Manila Standard - 2018 March 18 - Sunday

PALACE: LET JUSTICE DO JOB ON NAPOLES

By Vito Barcelo VOL. XXXII • NO. 35 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P18 • SUNDAY, MARCH 18, 2018 • www.manilastandard.net • editorial@manilastandard.net

MALACAÑANG on Saturday sought to distance itself from the controversial decision of the Department of Justice to place alleged pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles under the government’s Witness Protection Program.

In a radio interview, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said they would leave the decision to the DoJ and let the justice department do its mandated job.

“The President is not interfering in everything that is happening in all departments of government.

Otherwise, the President will have no time to serve the country,” Roque said.

The presidential spokesman reiterated that Napoles, tagged as queen of pork scam, was not yet formally placed under the Witness Protection Program but merely under the protective custody.

“And just to make it clear, she is not yet formally placed under witness protection. A protective custody means prosecutors are studying whether she should be placed under WPP,” Roque said.

He said the Palace was letting the DoJ do its job as long as it followed proper procedure. Turn to A2

DND TARGETS LUMAD WITH CPP-NPA TIES APACHE DOWN. Scene of the crime operatives and rescuers go through the rubble of a six-seater private plane crash Saturday in Plaridel, Bulacan where 10 people were killed while two others suffered serious injuries as the Piper PA-23 Apache, operated by a local charter company, crashed shortly after take-off before noon. Lino Santos

10 KILLED AS PLANE CRASHES INTO HOUSE T

By Orlan Mauricio

EN people were killed while two others suffered serious injuries when a six-seater private plane crashed into a house in Purok Tres, Barangay Lumang Bayan, Plaridel in Bulacan at about 11:30 a.m. Saturday, police and aviation officials said.

The twin-engine aircraft crashed shortly after taking off, killing all five aboard as well as three children, a mother and a grandmother from the family in the house, said Supt. Julio Lizardo.

“We had to dig through the rubble to find the bodies,” he said, explaining why the toll rose from an initial figure of seven dead.

Officials declined to say what may have caused the crash of the

Piper PA-23 Apache, operated by a local charter company.

The fatalities were identified as: Rissa Santos-Dela Rosa, the mother, and her children John Noel Dela Rosa, 17, Timothy Noel, 10, and Krissa, 7. The grandmother was Luisa Santos, 75. All died and their charred remains have been retrieved as of 5 p.m. Saturday.

The pilot-instructor and student co-pilot of the ill-fated plane, in-

cluding its three passengers believed to be aviation mechanic students, all died upon impact.

The five other fatalities in the accident were members of a family.

Noel dela Rosa. who was not at their house at the time of the crash, identified his dead wife as Risa Santos; and mother in-law Luisa Santos; and their young children, namely: John Noel, Timothy and Trish.

The family was eating lunch when the plane smashed at their house roof and caused fire upon impact. Luckily, two other children of Dela Rosa were out of the house at the time.

Lizardo identified the other fatalities: as Capt. Ruel Meloria and co-pilot Efren Patugalan of Lite Air Express.

The three other passengers who perished remain unidentified.

The twin-engine trainer plane

took of at exactly 11:21`a.m. at the Plaridal airstrip and was bound for Laoag, Ilocos Norte where it was scheduled to refuel and then onward to Batanes, its destination, according to police sources.

An elderly woman named Virginia Marquez and her grandson, where the Dela Rosa household bought their viand for lunch, were also hurt in the incident.

They were rushed to the La Consolacion Hospital for treatment.

An eyewitness told Manila Standard that the plane hit a 40-foot electric post before it crash-landed and exploded at the Dela Rosa’s house.

Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines spokesman Eric Apolonio said the Apache aircraft, with registry number RP-C299 operated

by Lite Express, stalled after takeoff.

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ASEAN, AUSTRALIA FORGE HISTORIC ANTI-TERROR PACT

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THE Association of Southeast Asian Nations and Australia on Saturday sealed a historic agreement seeking to bolster regional security, with the joint signing of the memorandum of understanding on a Cooperation to Counter International Terrorism on the sidelines of the Asean-Australia Special Summit.

Leading the Philippine government delegation was Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano, who represents President Rodrigo Duterte for the two-day leaders’ dialogue in Sydney.

The MOU is aimed at strengthening the cooperation between the two parties in combating terrorism, counterterrorism financing, and in the fight against violent extremism.

In a joint statement, the leaders stressed that the crafting of the MOU demonstrates their “joint resolve to

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stand together” against those who seek to divide communities.

The document intensifies Australia’s annual engagement with the bloc and enshrines practical measures to deepen dialogue across governments and security and law enforcement institutions.

The MOU is supported by programs on technical and regulatory assistance to develop best practices in aid of counter-terrorism legislation, and regional dialogues and workshops on topics, such as electronic evidence, financial intelligence, and countering online radicalization.

“Asean nations have a strong record of working together to confront violent extremism and defeat terrorist organizations,” the joint statement read.

“In recent years the threat posed Turn to A2

THE Department of National Defense on Saturday said it would only target lumads who joined and were actively supporting the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army in security operations, and not the whole indigenous community.

DND’s statement emerged after a group of lumads from several places in the country staged a protest action in front of Camp Aguinaldo on Friday, claiming that tagging the CPP-NPA as a terrorist organization would result in a large-scale operation targeting lumads.

“That is not true at all. If and when the CPP-NPA are tagged as terrorists by the court, it will apply only to their leaders, regular fighters and supporters. Only lumads who joined the NPA regular ranks and those who actively support the CPP-NPA in whatever form will be included as terrorists and will be the object of security operations,” Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said in a statement.

The DND assured the people that “peace-loving lumads” would be protected by the military and the police.

At a summit in Davao City last month, President Rodrigo Duterte asked the lumads to trust the Turn to A2

ICC WASTING TIME ON PH PROBE—ROQUE

By Vito Barcelo

DESPITE the International Criminal Court’s resolve to proceed with the examination against President Rodrigo Duterte’s alleged war on drugs, the ICC will only waste its time and resources because the Philippines has withdrawn from the Rome Statute, insisting it has no jurisdiction over the President of a state, according to Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque.

Roque reiterated that the withdrawal from the tribunal would be the end of the process and it would not succeed.

In a report, the ICC asserted it would continue the preliminary examination on Duterte’s alleged human rights violation, despite his administration’s decision to withdraw the Philippines from the tribunal.

The ICC cited the case of Burundi which it said retained jurisdiction over crimes even after the withdrawal had become effective.

However, the Palace spokesperson said the ICC could proceed with their examination but without the cooperation of the police, the military or any government agencies, as it is no longer a member of the UN-backed tribunal. Turn to A2

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SUNDAY, MARCH 18, 2018 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

COMELEC ALL SET FOR VILLAGE POLLS IN MAY

By Vito Barcelo THE Commission on Elections is all set for the May 14 barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections and will use the already-printed official ballots for the polls’ original Oct. 23, 2017 schedule to save public funds and government resources.

The Comelec declined to comment on another postponement measure in Congress, which seeks to move the local elections for the third time to Oct. 2, 2018.

In a statement, Comelec spokesman James Jimenez said that under Resolution No. 10248, voters in the National Capital Region, Luzon and Visayas Regions will be using the 59,578,346 official ballots that were printed from Aug. 9, 2017 to Sept. 30, 2017.

The poll body, however, said it will print an additional 18 million ballots for the new registrants and for Mindanao voters.

“The bulk of preparation is in the printing of ballots for the additional registrants during the November 2017 registration,” Jimenez said.

To avoid confusion, ballots for NCR, Luzon and Visayas will bear Oct. 23, 2017 as the date of the elections, while those for Mindanao would bear May 14, 2018 as the date of the elections.

Jimenez said the printing of additional ballots started in February and is expected to end this month.

Comelec noted 843,588 new voter applicants, but the Election Registration Boards are yet to verify, certify and seal the List of Voters, he added.

10 KILLED...

From A1 As of presstime, police could not give any information on what caused the plane crash.

CAAP has ordered all planes of Lite Air Express grounded pending results of its crash investigation.

Based on board record of Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines, the other fatalities were: Cap. Ruel M. Melori, other data still unknown (pilot); Romeo H. Huenda, other data still unknown (chief mechanic); Alicia N. Necesario, other data still unknown (passenger); Maria Vera F. Pagaduan, other data still unknown (passenger); Nelson T. Melgar, other data still unknown (passenger).

PALACE:...

From A1

Napoles, currently detained in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City, filed a motion before the Sandiganbayan which asked it to transfer her to the custody of the DoJ. However, Roque said the affidavits Napoles submitted would be studied, and explained she was not yet formally admitted to the witness protection.

Napoles is currently facing multiple charges before the Sandiganbayan in connection with her involvement in the multi-billion peso pork barrel scam.

The Malacañang reaction followed an accusation by lawyer Levi Baligod on Friday against the DoJ and the Office of the Solicitor General of “giving undue favor” to Napoles.

Napoles, the alleged brains behind the multibillion-peso Priority Development Assistance Fund scam, was placed

by DoJ under the provisional coverage of the government’s Witness Protection Program.

“I see in the actions of DoJ some venal acts. This is not isolated, this is connected to what the Solicitor General did,” Baligod said in a Bandila DZMM interview.

The OSG filed with the Court of Appeals a “manifestation in lieu of rejoinder” that recommended the acquittal of the businesswoman for the crime of serious illegal detention against whistleblower Benhur Luy. In May 2017, the CA reversed a lower court ruling that found Napoles guilty.

DND...

From A1

Armed Forces of the Philippines and not the NPA. Duterte urged the indigenous peoples to fight alongside the government and point to the authorities the location of NPA camps, while announcing the release of P100 million for their livelihood programs and agricultural development.

In December last year, the President signed a proclamation categorizing the CPP-NPA as a terrorist group.

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CHINA EMPOWERS XI; ALLY NAMED DEPUTY

EIJING—China’s rubber-stamp parliament unanimously handed President Xi Jinping a second term Saturday and elevated his right-hand man to the vice presidency, giving him a strong ally to consolidate power and handle US trade threats.

Xi’s reappointment by the Communist Party-controlled legislature was a foregone conclusion, but all eyes had been on whether his former anti-corruption enforcer, Wang Qishan, would become his deputy.

The National People’s Congress has widely expanded Xi’s already considerable authority during its annual session, adding his name to the constitution and lifting the twotime, five-year term limit for the presidency and vice presidency.

Xi received a standing ovation after winning all 2,970 votes for the presidency and Central Military Commission chairman. In 2013, Xi had received 2,952 votes, with one against and three abstentions, a 99.86 percent share.

Only one delegate voted against Wang’s appointment, with 2,969 in favor.

Xi and Wang shook hands as the legislators heaped on applause.

