D1
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2017
Jimbo Gulle, Editor
Roger Garcia, Issue Editor
LGUs
Local Gov’t Units
mslocalgov@gmail.com
LGBTS TAKE CABANATUAN ANNIVERSARY SPOTLIGHT
APPEALS MOUNT
FOR'RESPONSIBLETOURISM'IN MT.PULAG By Abe Almirol
A
WEBSITE promoting mountain adventure proclaimed that Mt. Pulag is one of the “most well-maintained premier national parks” in the country.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources regulations placed it under a National Integrated Protected Area System (NIPAS) but the accolade could turn out to be a risky overstatement. And just recently, there are sectors that have actively calling to allow the park to have some ‘rest.’ Reason: Conditions not favorable to the conservation of the national park have intensified as more tourists are lured to Mt. Pulag’s charm.
‘Come for the adventure, Go home an advocate’
Environmental groups in Nueva Vizcaya and Benguet appealed to those promoting Mt. Pulag tours to package it as something beyond sheer excitement and fun. Tour organizers were advised to design a “learning experience among climbers so that they would take home a pow-
erful advocacy” that supports the local economy around Mt. Pulag. Local tour guides worry about non-biodegradable waste disposal inside the park. Climbers should be given a chance to enjoy a fresh meal of organic vegetable salad or buy something to take home pick-and-pay style. Most climbers eat canned goods the whole time of their stay, even on their way out of the national park. DENR park authorities are faced with the challenge of delineating a clear line where livelihood activities could still be permitted so that the 528 documented Scan this icon to plant species, 33 bird species and sevview the PDF eral mammals belonging to the threatened categories would not be disturbed.
'WONDROUS PULAG.' Environmental groups in Nueva Vizcaya and Benguet have appealed to those promoting tours up Mt. Pulag to package them as ‘something beyond sheer excitement and fun.’
TOURISTS DELIGHT IN ONCE-FEARED ROAD By Manilyn B. Ugalde TABACO CITY, Albay—The once feared 25-kilometer isolated Sabloyon stretch in Albay has turned into a busy route for motorists and travelers to and from Metro Manila. Stretching the cities of Tabaco (1st District) and Ligao (3rd District), the once neglected mountainous Sabloyon route was a frequent site of highway robbery incidents and intermittent skirmishes between government troops
and the New People’s Army rebels. Motorists in the first district of the province and the island Catanduanes, now enjoys a traffic-free and comfortable travel to Camarines Sur onward to Manila without anymore passing the 55-kilometer long route via the cities of Legazpi (2nd District) and Ligao. According to Engineer Cesar Sanorjo, chief of the Construction Section of the Albay 1st District Engineering, motorists no longer fear traveling the Sabloyon route 24/7 virtually treating the insur-
gency threat as a thing of the past as a result of the improvements and widening of the route to four-lane. Now completely concreted with the Tabaco side fully widened to four-lane, the ascending high level mid-portion of Sabloyon route between Tabaco and Ligao spanning four barangay villages estimated 4,000-plus feet above the sea level is overlooking closer to Mayon where local and foreign tourists on clear days enjoy taking photos and videos of the alluring and perfect cone of Mt. Mayon.
CABANATUAN CITY—The lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgender (LGBT) community in this city has grabbed the spotlight with the holding of several events and activities dedicated for them during the cityhood anniversary’s forthcoming celebration here. The said events composed of the LGBT Olympics and Battle of the Queens: Miss Gay 2017 is expected to draw massive support and participation amidst the growing population of LGBTs whose ranks have reportedly swelled to 5,000 throughout the city alone. The sports competitions for LGBTs was organized by the Gays and Lesbians Association of Cabanatuan (Galac) led by its president Jeffrey Fernandez. It forms part of a series of activities under the “Banatu Festival 2017” sponsored by the city government. Fernandez said that Galac has more or less 700 members although their total population, including non-members could be around 5,000 throughout the city, some of them living in the city’s outskirts. On the average, they are within the 20 to 35 age bracket although there are some as young as 10 years old. “As much as possible, we recruit as members those who are already of legal age,” he added.
