a World Without North Korea.” It sure beats empty threats in the service of dead-end talks. Bloomberg

THE GREAT FIREWALL OF CHINA

CHINA’S online population of 731 million gets a highly restricted Internet, one that doesn’t include access to Google, Facebook, YouTube or the New York Times. There’s little coverage of the 1989 student protests in Tiananmen Square. Even Winnie the Pooh got temporarily banned.

China is able to control such a vast ocean of content through the largest system of censorship in the world, aptly known as the Great Firewall of China.

It’s a joint effort between government monitors and the technology and telecommunications companies that are compelled to enforce the state’s rules. The stakes go beyond China, which is setting an example that other authoritarian countries can imitate.

The situation While strict censorship is nothing new in one-party China, under President Xi Jinping online restraints have grown tighter, particularly around the time of politically sensitive events like the death of Nobel Peace Prize winner Liu Xiaobo in July. Ahead of the Communist Party Congress in October, China began blocking the WhatsApp messaging service and extended a clampdown on virtual private networks, a commonly used method to circumvent the Great Firewall.

Securing China’s “cyber sovereignty,” or protecting the country’s internet from undue foreign influence, is one of Xi’s avowed goals. Recent moves to restrict online freedoms include measures that all but eliminate the ability to post social media anonymously, make app store owners responsible for how customers use their purchases and require online portals to stop news reporting. In November, Microsoft Corp.’s Skype phone and video service became the latest victim of the crackdown when its app was removed from several popular platforms including Apple Inc.’s App Store. Pooh’s temporary banishment came after bloggers depicted Xi as the

cartoon bear.

Meantime, foreign companies that want to operate on the mainland are forced to adopt practices often seen as invasive elsewhere. Apple, which publicly fought requests by the US government to create backdoors into its password-protected products, has quietly deleted apps and built local data centers in line with Chinese government requirements. All this contributes to China having the least online freedom on the planet, according to rights group Freedom House.

The background China hasn’t always restricted the web. When it formally arrived in 1994, it was relatively free and seen as an extension of the Open Door policy of tapping Western knowledge to reform

the economy. As its popularity grew, the government yielded to a sentiment expressed by former leader Deng Xiaoping: When you open the window, the flies come in.

From 2000, the foundations of the Great Firewall were laid with the introduc tion of the G olden Shield Project, a database-driven s u r ve i l l a n ce s ys te m c a p a b l e o f accessing ever y citizen’s record and connecting China’s security organizations. Now the government employs at least 50,000 people t o e n fo rc e c e n s o r s h i p, b a r r i n g we b s i te s i t d i s a p p rove s o f a n d forcing search engines to filter out content considered harmful.

There’s also an army of social-media influencers who, by one estimate,

post 500 million pro-government comments a year.

Crucially, the authorities make companies responsible for the content they show, even that generated by users, a practice that encourages selfcensorship in a country where the state licenses all media. With an almost captive local market, China’s tech giants—Tencent Holdings Ltd. and Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.—have flourished, in the process becoming important taxpayers in China. At the other extreme, Greatfire.org, a nonprofit group that opposes censorship, has created mirrored sites and a browser to get around the controls.

The argument Most countries impose some sort of cyber control, like banning websites that promote hate. With more than half its 1.4 billion people online, China argues that the restrictions are mostly about maintaining social order and safeguarding national security.

Proponents cite the worrying control on the flow of news exerted by the likes of Google and Facebook as a reason for the state to adopt an active role.

Critics say China’s Great Firewall reflects its paranoia over the Internet’s potential to spread opposition to oneparty rule. As well as impeding freedom of speech, China’s approach constrains it economically, they say, by stifling innovation, preventing the exchange of important ideas and cutting access to services used by businesses like Google Cloud. Academics cannot tap Google Scholar, used globally by students and professors to share work. More broadly, critics fear if Russia and other like-minded countries follow China’s example and succeed in imposing restrictionson their citizens and global online companies, the vision behind the founding of the Internet—an unfettered global exchange of information—could be seriously compromised. Bloomberg

World

A6

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

Cesar Barrioquinto, Editor / Jimbo Gulle, Issue Editor

NOKOR HOLDS BIG PARTY FOR MISSILE TEST SEOUL, South Korea—North Korea held mass celebrations for its latest successful long-range missile test, Pyongyang’s state media said Saturday, with a propaganda-filled display of fireworks and dancing in public squares.

The ruling Workers Party official daily Rodong Sinmun covered its front page with colour photographs showing thousands of tightly packed soldiers and people applauding in Pyongyang’s Kim IlSung square, which was decorated with large portraits of the North’s late leaders.

“We heartily celebrate the successful test launch of the Hwasong-15 which showed Chosun (North Korea)’s power and greatness to the whole world”, read one banner held up by the crowd, referring to the missile.

North Korea on Wednesday successfully tested a new intercontinental ballistic missile, with leader Kim Jong-Un declaring his country had now achieved full nuclear statehood.

The US in response warned that Kim Jong-Un’s regime would be “utterly destroyed” if its pursuit of a long-range nuclear missile arsenal provokes a military clash, and has battled to maintain international solidarity in the face of North Korea’s nuclear threat.

Kim himself was absent from the celebrations—he usually stays away from such events—but Friday’s gathering drew key military, party and government leaders. AFP

FEAR IN LONDON AS ACID ATTACKS SOAR TO OVER 450 LONDON—Delivery rider Jabed Hussain was waiting at a traffic light one night in east London when two attackers sprayed acid in his face and stole his moped.

It was one of hundreds of attacks in the British capital every year that have prompted government intervention and left the city’s police force asking the public for help to tackle the crime wave.

Hussain recalled feeling “burning on my face” during the robbery in Hackney.

“If they want to take my bike, there are a lot of weapons... why (have) they got to choose the weapon of acid?” he told AFP as he returned to the spot where the attack happened.

The number of assaults is increasing rapidly.

The British capital saw 454 acid attacks reported last year, up from 261 in 2015 and 166 the year before.

Hussain suffers from chest problems after swallowing water that he believes contained traces of the acid, although his helmet protected much of his face and he has no visible scars.

A pizza delivery driver attacked in north-east London last month was not so lucky, left in a critical condition after being sprayed with acid while his helmet visor was up. AFP

NASA VOYAGER THRUSTERS FIRE UP AFTER 37 YEARS WASHINGTON—NASA’s Voyager 1 spacecraftcruising interstellar space billions of miles from Earthwas back on the right track Friday thanks to thrusters that were fired up for the first time in 37 years.

The unmanned spaceship was launched along with its twin, Voyager 2, more than 40 years ago to explore the outer planets of our solar system, traveling further than any human-made object in history.

But after decades of operation, the “attitude control thrusters” that turn the spacecraft by firing tiny “puffs” had degraded. The small adjustments are needed to turn Voyager’s antenna toward Earth, allowing it to continue sending communications.

“At 13 billion miles from Earth, there’s no mechanic shop nearby to get a tuneup,” NASA said in a news release.

Experts at the agency’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California decided to turn to four backup thrusters that were last used on November 8, 1980.

“The Voyager flight team dug up decades-old data and examined the software that was coded in an outdated assembler language, to make sure we could safely test the thrusters,” said Chris Jones, chief engineer at JPL. The engineers fired up the thrusters on Tuesday and tested their ability to turn Voyager using 10-millisecond pulses. Then they waited 19 hours, 35 minutes for the test results to arrive at an antenna in Goldstone, California. AFP

JINGLE BALL. Santa Claus (left) and singer Bebe Rexha pose in the press room during 102.7 KIIS FM’s Jingle Ball 2017 presented by Capital One at The Forum on Friday in Inglewood, California. AFP

FLYNN PLEADS GUILTY TO LYING ABOUT RUSSIA

W

ASHINGTON—Donald Trump’s former top advisor Michael Flynn pleaded guilty Friday to lying to the FBI over his contacts with Russia, in a dramatic escalation of the probe into possible collusion between the president’s campaign team and Moscow.

The 58-year-old retired three-star Army general is the most senior figure indicted in special prosecutor Robert Mueller’s sprawling investigation into Russian interference in last year’s election.

Flynn’s admission that he had secret discussions in December 2016 with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak -- with direction from top Trump officials -- set Washington abuzz with speculation over who in the Republican leader’s inner circle might next be in Mueller’s sights.

Citing unnamed sources, The

Washington Post reported that one of the “very senior” presidential transition team officials advising Flynn to contact the Russian envoy was Trump’s son-in-law and senior aide Jared Kushner.

Flynn’s guilty plea, on a federal charge of making false statements to investigators, came with a pledge to cooperate with Mueller, whose focus goes beyond possible collusion with Russia to shady business dealings and whether Trump himself tried to thwart the investigation.

The White House rejected the idea

that Flynn could implicate “anyone” else, as ABC News reported that Flynn would testify that Trump ordered him to reach out to Moscow during the campaign -- news that sent Wall Street shares tumbling.

ABC later issued a clarification, saying its source said Flynn would testify that Trump ordered him to reach out to Moscow after the November 2016 election.

“I recognize that the actions I acknowledged in court today were wrong,” Flynn said in a statement after a brief appearance in federal court in the US capital.

“My guilty plea and agreement to cooperate with the special counsel’s office reflect a decision I made in the best interests of my family and of our country. I accept full responsibility for my actions.”

The charge normally carries up to

five years in prison, but under the terms of the plea deal, Mueller says he has recommended a lighter sentence of only up to six months in jail, court filings show.

Flynn, the fourth person charged in the Mueller probe, admitted he lied to FBI investigators about his private discussions with Kislyak about US sanctions imposed on Moscow by the administration of then president Barack Obama.

At the time, Flynn was a campaign and transition advisor with no official US government role, but he was clearly a top candidate to become Trump’s White House national security advisor.

Flynn eventually was given that post, but was forced to resign in February, just weeks after the president took office, due to public concerns over his contacts with Russia. AFP

POPE MEETS ROHINGYA, WRAPS UP ASIA TOUR DHAKA, Bangladesh—Pope Francis wraps up a high-stakes Asia tour Saturday after meeting Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh in a highly symbolic gesture of solidarity with the Muslim minority fleeing violence in Myanmar.

The Catholic leader will address college students and visit a hospital in Dhaka run by the order of Mother Theresa on the final day of a visit to Bangladesh and Myanmar that has been dominated by the plight of the Rohingya.

Pope Francis is known for championing the rights of refugees and has repeatedly expressed his support for the Rohingya, a persecuted people whom he has described as his “brothers and sisters.”

The usually forthright pontiff walked a diplomatic tightrope during his four days in Myanmar -- the first ever papal visit to the country -- avoiding any direct reference to the Rohingya in public while appealing to Buddhist leaders to overcome “prejudice and hatred.”

But in Bangladesh he addressed the issue head-on, meeting a small group of Rohingya refugees in an emotional encounter in Dhaka, including a 12-year-old girl who lost all her family in an attack.

“Your tragedy is very hard, very great, but it has a place in our hearts,” he told them.

“In the name of all those who have persecuted you, who have harmed you, in the face of the world’s indifference, I ask for your forgiveness.”

The pope referred to the refugees as Rohingya, using the word for the first time on the tour after the archbishop of Yangon advised him that doing so in Myanmar could inflame tensions.

The word is politically sensitive in the mainly Buddhist country because many there do not consider the Rohingya as a distinct ethnic group, regarding them instead as incomers from Bangladesh.

The pope faced criticism from some rights activists and refugees for failing to address the issue publicly, although Vatican officials hinted he had done so in private meetings with Myanmar’s leaders.

Hours after arriving in Bangladesh he also called for “decisive” international measures to address the “grave crisis”.

On Saturday he will meet patients being treated by nuns in the capital of Bangladesh, where schools and clinics run by the Catholic church provide a lifeline for poor communities.

Around 150 people are being treated at the Mother Theresa House, among them Ananda Hira, a kidney patient who receives the dialysis his father cannot afford to pay for privately.

