Manila Standard - 2017 December 17 - Sunday

SINO BUILDUP IN WPS ISLETS 'NORMAL' VOL. XXXI • NO. 303 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P18 • SUNDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2017 • www.manilastandard.net • editorial@manilastandard.net

BEIJING—China on Friday defended its construction on disputed islands in the West Philippine Sea or South China Sea as “normal, “ after a US think tank released new satellite images showing deployment of radar and other equipment.

This developed as senior defense and military officials from China and the Philippines agreed to peacefully settle disputes, specifically in the contested waterway, through lawful, non-coercive and transparent means—an issue raised during bilateral defense cooperation meetings in Camp Aguinaldo on Friday.

These talks came amid fresh aerial sightings revealing China’s continued fortification of its manmade islands in several areas in the West Philippine Sea, including the installation of high-tech electronic communications for military use.

Beijing claims nearly all of the disputed sea and has been turning reefs in the Spratly and Paracel chains into islands, installing military facilities and equipment on them.

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HEED EXPERT ADVICE, AVOID FIASCO—DUQUE

UNDER THE WATER, LITERALLY. Floodwaters inundate streets in Calbayog, Samar (top left) after Tropical Storm 'Urduja' barrels through the central Philippines, particularly Samar and Leyte, with 11,101 travelers (top right) while villagers in Calingatngan in Borongan in eastern Samar wade through thigh-deep floodwaters Saturday. Five people, including a two-year-old child, died while tens of thousands remained missing, according to officials. AFP

'URDUJA' BATTERS VISAYAS: 77,000 FLEE F

IVE people, including a two-year-old child, died while at least 77,000 remained missing as Tropical Storm 'Urduja' (international name Kai-Tak) cut a swathe of destruction in Leyte and Samar when it hit land at dawn Saturday, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said.

Meanwhile, 11,101 travelers, 1,322 rolling cargoes, 52 vessels and 33 motor bancas have been stranded in ports in Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol, Western and Eastern Visayas, and the National Capital Region, officials said.

A total 8,831 families were preemptively evacuated to 141 evacu-

ation centers.

Urduja, packing gusts of up to 100 kilometers an hour, was poised to smash into the north of the country’s third-largest island Samar overnight Saturday before slicing across the central Philippines, weather forecasters said.

More than 38,000 people have

moved to evacuation camps, local officials said, after days of heavy rain unleashed by the approaching cyclone caused floods and landslides on Samar and nearby Leyte island.

These islands, with a combined population of about 4.5 million, had borne the brunt of Super Typhoon 'Yolanda' (international Haiyan) four years ago, which left more than 7,350 peoplea dead or missing.

Ferry services on the two islands remain suspended due to rough seas, with three fishermen also missing despite government warnings against sailing, the region’s civil defense office said.

A baby girl and a woman were also injured in landslides near Ta-

cloban, Leyte’s largest city, it said in a report.

The state weather agency said more heavy rain was expected in the eastern Philippines in the coming hours, warning of flooding in low-lying areas and landslides in the uplands.

About 20 typhoons or weaker storms either make landfall in the Philippines or reach its waters each year, bringing annual misery and helping to keep millions in perennial poverty.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration, in its latest weather bulletin, said Urduja continued to move westward closer Turn to A2

CNN HERO EYED AS NEW CHIEF OF 'URBAN POOR'

CNN HERO.

President Rodrigo Duterte has expressed his intentions to appoint a CNN hero, Efren Peñaflorida, who is also a civic worker and 'education on pushcart' proponent to head the Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor.

Duterte said he was also eyeing five farmers from Davao to join the commission.

By John Paolo Bencito PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has expressed his intentions to appoint a CNN hero, who is also a civic worker and “education on pushcart” proponent to head the Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor.

In a speech during the Christmas party for Davao media Friday night, Duterte instructed his staff to find the whereabouts of 2009 CNN Hero of the Year Efren Penaflorida, who pioneered a mobile classroom that sought to teach basic education to street children.

“Give me someone who is poor but able, and I will appoint him as chairman.

The first person I am considering is the guy who pushes carts, I will make him chairtwitter.com/ MlaStandard

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man,” Duterte said in an hour-long speech at the so-called “Panacañang” Presidential Guest House.

Duterte said he was also eyeing five farmers from Davao to join the commission.

He said he had been looking for a person with a simple lifestyle, one who could be productive and avoid unnecessary trips overseas.

In a statement, Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque said presidential appointments “fall under the exclusive prerogative of the President.”

“Nothing is certain at this point. Everything has to go through a process. The other party has yet to give a response.

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HEALTH Secretary Francisco Duque III has underlined the need for Health Department chiefs to heed the “expert” recommendations of the Department of Health’s Formulary Executive Council, following the controversial purchase of P3.5-billion Dengvaxia vaccines.

Duque said this in an interview Saturday on Super Radyo dzBB, saying the Council was composed of experts in science, public health, and health economics, whose recommendations should be “respected.”

He said their being secretaries of the department did not mean they were already experts in those fields, reason they needed to analyze properly the experts’ reports against which they could rest their case, Duque said in Filipino.

According to official figures, more than 800,000 children had been vaccinated with Dengvaxia before Duque stopped the program.

Former DoH undersecretary Susan Mercado had said the Council was against the mass use of controversial dengue vaccine Dengvaxia and its subsequent purchase.

Duque said the Council was the DoH secretary’s “protection” when making decisions.

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DU30-TRUMP HANDSHAKE MAKES A CAMEO THAT ‘awkward’ handshake between President Rodrigo Duterte and US President Donald Trump during the 31st Association of Southeast Asian Nations makes a cameo in a recently released “The Simpsons” short Saturday.

Duterte, who could be seen inside a framed photograph with Trump at a room inside the Trump tower, made an appearance as the US leader dropped a $750-million bribe to special counsel Robert Mueller to cover up for him in the Russia investigations.

Prior to this, US Attorney General Jeff Sessions was seen taking Mueller for a limousine ride.

The two-minute video ends with a house helper who reveals herself as the mayor of San Juan, Puerto Rico Carmen Yulin Cruz, vacuuming the money.

“Finally, Puerto Rico catches a break,” as she collects the bills.

Netizens had earlier poked fun at Trump, who had a little trouble figuring out an awkward group handshake with Duterte and other world leaders during the sidelines of the Asean summit in Manila.

The awkward moment at Asean is not the first time Trump has made headlines for a handshake, having bad moments with French President Emmanuel Macron, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and British Prime Minister Theresa May. John Paolo Bencito

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SUNDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2017 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

SINO...

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The Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative said China’s buildup continued this year despite rival claims across the sea from, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan.

Responding to the report, foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang said: “If China is conducting any peaceful construction activity or deploying necessary defense facilities, it’s very normal because it’s within our sovereignty.”

“We believe that some individuals are making a fuss about this. They’re trying to hype it up,” Lu told a regular news briefing.

The discussion at Camp Aguinaldo focused on resolving disputes in the WPS through the adoption of the Framework for the Code of Conduct to avoid possible severe irritants on both sides.

The meetings also formed part for the resumption of the Annual Defense Security Talks between Manila and Beijing, with Undersecretary for Defense Policy Ricardo A. David Jr. as head of Philippine delegation and China’s Rear Admiral Jiang Guoping, Assistant Chief of General Staff, Joint Staff Department of the Central Military Commission, and other senior officials.

The ADST is the bilateral dialogue mechanism between the Philippines and China, established under the 2004 Memorandum of Understanding on Defense Cooperation.

Since 2005, four ADSTs have been alternately hosted by the two countries, with the last one held in Beijing in 2013.

This year’s ADST provided both sides the opportunity to exchange views on the current regional security situation, and flesh out concrete plans to cooperate in addressing security concerns mutually faced by both countries, the Department of National Defense said in a statement.

However, over the course of 2017, China has been advancing the next phase of development with construction of infrastructure to support air and naval bases, such as underground storage areas and “large radar and sensor arrays,” the Washington-based think tank said in a report on Thursday.

Fiery Cross Reef saw the most construction this past year, with building work spanning 27 acres, or about 110,000 square meters, AMTI said its analysis of satellite images showed.

There is now a high frequency radar array at the northern end of the island, it added.

Meanwhile, the official Xinhua news agency reported on Friday that China’s southern island province of Hainan has revealed a satellite launch plan to “assist remote sensing coverage” over the South China Sea. The mission will start in 2019 with the launch of three optical satellites, Xinhua cited the Sanyan Institute of Remote Sensing as saying.

The report follows recent moves

by China to ease concerns among rival claimants around the sea, through which some $5 trillion in annual shipping trade passes.

Vietnam and China agreed last month during President Xi Jinping’s visit to Hanoi to avoid conflicts in the hotly contested waters.

At a meeting with the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations in November, China and Asean countries agreed to begin talks on a much-delayed code of conduct for the sea.

The Philippines had for many years stood alongside Vietnam as one of the region’s strongest opponents to Chinese expansionism.

Following Manila’s complaint to a United Nations-backed tribunal, the panel ruled last year that China’s territorial claims in the sea were without legal basis.

But the Philippines, after President Rodrigo Duterte took office last year, decided not to use the ruling to pressure China.

He instead chose to build closer ties in return for billions of dollars in investments and aid. Francisco Tuyay and Agence France-Presse

'URDUJA' ...

From A1 to the northern-eastern Samar area and was expected to make landfall on Saturday.

Tropical cyclone warning Signal No. 2 has been hoisted over the provinces of Albay, Sorsogon and Masbate including Burias, Ticao Islands, Northern Samar, Eastern Samar, Samar, Biliran, and Leyte.

TCWS no. 1 was raised over Southern Quezon, Marinduque, Romblon, Catanduanes, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Aklan, Antique, Capiz, Iloilo, Guimaras, Negros Occidental, Northern Negros Oriental, Cebu, Northern Bohol, Southern Leyte and Dinagat Islands. AFP and PNA

PALACE: JOMA OUT OF TOUCH WITH REBELS' SITUATION

By John Paolo Bencito

T

HE military and police remain loyal to President Rodrigo Duterte, Malacañang insisted Saturday, as it scored exiled Communist Party of the Philippines founder Jose Maria Sison, whom it said was “out of touch” with the situation of his party’s rebels on the ground.

“Well obviously Joma Sison is surely out of touch. He’s far from the Philippines, he’s stayed a long time in the Netherlands, and whatever we say about the technology we have available nowadays, if we don’t talk to the

people on the ground, we will never have a pulse on things,” Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said in a radio interview.

Earlier, Sison said the one-year extension of martial law in Mindan-

ao and its possible nationwide implementation will lead to the withdrawal of support of the country’s security forces from Duterte, and will move to overthrow him in the same way that former presidents Ferdinand Marcos and Joseph Estrada were removed from power.

“In such an eventuality, the CPP and NPA [New People’s Army] would be happy with the limitation of bloodshed and with the resumption of peace negotiations … under a new president or a transitory people’s commission,” Sison said.

Andanar insisted on the loyalty of state troops, who he described as a “force to reckon with” under Duterte.

“I believe the AFP and police are

strong... They are number one in terms of loyalty to the President and the country. And I know that the AFP and the Philippine National Police are overwhelmingly very powerful and really a force to reckon with,” he added.

The President had earlier designated the CPP, as well as its armed wing, the NPA, as a “terrorist organization” following the collapse of peace talks with the rebels.

Among the reasons Duterte raised in canceling the talks was the communist rebels’ goal to form a “coalition government”—an idea he himself had floated earlier in the presidency—and what he thought was the communist rebels’ lack of sincerity.

INELEGANT HANDSHAKE. President Rodrigo Duterte is on 'The Simpsons,' with a cartoon version of US President Donald Trump making a short appearance on the 'Mueller Meets Trump' episode of The Simpsons’ Season 29. Released on Dec. 14, there is a framed photograph of the awkward handshake between Duterte and US President Donald Trump during the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit in the Philippines. (Story on A1)

ISIS REMNANTS POSE A THREAT, SAYS THINK TANK AN estimated 40,000 people traveled from around the world to take up arms for the Islamic State group as it occupied territory in Syria and Iraq and declared a caliphate in 2014.

A few hundred are believed to still be fighting as IS struggles to survive, having lost most of its territory to campaigns by Westernbacked Syrian and Iraqi coalition armies.

But what happened to the rest?

Many thousands were certainly killed in the intense fighting, but US experts believe many have survived, posing a formidable threat going ahead.

“The issue is: how many have died? How many are still there and willing to fight? How many have gone elsewhere to fight?” said Seth Jones, director of the International Security and Defense Policy Center

at the Rand Corporation.

“How many have given up? I don’t think we have a good answer.”

International counterterror groups are putting huge efforts into answering those questions, working hard to name, count and track IS foreign fighters.

In France, officials say, around 1,700 people went to Iraq and Syria since 2013 to join IS. Of those, 400 to 450 have been killed, and 250 returned to France.

Foreign Affairs Minister JeanYves Le Drian said on Dec. 8 that about 500 are still in the Iraq-Syria theater, and for them it is now very hard to return to France.

But that leaves another 500 whose whereabouts are unknown, many of them with the skills of war, wielding weapons and making bombs.

‘One-way ticket’

CNN...

ing IS veterans—from France or northern African countries—have recently set up camp there.

And they also have the option of other conflict zones in northern Africa, like Libya, Somalia, Yemen and elsewhere where jihadist groups akin to IS are conducting violent insurgencies.

The defeat of IS on the battlefield in Syria in Iraq did not close off escape routes. IS fighters were able to blend in with civilian refugees or bribe their way to sneak into Turkey.

Many don’t have much choice but to continue to fight: they never had a plan to return to their home countries, where they face imprisonment in most cases, according to Jones.

“For many, it was a one-way trip.

They wanted to live in the caliphate, permanently. So we don’t see a major move back.” AFP

HEED...

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Both parties also need to personally discuss and thresh out expectations to (sic) the job and/or position,” Roque said.

In 2009, then President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo also awarded Peñaflorida with the Order of Lakandula, a high political and civic merit given to individuals who exhibited “dedication to the responsibilities of leadership, prudence, fortitude, courage, and resolve

Terrorism specialist Bruce Hoffman of Georgetown University estimated during a conference Wednesday that “thousands” have escaped the war zone. ”Today, some of them are most likely in the Balkans, lying low for the time being, waiting for the opportunity to infiltrate themselves to the rest of Europe,” he said.

Some have traveled to other jihadist fronts, according to Thomas Sanderson, of the Center for Strategic and International Studies’ Transnational Threats Project.

For example, he said, at least 80 IS fighters from Morocco, Russia, Saudi Arabia and Yemen have joined since May the IS-allied Abu Sayyaf insurgents battling government forces in the southern Philippines.

Local people in the northern Afghanistan province of Jowzjan have told AFP that French-speak-

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in the service of one’s people.”

Earlier this week, Duterte fired former Presidential Commission on the Urban Poor chief Terry Ridon for failing to convene the commission as a collegial body and for attending “unnecessary junkets.”

The PCUP was created through an executive order in 1986 as government’s “direct link” to the urban poor and aid in the formulation of policies to address their needs.

When you encounter any problem, you can point to them since they are the experts who made the recommendations and the Health secretary merely implemented the recommendation, Duque added.

The Council, composed of 11 experts, is a body within the DoH in charge of identifying “diseases for which medicines need to be included in the formulary”

based on their review of disease statistics from hospitals and input from specialists, the DoH, among others.

The Council also deliberates on and reviews applications for medicines and prepares a recommendation based on findings by the Evidence Review Group, which evaluates medicines based on assessments of efficacy, risk-benefit, and costeffectiveness, according to

the Revised Implementing Guidelines for the Philippine National Formulary System.

The government’s purchase of the dengue vaccine is now under probe in both the Senate and the House of Representatives, following an advisory

by Dengvaxia’s manufacturer that the dengue vaccine, the world’s first, may pose a risk of “severe” dengue to those who have not been infected prior to immunization.

News

NO HOLIDAY BREAK FOR COPS—NCRPO

By Joel E. Zurbano

T

HERE will be no holiday break for cops in Metro Manila.

This became evident after National Capital Region Police Office director Oscar Albayalde ordered all five police districts to step up their security around places of convergence in the region.

In a statement, Albayalde said the NCRPO remains on full alert this holiday season and no break will be given to its personnel.

“We will celebrate with the community where we are assigned. We encourage the public to welcome the presence of our police in areas they frequent for prayers or shopping but also report any suspicious individuals or groups so that we can immediately extend police assistance,” he said.

As the traditional Simbang Gabi starts Saturday, Albayalde directed all field commanders to ensure the deployment of personnel in churches in Metro Manila.

“Inspections will be conducted by me and our Red Teams at any given time. Likewise, I also ordered the maximized deployment of our Special Reactions Units for Oplan Sita in critical or crime-prone areas,” the NCRPO chief said.

He added “I reiterate also my previous instruction that all immediate supervisors will be held responsible for the deeds and misdeeds of their personnel.”

Albayalde earlier said he will deploy a total of 9,559 uniformed policemen to ensure peace and order and reduce crimes in critical areas in Metro Manila this holiday season.

Meanwhile, the Southern Police District cautioned the public on numerous modus operandi in public conveyances and crowded areas in the metropolis.

Aboard public utility vehicles, criminals usually go for the “laglag barya” scheme. Gang member drop coins on the floor and ask passengers to help pick them up. With their attention focused on the scattered coins, passengers fail to notice that

pickpockets have already taken their valuables.

In crowded areas like open public markets and commercial centers, the“pasa-bilis”crime tactic is done by a gang whose members quickly pass from one person to another stolen items to avoid being detected.