SCHOLARSHIPS FOR CONVICTS' KIN PROPOSED A COUNCILOR in Quezon City is batting for the inclusion of children of convicts under its regular scholarship program. District 1 Councilor Ivy Xenia Lagman called on Mayor Herbert Bautista to back Resolution No. 6912-2016 to provide scholarships for children whose parents are serving jail sentences. The measure authored by Lagman, if passed, would expand the scholarship program’s accessibility to such children. The female councilor said the government must look after the welfare of children whose parents are behind bars since their parents are not capable of providing them with the financial support for their education. “This resolution is expected to provide the needed impetus to the government’s continuing effort to make education accessible to all,” she said. Under the city’s scholarship and development program, financial assistance through scholarship grant is being provided to underprivileged but deserving students who want to pursue higher education.
DPWH EYES P9.5-B DALTON BY-PASS ROAD
By Ferdie G. Domingo
‘MAMANWA’ DANCE. Members of the indigenous Mamanwa tribe dance during the anniversary celebration of Mahagnao Volcano Natural Park in Barangay Cagmanaba, Burauen, Leyte. Declared a natural park on Feb. 3, 1998, the park features an extinct volcano crater lake, hot springs with multi-colored mud, and rocks believed to be medicinal. Leyte 2nd district Rep. Henry C. Ong (seated right) and environment officials attended the ceremony. Mel Caspe
SAN JOSE CITY—The proposed P9.5-billion Dalton Pass By-pass Road Project (DPBRP), which is intended to serve as alternate route in the treacherous Dalton Pass, has been submitted by the Duterte administration to the Japanese government for approval and funding amid safety concerns, a top official of the Department of Public Works and Highways has announced. DPWH Undersecretary Emil Sadain said that the project, considered an environmentally critical project, is being eyed for Official Development Assistance with the Japanese International Cooperation Agency instead of
the Public-Private Partnership scheme. “We have applied it for ODA funding which would lessen the project cost. If you do it through PPP, the cost would be double,” he said. Sadain said the feasibility study for the project has been finished five years ago and the revised FS is expected to be finished within this year. “If the construction pushes through, it would be a big relief for motorists travelling to Dalton Pass,” he said, adding the works include 60 kilometers of road networks and 1.5-kilometer mountain tunnelling works between this city and Nueva Vizcaya. Once completed, it would be the first-ever
mountain tunnel project in the country and ease the existing road to Dalton Pass which is often cut off by landslides during the rainy season. The Dalton Pass is considered a vital arterial road linking Metro Manila to Central Luzon and Northern Luzon. However, calamities have led to its closure over the past 30 years. According to a study made in February 2012 by the Kensetsu Gijyutsu Center, Infrastructure Development Institute–Japan Central Consultant Inc., typhoons which occurred every year since have led to the closure of the road. The same study showed that a nine-hour closure of the road would lead to economic losses of P470 million.
LGUs
D2
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2017 mst.daydesk@gmail.com
CORDILLERA BIDS FOR AUTONOMY ANEW By Dexter A. See BAGUIO CITY—Cordillera lawmakers and members of the Regional Development Council in the Cordillera agreed to give the renewed quest for regional autonomy a last chance while adhering to the present administration’s plan to shift from the current presidential form to federal form of government. In the recently concluded Cordillera leaders forum held at the House of Representatives, Cordillera congressmen agreed among themselves to refile the revised autonomy bill. Further improvements on the contents of the bill prior to its refilling were instituted during a series of meetings to be held among the lawmakers pushing for its immediate passage. The group of lawmakers seek to file the revised version before Congress goes on a break sometime in March and meet the timelines set with the RDC-CAR. Ifugao Rep. Teodoro Baguilat Jr. said Cordillera congressmen will have a unified stand to file the revised autonomy bill and for them to forego their “biases” against the proposed legislative measure and allow their constituents to be the ones to decide whether or not their legislative districts will join the autonomous region during a plebiscite. He said there is no definite timeline for the administration’s proposed shift to federal form of government. “That is why it is still best for the Cordillera to pursue the renewed quest for autonomy which is considered to be a definite move rather than awaiting a proposal for federalism that still remains in the air,” Baguilat stressed. Kalinga Rep. Allen Jesse C. Mangaoang, meanwhile, claimed it is high time for local officials and concerned government agencies to work double time in informing and educating the people about the advantages of joining the autonomous region instead of the region being torn apart and go for the local governments to go back to their original regions.