As part of the package of constitutional amendments, Xi and Wang for the first time took the oath of office by pledging allegiance to the constitution. Xi put his left hand on a red-covered book containing the charter and raised his right fist to take his vow.

“I pledge loyalty to the constitution of the People’s Republic of China,” Xi recited, vowing to “strenuously struggle to build a rich, strong, democratic and civilized” country.

Elevating Wang allows Xi to keep a formidable ally by his side, as China’s most powerful leader since Mao Zedong cements his authority and sets his sights on a possible lifelong tenure—a

move that has drawn criticism online.

Wang, 69, stepped down from the Communist Party’s ruling council in October under informal retirement rules.

But he has kept a prominent profile, sitting at the same table as the seven members of the Politburo Standing Committee during the public sessions of the National People’s Congress while receiving fervent applause from the delegates as he voted.

Wang’s appointment shows that “he’s a really important political advisor,” said Kerry Brown, director of the Lau China Institute at King’s College London.

“He’s a very capable politician, so it makes sense he would still be around,” Brown told AFP, noting that “it also shows we’re in an unconventional time in Chinese politics.”

Wang was at the frontline of Xi’s anticorruption crusade, heading the party’s Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, which has punished 1.5 million officials in the past five years, from low-level cadres to regional leaders and generals. He stepped down last year.

Known internationally in his previous role as China’s point man on trade, Wang could help Xi deal with increasingly tense relations with the United States amid fears of a looming trade war, analysts say.

Xi’s real power stems from his title as general secretary of the Communist

Party, but analysts say Wang could provide extra heft to his presidency, even though the vice president has largely been a ceremonial post in the past.

Xi is keeping Wang by his side because of his “talent and ability,” according to Hua Po, an independent Chinese political commentator.

“Choosing Wang as vice president is certainly to consolidate his power,” Hua told AFP. “Xi is already a very powerful man.

The problem is that he has too few people who are loyal and competent for his use, so he has to retain Wang and give himself more time to cultivate more talented people.”

Wang replaces Li Yuanchao, a relatively low-profile politician who has represented Xi on trips abroad.

In his former position as vice premier, Wang periodically traveled to the United States, where then-president Barack Obama once gave the Chinese delegation a signed basketball.

An “amazing” economist, he could now form a “dream team” with another member of the party leadership, Wang Yang, to deal with concerns that US President Donald Trump policies will trigger a trade war, Brown said.

“Maybe they’ll be able to come up with a solution for this massive brewing storm with America about imbalances and tariffs.” AFP

CON-COM SUBPANEL PUSHES ECONOMIC CHANGES A SUBCOMMITTEE of President Rodrigo Duterte’s Consultative Committee or Con-Com to review the 1987 Constitution is eyeing provisions that will create a balanced economic liberalization to improve the inflow of foreign investments while enhancing the growth of domestic enterprises to make them more competitive.

Arthur Aguilar, chairperson of the subcommittee on economic revisions, said liberalization needs to be balanced with the need to increase competitiveness, while protecting domestic interests.

During their last meeting, Aguilar said the subcommittee agreed that

ASEAN,...

From A1 by returning foreign fighters and ISILlinked extremists has grown. It makes today’s cooperation all the more important,” it added.

The MOU signing adds to the numerous peace and security cooperation between the two parties, which ranges from cyber and maritime cooperation, in their fight against people trafficking.

In related developments: • Australia on Saturday warned the use of encrypted messaging apps to plan terrorist attacks was the greatest threat faced by intelligence agencies in modern times and urged a “united and cohesive” response.

Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton told an Asean-Australia special summit in Sydney that the use of the “dark web” by extremists and other criminals was a spiraling problem.

“The use of encrypted messaging apps by terrorists and criminals is potentially the most significant degradation of intelligence capability in mod-

ICC...

From A1 Roque said the Philippine withdrawal was considered a big loss to the ICC, and observed that this new development would discourage other Asian countries to join. “… this is a development that the prosecutor should have considered when she decided to embark on preliminary examination,” Roque said.

“So to the ICC, to the Assembly of State Parties, they only have to thank the prosecutor for the end of our dream to achieve universal ratification for the ICC,” he added, stressing the move could lead to an avalanche of countries wanting to get out from the international court.

liberalization must be viewed from a holistic perspective that considers several factors that affect the inflow of foreign investments.

These factors include ease of doing business, ownership restrictions, peace and order, infrastructure, tax and other incentives, governance, graft and corruption, labor cost, energy cost among others.

Although the measures are to be finalized yet, Aguilar said the panel that liberalization must be measured based on what is best for the people in general, and should ensure that Filipino enterprises, particularly small and medium scale enterprises,

don’t get “wiped out.”

“Small and medium scale businesses have to have some element of protection, otherwise they’d get wiped out,” Aguilar told reporters.

“When we liberalize that, we were conscious of trying to balance liberalization on one side and the national interest to make sure that it is for the welfare of the people, and to balance it out for some sectoral interests of our economy,” he added.

The panel also tackled foreign ownership of land classified into three: agriculture, industrial-commercial, and residential.

Since nothing is final yet, Aguilar

was hopeful these principles will eventually find their way into constitutional language in some provision.

He also expressed the importance of economic reforms in the proposed federal form of government.

“You have to have economic reforms if you federalize because you’re now sharing [power and resources]. As you know in federalization, you have exclusive federal powers, you have exclusive regional powers and you have shared powers. In our proposal here, on economic policies, the federal government will just set general standards,” Aguilar said. PNA

ern times,” he said.

Dutton added at the meeting of Southeast Asian leaders that the only way to deal with the threat, and the increasing use of the Internet by groups like Islamic State to radicalize and recruit new members, was together.

“While our nations are focused on countering the ongoing threat of terrorism domestically, it would be a mistake to approach the problem from a purely national perspective,” he said.

“Terrorism and violent extremism transcend national borders.

“Countering the threat requires a united and cohesive regional effort involving coordination between our respective national security and law enforcement agencies.”

Canberra is already helping Southeast Asian states choke terrorist financing and counter violent extremism.

• Provocative images of one-time human rights icon Aung San Suu Kyi with a Hitler moustache and banners demanding Cambodia’s Hun Sen step down were held by protesters in Sydney in a rally against Southeast Asian leaders.

Thousands demonstrated in the city against a raft of grievances on the sidelines of an Australia-Asean special summit, where Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has vowed to tackle human rights issues.

They came together to urge the release of political prisoners in Vietnam, an end to strongman Hun Sen’s regime in Cambodia and a halt to the military crackdown on Rohingya in Myanmar.

“We are here to protest issues that are happening in Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, the Rohingya—you name it, we are here to send a clear voice to these governments that you do not mistreat human rights,” Vietnamese-Australian protestor Davy Nguyen told AFP. Leaders from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations including Hun Sen, Myanmar’s de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi and Vietnam’s Nguyen Xuan Phuc, are in Sydney for talks. The Philippines’ Rodrigo Duterte opted not to attend.

All have been accused of oppression.

“The summit is here, and the [Australian] government needs to do something—they need to put human rights

before economics, before money,” Nguyen added.

Among banners was one portraying Aung San Suu Kyi with a Adolf Hitler moustache, calling on her to “Return the Nobel Prize.”

The terrorist problem has been exacerbated by jihadists now being forced out of Syria and Iraq with the Islamic State caliphate mostly crushed.

The issue was driven home last year when pro-Islamic State militants seized the southern Philippine city of Marawi, with Australia aiding Manila to win it back.

A memorandum of understanding will be issued at the summit later Saturday, reportedly with an agreement to pool cyber intelligence and police resources across the region for the first time.

The Australian newspaper said it would include a regional digital forensics task force and uniform criminal legislative frameworks to secure prosecutions.

Australia has suffered six terror attacks in recent years and disrupted 14 more, including a plot to bring down a plane departing Sydney. PNA. AFP

Roque also described the prosecutor’s decision to conduct a preliminary examination as a “wrong political move.”

“You just give countries confirmation on why they should not become a member of the ICC. Because you have shown that you can exercise your power without accountability… You are to blame if ICC becomes part of the dustbin of history,” he said, referring to the ICC prosecutor.

Meanwhile, the Commission on Human Rights said the challenge to the government at this time was to ensure the protection and respect for human rights and to strengthen the justice system.

“The need for justice and the rule of law to prevail amidst allegations of impunity cannot hide under the veil of threat to withdraw from the Rome Stat-

ute,” the Commission on Human Rights said in a statement.

“The Commission on Human Rights believes that if the Philippine government can ably demonstrate genuine respect for human rights, as well as working mechanisms that ensure that perpetrators are brought to justice and there is recourse for victims under our justice system, then international human rights bodies will find no reason to assume jurisdiction over what should otherwise be purely domestic affairs,” the Commission added.

Duterte cited “baseless, unprecedented and outrageous attacks” against him and his administration and the alleged attempt of the ICC prosecutor to place him under the tribunal’s jurisdiction.

“Declarations to withdraw from the

International Criminal Court constitute a step-back in our commitment to address impunity locally and elsewhere in the world,” the CHR said.

In addition, the Commission said the withdrawal from ICC “does not remove the jurisdiction of the Court on crimes alleged to have been committed during the time the Philippines is still a State Party (Article 127, Rome Statute).”

The CHR also noted the unilateral decision to withdraw from the ICC was insufficient as this needs the ratification of the Senate, citing Senate Resolution No. 289.

“Considering that the ICC is a ratified, binding instrument, Senate concurrence is also required in withdrawing or terminating treaties,” the Commission said.

MPIC’S SHORE IT UP! SOARS HIGH

celebrates a decade of coastal clean-up drive

By Hector Zabala

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VERYONE remembers the day Typhoon ‘Ondoy’ hit the country in September 2009. In just 12 hours, it brought down 17 inches of rain equivalent to a month’s worth of rainfall in one day. Within just a few days, ‘Ondoy’ put the country in distress flooding streets and neighborhoods, submerging cars and crops, and overflowing two dams.

The devastation brought about by ‘Ondoy’ served as a wake up call for Metro Pacific Investments Foundation (MPIF), the lead advocate for coastal community engagement of the MVP group of companies, to start an environmental awareness program that aims to transform people to be responsible for their garbage and improve the deteriorating condition of our coastline.

Melody del Rosario, MPIF President, said: “Our coastal environment is deteriorating because of climate change, pollution and overfishing.

We had to start somewhere. And with the Philippines surrounded with bodies of water, underwater and coastal clean-up, together with marine life conservation, became a good starting point for us to institutionalize Shore it Up! as a program.”

As they say, the rest was history.

A DECADE OF COMMITMENTS Now entering its 10th year of foundation, a series of activities called #ShoreItUpNa10 was launched to celebrate its milestones. Shore It Up! (SIU) program has grown leaps and bounds in terms of institutions, foundations, organizations, civic groups and scuba diving teams willing to help, act and work together to restore and revive the coastal environments of various provinces nationwide.