Other gang members just slash the victim’s bag or pocket to get valuables, or quickly grab unaeattended items as they pass by.

Also placed on full alert is the maritime sector, which will start to activate next week its“Oplan Biyaheng Ayos!: Kapaskuhan 2017” to ensure the safety of the riding public during the Christmas season.

“Maritime personnel are expected to implement several safety measures and contingency plans, such as activating the Department of Transportation [DOTr] Passenger Assistance Counters, ensuring that all ships and other sea vessels are properly inspected, and all passengers, bags and cargoes are thoroughly inspected prior the boarding,” Transport Undersecretary for Maritime Felipe Judan said in a statement Friday.

SOLONS QUESTION TRAIN ‘RAILROADING’

By John Paolo Bencito THE Palace on Saturday welcomed the plan of militant solons to question the alleged railroading of the tax reform bill, known as Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion before the Supreme Court.

Alliance of Concerned Teachers Party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio and Bayan Muna Party-list Rep. Carlos Zarate earlier lashed out at the House leadership for “the brazen railroading” of the TRAIN’s bicameral conference committee report last Wednesday, the first in the Duterte’s administrations planned package to reform taxation in the country.

“You know, what’s important is it was approved by the Senate and the [House of Representatives]. And then if [they want] to question it, then let the magistrate decide for themselves. [Their] questions are really valid,” he told government-owned dzRB. Despite objections from several lawmakers and senators, Congress ratified TRAIN on Wednesday, Dec. 13. The proposed tax reform package seeks to exempt P250,000.

Tinio, citing the alleged lack of quorum, insists the ratification was “clearly invalid.”

“With barely 10 people on the floor and despite my very clear objections due to obvious lack of quorum, the presiding officer and majority floor leader proceeded to adopt the final report of the tax reform bill’s bicameral conference committee, copies of which were not even on hand. Since there was no quorum and no actual vote was taken, the alleged ratification is clearly invalid,” he said.

Tinio hit the ruling PDP-Laban for holding a Christmas party in Sofitel, a posh hotel in Pasay City, as the ratification happened.

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SUNDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2017 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

DOLE SETTLES 53K LABOR DISPUTES

By Vito Barcelo

MORE than 83,000 workers received P4.2 billion worth of benefits from settled labor work issues in the past 18 months, the Department of Labor and Employment said.

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello said the department resolved 53,958 labor case in the first 18 months of the Duterte administration.

The speedy settlement of cases were made through the Alternative Dispute Resolution mechanism, Bello said.

“Alternative dispute resolution is our strategy to ensure speedy delivery of labor justice. We have sustained industrial peace through the fast settlement of labor disputes,” Bello said.

Based on the report, 53,148 labor cases were settled through the Single Entry Approach or SEnA that yielded P2.149 billion in monetary benefits to 67,815 workers.

Also, a total of 207 cases with notices of strike or lockout were settled with monetary awards to 13,821 workers amounting to P1.915 billion.

On the preventive meditation, 603 resolved cases were recorded with P185.152 million monetary gains to 4,103 workers.

“One of the most significant labor cases we settled was the long drawn labor case involving Rubberworld Philippines Inc., and its workers’ union.

After 22 years, both parties agreed to settle their differences through a series of conciliation conferences facilitated

by Undersecretary Maglunsod,” Bello said.

CREATION OF ‘CLIMATE CHANGE’ DEPT URGED

MORNING MASS. People flock to various churches in the country to observe the nine-day series of Masses in anticipation of Christmas and to honor the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Masses are held daily from Dec. 16 to Dec. 24 in the early mornings. One such Mass is held at the St. Joseph Parish Church, commonly known as the Las Piñas Bamboo Organ Church in Quirino, Las Piñas City on Saturday, Dec. 16. PNA

BILL ON SAFE CHILDREN’S PRODUCTS OKAYED

By Maricel V. Cruz THE House of Representatives has unanimously approved House Bill 6702 seeking to regulate the importation, manufacture, distribution and sale of children’s products containing hazardous chemicals, and providing penalties for violation thereof.

The House approved the proposed “Safe and Non-Hazardous Children’s Products Act” authored by Pangasinan Rep. Marlyn Primicias-Agabas.

Primicias-Agabas, in pushing for the enactment of the measure, warned against the harmful effects of toys that are laden with toxic materials.

“The effect on children cannot be underrated. These chemicals have long-term effects on child development and are at times fatal. Thus, the proliferation of these items in the market should be regulated and penal sanctions should be imposed on the violators of the law,” Primicias-

Agabas said.

In filing the bill, Primicias-Agabas acknowledged the State policy to protect and promote children’s rights to health. The bill commits the State to ensure the right to health of children as enshrined in Presidential Decree 603, otherwise as known as The Child and Youth Welfare Code, Convention on the Rights of the Child, and other conventions on hazardous substances to which the Philippines is a signatory.

Towards this end, the State shall regulate the importation, manufacture, distribution and sale of children’s products containing hazardous chemicals.

The bill refers to children’s products as any product or material, whether or not likely to be put by children inside their mouths. These include children’s toys, educational kits, school supplies and childcare articles defined under Republic Act. No. 971 or the Food and Drug Administration Act of 2009; nonconventional toys such as electronic

gadgets, mobile phones, tablets and pocket game consoles; mechanized or electronic toys such as the hover board; furnishings and fixtures like cribs, tables, chairs, shelves, walkers or strollers, decorative items for children’s use; indoor and outdoor playground equipment; children’s books, reference materials; and children’s accessories.

The bill refers to hazardous chemical as any substance or mixture of substances, which is a physical or health hazard, such as a toxic agent, corrosive substance, an irritant, a strong sensitizer, flammable or combustible substances, any substance or chemical that can generate pressure through decomposition, heat or other means; or agents which act on the hematopoietic system, or which damage the lungs, skin, eyes or mucous membranes, or cause any substantial injury or illness during or as a proximate result of any customary or reasonably foreseeable ingestion by children.

A HOUSE leader on Saturday welcomed the recent call by a United Nations global council for countries across the globe to institute long-term measures to reduce risks from natural disasters.

Camarines Sur Rep. LRay Villafuerte said this would provide the government a strong push to unify efforts in addressing these economic disruptions through the creation of the Department of Climate Change which shall assume the functions of all other existing offices under this would-be central agency.

Villafuerte said creating the DCC would abolish the Office of Civil Defense and the Climate Change Commission, along with other agencies performing disaster risk reduction and management-related functions, so that these could all be integrated under the new department.

Villafuerte cited a recent study showed that much of the population of Southeast Asia, where the Philippines is situated, live along 81,000 miles of lowlying coastlines, further heightening the region’s vulnerability to extreme weather events.

He said statistics show that 62 percent of Filipinos live in 1,490 coastal municipalities, with 50 percent or half of them vulnerable to storms and typhoons, and over 13 million people at risk of losing homes because of rising sea levels. Maricel V. Cruz

BAGUIO WEATHER CHILLS AT 11.5 DEGREES CELSIUS

By Dexter See

MAKATI CITY ENFORCES BAN ON ‘HABAL-HABAL’ THE Makati City government launched a crackdown on habalhabal or motorcycle-for-hire units and other colorum public utility vehicles operating in the city.

Mayor Abigail Binay tapped traffic enforcers to strictly enforce a city ordinance passed in 2009 banning the operation of the said vehicles as public transport in the city.

She made the directive following reports that habal-habal units continue to operate in the city despite the recent closure of transport firm “Angkas” by the city government in coordination with the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board.

“The illegal operations of habal-habal and other forms of unlicensed public transport must stop. They not only clog up traffic, but also put the lives of commuters in danger,” said Binay.

News reports on Friday quoted

LTFRB officials declaring as “unlawful” the operation of motorcycle-riding booking app “Angkas.” Only sedans, Asian utility vehicles, sport utility vehicles, vans, and other four-wheeled vehicles fall under the category of transport network vehicle service (TNVS).

In a report submitted to the Office of the Mayor, the Public Safety Department Task Force Operations Team had recorded a total of 6,140 traffic and road safety violations from February to November this year, of which only 227 involve habal-habal.

“I am directing the PSD enforcers to double their efforts in enforcing the ban against these illegally operated vehicles in the city. However, I also would like to call on all Makatizens and the rest of the commuting public to avoid riding on the habal-habal altogether,” said Binay.

Joel E. Zurbano

DAMAGED. Tropical Storm ‘Urduja’ damages a road in Sitio Anapog, Barangay Tinubday in Daanbantayan town, Northern Cebu Municipality of Daanbantayan. Ian Noral

BAGUIO CITY—Residents and visitors alike started to wear their thick clothings following the continuous drop in the city’s temperature, the latest of which was at a cool 11.5 degrees Celsius Saturday morning.

From the usual 14 to 17 degrees Celsius lowest temperature in the morning over the past several weeks, the local office of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration recorded a significant decline drop in the city’s temperature to 12.5 degrees Celsius Friday morning before further dipping 1 degree Celsius lower Saturday morning which is an indication that cooler days are still ahead in the country’s undisputed Summer Capital.

Danny Galate, Pagasa Baguio meteorologist, claimed the early prevalence of the cool weather in the city was an offshoot of the prolonged rainy season coupled with the existence of the enhanced northeast monsoon that continuous to bring cold winter winds from Siberia to the northern part of the country.

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Opinion

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2017

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Adelle Chua, Editor

EDITORIAL

WHY YOU SHOULDN’T MISS THE LUNAR ECLIPSE NEXT MONTH

By Pecier Decierdo

O

THERE is going to be a lunar eclipse this coming Jan. 31. During the eclipse, the Moon will turn reddish-brown, leading to the use of the term ‘blood moon’ to describe such celestial events.

Where and when will you be able to see it? Why do lunar eclipses happen, and why does the Moon appear red?

And what makes this next eclipse special compared to other lunar eclipses?

If you are living in the Philippines, you will be able to see the entirety of the lunar eclipse next month.

Those living in the eastern parts of Asia, including Japan and many parts of China, as well as those living in Australia and the Pacific islands, will also be able to see the eclipse from start to finish.

The lunar eclipse on Jan. 31 will begin at around 6:51 p.m., Philippine Standard Time (PST). The entire eclipse will go on until midnight.

However, the Moon won’t appear to be obviously darkened until about 7:48 p.m. PST. This has something to do with the nature of shadows and eclipses, so before we go back to the times when you see the most remarkable changes in the appearance of the Moon, let us first review the science of lunar eclipses.

A lunar eclipse happens when the Moon enters the Earth’s shadow. During a lunar eclipse, the Earth is between the Sun and the Moon. The light from the Sun therefore gets blocked by the Earth from reaching the Moon.

As you can imagine from the configuration of the Earth, Moon, and Sun during a lunar eclipse, such events can take place when the Moon is either full or close to being full.

As the Moon goes around the Earth once every 27 days, the Earth’s shadow misses it most of the time. This is why we do not get a lunar eclipse every full moon.

Like everything else that cast shadows, the Earth’s shadow has two parts, a darker ‘umbra’ and a less dark ‘penumbra.’

The Earth’s penumbra is bigger than its umbra, especially at the distance of the Moon. This is why in many lunar eclipses, the Moon only enters the Earth’s bigger, not-so-dark penumbra.

During such ‘penumbral lunar eclipses,’ the Moon only turns grayish in color, as if dark ash has been thrown into the face of a regular, silvery full moon.

During the lunar eclipse this coming Jan. 31, however, the Moon is entering the Earth’s darker umbra.

The start of the coming eclipse at 6:51 p.m. is when the Moon begins entering the Earth’s penumbra. At around the time, it takes a trained eye to notice anything different with the Moon.

As the Moon moves deeper in the the Earth’s penumbra, it will appear less and less bright. By around 7:48 p.m., most people would notice a dark gray shadow touch a part of the Moon.

That shadow is the Earth’s umbra.

As the night goes on, the umbra will appear to cover more of the Moon’s face. By around 8:51 p.m. Philippine time, the umbra will appear to cover

YOUTH’S THE WORD

XFORD Dictionaries announced it had chosen “youthquake” as International Word of the Year. It bested others in the shortlist—“Antifa,” “brokeflake,”“kompromat,” “white fragility,”“Milkshake Duck” and even “Xennial.”

Youthquake is a significant cultural, political or social change arising from the actions or influence of young people, Oxford said.

To be sure, it’s not a new word at all. The New York Times said it was coined by former Vogue editor Diana Vreeland in the 1960s.

Vreeland was describing a different thing altogether— the youth culture of Swinging London in that era. This year, however, usage increased about 400 percent, beginning from the British parliamentary elections in June (younger voters helped deal a blow to the Conservatives) and then spreading to commentary about politics in other places— New Zealand, Australia, the United States, and others.

“It has a very neat symmetry,” Oxford’s Katherine Martin said. “It originally referred to changes in fashion caused by baby boomers

coming of age. Now, we’re seeing it emerge in an electoral politics context, as millennials displace the baby boomers.”

Dictionaries choose their words of the year using different bases— frequency of look-ups, reflection of social and political issues, and of the ways language has changed over time. This year, Merriam-Webster chose “feminism.” “Complicit” was dictionary.com’s choice, while “populism” was Cambridge Dictionary’s.

We use dictionaries, online or that thick book we used to consult as young students, because they plainly show us what words really mean. Now it appears they also indicate the trends that words point to—in Oxford’s instance, the ability of the youth to shape domestic and global events. It’s only just a word, its has its share of critics who say they have never even heard it spoken out loud, but it sounds almost hopeful.

Young people are getting mixed press these days. Many tend to oversimplify their traits as entitled, self-absorbed, and lacking grit. But we remain confident they could, in their distinct, unique manner and temperament, make a difference.

This is embracing the idea that they could give themselves, and the generations after them, better options than we ever gave ourselves, or them.

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FROM UST: CRISTINA PANTOJA HIDALGO’S LATEST BOOK, NEW CREATIVE WRITING DEGREE CREATIVE writing professor Cristina Pantoja Hidalgo, doyenne of Philippine creative non-fiction, has released a book in time for the holidays— “The Thing with Feathers: My Book of Memories.”

Published by the University of Santo Tomas Publishing House, the 349-page book is a collection of “narratives/essays” that are “mementos of an ordinary life—tales of love and

loss, reflections on coming of age and confronting the decline, on joys hard won and deep abiding sorrows, fragments of dreams forgotten, forsaken, retrieved, honored…” (from the back cover).

Memoirs are tricky to write. They are always seen through the lens of the writer and filtered by time, emotion, and knowledge. The act of recreating the event by writing about

it inevitably constructs an event that differs from the actual; but then, that is what memoir is for—it presents the truth about a life from an individual’s point of view. That is also what makes memoir interesting and valuable as a record of a particular time and place.

Pantoja Hidalgo, who teaches creative writing at UST and the University of the Philippines, says that for her, “reading and writing are acts of

hope. One reads in the hope of finding answers to life’s troubling questions, or perhaps finding better questions. And one writes guided by the same hope.

“The inevitable question is: of what use are such memories as these, given the ominous signs that confront us today, signs that can only be interpreted as the coming of even more perilous times?

“To which my only response is that

reading and writing are also acts of faith. Faith in the power of the word to recall, illuminate, and endure, to hold fast particularly during dark days, like those we find ourselves living through.” *** Also from UST Publishing House comes a unique five-volume set of the Tomas, the journal of the UST Center for Creative Writing and Literary Studies.

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Rolando G. Estabillo Publisher ManilaStandard

Published Monday to Sunday by Philippine Manila Standard Publishing Inc. at 6/F Universal Re Building, 106 Paseo de Roxas, corner Perea St., Legaspi Village, Makati City. Telephone numbers 832-5554, 832-5556, 832-5558 (connecting all departments), (Editorial) 832-5554, (Advertising) 832-5550. P.O. Box 2933, Manila Central Post Office, Manila. Website: www.thestandard. com.ph; e-mail: contact@thestandard.com.ph

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From A4

The recently released set celebrates the Center’s fifth anniversary of its revival, and comprises volumes for Poetry, Drama, Fiction, Creative NonFiction, and Criticism.

To order these books, email publishing.bookstore@ust.edu.ph or call 406-1611 local 8424 and look for Paul, Val, or Carlo. *** More exciting literature-related news from UST—the UST Faculty of Arts and Letters will offer a Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing starting academic year 2018-2019.

It is a four-year course that will guide student writers in the genres of poetry, fiction, creative non-fiction, and drama, as well as teach them how to write other forms, including writing for children and young adults, scriptwriting for film and television, speculative fiction, literary journalism, travel writing, food writing, nature writing, and literary translation.

The program also has a literature component that will expose students to Philippine literary history, AngloAmerican literature, Latin-American literature, and more.

The program’s final outcome requires the production of a creative writing thesis in the form of a booklength manuscrips of a collection of poems, short stories, CNF pieces, or plays.

Among those on the faculty roster for the program are Dr. Mario Vargas Llosa, honorary professor (yes, himself!), Dr. Pantoja Hidalgo, Dr. Joyce Arriola (also the director of UST’s Research Center for Culture, Arts, and the Humanities), Assistant Professor Ailil Alvarez (also director of the UST Publishing House), Dr. Gemino H. Abad, Professorial Lecturer Bernardo Bernardo, and other professors (all published writers) of UST. This is an exciting new degree program that extends the available opportunities for students interested in creative writing. *** The UST CCWLS has announced that the deadline for submissions to the UST National Writers’ Workshop 2018 has been extended to Dec. 31.

Hard copy applications must be sent, no electronic applications will be accepted.

The workshop will be held March 18-24, 2018 at Ridgewood Residence, Baguio City. Fifteen fellowships are available to writers 21 years and older.