“I am sure if the pope touches my head and prays for me, I’ll be cured,” he said. “God listens to his prayers.”

The pope returns to Rome on Saturday afternoon having held well-attended open-air masses in Bangladesh and Myanmar, which both have small Christian populations. AFP

SERIOUS LOOK. Pope Francis presides over a meeting with priests and novices at the Church of the Holy Rosary complex, where the Mother Teresa House is part of, in Dhaka on Saturday. The Pope arrived in Bangladesh from Myanmar on Thursday for the second stage of a visit that has been overshadowed by the plight of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees. AFP

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Manila

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SUNDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2017 reuelvidal@yahoo.com

LA SALLE, ATENEO CLASH IN DO-OR-DIE SHOWDOWN

By Peter Atencio

O

NE to go.

The La Salle Green Archers are a step away from back-to-back title conquests when they battle the Ateneo Blue Eagles in Game 3 of the 80th University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) men’s basketball finals but coach Aldin Ayo has asked the team not to celebrate just yet.

“As coach said, don’t celebrate unless it’s finished.

Hindi kami mag-stop and we will work for our next game,” said one of the team’s top performers Ricci Rivero, who was named part of the UAAP Mythical Five.

For the Ateneo Blue Eagles, lessons have been learned after their disappointing loss in Game 2. They will have to be wary of the defending champion La Salle Green Archers’ championship experience when they battle in Game 3 at 3:30 p.m. today at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

“I’m not so sure it’s youth as much as it is I think La Salle’s championship experience. And our lack of it may have shown.

Not sure whether that’s youth or just being in the cauldron of championship games and learning and understanding what it requires of you when the pressure comes on. They were better today when the pressure really came on,” said Blue Eagles coach Tab Baldwin.

Earlier, the National Univer-

Ateneo Blue Eagles forward Thirdy Ravena (0) attacks the hoop despite the double-teaming La Salle defense.

La Salle University forward Ricci Rivero (6), hero of the team’s Game 2 victory in the UAAP championship, tries to dribble past Ateneo Blue Eagles defender Tyler Tio.

sity Lady Bulldogs will fight for the crown against the University of the East Lady Warriors in game 2 of the women’s championship.

In Game 2, scoring ace Rivero, who was shackled by four fouls in the first half, Andrei Caracut and Aljun Melecio teamed up in helping the Green Archers turn the tables on the Blue Eagles.

Caracut, a third year veteran of the squad, banged in 13 points, including seven crucial points that provided fuel for La Salle’s successful effort to tie their best-of-three title series at one-all.

He and Rivero led a crucial

run in the third period, knocking in a three-pointer and a threepoint play that put La Salle within reach of the Ateneo lead, 54-56,with 4:03 left.

So far, the Blue Eagles have won two championships out of four finals encounter that have reached a decisive Game 3 since 2001.

La Salle prevailed over Ateneo in 2001, before the Blue Eagles wrested it from the Green Archers the following year.

In 2006, the University of Santo Tomas Tigers won it over the Blue Eagles in a deciding Game 3 showdown, before

Games Today

10:30AM - UE VS NU (Women’s Game 2) 3:30PM - Ateneo VS DLSU (Men’s Game 3)

Ateneo took it from the UE Warriors in another threegame series in 2009.

The Green Archers have gone through three finals series in the past that went the distance.

The last time they did was in 2013, when the fought off the UST Tigers for the crown.

The 1987 and the 2017 finals will be a memorable one for the Nieto family.

Back in 1987, Joseph “Jet” Nieto, the father of the twins Matthew and Mike, led a decisive run that won the Blue Eagles the crown.

It started with a triple in the beginning of the last period. And it was baskets from Gilbert Reyes and Nieto that brought the Blue Eagles closer, 92-86.

In season 80, the Nieto twins are at the forefront of the Blue Eagles to win their ninth crown.

On the other hand, the Green Archers have the Rivero brothers, Ricci and Prince, to help them claim their 10th.

Baldwin said the squad will remain hopeful in when they plunge into action for the last time this season against the Green Archers.

ARCHERS’ BIG MAN CASTS GIANT SHADOW PLAYING defense will decide everything for the defending champion La Salle Green Archers.

Season MVP Ben Mbala said he and his teammates got this reminder from coach Aldin Ayo right before the Green Archers put away the Ateneo Blue Eagles, 92-83, in Game 2 of their best-of-three finals series at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

“We did what coach asked us to do.

Play D, play D. From there, it will decide everything,” said Mbala, who was held to eight points, but had 12 rebounds in the 31 minutes he played.

Mbala, just like Ricci Rivero, had four fouls in Game 2 with Ateneo’s defense focused on stopping him.

The 6’8” Cameroonian said this was not the first time that the Green Archers were able to come back from a big lead.

In the Final Four, the Green Ar-

chers fought their way out of a 15-point deficit to beat the Adamson Falcons, 82-75.

“As a team, we’ve been through almost the same situation against Adamson. So, I think we got used to games like this,” said Mbala after the Green Archers rallied their way back from a 21-point deficit against the Blue Eagles.

He feels that to win Game 3, for them to win Game 3 and the championship, the team must remember what to do defensively.

Doing so, Mbala said, will change things for La Salle.

“We stick together (in defense).

We saw some of our players struggling. We did not give up. We kept playing D,” said Mbala.

Their game will be remembered for being the biggest comeback in 30 years.

No squad since 1987 has ever recovered from bigger deficit and win a game in the finals.

It finally happened in season 80 when the Blue Eagles squandered a 21-point lead, and bowed to the Green Archers, 92-83, in Game 2.

The series is now even at one-all after Ateneo took Game 1 with a 7670 triumph.

The last time a team successfully came back from a 20-point or more deficit was in 1987.

That was when the Blue Eagles charged back from 20 points down in the second half to win their first ever title in the league with a 94-92 triumph over the University of the East Warriors.

At that time, free throw shots from Emilio Chuatico and Eric Reyes Jr. sealed the deal for the Blue Eagles. Peter Atencio

TIGER CONTINUES STRONG START MIAMI, USA—Tiger Woods fired a four-under-par 68 to remain in contention in his comeback event at the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas on Friday.

The 41-year-old superstar, playing his first tournament in nearly 10 months, vaulted up the leaderboard at the Albany Golf Club with a blistering front nine.

The 14-time-major champion was five-under for the day after posting three birdies and an eagle before the turn to go eight-under for the tournament.

However Woods’ momentum faltered on the back nine, where two bogeys saw him eventually finish the day at seven-under.

Woods has plenty of ground to make up over the weekend, however, with leader Charley Hoffman producing a stunning nine-under-par 63 to move to 12-under.

Yet Woods was satisfied with another solid day of tournament golf after spending most of the past two years sidelined with a debilitating back injury.

“I think it was successful because I shot 31 on the front nine,” Woods told reporters afterwards. “I built upon what I did yesterday. I cleaned it up.

“The only thing I struggled with was the speed of the

Tiger Woods holds up the golf ball after completing a hole at the Hero World Challenge at Albany, Bahamas in Nassau, Bahamas. AFP greens. They seemed to be a foot faster.”

Woods added that he was satisfied with his fitness following spinal fusion surgery on his back in April.

“I proved that the surgery was successful and that the rehab was fantastic. I got a chance to go out there and play competitive golf again,” Woods said.

“I’m just getting back. I’ve still got a long way to go,” added Woods, who also missed the entire 2015-2016 season.

“I felt like today I could have easily got to double digits under par. That would have put me one or two back. But I think I’m still in it.

“It’s supposed to blow a little bit harder tomorrow – if that’s the case I think a good solid round should get me up there.”

After a solid first round 69 on Thursday, Woods got off to a flying start on Friday, reeling off three birdies in the opening four holes.

His first birdie came on the first when a 96-yard approach shot landed five feet from the hole for a simple birdie putt.

On the par-five third his eagle putt from just off the green went just wide but left him with an easy birdie.

A further birdie came on the fourth, after another superb approach shot.

It got better on the par-five ninth when he made the green in two before rolling in a 15-foot eagle putt to put him into the lead at eight under.

A further birdie on the 11th put Woods at six under for the day, nine under overall but a bogey on 12 checked his progress. AFP

“I still think that’s a positive.

I think that helps and hopefully it will help enough to be one of the factors that gets us across the finish line,” said Baldwin.

Historically, no team in 30 years has managed to come back from big deficit and win a finals game.

But, that’s what happened in season 80 when the Blue Eagles squandered a 21-point lead, and bowed to the Green Archers, 92-83, in Game 2 last Wednesday.

The last time this happened was in 1987 when the Blue Eagles rallied back from a 20-point deficit in the fourth quarter to win their first ever title in the league with a 94-92 triumph over the University of the East Warriors.

DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES National Capital Region

REGIONAL BIDS AND AWARDS COMMITTEE INVITATION TO BID Contract for Security Services 2018 1.

The DENR-NCR, through the General Appropriations Act of 20181 intends to apply the sum of Four Million Six Hundred Ninety Eight Thousand Eight Hundred Fifty Seven Pesos & Eighty Five Centavos (PhP4,698,857.85) being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the contract for Security Services. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

2.

The DENR-NCR now invites bids for the 2018 Contract for Security Services for the provision of 19 guards and equipment/tools/apparatus necessary for the discharge of the services. The contract period shall be for twelve (12) months. Bidders should have completed within five (5) years from the date of submission and receipt of bids, a contract similar to the project. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II. Instruction to Bidders.

3.

Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using a non-discretionary “pass/fail” criterion as specified in the 2016 Revised Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act (RA) 9184, otherwise known as the “Government Procurement Reform Act”.

La Salle Green Archers big man Ben Mbala (23) protects the basketball against an Adamson University Soaring Falcons defender. Peter Atencio

IN RE: PETITION FOR ISSUANCE OF C E R T I F I C AT E OF PUBLIC CONVENIENCE AND NECESSITY TO OPERATE DOMESTIC NONS C H E D U L E D (AIR TAXI) AIR TRANSPORTATION SERVICES LlTEAIR EXPRESS INCORPORATED Petitioner. x--------------------------------------x

CAB Case No. EP-175649-HED112017-056-0

NOTICE OF HEARING Pursuant to the provisions of RA776, as amended, Notice is hereby given that LlTEAIR EXPRESS INCORPORATED has filed with the Civil Aeronautics Board a petition for issuance of Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN) to Operate Domestic Non-Scheduled (Air taxi) Air Transportation Services. The above entitled case is scheduled for hearing on December 12, 2017 at 10:00 AM at the CAB Conference Room, Old MIA Road, Pasay City before the undersigned, wherein the applicant shall present relevant evidence. Pre-marking and comparison of documents to be presented during the hearing shall be on December 6, 2017 at 10:00 AM, three (3) days thereafter, Applicant shall submit the marked documents together with the scanned copy to Hearing Examiners’ Division (HED) in accordance to CAB Resolution No.6 (BM 01-01-27-2016) dated January 27, 2016, otherwise known as Less Paper Transaction of CAB. The applicant is hereby required to have this Notice of Hearing published at least once a week for three (3) consecutive weeks in a broadsheet newspaper of national circulation. The Notice of Hearing and the Application shall be served, by this Office, to all concerned parties/airlines, either by facsimile or electronic mail, in compliance with CAB Board Resolution No. 97 (2003).

Parties opposing the said application shall file its manifestation not later than the pre-marking and comparison of documents, on December 6, 2017 and its written opposition on or before the date of hearing, furnishing a copy of the same to the applicant or appear at the hearing with such evidence as may be proper under the premises. Failure on the part of any interested party to file their opposition on time or appear at the hearing shall be construed as a waiver of their right to be heard and the Civil Aeronautics Board shall proceed to hear and decide the application on its merits.

Let a copy of the petition and this Notice be posted at the CAB Bulletin Board beginning today.