KOREANS OUT OF HARM’S WAY IN PUERTO GALERA—LGU, PNP P By Robert A. Evora
UERTO GALERA, Oriental Mindoro—In the wake of recent cases of kidnapping, murder and extortion activities on their fellow nationals allegedly committed by ranking police law enforcers, Korean nationals here have expressed their fears that they might be the next victims of similar incidents.
In response, the local government and the Philippine National Police jointly expressed their assurance to South Korean nationals and their steadily growing community here of their safety and protection during a recently held dialog among the island’s stakeholders. Puerto Galera Mayor Rockey D. Ilagan and the Sangguniang Bayan, headed by Vice Mayor Marlon L. Lopez, also guaranteed full cooperation with the South Korean nationals for their protection and to make Korean tourists
and investors safe. “The local government and the PNP will guarantee and make sure the protection of your investments and the safeness of the stay of your compatriots here in our town,” Ilagan, a three-time former barangay chairman of Sabang, stressed. During the meeting in Sabang, Chief Superintendent Wilben M. Mayor, PNP regional director for Mimaropa, assured the South Koreans, who are mostly resort owners, which they are “safe and
fully protected to stay in Puerto Galera” and the two ugly incidents that happened in Angeles City, in Pampanga, will not happen here.” Mayor also urged the South Korean expatriates and investors to open communication lines with local government and police officials of Puerto Galera by organizing themselves into one solid group to expedite the resolution of issues and other problems confronting them. “With an organized group, the LGU and the PNP could expedite the resolutions of issues and their other problems with the community,” he said. Cha Eun Sik or Michael Cha, owner of the Oceana Beach Resort, conveyed their group’s gratitude to the local and police officials for their concern on the welfare of South Korean businessmen and tourists staying in this resort town. Cha said there are 88 South Korean establishment owners who own resorts in this municipality, mostly in Barangay Sabang,
operating dive centers, hotels and restaurants. Meanwhile, Song Yoon No, 49, also a South Korean resort owner, said all the negative reports involving their nationals and the national police force do not affect their relationship with the host municipality which remains “cordial and warm.” South Korean tourists who visit Puerto Galera every year have reached to a high of more than 100,000 persons, Cha said. The tourists from South Korea now almost outnumber European and American visitors who come in mostly during the winter months of November to February. Senior Superintendent Christopher C. Birung, Oriental Mindoro provincial director, designated Chief Inspector Catalino P. Batulayan Jr. as chief of provincial tourist police unit and Chief Inspector Lawrence Panganiban as the new Puerto Galera police chief.
IN QUIRINO PROVINCE
TEEN PREGNANCY DOWN BY 35 PERCENT By Ben Moses Ebreo CABARROGUIS, Quirino—Teenage pregnancy in this province has decreased by 35 percent from 2015 to 2016. Froilan Herrera, provincial population officer, said the decrease of teenage pregnancy cases in the province can be attributed to the intensified implementation of the Population Management Program in partnership with the provincial government and other government agencies. “With our active and joint efforts, we succeeded in our crusade of educating the adolescents and parents through the conduct of Parent Education on Adolescent Health and symposia on teenage pregnancy,” Herrera added. Citing statistics, Herrera disclosed that the decrease came from the 505 teenage pregnancy incidents in 2015 compared to the 329 cases recorded last year. “The activities helped parents to become highly effective in communicating with their adolescent children especially in establishing good relationship with them and in instilling moral values as well,” Herrera said. The Provincial Population Office also reported that it has exceeded the targets on Responsible Parenthood and Family Planning classes and Pre-Marriage Counseling and Family Development Sessions with 437 percent and 754 percent accomplishment, respectively. The PPO is also set to launch another program, dubbed Oplan Kinabukasan ng Kabataan (OK Ka), this year.
