Manila Standard - 2018 March 04 - Sunday

LAW GROUP: JUSTICES' MOVE LACKS BASIS THE head of the Philippine Association of Law Schools said Saturday the Supreme Court en banc’s decision to force Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno to take an indefinite leave had no legal basis.

“I have no knowledge of any statutory basis where justices can ask any justice to take an indefinite leave. With all due respect, I think there is no basis because there is nothing in the internal rules of the Supreme Court that would allow a magistrate to go on indefinite leave,” PALS chairman Soledad Mawis was quoted as saying by ANC’s Dateline Philippines.

“This was the first time the chief justice was prevailed upon by other justices to take an indefinite leave,” she said.

On Thursday, Supreme Court spokesperson Theodore Te said at least 13 magistrates wanted Sereno, currently facing impeachment proceedings, to take a leave of absence due to “several reasons.”

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VOL. XXXII • NO. 21 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P18 • SUNDAY, MARCH 4, 2018 • www.manilastandard.net • editorial@manilastandard.net

FEMALE SOLONS TAKE CONTROL OF THE HOUSE

ESSENCE OF THE MIND. Children play on a polyurethane artwork displayed at the Manila Cathedral grounds. Currently the artwork Red Slide by Latvian artist Aigars Bikse is seen in the Contemporary Art biennale 'Manila Biennale: Open City.' The artwork was created in 2012 for Rauma Biennial Balticum, Finland under the theme of human nature, focusing on the essence of the human mind. Red Slide is transported to the Philippines through the generaous support from the Latvian Ministry of Culture and Latvian Center for Contemporary Art. Ey Acasio

AQUINO, ABAD FACE ELECTION CHARGES F

By Joel E. Zurbano

ORMER President Benigno Aquino III and two of his former Cabinet members have been asked to attend a preliminary probe on March 15 on the complaints filed with the Commission on Elections in connection with the controversial anti-dengue program implemented by the government during the May 2016 election period.

Aquino and two former secretaries—Florencio Abad (Budget and Management) and Janette Garin (Health)—were called by the Comelec Law Division Office to attend the hearing of the electionrelated case filed by two physicians and members of the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption.

Several current Department of Health officials were also included in the 10-page complaint filed last Feb. 2.

“It’s confirmed that the Comelec ([Law Department] has subpoenaed ex-Pres. B.S. Aquino III and former Cabinet members Florencio Abad and Janette Garin to ap-

pear and to swear to their counter affidavits on March 15, 2018 at 10:00 in the morning,” said VACC legal counsel Manny Luna in a text message.

“This means that the complaints brought by doctors Francisco Cruz and Clarito Cairo and the VACC are prima facie meritorious and could proceed for determination of probable [cause]. This is significant and an important first step in the public’s quest for truth and justice. We are thankful to the Comelec for seeing merit, albeit preliminary, in the complaints,” he added.

The complaints stated that the respondents violated Section 261 (o) and (v) of Batas Pambansa 881 (Omnibus Election Code), prohibiting the release and use of government funds for election campaign within 45 days before a regular election or 30 days before a special

election.

It also stated that “Aquino III, Abad and Garin had caused the releases, disbursements or expenditures of over P3.5 billion in public funds in connection with the procurement of the Dengvaxia vaccine and implementation of the School-Based Immunization of Tetravalent Dengue Vaccine of the Department of Health [or Dengue Immunization Program] in the National Capital Region [NCR], Calabarzon [Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon] and Central Luzon during 45 days before the May 2016 elections ...”

The current DoH officials were included in the complaint “for being involved, directly or indirectly, in the first round of implementation of the Dengue Immunization Program on April 4, 2016 or during the election ban.”

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WHY IT MAKES SENSE TO HIRE PWDS

By Joyce Pangco Pañares

BEAMING BEAUTY. Jaye Santos Manolo, 24, welcomes customers to the Southstar Drug, where she has been a regular employee for a year, wearing her personwith-disability pin with joy and commitment to be of spotless service. Not her dream job to be working in a drug store, but her attitude gives PWDs the space to promote their skills, capabilities and work preferences to find gainful employment. Joyce Pangco Pañares twitter.com/ MlaStandard

JAYE Santos Manolo would always beam at customers of Southstar Drug’s Visayas Ave. branch. “Good morning. Welcome to Southstar Drug,” she’d say with a welcoming smile. If you are lucky, you’d even get a hug from her. She is a regular employee of the drug store, but in so many ways, a special one. And she wears her person-with-disability pin proudly: Manolo has Down syndrome.

“I like my job. I like greeting our customers,” the 24-year-old Manolo said, even as she confided that working for a drug store was not her dream job.

“I dreamt of being a policewoman when I was a kid,” she said.

“Now, I just wear the cap of our security guard sometimes. But like facebook.com/ ManilaStandardPH

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a policewoman, I still get to help people.”

Manolo joined Southstar Drug in March 2017, a few months after the drug store partnered with Unilab Foundation for Project Inclusion, an initiative that aims to broaden the employment landscape of PWDs in the Philippines.

Part of the project Unilab Foundation launched in 2013 is the setting up of website, daretohiremenow.com, to enable PWDs to promote their skills, capabilities and work preferences to find gainful employment. The website matches the specific skills of PWDs with the job requirements of partner-employers, which have reached 22 businesses to date.

“We wanted to educate people that hiring PWDs is a good business move. We wanted to

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change the story from one of charity, which is limited and can suffer from donor-fatigue, to that of a good business practice, which can be replicated,” said Unilab Foundation project manager Grant Javier.

“Giving PWDs gainful employment is good for the PWD because it promotes continuous development for them; it is good for their co-workers because they become more aware of PWD issues and concerns; and ultimately, it is good for business because PWD employees are loyal and they get the job done,” Javier added.

Southstar Drug training manager Christine Pambuan agrees: “Tasks that would normally take a month, they can do it immediately, and with fewer errors because they’re very conscientious. And Turn to A2

ON MARCH 5, 2018, a power shift at the House of Representatives is expected as women legislators temporarily take full control of the plenary in observance of the International Women’s Month.

An All-Women Session at the Plenary will be led by Bulacan 4th District Representative Deputy Speaker Linabelle Ruth R. Villarica acting as the Speaker. She is the president of the 86-strong Association of Women Legislators Foundation Inc., a non-profit, non-partisan organization composed of all lady solons at the House of Representatives.

The other presiding officers in the All-Women Session are Reps.

Bernadette Herrera-Dy (Bagong Henerasyon Party-list); Corazon Nuñez-Malanyaon (1st District, Davao Oriental); Jocelyn Sy-Limkaichong (1st District, Negros Oriental); and Imelda Calixto-Rubiano (Lone District, Pasay).

Rep. Maria Carmen S. Zamora (1st District, Compostela Valley) will be the Majority Leader with Reps. Lucille L. Nava (Lone District, Guimaras), Cristal L. Bagatsing (5th District, Manila) and Ma. Lourdes Acosta-Alba (1st District, Bukidnon) as Deputy Majority Leaders.

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9 FILMS VIE FOR OSCARS' BEST PICTURE

By Frankie Taggart HOLLYWOOD—From a quirky fairy tale romance to a dark comedy about a murder investigation, via a couple of coming-of-age tales and a horror satire, the contenders for the best picture Oscar offer audiences an array of genres and themes.

Here is a brief summary of the nine films vying for the most prestigious prize at Sunday’s Oscars ceremony: ‘Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri’ Martin McDonagh’s darkly funny tragicomedy has surged at the 11th hour to go into Sunday as the narrow favorite in what most experts are characterizing as a fourway race with “The Shape of Water,” “Get Out” and ''Lady Bird.” Turn to A2

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PHILHEALTH UP FOR ABOLITION, SAYS ROQUE

'TOKHANG' RELOADED: 102 SUSPECTS KILLED

By Vito Barcelo THE government will abolish PhilHealth and replace it with the Philippine Health Security Office to cover health benefits to those who are contributory members as well as non-contributory indigents, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said.

The House Bill 5784, approved by Congress, will provide for a universal health care for all Filipinos, which include lowering the cost of medicines, and the higher pay contribution to be shouldered by the government.

The Philippine Health Insurance Corp. was created in 1995 to implement universal health coverage in the Philippines.

According to the bill, all Filipinos are entitled to the benefits of the National Health Security Program, which will be the new name for the National Health Insurance Program.

The new bill states that all Filipinos will have universal health coverage, including those who are contributory members as well as non-contributory indigents, Roque said.

Roque told a press briefing the contributors would pay their respective premiums, while the national government would fully subsidize the contributions of the non-contributors.

“To receive health benefits does not mean that you are paying the premiums or you are a member of PhilHealth.

You will get benefits because you are a Filipino and it is the obligation of the state to provide health benefits to all the Filipino people,” Roque said.

However, Roque explained the new National Health Insurance Program was not an insurance company since the contributors would pay their respective premiums, while the national government would fully subsidize the contributions of the non-contributors.

He said individuals and communities would get the “full spectrum” of health services they need: from health promotion to prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, and palliative care.

AQUINO,...

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The complaint further stated that the public funds were used for partisan political activity of Aquino’s Liberal Party “to further the candidacies of his partymates, especially those vying for the presidential, vice presidential and senatorial post, or otherwise influence or entice the voters to throw their support or vote for the candidates for president, vice president and senator of his party in the May 2016 elections.”

Garin earlier said the anti-dengue program was never used for political purposes.

“We in DoH worked and delivered, commensurate to what is expected of any government employee or official.”

Abad, for his part, said they “took into consideration the election ban when we released allotments and disbursed funds for the project.”

The government stopped the implementation of the program following reports that Dengvaxia—introduced by giant pharmaceutical France-based firm Sanofi Pasteur—might pose harm to those who had not previously been infected with the dengue virus.

Dengvaxia had been given to about 830,000 children in the Philippines and there were reports of deaths involving minors allegedly caused by the said vaccine.

Dengue is a painful, debilitating mosquito-borne viral disease for which there is no treatment.

Almost 4 billion people are living at risk of dengue and these people can be sickened by dengue not just once but as many as four times in their lifetime.

WHY...

From A1 you also have that sense of confidence that they will not do anything to mess up the job.”

Most of the 24 PWDs hired by the drug store work on the front line, dealing with customers, and Pambuan said the interactions have not only been positive but have also yielded results.

“We are a drug store. Our customers don’t come in to shop—they come to us because they are going through some difficulty because they are sick, so they are not in a good mood. Persons with Down syndrome, by nature, are sweet so they tend to attract the customers more. Our customers end up want-

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Saturday.

ORE THAN 100 drug suspects have been killed since Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the police to rejoin his “war on drugs,” a police official said

Duterte was elected in 2016 on a promise to eradicate drugs and launched an unprecedented campaign in which—rights activists alleged—as many as 12,000 people have been killed.

Chief Supt. John Bulalacao confirmed that 102 drug suspects were killed by police between Dec. 5— when Duterte ordered the force to rejoin the drug war—and March 1.

In October last year, the President

had announced that the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency would replace the police in counter-narcotics operations following mounting public opposition, including rare street protests.

But Duterte, 72, also repeatedly said the anti-drug agency, with only around 2,000 officers, would not be able to effectively conduct the crackdown.

He eventually ordered the police

back into the anti-drug campaign without any major reform of the force.

Bulalacao could not give comparative figures for the death toll before Dec. 5, but according to figures released separately by the government, 4,021 “drug personalities” were killed between June 2016— when Duterte took office—and Feb. 8 this year.

Activists alleged that around 12,000 people have been killed in the drug war, many of them by shadowy vigilantes, and warn that the fiery President may be carrying out a crime against humanity.

In early February, the prosecutor at the International Criminal Court said she had opened a “preliminary examination” into the alleged abuses.

In recent weeks, the Philippine government has said it is willing to let a United Nations Special Rapporteur into the country to investigate the accusations.

But the foreign secretary has called for fairness in the investigation, and Duterte has told police and the military to not cooperate with the rapporteur.

“If they ask you about wrongdoing, do not answer. And if they ask you why, tell them: we have a commander in chief,” Duterte told police and soldiers on Thursday.

Asked about this remark, Bulalacao said that if international investigators approach the police, “we shall refer this matter to the higher authorities.” AFP

MORE BUSINESSES IN BORACAY FACE SHUTDOWN MORE businesses and establishments in Boracay Island will be “dismantled or destroyed” during the planned 60-day rehabilitation of the world-famous tourist hotspot to allow it to recover from its man-made blight, an official said Saturday.

Epimaco Densing III, Department of the Interior and Local Government assistant secretary for Plans and Programs, said the two-month plan will be presented to President Rodrigo Duterte in a Cabinet meeting on Monday, March 5.

The plan to restore the island to its “pristine condition” was hatched by Tourism Secretary Wanda Teo and

LAW...

From A1 Then President Benigno Aquino III appointed 50-yearold Sereno as chief magistrate in 2012, replacing the late Renato Corona, impeached by the Aquino-controlled House and convicted by the Senate—with three voting against his conviction—over undeclared wealth.

Sereno’s camp earlier said she was going on a “wellness leave” to prepare for a possible trial.

In related developments: • Lawyer Lorenzo Gadon, who filed the impeachment complaint against Sereno, said he prefers

9FromFILMS...

A1 ‘The Shape of Water’ Guillermo del Toro’s romantic Cold War-era fantasy tells the story of a mute cleaning woman who falls in love with a captive magical river creature in a secret US government lab in 1960s Baltimore.

‘Get Out’ The bold satire about race relations —told by first-time feature director Jordan Peele in the form of a fantastical horror movie—is one of the top five best criticallyreceived movies of all time, according to Rotten Tomatoes, which collates reviews.

‘Lady Bird’

ing to come back because the PWDs are there,” Pambuan said.

The job-matching process, however, is no walk in the park for PWD applicants as they are screened like all other regular employees.

“They are special, but there is no special treatment for them. There may be reasonable accommodation, like increasing the font size, but the skills test is the same because we do not want employers to be traumatized with mismatched job applications as these might discourage them from hiring more PWDs in the future. We do not lower the standard—we just make it accessible,” Javier said.

Since the website was launched, Unilab Foundation has already screened 1,250 applications, of which 508 have been given “improved access,” meaning their papers have already been forwarded to

DILG officer-in-charge Eduardo Año and would impose a moratorium on the operations of all establishments on Boracay, the Interior assistant secretary added.

President Rodrigo Duterte had ordered the DILG, Department of Tourism and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to solve Boracay’s environmental problems and threatened to close the resort island if these departments fail to clean the tourist hotspot within 60 days.

“There will be a lot of structures, which will be dismantled or destroyed,” Densing said in a news forum in Quezon City.

He also called on resort owners and other business owners in Boracay to cooperate with the rehab plan— which is planned to run from June 1 to July 31, or when the“high season”of summer tourist arrivals on the island passes—once Duterte approves it.

“To the businessmen in Boracay, we plead with you, after the millions and billions you have earned [off the island], to allow us to do this [rehab].

We appeal to your love of country,” Densing said.

“What is 60 days? That’s even calendar days, for us to clean the island, we will not fully close down [Boracay],” he added.

that the top magistrate be removed from her post through quo warranto proceedings.

“I prefer the quo warranto,” Gadon told a news forum in Quezon City.

Quo warranto is a writ or legal action requiring a person to show by what warrant an office or franchise is held, claimed, or exercised.

Suspended lawyer Eligio Mallari has asked the Office of the Solicitor General to initiate quo warranto proceedings to challenge Sereno’s claim to the helm of the Supreme Court.

According to the rules of court, the government can initiate quo warranto proceedings against

a person who usurps, intrudes into, or unlawfully holds or exercises a public office; a public person who commits an act that serves as a ground for the forfeiture of the position.

Mallari cited Sereno’s alleged failure to submit all her Statements of Assets, Liabilites and Net Worth, a requirement by the Judicial and Bar Council, and remarks by two Supreme Court justices and a congressman that are unfavorable to the Chief Justice’s appointment.

Gadon said that with the grounds cited by Mallari to forfeit Sereno’s appointment, the top magistrate’s appointment is “void from the beginning.”Maricel V. Cruz

A film with a female perspective has not won best picture since “Million Dollar Baby” in 2005 and coming of age tale“Lady Bird” would be a popular winner with supporters of the #MeToo and Time’s Up campaigns demanding justice for sexual misconduct victims and fair treatment for women in the workplace.

‘Dunkirk’ Sweeping World War II epic “Dunkirk,” directed by Christopher Nolan, will have to pull off a feat almost as unlikely as the air and sea rescue it depicts to win best picture.

‘Darkest Hour’ In many ways a companion piece to “Dunkirk,” “Darkest Hour” follows the politics of the rescue at home—the machina-

tions of the British government and the maneuvers of newlyanointed wartime leader Winston Churchill.

‘Call Me by Your Name’ James Ivory scooped the Writers Guild of America award for best adapted screenplay for his work transforming Andre Aciman’s 2007 novel “Call Me by Your Name” into the film of the same name, starring Timothee Chalamet.

‘The Post’ Steven Spielberg’s celebration of journalism and the free press recounts the nail-biting behind-the-scenes story of the 1971 publication by The Washington Post of the Pentagon Papers, which exposed the lies behind US involvement in the Vietnam War. AFP

potential employers. However, only 180, including Manolo, have been successfully hired.

“180 sounds small, a little over 10 percent only of the total applicants.

But considering where we came from, which is zero, that is already a major accomplishment for us,” he added.

According to Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III, about 1.4 million Filipinos or less than 2 percent of the population have disability. At least 51 percent of Filipino PWDs are male. More importantly, 60 percent of the total number of PWDs in the country are between 15 to 64 years old—within the working age.

The Labor department’s data, however, is based on the 2010 population census, and Javier said the most recent estimate puts the number of PWDs anywhere between 10

to 15 million. “The official data is low because not all PWDs have themselves registered.”

In 2017, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific said there are about 690 million men, women and children in Asia and the Pacific who have some form of disabilities. That means one in every six persons in the region are PWDs, yet they remain to be one of the most marginalized groups in society.

Republic Act No. 10524, which expanded the positions reserved for PWDs, require government agencies to allot at least 1 percent of their regular and non-regular positions for PWDs. Private corporations, on the other hand, who employ at least 100 employees are not required but are encouraged to reserve at least 1 percent of all positions for PWDs.

Densing also appealed to the island’s business owners not to “harass” or “bully” authorities who will remove structures that are not compliant with environmental laws by suing them in court.

The government is conducting a demographic study to identify those who would potentially lose their jobs if the 60-day closure pushes through, the DILG official added.