From the time it started in 2009, SIU’s foothold has increased with project sites nationwide and has evolved into more than just coastal/ underwater clean-up for its community involvement activities. It continued to forge ahead with Mangrove Protection and Information Centers, Mangrove Eco-Guides, Marine Protection, Inspection and Conservation Guardians, Junior Environmental Scouts—all adopting the relevant mantra of ‘Rescue, Restore, Revive’.

Today, SIU is considered the country’s longest-running, corporatebacked environment program that partners with local government units (LGUs) for the sustainability of its projects. The partner venues are coastal municipalities such as in Alaminos, Pangasinan; Mabini, Batangas; Puerto Galera, Oriental Mindoro; Cordova, Cebu; Del Carmen, Siargao; Medina, Misamis Oriental and the Province of Surigao Del Norte.

Since the program was first launched in Anilao Batangas in 2009, it has already removed significant amount of garbage and debris from the coastal areas of these municipalities and provinces.

“Shore It Up undertakes environmental issues in a holistic manner,” explained Del Rosario. “We believe that for our environmental ecosystem to work, various marine and coastal support must be sustained with livelihood programs and proper education on environmental awareness,” Del Rosario said.

What is unique about SIU is that it provides an opportunity for civic volunteers to take part in various activities on top of cleaning the country’s coastlines. MPIF/MPIC management executives and staff and its owned companies, families, academic institutions, environmentalists, scientists, LGUs and tourism stakeholders participated in the coastal and underwater clean-up campaigns.

GROWING SIU VOLUNTEERS. Starting with just 20 divers when Shore it Up started in 2009, today it has 84,883 volunteers participating in underwater and shore clean-up activity, making it the longest-running corporate-backed environmental awareness program.

GROWING NUMBER OF VOLUNTEERS To date, SIU has 84, 883 volunteers, 2,800 junior environmental scouts, 5,324 hectares of protected mangroves, 889 volunteer divers, 441 partner organizations, 144 families assisted, 10 partner sites, 7 eco-guides, 3 mangrove centers.

As part of its 10th year celebration, a groundbreaking ceremony of a Mangrove Propagation and Information Center in Cordova Cebu—the third mangrove center since SIU was launched—was held early this month.

Catered for the Visayas area, the center completes the nationwide position of Shore It Up in helping to rescue, restore and revive the mangroves.

The two other centers are located in Alaminos, Pangasinan, and Del Carmen, Surigao Del Norte.

The center will train mangrove EcoGuides to tour and educate tourists visiting the area on basic information on mangroves. It will also be used as a venue for mangrove rehabilitation and conservation training.

Another highlight of its decadelong of existence is the participation of 300 public school children from coastal communities of Cordova ages

between 9-11 in this year’s Junior Environmental Scouts (JES). They will be taught how to identify environmental problems and how to help to rescue, restore and revive their coastal community.

For the first time since it started, SIU and the LGU partner are assigning a JES Master who will coordinate the activities of JES in the municipality.

The JES Master supervises the regular activities of JES as identified and instructed in their workbook and submits a report to Shore it Up. As part of its objective of preserving marine protected areas (MPAs), SIU also created a program in partnership with local government units (LGUs) to train bantay-dagat volunteers to become Marine Protection, Inspection and Conservation (MPIC) Guardians.

There are about 1,871 MPAs in the country today.

As part of its 10th year celebration, graduation of new MPIC Guardians in Medina, Misamis Oriental was held last March 4, including the turnover of monitoring equipment. MPIC Guardians were trained by SIU and PNP Maritime on coastal law enforcement, water search and rescue and basic first aid.

MPIC GUARDIANS. To ensure the continuous preservation of the countryís marine protected areas (MPAs), SIU in partnership with PNP Maritime trained 27 new Marine Protection, Inspection and Conservation (MPIC) Guardians on coastal law enforcement, water search and rescue, and basic first aid.

PRESERVING MANGROVES. With a dwindling mangrove forest, Shore It Up organized mangrove planting, conservation and rehabilitation training programs through the establishment of Mangrove Propagation and information Center in Cordova Cebu, its third center to date.

UNDERWATER CLEAN UP. Shore it Up volunteer divers continue to conduct underwater clean-up to protect and preserve marine life.

Children from coastal communities of Cordova, Cebu ages 9-11 took part in this year’s Shore it Up under the Junior Environmental Scouts (JES) program.

As part of the ‘Shore it Up weekend’ from March 2-4, simultaneous coastal clean-up to six (6) partner municipalities and three (3) provinces were successfully conducted. Schools, private organizations and government offices supported this nationwide activity.

For its environmental preservation efforts, SIU bagged several Award of

Merits during the yearly Anvil Awards of the Public Relations Society of the Philippines.

MPIF was established in 2008 with the mandate to implement programs designed to benefit communities, organizations, families and individuals, especially in areas where MPIC companies operate.

3-DAY EXHIBIT THANKS SIU PARTNERS

Among the entries in Shore it Up photo contest held recently in Greenbelt, Makati as part of the 3-day SIU exhibit were ‘Catch of the Day’ and ‘Pure Blue in a Beautiful View’.

AS A show of gratitude to its stakeholders and partners, SIU held a 3-day exhibit at the Gallery in Greenbelt, Makati City from March 1517 where environmental experts talked on how best to protect the country’s coastal and underwater treasures.

The event was culminated by an inspirational photo contest and exhibit. A merchandising bazaar was also set up where visitors availed special edition SIU t-shirts and other SIU memento.

“We focus the spotlight of the event on the heroic efforts of thousands of volunteers patrons, sponsors and local government units, who continue to make the SIU program a success,” said Del Rosario.

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Opinion

SUNDAY, MARCH 18, 2018

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Adelle Chua, Editor

EDITORIAL

SERIOUS PLAY

ANOTHER PUNCH-THE-WALL MOMENT

been observant, didn’t know where to look and what to look for.

“The white or grayish birds you see in flocks over the Pasig [River] or Manila Bay are kanaway, migratory terns,” my birdwatcher friend said. “Some will be white by mid-spring: whiskered terns. Others will turn black with white wings: whitewinged black terns. Only gulls alight on the surface.”

THERE was a time the safest place for children to be in was home.

Parents used to fret about their kids being outside the house and exposed to many physical dangers. So long as they are indoors, no harm could come to them.

Now they don’t even have to get out of their rooms to face some real danger.

They may just be sitting in front of their computers, playing a game—but they might be developing a debilitating, life-changing mental condition.

In fact, this has become such a concern that the World Health Organization is including gaming disorder in its 11th edition of the International Classification of Disorders. This most recent edition of the ICD will be published middle of the year; the last one was issued in 1992, the BBC reported.

Gaming disorder is defined in the draft as a “pattern of gaming behavior (digital gaming or video gaming) characterized by impaired control over gaming, increasing priority given to gaming over other activities to the extent that gaming takes precedence over other interests and daily activities, and continuation or escalation of gaming despite the occurrence of negative consequences.”

The behavior pattern must be so severe as to have significant impairment in personal, family, social, educational, occupational or other important areas of functioning. For the disorder to be diagnosed, these symptoms must be evident for at least 12 months. The period may be shorter if the symptoms are severe.

Predictably, the gaming industry has registered its protest, claiming that at best the research on prevalence of gaming addiction is inconclusive.

Industry bodies like the US Entertainment Software Association and UK Interactive Entertainment say they are concerned about the evidence that the WHO is using to base this potential classification on.

Still, the matter raises too much of a concern; it cannot simply be ignored.

Meanwhile, in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, the fifth edition of which was published in 2013, Internet gaming disorder is listed as a “condition for further study”—not yet officially recognized.

Many psychologists and psychiatrists refer to the DSM. *** Rudin and Cel Gonzales run the One Algon Place Foundation in Cabuyao, Laguna. The center rehabilitates those suffering from drug addiction, gambling addiction, and increasingly, gaming addiction.

In fact just in the first three months of the year, they counted more than 30 “students” brought to them for treatment. Most of them are between the ages of 14 and 21.

Rudin Gonzales mentions examples from other countries such as a married couple in Korea who left their infant child to play a game, only to return to find the child had starved to death.

There are also instances where players have died for their refusal to even stand up and leave their computer to attend to stretch their legs, sleep, or attend to their bodily functions.

The games just do not end. While a sense of satisfaction accompanies other, earlier games—think of Super Mario getting to the princess and reaching the castle—most of today’s online games just keep amping up the excitement such that a player does not know when or how to stop.

Jimmy, a 15-year-old ninth grader who plays League of Legends, describes what it is in the game that appeals to him. “It’s a 5x5 multiplayer online battle arena where your team must destroy the other teams’ nexus

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R

UMOR has it that President Rodrigo Duterte slammed his fist against the wall after learning that his Department of Justice dropped charges of narcotics trade against Kerwin Espinosa, Peter Lim and a handful of others.

We hesitate to receive this information literally. Suffice it to say that the President was supposedly enraged that the cases against these known or self-confessed drug traders have been dropped for their “weakness.”

It appears the DoJ is not done. On Friday it announced that it had placed alleged pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles, provisionally, under the Witness Protection Program.

Napoles created a stir in 2013 after her former assistant revealed she set up numerous bogus foundations and non-government organizations through which lawmakers funneled their Priority Development Assistance Fund.

The circumstances of Mrs. Napoles’ surfacing and surrender were surreal, leading many to believe that politicians across party lines were afraid of her spilling something she knew about them. People were also scandalized that prior to her arrest, she and her family lived not only comfortably but ostentatiously.

We wonder, however, what the state would get out of Napoles now, when she only replied “I don’t know” and “I don’t remember” to questions asked of her during congressional hearings. She will also be best remembered for her rambling speech during an earlier meeting with journalists.

But her lawyers say she has submitted a new affidavit.

It promises to be explosive—why else would she be placed under the program, but then again, what guarantee does the public have that this version is truer and more forthcoming than her previous disclosures?

Napoles’ lawyers said last year that she had been receiving death threats from former and current officials who benefitted from her elaborate scheme.

It is yet to be established whether Napoles was the mastermind or a mere participant, even a conduit, in the broad scheme intended to take public funds in the guise of helping organizations of worthy causes. What is certain now is that Napoles, over the years, has come to be equated with corruption and deliberate intent to fool the people. Turning her into a state witness simply grates. Just like the DoJ’s decision to drop the drug charges against Espinosa, Lim and the rest, the thought of Napoles as a crusading witness just leaves us a bad taste in the mouth.

We wonder whether the President would punch the wall again, literally or otherwise, when he realizes the impact this latest DoJ stunt will have on his supposed fight against corruption.