SEA OF TEACHERS. Applicants for senior high school teachers attend an orientation conducted by the Department of Education-Division of North Cotabato at Magpet National High School in Magpet, North Cotabato. Over 900 applicants are vying for just 200 openings for teacher in the division. Geonarri Solmerano
PAY HIKE FOR QC TEACHERS, EMPLOYEES URGED THE Quezon City Council has passed a resolution supporting a draft congressional bill increasing the salaries of public school teachers and other government employees. Resolution No. SP-6914, S-2016
authored by Councilor Melencio “Bobby” Castelo calls for the passage of House Bill 56 which also calls for the increase in the payment of the Personnel Economic Relief Allowance of government employees.
The resolution said the grant of the increase is necessary so as to support the meager income received by public school teachers and government employees, who often resort to borrowing money either from government financial
institutions or private lenders. A smaller take-home pay also contributes in the exodus of a growing number of government workers seeking greener pastures abroad due to higher salaries offered by foreign employers.
MORE GENERATORS FOR ORANI WATER
DRUG PROGRAM. Scores of drug surrenderers, who finished the three-month program ‘Rehabilitation sa Barangay’ in San Juan City, join Mayor Guia Gomez, Vice Mayor Janella Estrada, the City Council and police officers during a ceremony at the San Juan Police Station. They will now go through the Barangay Anti-Narcotics Action Team or BANAT, where they will act as barangay security in the ’Rising City of Excellence.’
ORANI, Bataan—The P12-million savings of the Orani Water District from 3 components of works will be used to fund support facilities to further improve services to their concessionaires. “We will use our P12-million savings to procure 2 generators for pump stations, 125 kVa generator and 75kVa generators to Mulawin 2 Pump Station and Tala Pump Station and for additional pipelines and extensions,” said OWD GM Benni Andres. He also said the final two components, which are the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition, and leak detection and monitoring set, will be acquired soon with the release of their remaining loan from German bank KFW. The OWD, through the assistance of Local Water Utilities Administration, secured loan from the German bank amounting to P101 million to fund 5 components of works. The 3 components of works already accomplished were water source development, civil works, and state-of-the-art reservoir. LWUA said OWD is one of the best managed water districts in the country, and their more than 10,000 household-concessionaires are assured of improved services including clean and quality water. Butch Gunio
Gadgets & Games
D3
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2017 rumallari@thestandard.com.ph
PINOY MILLENNIAL MEN SHOP MORE ONLINE Fleshman
HOOQ NAMES FLESHMAN AS CT0 Based on information gathered by the OLX Data Hub, the biggest growth drivers for online shopping last year are furniture, sports and health items, and baby-related goods.
W
OMEN are often thought to be shopaholics, they frequently go to the malls and are also often glued to their smartphones—searching for items to purchase in just a few swipes and clicks. Surprisingly, the latest statistics from the OLX Data Hub reveals that more Filipino men prefer to shop online. Based on information gathered by the OLX Data Hub from search history and sessions on their platform in 2016, the company found that the three biggest growth drivers for online shopping last year are furniture, sports and health items, and baby-related goods. Additionally, across all three categories, majority are men aged between 25 to 34 years old. For baby-related goods, 55% of shoppers are male, suggesting that more Pinoy men are open to searching for quality items for their little tykes. While it’s likely mil-
lennial men are first time fathers, they’re more aware that not everything needs to be new for their babies since children outgrow a lot of items, fast. The top five items searched for in each category also give further insight to the life of the Pinoy millennial man. Top 5 Searches for Furniture Sofa/Sala Set/Sofa Bed; Tables; Cabinet; Bed; TV Top 5 Searches for Sports and Health Items Bikes; Helmet; Motorcycle; Bike Parts; Scooter
Top 5 Searches for Baby Stuff Crib; Stroller; Baby Shoes; Walker; Baby Clothes Additional findings based on OLX’s data suggest that Pinoy millennial men are practical shoppers looking for the most lucrative deals when it comes to furnishing their homes. Looking at the popularly searched items, pieces like sofas, tables, cabinets, and beds are all essentials when filling up their living space or bachelor pad. Outside the home, millennial men are both adventurous and environment conscious. The data from OLX hints that their hobbies include motor, mountain, and city biking. This tells us that Pinoy millennial men are trying to find ways to dodge traffic jams and that they’re also concerned about leaving less of a carbon footprint in their quest for an adrenalin rush. Whether for their hobbies or for their homes, data also suggests that Pinoy millennial men highly do their research online and find communities who can help them stay informed
about their chosen interest. “More than the usual buy and sell transactions on our platform, it has also become an avenue for different communities to share information and foster camaraderie online,” said Jean Magboo, Marketing Head of OLX. “Aside from the exchange of items, tips and recommendations also get shared, too. Meet-ups become more than just a business deal, but an enriching experience— making it a win-win situation for both buyers and sellers.” The increase in Pinoy millennial men shopping online can also be attributed to communities that are present in platforms like OLX. Millennial women also have communities that continue to grow especially for those into fashion, make-up, and fitness. More information about the latest numbers revealed by the OLX Data Hub can be found on yaman.olx.ph, which also has plenty of tips-related articles for different passions of both males and females.