03 November 2017 Pasay City, Philippines

(MS-NOV. 19,26 & DEC. 3, 2017)

MARIA ELBEN SL. MORO Hearing Officer

Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, partnerships, or organization with at least seventy percent (70%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines, and to citizens or organizations of a country the laws or regulations of which grant similar rights or privileges to Filipino citizens, pursuant to RA 5183.

4.

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

5.

A complete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased by interested Bidders from November 29, 2017 to December 19, 2017 from the address below and upon payment of a non-refundable fee for the bidding documents in the amount of Five Thousand Pesos (PhP5,000.00).

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

6.

The DENR-NCR will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on December 07, 2017 at 10:00 A.M. at the DENR-NCR Conference Room, 4th Floor, National Ecology Center, East Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City, which shall be open to prospective bidders.

7.

Bids must be duly received by the RBAC Secretariat at the address below on or before 10:00 A.M. of December 19, 2017. All bids must be accompanied by a Bid Security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in ITB Clause 18.

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

8.

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

9.

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

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

National Ecology Center East Avenue, Quezon City Tel. 373-43-99 November 27, 2017.

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

In the case of National Government Agencies, the General Appropriations Act and/or continuing appropriations; in the case of GOCCs, GFIs, and SUCs, the Corporate Budget for the contract approved by the governing Boards; in the case of (LGUs, the Budget for the contract approved by the respective Sanggunian. (Section 5(a), R.A. 9184) (MS-DEC. 3, 2017)

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Sports

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

sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

AFC: CHALLENGING TOMORROW’S CHAMPS

By Randy Caluag

C

ELEBRITY mom Mylene Dizon is thankful that her two sons, Thomas and Lucas, have the same passion.

That even if she’s coming off long hours of shooting for her TV series, she can still go with them and play her role as a doting homemaker.

Wearing dark sunglasses one hot weekend, Mylene was with her two sons, attending their needs as “waterboy” and one-woman cheer squad at the same time, as they pit skills with other young participants in the Alaska Football Cup at the Ayala Alabang Country Club in Muntinlupa City.

Mylene wouldn’t say much though even as she urged her sons to do the talking.

“I’m really thankful to the support of my mom in our chosen sport because my dad told us that when he was young, he was playing basketball but he was not really supported by his parents,” said Thomas, who plays as midfielder for Keys School Manila football team in the 14-years category.

Thomas, a 12 grader at KSM, admitted that it was her mom Mylene who encouraged her to take up sports.

“She told us to get into sports and I chose football. I also tried swimming but football is better because I like team sport more than individual because I like the sense of togetherness when you play with my teammates.”

Thomas growing affection for the sport rubbed off on his younger brother Lucas, who’s just eight years old but playing in the 12 Years Old category.

“My brother, “quipped Lucas, when asked about how he started playing football.

Lucas said he wants to “use my feet more than hands and the ball is not that hard. That’s why football fits really fits me.”

By the way, Lucas and Thomas idolize the same player—Argentine star Lionel Messi, who plays as a forward for Spanish club FC Barcelona.

Like Messi, they both want to become football champs some day.

Football unites the world

They say football is played more consistently around the world than any other sport. So there was not a tinge of exaggeration when someone said that football unites the world.

In the Philippines, the Alaska football Cup unites players from all walks of life. It has been consistently promoting the sport and its values for 22 years already.

This year’s two-day football

Lanie Ortillo dreams of becoming a national player someday

Mylene Dizon’s son Thomas (third player from left) in action

Atletico Diliman started years ago when former football players organized a weekend get-together so that their children can play the game.

“Yung mga anak namin nagdala ng classmates, kaya lumaki ng lumaki. Until finally, we came up with the name Atletico Diliman.”

One of their products is 16-year-old Franco Villaprudente, who consistently joins the AFC until today. Some are now football scholars at De La Salle, University Sto. Tomas and in U.S. schools.

Dreamer from Tondo

Mylene with sons Thomas and Lucas

fest has attracted 3,800 players from 260 teams nationwide, considering that 100 years had to be shooed away due to venue limitations Alabang Country Club. in Muntinlupa City.

The team-format, that puts a premium on developing teamwork and sports, differentiates the event from other individualcentered grassroots programs.

“Alaska is doing its part in nation-building. Through youth sports development programs, Alaska is able to help nourish children for them to develop into champions in the field of interest and, in general, in life,” said Blen Fernando Vice President for Marketing of Alaska.

One of the participating teams, Atletico Diliman Football Club, joined the event with the goal not entirely set on winning games.

Composed mostly of children as young as threeyears-old, Atletico Diliman of students from neighboring schools like Marist, Claret, UP Integrated School and Balara Elementary School They just play during weekends at the uneven surface in the middle of the Sunken Garden in UP Diliman.

“Kaya pag may chance na tulad nito (Alaska Football League), sumasali kami para makatikim ng magandang field,” said delegation head and Luis Locsin, who was one of the team’s founders.

“Yang mga three years old namin, pinag-eenjoy lang namin sa laro. Pero hinahasa namin yan ng tuloy-tuloy so that pagdating nila ng seven years old, malalakas na silang maglaro.

AFC played in 16 age divisions in the boys and girls, as well as the men’s and ladies open divisions in a 7 a-side tournament were simultaneously on 28 football fields.

The AFC has been tradition-

ally sending players to Sweden to participate in the Gothia Cup, the world’s most popular youth football event in the world.

One of the probable candidates this year is Lanie Ortillo, a 12-year-old from Tondo who emerged the Most Valuable Player in the Girls 14 Years Old division. She scored the lone goal to lift Don Bosco Tuloy Foundation-Alabang past Makati Football Club, 1-0, in the final match.

While she was acclaimed for scoring the precious goal, she said it was the team’s game plan that made her play the role successfully.

“Iyun pong teamwork ang talagang nagpanalo sa amin,” said Ortillo, the youngest of nine siblings. She decided to stay inside the Don Bosco Tuloy Foundation where everything is provided for, including education where she is now at level 2, or the equivalent of Grade 4 in traditional education.

She started playing football at 9 and learned to love the game.

“Nakaka challenge po talaga. Lagi po nilang sinasabi na never give up, try and try until you succeed. Hanggat kaya ko, ibigay ko ang best ko,” said Ortillo, who dreams of joining the national team someday and play in international competitions. (With reports from Clarisse Ramirez)

The Atletico Diliman Football Squad has players as young as three years old

PSC-PACQUIAO AMATEUR BOXING CUP THE Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines (ABAP) and 8-division boxing champion Senador Emmanuel Pacquiao will join hands in rediscovering interest to the sports and searching for the best new boxing talent in the country in staging the 2017 PSC-Pacquaio Amateur Boxing Cup that will kick off on December 16-17 in General Santos City.

The PSC-Pacquiao Amateur Boxing Cup is a weekend boxing tournament organized by PSC with the help of ABAP and Pacquaio himself that will go around nationwide to scout potential amateur boxers that can be included in the pool of national boxers.

“The project calls for the nationwide development on the interest and participation in boxing as a sport. The ultimate goal is to tap promising boxers who will show potential during the competition.

The project also aims to encourage these boxers to develop love for the sports during their formative years,” said PSC Games Secretariat chief Annie Ruiz, together with PSC-PSI consultant Roger Fortaleza who will manage the project.

The tournament had pinpointed Luzon, Visayas at Mindanao as its three major areas. It will start with the Mindanao Regional Leg that will take place in six locations particularly in Kidapawan City, North Cotabato; Cagayan De Oro City, Davao City, Tagum City and twice in General Santos city.

The preliminaries for Mindanao will be held in General Santos City where the participating talents from various parts of Mindanao will compete in the Day 1 of the competition.

A total of 19 weight categories will be disputed with five for the youth boys and four in the girls’ division. The junior boys and girls division will have five weight categories each.

There will be a maximum of 16 entries per weight category for all divisions. For the youth boys division, entries will be on five (5) weight categories, and four (4) for the girls’ division. For the junior boys and girls division, entries will be on five (5) weight classes. Tournament days will be for a total of 6 weekends.

The Visayas region will have five competition venues namely Ormoc City, Bago City, Antique, Bohol and Maasin City for all the participants of all local government units taking part in the tournament.

Luzon region will also have five locations namely Sorsogon, Lucena, Pangasinan, Baguio City at Mandaluyong City for all aspiring living in the areas in Luzon. It will have five weekends of competition.

The same format will be followed for the quarterfinals, semifinals and the finals where the gold, silver and two bronze medalist will move to the National Championships.

The draw for the National Championships of all medalist from the Area Championships will be held right after the Luzon Area Championships.

Gold medal winners of each Area Championships will be seeded automatically to the draw.

At stake in the Junior boys and girls division for boxers aged 15-16 years old are five weight categories starting with pinweight (44-46kg), light flyweight (48kg), flyweight (50kg), light bantamweight (52kg) and bantamweight (54kg).

QUIBAN RULES CAT OPEN GOLF BY 3 STROKES TARLAC—Justin Quiban finally broke through after two final round foldups, this time playing practically pressure-free with a huge lead before cruising to a three-stroke romp over Joenard Rates to capture the CAT (Central Azucarera de Tarlac) Open crown at the Luisita Golf and Country Club here yesterday.

Not even two bogeys in the last four holes for a closing 72 could spoil the 21-year-old shotmaker’s claim at the coveted Philippine Golf Tour Asia title, banking on the five-shot cushion he had built through awesome driving, iron play and putting in the first 54 holes spiked by 66 and 67 in the middle rounds.

He parred the first 11 holes and remained four-up over Rates, then

birdied Nos. 12 and 14 for good measure and still won by three despite dropping shots on Nos. 15 and 18 for a pair of 36s and a 275.

“I am lost for words,” said Quiban, who pocketed $17,500. “I did not expect to win this year and actually gave myself another year or two before breaking through.”

He flubbed at least seven birdie putts in the first 11 holes, enabling the rest, including Rates, to stay in the hunt.

“When I saw the leaderboard, I told myself to keep up with them, I need to knock down birdies,” added Quiban, who tapped in on No. 12 and rolled in a 15-footer on the 14th to settle the issue.

“I knew they won’t give it (title) to

me on a silver platter. And I’m thankful my game held sway today (yesterday),” said Quiban, who also came through with a scrambling par on the 17th after a shaky drive that all but dashing whatever Rates had hoped for a comeback.

The diminutive Rates fought back from six down to within three after No. 16 but ran out of holes, settling for a 69 and a 278. He received $11,500.

True to his vow of a strong final round start, Clyde Mondilla birdied the opening hole but the reigning Philippine Golf Tour Order of Merit champion went on a roller-coaster ride, hitting three more birdies but stumbling with the same number of bogeys. He

wound up with a 71 for a 279, ending up tied at third with Jay Bayron, who rallied with a 66, and Jhonnel Ababa and Swede Oskar Arvidsson, who both carded 69s.

Thai Natchanon Varapornkittirat shot a 70 and shared seventh place with Elmer Salvador, who turned in a 71, at 281, while Kris Etter fired a 68 and tied Marvin Dumandan and Dutch Guido Van der Valk, who carded identical 69s, at ninth at 282.

The victory thus made Quiban the fifth winner of the region’s newest circuit put up by ICTSI and organized by Piliipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. after Miguel Tabuena (Southwoods), Rene Menor (Splendido), Mondilla (Riviera) and Tony Lascuña (Wack Wack).

Justin Quiban beams as he hoists his first career trophy after topping the CAT Open by 3.

B1

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2017

Business

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

T

PHARMA FIRM SHARES TIPS FOR COUGH-FREE CELEBRATION

HE number one retailer in the Visayas is rapidly expanding nationwide, challenging competitors to widen their product assortment, offer cheaper prices and operate for as long as 24 hours a day.

“Retail is in our blood. Ever since we were born, all of us were exposed to retail,” Frank Gaisano, the 60-year-old chairman and chief executive of publicly listed Metro Retail Stores Group Inc., says in an interview at Metro Market! Market! in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig.