Submissions in English and Filipino are accepted. They must be unpublished works—either two short stories, two CNF pieces, two one-act plays or short film screenplays, or four poems.

See the Center’s Facebook page for more details.

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

A5

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

NAME TO A NUMBER

From A4

the entirety of the Moon. By this time, the Moon will appear brownish-red in color, earning the name ‘blood moon.’

The Moon will appear darkest red at around 9:30 p.m. Philippine time.

The reason why the Moon turns reddish during a lunar eclipse is the same reason why sunsets on Earth appear reddish in color and why the sky looks blue.

Different colors of light get scattered differently by the atmosphere. Blue gets scattered easily, making the sky appear blue.

Red and orange get scattered least.

When the Sun is setting, sunlight has to pass through a much thicker layer of atmosphere to get to the surface, by which time all the other colors have been scattered leaving red and orange to dominate.

The remaining reddish parts of sunlight that passes through the Earth’s atmosphere gets bent around the globe and goes into the Earth’s umbra. When the Moon enters the Earth’s umbra, it gets bathed in this reddish light, making it appear red.

If you have not seen a ‘blood moon’ before, you should definitely see one. If next month’s blood moon will be your first, then lucky you! This lunar eclipse also happens to be a “supermoon” or a larger than average full moon.

Because the full moon of Jan. 31 is the second full moon of the month after January 2nd’s, it will also be a “blue moon,” a term sometimes used to describe the second full moon of a month. Blue moons aren’t really blue. In fact, January 31st’s will be appear reddish.

So mark that date on your calendar and don’t miss this celestial treat!

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2017

A cross for Jawon Garrett sits among dozens of other crosses at a make-shift memorial for the victims of violence in the 5500 block of South Bishop Street in Chicago, Illinois on Sept. 25. Garrett, 40-year-old, died from multiple gunshots to the body on Sept. 13. AFP

By Jim Young CHICAGO, USA—The project took a bit of time to ripen into what it eventually became—putting a name to the hundreds of people who are murdered in Chicago every year. But the idea first took hold from the shock that I got when I first arrived in the Windy City six years ago.

When I first landed, I began to follow the shootings and the murders, like any news photographer would. One day I heard that 20 people had been shot, so I called my editor to see if he wanted me to cover it somehow. “20 shot?

That’s not news. If 20 killed, yes, but shot? No,” he said. I was blown away. Some of the locals had become so complacent about the violence that it was accepted as just part of life here.

When I talked to people about it, the reaction I got was, “Oh, another day in Chicago.” The apathy was shocking to me. It was like they were talking about the weather.

Of course I knew before I got here that there was crime and violence in the city—crime in Chicago has been going on since there has been a Chicago.

But I wasn’t prepared for the complacency that I encountered at times.

And that lay in the heart of the project for me— to shake up the complacency, to give the victims of the violence a name and to leave a trace of what had happened to them.

Chicago at the moment has the undistinguished reputation of being America’s deadliest city.

This year, more than 620 have been murdered, according to stats compiled by the Chicago Tribune newspaper. That’s nearly twice as many people killed in the city of 2.7 million than in New York City and Los Angeles (the two largest cities in the US), combined.

I began to first think about this project one day when I heard a news story about the 100th homicide in the city this year. And it hit me that in Chicago, a homicide often wasn’t about the person, it was about the number. The 100th person killed. The 200th person killed.

So I started visiting the sites where people were killed. I wanted to learn about these people. At first, I wasn’t sure what it was going to turn into. I was going around to the scenes of the murders, but I still hadn’t formed a concrete idea for the project. I didn’t even know if it was going to turn into anything. I was exploring the possibilities.

I started photographing the places visited—or vigils or funerals if there was nothing to mark the actual place of the killing—to give a name to the number. I was shooting it all on digital. And then one day I went to the house of a little girl who was reported missing and who was found a few days later underneath the sofa inside the home, dead from asphyxiation.

I worked on the project for six months. It involved a constant monitoring of the reports of violence (which in a city as violent as Chicago is a major undertaking in and of itself ), researching where the places were, going there, looking for vigils and memorials. I didn’t know when I would stop.

And then one day I shot the wake of Johnson Liggins Jr., a high school senior who was shot to death in the middle of an afternoon in late October as he walked to an after-school job. As I walked to my car afterward, I knew that I was done. Something just clicked again and it became this culmination. I don’t know why. Maybe it’s because it’s the only one where I actually had the victim in the picture. Maybe because by that point I had visited the places of more than 100 homicides.

So the project works only if you have both the photos and the words, the story of the person who was killed. But the message, I hope, is still the same. I wanted to take a photograph in a compassionate way that would become a tangible memory from such tragic stories, connecting the victims as a person and not as a statistic.

These are some of the victims of violence.

Each photograph represents their murder in Chicagoland. A life lost. Though most of these vigils are gone, their photographs will remain.

AFP

MUST-READS OF 2017: ESCAPING THE THUCYDIDES TRAP

By Hal Brands FROM Ukraine to the South China Sea, the past several years have reminded us that international peace and stability are not givens. The great issues of war and peace, order and disorder are returning to the forefront of global affairs. My endof-year reading list is thus made up of books that help us understand the causes and consequences of global upheaval—and that underscore the exceptional role America has played in holding back the forces of chaos over the past 70 years.

First, there is Thucydides’ “History of the Peloponnesian War.” This is the granddaddy of them all so far as treatments of war and peace are concerned. It relates the epic struggle between Athens and Sparta in the 5th century BC. The former country was a liberal, commercially oriented maritime power; the latter was a heavily militarized slave society and the dominant land power of ancient Greece. They tangled in a conflict that would last nearly three decades, ravaging both sides and leading to the end of Greece’s golden age.

Thucydides narrates the origins and long history of the war, along the way illuminating themes that still figure prominently in the study of international relations: how transitions involving rising and declining powers create immense volatility; the role of fear, honor and self-interest in shaping states’ decisions; the idea that the strong do as they will and the weak suffer as they must; the power of ideological cleavages in intensifying geopolitical conflicts between enemies. Above all, Thucydides reminds us that war “proves a rough master”—It so often unchains mankind’s most basic

passions, and occasions destruction on an epic scale.

Some of these ideas have been getting renewed attention lately, with Harvard professor Graham Allison’s discussion of whether America and China can avoid the “Thucydides Trap” in which a rising power and a hegemonic power come to blows. But far better to go back to the original. Thucydides immodestly claimed that his book would be “a possession for all times.”

It is indeed an enduring portrayal of the unchanging, elemental aspects of human conflict.

In some ways, a worthy successor to Thucydides is John Mearsheimer’s “The Tragedy of Great-Power Politics,” which was originally published in 2001 and updated in 2014. Mearsheimer has gotten a lot of things wrong over the years, particularly when it comes to USIsrael relations and his prescriptions for American grand strategy. But this book is nonetheless one of the most important treatises ever written on international politics.

The core insight is that relations between the great powers are inherently tragic in nature—that the imperatives of survival and the temptations of aggrandizement invariably lead states to conflict, even if they might prefer a more peaceful path. In a world where there is no supreme authority to enforce order, where states cannot be certain of other states’ intentions, and where the penalties for not defending oneself effectively can be catastrophic, all the incentives point to intense, unceasing competition.

Idealists might dream of a world in which the dictates of power politics have been transcended and war is a thing of the past,

but Mearsheimer reminds us that states will only enjoy the peace and security they create for themselves.

The final chapter of the updated edition—which painstakingly makes the case for why China’s rise is likely to be profoundly disruptive and perhaps un-peaceful—should be required reading for anyone who still thinks Beijing will simply become a “responsible stakeholder” in the existing international order.

So how can peace be maintained in such a cut-throat climate? Donald Kagan’s classic 1996 work, “On the Origins of War and the Preservation of Peace,” offers an answer. Kagan reviews a number of cases—from the Peloponnesian War to World War II— in which great-power war did occur, as well as a critical case in which such conflict was averted: the Cuban Missile Crisis. Each of the case studies makes for arresting reading, because the perspicacity of Kagan’s insights is matched by the accessibility of his prose.

But the key takeaway is that peace is not, as many people imagine, the natural order of things. Rather, it can be preserved only through extraordinary efforts on the part of powers that wish to maintain the existing order against the inevitable challenges. They must meet threats to international peace and stability early, before the threats gather momentum and the existing system starts to unravel; they must strive to maintain a balance of power that will allow them to restrain or overawe any potential aggressor. Thucydides shows us how brutal great-power war can be. Kagan, one of America’s great Thucydides scholars, reminds us that peace is hard work, too.

If Donald Kagan thus helps explain what makes for peace in general,

his son, Robert, helps explain the remarkable period of great-power peace that the world has enjoyed since World War II. Robert Kagan’s book, “The World America Made,” was published several years ago, but is even more timely and relevant today.

The book focuses on the extraordinary role that the US has played in global affairs since World War II—in promoting free trade, in encouraging the spread of democracy, and above all in suppressing the geopolitical conflicts that had raged in Europe and East Asia for centuries prior. US alliances and forward military deployments restrained potential aggressors such as the Soviet Union; they also stifled historical rivalries between American allies such as France and Germany in Europe, or Japan and South Korea in East Asia.

It would have seemed fantastical to suggest in 1946, after two world wars in the space of a quartercentury, that humanity would subsequently enjoy seven decades of relative great-power peace. But this is precisely the outcome that the US helped bring about. Indeed, Americans have been so successful in playing this stabilizing role, Kagan points out, that today it is all too easy to forget how violent and dangerous the world was before they picked up this burden.

At a time when the international order is once again increasingly in flux, when revisionist powers are testing the contours of the system, and when “the world America made” is under growing strain, Robert Kagan’s book—like all the others mentioned here—reminds us just how important an education in matters of war and peace truly is.

Bloomberg

World

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SUNDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2017 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Cesar Barrioquinto, Editor / Jimbo Gulle, Issue Editor

MAY WINS BREXIT BOOST; BATTLES AHEAD LONDON—After a turbulent few months when some predicted she could be gone by Christmas, British Prime Minister Theresa May finally has some good news with a deal on Brexit -- but any reprieve will likely be short-lived.

The EU’s decision Friday to move to the next stage of negotiations with Britain was a much-needed success for May, whose leadership has been dogged by doubts since a disastrous snap election in June.

The approval followed an 11th-hour deal struck last week by the prime minister and European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker on the terms of the divorce, including Britain’s financial settlement.

It drew rare support from across all sections of May’s frequently divided Conservative party, and was agreed despite concerns in the Northern Irish party which props up her minority government.

But some key issues were left unresolved, while Britain is yet to set out what it wants from the future relationship with the European Union.

Cabinet ministers are due to discuss the subject formally next week.

A parliamentary defeat on the eve of the EU summit was a timely reminder of the opposition May faces to her Brexit strategy at home, as the negotiations enter what is likely to be the most challenging phase. AFP

TRUMP TAX CUT ON TRACK FOR CONGRESS OK WASHINGTON — A major tax cut promised by US President Donald Trump was on track for final passage next week, after two previous holdouts in his Republican party said Friday they would vote yes on the legislation.

Republicans in both houses of the US Congress, where they hold majorities, each adopted their own versions of the controversial tax code overhaul, and the final compromise text was released late Friday.

“By lowering tax rates, simplifying the rigged and burdensome tax code, and repealing the failed tax on lower- and middle-income households known as the Obamacare individual mandate, this legislation will grow our economy, raise wages and promote economic competitiveness,” White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said.

Trump “looks forward to fulfilling the promise he made to the American people to give them a tax cut by the end of the year,” she added in a statement.

Senator Marco Rubio of Florida had imperiled the legislation this week when he said he would not vote in favor of the sweeping bill unless some changes were made. AFP

FILM ON POOR KIDS AT DISNEY’S GATES IS FAIRY TALE HIT PARIS —It is already the fairy tale of this year’s Oscars race: A little film about homeless children living in the shadow of Walt Disney World in Florida that threatens to turn the tables on the bigbudget favorites.

Director Sean Baker, who shot his last film on an iPhone, has scored a surprise hit with a gritty yet heartwarming tale, “The Florida Project.”

It has already been showered with prizes by US critics, usually reliable pointers for the Oscars, and has made the lists for best film of the year on both sides of the Atlantic.

Not bad for a movie that no one initially wanted to back and whose rookie lead actor Baker found on Instagram.

Driven by the remarkable performances he drew from Bria Vinaite as a tattooed single mother living hand-tomouth in a motel with her seven-yearold daughter (Brooklynn Prince), the film has built a head of steam since it premiered at the Cannes film festival in May. “I am happy for my actors,” Baker told AFP, “because they deserve it, but I try not to take anything too seriously.”

“It is not why I made the film,” said the director, who was partly inspired by the rascally spirit of the “Our Gang” street kid comedy films, which were hugely popular during the Great Depression of the 1930s.

Baker went to live in a budget hotel along the Kissimmee Strip that leads from Disney World to see for himself how people struggle to make ends meet within sight of the theme park that bills itself as “The Happiest Place on Earth.” AFP

DOUSE THE FLAMES. Kyle Cox, 7, uses a hose to water down the embers from an overnight fire near his home in Fillmore, California on Friday, as the Thomas Fire flared up again, growing to 252,500 acres and becoming the fourth largest fire in California’s history. The Thomas Fire has blackened over 250,000 acres or 100,000 hectares since it broke out ten days ago, Cal Fire said, making it the fourth-largest blaze in the state’s history. AFP

JAPAN EYES $46B FUND VS N. KOREAN THREAT

T

OKYO — Japan plans a record $46 billion defense budget for the next fiscal year to strengthen its missile defense against the threat posed by North Korea, a report said Saturday.

The government is expected to set aside 5.19 trillion yen for defense in the country’s initial budget proposal for the fiscal year starting April 2018, the Nikkei daily said.

It will mark the sixth straight year of increases in defense outlays, topping the 5.12 trillion-yen budget for the current fiscal year, the business daily said.

Much of the increase will go on protecting Japan against North Korea’s nuclear weapons and missile development, the newspaper said.

The extra funding will cover the cost of preparations for introducing the US military’s Aegis Ashore landbased missile interceptor system, the Nikkei said.

Last week Japan’s defense minister, Itsunori Onodera, said the country plans to purchase long-range cruise missiles with a range of some 900

kilometers (560 miles) from US firms.

The move is controversial as Japan’s pacifist constitution bans the use of force as a means of settling international disputes.

Global anxiety about North Korea has steadily risen this year, with Washington calling on other UN members to cut ties with Pyongyang to squeeze the secretive regime.

The call, however, has fallen short of persuading key North Korean backers China and Russia to take steps to isolate the regime.

At the United Nations, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Friday North Korea must “earn its way back” to the negotiating table, backing away from an earlier offer of unconditional talks to end the stand-off with Pyongyang.

Tillerson told the UN Security Council that a “sustained cessation of

North Korea’s threatening behavior must occur before talks can begin,” apparently after coming under pressure from President Donald Trump’s White House to toughen his stance.

Earlier this week at a policy forum in Washington, Tillerson had underlined that the United States was seeking a diplomatic opening for negotiations with North Korea on ending its nuclear program and, for the first time, offered “talks with no preconditions.”

The White House had responded to Tillerson’s remarks by insisting there had been no change in US policy, triggering a new round of reports of a rift between Trump and his chief diplomat.

At the United Nations, Tillerson took a tough line.

“North Korea must earn its way back to the table,” he said. “The pressure campaign must and will continue until denuclearization is achieved.”

“We will, in the meantime, keep our channels of communication open.”

Tillerson repeated that “we do

not seek, nor do we want, war with North Korea.”

“The United States will use all necessary measures to defend itself against North Korean aggression, but our hope remains that diplomacy will produce a resolution,” he said.

According to a prepared version of his remarks, Tillerson had planned to repeat his offer of talks without preconditions, but the line was dropped from his speech.

Asked about the change, Tillerson told reporters afterwards that the United States would not make any concessions of its own to secure talks, but that lines of communication would remain open if North Korea wanted to come forward.

The North Koreans “know where the door is. They know where to walk through that door when they want to talk,” he said.

North Korea’s UN ambassador Ja Song-Nam made a rare appearance at the council meeting chaired by Japan, which announced new targeted sanctions on Chinese entities, among others. AFP

AT LEAST 2 DEAD AS QUAKE STRIKES INDONESIA AKARTA—At least two people have been killed following a strong 6.5-magnitude earthquake on Indonesia’s main island of Java, an official said Saturday.

The quake struck at a depth of 91 kilometers (56 miles) just outside the coastal town of Cipatujah on Java island late Friday, the US Geological Survey said.

The tremor was felt across the island including in the capital Jakarta, some 300 kilometers (190 miles) from the epicenter.

A 62-year-old man in Ciamis and an 80-year-old woman in Pekalongan city were killed when the buildings they were in collapsed, national disaster mitigation agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said.

“Several hospitals in several areas have also been damaged and patients had to be evacuated,” Nugroho said.

A hospital in Banyumas suffered damaged ceilings, cracked walls and leaks to oxygen pipelines, forcing about 70 patients to be moved to temporary shelters.

At least a hundred houses were

damaged across West Java and Central Java provinces, the national disaster mitigation agency said.

The agency was still evaluating the impact of the disaster and urged people to be cautious and stay alert.

Jakarta resident Web Warouw, 50, was on the 18th floor of a building in the capital when the quake struck just before midnight local time (1700 GMT).

“Suddenly, we felt dizzy... We then realized it was a quake and immediately ran downstairs,” Warouw told AFP. Indonesia experiences frequent seismic and volcanic activity due to its position on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” where tectonic plates collide.