The Duterte administration is allotting “bridge assistance” to those “who will be identified who will not make money” if ever Boracay is closed for rehabilitation, Densing added.

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Reps. Anna Marie Villaraza-Suarez (Alona Party-list) and Abigail Ferriol-Pascual will serve as Minority Leader and Deputy Minority Leader, respectively.

One of the measures that will be discussed on the floor is House Bill No. 4113, otherwise known as the 100-Day Maternity Leave Bill, which seeks to grant 100-day maternity leave with 30-day unpaid extension for working pregnant women in public and private sectors.

Scheduled to deliver privilege speeches on various issues and concerns relating to women are Reps. Elisa Olga T. Kho (2nd District, Masbate); Ruby M. Sahali (Lone District, TawiTawi); Trisha Nicole Q. Velasco-Catera (Mata Partylist); Anna Katrina M. Enverga (1st District, Quezon); Vini Nola A. Ortega (Abono Party-list); Jennifer Austria Barzaga (4th District, Cavite); Marlyn B. Alonte-Naguiat (Lone District, Biñan); and Emmi A. de Jesus (Gabriela Party-list).

The All-Women Session is jointly sponsored by the AWLFI and the House Committee on Women and Gender Equality chaired by Rep. Herrera-Dy. As part of the women’s month celebration, they are also sponsoring other activities in partnership with the Gabriela and Bagong Henerasyon Party-lists, Philippine Commission on Women, National Council on Disability Affairs and Philippine Legislators’ Committee on Population and Development, such as among others, women’s day exhibit, forums on women empowerment, round table discussion on child, early and forced marriages, seminar on livelihood training and beauty and health services.

“This year’s celebration of women’s month, themed as ‘We Make Change Work for Women’, highlights the empowerment of women as active contributors to our country’s development”, Deputy Villarica says.

“In our various capacities, whether as government officials and employees or private individuals, we can work as one, imbued with a vision and a goal to work for the betterment of our country,” she added.

Under her leadership, the AWLFI scores high on fundraising drives for various projects and services that address women and children’s needs. Among their beneficiaries include the Mega Drug Treatment and Rehabilitation Center in Nueva Ecija, families of our fallen government troops in the Marawi siege, Philippine Tuberculosis Society, Inc., Philippine Breast Care Foundation Inc. and Philippine General Hospital Pediatric Cancer unit.

The AWLFI officers are : president, Deputy Speaker Linabelle Ruth Villarica; senior vice president, Rose Marie Arenas; VP for NCR, Rep. Imelda Calixto-Rubiano; VP for Luzon, Rep. Elisa Olga Kho; VP for Visayas, Deputy Speaker Gwendolyn Garcia; VP for Mindanao, Rep. Juliette Uy; VP for Partylist, Rep. Emmi de Jesus; secretary, Bernadette Herrera-Dy; assistant secretary, Rep. Cheryl Deloso-Montalla; treasurer, Rep. Evelina Escudero; assistant treasurer, Rep. Lorna Silverio; Auditor, Rep. Josephine Sato; assistant auditor, Rep. Rosanna Vergara; PRO, Reps. Sol Aragones, Geraldine Roman and Cristina RoaPuno; Business Manager, Rep. Florida Robes; neophyte representative, Rep. Yedda Marie Romualdez; muse, Rep. Estrellita Suansing; and board of advisers, Deputy Speakers Pia Cayetano, Mercedes Alvarez, Mylene Garcia-Albano and Bai Sandra Sema, Reps. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Imelda Marcos, Corazon Malanyaon, Bellaflor Angara-Castillo, Vilma Santos-Recto, Maria Carmen Zamora and Ana Cristina Go. Former Rep. and AWLFI immediate past president Gina de Venecia is chairman emeritus.

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‘PROBE DEPED OVER DELAYS’

By Maricel V. Cruz

T

WO militant lawmakers have sought a congressional investigation in aid of legislation into the Department of Education’s alleged delinquency in remitting the personal and government shares of public school teachers’ Government Service Insurance System premiums.

In filing House Resolution 1729, ACT Teachers Party-list Reps. Antonio Tinio and France Castro alleged that either delayed or non-remittance by the DepEd of personal and government shares to GSIS resulted in penalties and interests amounting to millions of pesos and deprivation of benefits to members.

“One of the long-running concerns in the field is the delayed remittance or worse, the nonremittance of GSIS premiums, despite the fact that the said contributions are automatically deducted from the teachers’ monthly salaries,” the two lawmakers said in the resolution.

A case in point cited by Tinio was that of the DepEd Batangas Province Division which allegedly failed to remit on time premiums for March, May, June, July in 2017. And this incurred almost P1.93 million in interest. Aside from the delay, the premiums for April 2017 still remain unremitted.

Tinio noted that Section 6 (b) of Republic Act 8219 or the GSIS Act of 1997 mandates each employer to remit directly to the GSIS the employees’ and employers’ contributions within the first 10 days of the calendar month following the month to which the contributions apply.

The law also provides for a two percent monthly interest in case of delay.

“However, delays or non-remittances still occur on the part of the DepEd, resulting in penalties and interests amounting to millions of pesos,”

Tinio said.

“By law, these interests and penalties must be paid for by the agency using public funds.

This is unjust and a big blow to social services such as education which suffer from chronic underfunding,” he added.

For her part, Castro said the DepEd must be held accountable for its alleged failure or negligence in its obligations under the GSIS Law. “The delayed remittance or non-remittance is through no fault of the teachers but eventually, they are the ones who are deprived of their benefits,” Castro said.

“The DepEd should immediately remit these contributions, and check with all its regional and division offices to see the extent of these problems and if they still exist,” she added.

The two lawmakers urged DepEd Secretary Leonor Briones to address the issue and order the remittance of all pending contributions for GSIS. “Our teachers should not bear the brunt of DepEd’s negligence. Not even for a day longer,” Castro said.

DUTERTE PROMOTES WOMEN’S RIGHTS —ROQUE

AGENCIES, CLINICS, OFWS WARNED VS ONLINE SCHEME THE Philippine Overseas Employment Administration warned licensed recruitment agencies and medical clinics catering to OFWs not to be duped by an online registration system allegedly operated by a certain Gulf Cooperation Council Ministry of Health.

In an advisory, the POEA said the Department of Health has denied that it approved the scheme that requires the applicant to pay a registration fee of US$10 or equivalent to P500 for the provision of Pre-Employment Medical Examination.

The DoH prohibits the Medical Facilities for Overseas Workers and Seafarers from participating or using the said online scheme.

The POEA said that under Department Circular No. 0371, the DoH said that “since the online registration system charges an additional fee to the OFW applicants and can be restrictive to few selected DOH-accredited OFW clinics, it may be construed as another form of decking and monopoly of health examination services for Filipino migrant workers.”

The POEA advised the public and DoH-accredited clinics for OFWs to report to the DoH any activity pertaining to the said online registration system. Vito Barcelo

TAGUIG MAYOR PUSHES FOR MEASLES-FREE CITY

By Vito Barcelo PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte remains committed to promote Filipino women’s health and welfare, saying that there is a distinction between the Chief Executive’s language and his policies, according to Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque.

“Certain language which some women’s group found offensive, let me state again, not to take the words of the President literally; but of course, we should take the President’s word seriously,” Roque said.

The Malacañang official stressed that the President is also committed to advance the lives of Filipino women in the country and throughout the world, when he signs the Executive Order 12, which seeks to attain and sustain “zero unmet need for modern family planning” through the strict implementation of the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act. The President’s pro-women policies prove that he does not promote violence against women. For one, he said Filipinas now feel much safer under the Duterte administration, owing to its strong campaign against crimes and illegal drugs, Roque said during a press briefing held at the Eduardo Cojuangco Vocational High School in Paniqui, Tarlac.

Citing figures from the Philippine National Police, Roque said rape incidents in the country decreased by 13.53 percent last year. Rape cases recorded have gone down to 8,114 in 2017, compared to 9,384 incidents in 2016.

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PERSONAL CARE. DoH Secretary Francisco Duque (right) personally conducts a checkup on children vaccinated with Dengvaxia at the San Lazaro Hospital in Manila where 50-100 children a day are tested for dengue related symptoms. Norman Cruz

MMDA UNDERTAKES PREVENTIVE ANTI-FLOOD MEASURES

By Joel E. Zurbano THE Metro Manila Development Authority continues to undertake preemptive anti-flood measure in the National Capital Region.

On Friday, personnel of the MMDA-Flood Control and Sewerage Management Office demolished structures situated at the Estero de Maypajo. The residential and concrete pavement structures encroached and caused the delay of dredging operation along the waterway.

The demolition along the waterway at the corner of J.P. Rizal and R. Papa was made in close coordination with the Manila City government, local barangays and Public Works and Highways department.

MMDA Chairman Danilo Lim said they demolished the illegal structures to enable flood control personnel to do their dredging works along the waterway, the phase 2 of the flood control program.

“We have to demolish the structures

so we can gain access to Estero de Maypajo and do our dredging works,” said Lim, who personally supervised the demolition works.

Lim also asked the barangay officials how other establishments can self-demolish their structures and ensure that no illegal construction would be erected on top of the waterway again.

Baltazar Melgar, head of the MMDA Flood Control and Sewerage Management Office, said about 50 meters, six-meter wide estero have been found covered.

The paved concrete has long been utilized as parking areas for establishments and residents in the area.

Once structures are demolished, flood control personnel can focus on dredging operations on the waterway which has been clogged with garbage, silt and debris.

The dredging operation to be conducted is aimed at reducing the receding time of floodwater in the flood-prone area.

“We hope to speed up the flow of flood water going to Estero de Sunog Apog and ultimately into the Manila Bay,” said Melgar.

The MMDA resumed its campaign of cleaning up clogged creeks and open waterways to prevent severe floods in the metropolis in time of the rainy season.

Some MMDA men had to use small boats or bancas to fish out the floating debris and refuse from the waterways.

The agency attributed the problem from residents and informal settlers living along and near the creek.

With the regular cleanup, the MMDA expects that floods in lowlying areas of Metro Manila would quickly subside after heavy rainfall.

The campaign is also aimed to maximize the “conveyance capacity” of open waterways in Metro Manila to enable it to accommodate larger volume of floodwaters during the rainy season, thus hastening the flood receding rate and minimizing flooding.

ARMY TROOPS NAB SIX NPA MEMBERS

YOUTH POWER. Members of the Kabataan Party-list, together with Anakbayan, League of Filipino Students and National Union of Students of the Philippines, held a press conference regarding on the successful walkout of youth against President Rodrigo Duterte last Feb. 23, 2018. They also answered the tirades of Paolo Duterte against the youth group and condemned President Duterte regarding his statement on Philippines-China South China Sea co-ownership, March 3, 2018 at Kabataan Party-list headquarters in Mabuhay Street, Barangay Central, Quezon City.

DUMAGUETE CITY, Negros Oriental— Members of the 62nd Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army and the Philippine National Police arrested six suspected members, including one female and two minors, of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army in Barangay Luyang, Mabinay town in Negros Oriental early Saturday.

Initial reports said government troops encountered about 20 armed men believed to be members of the Regional Security Force of the Komiteng Rehiyon Negros of the CPP-NPA in Sitio Tumunon at 2:45 a.m.

The firefight lasted for about 45 minutes but no one was hurt on both sides.

The female suspect is a 21-year-old Mass Communication graduate of the University of the Philippines in Cebu, said Brig. Gen. Eliezer Losañes, commander of the 303rd Infantry Brigade of the Philippine Army in Negros Island.

The two apprehended the minors who were reportedly recruited from Negros Oriental and Negros Occidental.

The names of those arrested are being withheld pending investigation.

The six suspected NPA members were already presented to the Mabinay prosecutor’s office for inquest.

Recovered from the suspects were high-powered firearms, among them one M16A1, one M16A1 attached with M203 Grenade launcher, two M4 Rifles, one VLTOR (M16), one AG 43 (M16), rifle grenades, explosives, other war materiel, foodstuff, and alleged subversive documents.

The encounter took place after months of reported sightings of armed men in the hinterlands of Bindoy, Ayungon, Mabinay and nearby areas.

The civilians reported about the armed men allegedly asking food and other provisions while others had reportedly fled their villages out of fear. PNA

MAYOR Laarni Cayetano has assured the public that the city government of Taguig has been taking the necessary steps to ensure that its residents, especially children, are protected against measles.

Cayetano made the assurance after the Department of Health confirmed an outbreak of measles or “tigdas” with at least seven confirmed cases in one of the villages in the city.

Medical personnel of the city’s Health Office have been going door-to-door in all the city’s villages, conducting anti-measles immunization on children between six months and below five years old.

These are given to the children even if they have already been immunized before.

Cayetano said apart from the immunization programs, the city government has also been intensifying its health education programs and active surveillance.

She added that relevant information about the disease is being reiterated by health centers in the city’s vllages.

“Rest assured that the city government is doing all that it can for its constituents. I am also appealing to the residents to have their children immunized for a measles-free Taguig,” said Cayetano.

Health undersecretary Eric Domingo declined to identify the affected village in Taguig. He, however, said seven children have been infected with measles in the last two weeks but assured that the children are in stable condition.

Measles is an infectious disease that can cause death among infants as young as three months old. Colder temperatures typically cause a spike in cases of the illness, symptoms of which include skin rashes and fever.

Joel E. Zurbano

CEB ACCEPTS CADET-PILOT APPLICANTS THE Cebu Pacific Air has started accepting applicants for the second batch of cadet pilots to undergo a 56-week training in Australia and become members of its corps of aviators.

CEB spokesperson Ma. Rosario Lagamon said the first batch of CEB Cadet Pilots, who has already been selected, are now in the process of completing their requirements and pre-departure training, and are set to depart for Flight Training Adelaide next month.

She added that the second batch, which will be composed of 16 candidates, will be also trained in a “study now, pay later” scheme.

The airline shelled out 25 million US dollars to train aspiring aviators in line with the project aimed at addressing its expansion requirements over the next five years.

CEB, led by its president and chief executive officer Lance Gokongwei, launched the Cadet Pilot Program last October to recruit individuals interested to become pilots and undergo 56week integrated flying training.

Joel E. Zurbano

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Opinion

SUNDAY, MARCH 4, 2018

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Adelle Chua, Editor

EDITORIAL

‘BAWAL ANG KARNE’

IT’S the Lenten season. The usual thinking is that this is a time for sacrifices, like denying ourselves meat and eating vegetables by way of atonement for our sins.

That Filipinos are enthusiastic carnivores is supported by empirical data. A Social Weather Stations survey commissioned by Greenpeace revealed that 71 percent of Filipinos eat meat—beef, pork or chicken—at least weekly. Of this number, 5 percent eat meat daily, 46 percent a few times a week, and 20 percent weekly.

The survey was conducted among 1,200 respondents nationwide in June last year.

Broken down per age group, it is the middle-aged respondents (aged 25 to 44) who eat meat at least weekly: 75 percent. Meanwhile, the 55-and-up age group doesn’t consume meat as frequently.

College graduates eat meat the most, with 82 percent having it at least once a week, compared with 74 percent of high school graduates, 66 percent of elementary graduates, and 53 percent of those who had some elementary schooling.

Catholics are also big on meat, with 72 percent eating beef, pork or chicken at least weekly. Iglesia ni Cristo members and Muslims, quite expectedly, not as much, with 46 percent and 45 percent, respectively, But why is meat just so popular?

The respondents gave a myriad of reasons, the most popular of which was that it was good for the health (32 percent) and that it tastes good and boosts one’s appetite (30 percent).

Other reasons given were that it’s an alternative to fish and vegetables (13 percent) and that the kids/family prefer it (10 percent).

ALL TOO HUMAN

F

or the longest time, Filipinos thought of the Supreme Court as an impenetrable, infallible institution.

It was the least visible, least heard among the three separate, independent branches of government. The justices spoke only through their decisions—the main ponencia, and if they must add to the discourse, through their concurring or dissenting opinions.

Always mindful of the standards they were supposed to uphold, they were careful not to provoke questions on how they lived their personal lives. Calling attention to oneself for whatever reason seemed an evil that each justice avoided. Perception of impropriety was in itself impropriety.

When we talked of the Supreme Court, it was always the singular body, en banc, with no distinctions as to the individual justices or even the court divisions.

There were a few exceptions, but the general rule was that it was all about the institution, and never the individual. This collegial thinking gave the court its veneer of absolute authority and credibility. They were beyond any of the usual trappings of public service—petty politics, intrigue, administrative lapses, professional jealousy. The justices were referred to as gods in their own rights.

These days, the gods appear restless.

These are trying times for who is supposed to be their leader, their primus inter pares—Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno, who is facing an impeachment case at the House of Representatives. She is accused of betraying public trust on several occasions, and it appears a Senate trial is a certainty.

This week, Sereno’s camp announced she was taking a “wellness leave” to prepare to defend herself in her trial, but now the other justices are saying her announcement was misleading, and that she should file, instead an indefinite leave from office. Note that the 13 justices came from bigger background in their careers and were appointed by different presidents.

The breaking of silence had in fact happened earlier, when some justices came upon the invitation of the House to talk about whether there was probable cause against Sereno.

We are guessing something is unprecedented indeed in Sereno’s appointment and conduct, for her colleagues to act in this unprecedented manner.

Something has to be done, and fast. This public rancor should not be allowed to fester.

The public is not used to seeing their venerable justices, Sereno herself included, acting all too human. Too many of our officials in the other branches of government are already regaling us with examples of their weakness and fallibility.

When what is happening now affect how cases are decided, or how court employees do their jobs, then we would know that things have gone too far. We hope we never get to that point.

But why should eating vegetables be seen as a form of self-flagellation?

SATURDAY GROUP TURNS 50, IYAS AND SAN AGUSTIN WRITING WORKSHOPS, GAWAD PLARIDEL THE Saturday Group of Artists marks its 50th anniversary this year with an exhibit entitled “Celebrating Gold: Fifty Years in Art” at the Cultural Center of the Philippines Main Gallery.

The show opened yesterday and will run up to May 6. Curated by Ricky Francisco, it features more than 60 works created by the group’s founding and current members.

The Saturday Group counts seven

National Artists on its roster—Vicente Manansala, Cesar Legaspi, Benedicto Cabrera, H. R. Ocampo, Jose Joya, Federico Aguilar Alcuaz, and Carlos “Botong” Francisco.

Among the founding artists represented in the show are Ocampo, Cabrera, and Legaspi. Francisco chose representative paintings from the CCP’s collection of their works.