Metro Retail, which built its first store along the historic Colon Street in Cebu City 35 years ago, now has 52 department stores, supermarkets and hypermarkets nationwide, including two outlets that are open 24 hours a day.

“We have over 9,000 employees. If you include vendors and staff from partners, probably we will be more than 15,000. Last year, we had over P30 billion in sales,” the five-foot-eleven executive says.

A study by market research company Euromonitor ranked Metro Retail as the largest department store and hypermarket operator in the Visayas in 2014. It was also the fourth largest retail operator in the country in terms of retail sales value.

“In the Visayas, we rank number one for department store and hypermarket and number two in supermarket. This is in terms of sales.

Nationwide, Metro Retail ranks number four across all store formats. Out of the 52 stores nationwide, we have 29 in the Visayas, and the remaining 23 stores are located in Luzon,”says Anna Marie Periquet, Metro Retail’s vice president for corporate affairs.

Periquet, a former member of the House of Representatives who co-authored Adopt-A-School Act of 1998 and the revised Magna Carta for SMEs, says the three store formats are supported by ancillary businesses: Metro Gourmet café, Suisse Cottage Bakeshop, Metro Pharmacy and Food Avenue.

Gaisano says the company is on track to achieving its target of doubling the retail footprint in terms of gross floor area by 2020, from the 2011 level when Metro Retail held an initial public offering and listed with the Philippine Stock Exchange.

“We were on track of our target. Although our expansion is not that much this year, but next year, it is gonna catch up because we will open a lot of big stores. In terms of gross floor area, we will be able to achieve our target,” says Gaisano who has a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from Cebu Institute of Technology.

About 60 percent of the 52 stores are located inside the properties owned by Vicsal Development Corp., the Gaisano family’s holding company.

“Vicsal came from my father’s name Victor and my mother’s name Sally. When Victor met Sally, we became Vicsal,” says Gaisano.

Gaisano says more 24-hour hypermarkets will rise in the coming years. “We had our recent opening in Tagaytay, which is our second 24-hour store. The first one is in Resorts World. When we went to Tagatay, we found out that it was very hard to look for anything to buy in the evening especially for tourists who don’t sleep. So we opened a 24hour hypermarket,” says Gaisano.

Periquet says the 24-hour Super Metro Hypermarkets are strategically located at Metro Plaza 66 Newport in Paranaque City and Fora Tagaytay Mall along Emilio Aguinaldo Highway in Tagaytay.

“Tagaytay is a tourist destination. Some of us who go to Tagaytay travel at 4 a.m. Our hypermarket there carries basic goods—both food and general merchandise. We also have shoppers coming from Laguna, Batangas, because it is open 24/7,” says Periquet.

Gaisano says Metro Retail will open another 24-hour hypermarket in Cebu to serve the needs of foreign and local tourists. He says the growing tourism market is now an important component of the Philippine retail sector.

Metro Retail saw its net profit double to P550 million in the first nine months of 2017, as total sales reached P24.4 billion during the period.

“Our emphasis this year is profitability. That’s why you see our income double for the year. We are after more quality growth than just growth per

GAISANO FAMILY

THE season to be jolly is also a season to be healthy, according to Pascual Laboratories, the manufacturer of Ascof which is made from lagundi.

Pascual Lab has its own lagundi farm in Nueva Ecija that organically grows the plant and uses a GMPcertified production process. Ascof Forte Menthol Syrup is a product of scientific research and clinical studies, it said.

Frenzied holiday activities like shopping, reunions, partying and traveling result in stress, which, in turn weakens the immune system and renders people prone to catching common ailments like cough.

REINVENTS PH RETAIL

RETAILER. Metro Retail Stores Group Inc. chairman and CEO Frank Gaisano se. We are being choosy. That explains why our topline did not grow too much this year, because we were segmentizing our market,” he says. “We shifted some of our businesses that are not profitable to become more profitable. Same as banks, you have to be very numbers-driven.”

Gaisano says each Metro Retail store has a different market, ranging from the mass market to high-end market. “What works in Cebu cannot necessarily work in Legaspi City,” he says.

On what distinguishes Metro Retail from other chains, Gaisano says: “Our assortment and the number

of products we are offering. We have a lot of direct imports in our stores. That is a deliberate effort on our part to source globally. And you will see the difference in our stores from other stores. We have more outright or direct purchases than competition, if you see the numbers reported,” he says.

“We send our buyers and merchandisers to the US, China, India, Vietnam, Indonesia, Bangladesh and Europe. We are importing a lot,” he says.

“We are very competitive. If you look at one basket, it will more likely be 2 percent to 4 percent lower than the closest competition.

We are noted for being price competitive. We do that regularly to check prices. Some people ask why we sell merchandise too cheaply when we can sell higher. But that’s why we are able to build these loyal customers. They love our prices,” says Gaisano.

Gaisano works closely with siblings Margaret, Jack and Edward towards professionalizing the management and ensuring the expansion of Metro Retail. Aside from being the chairman of the retail company, Gaisano sits as chairman of AB Capital and Investment, Pacific Mall Corp. and Vicsal Investment Inc. He is also a director of Vicsal Development Corp., Taft Property, Filipino Fund Inc., Taft Punta Engaño Property Inc. and Direct Model Holdings Inc. Gaisano’s grandmother, Doña Modesta Gaisano, put up White Gold Department Store, a high-end department store in Cebu in the 1940s. Victor Gaisano, the ninth of 11 children, became an economist and encouraged the family to shift the business strategy from hi-end to mass merchandise.

“After the transformation, the company has become more progressive, the business flourished, because of the shift in target market.

That’s where we wanna be—being in mass market in retail,” says Gaisano.

Victor Gaisano received a property in Colon as his share following Doña Modesta’s demise in 1981. Together with his wife Sally, Victor opened the first Metro Gaisano on Colon Street and sold locally manufactured products. The business is now managed by Frank and his three siblings, who started working for the company while they were in school. Frank was the supermarket manager when he was 20.

“When the family reorganized, we developed the business from scratch, back in 1982. When we opened our store, I think we were number seventh or eighth store on the same street at that time. Cebu was considered like Ginza [shopping district in Japan] back then. Even today, there are a lot of department stores along Colon Street. It was very competitive,” he says.

Turn to B2

Actor Ian Veneracion To make the most out of the festive season, it is important to stay healthy. For veteran actormodel Ian Veneracion, this means maintaining an active lifestyle despite the temptation to stay in bed all day long brought by the cool weather. Veneracion says he makes sure that he keeps a balanced diet and engages himself in regular physical activities.

While he admits that he does not go to the gym, he maintains his physically fit body by engaging himself in his favorite competitive sports like football, basketball, tennis, swimming, sailing, motocross, martial arts, and boxing. He also highlights the importance of getting enough sleep, eating properly, and maintaining a clean environment to avoid cough during the holidays.

Veneracio says when cough already sets in, he prefers using a natural remedy like Ascof (Vitex negundo L. Lagundi Leaf) to ensure that he and his family get instant relief.

A father of three, Veneracion says he places his trust in Ascof, the pioneer and innovative natural cough remedy in the Philippines, because it is safe and effective, with no adverse effects in the clinical trials of the syrup.

“I definitely believe in the product because it is safe. I even drank a real shot while shooting the commercial,” Veneracion attests. “People should trust Ascof because it’s a natural remedy that you can take even when you are just starting to show the symptoms of cough. You would not be afraid,” he says.

Ascof is made from 100 percent organically grown lagundi leaves, making it a natural, safe, and effective remedy for cough and bronchial asthma.

FLIGHT ATTENDANTS REVEAL HOW THEIR CAREERS SOARED FOR young and purpose-driven women like Nicole Kris Domalanta and Meryll Peralta, flying the skies symbolizes their determination in taking control of their destiny—of serving a deeper purpose and passion to make a difference.

Peralta, a WCC scholar/ cum laude, revealed that the idea of “flying” made quite an impression on her even as a child.

“I discovered my love for the airline industry at an early age, I already knew that I wanted to become a cabin crew when I grow up.

I always admire planes, pilots, and cabin crews. I see the airport as my happy place,” she said.

Brimming with the same enthusiasm, Domalanta expressed that her fascination also challenged her to set out on her goal.

“Growing up from a poor family, I could only admire and dream of being in the different places that I see on social media. But being someone who wouldn’t give up easily on a dream, I really pushed aside these so-called boundaries to follow my purpose,” she said.

Armed with determination and with the encouragement of their families, both Domalanta and Peralta began to weave their careers at WCC Flight Attendant School where they took up the 45-day Flight Attendant Course Program, an airlinebased curriculum that is accredited by Technical Education and Skills Development Authority.

To date, WCC FAS is the first and only Tesda-registered flight attendant school in the Philippines with Boeing 737 cabin door trainer, slide trainer, a Binalonan Airfield tour and jungle survival training. Designed to bring out the fullest potentials of their students, the program offers top-notch practical flight training for aspirants aiming to become part of the world’s best airline hospitality workforce.

WCC FAS ranks as a leading provider of highly-trained cabin crew who are now employed with international airlines like Saudia, Qatar Airways, Emirates Airlines, Kuwait Air, Royal Brunei Air, Air Atlanta and

Nicole Kris Domalanta

Oman Air, as well as with the top domestic air carriers.

For a rewarding yet challenging career, one important virtue to muster, according to Domalanta, is perseverance.

“It is true that if you want something you really need to go through worst before achieving what you want in life. It is never easy to undergo this training. Sleepless nights, reviews, mixed emotions and most especially being home sick. But with patience and hard work, I was able to rise above the challenges. There is no easy way of getting the things you want but I assure you everything is possible if you put your heart and mind to it,” Domalanta said.

While dedication and motivational support from loved ones have been helpful, Peralta, who now works as cabin attendant for Qatar Airways, a big factor in her success is the quality education that she received from WCC. “Though I never thought twice about being a flight stewardess, training is not that easy because you need to learn the different

aircrafts, new terms and many more. I told myself not to give up because this is my dream, I have waited for this for so long and I am very lucky because out of thousands applicants I am here right now,” she said.

“WCC really prepared me well to land on my chosen career. The training itself made us feel that we are already part of a Cabin Crew because they really guided us well. From the instructors and admin staff, they are all approachable and welcoming. It was all worth it! We already had an edge in applying because we were already confident and we stood out from the rest,” Peralta said.

Proud of her accomplishments early on in her career with PAL Express, Domalanta remains steadfast in her commitment to the profession. “I’m so lucky that at age 22, I am starting to build my future together with my family. When I decided to become a stewardess, I already know that I need to embrace it fully. To achieve excellence and professionalism, you need to commit yourself to it,” she said.

Business

B2

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2017 business@manilastandard.net

CEMENT MANUFACTURER GOES DIGITAL CEMEX S.A.B de C.V. is transforming the global building materials industry with the launch of Cemex Go, a first-of-itskind, fully digital customer integration platform.

Cemex Go is a multi-device offering that provides a seamless experience for order placement, live tracking of shipments and managing invoices and payments for Cemex’s main products, including bagged and bulk cement, ready-mix concrete, aggregates and multi-products.

Cemex Go delivers real-time, detailed information that customers need to get more done in less time, enabling them to have more control over their businesses. “[The] launch is the culmination of the first step of this strategic initiative and the hard work of many people throughout our organization. It also is a testament to our customercentric mindset and relentless focus o n co nt i n u o u s i n n ovat i o n a n d improvement. Cemex Go creates an experience for our customers that is superior to anything that has been provided in the past and is the only platform of its kind currently offered in our industry,” said Cemex chief executive Fernando Gonzalez.

“Cemex Go moves us closer to our customers by being faster, more transparent, and more efficient, which will enable greater productivity and open up new growth opportunities for our customers and for us. Cemex Go places the power to succeed in today’s fastpaced and dynamic market in the hands of our customers,” he said.

Cemex earlier launched its open innovation and venture capital unit, Cemex Ventures, which focuses on engaging start-ups, entrepreneurs, universities and other stakeholders expec ted to shape tomor row ’s construction ecosystem by tackling the industry’s toughest challenges.