Some 170,000 lives were lost when a 9.1-magnitude quake and tsunami struck Aceh in December 2004, which also hit coastal areas as far away as Somalia.

An earthquake struck the country’s western Aceh province again in December 2016, killing more than 100 people, injuring many more and leaving tens of thousands homeless.

AFP

IN PROTEST. A member of the Palestine Solidarity Committee protests US President Donald Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, in front of the US Embassy in Mexico City on Friday. AFP

Sports

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SUNDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2017 reuelvidal@yahoo.com

Boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. (left) and MMA fighter Connor Mcgregor face off in this file photo during their weigh-in at Las Vegas, Nevada before their fight. AFP

MAYWEATHER -MCGREGOR JUST SECOND RICHEST FIGHT

Founder of Cage Gladiators Laurence Canavan (left) joins President of ABL Entertainment Anna Bautista and CEO of Forza Underground Gino Roque during the launch of Cage Gladiators at the Cheers Sports Bar in Makati last Thursday.

NEW ORGANIZATION AIMS TO HELP MMA FIGHTERS

By Reuel Vidal

C

AGE Gladiators, a non-profit organization with a philanthropic mission, presents a completely different paradigm in the fight game.

The organization aims to help brave but impoverished Filipino fighters overcome their humble beginnings and make a better life for themselves. It will not only sponsor their training, but will also look to educate the fighters about the business side of MMA in order for them to have a better chance of a brighter future after their career.

Instead of just promoting MMA Fighters, Cage Gladiators aims to empower and help Filipino fighters who have the heart and courage to put themselves on the line for pride and glory.

Cage Gladiators is the brainchild of Laurence Canavan, an exfighter and soldier turned successful businessman who sees it as his duty to give back to a country, the Philippines, which has given him so much.

Filipino fighters campaigning in major MMA organizations have been taken under its wing

by Cage Gladiators. They will also set up a website designed to be

MMA fighters Jeremy Miado (left) and Rene Catalan square off inside the cage. Cage Gladiators aims to empower and help Filipino fighters like Miado who have the heart and courage to put themselves on the line for pride and glory. ONE Championship

the central hub of MMA in the ers who become scholars under Philippines. its care. The scholars include ONE Cage Gladiators sponsors fight- Championship fighters Jeremy

Miado, Mikuni Munsayac, Jomar Rush, Jason Vergara, Eric “The Natural” Kelly and Edward “The Ferocious” Kelly.

“We’re training with our own teams (right now) but (in the future) we can train together and build a strong team here in the Philippines,” said Eric Kelly in a published report. “In the States, they cross-train; everybody there meets at the gym. I wish Cage Gladiators will make one gym here in Manila or in Baguio so we can train together.”

Cage Gladiators also has scholars in UFC. They include CJ “Goldenboy” De Thomas, Jenel “The Demolition Man” Lausa and Rolando “The Incredible” Dy. URCC fighters include Drex Zamboanga and Rex De Lara. Glen Ranillo is a Cage Gladitor in the PXC. There’s even a boxer in Roman “The Hitman” Canto.

Cage Gladiators is also looking for gyms and sponsors to events to help their fighters. Most importantly they want to organize a big MMA event next year which the group hopes will become an annual affair where the winners will receive big cash prizes and sponsorship offers.

Canavan said Filipinos are natural-born fighters, born with indomitable spirit and a courageous heart and willing to work hard to achieve their dreams. Cage Gladiators hopes to help them achieve those dreams.

LOS ANGELES—Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor’s cross-combat superfight was the second richest boxing bout in history, longawaited final figures revealed on Friday.

A statement from Showtime sports said the August fight between boxing star Mayweather and mixed martials arts king McGregor generated 4.3 million pay-per-view buys in North America.

Only one other fight—Mayweather’s 2015 bout with Manny Pacquiao—has ever drawn more, racking up 4.6 million buys to earn around $600 million.

The Mayweather-McGregor pay-per-view total is almost double the third biggest fight of all time, Oscar De La Hoya’s 2007 fight with Mayweather, which had 2.48 million buys.

Showtime said in a statement that global revenues, including ticket sales, sponsorship and international distribution, Mayweather and McGregor had exceeded $600 million.

“The pairing of Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor brought together two very significant and distinct global fan bases in one truly unprecedented event,” Showtime Sports chief Stephen Espinoza told ESPN. “The remarkable results are all the more impressive considering that the planning, marketing and execution took place across a span of just 72 days from the initial announcement to fight night.”

The Mayweather-McGregor fight was widely dismissed as a circus before the bout, which was eventually won by Mayweather—returning from a twoyear retirement—with a 10th round knockout.

Meanwhile Philippine boxing hero Pacquiao said last week he too was seeking his own showdown with McGregor, confirming he had opened talks with the Irishman to possibly fight in April. AFP

NBA ALL-STAR VOTING 2018 PRESENTED BY VERIZON TIPS OFF GREAT news for Filipino fans of the National Basketball Association. You will soon be able to vote your favorite NBA stars to the 2018 NBA All-Star squads.

NBA All-Star Voting 2018 presented by Verizon will tip off with an early voting period exclusively on the NBA App and NBA.com beginning Thursday, Dec. 21 at 1 p.m. ET (2 a.m., Dec. 22 Manila time).

Voting via all other channels, including Amazon Alexa for the first time, will launch on Monday, Dec. 25 at 11 a.m. ET before five Christmas Day matchups across ESPN, ABC and TNT. Additionally, new for this season, five “2-for-1 Days” will allow fans to have their votes count twice on Dec. 31, Jan. 4, Jan. 11, Jan. 12 and Jan. 15 when voting through the NBA App and NBA.com, along

with Sina Weibo and Tencent in China. All “2-for-1 Days” will be designated 12 a.m.— 11:59 p.m. ET. TNT will reveal the All-Star Game starters, including the two captains, on Thursday, Jan. 18 during TNT NBA Tip-Off presented by Autotrader at 6 p.m. ET, featuring Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal and Kenny Smith. The network will announce the reserves, as selected by NBA head coaches, on Tuesday, Jan. 23 during TNT NBA TipOff at 7 p.m. ET. The team rosters for NBA All-Star Game 2018 in Los Angeles will be revealed on Thursday, Jan. 25 during a special one-hour edition of TNT NBA Tip-Off at 7 p.m. ET. The 67th All-Star Game will be played at Staples Center

on Sunday, Feb. 18 at 8 p.m.

ET/5 p.m. PT on TNT. Under a new All-Star Game format that replaces the traditional matchup between the Eastern Conference and the Western Conference, the team rosters will be chosen by two captains from the pool of players voted as starters and reserves. The captains, who will select the teams before TNT televises the results, will be the All-Star starter from each conference who receives the most fan votes in his conference.

For the second consecutive year, NBA players and basketball media will join fans in selecting the All-Star Game starters. Fans will account for 50 percent of the vote, while all current players and a media panel will account for 25

percent each.

Throughout the voting period, fans may submit one full ballot each day through the NBA App and NBA.com, post 10 total votes on Facebook, Google Search, Twitter and Amazon Alexa, as well as 10 total votes via Sina Weibo and Tencent. All current NBA players will be available for selection via all platforms.

Players and media will be able to complete one full ballot, featuring three frontcourt players and two guards each from both the Eastern Conference and the Western Conference. Players may vote for their teammates or themselves.

Fan voting updates will be shared on Thursday, Jan. 4 and Thursday, Jan. 11. Voting will conclude on Monday, Jan. 15 at 11:59 p.m. ET.

Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant (35) tries to dribble past Dallas Mavericks defenders on December 14, 2017 at ORACLE Arena in Oakland, California. Filipino NBA fans can vote Durant to the NBA All-Star team starting Friday morning Dec. 22. AFP

Reuel Vidal, Issue Editor

A8

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2017 Riera U. Mallari, Editor / Randy Caluag, Issue Editor

Sports

sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

WORLD AMATEUR GOLF

By Tonito Payumo

ROAD TO GLORY

I

SAW the advertisement online asking: Do you have what it takes to represent the country in golf?

I’ve represented the country in soccer and tennis in the past, so there’s no reason why I couldn’t do it in golf, I thought.

The criteria for being part of the Philippine team was to hurdle a local qualification, and then a two-day National Final where the winner of each division gets an all-expense paid trip to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia for a four-day, 72-hole competition spread over four courses.

Without much expectation, I decided to play the last of eight local qualifying rounds at Orchard Golf and Country Club in September playing in Division 1 (hcp 0-5). I shot a gross 70 (net 66) to win over the reigning Philippine Mid-Amateur Champion, who came in at 2nd place.

In the National Finals, I finished runner-up to Gerald Katigbak in Division 1 (handicap 0-5) and thought that I had narrowly lost my chance to be part of the Philippine delegation in Malaysia.

But when I got the call from the organizers that they were selecting me to be part of the two-man team competition and also in the individual handicap 0-5 in the invitational competition by virtue of my runner-up performance at the National Finals, I found it hard to resist.

I still have many fond memories playing for the Philippines in football (where I was part of the youth team that won the Gothia Cup in 1985, beating a team from Brazil in the semifinals and Sweden in the Finals).

For the country In tennis, I competed in the Asian and European junior circuit and Junior Davis Cup and won a 16 &under tournament in the US, beating the number one player from California en route to the finals. The last time I remember being in Kuala Lumpur was for an international tennis tournament back in 1990.

The feeling of representing your country on a world stage is without equal.

While you always want to play good golf especially while carrying the Philippine flag, you cannot really force good golf to happen. I knew I was as prepared as I can be, having played in as many tournaments as possible given a full-time job and a family.

I just had to let it flow and play freely.

When the team arrived at the Kuala Lumpur airport, we had our picture taken at the arrival area with the Philippine flag displayed for all the arriving passengers to see. I immediately felt a sense of pride thinking that for the next week, I was going to go all out and try my best no matter what since I was playing for something bigger than myself.

There was a convergence of teams from various countries at the arrival area eager to display their flags and national colors.

On the bus going to the hotel, we met the Paraguay team who traveled 39 hours just to compete in the event for the first time.Since we had only traveled three hours to get to KLI thought that maybe we had a slight advantage over those coming from different time zones and we should use that to our advantage.

When we got to the hotel lobby, we were greeted by a horde of golfers from different nationalities- I met people from Slovenia, Russia, Austria, Italy, Malaysia, Vietnam, and India that night all exchanging pleasantries but with a serious competitive game face on.It would be an interesting and ultra-competitive six days (four days of competition) of golf ahead.

Practice Day 1 We waited outside the hotel for two hours for the bus to arrive.

Apparently, there was a city marathon nearby and the police prevented the bus that would take us to the course from coming close to the hotel. I played with the Philippine team members at the Nilai Springs Golf and Country Club in a course about one hour from KL. It was a surprise that the course was not one of the official courses for the tournament, and some teams complained, but we reasoned that it was still a chance to acclimatize and get ready for four

The author (left) with his partner in the two-man team, Mickey Tan of Sta. Lucia golf

days of actual competition ahead.

It was there that I realized that we were going to play three of the four courses for the very first time and under tour-like conditions. I knew that as much as we were competing against players from 38 different nationalities, we were foremost competing against ourselves and the golf course.

Practice Day 2 Played a practice round at the Sungai Long Golf Course (the first championship golf course in Malaysia designed by Jack Nicklaus).

I played with my fellow teammate Oliver Gan, a Slovenian, and a Pole, all competing in the Division 1 category.

The Slovenian was affable and friendly but didn’t hide his displeasure and frustration when a two-some from Russia went ahead of us while taking a water break at a tee-house.

It was there I realized that what may be acceptable in one culture may not be for other cultures. The term “culture clash” applies very much to golf as it does to other areas.

The Welcome Dinner that followed was a spectacle to see as the teams paraded their flags and stood to honor their national anthems. When our team captain Errol Chua entered the dining hall waving the Philippine flag proudly, we felt like we belonged and stood shoulderto-shoulderwith the super powers in golf.

Competition Day One: Played with a pair of Swedes at Sungai Long Country Club.

Having had a practice round the day before gave me a bit of comfort thus shooting a 74 to get the tournament off to a decent start. My strategy on Day One was not to shoot big numbers and shoot myself out of the tournament, gand tojust put myself in the mix heading into Day Two. Day Two: Playing with an Austrian who was a former European Challenge Tour player and a Vietnamese at the picturesque Mines Course where Tiger Woods partnered with Mark O Meara to win the World Cup of Golf.

Despite hitting OB on the 18th (our ninthth for the day), I played more relaxed and free compared to Day One and recovered to shoot a 70. My playing partner Mickey Tan also played well and this performance would put us in the lead out of 74 teams heading into Day Three of the two-man team invitational competition. The 70 also put me in the individual lead in Division 1.

Day Three: We tackled the famous but tricky Kota Permai course which was carved out of an oil palm estate and host of the Sengalor Worldwide Masters on the Asian Tour. As I realize that we were in a good position in both the team and individual categories, I scribbled some reminders to help me focus on the task at hand:

Stay focused on the present and do not get ahead of yourself.

Nothing will upset or bother you today.

Know when to take your medicine.

The day proved to be eventful.

Our bus taking us to the majestic course took a wrong turn which led to an additional 45 minute ride and as a result, getting to the course 10 minutes past our 8 a.m. tee time.

What would’ve been a nice, relaxing one-hour warm-up turned out to be a 30-second mad dash to the 1st tee.

Coming off an 81 in Day Three (74 and 70 on Day One and Day Two, respectively) at Kota Permai and sliding to 4th place, four shots off the lead and trailing a Pole, a Czech and a Portugese, I knew I needed a good score in the final round to have a chance for a top three podium finish.

When we knew that we would be late for our tee time, I rehearsed my swing and routine in my mind knowing very well that there wouldn’t be any time to warm up once we got to the course.

The first four holes were anything but a good start.

I started off with a bogey-par-bogeybogey run and was immediately 3-over par going into the fifth. On the fifth, I leaked my drive to the thick right rough.

A search soon ensued and a rules official began to time the search. After about two minutes, he gave us a final 30 seconds. I was ready to confront my fate and start walking back to the tee box to play a lost ball penalty - thinking momentarily that this could be a disastrous round—and kiss my chances of a podium finish for the Philippines goodbye.

But before I could do so, my playing partner Mickey Tan yelled “found it!”

That proved to be the breakthrough I needed to turn my game around. I proceeded to play the remaining 14 holes at 1-under par for a gross 74 (net 70) winning by three shots over the Czech in Division 1.

Another Filipino, Oliver Gan, finished strong and shot 71 to claim solo third place. My two-man PH team with Mickey finished 6th out of 74 teams.

The author receives the Division 1 (hcp 0-5) trophy at the Award dinner.

Don’t worry about the score or where you stand on the leaderboard Since you’re playing the course for the very first time, don’t be too aggressive.

Just enjoy the round and see what happens!

Despite the self-prep, the Kota Permai course bit hard. I started the round with a birdie on the very first hole.

On hole No. 3, I had a 30-foot uphill putt for another birdie. I hit it a tad too strong and the ball just kept on rolling, past the pin, and past the green into a deep valley.

I pitched to the fringe and threeputted for a whopping triple bogey!

It dawned on me that this was the first time to play on 11 speed greens!

It was going to be that kind of day for the rest of the round. On top of that, Marshalls were on hand at every corner egging us to speed up play.

I just had to remind myself that this was a marathon and not a race, and that if I could somehow keep the blow-ups to a minimum, I would still be in the hunt.

Day Four (Final Day): Disappointed with my previous day’s 81 at Kota Permai, I wanted to end the tournament on a strong note and just see what happens. We capped the tournament at the Templer Park Country Club, host of the Malaysian Open thrice in the past and known as the “Garden of Eden” due to its scenic natural beauty.

I was satisfied with the way I finished but had no idea on where I stood on the leaderboard.

After the round, our Malaysian playing partner for the last day, Hung Nung Wong, a former number one Malaysian Amateur and former professional who competed at the highest levels of golf, volunteered to take us back to our hotel.

On the way he gave us a tour of KL and his home club, the prestigious Royal Sengalor Golf Club in the middle of the city.

All in all, the one week of golf competing in an international stage against serious competitors from other countries was a great experience. I was proud of how I was able to handle the four challenging courses and manage my emotions throughout the four days.

The victory was unexpected. When the emcee announced the winners, I had a good feeling about my chances for a podium finish but didn’t expect to win the division. When he announced my name as Champion of Division 1 followed by “from the Philippines”, there was an immediate sense of satisfaction, relief, and most of all pride that I had represented my country and won.

If it hadn’t been me, I would have just been as happy if someone else from our team had won it.

Now, I am hoping that I get the chance to defend the title next year and continue to bring glory to the Philippines.

ARCILLA, IGLUPAS BANNER DAGITAB NETFEST JOHNNY Arcilla expects a tough outing in pursuit of another crown while Khim Iglupas seeks to dominate the women’s singles side of the PPS-PEPP Dagitab Tennis Festival Open, which got underway yesterday at the City of Naga tennis courts in Naga City, Cebu.

The veteran Arcilla ruled the men’s singles the last two years but faces a talent-laden cast of seasoned and rising players this week, including recent PCA Open champion Bryan Otico, who upended Davis Cupper PJ Tierro in five to emerge the sport’s newest star.

Although Otico, the 18-yearold Philippine Tennis Academy mainstay, landed in the lower half of the 32-player draw, Arcilla still has a tough block to hurdle to gain another crack at the crown in the season-ending Open tournament sponsored

by Palawan Pawnshop and the LGUs of Naga City led by Mayor Kristine Vanessa Chiong.