SAMSUNG LAUNCHES WIND-FREE AIRCON
SAMSUNG Electronics unveiled its first ever, award-winning Wind-Free™ wall-mounted air conditioner at CES 2017 in Las Vegas, following the huge success of its floor-standing Wind-Free™ air conditioner in South Korea. The AR9500M air conditioner has integrated Samsung’s exclusive WindFree™ Cooling technology into its design—providing customers with better cooling comfort and optimal energy efficiency with each use. With the AR9500M, families can enjoy quality time and fun bonding moments at home without the uncomfortable feeling of direct cold air blow in the room. “Consumers will love the cool, efficient air conditioning
capabilities of the AR9500M in their home,” said Byung-Sam Seo, President of home appliances at Samsung Electronics. “And they will really love that they no longer have to deal with uncomfortable, cold air— as well as reduced electric bills.” The AR9500M provides customers with the ideal condition by maintaining the comfortable room temperature, using WindFree™ Cooling to gently disperse cold air through 21,000 micro air holes. A two-step cooling system which first lowers temperatures in “Fast Cooling Mode” and then automatically switches to “Wind-Free™ Cooling Mode” creating “still air” once the desired temperature is reached. This approach can also
Samsung AR9500M
reduce energy consumption by up to 72 percent compared to Fast Cooling mode. Using Samsung’s new Digital Inverter 8-Pole with POWERboost technology™,
the AR9500M’s motor generates fewer torque fluctuations—reducing the overall energy required and shortening the time needed for the compressor to reach its
maximum speed(Hertz). The AR9500M features an Ultra-Wide PM 2.5 filter which assures customers that the air produced is purified and ideal for the home. The AR9500M’s unique Triangle Architecture has a wider inlet which allows more air to be drawn in at once, while the optimal width and angle of the outlet, extra v-blades, and large fan—22 percent larger than previous models—ensure air is cooled and expelled faster, farther and wider, to reach every corner of the room. The AR9500M air conditioner will be available in Samsung Experience Stores and authorized dealers nationwide in March 2017.