BIRDWATCHING IN THE CITY MY REVELATION was born from a photo I saw on Twitter of a large bird with a long beak standing on skinny legs on the bank of a lake.

The photo was posted by a young friend who spotted the bird at Taal.

He didn’t know what it was, except that he was told that the bird ate fish from the numerous fish cages in the lake.

I tagged another friend who is

a Makati-based birdwatcher, and right away he identified the bird as a kadangho—purple heron. This is a “resident species,” he said, while the “gray heron aka talabong is the migratory one.” He says he’s seen the purple heron only a couple of times before at Sampaloc Lake in San Pablo, Laguna, and twice in Tambo, but the gray heron is “common during amihan along with great, intermediate, and little egrets.”

I was intrigued, so my

birdwatcher friend told me more.

There were plovers in Tambo but that mudflat is now where Okada stands. He sent me a photo of a white bird, a bit smaller than a chicken, perched on a rock in a muddy stream. “Here is a little egret in the Amorsolo Canal just off the Makati Medical Center.”

Now that blew my mind. Makati Med is near our house. I’ve only ever seen mayas—those common brown sparrows—in the city, but I realize now that I just haven’t

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From A4

He sent more pictures. Of a charcoal-gray bird with white chest feathers, he said, “This is a whitebreasted waterhen. Lots around UP [University of the Philippines] Diliman and Ateneo [de Manila University] campus.”

Of two darkish birds perched on a wood piling, he explained, “These are not crows. These are Asian glossy starlings. Quite common in Cebu City. In Manila, you’ll spot them where the balete and aratiles are with fruit.”

A beautiful turquoise and redorange bird, smallish with a long dark beak, was a “migratory kasaykasay or common kingfisher. You might see one around ponds. The common inland kingfisher is the collared kingfisher [sasala]. Lots in the American War Cemetery along with barred rails or tikling.”

Other species that may be seen in the city, he says, are the payugyog, similar to the yellow wagtail, “a common visitor to Manila during amihan;” the peregrine falcon, some of which have been spotted in Makati, the Mall of Asia area, and España Avenue near the University of Santo Tomas; as well as the Eurasian tree sparrow, crested mynah, zebra dove, large-billed crown, olive-backed sunbird, Pacific and barn swallows, red-keeled flowerpecker, yellowvented bulbul (“more common than maya/tree sparrow”), shrikes, fantails, woodpeckers, pigeons, orioles, and many more.

There is at least one birdwatching club in the metro. The Wild Bird Club of the Philippines (birdwatch. ph) was, according to material on their website, “established in July 2003 to promote bird watching as a hobby and the responsible enjoyment of nature.”

Their aim in the medium term is to “promote birdwatching not as an end in itself but as the means to influence public opinion. In the [time] that we have been birding around Metro Manila, we have seen rapid disturbance in bird habitats.

“We recognize that commercial development will have to take place sooner or later, but it is in the common interest to temper this development with environmental planning and protection and the maintenance of public free spaces and green areas.”

The WBCP maintains a list of Philippine birds and observation records, and engages in birding activities such as waterbird censuses in various sites in Luzon.

They will be involved in the 12th Philippine Bird Festival set for May 12 to 13 in Tacurong City, Sultan Kudarat.

It would be a sorry outcome for our environment to lose these species that contribute to the viability of biomes in the country.

I had not realized the diversity of birds in the city until my birdwatcher friend enlightened me.

And it is such a lack of knowledge and awareness among many, if not most, urban Filipinos that might contribute to further unchecked real estate development that could destroy the natural habitats of many Philippine birds, insects, animals, and plants. We have to be vigilant and protective when it comes to our environment.

If there’s a takeaway to all this, it is to look up, look around, discover and responsibly explore your surroundings, educate yourself, and realize that we are all connected to and in nature.

Dr. Ortuoste is a writer and communication consultant. FB and Twitter: @DrJennyO

SERIOUS...

From A4 before they destroy yours,” he says. The enemy’s nexus, which he describes as some sort of heart, determines whether a team wins or loses the game.

Jimmy says what may be addictive in the game is the ranking system. The “ranked games” can only be unlocked by players who have reached Level 30. “Players here are much more competitive, and the process is long and complicated before you can get to the next rank.” As a diamond-ranked player, he is better than the average LOL gamer, who hovers on the silver level.

The players “get toxic” with each

SUNDAY, MARCH 18, 2018

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SPIRITUAL PILGRIMAGE OF PRAYER THROUGH WAY OF THE CROSS

EVERYMAN

By Honor Blanco Cabie MANY of the nearly 90 percent Catholic Filipinos have started making a spiritual pilgrimage of prayer through the Way of the Cross, culminating next March 29 on Maundy Thursday.

At the Sacred Heart of Parish in Cainta, Rizal 20 kms east of Manila, Maria Rosa and her family have begun a series of solemn meditations in front of 14 sculptures on the sides of the church.

In Paoay, Ilocos Norte, Ceferina and her cousins have also started the Lenten ritual in front of the Stations of the Cross at the UN Heritage-listed St. Augustine Church; the same solemnity displayed by cousins Coleen Recede and Niña Rosal in the 1st municipal income class municipality in the province of Cebu.

At the Our Lady of the Assumption in coastal Santa Maria, Ilocos Sur, Margie, although she works in Manila, has returned for the annual Via Crucis at the hilltop church overlooking the usually calm Luzon Bay. Sixteen-year-old Christle, who just finished high school, and her close family friends do the Lenten ritual themselves at the Saint James Cathedral in the capital town of Bangued, nestled by the meandering Abra River that empties into Luzon Bay. Rico, in his 30s, has a different experience in his coastal hometown of Macalelon in Quezon, where many of the barangays construct “kubol” or small makeshift churches which house the 14 Stations of the Cross along the town’s streets.

Rico, who works in Quezon City as a computer administrator, talks of indigenous materials like bamboo, nipa, coconut, talahib grass, log, wood, among others which make the “kubols” where devotees gather all day and into the small hours of the night to recite the traditional “Pabasa ng Pasyon” or the Passion of Christ.

Religion sources say the Stations of the Cross—also called the Via Dolorosa or Way of Sorrows, or simply, The Way—is a series of artistic representations which are often sculptural, depicting Christ Carrying the Cross to his crucifixion before he died.The sources say majority of Roman Catholic churches now contain such a series, typically placed at intervals along the side walls of the nave.

In most churches these are small plaques with reliefs or paintings, like those at the Santuario

del Santo Cristo in San Juan City in Metro Manila, or those at the Our Lady of Loreto Church in Sampaloc and the Our Lady of Montserrat, both in Manila.

According to some theologians, the tradition as chapel devotion began with St. Francis of Assisi and extended throughout the Roman Catholic Church in the medieval period.

Even some Aglipayans in Ilocos Norte and Tarlac, notably in Pinili in the former and Moncada in the latter, go through the Via Crucis ritual, including chanting the Passion of Christ from sunrise to way past sunset, the fever pitch reaching during the last two weeks before Good Friday.

Church sources say the Stations of the Cross originated in pilgrimages to Jerusalem. According to them, a desire to reproduce the holy places in other lands seems to have manifested itself at quite an early date.

At the monastery of Santo Stefano at Bologna, a group of connected chapels was constructed as early as the 5th century by St. Petronius, Bishop of Bologna, intended to represent the more important shrines of Jerusalem.

This monastery became known as “Hierusalem,” according to some religious documents.

Some theologians believe these may perhaps be regarded as the germ from which the Stations afterwards developed, though it is tolerably certain that nothing that we have before about the 15th century can strictly be called a Way of the Cross in the modern sense.

According to Catholic Church sources, the earliest use of the word “stations,” as applied to the accustomed halting-places in the Via Sacra in Jerusalem, is in the narrative of English pilgrim William Wey, who visited the Holy Land in the mid15th century, and described pilgrims following the footsteps of Christ to the cross.

In 1521, a book called Geystlich Strass was printed with illustrations of the stations in the Holy Land, according to sources.

According to some religious documents, during the 15th and 16th centuries the Franciscans began to build outdoor shrines in Europe to duplicate their counterparts in the Holy Land.

The number of stations varied between seven and 30; seven being common.

These were usually placed, often in small buildings, along the approach to a church, as

in a set of 1490 by Adam Kraft, leading to the Johanneskirche in Nuremberg.

In the Philippines, which received the Cross in 1521, the Catholic faithful follow the standard set from the 17th to 20th centuries which has consisted of 14 pictures or sculptures depicting the following scenes: 1. Jesus is condemned to death; 2. Jesus carries His cross; 3. Jesus falls the first time; 4. Jesus meets His mother; 5. Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus to carry the cross; 6. Veronica wipes the face of Jesus; 7. Jesus falls the second time; 8. Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem; 9.

Jesus falls the third time; 10.Jesus is stripped of his garments; 11.Crucifixion: Jesus is nailed to the cross; 12. Jesus dies on the cross; 13. Jesus is taken down from the cross (Deposition or Lamentation); and 14. Jesus is laid to the tomb.

While not traditionally part of the Stations, some Catholic Church sources say the Resurrection of Jesus is at times included as a 15th station.

Some have asked what spiritual significance is there that one must go through the Way of the Cross.

Sources say the object of the Stations is to help the faithful “make a spiritual pilgrimage of prayer, through meditating upon the chief scenes of Christ’s sufferings and death.”

Catholic priests say this has become one of the most popular devotions for Roman Catholics, and is often performed in a spirit of reparation for the sufferings and insults that Jesus endured during His Passion.

In his encyclical letter, Miserentissimus Redepmtor, on reparations, Pope Pius XI called Acts of Reparation to Jesus Christ a duty for Catholics and referred to them as “some sort of compensation to be rendered for the injury” with respect to the sufferings of Jesus.

Pope John Paul II referred to Acts of Reparation as the “unceasing effort to stand beside the endless crosses on which the Son of God continues to be crucified.”

In the Philippines, the temperature during Lent rising to what some describe as “oppressively hot and humid,” the lines making the spiritual pilgrimage are lengthening despite.

HBC, group leader of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Elderly Ministry in Brookside, Cainta, Rizal, is a member of the Propagation of the Faith of San Beda College.

BANKSY MURAL BACKS JAILED TURKISH ARTIST ZEHRA DOGAN

Pedestrians walk by the latest work by the elusive British street artist Bansky along a wall on Houston street in Manhattan in New York City. The work draws attention to the jailed Turkish artist Zehra Dogan who was jailed for nearly three years over a painting. AFP

other, he says, because they want to prove they are better than the others.

“It’s ridiculously time-consuming so when you look at how much time you have spent playing, you will become sad because you think of plenty of better things you could have done with your time.”

“I would not think of myself as an addict, but sometimes I find myself thinking about the game even when I am doing other things,” Jimmy says.