They include No. 3 Tierro, seventh-ranked Vicente Anasta, No. 8 Noel Damian along with Eric Jed Olivarez, Kim Saraza, John Mari Altiche, Dheo Talatayod and recent Phinma ITF Junior winner Arthur Pantino.

Aside from the unranked Otico, second seed Jeson Patrombon, meanwhile, also has a slew of talented rivals to face, including No. 4 Leander Lazaro, fifth-ranked Fritz Verdad, sixth seed Ronad Joven along with Marcen Gonzales, Mark Alcoseba, Roel Capangpangan, and Jan Godfrey Seno.

Also on tap in the week-long tournament backed by Asia Traders Corp. and official ball Slazenger is the mixed doubles which offers P48,000 in total prizes. The men’s singles winner will pocket P30,000 while the women’s singles champion will take home P20,000.

Meanwhile, the season-ending tournament of the country’s longest and biggest talentsearch with over 50 events will be held Dec. 26-30 for the PPSPEPP Angeles, Pampanga leg at the Angeles City Tennis Club in Villa Gloria Subd., according to PPS-PEPP Sports Program Development director and organizer Bobby Mangunay. For details, call 0915-4046464.

While the men’s singles title fight looms to be wide-open, multi-titled Iglupas is tipped to stamp her class in her side of the event in the absence of last year’s tormentor and winner Clarice Patrimonio.

Still, No. 2 Shaira Rivera, third seed Aileen Rogan, No. 4 Patricia Velez and a slew of other junior players are raring and ready to prove their worth, including Tracy Llamas, Erika Manduriao, Bliss Bayking, Melanie Dizon and Elizabeth Abarquez.

Arcilla

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SUNDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2017

Business

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

‘LOCALLY’ SERVED AT ASEAN MEETINGS

Members of the international press are all smiles as they receive their cans of Locally Blended Juice Drinks during the Asean Summit in Manila.

MILLENNIALS. Bizcool.ph co-founders

Julio Ingco III, Marvin Perol and Vincent Velasquez

3 YUPPIES IGNITE BUSINESS PASSION OF PINOY MILLENNIALS

T

hree young urban professionals have teamed up to ignite the business passion of Filipino millennials by creating online courses designed to train at least 10,000 entrepreneurs.

“We want to be the Alibaba or Uber of entrepreneurship education,” says Marvin Perol, the 26-year-old co-founder and chief executive of Blue Pen Inc., the company behind Bizcool, a modern term for ‘business school’.

Perol, who owns a video production studio, established Bizcool together with Vincent Velasquez, a professor at the University of Santo Tomas and Julio Ingco III, who now manages a family business that provides water pump solutions to condominium buildings and commercial establishments.

Perol and Ingco graduated with a Master’s degree in Entrepreneurship at Ateneo Graduate School in 2016, while Velasquez, who obtained an M.A. in Psychology from UST, is a friend of Perol. Together, they want to teach millennials, or those in the age group 25 to 35 years, to become entrepreneurs through Bizcool.ph.

“The more businesses that we create, the more the economy grows. The more entrepreneurs we train, the more we are able to create jobs,” Perol says in an interview in Makati City.

Perol, who previously worked in a broadcast network, now owns Open Reel Film Gears, a video solutions company that started at his garage and is now worth P40 million with more than 50 employees. Perol says he wants to share his entrepreneurial experience to the millennial generation, which he considers the

most entrepreneurial generation. Bizcool, he says, aims to unleash their potential to influence other people’s lives and leave a strong social impact through entrepreneurship.

Perol says the vision for Bizcool is “to b e t h e e c o s y s t e m b u i l d e r fo r a s p i r i n g entrepreneurs and educators.” He describes Bizcool as something like an online manual to entrepreneurship. Simply put, Bizcool is a learning community on entrepreneurship that adopts a blended learning approach, combining digital courses and face to face workshops. It derives its revenues from user fees, amounting to P1,100 per online course.

The three most popular online courses on the platform are about coffee shop, eatery and internet shop. Bizcool will soon expand the list to include bakeshop, sari sari store, party or events business, online store, sizzling house, make up studio, water refilling station, ‘tapsilogan’ and food cart.

Each online course contains dozens of articles and video tutorials, with each tutorial about 5 to 10 minutes long. Tutorials start with basics such as business registration and bookkeeping and tackle lessons such as location, market, capital raising, cash flow, financial statement and income targeting. Advanced lessons are also available.

The three co-founders spent almost a year to conduct research, build the online platform and prepare the online courses. After formally launching Bizcool in November this year, the site has already attracted 500 users, with about 8 percent already availing of the premium or paid subscription.

Bizcool initially offers free trial to entice users.

About 8 percent of them end up paying P1,100 for the premium service.

Bizcool has initially raised P2 million in seed capital, enough to reach the stage with 11

products. Perol estimates that the target of having 10,000 paying users within 12 months would generate P12 million in revenues. Once the target is achieved, Bizcool hopes to go to the next investment round to raise more capital.

At present, Bizcool.ph has yet to bring its marketing campaign at full blast, as it still studies the best conversion rate for Google Adwords or Facebook.

“What we are trying to do is reach the product market here in the Philippines, get 10,000 to 50,000 users, which would be more than enough for venture capitalist. Then we want to bring it to other countries,” says Perol.

Aside from the online courses, Bizcool also holds workshops to bring the aspiring entrepreneurs and resource speakers under one roof.

“The vision of our company is we want to help people to get into entrepreneurship, especially among millennials. When we did our research before we started the product development, we found that about 58 percent of millennials extremely value entrepreneurship, but they don’t have access to education,” says Velasquez.

“We want to help the millennials to take that leap of faith into entrepreneurship. Just like the three of us, we saw that education is the way. On how we go about it is by boosting e-learning,” says Ingco.

Ingco says Bizcool takes inspiration from the video tutorials on Youtube, except that none of those tutorials devote the same focus and content on entrepreneurship as Bizcool.

“We are trying to differentiate ourselves. We are trying to become a specialist in entrepreneurship education, not only in general sense, but also on micro level sense. The three of us, we want to be a driving force for our country as well,” says Ingco.

Roderick T. dela Cruz

REFRESHING, fruity-licious and proudly Philippine-made Locally Blended Juice Drink made its international debut at the recently concluded 31st Association of Southeast Asian Nation Summit in Manila, providing healthier and more flavorful alternative drinks to this year’s participants and delegates.

The drinks, with quirky names and made from indigenous fruits that are organically grown in different parts of the countr y, caught everyone’s attention, coming as they did in colorful and eyecatching packaging.

Bearing fun and witty names like Guyabano-body But You, Merci Buco, Tamarind My Bell, Calamansi’z the Day, You’ve Dalandan It Again, and Pomelong & Lasting Love, the drinks were instant hits among representatives of local and foreign media outlets who worked on their stories at the International Press Center at the World Trade Center.

The more adventurous ones went for the exotic variants like Mangosteenie Minie Mo, Save the Best for Singuelast and Kamias You Are. A local radio reporter enjoyed the Guyabano-body But You flavor that, according to him, tastes like real guyabano juice, while a media relations officer loved the taste of Merci Buco, the “all natural” juice from young coconuts. “It is a delightful thirst quencher, its sweetness just right,” he said.

Another reporter revealed that her favorite was Tamarind My Bell, which she found delicious with taste coming from real ripe sampalok.

A reporter from a local network said he took a liking for Merci Buco, which is touted to contain the natural health benefits of buco.

He also savored the refreshing goodness of its three variants— Buco, Buco Pandan and Buco Lychee.

GOKONGWEI SEES EDUCATION AS THE WAY TO SAVE THE PHILIPPINES GOKONGWEI Brothers Foundation is celebrating its 25th anniversary with a firm commitment to making a lasting impact on education in the Philippines.

“From the beginning, I knew education would be the foundation’s primary advocacy. Why? Because it is my belief that education is the only way to save this country,”JG Summit founder and chairman John Gokongwei Jr. said.

GBF was established in 1992 by Gokongwei and his brothers Johnson, Henry and James.

“We have to strengthen our hold on our science and engineering courses…

That’s the only way to help our country industrialize,” he said.

G B F’s f i r s t m a j o r p ro j e c t wa s establishing in 1999 the GBF Technical Training Center, a P150-million facility envisioned to be a world-class continuing school for engineers.

I n 2011, GBF gave significant endowment leading to the establishment of the De La Salle University Gokongwei College of Engineering.

At present, three of seven scholarships administered by GBF support college students pursuing Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. More than half of GBF’s 484 scholars are undergraduate students enrolled in STEM courses.

JG Summit president and GBF board secretary Lance Gokongwei sees investment in STEM as having a big impact on the Philippine economy.

“It’s always been the belief of my father that the Philippines needs to broaden its base beyond just providing services— to have real institutionalized capabilities in terms of manufacturing in order for us to have a broader-based economy that can compete more effectively throughout the world. We want to make investing in STEM the main focus of our foundation,” he said.

Concurrent with its efforts to hone future scientists and engineers, GBF devotes itself to providing quality technical-vocational education to produce skilled workers.

In 2014, GBF, together with Universal Robina Corp. Branded Consumer Foods Group, established GBF Iskolar ni Juan Tech-Voc program, a fully subsidized oneyear scholarship for high school graduates or out-of- school youth.

Boarded at the GBF TTC, scholars take GBF’s signature Tesda-registered program in mechatronics and instrumentation servicing, followed by on-the- job training and employment as production operator at URC-BCFG. As of October 2017, all 93 graduates of the program have been hired by URCBCFG. Lisa Gokongwei-Cheng, GBF general

More than half of Gokongwei Brothers Foundation’s 484 scholars are top college students taking science and engineering courses at reputable Philippine universities. Aamong them were Gold Caminian, Rose Ann Carmona and Melvin Rigodon, all licensed chemical engineers now working at JG Summit Petrochemicals Group.

manager, believes education gives underprivileged youth the opportunity to succeed.

“I feel happy whenever I hear about how youths who had no options suddenly felt that their future was brighter because of this scholarship. Through helping one person, the scholars are able to help their families, and hopefully, their communities as well— bigger and bigger circles,” she said.

Prior to the DLSU-GCOE endowment, GBF also gave educational support leading to the establishment of the Ateneo John Gokongwei School of Management in 2002.

Endowments to DLSU and Ateneo have funded facility building and improvement, scholarships and student enrichment, and research and faculty development.

As of September 2017, GBF has produced 337 graduates through its college, technical-vocational and high school scholarship programs.

Aside from running scholarship programs and the GBF TTC, the foundation also collaborates with strategic partners inside and outside JG Summit for causes related to education.

In 2011, GBF donated 18 two-classroom preschool buildings in various provincial sites through Aklat, Gabay, Aruga, Tungo sa Pag-Angat at Pag-Asa Foundation.

Lance Gokongwei said his family, thankful for the opportunities education

has led to, wants to pay it forward.

“We try to level the playing field by giving equality of opportunities for one of the most critical determinants of future success: access to education. Hopefully, we are able to help a few thousand Filipinos achieve a level of education that they may not have had,” he said.

John Gokongwei himself was unable to complete his university education.

But it was his innate curiosity and love for learning that helped him become a successful entrepreneur.

Despite his success as a self-taught man, Gokongwei put premium on formal education, sent his siblings to the best schools he could afford at that time, and eventually pursued a master’s degree for himself.

“He saw the difference that education made in his life and that of his siblings, and he wanted to share that opportunity to as many Filipinos as he could,” said Lance Gokongwei.

Marking its 25th anniversary, GBF produced a video and magazine commemorating its milestones and stories of impacted lives.

In a letter sent to JG Summit & Affiliates employees, Lance Gokongwei is hoping the stories will be a “source of inspiration for you as they are for me in striving to make lives better”.

Business

B2

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2017 business@manilastandard.net

Sprout Solutions CEO Patrick Gentry (standing left) and engageSpark CEO Ravi Agarwal.

LADY CEO PROMOTES HYGIENE AMONG STUDENTS

FILIPINO TECH FIRM SUPPORTS STARTUPS SPROUT Solutions, the fastest-growing Filipino tech startup providing a complete suite of HR software tools specifically made for the Philippine business environment, gives back by supporting the country’s startup community through its series of free learning seminars called Sprout Academy.

Through this initiative, Sprout seeks to bring the Silicon Valley culture to the Philippines where there is a free exchange of ideas and best practices across industries.

“In 2015, Sprout was accepted by Acceleprise, a Silicon Valley enterprise SaaS accelerator; this made us see the importance of knowledge-sharing, especially among the local industry players and entrepreneurs,” said Patrick Gentry, Sprout Solutions chief executive and co-founder. “We believe that through events like Sprout Academy, we can contribute to the continuous growth of the local startup community.”

Recently, Sprout held the sixth leg of the series, which gathered more than 100 participants from the startup sector, as well as students and individuals who plan to put up their own business.

This time, the session focused on how entrepreneurs can unlock explosive growth for their company.

Sprout’s very own Patrick Gentry, who was recently named 2017 Philippine Rice Bowl Startup Awards Founder of the Year, shared some of his personal experiences and feasible strategies for boosting their startup.

Gentry emphasized that one of the primary issues that entrepreneurs, especially starters, should consider is to solve a specific need.

“Some of the most successful startups are very specific in solving an existing pain point. But to achieve stable growth, you have to cultivate the solution you offer through constant experimentation. It also pays to invest in creating good relations with the people you work with, and banking on the right tools and technologies,” Gentry said.

Aside from Gentry, the event was also graced by Ravi Agarwal, the CEO of engageSpark and the man behind some of the most successful startups based in Boston in the US. During his discussion, Agarwal talked about the benefits of investing in product innovation which should go beyond just meeting the needs of the customers but more importantly, sparking excitement by touching their unspoken needs.

Apar t from Sprout Academy, the company also stages other free learning sessions like Innovate where HR practitioners come together every month to hear from industry experts and discuss different ways to improve the way HR is done in the country.

By Othel V. Campos

R

entokil Initial Philippines Inc., a company that provides pest control and hygiene solutions, has launched a health awareness campaign aimed at educating school kids on proper toilet etiquette.

Rentokil Initial Philippines Inc. managing director Ederine Gee Geneblazo

Rentokil Initial Philippines managing director Ederine Gee Geneblazo said the company’s “Adopt-a-School” hygiene program is in support of the global celebration of World Toilet Day. “When we launched this program and we taught the kids the proper way to use a toilet bowl as well as how to wash hands properly. We even brought a machine to show them that even as they wash their hands, there are still lingering germs and bacteria that may cause illness. So, after washing we recommend to use hand sanitizer. Sometime, kids trend to wash only their fingertips. The proper way of washing is to wash hands while singing the Birthday Song twice,” she said.

Rentokil Initial’s “program complements the objectives of World Toilet Day and was launched with an activity that aims to teach young Filipinos the basics of proper toilet habits, starting off with the students of the Makati Gospel Church New Life Christian Academy, which is Rentokil Initial’s adopted school.

G e n e b l a zo s a i d t h e m i n d s e t i n developing proper toilet and hand washing habits should start at a young age. “As such, the event program will particularly focus on helping students learn and develop proper toilet and handwashing habits,” she said.

One of the key messages of the activity is “When you flush, cover and wash,” which emphasizes the importance of covering the toilet bowl whenever they flush to avoid contaminating the air and of washing their hands afterwards.

The World Toilet Day is an initiative of the United Nations General Assembly and is in line with the Sustainable Development Goals launched in 2015 which include a target to ensure everyone has access to a safely-managed household toilet by 2030.

“Our advocacy complements the World Toilet Day’s aim of addressing the global need for more toilets, because aside from the dire lack of clean toilets in many communities, studies show that contributory to the spread of diseases is improper sanitation and bad toilet habits,” said Geneblazo.

As Rentokil Initial’s adopted school, the Makati Gospel Church New Life Christian Academy was provided with toilet hygiene products for the use of its students and teachers in the school’s comfort rooms as well as literature for the products’ proper use.

“The main reason why we chose the Makati Gospel Church New Life Christian Academy as our first adopted school for this advocacy is because their objectives in toilet hygiene are aligned with our own program objectives. So, it’s a perfect fit,” Geneblazo said.

The “Adopt-a-School” program is part of Rentokil Initial’s ongoing global “Better

Future” health education program which educates communities in developing countries about the importance of personal and environmental hygiene.

The “Better Future” health education program aims to generally raise the standards of hygiene globally, targeting not only young students but adult employees and families as well.

“As experts in the hygiene industry, we have taken it upon ourselves to further educate the community and its schools by developing a more sustainable information and awareness campaign,” Geneblazo said.

Later on, the company is planning to expand the reach of its hygiene awareness program to the national level.

Rentokil Initial is the only known sanitation and hygiene solutions company in the Philippines. It services big companies, hotel, organizations, media offices and other agencies.

“More than installing the solutions we provide, we educate users the people on how to use toilet properly and hygienically.

It should not be just cleaning since it will only clean the surface only. I think it is our habit that we do not know how to use the toilet, especially the toilet bowl, properly.

You know, it only takes about 30 seconds for the germs and bacteria to spread in a cubicle. People are at risk of contacting airborne diseases if not properly toilettrained,” Geneblazo said.

In place of work like the offices, ladies rooms should be fitted with sanitary bins to efficiently dispose of sanitary napkins.

The company said there is a law in the Philippines that requires all offices with 10 or more than 10 women employees to install sanitary bins for sanitary napkin disposal.

Most of the time, toilet bowls are cleaned by wiping the surface, Genelaza said, noting that by swiping the rim, one will see how filthy and grimy toilet bowls are.