F5 NETWORKS BATS FOR BETTER CYBER SECURITY By Randy Caluag CYBER fraud and hacking top the list of concerns in cyber technology that business owners are putting in a lot of money to protect their establishments and their clients from infringement. Apps companies like F5 Networks are embroiled in a continuous struggle to protect high-risk targets like important government institutions and the banking industry. “Security is a continuous process,” said Vishal Singh, F5’s Regional Vice President for Southeast Asia, during a media forum at the Discovery Primea in Makati City. “It’s a (never-ending) journey to fight a new age of threat hounding the technology.” Its headquarters based in Seattle, USA with operations in 32 countries, F5 Networks is a recognized leader in Application Delivery Networking and the tops in Web Application Firewall in Asia and the Pacific. It recently came out with an industry survey and found that global clients are
Vishal Singh, F5 networks, VP Sales for Southeast Asia
going for cloud adoption in security application services including WAF, DNSSEC, and DDoS protection.” As an increase in application services often requires additional resources, respondents also indicated a shift toward DevOps methodologies to gain opera-
tional efficiencies through automation and programmability. This need for scalability replaces speed to market as the prime driver of DevOps adoption. “Applications are becoming central to Asia Pacific’s business strategies as the on-demand economy increasingly calls for speed and efficiency,” said Emmanuel Bonnassie, Senior Vice President, Asia Pacific, F5 Networks. “More than ever, the 2017 State of Application Delivery study shows that a new dynamic has emerged as this shift towards faster, smarter and safer customer experiences means that businesses are increasingly relying on a mobile and application centric IT for a tech savvy workforce.” Security is the number-one priority, and the increasing sophistication of attacks is the top challenge: Security teams are expanding beyond traditional firewalls and the legacy enterprise perimeter as a response to hackers increasingly targeting the application. Globally, the top security services being
planned for deployment are DDoSmitigation (21 percent), DNSSEC protection (25 percent), and Web Application Firewall services (20 percent). According to the survey, companies— including those identifying as cloud-first organizations—that are most confident in their ability to withstand an applicationlevel attack have a WAF installed. One of the practical uses of its apps is the mobile banking system. In the Philippines, F5 is managed by Engr. Oscar Visaya as country manager. He opened shop five years ago and counts some of the top names in the banking industry and government agencies as his clients. “Application security is critical. It is the gateway to your date. If it’s weak and hacked, they can steal our data and can be used for various crimes,” said Bisaya. “So we make sure to make a safer, smarter application and we put wall to your data. So strong that it can monitor the traffic and make sure only the good ones are permitted through that data.”
HOOQ, Asia’ largest video on demand service today, announced the appointment of Michael Fleshman as CTO. A veteran CTO and no stranger to the media industry, Fleshman brings with him to HOOQ over 20 years of experience with leading roles at BBC Worldwide, Viacom, Financial Times and AOL. “We are elated to welcome Michael to HOOQ as part of our senior leadership team. At the same time, we are ecstatic by his depth of experience in the digital media space and I have no doubt he will lead our technical team to new heights as we expand aggressively into new territories, new products and new platforms in 2017,” said Chief Executive Officer of HOOQ, Peter Bithos. Fleshman will lead the charge of the strategic planning and development of HOOQ’s product and platform with the view of ensuring HOOQ stays ahead of the curve in the OTT space, spearheads innovation and most of all, delivers a flawless customer experience. Prior to joining HOOQ, Fleshman founded and led the charge at digital strategy and development consulting firm Notting Hill Digital after spending almost 20 years in CTO roles for top media companies including BBC Worldwide where he led the teams responsible for the development of BBC Store, as well as the creation of new platforms for all of BBC Worldwide’s digital properties. “I am excited to be part of such a dynamic start-up and I look forward to driving the company into its new phase of innovation and technology,” Fleshman said. A graduate of MIT, Fleshman spends his time geeking out on the latest tech and gadgets. When he’s not being a geek, he loves a good binge on anything by Luc Besson, particularly The Fifth Element and Lucy! HOOQ is Asia’s first premium videoon-demand service to launch across the region. HOOQ is a start-up joint venture established in January 2015 by Singtel, Sony Pictures Television and Warner Bros. HOOQ delivers over 35,000 hours of Hollywood blockbusters and popular local programs to customers anytime, anywhere by enabling them to stream and download their favorite shows on their Internet device or platform of choice. HOOQ currently operates in the Philippines, Thailand, India, Indonesia and now Singapore, with a population footprint of over 1.7 billion people. For more information, visit www.hooq.tv.
SONY...
From D4
The new α6500 features an APS-C sized 24.2 MP8 Exmor CMOS sensor that works together with a BIONZ X® image processor and the newly developed front-end LSI to maximize processing power and achieve an impressive sensitivity range of up to ISO 51200 without sacrificing image quality. It is also the latest Sony interchangeable lens camera to offer internal 4K video recording, which can shoot 4K (3840 x 2160p) videos in the popular Super 35mm format on the full width of the image sensor. The camera supports the XAVC S codec during video shooting, which records at a high bit rate of up to 100 Mbps during 4K recording and 50 Mbps during Full HD shooting – ensuring maximum detail and clarity in both video formats, allowing footage to be eventually edited into 4x slow motion video files in Full HD (25p) resolution with AF tracking but quick motion mode is also neat with the cam. The new Sony α6500 interchangeable lens camera is available in the Philippines for P81,999 (body only).