For practical purposes, the Gonzaleses use the 36-hour a week benchmark to ascertain whether a particular “student” needs drastic intervention. So if your kids plays games more than five hours every day, then perhaps you should

start worrying.

How exactly is intervention done?

First, assessment. Case handlers talk to the student, and find out their history or background. Almost always, the lack of impulse control can be traced to relationship or value issues within the family.

Second, the provision of structured activity. “Gaming addicts disregard the fact that they have to do certain things with regularity, and at relatively fixed times of the day. These are activities like eating, taking a bath, studying,” says Cel. “Instead they bring their food to their computer tables so they can still play while eating, completely disregarding the opportunity to bond with family

NEW YORK—After taking a stand in support of Palestinians and migrants, British street artist Banksy is now showing solidarity with imprisoned Turkish-Kurdish artist and journalist Zehra Dogan with a giant mural in Manhattan.

The famed graffiti artist’s 20-meter work features a series of tally marks such as those prisoners use to keep track of the time they have been confined, one of which doubles as the bars of Dogan’s cell.

“Free Zehra Dogan” appears in the bottom right corner of the mural, located at the crossroads of Houston Street and Bowery.

Dogan was jailed for a painting picturing the Kurdish-majority town of Nusaybin in southeastern Turkey, which suffered heavy damage during a Turkish military operation.

“Sentenced to nearly three years in jail for painting a single picture. #FREEzehradogan,” Banksy wrote in an Instagram post accompanying the mural.

The “Bowery Mural Wall” on the edge of the East Village has hosted some of the biggest names in graffiti since the late 1970s. Banksy’s work was preceded by one by artist Lakwena.

Banksy is behind another work in recent days in Manhattan: picturing a rat—one of the artist’s signature motifs—running inside the face of a clock on a building slated for demolition, at the intersection of Sixth Avenue and 14th Street.

The identity of Banksy, whose politically provocative graffiti appears suddenly on walls around the world, remains a mystery despite frequent attempts to pierce the secrecy. AFP

through meals.”

In rehab, the “students” are given a schedule for their activities so they attain some sort of normalcy in their routine.

Third, the students are made aware of the effects of what they are doing, not only in their own lives but in the lives of those around them. They are also made to see medical doctors who determine whether they should be given medication—or be taken off them.

Finally, there is a dialogue with families or guardians. It’s always a community, Rudin says.

The length of treatment depends on the willingness of the student to kick

the habit, and the support they get from families. Sometimes the program can go on for as short as one or two weeks, even as they must still regularly report their progress to Algon. Most important is the decision on whether or not to be allowed to go online. Cel believes total deprivation may also be harmful so regulated activity should be acceptable.

Ultimately, the online gaming is an impulse control issue like other addictions, the Gonzaleses say. It all begins at home—how they are guided into performing tasks regularly and with discipline, and how to entertain themselves, all in moderation. adellechua@gmail.com

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D’MALL BORACAY NOT BUILT ON WETLANDS —MALL EXEC

CFC-MWSS TEAMUP. Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System Administrator Reynaldo V. Velasco (center) poses with the Couples for Christ ANCOP group headed by Ricky Cuenca from ANCOP Canada and other members from CFC Philippines during a recent visit to the MWSS Compound to discuss housing project for the indigenous people to be affected by the forthcoming MWSS project in Quezon province. The CFC ANCOP (Answering the Cry of the Poor) group is the juridical entity established by CFC and mandated with the marketing and fund raising for the Church of the Poor Programs. ANCOP Foundations have been established in the Philippines, Canada, USA, Australia, Europe and other countries that support the various programs under the Church of the Poor. CFC ANCOP group has been working with Gawad Kalinga Foundation here in the Philippines whose initiative is to build houses for the poor. As part of Ancop’s housing project, Velasco said that the Canadian-based group has committed the MWSS for the indigenous people who will be displaced by the forthcoming New Centennial Kaliwa Dam project.

GOVT MEN, COPS, SOLDIER CAUGHT GAMBLING ONLINE FOUR NEW DISTRICT COLLECTORS NAMED AT BOC

By Vito Barcelo CUSTOMS Commissioner Isidro Lapeña assigned four new district collectors as part of the bureau’s major reshuffle in several key ports to replace officials who failed to meet the revenue collection targets for two consecutive months.

The Customs chief also swore into office Jessie Cardona as head of BoC’s Account Management Office. Cardona was formerly part of the Anti-Terrorism Council Program Management Center.

“He is one of my trusted men in the public service and I know he will resolve the issues in the Account Management Office in no time,” Lapeña said.

Affected by the reshuffle were Ninoy Aquino International Airport district collector Vincent Philip Maronilla, who was replaced by former Port of Subic district collector Carmeliya Taluzan.

Lawyer Ma. Liza Sebastian from the BoC’s Revenue Collection Monitoring Group replaced Surigao district collector Lilibeth Mangsal, who is now the acting deputy collector for the Port of Cebu.

Lawyer Lyceo Martinez of the Compliance Monitoring Unit was appointed as the new Zamboanga collector, replacing Jesus Balmores, while Arsenia Ilagan, former Naia deputy collector for passenger service, assumed her post as Legazpi district collector, replacing lawyer Ma. Lourdes Mangaoang.

Mangaoang assumed Ilagan’s former role at Naia.

By Francisco Tuyay

F

IVE government officials, four policemen and a soldier were collared by police intelligence operatives while betting in an illegal online cockfighting game at a restaurant in Bulacan Friday afternoon.

Initial reports from the office of CITF chief Sr. Supt Jose Chiquito Malayo said they caught the government officials and lawmen inside the Globaliwag Restaurant in Baliwag operating an illegal online cockfighting at about 9:45 p.m.

The CITF identified the four policemen as PO3 Nolasco Bernardo

Juan, assigned in Camp Olivas; PO1 Jestoni Gonzales Fuentebella of the Bulacan Police Mobile Force Company; PO1 Jeffrey Mateo from Angat Municipal Police Station; and PO1 Emmanuel Leonardo and Army soldier Private First Class Enrique Quinaquin.

The arrested policemen and the soldier were brought to Camp Crame for investigation.

The CITF, however, did not identify the five government officials and their respective positions and areas of assignment.

Reports said the government officials were brought to an undisclosed police facility to undergo investigation.

The CITF operations also led to the arrest of 139 civilians betting inside the illegal online cockfighting.

The owner of the Globaliwag

Restaurant identified as Enecito Dahan Payapaya was taken by CITF operatives and is presently under the custody of the Anti-Crime Group.

PNP Chief Ronald dela Rosa has issued a stern warning to policemen from entering gambling places and casinos and similar establishments, and from engaging in criminal activities particularly in illegal drugs.

Last year, the CITF has arrested dozens of policemen engaged in illegal activities such as gambling and illegal drugs.

Over a hundred policemen found guilty of administrative offenses were dismissed from the police service while thousand other policemen are being investigated for numerous offenses.

The CITF was created to go after erring policemen and police officers involved in various illegal acts.

US GOVT SENDS NEW AID PACKAGE TO MARAWI THE United States government has extended a new package of humanitarian aid worth P100 million ($2 million) to boost food security in Marawi and nearby areas, the US Embassy in Manila said on Friday.

The United States Agency for International Development, in partnership with the World Food Programme, has provided 1.8 million kilograms of rice—enough to feed 45,000 people for four months— to families displaced by the recent conflict.

Undersecretary Emmanuel Leyco, Officer-in-Charge of the Department of Social Welfare and Development, said the department received the aid package during a ceremonial turnover in behalf of the Philippine government in Manila on Wednesday.

A statement from the Embassy also quoted US Ambassador Sung Kim, as saying during the ceremonial handover that “the US government continues to stand by the Filipino people as a friend, partner, and ally to support those affected by the

Marawi conflict as they rebuild their lives.”

Lanao del Sur Gov. Soraya Bejoria Alonto-Adiong said the local government is profoundly grateful to the government of the United States for its continuing support, in many forms, to the Maranao people.

Alonto-Adiong cited the assistance given to Lanao Sur’s provincial information officer Jennie Alonto Tamano, who was given a privileged tour of the US recently, through the Visitors’ Program of the Department of State and on the invitation of the US Embassy in Manila.

Meanwhile, 50 units of Brother Sewing Machines will be distributed to beneficiaries of the province’s livelihood support program designed to help hasten economic recovery for families displaced by the armed conflict in Marawi City.

Through the Philippine Business for Social Progress, the electricmotored sewing machine sets were donated by the Brother International, maker of home sewing and

embroidery machines, being part of corporate social responsibility of a transnational corporation, Tamano said.

Rey Laguda, PBSP executive director, turned over the sewing machines to Alonto-Adiong, who thanked both the Brother International and the PBSP during last Thursday’s ceremony at the Provincial Capitol in Marawi City.

The US Embassy statement said the assistance, “which will help ensure adequate food supply for families affected by the Marawi conflict, brings the total US government contribution to the Marawi humanitarian response to nearly P1.2 billion ($22.9 million).”

Ambassador Kim was joined by Undersecretary Emmanuel Leyco, officer-in-charge of the Department of Social Welfare and Development; Assistant Secretary Kristoffer James Purisima, spokesperson of Task Force Bangon Marawi; and Stephen Gluning, country director of the World Food Programme.

Nash B. Maulana

THE management of D’Mall of Boracay has belied allegations that its commercial establishment is built on wetlands.

D’Mall is a sprawling, outdoor shopping and dining center located between Station 1 and Station 2 in Barangay Balabag, Boracay Island.

Based on tax declaration documents filed with the local government, the area where D’Mall was constructed was a composite of lands that were classified as commercial, agricultural, residential, and ‘cocal,’ referring to lands planted with coconut trees.

As shown in maps of Boracay, the mangrove and swamp area that was identified as wetlands is located in a lake that is across the barangay road from D’Mall.

Lawyer Rudolph Jularbal, head of the Legal and Regulatory Compliance Group for D’Mall, said that “As a matter of good corporate governance and being a pioneering developer in Boracay, we have always known that it’s the pristine beauty of the island that makes it a global attraction.

“As such, it’s imperative that our establishments in Boracay conduct business in a manner that’s environmentally sustainable and socially responsible. This is what guides us and we have encouraged other establishments to follow suit.”

In the D’Mall development and expansion projects since 1999 until the present, all of which are covered by the appropriate Environmental Compliance Certificates, D’Mall management said it has worked closely with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the local government, and experts to undertake in-depth environmental impact assessments and monitoring of the area.

FVR, WIFE MING SHOW DANCING PROWESS IN JOINT BIRTHDAY BASH

By Ben Cal MANILA—For former President Fidel V. Ramos and his wife, former First Lady Ming Ramos, age is just a number as they grooved in an impromptu dance number during their joint birthday celebration at the Manila Polo Club in Makati City on March 15.