GAISANO...

From B1 Not even the excessive interest rates during the tumultuous early 1980s discouraged the family from pursuing the retail business. “We lived in that environment. During that time, interest rate was really, really high, with as much as 45 percent. At that time, if you just deposit your money, you get 45 percent from buying Treasury bills with zero risk.

Bankers asked why we opened stores when we could just put our money in Treasury bills and earn 45 percent. But my dad [Victor] believed that since our DNA is in retail, we could still survive and we did,” says Frank.

“We believe we could give customers good products, at the right price at the right time. We were able to deliver that when we started,” he says.

Metro Retail opened two other stores in Cebu and expanded to Legaspi City.

“Not long after, we opened our Lucena, Market! Market! [2004] and Angeles,” says Gaisano. “Metro Market! Market! is our first store in Metro Manila and our biggest store today, with gross floor area of roughly 45,000 square meters. But we have a couple of stores with about the same profitability,” he says.

Growing profitability encouraged the company to provide livelihood to a depressed community in Bulacan province.

“We support that community and we are selling their products also,” says Gaisano.

Periquet says Metro Retail has a corporate social responsibility program with GreenEarth Heritage Foundation, which allows Metro stores to carry GreenEarth’s organic products such as Moringa tea leaves that are grown in its Bulacan farm.

Gaisano says Metro Retail is sticking to its target of doubling the company’s retail footprint, including opening its own convenience store brand. “Ultimately, we will have to go into convenience stores, because of some synergy,” he says.

“We do see that there is still a lot of opportunities for modern retail. Right now, it is probably 50-percent already for modern retail. That means, we can still double at this stage. That is why you see the acceleration of chains of modern retail. There is still room for growth because the disposable income of Filipinos is increasing,” says Gaisano.

He says the rise of electronic commerce will not substantially affect brick-and-mortar retail in the immediate term. “I think it is still a threat but I it will take time. Even in developed countries, the share of business of e-commerce is a maximum of 6 percent to 7 percent of total retail for the US, Japan and Korea.

That’s why you see the reverse. The e commerce players are going to brick and mortar,” says Gaisano.

Gaisano says Metro Retail will focus first on expanding its network locally before looking at other countries. “We are being invited by large companies in the United Arab Emirates to open stores there. But we said there’s still a lot we can do here,” says Gaisano. Roderick T. dela Cruz

ORACLE PREPARES TO BRING FILIPINO MSMES INTO THE CLOUD

Oracle Philippines managing director Mina Lim

By Othel V. Campos

M

ULTINATIONAL software company Oracle prepares to bring micro, small and medium enterprises into the cloud or the internet.

Oracle Philippines managing director Mina Lim said it would greatly improve the performance of MSMEs if they got connected to the cloud, as this would optimize operations and keep capital expenditures at bay.

“We see this as an opportunity for many businesses to go into cloud, whether they are small or big businesses. For smaller companies, they can go straight to the cloud without worrying about capital expenditure. The technology is in the same platform as those available for big businesses,” she said.

Oracle wants to tap the huge potential of MSMEs’ migration into cloud as 99 percent of businesses in the Philippines are considered small MSMEs. The battle for expenses lies between operating expenditures and capital expenditures of any company, including a micro enterprise, she said.

“It is better for companies, big or small, to concentrate on their core competencies. For MSMEs it could be on manufacturing or services as well as for big companies. Leave the operational maintenance to us,” she said.

“Cost will always be a part of the conversation, but the way to growing the business is to focus on it, and allow technology and cloud providers like us to maintain and secure the system for them,” she said.

Oracle serves clients in the Philippines in the sectors of banking, telecommunications, BPO, MSME and real estate.

Lim said Union Bank of the Philippines, one of its clients, has fearlessly embraced technology and cloud applications ahead of the its competitors.

“The journey of Union Bank into digital banking has defied concerns of the banking sector that dared not to trudge the path that was unfamiliar then,” Lim said.

Union Bank has commissioned Oracle to migrate its human capital management system into cloud on top of the data on clients, a first in the industry.

The system will match the job for talents employed within Union Bank’s HCM and allow them to grow with the company’s transition to digitalization, which is among the four modules

by Oracle.

“Look at Union Bank. They got rid of all the things they think are a constraint to them. They went to Central Bank to get approval. They believe this is how they will manage their talents –keep them, train them. A very powerful message,” Lim said, adding that the Central Bank is being progressive in giving the go signal to simplify the bank’s procedure.

Oracle now has the technology to infuse cloud applications with artificial intelligence-based apps for finance, human resources, supply chain, manufacturing, commerce, customer service, marketing and sales professionals.

To empower commerce, marketing, sales and service professionals to deliver smarter experiences across the customer lifecycle, Oracle has expanded its portfolio of artificial intelligence-based customer experience apps.

New AI-powered capabilities improve search

capabilities within the Oracle CX Cloud Suite commerce platform, optimize marketing campaign execution, shorten sales cycles and streamline customer service processes.

For example, in the quoting process, AI-driven graphical price optimization provides sales professionals with guidance to provide select discretionary discounts as appropriate.

By applying advanced data science and machine learning to Oracle’s web-scale data and an organization’s own data, the new Adaptive Intelligent Apps can react, learn, and adapt in real time based on historical and dynamic customer data.

Lim said the bottomline of all of the Oracle cloud functionalities is productivity.

“Why is the measure of productivity important to companies? Because they want to keep clients, to provide the right service at the right time notwithstanding if the company is big or small.

They will invest their money to keep clients happy.

It’s all about customer experience, retaining and winning customers, and the benefit will always translate to dollars,” she said.

Oracle said that in the Philippines, cloud is very important. “The volume of growing businesses especially the MSMEs is a feeder for many cloud service providers like us. When you are in cloud you are always on top of technology because Oracle will upgrade for you,” said Lim. “We are very bullish. We have the technology and I think the market is accepting it already. We have customers adapting to cloud and they are in various stages. Our presence in telco, banking, government is very strong. You’ll be surprised there are early adaptors especially the mediumsized and they easily adapt to the program,” she said.

SWISS TRIP LEADS TO A THRIVING FRUITCAKE BUSINESS IT WAS in 1975 when Ju.D Lao started selling fruitcakes. A two-pound loaf was only P50 at the time. The Philippine population was 35 million and the average salary was just a bit more than a hundred pesos a day.

Ju.D’s business has endured the scarcity of imported ingredients, devaluation of the peso, and all sorts of calamities. She recalls baking at midnight during the period of rotating brownouts.

Through it all, she has maintained the quality of her products. “We have been consistent and have never changed any ingredient, we always see to it that what we offer is the best,” she says.

Her classic recipe was inspired by a trip to Switzerland where she was introduced to fruitcake that she enjoyed.

“It was the first time that I tasted fruitcake that was so good, I wanted very badly to bring that experience to the people back home,” she reveals, admitting that she was once among those who took no delight in eating fruitcake.

After months of hard work in the kitchen, she was able to come up with a recipe that attracted the attention of family and friends. Being a Fine Arts graduate of the University of Santo Tomas, she also took care of her own branding and packaging design.

“I’ve never attended cooking classes, but I love to read cook books. I do a lot of experimentations on recipes that catch my fancy. And since I’m from a big family, I

Fruitcake entrepreneur Ju.D Lao

am never short of guinea pigs or should I say, brave and curious souls,” says Ju.D who has also authored two vegetarian cookbooks for the TzuChi Foundation which are available in the different TzuChi chapters all over the world.

Her workforce of 10 has been composed of neighbor’s maids, out of school youth and parents from public schools who are financially strapped but cannot take on regular jobs. “We only produce a lot of fruitcakes during Christmas season and we cannot afford to hire regular employees so this arrangement has been a win-win situation for all of us,” she reasons.

“I remember a few years back, we had a group of young ladies from the El Shaddai Choir who came to help us, and from time to time they’ll burst into a song while working. That was a very lovely and memorable Christmas for us,” she says.

In the 1980s, Ju.D came out with fruitcake cookies which she calls “Chewy Chewkies”. The kids of her customers love them because they taste like fruitcake but without the brandy. In the 90s, Ju.D experimented some more and worked on different flavors for fruitcakes, giving birth to Ju.D Gold- with apricots and red cranberries, Ju.D Blue- Blue Mountain Coffee fruitcakes, and Ju.D Coffee Prune Cake.

Her box of mini fruitcakes contains a sampling of the different flavors.

Tech & Gadgets

SHOPEE MAKES GIFT-GIVING MERRIER THIS CHRISTMAS

N

O Christmas season in the world is as fun and festive as that in the Philippines, and Shopee is here to make Paskong Pilipino even merrier.

In addition to celebrating Filipino traditions centered around the themes of family and sharing, Shopee Philippines aims to make festive gifting more convenient and fuss-free.

“Christmas is a special occasion in the Philippines, but it’s also one of the busiest and most hectic times of the year, especially in Metro Manila. At Shopee, we offer both savings and convenience for Filipinos when it comes to completing their festive shopping online, so that they can spend more time with their families and friends,” said Terence Pang, Chief Operating Officer of Shopee.

This Christmas, Filipinos can check off their Christmas shopping lists from the comfort of their homes with Shopee’s free delivery and cash on delivery options.

To add to the festive cheer, from Nov. 11 to Dec. 25, the Shopee Super Christmas Sale will be featuring huge discounts

across popular gift categories including Health & Beauty, Home & Living, and Mobile & Gadgets.

On Dec. 11 and 12, shoppers can also look forward to non-stop exciting promotions, including P12 deals, discounts up to 90% off, giveaways, flash deals and many more. Participating brands include Cosmetique Asia, Unilever, Timeless Manila, Coca-Cola, Polaroid, Imarflex, Indoplas and Infinix.

There is no better way to get your Christmas shopping done than on Shopee.

To start your Christmas shopping, visit www.shopee. ph/christmas-sale. Shopee is available for free download on Google Play and App Store.

Shopee is the leading e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia and Taiwan. It is a platform tailored for the region, providing customers with an easy, secure and fast online shopping experience through strong payment and logistical support.

Shopee aims to continually enhance its platform and

QUEEN MARY U, ATENEO TO OFFER PROGRAMS IN DATA SCIENCE, MEDIA ARTS, AND TECHNOLOGY

By Peter Atencio

become the region’s e-commerce destination of choice.

Shopee has a wide selection of product categories ranging from consumer electronics to home and living, health and beauty, baby and toys, fashion and fitness equipment.

Shopee, a Sea company, was first launched in Singapore in 2015, and has since expanded its reach to Malaysia, Thailand, Taiwan, Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines. Sea is a leader in digital entertainment,

e-commerce and digital financial services across Greater Southeast Asia. Sea’s mission is to better the lives of consumers and small businesses with technology, and is listed on the NYSE under the symbol SE.

BOSCH SECURITY UNVEILS LATEST VIDEO SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS, SOLUTIONS MANY believe that luck favors the prepared, but anyone who has walked on this planet can tell you that one cannot simply anticipate everything.

No one can foresee a fire break out or theft, but fortunately, Bosch can help the average Joe say goodbye to the elements of surprise.

That is why Bosch Philippines recently unveiled a new line-up of security systems that are built with heightened features to deliver a more accurate and secure surveillance—the AVIOTEC video-based Fire Detection system, the MIC IP series cameras, and the latest all-in-one scalable recording solutions DIVAR IP series.

Putting its German engineering at the forefront, the latest video surveillance offerings from Bosch are designed with leading-edge technology innovations that enable the cameras to deliver timelier alert detection, clearer image, and better object tracking under any application.

“With the ongoing infrastructure booming in the country, our cities need smarter and more reliable video systems that can elevate safety and security of individuals,” said Bosch Philippines Managing Director Richard Walker. “Our new camera solutions are scalable and intelligent that deliver high-quality images at any bandwidth and range.”