A hallmark of the Saturday Group of Artists is their “interaction painting” method wherein several artists

collaborate on one painting. The works thus created showcase signature touches from each individual artist coming together in a harmonious whole.

In addition to the paintings, the exhibit also features archival materials that present the history of the Saturday Group, including news clippings, photographs, and still life and nude sketches from the famous sketching sessions the group held during the 1990s.

*** The 18th IYAS National Writers’ Workshop for creative work in Hiligaynon, Cebuano, Filipino, and English is open for applications up to March 10.

This year’s workshop will be held April 22-28 at the Balay Kalinungan, University of St. La Salle, Bacolod City.

Creative writing entries that explore human relations with the environment will be given preference Turn to A5

Specifically, Metro Manilans eat meat because family members like it (23 percent). Age-wise, the 55-and-up age group mostly gave the good-forthe-health reason (37 percent), while most of the millennial respondents (18-24-year-olds) said it was because it tasted good.

Among respondents across the country, a staggering 69 percent said they would only stop eating meat if they develop health problems or if a doctor tells them to stop. Cost is the next factor that would make them stop eating meat—13 percent would stop if they did not have the budget for meat, and another 10 percent if it became too expensive.

Some 9 percent of respondents can’t imagine being able to stop eating meat altogether, and more than half either strongly or somewhat disbelieve that doing so damages the environment. *** Alessandra Lanot, part-owner of vegetarian restaurant Pipino along Malingap Street, Quezon City, made the decision to eat more consciously when she was in high school. It was both easy and not easy to be a vegetarian at that time—easy, because her grandmother always made sure there were vegetables on the table, alongside meat and seafood, but also difficult because she was a basketballplaying adolescent who needed a lot of energy. It was also difficult to find vegetarian food outside of her home.

Dining out offered fewer options.

But while she has maintained this choice, swearing by its effects on her skin, her digestion, and the quality of her sleep, she is the first to acknowledge it is not for everybody.

When Alessandra and her boyfriend, now her husband, opened Pino, in 2008, she explored the idea of introducing Filipino vegetables to their diners and wondered if there could be a demand for it. They had a Turn to A5

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From A4 line of vegetarian dishes—vegetable curry, tofu lemongrass skewers, pipino shake, among others—in the menu.

After a while it became apparent they could in fact make a go of a vegetarian restaurant just upstairs from where Pino was.

One hundred percent of the offerings at Pipino are plant-based, but not all who dine there are vegans or vegetarians. Some are what she calls “flexitarians”—people who have other preferences but who at that particular meal would want vegetables on their plate. Diners are a mixed group— families, couples, groups of friends, colleagues, and yes, kids.

Just recently, a six-year-old boy literally danced when his order of sizzling tofu was served. “You don’t get that reaction from a kid often, at least not when vegetables are concerned,” she said.

The restaurant’s menu highlights not just vegetables, but Filipino vegetables. There is also a certain upfront attitude about the service.

“We showcase ‘gulay’ as it is and do not hide behind fake meat,” Lanot says. Indeed the dishes are variations of the home-cooked dishes we grew up with: pochero, torta, embutido, pinakbet, monggo, with all the meat components substituted with something just as tasty.

It’s also a great way to introduce our own vegetables to people from other cultures.

Lanot, who is a graphic artist when she is not tending to Pipino and other restaurants, says the idea is not at all to preach what people should eat, or shouldn’t. “We don’t impose anything; we are just here to provide people with options.”

“You could be looking out for your health, or eating veggies because you have an advocacy for animals, or you want to lessen your carbon footprint.”

Or, you can also just be in the mood for really good food you don’t find anywhere else.

Inclusiveness is a big word for Lanot.

She recognizes that every person has a choice about how to eat and how to live.

She also believes we must banish the thought that vegetables are for days when you want to deny yourself pleasure, or punish yourself for your transgressions.

Filipinos’ mindsets have a long way to go, and it will perhaps be decades before people stop thinking of vegetables as inferior to meat. For now, it’s just good to know there are options that are at least as good and as satisfying, whatever time of the day, whatever day of the year. adellechua@gmail.com

SATURDAY...

From A4

for the 15 fellowships, which include transportation subsidy and board and lodging. Marjorie Evasco is the workshop director, and the panelists are Ronald Baytan, Susan Lara, Grace Monte de Ramos, John Iremil Teodoro, and Em Mendez.

Applicants must send original, unpublished work in only one chosen literary genre and language: six poems, two short stories, or two oneact plays. Send three hard copies in 12-point font, double-spaced, and a short resume with a page containing complete contact information.

For inquiries, call DLSU BNSCWC at (632) 5244611 local 233; e-mail bnscwc@dlsu.edu.ph or iyas17workshop@gmail.com.

IYAS is supported by the University of St. La Salle, De La Salle University’s Bienvenido N. Santos Creative Writing Center, the National Commission on Culture and the Arts, and the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities. *** The Fray Luis de Leon Creative Writing Institute of the University of San Agustin is accepting applications up to March 30 for the 16th San Agustin Writers Workshop to be held April 30 to May 2, 2018, at the University of San Agustin, Iloilo City.

Ten fellowships are open to creative writers in and from Western Visayas.

Send either five poems, or two short stories, or two creative nonfiction pieces in Aklanon, Hiligaynon, Kinaray-a, Filipino, or English.

Award-winning writer John Iremil Teodoro is the workshop director, and the panelists are Leoncio P. Deriada, Isidoro M. Cruz, John Barrios, and Alice Tan Gonzales. Email Dr. Teodoro at jieteodoro@gmail.com for submission requirements and details. *** The University of the Philippines College of Mass Communication is accepting nominations up to April 6 for this year’s UP Gawad Plaridel which

SUNDAY, MARCH 4, 2018

A5

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IF I REMAIN ALIVE: THE GHOUTA DIARIES

By Abdulmonam Eassa ON FEB. 18, 2018, Syrian regime forces intensified their bombardment of Eastern Ghouta, an area home to almost 400,000 people that has escaped government control since 2012, been besieged almost ever since, and is controlled by mostly Islamist and jihadist groups. So far the assault has killed more than 550 civilians, including around 140 children, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Monday, Feb. 19 Strikes on Eastern Ghouta leave 127 dead.

A strike hits very close today. I go to take a look. The whole area seems to have been burned. During the first few seconds, you think noone is dead, you just see ashes and destruction. That’s because people hide as soon as they hear the sound of a rocket or a plane. But after a few seconds you see signs of life.

I see a woman coming out from a destroyed building with four children. They are screaming. One of the kids is carrying a notepad or a book, maybe a Koran, I can’t remember.

I leave a half hour later, heading home, which is about 700 meters away. After about 200 meters, I see that the area where I live has been shelled. I suddenly panic. My family lives there! What if one of them is dead?

I hurry along and see that the building where my sisters and other relatives live has been hit. It’s covered in dust and I can’t see anything. Fear spreads through me as I get closer. I leave my motorbike in the middle of the street and run into our house. I see one of my brothers. “Is Mum ok?”

I ask. “Yes,” he answers. “Is everyone

A wounded Syrian girl receives treatment at a make-shift hospital in Kafr Batna following Syrian government bombardments on the besieged Eastern Ghouta region on the outskirts of the capital Damascus on Feb. 21. AFP

else all right?” “Yes,” he says. I am about to breathe a sigh of relief when I catch a figure lying on the ground out of the corner of my eye. It’s a friend of mine. He has a head injury. He is dead.

My family spends the night in another house. No one really sleeps. As I record these words, I can hear planes in the sky.

The building is shaking. Thoughts keep shooting through my mind. What if my loved ones die and I live? How will I bear the pain? I leave.

Tuesday, Feb. 20 The attacks on Eastern Ghouta kill 128 civilians, including 29 children.

Another hospital, Arbin, has been taken out of action.

The UN children’s agency Unicef issues a blank statement. “No words will do justice to the children killed, their mothers, their fathers and their loved ones,” it says.

I go to the hospital because I know

the situation there is terrible. No one has eaten for a day. I walk into one room, it’s full of dead bodies. Some died yesterday, some died before that, but haven’t been buried yet.

I manage to sleep for a few hours at the hospital. I know in a few hours it’s going to be the same routine—planes, strikes, barrel bombs, wounded civilians, horror, recognising loved ones wounded or dead. But I am still strong. I can still go out and take pictures. I don’t know how… But I can.

Wednesday, Feb. 21 UN chief Antonio Guterres describes what’s happening in Eastern Ghouta as “hell on earth.” Planes drop barrel bombs on the area.

We go into the Saqba neighborhood after a barrel bomb strike. A woman and her children are crying.

A man is stuck between two walls of a destroyed building. While we’re here, a second barrel bomb hits, two streets away. I can’t focus. It feels like there is a huge cloud above my head…

After a while, I head back to my neighborhood. A Russian plane had hit it. People are screaming. People don’t know how to deal with a situation like this. I know a little because I follow death and destruction for my work. I get closer to a building. A boy and a girl are stuck between two walls of a collapsed building. I see their legs dangling. I inspect the area to make sure it’s safe. Then I pull out the boy.

Then the girl.

Thursday, Feb. 22 German Chancellor Angela Merkel calls for an end to “massacre” in Syria.

The UN Security Council fails to adopt a resolution on a ceasefire over objections from Russia, an ally of Syria President Bashar al-Assad, who has been helping him militarily.

I wake up at 6:00 am. It’s quiet. There is destruction everywhere. People start

to emerge, to check the damage and to try to get some food. A half hour later there is that dreaded sound—a plane in the sky. It starts shelling. People run back to their shelters. It’s been four days now that the bombing hasn’t stopped.

Everyone is scared.

The number of martyrs has now risen to more than 300. Hospitals can’t count the number of dead and injured.

Some people are still stuck under the rubble. The Civil Defense volunteers are trying their best, but they just can’t reach some areas because of the bombardment. The situation is so bad.

God help us.

Friday, Feb. 23 The UN Security Council postpones a vote on a truce in Eastern Ghouta.

People are cowering in shelters. Everyone is in shock. We can’t understand anything. Everything is out of service.

I can’t believe the difference four days of bombardment has made. The whole area has been changed, erased. The streets aren’t there anymore. They’re full of dust, rubble. Only ambulances use them.

Maybe crying doesn’t help, but today I cry. I can’t say anything else.

Please, someone stop the carnage.

Please, someone has to stop what is happening here!

But life goes on. Today we take out four children from underneath a fully destroyed building. The things that I have witnessed here, I will never forget.

If I remain alive.

(On Saturday, Feb. 24, the UN Security Council approved a ceasefire resolution, which calls for a ceasefire “without delay” to allow aid into the area. But air strikes continued and claimed more lives. On Monday Russia announced a five-hour daily “humanitarian pause” and corridors for civilians to leave.) AFP

DUTERTE AND JOKOWI: DO LOCAL POLITICS APPLY?

By Ehito Kimura and Erik Martinez Kuhonta IN THE past few years, two large democracies in Southeast Asia, Indonesia and the Philippines, have had their share of electoral drama. In 2014, upstart reformist Joko Widodo (widely known as Jokowi) squeaked by former general Prabowo Subianto to win Indonesia’s presidential election.

Two years later in the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte, a controversial law-and-order candidate, challenged the establishment and captured the presidency.

These elections highlighted a growing antiestablishment and populist mood in the two countries. Less noted was how both Jokowi and Duterte emerged from local politics, campaigned on their accomplishments as mayors of small cities, and gained a following based on the results they achieved in their localities. Little has been written also on their ability to govern based on purely local experience. To what extent does their local experience guide their governance at the national level? Do their local models work as advertised for the national level, and if so, how?

Joko Widodo became the mayor of a mediumsized city in Central Java in the wake of Indonesia’s democratization and decentralization initiatives in the late 1990s and early 2000s. A furniture exporter by trade, Widodo had little experience with politics before running for mayor in 2004 and winning unexpectedly. As mayor he gained massive popularity for a reformist agenda, which appealed to both pro-poor and pro-investment constituencies.

He cracked down on corruption and reduced bureaucratic red tape that hampered investment.

At the same time, he implemented healthcare and education policies that expanded access to services for the poor.

How have his local reforms translated to the national level? In some areas, quite well. Jokowi has pursued a pro-poor agenda including a national universal healthcare policy. Although not the mastermind of the national policy, Jokowi has sought to put his own stamp on it, and he has stood by his pledge to make Indonesia the most populous country in the world to offer universal access to healthcare.

He has also placed strong emphasis on Indonesia’s business and investment climate, especially through infrastructure reform. As part of his larger vision, his administration has committed to massive upgrades

recognizes Filipino media practitioners who have excelled in the field of journalism and have performed with the highest level of professional integrity in the interest of public service.

The award is named after Marcelo H. del Pilar who used the pen name Plaridel when writing for the reformist newspaper La Solidaridad

of infrastructure—including 5,000 kilometers of railway tracks, 3,600 kilometers of roads, 49 dams and 24 seaports—as well as construction of a 35,000-megawatt power plant. Like healthcare, some of these policies were initiated under previous administrations, but Jokowi has sought to push them forward and put his own brand on them.

The limitations of Jokowi’s local experience have become visible in the context of his reformist vision for clean government. When he ran for president, he promised to fill his Cabinet with capable technocrats rather than political hacks. Almost immediately after he was elected, however, he was forced to accept the appointment of Cabinet ministers who were known to be corrupt individuals as a way to pay political debts to his patrons. Rather than focusing on technocratic effectiveness, he has also dismissed key ministers, shifted others around and appointed new ministers, all with an eye toward co-opting opposition parties and bringing them into his coalition.

To many observers, Jokowi has abandoned the politics of reform. Some have argued that the Cabinet reshuffles were less about his policy agenda and more about positioning himself for the 2019 elections, particularly by distributing Cabinet seats to candidates who would have the financial resources to support him.

What of Rodrigo Duterte? In the 1970s, Davao was caught between a communist insurgency and the Moro rebellion, so mired in violence that it was known as the “nation’s political assassination center.” As mayor, Duterte transformed Davao into the safest city in the Philippines. One of his policies was to establish security outposts ringing the city, where militias had to surrender their weapons. He also banned public smoking, established a 10 p.m. curfew, and imposed speed limits in the city.

Duterte took a pro-business stance and recruited market-oriented officials in the municipal government. A municipal board was responsible for bringing in investors from the capital city and abroad. This yielded clear results. High-rise condominiums and shopping malls were built, and industrial production expanded. To expedite such projects, Duterte demanded that business permits be processed within 72 hours and that any delays would have to be reported and explained directly to the mayor.

The positive results of such policies were clear. In

which helped crystallize nationalist sentiments and ignite libertarian ideas in the 1890s.

Like Plaridel, nominees must believe in the vision of a Philippine society that is egalitarian, participative, and progressive; and in media that are socially responsible, critical and vigilant, liberative and transformative,

2014, Davao’s economy grew 9.4 percent, outpacing the growth rate of any other region in the country.

It is questionable, however, how effective a national leader Duterte has been in almost two years in office. He launched a violent campaign against drug trafficking that has led to a staggering rate of extrajudicial killings, estimated by human rights advocates to exceed 12,000. By comparison, the estimate of extrajudicial killings under the dictatorial regime of Ferdinand Marcos was 3,257 over a 10year period. Yet there is no clear evidence that drug trafficking under Duterte has declined.

Duterte also promised during the presidential campaign that he would address the problem of weak labor protection in the Philippines. The most critical issue is contract work because employers often fire workers just before they are eligible for full employee benefits. Under his leadership, the Labor Department has stopped firms from repeatedly rehiring workers under short-term contracts but continues to allow seasonal and project-based contract work.

His 2016 State of the Nation Address, held two months after his election, touched on many other issues that remain largely neglected. His calls for bureaucratic efficiency, for expeditious approval of permits and licenses, and for reform of the transportation system have not led to any concrete action.

Both Duter te and Jokowi successfully implemented local reform programs, yet their capacity to extend such successes to the national level is less clear. Jokowi successfully introduced his vision for national healthcare and infrastructure development but clearly compromised many of his earlier reformist ideals in his selection of Cabinet members. Duterte conducted a killing spree that has not brought law and order to the country, and he has shown little proclivity for maintaining a populist vision rooted in actual social reform.

Up to now, the performance of these two populist leaders suggests that success at the local level does not necessarily predict success in national politics or policymaking.

Ehito Kimura is associate professor and undergraduate chairman in the University of Hawaii’s Department of Political Science.

Erik Martinez Kuhonta is associate professor and graduate director in McGill University’s Department of Political Science.

and free and independent.

Nominees must have unassailable probity and integrity, and must have produced a body of work that is marked by excellence and social relevance with achievements recognized nationally and/or internationally.

The nomination form and award guidelines are available at the UP CMC

Website (http://masscomm.upd.edu.ph) and at the UP CMC Office of Extension and External Relations. For inquiries call (02) 981-8500 loc. 2668 or email upgawadplaridel@gmail.com.

Dr. Ortuoste is a writer and communications consultant. Twitter: @jennyortuoste

World

A6

SUNDAY, MARCH 4, 2018 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Cesar Barrioquinto, Editor / Jimbo Gulle, Issue Editor

DOZENS DEAD IN BURKINA FASO TWIN ATTACKS OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso—Dozens of people were killed Friday in twin attacks on the French embassy in Burkina Faso and the country’s military headquarters, an assault that coincided with a meeting of regional anti-jihadist forces.

The apparently coordinated attacks underlined the struggle the fragile West African nation faces in containing a bloody and growing jihadist insurgency.

The government said the attack on the military was a suicide car bombing and that a planned meeting of the G5 Sahel regional anti-terrorism force may have been the target.

Officials from Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger were at the meeting, representing the G5 Sahel nations who have launched a joint military force to combat jihadists on the southern rim of the Sahara.

Eight members of the armed forces were killed by the blast and the parallel attack on the French embassy, while 80 were wounded, said Security Minister Clement Sawadogo. The minister said eight attackers had been shot dead. AFP

3 AID WORKERS IN NIGERIA SLAIN

BY BOKO HARAM KANO, Nigeria—Boko Haram fighters killed three aid workers in a remote corner of northeast Nigeria, the United Nations said on Friday, forcing at least one charity to suspend vital medical support to thousands badly hit by the Islamist insurgency.

The attack took place on Thursday evening in Rann, some 175 kilometers (110 miles) east of the Borno state capital, Maiduguri, near the border with Cameroon.