Their guests were overjoyed and clapped their hands when they saw Ramos and Ming dancing to their hearts’ content to the lively music.

FVR, as the former president is widely known, took the hand of his wife and asked her to dance with him which the former First Lady gladly accepted.

Ramos will turn 90 on Sunday (March 18) while Mrs. Ramos will mark her 90th birthday next month.

Despite their age, they still have the stamina to dance and move around with ease as both are physical education buffs.

FVR plays golf on weekends to maintain his physical fitness while Ming plays badminton every now and then.

Mrs. Ramos, who holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Education from Sargent School, Boston University and a Master of Science in Physical Education and Recreation from the University of California, Los Angeles, cited the importance of teaching physical education to children at the kindergarten level.

In a letter addressed to Education Secretary Leonor Briones, she said, “We should improve and strengthen the physical education subjects in our schools,” she said. “Filipinos should learn different sports and should start training at an early age. This is done in other countries so they have strong competitive athletes.” PNA

‘RAPE’ VICTIM WITHDRAWS RAPS AGAINST BULACAN COPS MALOLOS, Bulacan—The woman who accused three police officers of the Meycauayan City Police Station of raping her alternately during an anti-illegal drugs operation last March 6 has decided not to pursue the case.

Philippine National Police Chief Director Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa said on Friday afternoon that the 29-year-old woman sent a text message to an officer of the Women and Children Protection Desk of the Bulacan Police, saying she was withdrawing her complaint against the police officers.

Despite the message of withdrawal, Dela Rosa still ordered the Provincial Internal Affairs Service in Bulacan, under lawyer Cristina T. Alcantara, to pursue the investigation.

In a press conference held at Camp General Alejo Santos here Friday after-

noon, Dela Rosa said if the victim was afraid to file the case with the Bulacan Police, so he is encouraging her to go to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) or directly to his office in Camp Crame where she will be entertained.

The woman claimed that she was gang-raped by the apprehending police team under the City Police Drug Enforcement Unit of the Meycauayan City Police.

The PNP chief assured that he would not tolerate their actions if the allegation against PO2 Jefferson Landrito, and PO1s Marlo delos Santos and Jeremy Aquino are proven true.

He, however, said that in case the rape allegation is not true, he will encourage the three accused police officers to file counter charges to clear their names and reputation.

As a standard procedure, the three

policemen were immediately relieved and reassigned to the Provincial Holding Administrative Unit of the Bulacan Police, pending investigation of the case.

Alcantara said that even if the complainant withdraws the case, they will still conduct their own and separate investigation for the administrative case.

“It’s our mandate, whether there is a complaint or none, the case against the policemen will be pursued and if the victim would continue not to cooperate in this case for the investigation we will conduct, we would be forced to drop and dismiss the case in the end,” she said.

Meanwhile, Landrito, one of the accused, sought a public apology from the complainant for what she had done to them and to their families.

Manny Balbin, PNA

REMEMBERING FLOR. In commemorating the 23rd death anniversary of Flor Contemplacion, Migrante International rallyists dressed as slaves marched along Mendiola, Manila, on Saturday, March 17, 2018. Norman Cruz

Sports

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ONE Women’s Atomweight World Champion Angela Lee unloads with a left leg kick at challenger Istela Nunes. Lee dominated Nunes and eventually submitted her through Anaconda choke. ONE Championship

LEE, YAMAGUCHI CLASH IN TITLE FIGHT

R

EIGNING ONE Women’s Atomweight World Champion “Unstoppable” Angela Lee of Singapore finally gets to defend her crown against Japanese martial arts veteran Mei “V.V” Yamaguchi of Tokyo, Japan at ONE: Unstoppable Dreams to be held 7 p.m., May 18, 2018 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

The eagerly awaited title fight was postponed after Lee was involved in a vehicular assignment. With Lee fully recovered their fight finally pushes through.

Lee said she relied on her family for support to help her get through difficult times.

“With the help and support of my family, we got through (the accident) together. And I feel thankful for everything. I am so excited to be back in action. I’ve missed everything that comes along with competition—the training and preparation, and of course, getting right back in the cage. I think fans are going to see a great matchup. I just want to go in there, do what I love, and the results will show,” said Lee. Challenger Yamaguchi expressed confidence in her coming bout despite Lee’s impressive credentials and immaculate record.

“I am super focused on this match.

It’s going to be a tough challenge for me, facing the champion. I’ve been training a lot, especially in jiu-jitsu.

I’m now a black belt, so I think I’m improving a lot. At the same time, I have a new kickboxing coach, so we’re working very hard. I hope I can showcase some of those new skills,” said Yamaguchi.

Twenty one-year-old Lee is considered one of ONE Championship’s most outstanding athletes. She captured the inaugural ONE Women’s Atomweight World Championship with a rousing victory over Yamaguchi in 2016. She has since defended the title successfully twice.

Lee’s beautiful combination of elite striking and grappling has proven to be a potent formula for success, as she has remained unbeaten in her career. In the most recent bout of an impressive run, Lee dominated top contender Istela Nunes, showcasing her wide array of skills despite suffering from illness.

She is widely-considered on a global scale to be one of the biggest names actively competing in the sport. She defends her title next against Yamaguchi in a rematch.

Thirty five-year-old Yamaguchi is a female atomweight standout and a former ONE world title challenger from Tokyo.

She is the DEEP Jewels Featherweight Champion, and owns seven submissions and two knockouts in her 28-bout professional career.

In 2016, Yamaguchi battled Lee for the inaugural ONE Women’s Atomweight World Championship in an epic showdown that would later win multiple “Bout of the Year” honors from inter-

Mei Yamaguchi (on top) pins Gina Iniong of the Philippines to the ground.

Yamaguchi beat Iniong by unanimous decision after three hard-fought rounds. ONE Championship

ONE Women’s Atomweight World Champion Angela Lee is all smiles as she is introduced during her fight against challenger Istela Nunes. ONE Championship

national media publications.

In her last bout, Yamaguchi defeated Gina Iniong of the Philippines to win impressively by unanimous decision after three rounds. Yamaguchi is now set to take on champion Angela Lee in a highly-anticipated rematch.

For more updates on ONE Championship, please visit www.onefc. com, follow on Twitter and Instagram @ONEChampionship, and like on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ ONEChampionship.

ONE Championship is the largest global sports media property in Asian history. Headquartered in Singapore, ONE Championship is the home of martial arts and is the world’s largest martial arts organization, hosting bouts across all styles of martial arts such as Muay Thai, Kickboxing, Karate, Kung Fu, Silat, Sanda, Lethwei, Mixed Martial Arts, Tae Kwon Do, Submission Grappling, and more.

The world’s most exciting martial arts organization hosts the largest sports entertainment events across Asia, featuring some of the world’s best martial artists and world champions, all signed to exclusive contracts, on the largest media broadcast in Asia.

In addition to its digital platforms, ONE Championship broadcasts to over 1.7-billion potential viewers across 136 countries around the world with some of the largest global broadcasters, including Fox Sports, ABS-CBN, Astro, ClaroSports, Bandsports, Startimes, Premier Sports, Thairath TV, Skynet, Mediacorp, OSN, and more.

WORLD CHAMPION REED LEADS FIELD IN ALVEO DAVAO IRONMAN 70.3 TIM Reed, who has won practically every important triathlon competition in local shores, leads the cast of participants in the 2018 Alveo IRONMAN 70.3 which fires off March 25, 2018 at Azuela Cove in Davao City.

Other top contenders include Mexico’s Mauricio Mendez and Bradley Weiss of South Africa, the Xterra world champions in 2016 and 2017, respectively, and three-time Ironman winner Craig Alexander.

They head the elite 26 professional athletes, including 12 in women’s division, vying in the keenly awaited event backed by title sponsor Alveo, an AyalaLand company, and organized by Sunrise Events, Inc. Sunrise Events founder and CEO Wilfred Uytengsu and Davao, through Mayor Sara Duterte, have guaranteed a one-of-akind triathlon experience.

The event will be held in the region for the first time ever. It is expected to further boost the economy and tourism of the host city.

“With its blend of nature and urban infrastructure, not to mention a course with unfamiliar terrain and challenges, Davao and Azuela Cove will surely offer a true test of triathlon for this world-class field,” said Uytengsu.

Other fancied names vying for the crown are Xterra champion Ben Allen, and Canadian Brent McMahon who is a three-time North American Ironman 70.3 champion.

Last year’s Century Tuna Ironman 70.3 Subic titlist Radka Kahlefeldt of the Czech Republic banners, banners the women’s field that includes equally talented Dimity Lee Duke of Australia and Anna Eberhardt of Hungary.

The Alveo IRONMAN kicks off Sunrise Events’ series of triathlon events for its milestone 10th season with the leading organizer of premier sequential endurance races in the country now going nationwide with 70.3 championships also lined up in Luzon and Visayas.

The event will again enjoy a blockbuster field.

A total of 1,782 participants from 39 countries will participate in the inaugural Mindanao staging of the highly successful 1.9K swim, 90K bike, 21K run series presented

by Petron, Dept. of Tourism and Tourism Promotions Board and hosted

by Davao and Azuela Cove. For details, visit sunriseevents.com.ph.

Also on tap during the event are the Iron Girl, a 5km fun run sponsored

by Herbalife, and the first Alaska Ironkids swimbike-run, open to children 6-to-14 years old.

The local junior version of the IRONMAN is staged to promote a well-balanced lifestyle for kids and at the same time serves as venue for family bonding.

Other backers of the event are 2Go Express, Powerade, Wilkins Pure Purified Water, Sportswear, TYR, GU, Aboitiz Power, Davao Light, Da-

Tim Reed

vid’s Salon, Intercare, Davao Metro Shuttle, Prudential Guarantee, HyperHD on Cignal, AsiaTri.com, FinisherPix, TriLife and The Philippine STAR, Alaska, Alco-

Plus, ApoAgua, Cetaphil, Daylong, Devant, Fern-C, Penong’s Barbecue Seafood and Grill, Sanicare, Storck, Timex, Seda, Park Inn, Waterfront, Marco Polo and Active Network.

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Business

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

LADIES PRESS FOR PROGRESS IN PH RESTAURANT INDUSTRY

HE world celebrates International Women’s Month in March in recognition of women’s contribution to society. Female entrepreneurs, visionaries, influencers, community leaders and mothers have played extraordinary roles in the the advancement of women in the community and around the world.

In the restaurant industry that used to be dominated by men, for example, women restaurant owners and chefs have made their own mark.

Food delivery platform foodpanda, which teams up with thousands of restaurants around the world to deliver food to homes or offices, took note of the success of some of its female chefs and restaurant owners across the market.