“So if you run a test, like what we do before we proceed with our assessment, you can see blood, bits of feces and other foul matters. We have four categories for toilet hygiene solutions and one of them is feminine care. The installation of a sanitary bin equipped with the necessarily chemicals that fight odor and the spread of bacteria, is one of the services we offer to companies,” she said.

Rentokil Initial is a company that combines the expertise of Rentokil, the world’s leading commercial pest control services provider, and Initial, the world’s leading commercial hygiene services company.

Rentokil Initial is currently one of the leading providers of hygiene solutions, offering leading-edge technology, products and services to customers in over 45 countries including the Philippines.

ZAMBALES MINES SEEN TO BOOST PH ECONOMY INTERNATIONAL trade transactions in the country is about to reach new heights in the coming years, according to Zambales Governor Amor Deloso.

Deloso foresees a progressive and bullish Philippine economy, as international trade is seen to increase significantly, thanks to the vast and untapped natural resources in the province. These resources include gold, chromite, ore and many more.

The Philippines is the fifth most mineral-rich country in the world for gold, nickel, copper and chromite. It is home to the largest copper-gold deposit in the world. The Mines and Geosciences Bureau estimated that the country had $840 billion worth of untapped mineral wealth, as of 2012.

One province has been the object of interest of mining companies for the past decades – Zambales.

While the province of Zambales, the second largest pin Central Luzon, has always been known as the home of the aetas, a forest-dwelling minority group in the region, it is also home to a variety of mines that are abundantly found in the soil of Zambales.

“Zambales is a very rich province. It has 27 minerals. It might interest you to know that the biggest gold deposits in Asia are in Zambales, and the biggest deposit of chromite in the whole world

Zambales Governor Amor Deloso (third from left) holds his regular meeting at the provincial capitol.

is in Zambales,” the governor says.

The bold prediction comes at the height of unrelenting negotiations between mining companies and the government.

Deloso says while does not condone irresponsible mining and will never tolerate destruction of the vast natural resources in the province, it is now high time the people of Zambales benefit from mining.

“Mining in Zambales, particularly

chromites have been in operation for 90 years. For 90 years mining companies have exploited that aside from the gold in San Marcelinos,” he says.

Deloso says he understands why there is an increased drive in countries to secure greater royalties and equity for communities from mining companies and to examine how the wealth from the mine can be translated into economic opportunities.

The governor says his constituents have nothing to fear as he himself has been critical of illegal and irresponsible mining activities in the region that left several provinces molested and ravaged.

He also approves of President D u t e r t e’s p o l i c y d i r e c t i v e s o n mining which include: improving the regulator y func tions of the government on mining; investigating and resolving issues concerning

security and safety in small-scale mining; addressing the adverse environmental and social impacts of mining, particularly in coastal areas; strengthening regulations on open-pit mining; and strictly implementing the mining law and other environmental laws and regulations to ensure the protection of the environment “Mining is not bad. It’s good in fact it has benefited almost all industries, you name it. The sad part is a lot of people and organizations earned millions from it but if you asked was there a single Zambaleno who became rich because of it? Did those mining companies build hospitals or schools for the benefit of the people of Zambales.”

“Today I want to correct that. If you want to mine in Zambales, you must build your own plant, and they need to comply with the rules and regulations and most of all it should benefit the people and not damage our resources,” Deloso says.

Aside from copious supply of mines, Zambales also boasts of attractions, festivities, and traditions that can easily lure tourists.

“The people of Zambales can look forward to a productive, progressive, sustainable and state -of-the -ar t province with a bustling economy that will benefit its people,” says Deloso.

Tech & Gadgets

SPACEX LAUNCHES RECYCLED ROCKET, SPACESHIP FOR the first time, SpaceX on Friday blasted off both a rocket and a cargo ship that have flown before, a step forward in the company’s goal to lower the cost of spaceflight.

After the launch, the Californiabased company headed by Internet tycoon Elon Musk landed its rocket booster upright on solid ground at Cape Canaveral, Florida.

SpaceX has now managed to return 20 of its rocket boosters after launch, whether on land or on a floating ocean platform, as part of its effort to re-use instead of jettison costly components.

The gleaming white Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket soared into the blue sky over Florida at 10:36 am (1536 GMT).

Three minutes later, the booster and second stage of the rocket separated.

SpaceX’s live video webcast showed the two components arcing away from each other in the sky.

The second stage continued to propel the Dragon toward the International Space Station, while the tall portion of the rocket powered its engines and maneuvered its grid fins to guide it back to Landing Zone 1 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.

As live images showed the first stage glide down, steady and upright, from the air to the launchpad, cheers erupted at SpaceX’s Hawthorne, California headquarters, where employees regularly gather

This NASA photo shows the SpaceX Falcon 9 first stage as it returned to Landing Zone 1 in Cape Canaveral, Florida. For the first time, SpaceX on Friday launched both a rocket and a cargo ship that have flown before, a step forward in the company's goal to lower the cost of spaceflight.

After the launch the California-based company headed by Internet tycoon Elon Musk landed its rocket booster upright on solid ground at Cape Canaveral, Florida. AFP

to watch rocket launches.

“That marks the second successful visit to and from space for this particular booster,” said a SpaceX commentator on the webcast.

The Falcon rocket booster previously propelled a space station resupply mission in June, called CRS-11.

The Dragon capsule was flown to the ISS in 2015.

SpaceX confirmed that the launch sent the Dragon into a “good orbit” and it was “on its way to the International Space Station.”

and reliable reusability,” said SpaceX Dragon mission manager Jessica Jensen, at a press briefing Monday.

Though the early days of rocket landings saw many of them topple, miss the target or blow up, SpaceX has successfully recovered 14 of its boosters this year alone.

Friday also marked the fourth time SpaceX is re-flying a used booster for one of its clients.

However, it was the first such effort for NASA, SpaceX’s most important customer.

‘The beginning’ NASA’s ISS program manager Kirk “This is the beginning of rapid Shireman said rocket experts from

around the agency had reviewed safety for the mission, and that reused components were seen as no more dangerous than new ones.

“The net result is about equivalent risk,” he told reporters Monday.The unmanned spaceship is packed with 4,800 pounds (2,200 kilograms) of food, supplies and experiments—including one to study thyroid cancer and another to grow barley in space.

The mission is SpaceX’s 13th of 20 under a $1.6 billion contract with NASA. The Dragon is scheduled to arrive at the ISS on Sunday.

FPG INSURANCE CELEBRATES X'MAS WITH GRAB DRIVERS

DIGITAL WALKER PROMO FOR MITSUBISHI MIRAGE

IT’S Christmas season once again and to give early treat to Mirage and Mirage G4 customers, Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corp. recently launched the Mitsubishi Mirage and Mirage G4 Year-End Raffle Promo. A P10,000 worth gift certificates from Digital Walker will be raffled-off to lucky customers who will purchase a brand new Mitsubishi Mirage or Mirage G4 from Oct. 11 to Dec. 29, in any authorized Mitsubishi Motors dealerships in the Philippines.

There will be 3 raffle draws (October purchase, November purchase, December purchase).

A total of 1,500 customers will bring home the P10,000 Digital Walker gift certificates. The Digital Walker gift certificates may be used for purchases in Digital Walker and Beyond the Box stores.

MMPC’s partner in this promo, Digital Walker, is the country’s largest retailer of

premium gadgets and accessories. They offer the widest selection of consumer technology products that range from smartphones, tablets, cameras, cases, speakers, headphones, earphones and many more products from different brands.

MMPC will conduct the raffle draw with the supervision of a Department of Trade and Industry’s representative in November and December 2017, and January 2018 for the last batch of winners. An individual can only win once per vehicle purchased. Winners will be notified via registered mail and an MMPC representative will call and send e-mail informing that customer that he/she won in the raffle.

With the Mirage and Mirage G4 purchase, you will not only get a great car, but you will also get a chance to win exclusive raffle prize! Contact your nearest dealership for more promo details.

MANDAUE CITY—FPG Insurance, the major player in the general insurance industry and leader in motor insurance coverage, celebrated with Grab Philippines’ thanksgiving event for partner drivers last Nov. 26 at the J Centre Convention Hall in Cebu.

‘TY Ka-Grab Pamaskong Handog’ was Grab’s way of giving thanks to the contributions of its members to the transportation landscape in Cebu. The event was well-attended by over 1,200 drivers, together with their spouses and children transforming the atmosphere of the convention hall into a family bonding time.

DJ Jackie Gonzales and DJ KimYat CutieGat from ABS-CBN MOR 97.1 Cebu hosted the program.

Lots of fun and surprises awaited the excited drivers with novelty games such as ‘Bring Me’ and ‘Grab Kwarta o Kahon,’ where lucky winner Manuel Bautro took home the jackpot prize of P20,000 pesos cash.

“Out of the 20 players, hindi ko inakala na mananalo ako. Pero bago pa ako nanalo, nagpa-quote na ako sa FPG Insurance. Dito ko gusto gastahin ang napanalunan ko,” said Bautro when asked where he will be spending his winning.

Brian Cu, Grab Philippines’ Country Head, also introduced a new top-up system which can conveniently help its members on their everyday ply. Grab had previously mounted the same thanksgiving event for its Metro Manila members at the Megatent place in Libis, Quezon City last Nov. 19. The event was wellreceived by over 9,000 drivers and their guests.

“We would like to empower our Grab drivers especially since most of them have looked upon the TNVS service as their bread and butter. Most Grab drivers fear of being denied of an insurance claim because they use their vehicles for hire. With FPG Insurance, not only that our rates and coverages are competitive against other insurance companies in the market, we will also cover their vehicles even while being used as a Grab service,” said FPG Insurance Philippines VP for Branch Business Group Gerardo S. Arga.

FPG Insurance offers comprehensive care insurance coverage, auto PA for both the driver and passengers, and most importantly, coverage for vehicles in line of TNVS service—something other insurance providers do not have. In addition, FPG offers flexible payment terms Grab drivers will find suitable to their need.

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SUNDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2017 rumallari@thestandard.com.ph

ACER: PREPARING A DIGITAL CLASSROOM FOR NEW BREED OF LEARNERS NEW technologies and the internet are still constantly re-shaping the education landscape and are being integrated in the standard of learning.

As they are widely used, educators are now faced with the challenge of adapting a new way of teaching and catching up with their students who are digital natives.

This year, Acer Academy’s exclusive client program upgrades its annual Members’Night by including in the celebration a learning-rich forum focusing on online education and digital citizenship.

Together with 110 partner schools nationwide, Acer Academy on its fifth year furthers their united advocacy of helping modernize both private and public educational institutions.

“Technology and the internet empower education,” said Manuel Wong, Managing Director of Acer Philippines.

“But powerful tools can do both good and harm, and it’s our responsibility to stay vigilant to protect the students’ welfare online.”

With the theme of keeping students safe in a digital world, Acer Academy’s forum invited speakers from the IT industry and education sector to share key insights on data privacy and education modernization.

Influencing educators for a new generation of students

More than half of the current population has connection to the internet. According to the latestYoung Adult Fertility and Sexuality Study those who are aged 15-24 represent the biggest consumers of information technology with college students frequenting internet use for studies in the past few years.

With the emergence of online education, Acer saw the opportunity to impart to its partner schools learnings and practices they can adapt to continually provide their students with a 21st century education.

“Acer leads the efforts to equip our teachers with better ways in providing quality education to our youth—both through knowledge and devices, “ said Wong.

The Acer Academy has been running since 2012 as an innovative program to help educators adapt better solutions in communicating and interacting with their students who are mostly digital natives. Any school, college, or university whether public or private can join the program.

Through the program, partner schools can utilize the IT company’s hardware, software, and services to promote a digital classroom framework.

“Our thrust as an IT company has always been to break barriers between humans and technology,” Wong said.

“Through our efforts with Acer Academy, we are unlocking new possibilities for our educators through the infusion of Acer’s suite of solutions.”

Since its conception, Acer Academy hosts annual Membership Nights that gathers their partner schools to introduce new members and recognize loyal members.

This year, Kevin Chuang of Acer Asia Pacific will be joined by Abram Abanil, incoming director for the ICTS of the Department of Education; Dr. Rolando Lansigan of the National Privacy Commission, David Tapang of Microsoft Philippines and, Ana Ortiz of Woohoo Learning Lab. “We aim for digital and online-based education platforms to stay beneficial to the new generation of students,” Wong said. “Through Acer Academy, we are hopeful not just for the future of the education system but also our students who are the future of this nation.”

To know more about Acer Philippines, go to www.acer.com.ph, or follow Acer via Twitter (twitter.com/acerphils) or www.Facebook.com/AcerPH.

PILOTING AN ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING SYSTEM PLDT wireless unit Smart Communications Inc. and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Centre for Biodiversity have signed an agreement to deploy an environmental monitoring system in Southeast Asian heritage parks.

The Biosentinel monitoring system is an intelligent and user-friendly solution that can monitor and analyze ecological information. It will be piloted in the Philippines, at Mt. Makiling Forest Reserve, in partnership with the Makiling Center for Mountain Ecosystems.

The Mt. Makiling Forest Reserve was named an Asean Heritage Park (AHP) in 2013. AHPs are selected protected areas knownfortheiruniquebiodiversityandecosystems,wilderness,andoutstandingvalues.

Biosentinel has three components.

First, the Biosentinel dashboard allows authorized users to set up and define

conservation areas, designated patrollers, flora and fauna archives, and possible ecological threats.

Second, the Biosentinel app can be used by local personnel as they patrol around their areas. Using the data generated by the dashboard and uploaded onto their smartphones, the patrollers can record any relevant wildlife, threat, or geographical information. Authorized users can use the app to store information, eliminating the need for manual record-keeping which is prone to loss or damage.

Third, the Biosentinel analytics data software is where information collected from the app users is uploaded and analyzed.

The system was developed by Instigators, a team of developers that won in 2014 the grand prize at “Hack the Cli-

mate: Manila,” which was supported by Smart. Their winning project was called “Tanaw,” an application that promoted awareness, tracked reforestation sites, and helped sustain local communities through ecotourism.

According to ACB biodiversity information management director Sheila Vergara, the nongovernment organization is engaging in this collaboration to facilitate data collection in Asean heritage parks. “The Biosentinel system will help enable the recording of biodiversity information and improve data analysis,” she said during the signing of the memorandum of agreement at the ACB headquarters in University of the Philippines, Los Banos, Laguna.

The partnership also aims to guide policymakers by helping ensure that their decisions are based on facts and

available data, said ACB executive director Roberto Oliva. “This project aims to contribute to global sustainability by enhancing environmental well-being.

The specific objective is to enhance conservation of biodiversity and effective management of forest areas in Southeast Asia,” he added.

Smart public affairs head Ramon R. Isberto emphasized the role of technology in environmental conservation. “The core of our community service programs is called tech for development. We try to search for every opportunity to use mobile phones and digital technology to address issues and problems, one of which is environment protection.The Biosentinel system makes it easier to gather information, which is important in guiding and directing the activities that we do, especially in forest conservation,”he said.

Representatives of Smart, Asean Centre for Biodiversity and Instigators are shown during the signing of the memorandum of agreement for the use of the Biosentinel system at ACB headquarters in UP Los Banos. In the photo are ACB biodiversity information management director Sheila Vergara, Instigators developer Dominic Tuazon, ACB executive director Roberto Oliva, PLDT-Smart public affairs head Ramon Isberto, Makiling Center for Mountain Ecosystems deputy director Rogelio Andrada, and Smart community partnerships senior manager Nova Concepcion (right).

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SUNDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2017 Riera U. Mallari, Editor rumallari@thestandard.com.ph

TECH & Gadgets

SHOPEE, INFINIX TIE UP FOR LAUNCH OF ZERO 5 PRO A

PREMIUM spin-off from the widely popular Infinix Zero 5, Infinix launched the Zero 5 Pro with 128GB ROM exclusively on Shopee starting from Dec. 15, at a special price of P15,999.

Tech lovers can look forward to this sleek smartphone which runs on Android’s nougat operating platform, and houses an optical zoom dual camera, a 16 MP front-facing camera, protective screen features and a rear fingerprint scanner.

“We are very proud of the new Infinix 5 Pro, and we are excited to be partnering Shopee for its debut.

With over 6 million Shopee users in the Philippines, we believe that this partnership can help us reach out to a wider audience and further increase visibility and sales of the Infinix 5 Pro,” said Zaks Yu, Brand Manager of Infinix.

The optical zoom dual camera featured on the Infinix 5 Pro is equipped with a special portrait master mode that uses an RGBW sensor and multi-frame noise reduction technology, making it easy for users to capture the perfect hero shot. Additionally, the Zero 5 Pro boasts a jaw-dropping mega 16 MP four-in-one front camera with an LED flash to boot, or as Infinix has dubbed it, the ‘Selfie Camera’. In the

Tech lovers can look forward to the Infinix Zero 5 Pro.

Philippines where social media is rampant and the trend of snapping selfies is widely popular, the ‘Selfie Camera’ is a definite must-have for all selfie lovers.

Terence Pang, Chief Operating Officer of Shopee, said: “We are

happy to partner with Infinix to help drive the potential of our company’s e-commerce capabilities, by offering greater diversification in our product lines. Customers who purchase the Infinix 5 Pro on Shopee can enjoy free shipping nation-

wide as well as a cash on delivery payment option, which makes the shopping process convenient and hassle-free.”

Additionally, all product listings are covered by Shopee Guarantee, a feature where payment to sellers are withheld until the buyer confirms that they have received the order in good condition. This feature ensures that users enjoy secure transactions when shopping on Shopee.