It came nearly two weeks after Boko Haram fighters abducted 110 schoolgirls from the town of Dapchi, in neighboring Yobe state.

Both incidents underlined the persistent threat to civilians from the jihadist group, which the military and government has repeatedly claimed is on the verge of defeat.

But there will also be fears about a resurgence in the ability of the group to hit “hard” targets as Thursday’s attack was against soldiers.

Mohammed Abdiker, director of operations and emergencies at the International Organization for Migration (IOM), said the militants had “superior firepower”.

They were “armed with automatic weapons, rocket propelled grenades and gun trucks”, he added.

Rann has been hit before in the conflict: in January 2017, a botched Nigerian air strike intended to hit jihadists killed at least 112 people as aid workers distributed food. AFP

UK MAN GUILTY OF FORMING ‘ARMY’ OF KID TERRORISTS LONDON—A man who used his role as an unqualified teacher to try and recruit an “army” of children to commit terror attacks was convicted in a British court on Friday.

Umar Ahmed Haque, 25, tried to radicalise scores of children to commit “a multi-faceted attack on businesses and communities in London”, according to a Metropolitan Police statement.

Haque, from east London, showed pupils at an after-school madrasa videos of “extreme terrorist violence” and made them “roleplay terrorists” stabbing police officers.

His two accomplices, Abuthaher Mamun, 29, and Muhammad Abid, 27, were also convicted at London’s Old Bailey court.

“Haque was a dangerous man who was inspired by attacks in Europe and Westminster. He wanted to orchestrate numerous attacks at once, using guns, knives, bombs and large cars to kill innocent people,” said Dean Haydon, head of the Met Police Counter Terrorism Command.

“We recovered a number of exercise books from his home and it was evident from his notes that his plan was a longterm one.

“He intended to execute his plan years later, by which time he anticipated he would have trained and acquired an army of soldiers, including children.”

In a phone message heard in court, Haque told Abib that he was using his role as an administrator at after-school madrasa “Lantern of Knowledge” in east London to radicalise 16 children. AFP

SNOW BEACH. People walk through heavy snowfall on the beach along the Promenade des Anglais on Wednesday in Nice. AFP

AD-HOC TRUMP FUELS CAPITAL MELTDOWN

W

ASHINGTON—A White House lurching from crisis to crisis appeared close to complete meltdown Friday, as Donald Trump’s staff struggled to limit damage from two impulsive moves with farreaching consequences.

Trump’s off-the-cuff enticement of a global trade war and calls for limits on the constitutional right to bear arms cleaved a schism between the mercurial president and his Republican backers, sparked a stock market sell-off and prompted threats of retaliatory sanctions from across the globe.

Angered by the announced departure of confidant Hope Hicks, financial scandals surrounding sonin-law Jared Kushner and the ongoing investigation into his campaign, Trump thumbed his nose at advisors’ warnings and announced punitive steel and aluminum tariffs.

“When a country (USA) is losing many billions of dollars on trade with virtually every country it does business with, trade wars are good, and easy to win,” Trump tweeted Friday.

Officials made no effort to disguise

that the decision -- which will bring legal action -- had short circuited internal deliberations and preempted the administration’s own determination about whether the step was lawful.

The tariffs are an extension of Trump’s decades-long crusade against America’s terms of trade, but infuriated allies in Canada, Europe, Asia and Latin America.

The internal blowback was swift, with renewed rumors that top economic advisor Gary Cohn—who had been infuriated by Trump’s unwillingness to condemn neo-Nazis— was ready to walk.

Wall Street insiders—who have embraced Trump’s tax cuts and laissez faire approach to regulation— expressed disbelief at the policy, but also disbelief at a White House that appears to have careened off the rails.

Trump’s tweets came only hours after he blindsided Republicans by advocating raising age limits for gun ownership, tightening background checks and seizing some weapons without due process.

Republicans have shown themselves to be strikingly tolerant of Trump’s rhetorical and even alleged moral transgressions, but that gun heterodoxy was a step too far for most.

“Strong leaders don’t automatically agree with the last thing that was said to them,” snapped Republican Senator Ben Sasse. “We have the Second Amendment and due process of law for a reason.”

Even Fox News anchor Tucker Carlson, who has marched in lockstep with the White House, accused Trump of betrayal.

“Imagine Obama saying something similar? He’d (have) been denounced as a dictator. Congress would talk impeachment. Some would mutter secession,” Carlson said.

On Thursday Trump himself had to clean up the mess, hosting rep-

resentatives from the powerful gun lobby in the Oval Office for what he termed a “Good (Great) meeting.”

Sources say he called the Republican author of pro-gun bill, Senator John Cornyn, to express support, as his staff tried to row back his comments.

“Conceptually, he still supports raising the age to 21,” said Sarah Sanders, peddling back hard on universal background checks. “Universal means something different to a lot of people,” she said.

The latest wave of crises has rocked an administration that has been in the impact zone for more than 13 months.

“The lack of anything resembling a serious process around both the gun and tariff announcements makes painfully clear we have a White House in disarray at the same time we have a world in disarray,” said Richard Haass, a veteran diplomat and president of the Council on Foreign Relations.

“If you are not worried, you should be. The combination is nothing less than toxic.” AFP

5 PERISH AS WINTER STORM HITS US EAST COAST

ENDANGERED. An Indian white tiger looks on in an enclosure at Nehru Zoological Park in Hyderabad on Saturday. United Nations World Wildlife Day, which is celebrated on March 3 each year, has the theme ‘Big cats: predators under threat’ in 2018. AFP

NEW YORK—At least five people were killed after a major winter storm pounded the United States East Coast on Friday, with strong winds, heavy rain and snow disrupting thousands of flights and forcing the closure of federal government offices in Washington.

Coastal flooding alerts were issued from New Jersey to Massachusetts with winter weather advisories, winter storm warnings and high wind warnings in effect from the Northeast to the MidAtlantic, the National Weather Service said.

Winter Storm “Riley” dropped more than a foot (30.5 centimeters) of snow in the western and northern parts of New York state, as heavy rain lashed coastal areas. The storm is expected to taper off overnight or by early Saturday.

Police in James City County, southern Virginia, confirmed a 44-year-old man was killed when a tree fell on the truck he was traveling in—while in Chesterfield County, south of Richmond, authorities said a six-year-old boy was killed when a fallen tree struck him as he slept in his home.

Outside Baltimore, an elderly woman,

77, was also killed when she was hit by a large tree branch in Kingsville, Baltimore County Police & Fire Department said in a statement.

Meanwhile, local media said fallen trees also killed an 11-year-old boy in Putnam Valley, New York, and a man in his 70s in Newport, Rhode Island.

More than 3,000 domestic and international flights were cancelled on Friday and more than 2,400 others were delayed, according to the website FlightAware.

More than half the flights scheduled to arrive and depart from New York’s LaGuardia Airport were cancelled, with sweeping disruptions at Boston Logan International and New York’s two other area airports, Newark and John F. Kennedy International.

Amtrak, the US public railway service, announced that “for safety” all services along the northeast corridor were temporarily suspended.

Trains already en route between the US capital, New York, and Boston would continue to their destinations and hold, it said.

New York, the most populous US city and home to 8.5 million people, was expected to avoid heavy snow but was forecast to receive two to three inches (six centimeters) of rain and wet snow, with gusts of up to 60 miles per hour (96 kilometers per hour). AFP

Sports

A7

SUNDAY, MARCH 4, 2018 randyproject@yahoo.com

Siklab Atleta Foundation President and Presidential Adviser on Sports Dennis Uy (8th from left) join hands with 2019 SEAG Organizing Committee Chairman and DFA Sec. Alan Cayetano, PSC Chairman Butch Ramirez, POC President Ricky Vargas and other sports leaders during the foundation’s launch yesterday in Manila.

Young lady judoka Mariya Takahashi in her gold-medal performance in the KL Southeast Asian Games last year.

SIKLAB BOOSTS PH’S QUEST FOR FIRST OLYMPIC GOLD

By Randy Caluag

W

EIGHTLIFTER Hidilyn Diaz, a silver medalist in the last edition of the Olympics in 201 in Rio, was almost in tears as she watched a video tribute to the past Filipino Olympic medal winners.

“Halos maiyak ako, nag flash sa mind ko iyung winning moment and yung paghihirap na dinaanan ko,” said Diaz, who was one of the guest honors as during the official launch of the Siklab Atleta Pilipinas Sports Foundation yesterday at the Century Park Hotel in Manila.

It rekindled the fire in Diaz to go for the elusive gold. “Naramdaman ko uli na narito kami para manalo, hindi para samin, kundi para sa bayan.”

Diaz and other Olympic hopefuls in the Tokyo 2020 took the spotlight as Siklab Foundation revive a “Sports Godfathership” program wherein the top priority athletes will be given ample support

in their quest to give the country its first ever gold medal.

Siklab Foundation, with Presidential Adviser for Sports Dennis Uy at the helm, is putting its foot forward to encourage private companies to finance selected elite athletes under the program Siklab Atleta.

“The road towards bringing home the first Olympic gold is not easy, but with the support of everybody, we may have chance,” said Uy during the launch, which was also attended by top sports officials led by Philippine Sports Commission chairman Butch Ramirez and newly elected Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) Ricky Vargas.

Uy’s Phoenix Petroleum Corporation reportedly put a seed money of P1 billion pesos and is expected to snowball especially since Vargas is connected with the MVP Group of Companies, owned by sportsman Manny Pangilinan, who known for its vast support to sports.

So far, 16 corporate sponsors namely SM investments Corp., Belle Corporation, RFM Corporation, Alaska Milk Corp., Tanduay Distillery, JG Summit Holdings, Inc., Megawide Construction Corp., International Container Terminal Services, Inc., San Miguel Corporation, PLDT, Unilab, Ulticon Builders Inc., Phoenix Petroleum, 2Go, Megaworld Corporation, Robinsons Land Corporation and Philippine International Air Terminal Corp., have pledged their support.

Aside from Diaz, athletes who will get financial support are Nicole Tagle of archery, Eric Shawn Cray, Trenton Beram and EJ Obiena (athletics); James Dieparine and Nicole Oliva (athletics); Eumir Marcial and John Marvin Tupas (boxing); Marella Salamat, Arianan Dormitrio and Sienna Fines (cycling); Hermie

Hidilyn Diaz (right) speaks with Atty.

Raymond Zorilla of Siklab

Macanaras and OJ Fuentes (Canoe-Kayak); Carlos Yulo andKaitlin De Guzman (gymnastics); Kiyomo Watanabe, Mariya Takahashi, Shugen Nagano and Kesei Nakano (judo); OJ Delos Santos (karate) and Kim Mangobang (triathlon); Philmar Alipayo and Edito Alcala (surfing); Elaine Alora and Pauline Lopez (taekwondo); Geylord Coveta and Yancy Kabigan (windsurfing) and another from weighlifting, Kristel Macrohon.

Also making its appearance at the launch was 2019 Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee Chairman and Department of Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano.

“We may disagree, we may argue but for as long as we are united in the goal of helping our athletes, then we are good,” said Cayetano.

He also said that athletes who have given pride to the Philippines should be taken care

CANLUBANG RETAKES LEAD BY 7 BACOLOD CITY—Canlubang primed itself for a 10th championship after seizing a seven-point lead over defending champion Luisita Saturday in the 32nd Philippine Seniors Interclub golf team tournament.

No one broke 50 points on a day Binitin course turned out to be a tough customer, but the Sugar Barons salvaged 140 points behind the 48 of Dr. Pem Rosal.

Rosal, playing the Interclub for the first time after spending the last 30 years in the United States, did not make a single birdie, but managed to avoid the double bogeys that hurt most of the players.

With Abe Avena and Mari Hechanova adding 47 and 45, respectively, Canlubang posted 140 points that raised its total to 433 points.

Dave Hernandez, one of three Canlubang players who played Binitin twice, did not count with 44, his birdie-less round hurt by a pickup on the sixth hole.

After returning with 149 points Friday, Luisita slumped to 131 points, a score that raised doubts on its ability to defend its title.

Raffy Garcia, who had 50 points Friday, struggled with 45, Benjie Sumulong scored 44 and Chito Laureta rounded up scoring for Luisita with 42.

Edmund Yee, Luisita’s top scorer at Marapara Thursday with 50, had a forgettable 39.

Del Monte, the third team in the championship division, had a total of 41 points after submitting 136. Scoring for the Mindanao-based squad were

Ramon Velez 48, Antonio Arancon 44 and Erning Apas 44.

The three teams return to Marapara on Sunday for the final round with both Canlubang and Luisita exuding confidence.

“It is not a safe lead, but it’s nice to carry that to Marapara,” said Canlubang mainstay Rolly Viray.

Luisita captain Jeric Hechanova remains optimistic.

“No excuses. Our team played bad but fortunately, there’s one more day to go. I feel we have a stronger lineup tomorrow,” Hechanova said.

Eddie Bagtas will lead Luisita’s final round cast.

The others are Jingy Tuason, Rodel Mangulabnan and Benjie Sumulong.

They will be up against Abe Rosal, Damasus Wong, Rolly Viray and Zaldy Villa.

Meanwhile, Rancho Palos Verdes surged on top of the Sportswriters division after posting 123 points at Binitin for a three-day total of 351.

Overnight leader Veterans Golf Club now trails Rancho by 24 after struggling with just 97, allowing TaoTaomona Guam to inch to within four following a 105-point output.

Veterans has a three-day total of 327.

The Interclub’s Platinum sponsors this year are Primax Broadcasting, RMN and Fox, while major sponsors are BusinessWorld Publishing, Rolls Royce, TV5, Philippine Standard.

Other sponsors include Boeing, Under Armour, Eton Properties and Asia Brewery.

Manila

Standard DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES TODAY National Capital Region

REGIONAL BIDS AND AWARDS COMMITTEE INVITATION TO BID PROCUREMENT OF FOREST I ORNAMENTAL SEEDS The DENR-NCR, through the GAA-CY 20181 intends to apply the sum of TWO MILLION FIVE HUNDRED FORTY ONE THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED PESOS (PhP2,541,500.00) being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the contract for “Procurement of Forest/ Ornamental Seeds”. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

The DENR-NCR now invites all interested Phil-GEPS registered contractors, manufacturers, suppliers, dealers, authorized franchised dealers to bid for the following project, to wit: Purchase Request (PR) No.

TUG-OF-WAR. Pem Rosal’s 48 points put

Canlubang back in the lead after three days of golfing action at the PAL Seniors Interclub.

Canlubang, Luisita and Del Monte fought it out at the Binitin golf course (Bacolod Golf & Country Club) before the final battle at Marapara (Negros Occidental Golf & Country Club).

Miguel Tabuena kisses the huge Phl Open trophy after nipping Thai Prom Meesawat in the playoff. and the championship.

When it was over, Tabuena, the 2015 champion in the rainshortened Phl Open at Luisita, stood tall and proud, having erased the stigma of that third round miscue with a kind of resolve rarely seen in young players to win his Phl Open crown in three years.

“I’ve never been mad going to

the final round. I was thinking, it would’ve been different without the two-stroke penalty. It turned out it (infraction) wasn’t enough,” said Tabuena in jest.

“But that’s finished and I’m very happy to be on top,” added the 23-year-old star, who banked another $108,000 (P5.4 million) to his ever-increasing winnings.

More importantly, he kept the extra-ordinary Phl Open diadem at home, this being the 100th tournament of Asia’s oldest National Open and co-sanctioned by OneAsia and the National Golf Association of the Philippines.

“I thank God and I’m really happy to put my name not only once but twice on this trophy, especially this being the Open’s 100th tournament,” said Tabuena. “It will surely boost my confidence for next week in the European Tour in india.”

Meesawat settled for $66,000 out of the record $600,000 total fund in the blue-ribbon event presented by Solaire Resort and Casino and which served as the final leg of the inaugu-

ral Philippine Golf Tour Asia.

“Prom played his heart out and it was really good fight, it was good for us and good for the fans,”Tabuena added.

In the end, it boiled down to heart and grit, which Tabuena flaunted to the hilt.

Slipping behind Meesawat after that rule infraction, Tabuena kept pressing in the last 18 holes but instead found himself trailing even more as the Thai held sway, birdying No. 4 to go 2-up.

Still, Tabuena didn’t lose hope. In fact, he pulled within one again with a birdie on on No. 8 and after the duo bogeyed the next and birdied the 10th, the local star pulled even with a crucial birdie on the 12th.

That set the stage for a nervewracking finish.

In an eyeball-to-eyeball confrontation, neither of the two blinked as they bucked the winds and tricky pin placements by matching pars in the next three holes, holing out with bogeys on the tough No. 16 then trading pars again in the last two.

Unit Cost

Total Cost in Philippine Pesos

Quantity

Unit

300 100 100 100 150 150 150

kilo kilo kilo kilo kilo kilo kilo

Narra Balitbitan Catmon Dita Dwarfed Caballero Bignay Banaba (violet)

1,500 1,500 1,500 1,500 1,000 1,000 1,000

PHP450,00 150,000 150,000 150,000 150,000 150,000 150,000

100

kilo

Palawan Cherry

1,200

120,000

100

kilo

Golden Shower

1,200

120,000

100

kilo

Tabebuia (lavender, bright yellow, pink)

1,200

120,000

100

kilo

Alibangbang (native)

1,200

120,000

100

kilo

Molave

1,500

150,000

50,000

Cuttings

Assorted Ornamental Cuttings

10

500,000

15

25 grams/can

Sweet Pepper Trinity

1,050

15,750

15

25 grams/can

Sweet Pepper Emperor

1,250

18,750

15

25 grams/can

Hot Pepper Sinigang

600

9,000

15

25 grams/can

Hot Pepper Red Hot

1,200

18,000

Item Description Forest / Ornamental Seeds

2018-034

TABUENA CLAIMS SOLAIRE PH OPEN STA. ROSA, Laguna—In a virtual repeat but with a dash of drama and dispute lacking in last year’s championship, Miguel Tabuena pulled off a memorable victory in the 100th Solaire Philippine Open yesterday, edging Thai Prom Meesawat in sudden death to reclaim the coveted crown at The Country Club here.

Tabuena, 23, recovered from an ego-deflating third round blunder that cost him a crucial two-stroke penalty Friday, hitting clutch birdies late in regulation to force a playoff at 289 with a 71 then outduelling the veteran Meesawat, who closed out with a 72, on the first playoff hole.