Kat Asanza, owner of Juju Eats; Milka Romero, owner of Sushi Nori; and Arianne Valinton, marketing director of the Foodie Global Group, shared their thoughts about the restaurant industry.

Asanza said creativity, perseverance and guts are the key ingredients to become successful in the business.

For Romero, passion is the most important factor. “If you care so much for your product, you aim to create the best one out there for your target market’s needs. A product is an extension of yourself, it represents who you are. You want to give it your all to the best of your abilities,” she said.

Valinton said there are three things in the business that drive her daily—to explore, excite and engage.

“Explore. I never grow tired of chasing after my dreams. Build it brick by brick even if I don’t see it coming together, or even if I’m discouraged, even if no-one believes in the dream but me. Excite and be excited. Doing the things that I love and let this overflow.

I’m passionate with the things that I do combined with a lot of prayer and faith.

Do things to honor God and surrender to his will. He alone has the power to give us success, so I try my best to put him first in life,” she said.

Valinton said she engages with family, friends and other people. “Making each connection worth the time and effort. I invest in relationships whether

professional and more so personally.

Be a team player, know when to take the lead and when to take a backseat. Moreover, I take advantage of the tools and technology to cultivate relationships,specifically the ones far from me,” she said.

Asanza said, however, that it is not easy to be successful in the business, as there is a lot of risks going with the position.

“There is a common perception of the good industry as being easy - but there is nothing farther from the truth, if you want to do it right,” she said.

Romero agreed, saying with the rapid development in the food and beverage industr y, competition is now steep. “Customers nowadays have many restaurants to choose from and options on even where to eat.

However, once you understand your market and provide to their needs, that risk becomes a calculated risk.

The more you focus and aim to do better on your craft, the smaller the risk becomes,” she said.

Valinton said that as a marketing practitioner, working in the food industry with daily engagements serves as an opportunity to improve her craft and better understand the consumers and improve their daily experience with the brand/restaurant. “For the same reason, our brand can be relevant by truly understanding and finding a way to reduce the white space between consumers and the product/brand,” she said.

Asanza said that if there was one dish she could live for the rest of her life, it would be pasta. “It’s relatively quick to make, plus it’s easy to get creative with it and one can make it as healthy or as decadent as you like,” she said.

Romero said she prefers sushi, while Valinton would go for fruit salad, because “I can eat all of my favorite fruits in one bowl.”

Asanza said 2017 turned out to be an inspiring year for her business. Romero described it as “oishi”, while Valinton said it was “game-changing...for continuous improvement.”

Foodpanda, which provides ondemand food delivery service, has grown to more than 27,000 partner restaurants in more than 190 cities across 12 Asian and Central Europe countries globally.

It s active in Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Pakistan, Taiwan, the Philippines, Bangladesh, Brunei, India, Romania and Bulgaria. It belongs to Delivery Hero, worldwide leader of the food delivery industry.

DUSIT SCHOOL SET TO DEVELOP HOTELIERS AND RESTAURATEURS

Kat Asanza, owner of Juju Eats

Milka Romero, owner of Sushi Nori

Arianne Valinton of Foodie Global Group

D U S I T Hospitality Management College announced the opening of Bachelor of Science degree program in Hospitality Management which will begin its school year in August 2018.

Introduced in 2016, the Dusit Hospitality Management College brings together three of the most trusted names in international hospitality and culinary education— Dusit International, Switzerland’s world-renowned ÉcoleHôtelière de Lausanne, and France’s Institut Paul Bocuse—to offer students education and training aligned with the highest international standards.

At the heart of the School’s offerings are the Bachelor of Science Degree in Hospitality Management and the Professional Advancement Centre.

Professional advancement and culinary programs will be introduced in collaboration with the Institut Paul Bocuse in France which combines tradition and innovation using the art of French hospitality and cuisine. The combination of the expertise of these two iconic schools fused with Dusit’s world-class hospitality delivered with the iconic touches of Thailand’s artistry, promises to change the country’s hospitality education landscape and experience.

The four-year bachelor degree in hospitality management follows the standards of the Philippine Commission on Higher Education and is certified by ÉcoleHôtelière de Lausanne.

“Dusit Hospitality Management College was designed to develop globally competitive hoteliers.

Our partnerships with two of the acknowledged world leaders in hospitality management and culinary education, and the full integration of our college into a working hotel, gives our students what we like to refer to as more than an education,” the company said. “ We are the only hospitality management college in this part of the world that offers a fully integrated learning experience where culinary and hotel management modules studied in theory can be experienced on the job in actual hotel operations.

In all areas of the hotel operations, students will be mentored by some of the industry’s best hoteliers and restaurateurs,” it said.

Housed in the first nine floors of the nearly-completed 27-floor dusitD2 Hotel The Fort Manila, the college and hotel will offer world-class hospitality education facilities including practical kitchens, restaurants, function rooms, recreational facilities including a swimming pool and fitness center, 125 guest rooms and 108 serviced residences.

WHEATGRASS CEO CELEBRATES A DECADE OF SUCCESS IN PH FROM influencing the Philippines’ wellness landscape to making a difference to the lives of Filipino families, Easy Pha-max Wheatgrass remains a sought- after superfood stalwart in the country.

Founded in 2007 by Malaysian businessman Edward Ling, Wheatgrass C AN I nter national started with a modest beginning.

Little did he know that in humble confines of a rented apartment in Dian, Makati will be the birthplace of a wellness brand that’s synonymous with vigor and vitality.

As the country’s largest distributor of wheatgrass products with cleansing, alkalizing and nourishing benefits, Easy Pha-Max Wheatgrass is now considered a household name and continuously making waves in the country for over ten years.

“Sickness leads to bankruptcy, emotional pain, and ultimately suffering of the whole family. By riding on different monthly health awareness events and strategies that enhance

Wheatgrass CAN International Inc. CEO Edward Ling (center) with daughters Wendy Ling and Wern Wern Ling.

product knowledge about wheatgrass, consumers were able to develop a serious desire to lead a healthy and active lifestyle over time. Through our consistent marketing efforts, consumers of Easy Pha-Max Wheatgrass were able to discover its one of a kind health benefits, which all play a big part for the overall prevention strategy that could positively impact their future,” said Wheatgrass CAN International president and chief executive Edward Ling.

One sachet of Easy Pha-max Wheatgrass is equivalent to 10 kilos of vegetables, according to Ling.

Each sachet is not only loaded with nutrients, its patented Indoor Organic Cultivation process is an assurance of the product’s safety and purity that’s guaranteed free from bacteria, mold and chemicals. “Wheatgrass is all-natural and has a unique property of nourishing the blood. Another factor that brings the product to the consciousness of the consumers is the wheatgrass’ chlorophyll content,

which is considered the ‘green blood’ of the plants that helps to sweep out toxins and heavy metals in the body.

Well-nourished blood means optimum cell regeneration, which makes oxygen and nutrients get to travel around the body freely. In addition, healthy blood flow is the foundation of good health and one of the secrets of long life, so paying attention to our blood health should be a serious goal,” he said.

The brand has been synonymous with the longest-running brand ambassador, sportscaster and fitness advocate Dyan Castillejo whose admirable physique, active lifestyle, and wellness advocacies encapsulate Wheatgrass CAN’s mission of changing lives with optimum health as the beginning.

Easy Pha-Max Wheatgrass recently celebrated its decade of success and long-standing market leadership at the Manila Polo Club. Industry leaders, ambassadors, partners, colleagues and supporters gathered for a night of revelry and thanksgiving.

Business

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SUNDAY, MARCH 18, 2018 business@manilastandard.net

BANANA PLANTATION SERVED AS CAMP FOR GUERRILLAS IN WORLD WAR 2 THE Philippines will observe on April 11, 2018 the 76th anniversary of the infamous Bataan Death March, a war event that resulted in the demise of 20,000 Filipino and Allied soldiers.

Joining the memorable occasion as sponsor is Davao-based Tagum Agricultural Development Co. which cultivates around 5,000 hectares of land belonging to the Davao Prison and Penal Farm in Davao del Norte province.

Historically, it was in Dapecol where retired Philippine Constabulary Captain Anastacio Campo and his family in Davao City were sent by the Japanese military to work at the colony.

It was here also that he covertly organized the ‘Davao Katipunan,’ a guerrilla unit known to and recognized by the Philippine Army.

Th e p a ra m i l i t a r y co nt i n g e nt would indispensably contribute to the subjugation of the Japanese war juggernaut in the northern sector of Davao region towards the end of the conflict.

After the war, the prison farm was transformed into a sprawling abaca plantation and later cultivated by Tadeco under an accord, producing the prized banana that Tagum Agricultural Development Co. will distribute during the Capas Freedom March 2018.

Around 4,000 bananas will be distributed to participants and marchers, and the fruits will be transported by Philippine Airlines, as official airline partner, from Davao to Manila.

KING SISIG EXPANDS CHAIN OF LECHON STORES KING Sisig Royal Foods Corp., the company behind King Sisig and Bulalo World restaurant chains, further expands its brand offerings with the recent opening of Lechon Factory in Sta.Rosa, Laguna.

Aiming to present diners with a variety of fun and new flavorful dish renditions of the quintessential ‘lechon’, Lechon Factory, located at the ground floor of The Core Building in SM City Sta. Rosa, Laguna, is the first provincial branch and second branch to open following Isetann Recto.

Among the restaurant’s affordably priced best-sellers is the Lechon Chicken, a quar ter- cut chicken marinated in a unique blend of spices, grilled over lava rocks, and basted with a special sauce.

The lechon dishes are paired with the signature side dish, Sauteed French Beans. Also serving merienda, desserts, and other savory main dishes, all Lechon Factory specialty meals come with unlimited Lechon Rice and soup.

Rhea Kristine Dumo

Arcel Monnette Mangubat

Melanie Sta. Maria

SHOPEE CELEBRATES SUCCESS OF FILIPINA ENTREPRENEURS S

HOPEE, the leading electronic commerce platform in Southeast Asia and Taiwan, commemorates National Women’s Month by celebrating the success of Filipina entrepreneurs.

According to the Mastercard Index of Women Entrepreneurs 2018, opportunities for women to succeed abound in the Philippines. The country ranks first in Women’s Advancement Outcomes with strong female representation in business leaders and an equal inclination for both men and women to engage in entrepreneurial activity.

The Philippines is one of only three countries worldwide where the number of established business owners among women is higher than that of men.

This growth in the number of female business leaders and entrepreneurs in the Philippines is mirrored in the growing e-commerce scene, as more women opt to start their own businesses online. In 2017, Shopee saw a 158-percent increase in the number of female sellers on board compared to 2016.

Of the female sellers who went on board last year, 50 percent were preferred sellers—a title given to sellers who have attained commendable shop ratings and have displayed excellent customer service.