FAST. RELIABLE. UNIQUE. One of the most devastating characteristics of fire is its ability to spread easily, which is why fast and reliable detection is necessary. Its volatility makes it unpredictable and often

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SUNDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2017 rumallari@thestandard.com.ph

Bosch MIC IP Series

catches the victim off-guard.

Having a fast and reliable fire detection system is as important as extinguishing the fire. Bosch videobased detection system, AVIOTEC, can identify smoke and flames at the source to reduce false alarms and improves reaction time of an emergency.

The AVIOTEC video-based system is the solution for early fire detection in challenging environments. Building upon proven Bosch camera technology and Intelligent Video Analysis (IVA), the camera can detect a fire as soon as the smoke enters their field of view even in inaccessible environments such as high ceilings or dusty and humid areas. Intelligent algorithms within the camera also result in highly precise differentia-

tion between a real fire and disturbance values such as movement, reflections or changing lighting conditions. AVIOTEC offers proven detection reliability in all test fires (TF1 through TF8) as specified in EN54.

CLEAR. ROBUST. FUTURE PROOF. Security cameras serve as a reliable source of the surveillance system.

Whether it is in the wide open spaces or in areas with numerous blind spots, cameras must provide excellent imaging, and impact resistant to protect the camera from vandalism when unwanted circumstances arise.

Bosch AUTODOME IP Series The AUTODOME IP moving cameras give the ability to locate, track and zoom in on objects quickly and easily. With a

resolution of 1080p combined with 30x optical zoom, users can identify objects in large distances. The IP 4000i, IP 5000i, and the IP 6000, offer a complete portfolio with fixed dome, box, and bullet cameras suited to many applications.

Indoor or outdoor, day or night, discreet or obtrusive surveillance.

Bosch MIC IP Series The MIC IP is also in Bosch’s high quality cameras that carries exceptional strength for any outdoor, industrial, or commercial surveillance application.

The ruggedized camera is designed for extreme applications beyond the mechanical capabilities of normal PTZ domes or conventional positioning systems. Thanks to the intelligent coding and Content-Based Imaging Technology (CBIT), the HD module delivers high resolution video even under challenging lighting condition.

DIVAR Hybrid Network The DIVAR Hybrid and Network recording solutions are simply designed for 24/7 operation and offer the ability to create video surveillance solutions with professional security features. DIVAR solutions are future proof and support up to 12 megapixel network video surveillance cameras plus H.264 and H.265 video compression technology. Guarantee for safe data storage and easy to watch live footage, playback recorded content, or reconfigure local unit settings anytime from anywhere.

For more information on Bosch, visit the Bosch website at www. boschsecurity.asia and follow them on Facebook.

ADDRESSING the needs and demands of a world that ’s changing because of technological innovations is among t h e m a ny reasons why Ateneo de M a n i l a University and Queen Mar y Unive r s i t y o f Prof. Colin Bailey London are involved in a partnership.

P r o f e s s o r C o l i n B a i l e y, QMUL president and principal, said this following talks with officials of the Ateneo de Manila, led

by Fr. Jett Villarin.

Starting nex t year, the two unive r s i t i e s will offer joint and Fr. Jett Villarin dual de gree programs in big data, or data science, and in media and arts technology.

“So, the job market is going to change. And the biggest area where that’s gonna change is artificial intelligence, robotics and some of the health areas as well,” said Bailey.

Bailey, in his discussions will Fr. Villarin, said the two courses will fit into these areas of concern during a launch last Nov. 20 at the Arete inside the ADMU campus in Katipunan Ave., Quezon City.

“These two courses fit exactly into that. How you understand big data, how do you do it to drive manufacturing forward,” he said.

Under a dual degree format, students will have an opportunity to spend time in both universities, and get two degrees from both institutions.

Fr. Villarin said their offering is just the start.

Both schools are considering plans to partner in other programs as well. “ This is just the opening salvo. We’d already talked about programs in other areas as well, and how we can work together,” added Villarin.

Because of their partnership, ADMU and QMUL are among a few universities in the world that offers a master’s degree in Media, Arts and Technology, and Data Science.

QMUL is one of the leading higher education institutions in the United Kingdom.

It has over 130 years in teaching excellence and ranks in the Top 25 in the world for its international outlook.

BEYOND TECHNOLOGY, PARTNERSHIPS KEY TO EDUCATION BOOST—SMART EXEC

Smart public affairs senior manager Stephanie Orlino

PROBLEMS in the education sector cannot be solved by technology alone, but by partnerships among private and public groups committed to using tech and non-tech tools to achieve common goals, an executive of PLDT wireless subsidiary Smart Communications said.

“Technology is often romanticized as the cure-all for problems in the education sector. People think that if they just had the best technology, the most advanced computers, then all their problems would be solved.

But it’s really not about technology per se, but how we use it to achieve our goals,” said Smart public affairs senior manager Stephanie Orlino at the National Literacy Conference held recently in Albay.

Orlino shared that Smart has partnered with experts inside and outside the circle of education – government agencies, nongovernment organizations, foundations, individual scientists, and other companies – to develop tools that can improve the education of Filipinos.

An example is a suite of literacy apps in local languages that address the specific needs of different communities.

“For instance, to develop an app that teaches the Arabic alphabet, numbers, and prayers, we partnered with local Department of Education offices and ALIVE (Arabic Language and Islamic Values Education) teachers who produced localized educational content. This was turned over

to college students who digitized the content. The digital assets were then turned over to Smart and a developer partner who created a mobile app out of these,” Orlino said.

“Everyone brought to the table their own expertise. It is true that it takes a village to raise a child. We cannot do it alone. It is important to work with partners to extend our reach and impact,” she added.

Other localized literacy apps being developed by Smart and its partners include a Cebuano app, applications in different IP (indigenous people) dialects, and an app for Muslim children in conflict areas in Mindanao.

On top of these, Smart and its partners have donated learning packages called the TechnoCart

and School-in-a-Bag to underserved public schools all over the Philippines, with special focus on remote areas without electricity.

These packages contain devices like tablets, computers, and solar panels, and come with digital learning content and teacher training.

With the help of corporate and individual sponsors, Smart has turned over TechnoCarts and School-in-aBag units to about 80 schools. The effort has led to increased attendance, enrolment, and engagement in the beneficiary schools, as well as improved academic performance of students.

Those interested to donate a TechnoCart or School-in-a-Bag may email TechnoCart@smart.com.ph

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SUNDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2017 Riera U. Mallari, Editor rumallari@thestandard.com.ph

TECH & Gadgets

UNIONBANK LAUNCHES ARK, PH’S FULLY DIGITAL BRANCH C

ONSISTENT with its role as the technology-leader among banks in the country, UnionBank launched The ARK, the first fully digital bank branch in the Philippines.

Using digital technology to augment an actual banking experience, The ARK by UnionBank delivers on its promise of a new digital platform experience in banking.

“The ARK was established by UnionBank to address the common pain points in banking. Falling in line, getting a number before being attended to, spending a lot of time in the bank which could have been used in, otherwise, more productive endeavors. It is also meant to satisfy the diverse and changing needs of our customers,” explained UnionBank Deputy Center Head for Consumer Finance and Chief User Experience Officer Ana Aboitiz Delgado.

Delgado explained that The Ark provides an interactional experience rather than a transactional space.

It could also be used as a 3rd space for different communities to get together.

The ARK, as a concept branch/ “lab,”also serves as a platform for the clients to co-create an ideal banking experience by closely looking into what the clients’ needs and wants when it comes to banking.

Digital natives would find The ARK as the perfect bank branch that fits their lifestyle. For non-digital natives, however, The ARK serves as their bridge that comfortably leads them from traditional to digital banking.

“The ARK provides a service unlike any other. There are no lines, no numbers, hardly any forms to fill up, just highly-trained bank ambassadors ready and happy to give personalized service to each and every client. Every client here receives the proverbial VIP service,” Delgado added.

At The ARK, a client is treated like a guest, welcomed by the bank ambas-

By Charles Arvin E. Dantes/ Alicia Angelica L. Villanueva

UnionBank Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Justo A. Ortiz (right) says that it should not come as a surprise for UnionBank to come up with The ARK, which is seen as the bank of the future. He is joined here by UnionBank Deputy Center Head for Consumer Finance and Chief User Experience Officer Ana Aboitiz Delgado (left) and Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Deputy Governor Chuchi Fonacier.

sador who hands him a tablet to select his transaction. The bank ambassador may usher the guest to the coffee area where he could enjoy his espresso while waiting for the bank ambassador to facilitate his transaction. The guest will also be able to maximize his time while at The ARK and do some work as the branch is equipped with high-speed internet. Customized and comfortable seats are provided for The ARK guests.

UnionBank Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Justo A. Ortiz said that it should not come as a surprise for UnionBank to come up with The ARK, which is seen as the bank of the future.

“UnionBank trailblazed digital

banking in the Philippines and we continue with our efforts to use technology and enhancing digital banking capabilities in order to provide the best customer experience for our clients,” Ortiz said.

UnionBank has recently been awarded as the Best Digital Bank at the Asiamoney Banking Awards 2017, held at The Ritz-Carlton in Beijing, China, last Sept. 26, validating its position as the best digital bank in the country.

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Deputy Governor Chuchi Fonacier graced the launch of The ARK and hailed UnionBank for its future-ready innovations which are at par with international

banking standards.

Cruz said that BSP believes in financial technology as both an opportunity and a challenge to the banking sector.

BSP records show that 25% of current bank clients use mobile banking technologies in their transactions and this number is predicted to grow exponentially over the years.

“Our banks need to be equipped with sound digital strategies for them to cope up with these digital innovations to better serve their clients. BSP will also be aggressively pursuing reforms to support our banks through an enabling regulatory environment,” Cruz adds.

MERALCO OFFERS ENHANCED DIGITAL INNOVATIONS

By Angelica L. Villanueva tions for the past 18 months the best and enhanced digi- showcased the launching FILIPINOS will get to experience and see more of the progressing digital services from Meralco as the electric company proudly presented their newest innovations during the four-day summit of this year’s Meralco Technology and Innovation Summit (MTECH).

Using theme “Journey for Tomorrow,” Meralco Chief Technology Advisor Gavin D. Barfield highlighted their recent achievements as they embraced digital innova-

and how it helped them attain their goal— to give their customers enhanced services and experiences.

During his speech, Barfield pointed out that these innovations will play a big part in the future, making daily routines easier.

He also admitted that as technologies continue to move in a rapid pace and as the country’s largest power utility, they invested heavily in new technologies, looking at new disruptive technologies just to give its customers

tal customer experiences.

Barfield also promised to offer new, better and more digital customer services soon that will perfectly fit the firm’s future customers, which he called as ‘digital natives.’

“We are also developing mobility solutions and adding more sensors, automation, and smart meters to our network to improve reliability and enable the integration of renewables,” he added.

The summit’s first day also

of FORGE, a cybersecurity competition that promotes cybersecurity in the Philippines, led by international tech firms to discuss today’s disruptive technologies and innovations.

Aside from FORGE, participants of the event also got to experience themselves some new technologies from various booths from Meralco’s leading technology partners that they might also use in the future as they look for more better solutions and services.

Attendees were also able to try the Augmented Reality and the Virtual Reality and how it is being used in today’s businesses. Booths also presented high technologies that can play a big role in logistics and planning.

Meralco holds the tech summit yearly to let their participants experience personally how these technologies can be helpful in the future.

MTECH 2017 ran from Nov. 21 to 24 at the Meralco Lopez Building, Ortigas, Pasig City.

TRAFFIC-BUSTING STARMOBILE PHONES NOW HERE

UNO B309

1ST ANTI-HIV GAMING APP LAUNCHED ON WORLD AIDS DAY

PHILIPPINE mobile phone maker Starmobile announced that it has expanded its Christmas offerings this 2017 to include two models that deliver a lot of value and excitement both at price points below P1,000.

The first is the UNO B510, dubbed the “traffic-buster.”