D4
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2017 Riera U. Mallari, Editor rumallari@thestandard.com.ph
Gadgets & Games REINVENT MEMORIES WITH ORIG HP INKS
Simple enthusiasts and hardcore gamers came to the convention as teams played League of Legends, one of the most popular Multiplayer Online Battle Arena games by Garena in Southeast Asia.
LENOVO LEGION FUELS PASSION FOR GAMING By Randy Caluag
O
NLINE gamers in the Philippines are growing in number that Lenovo saw it fit to come up with a PC line, aptly named Lenovo Legion, for better user and gaming experience. The Legion line was tested for the first time by players from 12 schools in a two-day gaming convention, named Legion by Lenovo, at the Cyberzone area at SM North Edsa in Quezon City. Simple enthusiasts and hardcore gamers came to the convention as teams played League of Legends, one of the most popular Multiplayer Online Battle Arena games by Garena in Southeast Asia. Some were even lucky to play online against celebrities such as Kristoffer Martin, Jack Reid, Ashley Gosiengfiao, Alex Diaz and Jerome Ponce. “Lenovo Legion is dedicated to our community of gamers and their passion for gaming,” said Michael Ngan, Country General Manager for Lenovo Philippines. “And by introducing Legion through this gaming convention, we hope to grow such a community—where local gamers can support each other in the world of gaming, and improve camaraderie online.” Participating schools in the gaming convention, which was hosted by Radio DJs, Nikko Ramos and Joyce Pring, were De La Salle University, DLSUCollege of Saint Benilde, Adamson University, National University, AMA University–Quezon City Campus, University of the Philippines-Diliman and the Far Eastern University, among many others. Everybody gave their thumbs-up to Lenovo Legion, which has two laptop varieties such as the Lenovo Legion Y520 the Ideapad Y910; and desktop IdeaCentre Y710 Cube. The Lenovo Legion offers gamers the most immersive gaming experiences. Let’s begin with
the legion Y520—an entry-level gaming laptop that runs on the latest 7th generation Kaby Lake processors from Intel. With a budget powerhouse NVIDIA GTX 1050/1050Ti graphics card, games can be displayed in crisp 1080p or 1440p quality. Top it with Dolby Premium sound technology and Harman-certified speakers, it’s like being where the action is. Its user-friendly feature includes the Nerve Sense which you won’t find in any kind of laptop. It’s a function that allows one to easily customize various settings with less effort. Through the Nerve Sense, one can adjust the keyboard lighting, disable the touchpad and other unnecessary keys for playing, and control the sound settings. The Nerve Sense also has an Extreme Cooling feature allowing one to adjust cooling systems with just a few clicks. For streamers, the Nerve Sense can also conduct livestream gaming sessions, which can be integrated into their social media accounts or record their gameplay and
Lenovo IdeaCentre Y710 Cube
upload them at another time. Also debuting at the gaming convention is the virtual-reality ready Ideapad Y910. It is built with a 6th generation Intel Core i7 K processor and is especially equipped with a One Key Turbo that can instantly boost CPU performance with just one click for an uninterrupted gaming experience. Graphics of the Ideapad Y910 will be provided by the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080M GPU which can reach 4K resolution display.
Another VR-ready machine is the IdeaCentre Y710 Cube that has a 6th generation Intel Core i7 K processor and memory of up to 16GB of DDR4, more than
Lenovo Ideapad Y910
enough to handle games while streaming them at the same time, or even opening multiple applications at once while editing your videos and photos. Additionally, its NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 GPU also allows for 4k resolution gaming. Combining a sharp design with decent portability and 4K/VR-ready performance, the IdeaCentre Y710 Cube is small, yet mighty. The case is decked in various shades of matte grey plastic, and a three-pronged front edge with lines that glow through external LED lights. Exceptionally, it has a built-in carrying handle, so you can lug it anywhere you like. You can bring it between gaming stations, to your room, or a friend’s house for an all-night multiplayer gaming. The Cube weighs only 7.4 kilograms, and has a tower that’s approximately the size of a standard laptop at 15.48 inches long. The IdeaCentre Y710 Cube is now available at Lenovo Philippines retail stores at a starting price of P 81,990. The Lenovo Legion Y520 will be available at authorized retail stores in February, while the Ideapad Y910 will be available the first quarter of 2017. Pricing details will be announced soon. To stay updated on Lenovo Philippines news, visit www.lenovo.com/ lenovo/ph/en, or follow us on our Facebook page.