The Filipino ace hit a solid drive on their return trip to TCC’s treacherous No. 18, barely missed the green then putted to within tap-in distance for par. In contrast, Meesawat drove into the fairway bunker near the big lake, hacked another shot into the greenside bunker and unlike Tabuena, he failed to get out in three off a bad lie. Making it in four, he conceded the hole, the match

of after their heydays.

“Yes the country will“use”you, but it is our commitment to you that we will never forget you. We will take care of you.”

Philippine Sports Commission Chairman Butch Ramirez expressed his gratitude towards the private sector “whose partnership is important to help our athletes succeed.”

Philippine Olympic Committee President Ricky Vargas echoed Ramirez on his message of unity saying“it takes a whole community to support an athlete.” He also said that all sports stakeholders must unite to find the best athletes to represent the country.

Newly-elected POC Chairman, Congressman Bambol Tolentino intimated that the athletes’ “pusong pinoy” is what he feels when he watches a live sporting match,“but in this room, with all of you sports leaders and heroes, dama ang buong pusong pinoy” The Philippines has not yet won an Olympic gold medal since competing in the inaugural in 1924. It has so far bagged 10 medals—three silver and four bronze medals.

Diaz became the third Filipino silver medalist in the Olympics and the first female athlete from the Philippines to bring home an Olympic medal—a feat she did in women’s weightlifting event in Rio de Janeiro in 2016.

That was 20 years after boxer Mansueto Velasco did the feat in the 1996 Olympics.

PSC commissioner Mon Fernandez said it’s about time the athletes take priorities as “we leave all stones unturned in giving glory for our country, especially our quest for our first ever gold medal.”

TOTAL

PhP2,541 ,500

Interested bidder may bid on a per item basis. Delivery of the Goods is required as indicated in the Bid Data Sheet of the Bidding Documents. Bidders should have completed a contract similar to the project in the last five (5) years. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents.

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

Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, partnerships, or organizations with at least sixty percent (60%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines, and to citizens or organizations of a country the laws or regulations of which grant similar rights or privileges to Filipino citizens, pursuant to RA 5183 and subject to Commonwealth Act 138.

Interested bidders must submit their bid proposal from February 28, 2018 to March 7, 2018 and may obtain further information from and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below during 8:00 -5:00 P.M. A complete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased by interested Bidders on February 28, 2018 to March 19, 2018 from the address below and upon payment of a non-refundable fee for the Bidding Documents in the amount of Five Thousand Pesos (Php5, 000. 00).

It may also be downloaded free of charge from the website of the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhiIGEPS) and the website of the Procuring Entity, provided that Bidders shall pay the nonrefundable fee for the Bidding Documents not later than the submission of their bids.

The DENR-NCR will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on March 8, 2018, 2:00 o’ clock in the afternoon, at the Conference Room, 4th Fir. , DENR-NCR Bldg., National Ecology Center, East Avenue, Quezon City which shall be open to all interested parties.

Bids must be delivered to the address below on or before of 10:00 a.m. of March 20, 2018. All Bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in the Bidding Documents.

Bid opening shall be at 10:30 a.m. onwards of March 20, 2018 at the Conference Room, 4th Fir. , DENR-NCR Bldg., National Ecology Center, East Avenue, Quezon City. Bids will be opened in the presence of the Bidders’ representatives who choose to attend at the address below. Late bids shall not be accepted.

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

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

National Ecology Center East Avenue, Quezon City Tel. 9321371 February 27, 2018 (SGD.) ATTY. ALVIN JOSEPH G. CONSTANTINO Chairperson Regional Bids and Awards Commitee 1

In the case of National Government Agencies, the General Appropriations Act and/or continuing appropriations; in the case of GOCCs, GFIs, and SUCs, the Corporate Budget for the contract approved by the governing Boards; in the case of (LGUs, the Budget for the contract approved by the respective Sanggunian. (Section 5(a), R.A. 9184) (MS-MAR. 4, 2018)

A8

Sports

SUNDAY, MARCH 4, 2018 Riera U. Mallari, Editor / Reuel Vidal, Issue Editor sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

TNT, PHOENIX CHASE LAST BUS

Phoenix Petroleum Fuelmasters gunner Jeff Chan (16) tries to dribble past TNT KaTropa defender Kelly Williams (21). PBA

I

T ENDS today.

TNT Ka Tropa and the Phoenix Petroleum Fuelmasters battle for survival in the 2018 Philippine Basketball Association Philippine Cup 6:30 p.m. today Sunday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The winner completes the eight-team cast in the playoffs this conference. The loser gets an

early vacation.

The two teams find themselves in a startling reversal of pre-conference fortunes. TNT was among

TNT KaTropa guard Ryan Reyes (center) tries to split the defense of Phoenix Petroleum Fuelmasters defenders Joseph Eriobu (left) and Matthew Wright. PBA

the early favorites to dominate this conference while Phoenix was expected to be among the early casualties.

That has not been the case this conference thus far.

Matthew Wright of Phoenix made big plays down the stretch to lift his team over TNT, 74-72, last February 7.

Wright converted the game-tying three-pointer to peg the count at 72-all, with 44.1 seconds left. He then set up Doug Kramer for the game-winning basket with 3.0 ticks remaining.

Wright, a Fil-Canadian, finished with 16 points, five rebounds and three steals. Kramer wound up with eight points and seven rebounds.

Anthony Semerad led TNT with 12 points. Roger Pogoy had 10.

It was bad offensive night for both teams, who shot only 37 percent from the field.

Phoenix head coach Louie Alas said the two scoring opportunities actually emanated from the

same play. After draining a three-pointer the TNT defense stuck close to Wright which freed Kramer underneath.

Phoenix had to post a similarly razor-thin decision over the GlobalPort Batang Pier last Friday, March 2 to arrange the playoff against TNT. Phoenix clinched the playoff for the last eight spot after weathering a furious GlobalPort rally to post a 104-100 victory.

The Fuelmasters were on fire early and actually built a 31-point cushion. It proved enough to withstand Batang Pier’s rally. The hard-earned victory allowed Phoenix to finish the eliminations with a 5-6 card.

Wright sparked the early surge of Phoenix as he fired 22 of his 32 points in the first half. Despite the loss, GlobalPort is still through to the playoffs, as it ended up in seventh place after Barangay Ginebra beat the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters in triple overtime later that same play date.

The Fuelmasters saw a fat 66-35 lead early in the third quarter disappear.

They probably expected the Batang Pier—who would essentially have advanced to the quarterfinals regardless of the result—to just go through the motions but instead played like the match was a do-ordie game.

The Batang Pier managed to cut the gap to just four points, 102-98, following a Terrence Romeo fastbreak layup after getting a Stanley Pringle no-look pass with 26.3 second left.

Jeff Chan also delivered for Phoenix with 18 points, all but one in the first three quarters. His last point proved to be crucial as it pushed the Fuelmasters up, 104-98.

Romeo led the Batang Pier in his first game back from a knee injury, finishing with 20 points in 30 minutes off the bench. Sean Anthony added 17 markers, eight boards, five assists, three blocks and two steals.

Pringle chipped in 16 points, 10 assists, six boards, and three steals.

Yousef Taha scored all but two of his 12 points but it all eventually went for naught. Taha stepped up after starting big man Kelly Nabong was ejected late in the first half.

Phoenix Petroleum Fuelmasters do-everything forward JC Intal smashes into TNT KaTropa defender Norbert Torres (12). PBA

ONE PROTECTS ITS FIGHTERS ONE CHAMPIONSHIP has come a long way. From its humble beginnings in 2011 as an idea on a piece of paper, to today becoming Asia’s largest global sports media property in history, the promotion has captivated imaginations all across the world featuring Asia’s greatest cultural treasure—martial arts.

One of the most significant developments that ONE Championship has made over the past couple of years is completely overhauling its weigh-in system. Previously, athletes have had to dehydrate themselves to make weight in order to gain a competitive advantage. This practice is unsafe and proposes many health risks.

ONE Championship decided to change all that by requiring athletes to instead compete at their natural, walking weight.

“Theoretically, ONE Championship’s

revolutionary weigh-in system discourage athletes from cutting weight by dehydration since athletes have to make weight and pass the hydration exam on three consecutive days,” said renowned physician Dr. Warren Wang.

“It’s a common practice in other organizations to make weight by dehydration then rehydrate quickly with an increase of fluid intake by drinking or through intravenous injections.”

Wang is an experienced physician in the field of Emergency Medicine with over 10 years of knowledge and practice under his belt. He joined ONE Championship in 2015 as Vice President of Medical Services, but has been with the company since 2014 under a different capacity. A perfect fit, Wang has also been training in the art of Brazilian jiu-jitsu since 1996, so when it comes to martial arts, he cer-

tainly knows his expertise.

ONE Championship goes to great lengths to ensure its athletes receive the absolute best in medical care. One way to achieve this is by allowing athletes to operate at peak performance by not taking away from their health and safety. By requiring athletes to forego cutting weight by dehydration, athletes give much better performances and are generally happier.

Furthermore, it gets rid of a lot of the risk that comes with weightcutting by dehydration. Dr. Wang says the move came about because weight-cutting became a numbers game and many athletes had tried to game the system to get a competitive advantage. This put their health at risk.

“Even though rehydrated, athletes who went through a tough weight

Team Lakay member Edward Kelly goes through the weigh in process before a ONE Championship fight. ONE Championship

cut to make weight and are at their walking weight, does not necessarily mean that on a cellular level the athletes are hydrated,” said Dr. Wang.

“Furthermore, being rehydrated does not guarantee that the body has all the electrolytes necessary to function at its best capacity, thus impairing physical function.”

Joel Embiid

EMBIID HINTS LEBRON TO 76ERS NEW YORK—Joel Embiid sparked talk of NBA superstar LeBron James leaving the Cleveland Cavaliers for Philadelphia with a Twitter posting Friday after the 76ers win over Cleveland.

Embiid posted a photograph of himself with James sharing a laugh on the court with the message: “Trust The Process??? Always a great time playing against one of the best to ever play the game #summer2018goals.”

The hashtag played upon the fears of Cleveland fans, who already saw James leave the Cavaliers for four seasons with the Miami Heat before returning, that James will depart again when he becomes a free agent in July.

Four-time NBA Most Valuable Player James has played in the past seven consecutive NBA Finals, winning twice with Miami and once with Cleveland, bringing the city its first major sports champion since the NFL Browns in 1964.

But a Pennsylavnia business posted a billboard in Cleveland this week with the hashtag “PhillyWantsLeBron.”

So the idea that one of Embiid’s summer goals might be to bring James, one of the NBA’s top players, to a 76ers squad loaded with young talent such as Australian playmaker Ben Simmons was enough to spark concern.

James denied reports he has visited Philadelphia to look at private schools for his children.

And after seeing the reaction to his tweet regarding James speculation, Embiid added a follow-up message—“It’s not what y’all think lol.”

Still, James picked an interesting moment to begin following Embiid on Instagram.

And James went on Instagram himself to heap praise on Simmons, who shares representation with James.

“I told y’all a while back that my young King was next in line!

Getting better and better every night out! Tonight another example of that,” James posted alongside a game photo of himself and Simmons.

“Fun to watch and compete against you again and #TheProcess @joelembiid. Remember lil bro settle for nothing less than GREATNESS!!!”

The idea that message could extend to the 76ers managemengt when it comes to adding talent is what worries Cavs supporters.

The Cavaliers rank third in the Eastern Conference at 36-25 while the 76ers are 33-27 in sixth. The clubs might even face each other when the NBA playoffs begin next month. AFP

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SUNDAY, MARCH 4, 2018

Business

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

PAYO SIMPLIFIES CASH ON DELIVERY

PH NOW EMBRACES ROBOTS AS CO-WORKERS

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Universal Robots Pte. Ltd. general manager for Southeast Asia and Oceania Shermine Gotfredsen explains the functions of UR3, the latest model of collaborative robot that is now available in the Philippines.

HERMINE Gotfredsen, a Singaporean-Danish mother of two, can discuss robotics over lunch with any man. She is the general manager for Southeast Asia and Oceania of a European producer of flexible and lightweight robot arms that can perform tasks alongside humans.

“Today, we have close to 21,000 collaborative robots deployed worldwide. Globally, we have more than 400 employees and partners. We have offices in 12 countries and last year, our turnover was at a $170 million, which gives us a growth of 72 percent,” says Gotfredsen who heads Universal Robots Pte. Ltd. in the region.

Universal Robots, a Denmark-based company established in 2005 by three Danish engineers and acquired by US firm Teradyne for $285 million in 2015, is a pioneer in the production of ‘cobots’ or collaborative robots designed to share workspace with humans. Co-bots are considered the future of the automation industry because they complement human workers. Over the past decade, the company has produced three co-bot models: UR5, UR10 and UR3.

UR is considered the global leader in cobots with a global market share of 58 percent, according to BIS Research. It has also found great acceptance in the Asia-Pacific region, including the Philippines.

“We have a strong growth in Southeast Asia since 2012 when we started off. In the Philippines, we started distribution only in mid-2016,” Gotfredsen, who is married to a Danish national, says in a news briefing at Dusit Thani Manila Hotel in Makati City.

She says the company saw a strong reception in the Philippines despite the country having one of

the lowest robot density rates in the world. Robot density refers to the number of robots deployed in a country for every 10,000 employees.

“If you look at a global level, 74 robots per 10,000 employees is the typical average for robot density. In Asia, it is 63 units, which is lower than in Europe and North America. For the Philippines, we are really behind. We are at 3 robots for 10,000 employees,” Gotfredsen says, citing figures from the International Federation of Robotics.

“The Philippines trails behind Singapore which has 488 robots per 10,000 employees and is now one of the leading robot adoption countries in the world. So there is definitely a pressing need and room for improvement for businesses in the Philippines to adopt robotic automation in order to compete with regional firms,” she says.

The figures are 45 for Thailand and 34 for Malaysia.

Gotfredsen says that since the company entered the Philippines in mid-2016, it has been well received by different industries. “To our pleasant surprise, we have actually been very successful in the Philippines, considering the low robot density rate we have here, surpassing our expectations. There is a very strong adoption to date in a span of one and a half years,” she says.

Gotfredsen graduated from a vocational education in business administration from the International Business College in Kolding before becoming a Danish resident. Before joining Universal Robots, she worked as a sales coordinator for a Danish home ware products company. Prior to that, she founded a successful children’s enrichment business in Singapore from 2000 to 2007.

She now lives in Singapore with her husband and two children. She enjoys traveling, cooking and reading.

“The Philippines needs to seize automation opportunities to stay competitive and avoid losing ground to its neighbors. We are committed to supporting local businesses adopt our co-bot solutions, working closely with our partners in the

Philippines to make automation accessible to all.

We offer free seminars and technical workshops on co-bots in the Philippines and welcome local companies to learn how co-bot technology can benefit their businesses,” she says.

While she does not give a specific number of co-bots deployed in the Philippines so far, Gotfredsen says the main industry drivers are automotive, electronics, food and beverage and fast-moving consumer goods.

“We have currently expanded our channel partners to two in the Philippines,” she says.

UR has recently tapped Asia Integrated Machine Inc. to provide a one-stop solution for manufacturing firms, including processing, weighing, packaging, inspection, conveying, palletizing and warehousing.

The partnership will see AIM deploy and offer customized automation solutions comprising end-effectors and accessories for UR’s co-bots.

“We have just forged partnership with Asia Integrated Machines and naturally, with the group results, we will continue to focus on investing heavily into the market to support the demands that we are seeing in the Philippines. One of the strategies is to make available a series of free seminars and technical workshops to further pass on this knowledge to the market so they understand the availability of the technology and can explore automation for their businesses,” says Gotfredsen.

AIM is UR’s second channel partner in the Philippines after Elixir Industrial Equipment which has been instrumental in growing UR’s distribution base in the country since 2016.

“Usually in the first year in the market that we enter, we do not see as high adoption as we have witnessed in the Philippine market,”says Gotfredsen who expects sales to further grow this year.

Gotfredsen says that globally, UR’s sales climbed 72 percent to $170 million in 2017. “The expectation here is aligned with our global growth that we have been experiencing. In Southeast Turn to B2

PAG-IBIG RECOGNIZES TADECO FOR HOUSING EXCELLENCE THE government’s Pag-Ibig Fund has conferred a plaque of recognition to Tadeco Agricultural Development Company for topping the list of corporations in the Visayas/Mindanao with approved multi-purpose and housing loans for their workers.

Pag-Ibig chair Eduardo del Rosario handed the plaque over to Alex Valoria, president of Tadeco at the awarding rites held in February in Pasay City.

Valoria said the award was a “manifestation of the government’s solid vote of confidence” to Tadeco’s continuing program to lift its worker’s quality of life.

“This recognition inspires us to pursue with even more vigor our initiatives at people empowerment under the

state’s overarching objectives to attain sustainable social and economic development in the country, notably in the agriculture sector where we belong,” Valoria said.

Tadeco is one of the top producers and exporters of fresh Cavendish bananas to Japan, Hong Kong, China, Korea, Middle East, Russia, Malaysia and Singapore.

Pag-Ibig or the Home Development Mutual Fund is a government-owned and controlled corporation under the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council that manages the national savings program and affordable shelter financing for Filipinos employed by local and foreign-based employers as well as voluntary and self-employed members.

Tadeco president Alex Valoria (left) and human resources division senior manager Zaeus Apollo Vadil proudly display the plaque of recognition given by PagIbig Fund.

PAYO, a gateway that manages and simplifies cash on delivery, has launched a new platform to simplify and improve the productivity of online businesses and enable them to take advantage of the e-commerce platform.

Ofri Kadosh, co-founder and chief executive of Payo, said that the full-suite of the new platform’s capabilities will help to minimize cancellations and increase revenues while allowing merchants to better navigate the process. “ We k n ow t h e s t r u g g l e of businesses operating in the e-commerce spaceand what they have to contend with particularly when it comes to integrating cash-on-delivery in their payment process. One of the main challenges are order cancellations, which happens to about 30 percent to 35 percent of their transactions.

For merchants, this means an automatic loss in revenue,” said Kadosh.

In the Philippines, e-commerce is a fast-growing industry, as Filipinos spend 8.5 hours online a day. Around 33.3 million of the population use smartphones while 69 million are active internet users.

In 2016, the annual e-commerce revenue reached $1.5 billion.

Furthermore, Filipinos lead the world globally in terms of amount of time spent on social media, spending an average of four hours and 17 minutes a day on social platforms, according to a 2017 report by social media management platform Hootsuite and social media consultants We Are Social Ltd. Kadosh said local merchants need to integrate COD in their business model, given that 93 percent of Filipinos prefer paying cash when buying online. Only eight percent of the population carr y a credit card while 72 percent still do not have bank accounts.