A dual-SIM feature phone equipped with analog TV, it is the perfect companion for those expecting to endure long rides in the bus or the UV express due to the traffic this holiday season.

It will retail for P999 starting December.

Another dual-SIM feature phone, the slim and light UNO B309 is perfectly formed for easy

gripping and operation with one hand. Designed with the Filipino commuter in mind, the UNO B309 will allow them to view urgent text messages and quickly respond to them while they are on the road.

It will also be available starting December for P799.

Both the UNO B510 or UNO B309 come with cameras, clear definition screens, Bluetooth compatibility, BriteLite Torches, and PowerVault Battery that can last for up to 15 days on standby.

Purchases of the UNO B510 and UNO B309 until Dec. 31, 2017 can also allow customers to be part of the STARTAGAL promo, Starmobile’s biggest raffle ever.

Each box will come with a

scratch card with a unique code that those interested can easily register via SMS. This automatically enlists them in the raffle, where they can have the chance to own a brand-new Toyota Wigo or Toyota Innova or take home P1 million in cash, tax-free!

Find out more information about STAR-TAGAL through this YouTube link: https:// youtu.be/hGRMCn4k5Ao Learn more about St a r m o b i l e U N O B 5 1 0 or UNO B309 by visiting Starmobile’s official website (www.starmobile. ph) or official Facebook page ( h t t p s : / / w w w. fa ce b o o k . co m / starmobilephones/)

AFTER spending one year developing a mobile application that promotes awareness about HIV AIDS, the Institute of Clinical Epidemiology, National Institutes of Health and University of the Philippines Manila are now ready to introduce their #BitB or Battle in the Blood gaming app to address the issue to everyone.

As part of the World AIDs Day celebrated during Dec. 1, the mentioned affiliation, through a gaming app, aims to awake its user on how important it is to have the right knowledge about the human immunodeficiency virus acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV AIDS).

Dr. Emmanuel S. Baja, DOST “Balik” Scientist and Principal Investigator of the HIV Gaming, Engaging, and Testing (HIV GET Tested) Project, also believes that through this mobile game, it will be now easy for them to eliminate the belief that after being diagnosed with HIV, an individual cannot fulfill and have a normal life.

Through this app, the player will be inspired to defeat HIV through proper counseling and testing “HIV is not a death sentence anymore. It is just a chronic disease like diabetes, there is treatment available and people living with HIV (PLHIV) can still have a normal and happy life. This gaming app (#BitB) is a very powerful communication tool to address the stigma of HIV especially among young MSMs and TG women who are at a higher risk for HIV infection,” added Baja. #BitB is essentially designed for ages 10-24 that are among the group of MSM or men having sex with men and transgender women, which most of the HIV-positive population belong. Baja also assures that as the players go along with each level, he or she will not just be informed and be aware about HIV AIDS but will also enjoy playing the #BitB.

Development

The team—consisting of mainly Filipino game developers—spent one year to prepare the gaming application into a game ready for release. Four months were used for researching and HIV counselling to get facts that they can include in their project and another three months for developing a 40-page game design and concept.

Mechanics

After downloading the gaming app, the users can create their own character that includes the name, gender, physical features, and appearance of his or her avatar. Players will encounter 90 levels as they stand as a fighter against HIV and its army of co-infections. Each level, the player is required to defeat an HIV infection by connecting or matching same icons as his or her attack and defense power.

As they go along with the levels, the 8 stories of PLHIV they are helping will be featured showing how this PLHIV battles HIV. Each story has 10 levels to see its ending.

What makes it more interesting and informative is that the player can access information where the nearest HIV treatment center is.

Another great feature that gamers usually look for is a very smooth combat game that #BitB offers and that they don’t need to pay to have an extra life or any inapp purchases. Instead, they just need to answer some questions to move to another level to play.

Availability

UNO B510

The mobile app #BitB or Battle in the Blood is now available for free download on Google Playstore and Apple Store but was officially launched on Dec. 1, in Davao City, during the celebration of World AIDs Day.

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

/

Young Life

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

DRESSING UP YOUR SNEAKERS 3 RISING FILIPINO DESIGNERS PAIR KEDS WITH HANDPICKED CREATIONS

By Bernadette Lunas

H

OW do you wear your sneakers? With no-fuss T-shirt and jeans combo? With chic off-the-shoulder and skater skirt ensemble?

Or with laidback sleeveless top and denim shorts get-up?

There seems to be no wrong way to wear those trusty kicks no matter what outfit you choose— they are even worn on weddings, mind you.

To further drive this point to home, Keds team up with three rising young designers to showcase its latest collection of Triple Kick sneakers worn with high fashion pieces.

Modern-day Victorian

Rosenthal Tee presents reimagined night wear pieces that give off a laidback chic vibe what with their soft texture and lace and pearl detailing. The outfits, part of her Slumber collection, are probably what a modern-day Victorian lady would wear in the tropics.

Tee, who have graced the runways of New York Fashion Week, punctuates each elegant and feminine look with Keds Triple Shimmer, each pair of this style comes with a subtle hint of shine, to bring out that ultra-chic vibe.

WHY BUY A

$2000

‘BAYONGCIAGA’ WHEN YOU CAN GET A 35-PESO SM GREENBAG? WHEN luxury label Balenciaga presented its Fall/Winter ‘16 handbag collection, a particular style caught many Filipinos’ attention as it is quite similar to the ubiquitous “palengke bags” we see in markets and groceries.

While it’s undeniably posh to do your holiday shopping using a $2000 Italian-made bag that looks like a glorified shopping bag (tbh), there are better and more affordable alternatives— one of which is SM’s limited edition Greenbag.

The new SM Greenbag sports stylish chevron waves of red and green that go well with the holidays, but subtle enough to be used beyond the season. It boasts a large capacity of three shopping bags combined, so you can do away with so many bad-for-the-environment, single-use plastic bags.

Bring your SM Greenbag when you’re shopping, or use it to carry those gifts that you are giving away on your Christmas party. For non-shopping and Christmas-related uses, this eco-friendly bag is also sturdy and spacious enough to be used in the gym, carry baby essentials, and bring your personal belongings when moving or traveling.

And the best news? The SM Greenbag is available at SM Markets stores nationwide for only P35.

Tailored prints

The Real/Unreal collection of Bea Samson is a psychedelic vision inspired by imaginative costumes from cinemas and rendered photographs of natural and man-made elements.

For the collaboration, she showcases a selection of tailored wardrobe essentials—blouses, midi dresses, oversized jackets—that come with imaginative prints, highly saturated colors, and three-dimensional textures through pleating, embellishments, and other accents.

To strike a balance to this vibrant and dreamlike collection, akin to art pieces, Samson opts for Keds Monochromatic Triple in white and black colors.

Eclectic patterns

Happy Andrada’s Transcendence collection is a feast for the eyes with pieces that come with bright and bold prints created using digital textile printing system and revolutionary customization on chiffon, tulle, organza, duchess, piña, spandex, and neoprene.

The innovative designer is not afraid to match prints on prints as she pairs each ensemble with Keds Triple Night Showers whose glitzy patterns light up the night.

FASHION SHOW PHOTOS BY REX PERZEUS SARDINIA

The SM Greenbag is equivalent to three shopping bags combined

Young Life

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SUNDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2017 isahred@gmail.com

5 FACTS ABOUT

MEGHAN MARKLE

WOMAN OF THE HOUR. The world gets to know American actress Meghan Markle after the news of her engagement to Prince Harry has been made official.

T

YOU PROBABLY DIDN’T KNOW

HE British royal family is set to have a newest member, as the engagement of Prince Harry to his American actress girlfriend Meghan Markle has been officially announced.

As the future Duchess of Sussex, we are sure to see and hear a lot of Markle. But before the muchanticipated royal wedding in spring 2018, let’s get to know the girl that made the currently fifth in line to throne happy and in love.

Her real first name is the same as her character’s name on Suits Early on in her career she chose her stage name to be Meghan Markle, dropping her first name Rachel, which ironically is the name of her Suits character, the ambitious paralegal Rachel Zane.

She wrote to Hillary Clinton to complain about a soap commercial When she was 11 years old, she had watched a Procter & Gamble soap commercial with a tagline “women all over America are fighting greasy pots and pans,” which she believed suggested that women belonged in the kitchen. It made her angry that she wrote to the manufacturer and to thenFirst Lady Hillary Clinton. The TV commercial was changed, the word “women” was replaced with “people.” Today, Markle is a UN Women’s Advocate for Political Participation and Leadership, and is a proud feminist committed to gender equality.

cards and invitations, such as for Robin Thicke and Paula Patton’s wedding. The skill, she said, she had learned as a student to an all-girls Catholic school which had handwriting classes.

She was also one of the briefcase girls on the television game show Deal or No Deal, holding the “ill-fated” number 26. Markle said her experience in the show helped her understand “what I would rather be doing.”

Her first marriage lasted two years On Sept. 10, 2011, Markle married American movie producer Trever Engelson, most famous for the 2010 movie Remember Me. The pair started dating in 2004 and became engaged in 2010. But because of “irreconcilable differences” their marriage ended in a no-fault divorce in August 2013.

She met Prince Harry in a blind date The two reportedly met in May 2016 in a blind date through a mutual friend while Prince Harry was in Toronto to launch the 2017 Invictus Games.

In their engagement interview posted on the royal family’s Facebook page, Prince Harry said that prior to their meeting, she didn’t know Markle as he never watched Suits. Four weeks later since their She did calligraphy and was a briefcase girl first meeting, wherein Prince Harry was “beautifulon Deal or No Deal ly surprised by Markle, he “persuaded” her to join Markle used to be a freelance calligrapher while him in Botswana where they “camped out with she was finding acting gigs. In her interview with each other under the stars.”

Esquire, she said she did calligraphy for business

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle talk about their relationship in an interview following the official announcement of their engagement

HEALTH information we read on the Internet, especially those spread on social media, should always be taken with a grain of salt. For one, they can be fabricated by almost anyone and for another, they often lack, if none at all, scientific basis.

But a healthcare provider aims to maximize the use of social media to spread, not fake material, but accurate information on disease, nutrition, and healthy living. ManilaMed is the first hospital in the country to have established and sustained a regular Facebook Live show ManilaMed Health Line.

ManilaMed Health Line is a tri-monthly program in which doctors from the hospital acting as resource speakers shed light on pressing healthcare issues, particularly those that are relevant to city dwellers.

Aside from real-time broadcasting, each program can also be accessed any time after it is aired.

Since its inception in early February this year, ManilaMed Health Line has had over two million views. A discussion on cancer by ManilaMed’s head Medical Oncologist Dr. Dennis Sacdalan is the most watched as it has garnered over 200,000 views to date.

To view ManilaMed Health Line content, go to www. facebook.com/ManilaMed.

DOCTORS ON FACEBOOK LIVE

Doctors from ManilaMed Medical Center shed light on pressing healthcare issues in the tri-monthly program 'ManilaMed Health Line' aired on Facebook Live

Showbiz

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2017

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

James Reid and Nadine Lustre with ABS-CBN executive Deo Endrinal (second from right) and director Dan Villegas (rightmost)

MOST DECORATED. Teen singer Darren Espanto, in an Instagram post, shows off the awards he won at the recently-concluded Awit Awards staged by the Philippine Association of the Record Industry.

DARREN ESPANTO

CERTIFIED PLATINUM SINGER

By Nickie Wang

D

ARREN Espanto is ending 2017 at the top after notching two platinum record awards for his solo albums and also for becoming this year’s most decorated recording artist at the recently-concluded Awit Awards.

At the 30th edition of Awit Awards held on Nov. 26 at the KIA Theater, Darren was the biggest winner among other outstanding OPM artists, composers and producers. He bagged six major awards including Best New Male Artist, Favorite Song, Favorite Album, Favorite Record, and Favorite Male Artist. He also walked home with the Best Selling Album trophy for his solo record, Be With Me. And just when we thought that all these recognitions already highlighted his music career this year, the teen singer’s 2014 self-titled album has been certified double platinum after it sold over 30,000 copies. At the same time, his multi-awarded 2016 sophomore release, Be With Me, was certified gold and platinum by the Philippine Association of the Record Industry (PARI) for selling more than 15,000 units.