For more Infinix’s Official Store in Shopee, visit https://shopee.ph/ infinixmobileph or download the Shopee app for free on the App Store or Google Play Store. for more information on Infinix Smartphones, visit their official site at http://www. infinixmobility.com.ph/ Zero 5 Pro Specifications: Network: 4G; OS: Android 7; Display: 5.98”FHD LTPS (2.5D); Dimensions: 166.38*82.38*7.95 mm; Processor: ARM Mali-T880 MP2 900MHz; Battery: 4350mAh; Screen: CORNING Gorilla Glass 3; Memory: 128 GB ROM of memory + 6 GB of RAM; Rear fingerprint scanner for unlocking & confirming actions; Font ‘Selfie’ camera: 16 MP fourin-one; Rear dual camera: 12 MP wide-angle lens + 13 MP telephoto lens; 2x optical zoom + 10x digital zoom; F/2.0 aperture; Portrait Master Mode; RGBW sensor; Video: 3GP/ MP4/ AVI

5 WAYS OF ENJOYING YOUR SPROCKET FROM our Christmas traditions that make us wake up early in the morning to complete the simbang gabi to our hearty meals that last from Noche Buena to Media Noche, it’s evident that we Filipinos know a thing or two on how to spice up the holidays. But going beyond the usual holiday traditions, the best way to make this year stand out from the rest is through reminiscing the good (and not-so-good) memories that you’ve made all 2017 long .

The best way to relieve those memories is to have it right in the palm of your hands!

Since its launch in the Philippines, HP has given us memory hoarders the gift that keeps on giving – the Sprocket. With its easy to use built and app interface, all you really have to worry about is how you’re going to maximize and make the most out of your photo printouts! And this holiday season, we’re giving you five creative ways you can spice up your holiday season with the Sprocket!

1. As Christmas Décor Christmas lights and mistletoe decorations are so yesterday. Why not customize your holiday décor with photos you’ve printed? Not only is it a

good conversation starter during the parties you’ll be hosting at home, it’ll make you want to catch up with friends you haven’t talked to in so long! Who knows? A second Baguio trip may be in the works for next year!

2. As a customized gift card Enough with the store-bought gift cards already! Make your gifts 100% personalized (and made with love!) by attaching a photo gift card with a special message at the back, or insert your message in the photo itself using the Sprocket app and simply peel the back of your Sprocket printout and stick it in the present box! Either way, whoever will get your present will love it!

3. Or, you know… Just turn it into a personalized gift altogether!

If you want to go the extra mile, you can put together a good ol’ scrapbook or photo corkboard filled with photos as a gift. Presents like these are the perfect eye candy for desks or studies —plus, it’s also a good way to give your friends and family something to relieve those throwback photos!

4. As a souvenir from the Christmas Parties you’ll be attending We’re pretty sure you’re gonna be attending a lot of Christmas parties

this year—with your officemates, relatives, friends, name it! The first thing you’ll need in these occasions is a device that will accompany you in making sure that each memory is captured anytime and anywhere, in the best way possible. Trust us, when you’re rounding up all your Christmas photos come next year, you’ll thank your Sprocket for it!

5. As your 2018 planner and journal decoration!

One good idea for customizing your 2018 journals and planners is to fill them with photos from the past year, to inspire you to make more (and even better) memories in the New Year.

After all, the best way you can remind yourself to live the best life possible is through photos!

The holiday season is the perfect time to look back on the past year and start getting ready for what’s ahead.

There’s always something about new beginnings that will make you want to take the risk and jump in on adventures that you’ve always been afraid to try out. Just make sure that when you do, take your Sprocket with you!

To make your holidays even brighter, you can now purchase the HP Sprocket

Millennials enjoying their sprocket

with a P1,600 discount from Dec. 7 to 12, through HP and Lazada’s 12/12 promo.

Available in black and white, you may avail of the Sprocket directly at lazada.com.ph/ hp-sprocket- official-store.

ASEAN, SAP EXTEND STRATEGIC COLLABORATION

Shown in photo are (from left) Vongthep Arthakaivalvatee, Deputy Secretary General of ASEAN for Socio-Cultural Community; Claus Andresen, President and Managing Director of SAP Southeast Asia; Elaine Tan, Executive Director of the ASEAN Foundation and Eugene Ho, Head of Corporate Affairs, SAP Southeast Asia.

THE ASEAN Foundation and SAP SE recently announced the continuation of their strategic collaboration into 2018, following a successful collaboration in its first year to bring about social impact in ASEAN. Under the Memorandum of Understanding between the ASEAN Foundation and SAP, both organizations will jointly roll out initiatives under two strategic pillars next year, namely Education and Entrepreneurship.

The initiatives are aimed at equippingASEANyouthswiththe skills they need to tackle society’s problems and thrive in the digital economy; build the capacity of innovative social enterprises that put young people on the path to successful careers and build a skilled workforce for the IT sector with training and workforce development programmes.

The inaugural year of this collaboration yielded positive outcomes under the following pillars:

Education The ASEAN Data Science Explorers competition attracted 804 participants from 112 institutions across the 10 ASEAN member states. In the lead-up to the competition, students were trained in SAP’s Analytics Cloud software through a series of webinars and in-country seminars, with more than 600 students accessing the platform.

The competition solicited data-driven insights and ideas on the most pressing social issues in the region. Some highlights include the submission

by Team “Omotesando” from Indonesia that aims to accelerate financial inclusion as a solution to poverty eradication through branchless banking, and the submission by Team “Tonkar Data”from Laos which proposes the adoption of smart and vertical farming in ASEAN to improve productivity in agriculture.

Volunteerism The Youth Volunteering In-

novation Challenge, under the theme“Impact ASEAN”, supported young volunteers throughout the ASEAN region in their journey to catalyze youth-led innovation for social impact and sustainable developmentbyprovidingaccess to mentors and capital they need to start or scale up their projects.

Some 29 young volunteer innovators from ten teams across ASEAN participated in the YVIC 2017 as part of a collaborative effort by the United Nations Volunteers, United Nations Development Programme, the International Labour Organisation, the ASEAN Foundation, the ASEAN Secretariat, SAP and with the close support of the Government of Germany.

Entrepreneurship Under the collaboration, SAP supported 9 of out the Top 50 ASEAN social enterprises through twoprogrammesnamelytheSAP Social Sabbatical and NUS Crossing the Chasm Challenge. SAP employees provided mentorship

and consulting to help the enterprises run better.

“Through this synergetic collaboration, we have been able to leverage resources from both organizations to inspire ASEAN youths to actively participate in efforts towards driving a sustainable future for ASEAN. With digitization being the pivotal force in today’s ASEAN economies, both the public and the private sector need to work together to impart digital skills to the young. SAP has been a strong supporter in making consistent effort to move the needle in this respect; we hope to continue to collaborate with them to prepare ASEAN’s workforce for the future,” said ElaineTan, the Executive Director of the ASEAN Foundation.

The MoU was first signed on May 9, 2017 at the ASEAN Foundation headquarters in Jakarta, Indonesia. Since then, the ASEAN Foundation and SAP have been executing on all the programmes under the three pillars.

TWITTER BARES NEW THREADING FEATURE TWITTER is all about innovating new features to offer the best social media experience for its users. Recently, Twitter announced its “Threading” feature, the newly-designed Tweetstorm process which allows users to stitch Tweets together to share more information or tell a longer story.

The platform has added a plus button in the composer so users can connect their thoughts and publish their threaded Tweets all at the same time. Users can also add more Tweets to their published thread at any time with the new “Add another Tweet” button. Users who see a threads Tweet can expand the post by tapping on the “Show this Thread” label.

“Now, hundreds of thousands of threads are Tweeted every day! But this method of Tweeting, while effective and popular, can be tricky for some to create and it’s often tough to read or discover all the Tweets in a thread. That’s why we’re thrilled to share that we’re making it simpler to thread Tweets together, and to find threads, so it’s easier to express yourself on Twitter and stay informed.” said Sasank Reddy, Product Manager, Twitter.

This update will be rolled out to everyone on iOS, Android, and Twitter.com in the coming weeks. Twitter threads will run in full-speed once the Twitter app is updated. To get the full experience, check out Twitter.com or the Twitter application.

FASTECH, FOCUSED TEST JOIN HANDS FASTECH Advanced Assembly Inc., Philippines and Focused Test Inc. announce that they have entered into an agreement to start the manufacture of a line of power discrete and analog IC ATE. This move brings FTI closer to its customers in Asia and establishes a second strategic manufacturing site in addition to its present headquarters located in Boulder Colorado USA. Fastech, based in Laguna Province, Philippines, is currently one of the country’s well established Outsourced Semiconductor Assembly and Test companies which along with its corporate affiliate the Center for Microelectronics Development, offers a unique set of resources and capability. Fastech’s long manufacturing experience and broad portfolio in power semiconductor device manufacturing for silicon, SiC and GaN devices together with CMD’s development and laboratory capability in microelectronics, can greatly help its customers like FTI provide a flexible manufacturing set up, development of custom ATE solutions and provide a close-to-market service response.

About Fastech Fastech, operates in the OSAT industry in the Philippines. It produces various discrete and integrated circuits packages for power, analog and sensor applications.

The company offers various products used in electronic systems, including products that are used in hi-rel applications, such as TVS, Diodes MOSFETS, IGBT and power modules. The company has a broad portfolio and developed processes for Si, SiC and GaN based devices used in hi-power, and fast switching applications. Fastech also offer a complete line of manufacturing services for the RF and Microwave communications markets. It manufactures, components, modules and systems such as mixers, isolators, circulators, oscillators, amplifiers and converters.

The company was founded in 1983 and is based in Cabuyao, Laguna Philippines.

About Center for Microelectronics Development CMD provide customers access to a unique combination of resources such as laboratories, people and EDA software tools. The CMD has a school-campus based laboratory located adjacent to the First Asia Institute of Technology and Humanities (FAITH) in Tanauan City Batangas. It works closely with FAITH’s School of Technology Engineering department. Started in 2012, the CMD has grown and has become a key source of “sought-after” trained IC design engineers. It has since then formally opened its services to the industry and partner companies from 2016.

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SUNDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2017 Isah V. Red, Editor /

Young Life

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

HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE T

12 FANCY GIFTS FOR THE PEOPLE YOU WANT TO SPOIL

HE best people in your life deserve the best presents this Christmas. Here are 12 gifts that you can wrap for the special names on your list for whom you want to spend a little bit more money. After all, Christmas only comes once a year.

For the one who loves music

There are only a few things that come between him and his music, so he would surely love these headphones from Audio-Technica. The ATHM50x provides exceptional clarity making it a top choice among audio engineers.

P13,000 on lazada.com.

For the one who needs to go outside more

He needs to get more sun but he doesn’t want to leave his games behind. Nintendo’s latest gaming system, the Switch lets that gamer dude play his favorite games outside, thanks to its portable design. The Joy-Con controllers let him play with others, too. P23,000 at authorized Nintendo distributors.

For the one who is tired of tangled tresses

She would live in a beauty salon is she can just so she has beautiful locks every day. Give her a better alternative with Double Ionic Ceramic Hot Straightening Brush by BaByliss which naturally straightens hair and gets rid of frizz in one stroke. P5,650 at Rustan’s Department Store.

For the one who adores keepsakes

For the one who is always on

He’s always online and always onthe-go that’s why Samsung’s Gear S3 is perfect for him. This premium smart watch has a sleek, classic design and innovative technology that lets him stay on track even without checking his phone. P16,490 at authorized Samsung dealers.

For the one who can transform using makeup

She appreciates memories stored digitally, but prefers to have them available physically—photos, for instance. The Fujifilm instax Share SP-3 lets her have a printed version of photos on her smartphone and social media accounts.

P10,499 at authorized Fujifilm dealers.

Let her create endless looks with this palette of 15 highly pigmented eye shadows. MAC X15 in Warm Neutral features a variety of shades and textures that enhance warm skin undertones. Price available at MAC outlets.

For the one who sparkles

For the one who hates winter

While she would very much prefer the days to always be warm, she also loves how the cold season lets her layer up in stylish outerwear.

The Superdry Cocoon Parka will keep her fashionably toasty on those chilly days.

Price available at Superdry outlets.

Treat the person you treasure with something she can also treasure. Since diamonds are forever, give her these Snowflakes Stud Earrings in 14k white gold with 14 pieces of .40 carat diamond and a Clover Diamond Bangle in 18k white gold adorned with 172 pieces of 1.16 carats diamond from My Diamond’s Dream Collection. Price available at My Diamond concept stores.

For the one who eats breakfast all day

Waffles for lunch? Sure. Waffles for dinner?

Absolutely! If he loves to eat this Belgian food anytime of the day, this Vertical Waffle Maker

by Cuisinart is like a gift from the breakfast gods. It features a unique vertical design that creates decadent waffles. P7,450 at Rustan’s Department Store.

For the guy who always smells good

Dunhill’s Icon Racing EDP is perfect for the gentleman who always smells fresh even while on the move. Its notes of Italian bergamot, grapefruit, and cardamom enhance the authentic notes of black pepper and lavender. The stylish bottle makes for a stylish accent on his vanity table. P5,550 (100 ml) at Rustan’s Department Store.

For the one who travels light and chic

Wallet, phone, keys. Those are the only things she needs daily.

This sleek kate spade new york finer things merry leather backpack can carry all her essentials as she runs around in style. Price available at kate spade new york outlets.

For the one who appreciates artsy packaging

Kiehl’s collaboration with London-based graphic artist Kate Moross features the bestselling Midnight Recovery Concentrate, Calendula Herbal-Extract Toner, and Ultra Facial Cream in holiday-themed packaging. This collection is undoubtedly fancy stocking stuffer. P7,895 (all three products) at Kiehl’s stores.

THE SWEET ARTISTRY OF TOBLERONE CHRISTMAS SLEEVES WHAT makes a bar of Toblerone a more special and thoughtful gift? Putting your design on its iconic triangular sleeve.

Create your designs on a Toblerone Christmas blank pack—available in milk chocolate, dark chocolate, white chocolate, and milk chocolate with crunchy almonds.

Get inspiration from local artists and calligraphers present at Toblerone pop-up Christmas stations in leading malls, including Robinson’s Galleria, SM Mall of Asia, SM North Edsa, SM Megamall, and Ayala Triangle, until Dec. 31.

Those who prefer to digitally design their Toblerone sleeves may visit www. tobleroneph.com; sleeves can be printed out at the pop-up stations.

Toblerone also launched its limited edition Christmas sleeves designed by rising local artists—perfect for those lacking in the creativity department. Chosen collaborators include illustrator Juan Camilo Rodriguez, artist Soleil Ignacio, graphic designer June Diga, calligrapher Alexis Ventura, and visual artist Anina Rubio.

All Toblerone flavors are available in 100g (P100), 200g (P202), and 360g (P400).

Toblerone's limited edition Christmas sleeves designed by artists Juan Camilo Rodriguez, Soleil Ignacio, June Diga, Alexis Ventura, and Anina Rubio

Young Life

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SUNDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2017 isahred@gmail.com

HOLIDAY TRAVEL MUST-HAVES

OF DAVID GUISON AND LAUREEN UY FUJIFILM’S

Fujifilm instax Ginza Package

JAPAN-NICE INSTAX PACKAGE

L

ET’S face it—planning and packing for a trip can be daunting and confusing, especially if you haven’t figured out the essential items you need to bring.

Seasoned travelers and bloggers David Guison and Laureen Uy share what they pack to make sure they are fashionable even if they’re living out of a suitcase.

STYLISH and kawaii meet in Fujifilm’s instax Mini 9 Ginza package, a set inspired by Japan’s most stylish district.

The P4,499 bundle includes a diamond pouch sling bag, an instax album, a mirror card, stickers, 10 sheets of films, and a Mini 9 camera.

With the instax Mini 9, you can take better selfies by checking your reflection via the small mirror next to the lens. You can also photograph subjects up to 35cm near with its close-up lens attachment. Challenging lighting blues will also be a thing of the past with its brightness adjustment dial.

Fujifilm products are sold at authorized dealers nationwide. For more information, visit www.Instax.ph.

Cool sunnies

A good pair of shades not only protects your eyes from the sun’s glare, it also adds swagger to your look. Lucky for us, there are numerous sunglasses brands and shops where we can find our perfect pair to complement our face shape in the latest trendy styles and colors.

The Shopaholic Weekend Promo

GET A REBATE

WHEN YOU SHOP AT

CENTURY CITY MALL TODAY

HOW would you like to instantly get a rebate right after shopping?

Century City Mall in Makati is putting the happy in holidays today with its The Shopaholic Weekend Promo. Get up to 20 percent rebate for a minimum of P10,000 worth of purchases. Here’s how: 1. Shop at Century City Mall today, Dec. 17.

2. Get 20 percent rebate if you used your Mastercard debit or credit card and 10 percent rebate for cash and non-Mastercard transactions for single or accumulated purchases worth P10,000 to P100,000.

3. Register at Century Prime Rewards at mall kiosks or online at https://centuryprimerewards.com/ and log your receipts.

4. Present your receipts at the mall concierge to redeem your Century City gift vouchers until Feb. 15, 2017.

Visit the Century City Mall ground floor concierge, call (02) 705-6200 loc.

111/112, or visit www.centurycitymall. com.ph for more details.

Getting immunizations as a child does not guarantee you protection throughout your life

Cross-body bags

Rule no. 1 for hassle-free escapades: travel light. Grab your trusty sling bag that can carry all your essentials such as your ID, wallet, and mobile phone that you’ll be needing as you roam around. Bring as little as possible to move comfortably in your location. Plus, a cool bag is your next best accessory, so be sure to pick your chicest carry-all.