LIFE is full of special moments— from celebrating personal triumphs, birthdays or weddings, to welcoming a new bundle of joy and experiencing new adventures with loved ones. But like everything else, these events, when captured on paper, don’t last forever. That is why HP lets people reinvent memories that never fade, with pictures printed using Original HP Ink cartridges. Knowing how families and friends truly cherish memories, especially through sharing pictures, HP has taken more than 500 years of combined experience to develop innovative ink cartridges that use 36,000 drops of ink per second to make a smile last a lifetime, on HP Photo Paper. With Original HP Ink’s print quality, the family is assured of stunning pictures of their first vacation abroad and the children’s achievements that they are proud to show, captured by permanent and accurate vibrant colors that are free of streaks and smudges. And with its unmatched reliability, Original HP Ink works the first time, every time so there are no wasted photo prints of such priceless moments as first communion or first school recitals. Its fast-drying and anti-curling properties also prevent costly and inconvenient paper jams. Aside from helping share the family’s precious moments through vibrant pictures, using Original HP Ink can also help care for the environment as empty cartridges and packaging are immediately recycled, at no cost, to produce other plastic products and raw materials, and most importantly, to provide the lowest carbon footprint. With its superb way of reinventing memories that never fade for generations of families to share and enjoy, the HP printer and Original HP Inks are truly the best tools to keep special moments alive. Want to reinvent memories today? Head on over to the nearest HP printer reseller to get an HP DeskJet printer and Original HP Inks that can produce pictures that will last a lifetime. HP lets people reinvent memories that never fade, with pictures printed using Original HP Ink cartridges that use 36,000 drops of ink per second to make a smile last a lifetime, on HP Photo Paper.
HP lets people reinvent memories that never fade.
SONY UNBOXES NEW FLAGSHIP APS-C SENSOR CAMERA By Peter Paul Duran
Sony Philippines introduced the α6500 at a Food Photography Workshop and live cooking demonstration .
SONY presents its new flagship APS-C sensor camera, which combines the world’s fastest Auto Focus speed and highest number of AF points with Incamera 5-axis image stabilization, Touchscreen AF Operation with 24.2MP Exmor® CMOS. Phew, but wait, there’s more. Sony Philippines introduced the α6500 at a Food Photography Workshop and live cooking demonstration featuring professional
food and lifestyle photographer Gabby Cantero and Rustic Morning’s Chef Portia Baluyut at the Marmalade Kitchen in BGC. The latest addition to Sony’s line-up of award winning mirrorless cameras shares the same unrivaled 4D FOCUS™ system as the α6300 camera, which can lock focus on a subject in as little as 0.05 seconds, the world’s fastest AF acquisition time. Similar to the α6300, the new α6500 features 425 phase detection AF points that are densely
positioned over nearly the entire image area—the world’s highest number of AF points on any interchangeable lens camera. The camera can shoot at high speeds of up to 307 frames and equipped with touch screen functionality, allowing users to lock focus on a subject simply by touching it on the screen, complementing its advanced AF system and video shooting capabilities. B oasting a whopping 11 frames per second with continuous autofocus and exposure
tracking and up to 8 frames per second in a live-view shooting mode, the a6500 makes tracking fast moving subjects a breeze. The camera also combines all the benefits of an electronic viewfinder with the immediacy of an optical viewfinder. The new α6500 offers a redefined design and sports a magnesium alloy body and likewise features a high-durability shutter with a tested life span of approximately 200,000 release, a staple in most full-frame DSLRs. Turn to D3