“I wasn’t expecting to receive all these awards, I’m literally shaking,” the 16-year-old singer told the press shortly after the Awit Awards program ended, “ I’m just so happy and I feel so blessed. I’m just so surprised for all these awards. I couldn’t ask for anything more.”

Darren dedicated his awards to all of his fans who continuously follow his journey from winning the inaugural season of ABS-CBN’s The Voice Kids in 2014 up to this day when he’s trying to explore other facets of his career.

“My fans are awesome people. They’re solid and I just wouldn’t really be here if not because of their continued s u p p o r t ,” he added.

While he proves to be one of the most promising and bankable recording stars of his generation, the young singer’s fandom has also been showing solid support for all of his works.

In May, when he held a Twitter party to announce the release of Be With Me (Deluxe Edition), his fans were in full force and made the announcement a trending topic. As expected, the album went straight to no. 1 on iTunes Philippines album chart. Then on Nov. 10, Darren dropped his holiday record D’s Christmas, and just like the previous record, it debuted at no. 1 on iTunes Philippines eight hours after its release.

Apart from his Christmas record, Darren, who felt privileged after performing alongside other worldclass Pinoy artist at the ASEAN Summit gala dinner on Nov. 12, is currently promoting a new single that will be included in All Of You movie soundtrack. Quantum Films has just shared a teaser of Darren’s upcoming music video for the MMFF movie which stars Derek Ramsay and Jennylyn Mercado. According to the teaser, the music video for the single “Dying Inside” will be released on Dec. 5.

REMEMBER

ANGELICA YAP?

POPULAR men’s magazine FHM has unveiled its December issue featuring “two fresh faces who are steadily making their ascent in the industry” on the cover – Viva ladies Debbie Garcia and Angel Yap. Deddie has played bit roles in a few TV shows and movies now being a Viva talent. Meanwhile, Angel, who was first known as Angelica

Angel Yap a.k.a Pastillas Girl poses for FHM December issue, (inset) a screengrab of the viral video where she humorously channeled her anger for being left behind by an ex

Jane Yap, shot to fame as the heartbroken girl who humorously channeled the anger she felt for being left behind into a video of her making pastillas.

Two years later, social media’s “Pastillas Girl” is now a sexy vixen with a following of more than 300,000 on Instagram.

Her avid followers are regularly treated with photos where she flaunts her incredible bikini body. Her feed is also filled with racy photos that leave her admirers in awe.

In a feature in the magazine, Angel pondered on her being an erstwhile Internet sensation and what she has learned about making her mark in Pinoy pop culture.

“There’s no guarantee [that it will last forever],”she explains. “Plus, it’s up to you to sustain it your momentum and that’s the hardest part.”

JADINE BACK ON PRIMETIME WE SAW James Reid and Nadine Lustre focused on their music career this year, but in 2018, the Kapamilya stars and Viva Artists talents popularly known as the JaDine loveteam will be back on the boob tube to spice up primetime viewing.

Fans of James and Nadine have been active on social media in the past few weeks following the announcement about their latest big screen project early in November. And now, Dreamscape has just announced that the couple is also gearing up for their small screen comeback -- a new television drama that die-hard JaDine followers can look forward to next year.

On Instagram, ABS-CBN executive Roldeo Endrinal, also the head of Dreamscape’s drama unit, shared a photo of the popular pair with director Dan Villegas, and said that 2018 will be “magical.”

No other details about the upcoming television series were revealed, but fans couldn’t help but feel giddy about the love team’s return on the small screen.

Team Real was last seen in Till I Met You, which concluded in January. Since then, the couple has been focusing on their other showbiz commitments such as joining the It’s Showtime as regular cohosts. James went on promoting his record his solo album, Palm Dream, which gave him the ticket to be nominated at the MTV EMA Favorite Southeast Asian Act category and eventually win the coveted award.

James and Nadine are currently filming their new movie, which has the working title Five Years Later. It is said to be about a love story between a barrio lass and a graphic designer. The movie is directed

by Antoinette Jadaone, who also helmed JaDine’s toprating series, On the Wings of Love, and Till I Met You.

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SUNDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2017

Desiree Carlos, Editor

Pets

daycarlos28@yahoo.com

MY FURRY BESTIE

THIS corner features pets of animal lovers every week. We hope new owners and those thinking of getting a pet will be encouraged to be responsible “furparents” through these features.

We also hope more people will be moved to be kind to animals when they read about the great relationship that can be created between humans and animals.

For contributions, please email to daycarlos28@yahoo.com and put My Furry Bestie as subject.

CAT OWNERS, Fluffy eats dry and wet cat food and loves sleeping beside crystals. She has not been sick she was born four years ago.

C

E R A W BE

AT lovers consider their pets as members of the family. But cats can not eat the same food as the human members of one’s family.

Not all human food are good for cats, says Jessica Remitz in her article 5. Tuna Dangerous Food for Cats.

This may sound weird but a diet rich in tuna can cause mercury poisonPetMD, in an article, also stresses that “Any food not specifically formu- ing in your cat (just like people) and make them malnourished because tuna lated for cats can affect the digestive system, causing vomiting, diarrhea, does not contain all the important vitamins and minerals your cat needs. or loss of appetite.”

While a bite now and then will not hurt your cat, it is best not to make Here are the food you can not give your cats from both articles: tuna your cat’s main source of nutrition.

“Tuna when made into cat food is perfectly fine for cats. On the other 1. Raw Eggs hand, tuna sold for human consumption may cause digestive upset when Raw eggs may cause salmonella in cats. The symptoms of this infection given as an occasional treat in small amounts. It can even cause a painful are vomiting, diarrhea and lethargy. condition called steatitis, or inflammation of the body's fat, when fed to Animals can also transmit salmonella to humans, thus it is more impor- cats on a regular basis,” PetMD says. tant to keep your cat away from eggs. Wash your hands well after baking or cooking anything that has 6. Chocolate raw eggs, Remitz says.

A major concern is the compound in chocolate called theobromine which can cause heart arrhyth2. Onions/Garlic mias, muscle tremors, or seizures.

Onions and garlic can destroy red blood cells in cats and thus lead to severe anemia.

7. Coffee, Tea, Energy Drinks PetMD says,”All members of the onion family can Drinks and food with caffeine can cause restlessness, cause problems if eaten in sufficient quantity. A little rapid breathing, heart palpitations, and muscle tremors. bit of onion or garlic in some sauce is not likely to cause any problems. However, eating a clove of gar8. Dairy Products lic or a green onion may cause digestive upset.”

These can cause vomiting and diarrhea in adult cats.

Some baby food made from meat often have onion or garlic so please read the label carefully if you 9. Fat trimmings give these to your cat.

These can also cause pancreatitis in cats.

The level of poisoning depends on the amount of onions or garlic your cat ate. Please call your vetSeek Medical Help erinarian if your cat is vomiting or has become leIf you suspect your cat ate any of these food, try to thargic. determine how much she may have eaten. Then call your vet and ask for help.

3. Raw Fish PetMD says: “..in many cases small quantities are Raw meat and fish can also cause food poisoning in not likely to be a problem but larger quantities may cats. require you to induce vomiting in your cat or to take Raw fish also contains a compound that breaks her to your veterinarian. down thiamine, an important B1 vitamin for cats.

“Treatment involves supportive care until sympLack of this B1 vitamin in cats can cause serious neutoms resolve. This may involve hospitalization, inHow many cats do you see? These beautiful rological problems. travenous fluids, monitoring of organ function via cats were rescued by Pam Claveria: (on the repeated blood testing, and other measures as indiround table) Rosie, the three-month old 4. Alcohol cated by the specific circumstances,” it adds. stray kitten, Yellow, black and white Dumbo; Any amount of alcohol can kill your cat. (on the chair) Grandmommy Jaggy; and (on Alcohol can be ingested through drinks or can the rectangle table) is Serge.

Prevention be produced in the stomach after eating food with Never give these food to your cat. milk or cream such as a dessert like cake, and yeast Aside from keeping your cat safe, you will also dough used in making bread, rolls and pizza, Remitz prevent begging behavior in your cat. . says.

Here are some guidelines for giving human food to cats: Cats also get drunk like humans, and alcohol can easily cause severe liver and brain damage. A tablespoon of alcohol can put an adult cat in a 1. It should be given only as a treat and only if your vet allowed you to give coma. More than that can kill your cat. it to your cat to prevent gastrointestinal upset and nutritional imbalances.

Please call your vet as soon as you find out your cat has eaten these food or drank anything with alcohol. Do not wait for symptoms such as seizures.

2. Remember, if you will not eat the food, do not give it to your cat.

THE 4Cs OF DOG POOP

Nica, rescued dog of Save Animals of Love and Light (Save ALL), has been healthy since she was cleared of parvo virus when she was 12 weeks old. Parvo patients have loose stool that, more often than not, have blood in it. She is now almost two years old and loves to chill out in the garden after playing with other dogs.

OUR dogs can not tell us if he or she is not feeling well.

Fortunately, there are ways to know if our dog is sick.

One indicator is your dog’s poop. To know if your dog is well, PetMD says there are four Cs to check: color, consistency, coating and content.

The stool of a healthy, happy dog is chocolate brown in color, well-formed, and has no red, white or yellow spots.

Bright red spots or lines in the stool may indicate bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract.

If you do spot blood in stools, please see your vet immediately as the bleeding may also mean your dog has a more serious illness.

Greenish color in a stool indicates your pet has been eating a lot of grass or this may be due to gastrointestinal upset.

Yellow spots in your dog’s stool or a yellow-colored stool may mean there are problems with the

liver gallbladder, or pancreas. Please have a stool analysis done for your peace of mind.

There may be bleeding in the stomach or small intestines if the stool is black or maroon in color.

White spots in your dog’s stool may mean your dog has worms. Please seek advice from your vet.

Your dog may need deworming.

It is important to take a photo of the stool to show your vet.

Vets usually use a scale of one to seven to represent the shape and consistency that a dog’s stool can have.

One is used for very hard pellets and seven is used for a formless puddle.

Number 2 is a well-formed dog stool for vets.

A cause for alarm is a formless stool. If your dog produces this for more than a day, please bring him to the vet.

MAGGIE was rescued by Joyce Galang near a toll gate last February. Maggie, who will turn one year old next month , is very smart and enjoys playing with Joyce’s four cats and 5 dogs.

SLOANIE, now 4 years old, survived leptospirosis when he was only one year old. He also had skin problems and allergies.

“He's on a diet right now because he has difficulty breathing when he gains weight,” says Theresa Sales Sales adds,”He's healthy now and well loved. I love him so much. He's very smart too—he knows his left paw from his right.”

MARSHALL, 6, was given to Thea Ifurung when he was three months old.

“It started out with my dad jokingly asking his friend for a puppy. He became our family's first dog, “ Thea says.

Thea recalls,”He wasn't the most good-looking puppy as he resembled a rat at first with huge ears.

After a few months, we decided to have him adopted by someone else because we weren't really ready for such a large dog. But after a month with his new family, we had to take him back for keeps (readopt him) because of how skinny he became.”

Thea says the adorable Marshall taught her patience, understanding and commitment. She does not regret taking back Marshall who loves belly rubs, enjoys long walks, is friendly towards both cats and dogs, and loves to get hugs from kids.

Thea says,“Marshall patiently waits for me everyday. He will not complain if I feed him a little later than the usual time because sometimes, I get stuck in traffic on my way home after work. He will just do the sweetest thing and put his head on my chest as if telling me ‘I am just glad you are home.’”

Marshall now helps other dogs get adopted through his Facebook page called I Am Marshall where photos of dogs up for adoption are posted.