Light, comfy clothes

Comfortable and stylish shoes

Dressing up doesn’t mean we have to endure the heat and sweat from wearing stuffy clothes, especially if you’re in a tropical destination. Dress like Laureen in her classic white statement tee and culottes and pair it off with extra fresh shoes like Skecher Street – Kort Klassix.

After all, OOTD photos look way more authentic when you look comfortable in what you’re wearing.

The best way to explore a new city is on foot. To maximize your time and energy, wear a pair that can keep up with your style and itinerary.

Skechers offers a wide variety of shoes perfect for city strolls; no sore feet at the end of the day. With signature comfort technology such as Skechers Memory Foam insoles, Skechers kicks make walking practically effortless. Choose from the newest styles from their Fall/Winter collections of Skecher Street, Skechers Go Flex, and the Cleo.

Photos from David Guison (@davidguison) and Laureen Uy's (@laureenmuy) Instagram accounts

FACT OR FICTION: GETTING VACCINATED VACCINES are among the most cost-effective health interventions available. But despite its proven efficacy and efficiency in preventing diseases, there are myths that continue to confuse people about its effect.

MediCard, a leading HMO provider in the country, helps us separate fact from fiction about vaccination.

Vaccines are for children only: FICTION Vaccines don’t offer lifetime immunity to diseases; almost all vaccines wear off after five to 10 years.

Thus getting immunizations as a child does not guarantee you protection throughout your life.

The vaccinations you need are determined by factors such as age, lifestyle, health conditions, travel, and previous immunizations.

Vaccines are ineffective and harmful: FICTION The current issue on dengue vaccine, Dengvaxia, has ignited the doubts of some about the safety of vaccines.

But MediCard chief executive Dr. Nicky Montoya says such cases as serious side effects caused by vaccines

are very rare. Normal reactions to vaccination include redness, pain, and swelling in the body part where the shot was given.

Vaccines weaken the immune system: FICTION Vaccines actually strengthen the immune system by safely introducing an antigen, a substance that triggers the production of antibodies needed to neutralize viruses and bacteria. They also stimulate defense mechanisms that provide protection against specific diseases. Fears that vaccines can overload the immune system are unfounded because a healthy person’s immune system can recognize and handle thousands of organisms at once.

Vaccinations are needed even if you lead a healthy lifestyle: FACT Good hygiene, a balanced diet, and an active lifestyle can help prevent the spread of diseases, but you are still exposed to germs and viruses. This is why getting vaccinated is still encouraged as it provides a significant level of protection from diseases.

Showbiz

Kiko Estrada, Rafael Rosell, Dion Ignacio, Megan Young, Solenn Huessaff and Andrea Torres surprise AFP soldiers in Camp Aguinaldo

Pambansang Bae Alden Richards and Kapuso comedians John 'Pekto' Nacua and Tetay gamely pose with the other employees of Hero Foundation

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2017

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

Dingdong Dantes hands his gift to one of the children in Child Haus

Gabby Concepcion and Ryza Cenon also visited Child Haus to hand gifts to children

‘PASKONG KAPUSO:

THE GMA CHRISTMAS SPECIAL’ SPREADS JOYS OF THE YULETIDE SEASON G

MA Network presents its yuletide offering to its loyal Kapuso viewers with its Christmas TV special entitled Paskong Kapuso: The GMA Christmas Special airing today.

In this grand spectacle, which is in line with the network’s Christmas campaign, the Kapuso Network spreads the joys of Christmas with tons of fun, laughter, and entertainment as it promotes the message of love and kindness to its viewers.

Leading the viewers in a night full of surprises are Asia’s Songbird Regine Velasquez-Alcasid and Kapuso Primetime King Dingdong Dantes together with the Network’s singers Julie Anne San Jose, Maricris Garcia and Christian Bautista with boy bands One Up and T.O.P.. Joining them in the opening number are the network’s primetime stars Dennis Trillo, Jennylyn Mercado, Lovi Poe, Carla Abellana, Tom Rodriguez, Rhian Ramos, Glaiza de Castro and Alden Richards.

Concert Comedy Queen AiAi de las Alas gives a one-of-a-kind rendition of the song “12 Days of Christmas” with Andre Paras, Sheena Halili, Mike “Pekto” Nacua, John Feir, Boobay, Super Tekla, Tetay, Maey Bautista, Boobsie, Divine and Betong Sumaya.

Never miss GMA’s well-loved stars Janine Gutierrez, Gabbi Garcia, Mikee Quintos, Klea Pineda, Kate Valdez and Barbie Forteza with Derrick Monasterio, Ken Chan, Jak Roberto, Jeric Gonzales, Addy Raj, and Ruru Madrid as they regale the viewers with a song and dance number.

Impostora lead star Kris Bernal joins the cast of Haplos Sanya Lopez, Thea Tolentino, Pancho Magno and Rocco Nacino as they perform a ballroom dance number. They are joined by Rita Daniela, James Wright and Hannah Precillas.

The cast of the Network’s upcoming Primetime series The One That Got Away led by Lovi Poe, Rhian Ramos, Max Collins and Dennis Trillo will deliver a performance that will surely make the audience anticipate their new program for 2018.

TEAM REAL.

Kapamilya stars and Viva artists James Reid and Nadine Lustre return on the concert stage for the “Revolution” concert happening in February

Kapuso stars in full force for the opening number of Paskong Kapuso Christmas special

in a Christmas Village.

The stars of Pepito Manaloto Manilyn Reynes, Angel Satsumi, John Feir, Mosang and Arthur Solinap; Daig Kayo Ng Lola Ko Ms. Gloria Romero, Chlaui Malayao, David Remo, Julius Erasga and Jillian Warde; and I-Bilib hosts Chris Tiu and Roadfill spread love at Child Haus, a temporary shelter for indigent patients from the different provinces.

Ika–6 Na Utos stars Sunshine Dizon, Angelika dela Cruz, Ryza Cenon, and Gabby Concepcion with Ms. Jaclyn Jose, Gabby Eigenmann and Dingdong Dantes return to Child Haus to grant the wishes made by the residents.

Kapuso leading ladies Andrea Torres, Katrina “My Korean Jagiya” stars Heart Evangelista and Xander Lee lead the Christmas caroling at the Cainta Christmas Village

Mikael Daez and the stars of upcoming afternoon soap Hindi Ko Kayang Iwan Ka Yasmien Kurdi, Ina Feleo and Mike Tan make a special appearance, too.

Aside from these special performances, this year, various Kapuso celebrities visit different organizations to entertain and create happy Christmas memories with them.

My Korean Jagiya stars Heart Evangelista and Alexander Lee, together with Barbie, Thea, Jeric and Derrick capture the hearts of the audience as they host a festive celebration

“Haplos” lead stars Pancho Magno, Sanya Lopez, Rocco Nacino and Thea Tolentino in a production number

Halili, Solenn Heussaff, and Ms. World Megan Young, with Kapuso hunks Rafael Rosell, Kiko Estrada and Dion Ignacio surprise the AFP soldiers at Fort Bonifacio with an early morning Taebo session.

Kambal, Karibal stars Miguel Tanfelix and Bianca Umali surprise a talented dance crew and teach them a few dance routines.

While Mark Herras, LJ Reyes, Vaness del Moral, Kristoffer Martin, Joyce Ching and Rochelle Pangilinan join them for a dance showdown.

The boys of The One That Got Away Ivan Dorschner, Jason Abalos and Migo Adecer will make the audience feel head over heels kilig with their surprise visit in a hospital’s nurse’s station; while GMA heartthrobs Benjamin Alves, Gil Cuerva and Martin del Rosario will definitely give viewers a cloud nine feeling as they pay a visit to some female security guards.

Pambansang Bae Alden Richards is accompanied by comedians Tetay and Pekto in a fun-filled Christmas surprise as they visit Hero Foundation, an organization that provides educational stipends to military orphans.

Kapuso Primetime Queen Marian Rivera and the cast of Super Ma’am Jerald Napoles, Ashley Ortega, Enrico Cuenca, Vincent Magbanua, Marika Sasaki, Ralph Noriega and Joyce Ching organize a fun and jolly Christmas party at Lualhati ng Maynila, a nursing home that caters the elderly.

There will also be special video greetings from: Magpakailanman host Mel Tiangco; Celebrity Bluff and Dear Uge host Eugene Domingo; Idol Sa Kusina’s Chef Boy Logro and Chynna Ortaleza; the cast of Sunday PinaSaya and Eat Bulaga; Wowowin host Willie Revillame; and the cast of Bubble Gang led by Michael V. with Paolo Contis, Sef Cadayona, Boy II Quizon, Antonio Aquitania, Chariz Solomon and Kim Domingo.

2017 Reina Hispanoamericana Teresita Ssen ‘Winwyn’ Marquez and the men and women of GMA News and Public Affairs Mel Tiangco, Mike Enriquez, Vicky Morales, Arnold Clavio, Howie Severino and Jessica Soho plus the cast of Unang Hirit, also prepared their Christmas greeting to every Kapuso viewer here and abroad.

The GMA Christmas special is under the helm of the award-winning director Louie Ignacio and airs after Kapuso Mo Jessica Soho.

ARE YOU READY FOR

‘REVOLUTION’?

THIS year, JaDine kept it low key and took a break from some projects and focus on their personal growth, but 2018 will be an explosive year for the couple as they announce their upcoming projects.

After headlining a few minor shows here and abroad, the wait is finally over as the reel and real-life couple is returning on the concert stage to hold their second major concert together.

It can be remembered that James Reid and Nadine Lustre confirmed the status of their relationship before thousands of screaming fans in JaDine in Love concert in 2016. Now the couple promises an even more explosive, sexier and edgier concert to treat their legions of supporters.

Entitled Revolution: The JaDine Concert, James and Nadine are set to bring both

intimacy and spectacle on Feb. 9, 2018 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. Produced by Viva Entertainment and Viva Live, the upcoming concert will showcase performances of the couple’s new songs, especially the ones from James’s latest album, Palm Dreams.

Sneak peak to the concert was posted on JaDine’s Facebook page while behind the scenes preparations were uploaded on YouTube early this week. Viva Entertainment also announced that tickets went on sale on Dec. 15.

JaDine’s last appearance in a big concert was during the MTV Music Evolution in June 2016, where the couple shared the stage with big international acts including One Republic, K-Pop girl group Apink, and American singersongwriter Bebe Rexha. Nickie Wang

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sunday, december 17, 2017

Desiree Carlos, Editor

Pets

daycarlos28@yahoo.com

My Furry Bestie

Adopt A rescued pet

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.

this seAson oF Love

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

Princess, now eight months, playing at the save ALL care home. (inset) Princess at 3 months old on the day of rescue

s

hE almost got hit by a car along the busy san Mateo road in Quezon City.

pet tales

By desiree carlos

Barely three months old, this pup with such a frail body got so confused by the sight of moving cars and the loud sound of horns blowing around her that she froze in the middle of the road.

Admin Nicole Benedito of save Animals of Love and Light (save ALL) stopped the car, then admin Ruby Bautista got out to try to get the pup who ran towards a dark area near the side of the road.

They found her hiding under an old small cabinet behind a steel fence.

After almost 30 minutes of coaxing her to get out of her hiding place using a dog treat, she came out slowly and Nicole grabbed her by the neck.

They brought her directly to the clinic for tests and later, for treatment of worms and low platelet count. she was born with one “bad” eye but she can see well with her left eye.

Today, Princess is now a happy, friendly eight-month-old puppy who loves to play with other dogs. she has been dewormed and vaccinated . she is ready to be adopted by a loving person who will treat her as part of his/her family, one who is willing to spend for her yearly vaccination, anti-rabies shot, and preventive medicine against heartworm and tick and flea infestation, among others. save ALL hopes to find a genuine animal lover who will love her for the rest of her life, and is willing to spend on her proper medical and daily care.

Princess, an Asong Pinoy or aspin, is just one of numerous rescues of animal welfare groups like save ALL and individual rescuers who need a family they can belong to, an adopter who will never give them up no matter what, a person who will give them proper care by providing nutritious food and not food scrap, who will play with them and not just chain them to act as deterrent against robbers.

This Christmas season, animal welfare advocates hope and pray that people will ADOPT, and will not buy pups and kittens, specially those with breed.

When you buy, you also do the following: 1. Encourage breeders to breed more, even to the point of making a female dog get pregnant every eight months when a female dog is in heat. imagine the strain of this practice on the dog’s body. Would you “breed”, erm, have your wife or daughter impregnated every 11 months for the rest of her life? The more you buy, the more money breeders will make out of the pups and kittens, the more they will breed dogs and cats to make moolah out of these poor beings.

2. You add more to the problem of increasing number of strays and abandoned dogs and cats on the streets.

Princess playing with Cassie, also a rescued dog.

When you adopt, you also do the following: 1. Make room for another dog who needs to be rescued or taken off the streets or from the kill or slow-kill pound or from dog meat traders.

2. This makes you a rescuer, not an enabler of irresponsible breeders and pet owners.

3. Give a second chance to a dog or cat who has only love to give.

When you adopt, you gain a lot in so many ways. some of these benefits are: 1. studies have shown humans who have pets are less likely to get sick.

2. humans who have pets are happy humans because they get to express love and experience joy by simply looking at their cute pets whose smiles and licks warm the heart.

3. Pets must be walked daily. A responsible pet owner walks his or her dog.. This ensures the human is getting the exercise his or her body also needs.

4. Pets “train” would-be parents how to become responsible and patient, and teaches humans to understand non-verbal communication.

This training makes them the best parents to their own kids later.

Do consider adopting a rescued pup, kitten, dog, or cat.

Please do not buy a pet and give the pet as a Christmas gift. The recipient may not even want a pet. Because of this, the pet will end up unwanted and neglected later. Both the recipient and the pet will thus end up unhappy. it is very important to find out if the recipient and all the members of the family want a pet.

A dog or a cat feels. And like you, they only want to be loved.

To adopt, please contact admins Maricel Mondejar, Joanne Zamora Raycyn Enriquez-Abad, and Julie Rodriguez of save ALL in Facebook.

You can also contact animal welfare groups like Philippine Animal Welfare society (PAWs), Compassion and Responsibility for Animals- CARA Welfare Philippines, Reach Out for Animal Rights inc., among others.

May this Christmas be merry indeed for everyone --- humans and animals alike.

ADOPT, DON’T shOP.

MELON and GRAYsON were adopted by hannah in 2015 and 2016 respectively.

“Melon was left in a condo by her previous human when they moved to another home. Their neighbor posted her picture in Facebook, looking for someone to adopt her. We immediately fell in love with her and drove all the way from Batangas to Taguig to give her a new home,” hannah says.

Grayson was also posted in Facebook by a foster mom and hannah decided to adopt Grayson as well.

“They both love to run around the house and to cuddle at night time," hannah says.

BLEssiNG is Brackynella’s “doggy daughter. “ “honestly, i can't imagine life without dogs or cats. she eases my anxiety. i feel very safe whenever i'm with her and stronger because i need to protect her,” says Brackynella. she adds,”My only wish is if she could have the same lifespan as mine, but that's impossible. i wish all dogs and cats would have that kind of lifespan.”

How to Help a constipated dog 1. Check the Rear End Look at your dog’s rear end. Long-haired dogs are most likely to develop mats of fur which can have poop. This can cover the anus, making defecating difficult. You can try to remove the mat by washing and cutting the mats.

But if you can not, and you see any foreign material protruding from the anus or a tumor, for example, please bring your dog to the vet immediately.

3.Get Some Exercise Exercise is good for promoting normal movement within the gastrointestinal tract. if your dog seems mildly constipated, take him out for a short walk on a leash in the morning and in the afternoon. But make sure your dog is well hydrated and it is not very hot outside.

“The exercise combined with the smells of other dogs who have ‘used’ the area previously might just do the trick. hopefully, you’ll need that bag you surely remembered to bring along!’ Coates says.

2.Increase Water Intake Dehydration causes constipation. Make sure that water is accessible to the dog always. Canned food, because it is wet food, has extra water that can ensure your dog is hydrated. You can also put water in dry dog food or prepare natural food with a little boiled lean meat and boiled vegetables that are allowed for dogs and put a lot of water.

4. Increase Fiber Intake Fiber in your dog’s diet is “a bit tricky since it can help some cases of constipation but worsen others.

Therefore, it’s best to start with a small amount and monitor how your dog responds,” Coates says.

Mashed pumpkin is good but do not give this everyday as it has natural sugar. When the sugar accumulates in the body, it can cause diabetes.

(Part 2)

How to treat mild cases

Do research more on other sources of fiber recommended by vets. Or ask your vet.

5. Laxatives and Enemas Only a veterinarian can prescribe a laxative.

“Many are not safe for dogs, particularly if used under the wrong circumstances. But if your veterinarian is comfortable doing so, he or she may recommend that you try giving your mildly constipated dog a gentle laxative at home before making an appointment,” Coates says.

This is very important: never give your dog liquid mineral oil for constipation. “These products can cause severe pneumonia if inhaled.”

Coates warns.

Coates adds, “never give your dog an enema at home unless your veterinarian has recommended a specific product and has shown you how to safely perform the procedure.”

To ensure your dog is safe, always consult your veterinarian.

hiTLER sleeps with abandon, obviously content where she is. Owner Viel Luyo says hitler “loves to sleep like that (it's weird, to be honest) and she also loves eating ice cream.” “she helped me get overcome my depression, always there when i needed a hug. she's my forever cuddle buddy, although she sleeps a lot. hahahahahaha.” Viel says.