To help e-commerce businesses, Payo developed a platform that will allow for both the merchants and their consumers to experience better and faster COD transactions.

It works as an interface that can be added to the merchant’s shopping carts. Once the consumers start placing their orders, a pool of data scientists will then process every sale, record and analyze the clients order history.

Payo developed a consumer data analysis that builds credit history for COD consumers and employs fraud detection to identify potentially problematic accounts minimizing the incidence of cancellations even before the parcel leaves the merchants’ warehouse.

Working with any courier, Payo Solution also integrates courier optimization algorithms to choose the most convenient and practical type of courier to use from among the company’s pool of trusted partners. Among these are LBC, 2Go, Black Arrow Express, Ninja Van, Honest Bee, Zoom, Lalamove and Dalasia.

While the product is moving from the merchant’s warehouse to the customer, Payo’s solutions can also be used to streamline the process of track ing the orders and communicating with the customers for updates of their order. Once the delivery is successful, Payo can also monitor money collection and remit the earnings to the merchant.

Data insights collected from all the deliveries drawn from Payo can be utilized as well to ensure early and immediate remittance to help merchants manage cash flow and scale up their business.

Payo only charges when the delivery is successful assuring the merchants of good service.

Aside from the launch of the new platform, Payo is set to release a mobile application later this year to make it easier for consumers to track their orders.

Business

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SUNDAY, MARCH 4, 2018 business@manilastandard.net

CITEM BRINGS PH EXPORTERS TO JAPAN SEVENTEEN Philippine companies are set to exhibit under FoodPhilippines in the 43rd edition of International Food & Beverage Exhibition, or FoodEx Japan, at Makuhari Messe in Chiba, Japan on March 6 to 9.

FoodEx Japan is known as a major gateway to the Japanese market. Last year, the four-day event welcomed over 3,000 local and international exhibitors, as well as more than 82,000 buyers from the food manufacturing, service, distribution, and trading sectors across the global food industry.

Led by the Department of Trade and Industry-Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions, the Philippine delegation is keen to showcase the country’s premier fresh tropical products, as well as its processed derivatives and by-products.

“We have selected 17 Philippine companies to showcase our finest tropical offering and other high-quality selection of food products in Japan,” said Nora Terrado, DTI’s Undersecretary for Trade and Investments Promotion Group.

Tropical fruits to be showcased include banana, coconut, mulberry, papaya, pineapple and mango. The Philippine delegation will also highlight organic, cakes and confectionary, tuna, ice pops and muscovado sugar.

Joining the delegation are Agrinurture Inc., Association of Laguna Food Processors, Big E Food Corp., Citra Mina Canning Corp., CJ Uniworld Corp., GSL Premium Food Export Corp. and Miesto International Foods Corp.

PH...

From B1

Asia, we are growing rather at similar rate as the global growth, which last year was 72 percent. Our target moving forward is above 50 percent. So that’s what we work with for the next three to five years,” she says.

She says the use of co-bots is not limited to factories or manufacturing industries. “Basically it is not restrictive to any industry. But if we look at manufacturing in the Philippines, then we see a lot in electronics, electrical, FMCG, F&B, automotive and even the medical industry. These are definitely the industries we are serving on a global level, and thereby will be relevant for us. But if we have companies taking them out to restaurants, that is good,” she says.

“Because of the characteristics of universal robots, we see developers, partners and even research institutions coming out with very innovative applications in the services sector, F&B like restaurants, cafes and bars, in hospitals and even in film making.

Creativity is limitless and is up to imagination,” she says.

Gotfredsen says unlike conventional industrial robots that are large, bulky, large and difficult to program, co-bots are small, compact, lightweight, flexible and safe. It saves space and can work in a confined environment with human workers, she says. The six-axis co-bot arms can do any repetitive movement or motion, from plucking items to stacking boxes, painting or welding.

“The robotics market was dominated by very large, bulky, different to program robots and typically only afforded by large companies. This is how the whole idea of developing robot technology that is accessible to everyone came about. We wanted to develop robots that are affordable to small and medium businesses—small, lightweight, easy to program and safe to work alongside people,” she says.

UR’s smallest robot arm is UR3 which has a maximum payload of 3 kilograms.

The unit costs about 20,000 euros with an estimated payback period of two to three years.

“If you look at the UR3, the maximum payload is 3 kg. The weight of the robot arm is only 11 kg. That is a very good ratio. Typically for the same payload in the market, conventional robot will require 20 kg to 50 kg. With UR3, I can basically carry this robotic system and move it from one place to another.

On the other hand, the size of the conventional robot computer box is like a refrigerator,” she says.

Gotfredsen says co-bots are not meant to displace human workers but to complement them. She says that in India, co-bots have enabled women to account for a half of the labor force in a leading automotive company.

“Automation has proven to have helped businesses expand. If you do not do automation in the first place, your business would not have taken to greater heights. We need to bear in mind that automation is a facilitator to help the business expand as well,” says Gotfredsen.

“If the business aims to expand further, it is good to adopt automation,” she says. Roderick T. dela Cruz

DEVELOPER UNVEILS 100-YEAR SOLAR HOMES

H

OUSING developer Imperial Homes Corp. has launched the country’s first lifetime home and second-generation of solar-powered low-cost housing.

“The Imperial Lifetime Home is not just solar-powered. It’s built to last a lifetime,” Imperial Homes said in a statement.

Boasting of 100 years of material lifespan and solar power solutions, Imperial Lifetime Homes is not only a first in the country but also in the world. The budget-friendly and sustainable housing line is making its debut at Via Verde Subdivision in Sto. Tomas, Batangas.

In May 2016, Imperial Homes was recognized by The Financial Times and International Finance Cor p. for transfor mational business in the ‘Achievement in Low-Carbon Urban Transformation’ category.

The company continues to be the poster child of IFC for its solarpowered projects, showcasing happy homeowners as living testimonials that world-class green homes are available to the low-income housing market in the Philippines.

Now, Imperial Homes Corp. is breaking a world record by producing high-performance concrete house panels that can last a lifetime for low-cost homes in the Philippines.

The Imperial Lifetime Home is the first low-cost housing line in the Philippines to use Connovate, a high-performance concrete building technology developed in Demark and intended for the high-end market.

Imperial Homes is taking it further by combining Connovate with solar power solutions, which the company is already known for. As a result, the company said it is elevating lives of low-income Filipinos with globally recognized and certified homes built with imported technologies.

The Imperial Lifetime Homes housing line is made possible

by I mper ial Homes Cor p.’s partnership with Connovate Philippines Inc. which has the exclusive production licensing agreement from Connovate Denmark. The automated Danish factory location in Silang, Cavite has a full capacity of two houses per day in production. As a result,

Imperial Homes Corp. CEO Emma Imperial

it now has a Philippine record as the fastest developer with the installation of 6 ground-floor units a day.

Due to its construction speed, Connovate Philippines Inc. addresses one of the biggest problems in the country’s housing backlog. Many lowcost housing developers could not meet the deadline to deliver quality homes to its buyers, resulting in poor quality homes that can last for 30 years only.

“The Imperial Lifetime Home is a better investment because of 100 years material lifespan on the panel system, which highlights bigger savings. Because it is built to last for several generations, we also call it a ‘pamana’ home,” said Emma Imperial, chief executive of Imperial Homes Corp.

The Imperial Lifetime Homes line redefines green homes with 100 years of material lifespan on the panel system. The panels have the strength of 14,000 psi, which can withstand up to 1,000-degree heat, and are resistant to molds, pests,and deterioration. Since they are fast to build and assemble, it enables short construction time.

Because of its 100 years material lifespan, the value of the homes will be three times more than nonlifetime homes due to lesser cost in renovation, according to the company.

“From an affordable price ranging from P1.6 million to P1.9 million, an Imperial Lifetime Home is projected to increase in value at P7.5 million in 30 years compared to non-lifetime homes, which will have a projected

value of P4.2 million. Refurbishment costs are also lowered by 166 percent in 30 years,” the company said.

An Imperial Lifetime Home valued at less than P2 million today is seen to have a ‘pamana’ value of P95 million toP110 million in 100 years compared to non-lifetime homes, which will be worth around P39 million, it said.

“The second-generation solarpowered home helps in mitigating climate change since the production of the concrete panels uses less cement, reducing CO2 emissions.

Imperial Homes Corp. is the first developer to do this in the country,” said Imperial.

Every Imperial Lifetime Home helps reduce CO2 emissions by up to 4.4 tons per 100 years. Since it’s combined with solar solutions that help avoid up to 120 tons of CO2 emissions per 100 years, the home can reduce up to 124.4 tons of CO2 emissions per 100 years.

The Imperial Lifetime Home can also help lower electricity bills through the solar panels installed on the roof.

Imperial Homes Corp. is a recipient of Edge or Excellence in Design and for Greater Efficiencies after passing the global standard for green building.

“Big savings on electricity. Big savings on refurbishments. Big savings from a healthy home. Imperial Lifetime Homes provide better home investment opportunities for lowincome Filipinos with world-class green homes that can last a lifetime.

This marks the beginning of a new era in low-cost housing in the Philippines,” said Imperial.

SMART INTRODUCES PREPAID LOAD OFFER WITH FREE INSURANCE DRIVERS of public utility vehicles will be among the first to enjoy the benefits of safer, worry-free travel through TNT SecureLoad—a revolutionary prepaid airtime load offer of Smart Communications, bundled with free accident micro-insurance in partnership with emerging market insurance player, Bima.

Unveiled during the assembly of PUV drivers at Amoranto Ampitheater in Quezon City, TNT SecureLoad aims to provide members of the transport sector access to personal accident insurance using one of the most ubiquitous tools of today—the mobile phone.

“We are happy to provide this innovative service to Filipinos. Aside from giving more value to their prepaid airtime load, our new TNT SecureLoad offers open the door to broader financial inclusion, literacy and security for the beneficiaries of this service,” said Ramon Isberto, public affairs head for PLDT Inc. and Smart.

“We are thrilled to be rolling out this service in partnership with Smart.

Bima’s success in the mobile insurance space, with presence in 14 countries across Africa, Asia and Latin America and a registered customer base of 24 million, is a testament to the role mobile technology can play to make insurance accessible to underserved consumers in

A passenger utility vehicle driver and member of PasangMasda transport group (right) discusses with a TNT representative the details of the new free insurance service offered

by Smart and insurance company Bima.

emerging markets,” said Bima regional manager Harish Karakoti.

The built-in accident insurance service is available through Smart’s value brand TNT. “By offering a convenient way to get insurance coverage, TNT expands its services to subscribers who already enjoy our affordable call, text,

and data packages. We are pleased with this partnership with BIMA, which enables us to make this service available to more mobile users,” said Joanne Hatulan, TNT marketing head.

Members of the PUV sector can avail of the load service with built-in accident insurance in three ways.

First, PUV drivers can get the TNT Trip ng Tropa SIM for P30, which comes preloaded with unlimited all-net SMS good for two days, free P50,000 personal accident death or disability benefit, and P300 daily hospital accident benefit valid for seven days.

Second, customers can subscribe to the TNT Secure70 or S70 load offer for P70. Valid for seven days, this comes with unlimited all-net SMS, 70 minutes of Smart, TNT and Sun calls, free P50,000 personal accident death or disability benefit, and P300 daily hospitalization benefit for a maximum of 30 days.

Finally, TNT Secure300 or S300 TNT load variant comes with unlimited allnet SMS, 300 minutes of Smart, TNT and Sun calls, plus 300 MB open access mobile data, with free P50,000 personal accident death benefit, and P300 daily hospitalization accident benefit. This may be availed of for as low as P300 and is good for 30 days.

Current TNT users may subscribe to SecureLoad offers by texting S70 or S300 to 4545.

“We are thankful for this new service that provides our members with access to free personal insurance coverage.

This gives us additional security and helps ease our worries as we work hard for our families,” said PasangMasda national president Roberto Martin.

Tech & Gadgets

NOKIA INTRODUCES 5 NEW PHONES H

MD Global, the home of Nokia phones, announced four new additions to its award-winning portfolio of Android smartphones—Nokia 8 Sirocco, Nokia 7 Plus, new Nokia 6 and Nokia 1.

Delivering all the craftsmanship you expect from a Nokia phone, each new smartphone offers durability and reliability as standard, with the range setting new benchmarks in materials and design.

Furthering its promise to a pure, smart, secure and up-to-date Android experience, HMD Global also announced it is to become the first global partner to have a full suite of devices[i] selected into the Android One programme by Google. The unwavering commitment to deliver a pure, secure and up-to-date Android experience has ensured Nokia smartphones were a natural fit for the global programme.

In addition to these stunning new Android smartphones, the iconic Nokia 8110 is reloaded, delivering 4G connectivity, apps including Google Assistant, Google Maps, Google Search, Facebook and Twitter, and the return of the slider phone.

Pure, secure and up-to-date reinforced with Android One commitment Three new Nokia smartphones—the Nokia 8 Sirocco, Nokia 7 Plus and the new Nokia 6—join the Android One family, offering a high quality software experience designed by Google. Each phone will stay fresh over time with the latest AI powered innovations to the highest grade of security from Google.

With a pure Android installation, Nokia smartphones come with no unnecessary UI changes or hidden processes that would eat up battery life or slow them down so you can enjoy your new phone for longer. Each of the new phones comes with a limited number of pre-installed apps so that you’ll get more storage space, as well as the latest innovations that help you stay ahead of the game every day.

By shipping with Android Oreo™ out of the box, you’ll be able to enjoy

Nokia 7 Plus

the latest features, including Picturein-Picture for multitasking, Android Instant Apps to discover and run apps with minimal friction, 60 fantastic new emojis and battery-maximising features like limiting background app use.

Introducing four new Nokia Android smartphones and expansion of the portfolio: Nokia 8 Sirocco: An ultra-compact powerhouse for the fans Inspired by the rich design heritage of Nokia phones, the Nokia 8 Sirocco’s elegant design and compact style is the ideal blend of precise craftsmanship and purposeful innovation. Delivering powerful storytelling features including enhanced Dual-Sight, ZEISS optics and carefully tuned acoustics with Nokia spatial audio, the Nokia 8 Sirocco is an

To enable you to capture and enjoy more content for longer, the Nokia 7 Plus is backed by the powerful Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 660 Mobile Platform.

It’s been optimised and integrated for maximum performance and battery life, even when you are broadcasting your #Bothie videos live on Facebook or YouTube. Optimised to extract every bit of juice from the already powerful 3800 mAh battery, the Nokia 7 Plus delivers an amazing 2-day battery life.

New Nokia 6

Nokia 8 Sirocco

ultra-compact powerhouse, and our most beautiful smartphone to date.

Its curved glass finish envelops a precision-crafted stainless-steel frame to deliver a fusion of strength and beauty. Just 2mm thin at the edge, the Nokia 8 Sirocco combines a curved edge-to-edge pOLED 2K 5.5-inch display with smaller bezels and moulded body curves to create an ultra-compact profile.

Nokia 7 Plus: the flagship hero for everyone Made for creators to deliver stunning content, the Nokia 7 Plus has the screen, power, design and features to make it a true hero in our smartphone range.

Combining innovative optical hardware and imaging algorithms, the Nokia 7 Plus captures moments into photos that are true to life. With enhanced Dual-Sight, dual rear sensors with ZEISS optics combine an ultra-sensitive 12MP wide-angle primary camera for excellent performance in both low-light and extra bright conditions and a secondary 13MP camera that delivers 2x optical zoom for the moments when you wish you were closer.

The New Nokia 6: Our award-winning phone just got even better Building on the success of its predecessor, the New Nokia 6 packs even more powerful performance and great new features in a more compact, durable body. Over 60% faster than its award-winning predecessor, it now offers enhanced Dual-Sight, ZEISS optics, USB-C fast-charging, a more compact screen-to-body ratio, Nokia spatial audio and pure, secure and up-to-date Android Oreo™.

The New Nokia 6 takes the original’s precision craftsmanship to the next level by combining a unibody, made from a solid block of 6000 series aluminium, with an 11-hour two-tone anodising and polishing process. And by uniting a sculpted 2.5D display with damageresistant Corning® Gorilla® Glass, the New Nokia 6’s compact and refined body is built to last.

Nokia 1: A complete Nokia smartphone experience, accessible to everyone The Nokia 1 is a breakthrough in accessible technology, delivering smartphone essentials with the reassuring quality you expect of a Nokia phone and a refreshingly familiar design to fans around the world. Giving more people access to technology, it comes with Android Oreo™ (Go edition), a version of Android optimized for devices with 1GB RAM or less. The Nokia 1 is designed to be smooth and responsive, with full access to the Google Play™ Store so you can find all your favourite apps from WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram to mobile banking while also highlighting

Nokia 8110

apps that a r e optimised for A n d ro i d Oreo™ (Go edition).

Featuring the iconic ‘Nokia smile’ in a fresh new package, you can give your Nokia 1 a makeover thanks to the popular Xpress-on covers, available in a range of vibrant colours. Simply click on and off in seconds to express your personal style with these exchangeable covers. Each cover has been built with the same precision and attention to detail as the phone’s original cover.

Inherently coloured, the tough two-tone polycarbonate cover is ready to take on every day knocks and bumps with its durable design.

For the Originals: Reloading Nokia 8110 Reloading the legendary Nokia 8110, this 4G feature phone comes complete with the iconic curved slider design.

Giving you the chance to switch off, have fun and relax with the knowledge that all your smartphone essentials are there when you need them.

With a familiar and easy to use interface, it features intuitive tactile mechanics, with slide to answer and end calls, as well as an addictive helicopter style spin on its axis. Nokia 8110 comes with the craftsmanship you expect from a Nokia phone, delivering durability and reliability as standard. Nokia 8110 delivers crystalclear VoLTE calling and is perfect for anyone who wants an iconic 4G feature phone or a companion phone.

With access to an app store, for favourites like Google Assistant, Google Search, Google Maps, Facebook and Twitter, send and receive emails or import your contacts and sync your calendar with Outlook and Gmail. To keep it running flawlessly, the Nokia 8110 features the Qualcomm® 205 Mobile Platform. And yes, it comes with a revamped version of Snake.

Nokia 1

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SUNDAY, MARCH 4, 2018 rumallari@thestandard.com.ph

SWISS FIRM BRINGS IN CLOUD-BASED E-VEHICLE CHARGING STATIONS ABB, a global industrial technology firm, partnered with QEV Philippines to supply 200 Terra 53 electric vehicle fast-charging stations in the Philippines for the next three years.

Four EV charging stations are expected to be installed in select gasoline stations in Metro Manila during the first quarter of 2018.

ABB is a leader in all phases of the EV value chain, from seamlessly managing the flow of electricity from grid to vehicle to integrating service information and payments. ABB has installed more than 6,000 cloud-based charging solutions in over 55 countries.

“ABB is delighted to be involved in bringing game-changing technologies to the transportation landscape in the Philippines,” said Frank Mühlon, head of ABB’s Global Business for Electric Vehicle Charging. He further elaborated, “This is an important step in moving away from fossil fuel-dependent vehicles to cleaner, more sustainable options.”

ABB supplies Terra 53 chargers as part of a broader cloud-enabled network.

As part of the ABB Ability™ portfolio of connected solutions, the network allows users to access internet-based connected services such as remote assistance, tailored diagnostic troubleshooting and repair, and remote updates and upgrades.

TheTerra 53 charger is a cost-effective, all-in-one, multi-standard AC and DC fast charger that is compatible with e-vehicles, such as jeepneys that run on lithium ion batteries. Fast-charging stations like Terra 53 should be able to charge batteries from 20% to up to 80% in 15 minutes. Using EVs will help eliminate fuel-dependent vehicles and encourage the use of clean and renewable energy.

With a more sustainable mobility plan, ABB and QEV Philippines will work hand-in-hand to promote a cleaner environment while supporting the government’s public utility vehicle (PUV) modernization program. Starting this year, QEV will be seeking assistance from the government to convert 10,000 units of jeepneys to eco-friendly e-jeeps annually.

“Together with ABB, QEV fully supports the government’s public utility vehicle modernization program. Our vision to convert some 20,000 jeepneys into cleaner EVs will help operators reduce energy and maintenance costs,” said QEV Philippines General Manager Audrey Penaranda.

ABB (ABBN: SIX Swiss Ex) is a pioneering technology leader in electrification products, robotics and motion, industrial automation and power grids, serving customers in utilities, industry and transport & infrastructure globally.

Continuing a history of innovation spanning more than 130 years, ABB today is writing the future of industrial digitalization with two clear value propositions: bringing electricity from any power plant to any plug and automating industries from natural resources to finished products. As title partner of Formula E, the fully electric international FIA motorsport class, ABB is pushing the boundaries of e-mobility to contribute to a sustainable future. ABB operates in more than 100 countries with about 135,000 employees. www.abb.com.

SONY a7Riii: REDEFINING WAY YOU LOOK AT PHOTOS EVERY photographer aims to capture superb image quality in the photos they take, ensuring that every image captured retains the beauty of what is seen. In the world of mirrorless cameras, Sony has proven itself a leader with its full-frame A7 series, and this was clearly evident when the brand engaged their ambassadors and influencers to a #PicturesInFull campaign and series of workshops that showcased the quality of these Alpha cameras.

Employing top-of-the-line technology to ensure optimal resolution, dynamic range, and fast processing speed and shooting response, Sony’s a7 series full-frame cameras are where quality meets superb functionality and moments captured are just as inspiring as the real-life image. To add to this already impressive line-up of products Sony’s recently launched α7Riii provides photographers with the ultimate full-frame advantage to capture moments in amazing quality.

Professional photographers and photography enthusiasts saw the versatility and prowess of the newest Alpha camera through a series of photography sessions conducted by top photography professionals across industries. Paco Guerrero, Charisma Lico, Nigel Laxamana and Pilar Trigo Bonnin inspired enthusiasts and aspiring professionals alike, through their captured images that showcased the outstanding detail, sensitivity, and quality of the α7Riii.

Offering superior speed, high-resolution imaging and unmatched performance even under the harshest conditions, the Sony α7Riii boasts of an entirely renewed image processing system with features that include: Equipped with High-speed Continuous Shooting of up to 10fps with AF/AE tracking which delivers superior AF coverage, speed and tracking performance; Packed with a 42.4 MegaPixel Quality that lets you discover the

world in remarkable detail while its Fast Hybrid AF with 399-Point Focal-Plane Phase-detection AF Sensor and 425-Point ContrastDetection AF keeps the subject’s eyes in sharp focus; With Supreme Sensitivity at ISO 100-32000 and wide dynamic range, images are delivered in high-quality and in spectacular detail. Its 5-axis Image Stabilization that allows you to zoom, snap close-ups and capture right scenes in greater clarity.

HOME CREDIT SIGNS MOA WITH DSWD. Home Credit Philippines

Known to take the most extraordinary photographs, the Sony α7Riii boasts of an entirely renewed image processing system offering higher speed performance of up to 2x improved AF speed, tracking and accelerated and predictive auto-focus and advanced image processing capabilities, leaving you with only the most stunning shots under the harshest conditions.

Available in Sony stores nationwide for P179,999.

recently signed a Memorandum of Agreement with the Department of Social Welfare and Development–NCR on Jan. 25, establishing a formal, long-term partnership to enable the two institutions to share resources in promoting financial literacy, primarily through the integration of Juan, Two, Three program into the modules of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) beneficiaries.

This partnership between HCPH and DSWD will run for three years aims to increase the level of well-being and promote sustainable development among the 4Ps beneficiaries. Also, it aims to strengthen institutional partnerships in championing financial inclusion. Signing the agreement is HCPH Head of PR Jerome Mangahas, DSWD- NCR Regional Director Vincent Andrew Leyson and HCPH Financial Literacy Ambassador Marjorie Olfindo.

B4

SUNDAY, MARCH 4, 2018 Riera U. Mallari, Editor rumallari@thestandard.com.ph

TECH & Gadgets

LENOVO SEES INTELLIGENCE TRANSFORMING EVERYTHING Lenovo makes all the critical human connections to AI, from devices to data center.

B

ARCELONA—Lenovo recently reinforced its 2018 vision for technology innovations, moving its core strategy to Augmented Intelligence at the MWC 2018.

With its roots in the PC space, Lenovo has created one of the most complete collections of smart AI devices, giving it a unique advantage to provide the three key elements of Intelligence: Data, Computing Power and Algorithm.

Through new AR, VR and voiceactivated technologies demonstrated at the show, Lenovo gives you powerful new ways to live, work and play. From intuitive new voice-enabled Yoga™ 2-in-1 laptops launched today, to transformative Moto Mods, to advanced data center solutions, Lenovo makes all the critical human connections to AI, from devices to data center.

A Different Smartphone Experience At MWC, Motorola will be illustrating how it continues to challenge the industry with premium smartphone

features at great value price points, and how innovation lives in our DNA with transformative Moto Mods that help you monitor your wellness, among other things. The Motorola Health Mod will be showcased, which allows you to easily measure five vital signs including accurate systolic and diastolic blood pressure, all via your moto z device.

Motorola will be sharing insights around its recently released global Phone-Life Balance Study which has been developed in partnership with Dr. Nancy Etcoff, renowned expert in Mind-Brain Behavior and the Science of Happiness at Harvard.

The study identifies problematic behaviors that are impacting relationships with others and ourselves and shows how people are putting their phones before those they care about,

with the most alarming findings tied to younger generations who have grown up in a digital world.

Motorola believes technology should enrich our lives, rather than distract from them and is offering intelligent solutions to help people manage their phone life balance. This includes a partnership with SPACE, an app that helps to make you more mindful of your phone usage, and Moto Experiences that support more intuitive mobile interactions.

A Different Approach to Voice Lenovo’s PC and Smart Devices business is developing new products to transform commercial and consumer experiences through Augmented Intelligence.

At MWC, Lenovo will be introducing the new Yoga 730 (in 13-inch and 15-inch models) and the new 14inch Yoga 530—the latest additions to its 2-in-1 family designed for the mobile generation. The new Win-

dows 10-based convertibles feature modern designs, powerful laptop performance and tablet portability that have made the Lenovo Yoga an iconic premium laptop brand since it first pioneered the convertible form factor. The new Yoga 730 harnesses the power of AI to give you intelligent assistance hands-free. With both Cortana and Alexa built-in, it offers more choice and recognizes voice commands from across the room. [1] Lenovo’s new trio of ruggedized Lenovo 500e, 300e 2-in-1’s and 100e Chromebooks built for education are now available for consumers. Beyond the protective designs to guard against spills and drops, the 300e Chromebook features Lenovo Enhanced Touch technology that allows the use of everyday objects to interact with the screen and the 500 e Chromebook provides an EMR™ Pen with Google®’s innovative near lag-free algorithms for writing and sketching.

WHAT WE LEARNED ABOUT SAMSUNG GALAXY S9, S9+

THE newest flagship smartphone from the Samsung Galaxy S series, the SAMSUNG Galaxy S9 and S9+, has arrived and it is better than ever allowing users to redefine how we communicate, share, and experience the world.

Here are 9 awesome things we learned about the Galaxy S9, S9+, and the reimagined camera at the Global Unpacked in Barcelona, Spain last Feb. 25, streamed live in Manila on Feb. 26 at the Grand Hyatt Manila.

The Super Slow-mo feature can capture up to 960 frames per second.

Everyday moments become more dynamic when captured with the Galaxy S9 and S9+. The Galaxy S9’s new Super Slow-mo feature captures what your eyes can’t with video that is four times slower than traditional slow-motion videos. Users can customize their slow-mo videos with a wide selection of background music, as well as create looping GIF files that they can save or share to their friends in three different ways—video on loop, in reverse, or swing mode (e.g., Boomerang).

The Dual Aperture Cameras - like

the human eye - allow you to adapt to either super low light to super bright light conditions. The Galaxy S9 and S9+ are equipped with a Super Speed Dual Pixel 12MP rear camera with autofocus (AF) sensor and optical image stability (OIS). The Galaxy S9+, however, takes it up a notch with an additional Telephoto 12MP rear camera with AF sensor.

Both smartphones feature an 8MP AF front camera (F1.7), and their rear cameras possess Dual Aperture (F1.5/F2.4). In other words, grainy, washed-out photos will be a thing of the past with the Galaxy S9 and S9+.

The Galaxy S9 and S9+ capture your feelings flawlessly. Personalize your avatar and emojis to express yourself in the best way possible with Augmented Reality (AR) Emoji. The Galaxy S9 and S9+ can analyze your photo and map out over 100 facial features to create your very own 3D model that imitates a wide variety of expressions.

Bixby helps you understand the world and navigate through life.

With AR technology integrated into the camera, Bixby can provide use-

ful information about your current surroundings via real-time object detection and recognition. The intelligence platform can also help you translate foreign languages and currency with Live Translation.

The Super AMOLED Infinity Display is back, and it’s brighter than ever. Last year, the Galaxy S8 and S8+ made waves with its bold, bright, and almost bezel-free Super AMOLED Infinity Display. The Galaxy S9 and S9+ bring back the trademark curved Quad HD screen—5.8 inches for S9 and 6.2 inches for S9+—with added adaptive contrast enhancement.

Meaning, even direct sunlight will not hinder the screen from producing stunning displays.

The Galaxy S9 and S9+ are your very own mobile “theaters”. The Galaxy S9 and S9+ sport stereo speakers tuned by AKG, known for providing pure sound experiences with minimal distortion. The phones also support Dolby Atmos, giving that 360-degree sound effect. These features, coupled with the Infinity Display, provide cinematic entertainment experiences on-the-go.

ORIENTE EXPRESS JOINS OTHERS TO FORM FINTECHALLIANCE.PH

ORIENTE Express has come together with other digital finance companies to establish FinTechAlliance.ph.

With their combined efforts, these companies aim to drive financial innovation, provide a forum for the discussion of the future of technology and finance, and deliver social impact.

“The alliance was created to enable and strengthen the drive towards working for a financially inclusive Philippines,” said Katrina Cokeng, Oriente Express General Manager, and FinTechAlliance.ph Vice Chair. “We are working closely with the country’s regulators and leading FinTech companies to

make sure we create financial solutions that deliver positive impact to the underbanked Filipinos.”

FinTechAlliance.ph includes various FinTech firms such as Grab Philippines, Smart Communications Inc., Lendr, Uber Philippines, Cash Credit, Acudeen, Coins.ph, Lenddo, Mynt, PayMaya, PawnHero, Seedbox, and TrueMoney.

The association will focus on collaborative and strategic moves to further stimulate innovation towards inclusive growth and empowerment of the emerging Filipino classes.

“The formation of FinTechAlliance.ph is very timely as all industries in the country are undergoing

digital transformation. Having a unified representation will make collaboration and communications more efficient,” said Teresita Herbosa, Securities and Exchange Commission Chairperson.

Oriente Express is a partnership between Greater China-based Oriente (which is behind internet giants Skype and LU.com) and JG Summit Holdings Inc. It aims to develop a digital finance marketplace to address financial exclusion of underbanked consumers and MSMEs, by enabling affordable online lending and wealth accumulation based on proprietary data and a revolutionary credit scoring infrastructure.

Proponents of the FinTechAlliance.ph are shown here. They are [first Row, from left] Maria Gaitanidou (Coins.ph); Dicky Alikpala (Ayannah); FintechAlliance.Ph Chairman Lito Villanueva (FINTQ); BSP Governor Nestor Espenilla, Jr.; BSP Deputy Governor Chuchi Fonacier; FintechAlliance.Ph Vice Chairman Katrina Cokeng (Oriente Express); FintechAlliance.Ph Trustee Mike Ferrer (Seedbox); [second row] Mark Mackenzie (Lenddo); Lawrence Ferrer (PayMaya); FintechAlliance.Ph Trustee John Bailon (SCI Ventures); Miguel Aguila (Grab); Amorsolo Camara Jr. (Mynt/ GCash); [third row] Yacine Derradji (Acudeen); Guillaume Danielou (FINTQ); Bryan Kenneth Tsang (Smart); Alexander Tzankov (Cash Credit); Miguel Cuneta (SCI Ventures); Alexander Capulong (First Circle); and FintechAlliance.Ph Trustee Mitch Padua (Smart).

DELL EMC OFFERS SIMPLICITY, FLEXIBILITY DELL EMC announces the expansion of its market-leading converged infrastructure (CI) system with the addition of the next generation Dell EMC VxBlock System 1000. The new system breaks the physical boundaries of traditional CI and offers enterprises even greater simplicity and flexibility to help accelerate their IT and digital transformation efforts.

The VxBlock 1000 is designed to support workloads of all types and includes a substantially broader choice of world class storage arrays, data protection and compute than previous-generation VxBlock Systems. This new system’s all-inone, multiple-technology design expands upon CI’s promise by further simplifying IT infrastructure lifecycle management through extensive pre-validation. This enables IT staff to be freed from time-consuming administrative tasks, so they can focus on higher-value, business innovation projects.

“When customers deploy CI, what they are really looking to do is invest in technology that removes data center cost while, ultimately, improving outcomes,” said Jeff Boudreau, president, Dell EMC Storage Division. “Our role is to deliver CI innovation that has the right mix and capacity of IT resources and data services that evolving applications require, but with pooled resources, so the data center is more efficient even as workload requirements change. We offer this with a focus on reducing administrative burden for IT teams under constant pressure to deliver more with less.”

Next Generation Converged Infrastructure Further Simplifies Data Center Operations and Offers New Storage and Compute Options The VxBlock 1000 builds on Dell EMC’s industry leadership in CI with a host of new capabilities. These help enterprises reap greater benefits than ever before from a wider breadth of technologies than previously supported. These are in addition to traditional CI advantages such as lower operating expenses and a five-year return on investment of up to 640%.3 Compared to previous generation Dell EMC VxBlock Systems, the VxBlock 1000 offers improved: • Business agility by applying the right mix and capacity of IT resources and data services that evolving applications require—when they need them.

For the first time, customers can mix four types of storage arrays—Dell EMC Unity, VMAX, XtremIO, and Isilon—and now can opt for Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers, in addition to Cisco UCS B-Series Blade Servers, and a broad range of Dell EMC data protection products all in one system. Compared to previous generations, the VxBlock 1000 increases server scalability by 56% (from 512 to 800 servers) and now supports up to ten storage arrays.

• Data center efficiency by pooling resources to maximize system use, preventing stranded capacity and increasing return on investment while reducing rack space by up to 60 percent2.

With pooling of diverse resources in a single system, customers can allocate and re-allocate pooled compute, storage and data protection resources to specific applications, as business and workload requirements change, instead of having to work across and manage multiple disparate systems.

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Young Life sunday, march 4, 2018

Bernadette Lunas, Issue Editor

manilastandardlife@gmail.com

@manilastandardlife

5 cool facts about

nico bolzico

a

sIde from being solenn Heussaff’s husband, we have known nico Bolzico as the guy with funny Instagram posts, witty hashtags, and hilarious pranks.

@MStandardLIFE

How to

level up your

smartpHone pHotograpHy game PaCKInG light is the way to go so you can be mobile. But that comes with a dilemma: How are you going to take the best #travelgoals photos if you can’t bring your trusty dsLr camera with you?

That’s where a good smartphone comes in handy. doubling as a communication device and camera, it’s the best travel companion that goes with busy itineraries. Take it from angel Juarez, the man behind the travel blog, The Lakwatsero. His blog entries show stunning photos and videos—often taken with a smartphone. His choice of mobile shooter: the sony Xperia XZ1.

Having a smartphone as your primary camera during your trip affords you convenience and still allows you to take the best photos. Juarez says it’s all about knowing how to utilize your tool.

Here are his tips on levelling up your travel photography game, even if you’re only using your smartphone:

BALLING WITH BOLZ. nico Bolzico shares his 'secret' to keeping his tresses gorgeous and fresh even after a day of playing football.

But there a couple more things about this tall, brawny argentinian with a gorgeous, wavy hair that makes him a social media darling. Here are five cool facts—and more—about nico.

He starts his day early

as they say, successful men begin their day early. nico gets up from bed when the clock hits 6 o’clock in the morning, and starts with a cup of coffee while he feeds his pet turtle, Patato. He then spends an hour working out before go-ing to work. att night, he makes sure to come home before 8:00 p.m. for dinner. Lights at their home are off at 11:00 p.m., which means that despite his busy schedule, he still manages to have at least six hours of sleep. His schedule allows him to balance his time between being a husband and a businessman—and a social media personality, too.

Wanderland is happening at Filinvest City Open Grounds for the second time on March 10

nico's pet turtle Patato

He is afraid of spiders

He was a farm boy in Argentina

Being someone who grew up in the farm, nico enjoys spending time in the stables, whether to take care, play, or bring out one of his 72 horses for a ride. He loves his horses so much that he often jokes that he looks like one.

Before his social media fame, nico was a farm boy in argentina who now manages his own company specializing in agriculture technology. He shares, “One thing that my parents have inculcated in me is being a hard worker. We’re farmers so we begin work very early.”

While we recognize him for his wit, antics, and humor, nico personally wants to be acknowledged for his hard work, too.

Juarez stresses that having as much natural light as possible is crucial to getting great photographs. “It’s still best practice to have great lighting when taking a shot,” he emphasizes.

His nephew named his pet Patato

nico’s equally Instagram-famous pet turtle Patato was actually a gift from his close friend. That is why he would say, “I didn’t choose Patato, Patato chose me.”

But it was his nephew, Kayden, who gave the turtle its name. Kayden, whom nico calls dr. Patato, then passed on the nickname to his uncle’s pet reptile.

despite his manly built and strong physique, nico shares the same fear with many of us as he is scared of itsy bitsy little spider, too. We can’t wait until solenn pulls a spider prank on him.

nico loves his wife solenn Heussaff as much as he loves pulling pranks on her—and posting them on his Instagram. (Photos from @nicobolzico on Instagram)

Tip 1: Find optimal lighting

He has 72 horses

BONUS: The secret to his smooth, wavy hair

nico’s gorgeous, wavy hair is, admittedly, one of his best assets. He takes care of his tresses using Head and shoulders Cool Blast for Men shampoo, which he uses each time he takes a shower because aside from how it protects his head from dandruff, he also loves the feeling the menthol gives off.

Tip 2: Follow basic photography rules

snapping good shots means knowing the basics. “The composition rules and techniques of photography will always apply,” he says. “The rule of thirds, framing, and timing are important things you should know.” Prior to your trip, read up on these rules online and take test shots of everyday scenery.

Turn to C2

The FilinvesT CiTy sTage is ready For Wanderland Wanderers will once again enjoy good music, art, and a healthy dose of outdoors as Filinvest City plays host for the second time to the much-awaited Wanderland Music and arts Festival on March 10.

The Open Grounds of the premier lifestyle destination will provide the perfect venue for music fest goers to enjoy lush greenery and vibrant atmosphere while immersing themselves in music and arts.

Guests will enjoy exciting performances from an impressive lineup of entertainers,

including international artists Kodaline, daniel Caesar, FKJ, and Lauv; as well as local indie artists Jess Connelly, Quest, IV of spades, Ben&Ben, Basically saturday night, and Carousel Casualties.

Wanderland will also feature art installations and live art performances by young and talented muralists and illustrators sam Bumanlag, Ip Pining, Cholo Cardenas, and Humbly.

For more information, visit wanderlandfestival.com.

young Life

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sunday, march 4, 2018 manilastandardlife@gmail.com

how to...

From C1

aisa mijeno (environment and ecology)

alexandra eduque (education)

clarissa delgado (education)

erika Valerie ng Wong (young entrepreneur)

hindy Weber-tantoco (Food and Beverage)

Kara magsanoc-alikpala (health and social)

olivia d'aboville (creative)

Paloma Zobel urquijo (retail)

Tip 3: Know your tools

to master taking travel photography, you must know your tool very well. “you need to explore the features of your phone and with constant practice, you can learn to maximize it during your trip,” avers Juarez. on busy days, take a break and walk around a nearby park and practice taking shots of the scenery.

women oF eiFFel tower AwArds

honors inspiring FilipinAs t

here is no shortage of women who push the envelope and reshape the world we live in today. they are the backbone that keeps things in every country and every home together.

Tip 4: Clean your lens

“since we always use our phones, we can’t prevent dirt or fingerprints on the smartphone’s camera lens,” says Juarez. Give it a good wipe with a microfiber cloth to ensure that it stays clean and clear when it’s time to take a shot of a beautiful scenery.

Tip 5: Take lots of photos

the key to getting the best shot possible is to take lots of them. Juarez advises taking photos from different angles and settings to find the one that stands out. using smartphone features like the XZ1’s predictive capture for example, allows you take multiple shots while in motion or when pressed for time, and allows you to choose the best one.

the original eiffel tower staircase was displayed recently at Greenbelt

to recognize Filipina leaders and innovators, ayala malls and renowned Parisian tea house Janat Paris partnered to stage the first ever Women of eiffel tower awards. the Women of eiffel tower awards seeks and supports Filipinas who have the courage and vision to change the future. “the Women of eiffel tower awards is more than just an opportunity to train the spotlight on inspiring women and their work. It aims to encourage and empower other women professionals and entrepreneurs in the country to create solutions to contemporary local challenges,” says ayala malls Group chief operating officer myrna Fernandez.

Women who have made an indelible mark in their respective fields and industries have been chosen as this year’s awardees.

Included in this prestigious roster are: aisa mijeno and anna oposa for environment & ecology; Kara magsanoc-alikpala for health & social; alexandra eduque and clarissa delgado for education; olivia d’aboville for creative and art; Paloma urquijo and the women behind LanaI (Bianca Zobel Warns, natalia Zobel, and maria Parsons) for retail & consumer; hindy Webertantoco for Food & Beverage; and erika Valerie ng Wong for young entrepreneur.

Janat Paris has long been a supporter of women’s rights and empowerment with the Foundation Femmes du monde, founded in Geneva.

Bejit dores, international president of Janat Paris says the event allows “French and Filipino women come together to create a culture of freedom and support for women who are hesitant to climb the steps.”

GD leaves partinG Gift for southeast asian fans south Korean pop icon and leader of boy band Big Bang, Kwon Ji yong, also known as G-dragon or Gd, bid farewell as he reported for military duty on Feb. 27.

But before he left, he paid tribute to his fans in southeast asia with a parting gift. the singer-songwriter and rapper has designed a gift package which is exclusively available in a one-of-its-kind Gd official store on southeast asia’s leading ecommerce company Lazada. dubbed “the Floral Pathway,” the package comes with a premium coffee drip, a Gd handprinted mug, and a bracelet. these items come wrapped in a fancy floral motif box, specially designed by Gd. the floral motif is Gd’s tribute to his fans, whom he refers to as his flowers, wishing that they will walk down the road to happiness. more than 7,000 gift boxes are up for grabs in the Philippines, malaysia, singapore, Indonesia, and thailand. the latest collaboration with Gd is part of Lazada’s efforts to combine entertainment and shopping, and to create a fun and enriching experience for

G-dragon reports for military duty

the younger generation of shoppers across southeast asia.

“K-Pop has led to an increased interest in Korea among southeast asian customers,” says Will ross, chief executive officer of Lazada crossborder. “to satisfy customer needs, Lazada will expand strategic partnerships with Korean entertainment companies to offer high-value Kartist merchandise.”

the Floral Pathway gift package comes with a premium coffee drip, a Gd handprinted mug, and a bracelet.

Showbiz

SUNDAY, MARCH 4, 2018

ANGELICA

FIVE SONGS THAT MADE

PANGANIBAN BOOK OF

ED SHEERAN

‘HUGOTS’ MUSE

ARTIST OFTHE YEAR

By Nickie Wang

E

D SHEERAN, who is visiting Manila next month for a concert at the Mall of Asia Arena, was named the biggest-selling global artist of 2017 early this week by The IFPI Global Recording Artist of the Year Award, the organization that represents the recorded music industry worldwide.

The 27-year-old singer/songwriter and record producer beat global music superstars like Drake (who was given the same award in 2016), Taylor Swift (awardee in 2014), Kendrick Lamar and Bruno Mars, all thanks to his record-breaking LP, Divide.

Past recipients of The IFPI Global Recording Artist of the Year Award were British singer-songwriter Adele (2015) and boy band One Direction (2013).

“Being crowned the biggest star in the world, with the biggest song and biggest album, is the result of years of ambition, creativity, and hard work on a global scale,” said Max Lousada, CEO of recorded music for Warner Music Group, and chairman and CEO of Warner Music UK. He added that Sheeran is an incredible songwriter, vocalist and performer, whose ability to tell stories and make people feel is what stands him out from the crowd.

In line with this career milestone, let’s

Ed Sheeran's 'Perfect' music video has been viewed more than 780 million times on YouTube.

English singer-songwriter and record producer Ed Sheeran is named best-selling global artist of 2017.

have a run-down of Ed Sheeran’s biggest hits in 2017 that further cemented his status as a global music superstar.

Shape of You The song peaked at no. 1 on the singles charts of 44 countries, including the US Billboard Hot 100 (later becoming the best performing song of 2017), as well as the UK, Australian and Canadian singles charts. On 21 Sept. 2017 it became the most streamed song on Spotify, with over 1.32 billion streams.

Perfect It debuted at no. 4 on the UK Singles Chart and eventually reached no. 1 as well as on the Billboard Hot 100. It also peaked at no. 1 in sixteen other countries, including Australia, Ireland and New Zealand. The song was rerecorded with a duet with Beyoncé and Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli. The single became the UK Christmas no. 1 song for 2017.

Castle on the Hill It debuted at number two on the UK Singles Chart selling 193,000 combined units in its first week. The song remained at no. 2 on its second week, selling additional 100,000 units. The song spent a further three weeks at no. 2, and spent fourteen weeks in the top 10 altogether. As of September 2017, the song has sold 1.7 million combined units in the UK, 479,000 of these are actual sales, with 119 million streams.

Galway Girl The song entered the UK chart at no. 2 behind “Shape of You” when it became available for download on the album release. The song has sold 1.2 million combined units in the United Kingdom, with 246,000 in actual sales and 95 million in streams.

Eraser This song charted at no. 14 on the UK Singles Chart, despite not being an official single. It went Platinum in Ireland and Gold in Canada and the UK.

KARYLLE, YAEL ENJOY THE MORNING RUSH

Couple Karylle and Yael Yuzon

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Nickie Wang, Issue Editor nickie.standard@gmail.com

JUST like any young Filipino couple, Karylle and Yael Yuzon live a hectic and active lifestyle. With their life goals, they know that breakfast is very important. It’s the time they get their energy for a long list of activities ahead.

“Breakfast is sometimes the only meal we get to enjoy together with our many commitments. This is why belVita breakfast biscuit is ideal for the lifestyle we have. We try to eat a balanced breakfast every morning. So we pair belVita with a piece of fruit and a glass of milk and we know we have everything we need to jumpstart our day,” Karylle shared.

As for the taste, Yael likes how tasty and easy it is for him to have his breakfast.

“I like belVita not only because it is convenient to eat but also because it’s really yummy. It’s easy to reach for and it fills me up just right. When I want a delicious, healthy and convenient breakfast, it’s the perfect go-to,” Yael mused.

With their jampacked days, Karylle and Yael turn to belVita as their breakfast staple, making them the perfect couple to introduce and endorse the brand to the Philippine market.

ANGELICA Panganiban gives an interesting introduction and acts as muse of the new Para Kay Ex book, an exciting guide to moving on by ABS-CBN Publishing penned by pseudo writer Beau Ang. “Many forget about the real reason why we need healing— it’s because we got hurt, got angry, got sad, and questioned ourselves. This book gave me the freedom to be angry and to accept my pain,” shared the Banana Sundae star in the book’s foreword.

Laid out in colorful pages of Para Kay Ex are hilarious sentiments, jokes, and activities relating to the pains of dealing with an ex-best friend, an ex-boss, an ex-lover or someone who was never yours in the first place.

Aside from sharing her views, The Ang Dalawang Mrs. Reyes actress also served as the book’s featured celebrity with mustsee photos of her acting out the many “hugot” lines written on the pages.

Beau Ang’s must-grab manual allows readers to mourn, express their bitterness, and cope up with heartaches through activities with funny twists. The witty author also believes that sometimes, the worst place you can be is in your own head.

She wrote, “It’s also to exercise your brain, which hibernated ever since you fell in love. This is the activity book that will hook on your confused emotions, and drown you with the reality that you are not really together. He might have played you before, but who’s playing now?”

Para Kay Ex is exclusively available in all National Bookstore outlets nationwide at P195.

Angelica Panganiban holds a copy of the book ' Para Kay Ex' during its launch held recently.

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SUNDAY, MARCH 4, 2018

Desiree Carlos, Editor

daycarlos28@yahoo.com

Pets MY FURRY BESTIE

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

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

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

JB (also called Chelsea) was found roaming on the street of Manila with a red mass around the vaginal area. She was rescued by Save Animals of Love and Light (Save ALL), a registered animal welfare group. She underwent several chemotherapy sessions for TVT and had surgery for the repair of the vagina. The treatment cost over P30,000. She has been spayed and is now in the care home of Save ALL.

YES, THERE IS SUCH A THING

AS TVT IN DOGS

By Cerdy G. Deloso, DVM

examination as well as a detailed examination of the affected area.

Sometimes, a dog’s medical history and clinical signs are enough to diagnose the disease.

However, in some cases, a biopsy is needed to confirm if the tumor is indeed TVT.

Deloso Veterinary Clinic

T

RANSMISSIBLE Venereal Tumor, also known as TVT, is a sexually transmitted disease in dogs.

How do we treat it?

Prior to treatment, a complete blood panel is established to have a base line if your dog is fit for treatment.

Treatment includes either surgery or chemotherapy or a combination of both depending on the clinical signs the veterinarian will observe in your dog.

Surgery includes the removal of mass from the affected area.

Chemotherapy, on the other hand, includes giving drugs to suppress the growth of tumor cells leading to complete regression. This is done on a weekly basis depending on the severity of the affected area.

A high incidence of TVT cases has been noted in cities where intact dogs roam freely and mate indiscriminately.

Intact dogs are dogs who are not spayed (the ovaries and uterus have not been removed) or neutered (the balls have not been removed).

Clinical signs

Clinical signs of this disease include a red protruding mass in the vaginal region, blood dripping from the genital area of both male and female dogs, and frequent licking of the penile or vaginal area.

Sometimes, a small mass may fall off the genital area.

Please note that the disease may not only be localized or found in or around the genital area.

It may affect other areas of the body as well.

Author Doc Cerdy Deloso examines dogs in his clinic.

How does TVT spread?

TVT is transmitted through direct contact with tumor cells from an infected animal.

Most of the cases recorded were spread through sexual contact and sometimes through oral contact as dogs like to lick things.

Most animals who get affected are intact animals because they are the ones who are sexually active.

How is it diagnosed?

The veterinarian will first ask for a complete medical and behavioral history of your pet, and will determine how the condition began and will check if your dog has mated with other dogs.

This will be followed by a complete physical

PINCHY, a stray kitten, was about to cross a busy street when Kat Perez Abundancia saw her.

This was in 2016.

“My initial reaction was to run and stop the vehicle that might hit her. She was very thin and very hungry. So i decided to bring her home,” Kat says.

“I called her Pinchy as she looks like a mini pincher. Even with her size now, she still looks like a 3-4 month-old kitten. She's now my bunso... Very sweet but most of the time , a rather demanding baby girl,” Kat adds.

Please monitor intact dogs. The first heat occurs at around 7-9 months of age.

How do we prevent it?

TVT is mostly spread through sexual contact meaning a dog that is not sexually active may not likely contract the disease. Thus, having your dog neutered or spayed is the best method of prevention.

(Editor’s Note: It is best to prevent TVT because it is not only life-threatening, it is also very expensive to treat. Spaying or neutering is done at an appropriate age for dogs and cats. It is best to consult your vet. When you have decided to have your dog fixed (spayed or neutered), have a complete blood test done first to determine if the dog is fit for the surgery.

Ask your vet for pre-surgery instructions. For those who have not decided to fix their young dogs and have intact dogs, keep your dog away from the opposite sex during the first heat--around 7-9 months in dogs-- when they would likely mate.)

BENEFITS OF BONE BROTH PET TALES

BY DESIREE CARLOS

Cassie, a senior beagle, and Princess, a one-year-old aspin (asong Pinoy). are both active dogs. They enjoy playing in the garden. They also enjoy bone broth mixed with vegetables allowed by the vet such as pumpkin, carrots, and brocolli. Bone broth is given to these dogs at least once every two weeks.

HUNTER and TEEPOT play with young girls at the Our Lady of Perpetual Help - Caysasay Children’s Home.

“Even our furbabies get to do their share for the community: to make both children and adult alike smile and be happy!!!” says proud owner Jf Maneja.

DOGS do get bored with food, just like humans.

They enjoy a treat or two every now and then.

Bone broth not only not makes your dog’s food more enticing because of the smell, but it also has a lot of health benefits, according to IHeartDogs.

“Bone broth is a perfect meal for senior dogs that are picky eaters, or simply don’t have an appetite,” IHeartDog says.

Here are the health benefits according to IHeartDogs: 1. It is good for digestive health as it is rich in glycine from gelatin, and it helps support a healthy metabolism.

2. It supports healthy and flexible joints as glucosamine and collagen are present in bone

broth. Combined with gelatin, chondroitin, and hyaluronic acid, these are also vital for the joints of puppies.

3. Bone broth has vitamins and minerals which boost the immune system. These include vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin K, vitamin B-12, vitamin B-6, arginine, glutamine, proline, iron, thiamine, potassium, calcium, silicon, sulfur, hyaluronic acid, magnesium, phosphorus potassium, niacin, riboflavin, zinc, and copper.

For the best bone broth, remove the fat and meat attached to the bone, specially the fat. Boil the bone for about 30 minutes or more. Add dried or fresh rosemary and half a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar. The rosemary helps keep the coat/fur healthy, while apple cider vinegar prevents cholesterol build-up and the smell in the dog’s body helps repel ticks and fleas.

Here’s to a healthy pet! Have a great Sunday, everyone. Namaste!

GOLDY and a sibling were being tossed around like balls by kids in the neighborhood when Kat Perez Abundancia saw them in 2010.

“I heard a cry outside our house. Then I saw our neighbor's kids playing. I didn’t mind at first but then I suddenly saw they were throwing two golden kittens like balls. I wasn’t able to control myself and I just shouted my heart out,” Kat says.

Kat got the kittens, brought them home and fed them. Unfortunately, one of the kittens died in less than a week.

“Goldy survived this tragic experience I think, they were like weeks old then, “Kat says.

She described him as “very techie as he loves to play mad coaster in my sister's ipad .”

“He is mama's boy, my boy.

I always tell him that he is the king of the jungle, and that he is a lion. He does have a lion’s hat,” Kat says.

She adds, ”He is a very brave boy who always watches over me and takes care of me when I’m sick.“