“We are proud to recognize and celebrate the success of Filipina entrepreneurs who have displayed outstanding business acumen and strength of character. Shopee remains committed to supporting local entrepreneurs in the Philippines, and we look forward to seeing more women take the step towards entrepreneurship by building their businesses online,” said Shopee head of regional marketing Agatha Soh. In celebration of Filipina entrepreneurs in March, Shopee celebrates the stories of three inspiring women who chose e-commerce as a way to delve into entrepreneurship and build a successful career.

For Shopee seller Rhea Kristine Dumo, a small capital did not deter her from starting an online business. With just P2,000, Dumo started her online store and managed the business on her own—from sourcing products, to coordinating with buyers and packing orders all while taking care of her daughter as a stay-at-home mom.

By selling a variety of toys and gifts for children, Dumo was able to buy her own house at the age of 28, and more importantly, spend more time with her daughter. “That’s one thing that money can’t buy but Shopee can give freedom to manage my own time,” said Dumo.

She now employs five full-time employees and two part-time student employees to manage Martipaps Gift Shop.

Arcel Monnette Mangubat, 25, chose to sell online as a way for her to pay for her wedding, start a family and attain long-term financial stability. As a first-time entrepreneur, Mangubat chose to start her business selling women’s apparel on an e-commerce platform in order to reach a greater number of customers and easily scale up her business. “The convenience and security provided by Shopee, along with its large customer base, allowed

us to grow the business and eventually buy a motorcycle, build a house, and fund our wedding. We are very thankful for Shopee,” said Mangubat.

Owner of the Shopee shop Makeupholics, Melanie Sta. Maria, witnessed key improvements in her business since she joined the platform in 2015. Already an established seller on other online platforms, Melanie joined Shopee to take advantage of the in-app logistics system to easily manage her inventories and marketing campaigns. With around 1,200 orders per month, Melanie successfully grew her business and was able to comfortably provide for her family.

“Not only has Shopee provided me with a secure platform to grow my business, it has also helped me achieve my dream of purchasing a car for my family,” Sta. Maria said.

Shopee aims to continually enhance its platform and become the region’s e-commerce destination of choice.

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

PH ENERGY SECTOR PARTICIPATES IN WORLD’S BIGGEST INDUSTRY EVENT THE Philippines’ booming energy industry is expected to get more foreign investors as the government ramps up a non‐traditional trade and investments promotion drive in the upcoming Hannover Messe in Hannover, Germany, on April 23 to 27, 2018.

The Department of Trade and Industry‐Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions is keen on attracting more investments for the country’s energy sector through export promotion activities in line with the Philippine Energy Plan2012‐2030 of the government.

“We are elevating trade and investment promotion to a whole new level as we tap our partners for inclusive growth from the energy sector in a collective participation in this world’s most important industrial trade show and the largest capital goods exhibition in Germany,” said Nora Terrado, DTI Undersecretary for Trade and Investments Promotion Group.

Hannover Messe covers the complete picture of the world’s five industrial value—energy; integrated automation, motion and drivers; industrial supply; research and technology; and digital factory.

In 2017, the Germany‐based event gathered 6,500 companies from over 70 nations and was attended by 225,000

visitors and trade buyers across the world, generating around 5.6 million partnerships, business models and other contacts.

“As a melting pot of the global industrial value chain, Hannover Messe is the prime platform to drumbeat and build up investor confidence on the Philippines as a global powerhouse of renewable energy and other relevant technologies,” said Terrado.

Aside from renewable energy, DTI‐ Citem also seeks to secure investments for local stakeholders in energy efficiency, conservation and transmission in the Philippines.

With the theme ‘Solutions for the New Era of Energy,’ the energy sector of Hannover Messe 2018 will focus on innovative technologies for electric power systems to become more flexible, to intelligently connect sectors and to engage new market participants amid an increasingly decentralized global energy chain.

In preparation for Hannover Messe, Terrado said they are gathering a pool of 15 Philippine companies that represent the nation’s best foot forward in terms of energy systems, technology, services and other industrial goods.

“Through this synergy among stakeholders, we will be able to seal partnerships with foreign investors and

mobilize much‐needed funding and infrastructure to our energy players,” said Terrado.

“It will also give motivation to our local energy stakeholders to fast‐track efforts towards the mainstream use of renewable energy sources in the Philippines as more and more countries have started their industrial shift towards more sustainable power sources,” she said.

Part of DTI‐Citem’s energy invest-

ment drive is to arrange business— matching meetings between Philippine renewable energy companies to potential investors, technology adapters, developers, suppliers and other local energy stakeholders in the international trade show.

Renewable energy is defined as energy generated from natural processes that are continuously replenished which includes biomass, geothermal, hydro, wind, solar and ocean energy under the

PEP 2012‐2030. It has been identified in the Investment Priority Plan 2017‐2019 as an emerging sector that needs government intervention particularly in export promotion.

Based on Department of Energy Philippine Power Situation Report, the country’s total power capacity in 2016 is at 53.16 million tons of oil equivalent with renewable energy occupying the second largest share at 32.5 percent, next to coal at 34.6 percent.

The top renewable energy sources in the Philippines are hydropower (16.9 percent) and geothermal (8.9 percent), followed by biomass, wind and solar (6.6 percent).

The Energy Department also said the Philippines has an operational wind energy of 426 megawatts, one of the highest in Southeast Asia. The country enjoys this distinction because of its strategic location where international financial institutions like the World Bank and Asian Development Bank have regional offices.

These international FIs provide loans to countries of the world for capital programs relating to social and economic development.

According to the International Geothermal Association, the Philippines also ranks second to the United States in producing geothermal energy worldwide.

World

Cesar Barrioquinto, Editor / Jimbo Gulle, Issue Editor

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SUNDAY, MARCH 18, 2018 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

TRUMP FIRES FBI EX-DEPUTY MCCABE BEFORE RETIREMENT WASHINGTON—Former Federal Bureau of Investigation deputy director Andrew McCabe, who has endured a year of withering attacks from President Donald Trump, was fired by the Justice Department Friday just days before he was to retire.

“Andrew McCabe FIRED, a great day for the hard working men and women of the FBI A great day for Democracy,” Trump tweeted soon after the firing.

“Sanctimonious [ex-FBI director] James Comey was his boss and made McCabe look like a choirboy. He knew all about the lies and corruption going on at the highest levels of the FBI!” Trump wrote.

McCabe pushed back hard at the decision, saying he was the victim of a “war” by the Trump administration against both the FBI, and the special counsel probing allegations of Russian election meddling.

Announcing McCabe’s ouster, the Justice Department said an internal investigation found that he had made unauthorized disclosures to the media, and had not been fully honest “on multiple occasions” with the department’s inspector general. AFP

TALIBAN CLAIMS DEADLY CAR BOMB ATTACK IN KABUL KABUL, Afghanistan—A car bomb explosion claimed by the Taliban in Kabul on Saturday killed at least two civilians, as the militants maintain pressure on the capital amid growing calls for peace talks.

Several others were wounded in the morning rush-hour suicide blast in an industrial area of the city that the Afghan interior ministry said had intended to strike global security company G4S. It was the fourth suicide attack in Kabul in three weeks and comes days after the top US general in Afghanistan said protecting the war-weary city was “our main effort”.

It also comes as the Taliban faces growing pressure to take up Afghan President Ashraf Ghani’s offer last month of peace talks to end the 16-year war.

“Around 9:10 am this morning a suicide car bomb exploded in Police District Nine of Kabul,” interior ministry spokesman Najib Danish told AFP. Two civilians were killed and three others were wounded in the attack, Danish said. The blast happened at a time when many people would have been driving to their offices on the first day of Afghanistan’s working week.

Health ministry spokesman Wahid Majrooh told AFP at least four people had been wounded in the explosion.

Deputy interior ministry spokesman Nasrat Rahimi said the suicide bomber had been driving towards G4S but “detonated himself before reaching the target”. AFP

AON SUES MARSH FIRMS FOR CAUSING ‘IRREPARABLE INJURY’ LONDON—Aon Consulting has sued Marsh Inc. and its subsidiary, Marsh & McLennan Agency, for allegedly gaining unauthorized access to Aon data.

The lawsuit charges Marsh and Marsh & McLennan with misappropriation of trade secrets and deceptive trade practices. Aon alleges that Marsh and Marsh & McLennan obtained Aon survey data and used it in their own business.

Aon offers compensation data surveys to its customers, according to the lawsuit. Access to the data, which comes from about 3,000 different organizations, is restricted.

To gain access, participating organizations agree to conditions on how the survey reports can be used. Access is gained through a secure website, using Aon-provided login credentials.

Marsh and Marsh & McLennan Agency, meanwhile, offer compensation consulting services through their San Diego-based business unit, Barney & Barney Insurance Services. Aon claims that the Marsh companies gained access to its restricted data by using a participating organization’s login credentials, then used the information to in their own compensation consulting services.

Aon claimed in the lawsuit that it “has suffered irreparable injury” because of the Marsh companies’ actions. Aon is seeking damages, attorneys’ fees and court costs, and a permanent injunction.

HOLD THE POSE. A attendant takes pictures of hostesses under the snow fall during the fifth plenary session of the first session of the 13th National People’s Congress in Beijing on Saturday. China’s rubber-stamp parliament unanimously handed President Xi Jinping a second term and elevated his right-hand man to the vice presidency, giving him a strong ally to consolidate power and handle US trade threats. AFP

PUTIN POISED TO WIN HISTORIC 4TH TERM M sanctions.

OSCOW--Russia is set to elect Vladimir Putin to a historic fourth Kremlin term on Sunday, as the country faces increasing isolation over a spy poisoning in Britain and a fresh round of US

Putin, who has ruled Russia for almost two decades, is polling at around 70 percent and is sure to extend his term to 2024 despite a lackluster campaign.

In the run-up to the election, he and a compliant state media have sought to reinforce his image as the man who restored stability and national pride after the humiliating collapse of the USSR. Putin has sought to emphasize Russia’s role as a major world power, recently boasting of its “invincible” new weapons and doubling down on Moscow’s support for the Syrian regime in a bloody civil war.

On Saturday, Russia announced it will expel 23 British diplomats

and halt the activities of the British Council in response to London’s “provocative” measures over the poisoning of a former Russian double agent and his daughter.

“Twenty-three diplomatic staff at the British embassy in Moscow are declared persona non-grata and to be expelled within a week,” the foreign ministry said in a statement after summoning the British ambassador Laurie Bristow.

It said the move was a response to Britain’s “provocative actions” and “baseless accusations over the incident in Salisbury on March 4,” referring to the poisoning of Sergei and Yulia Skripal with a nerve agent developed in the Soviet Union,

Manila

TODAY

(MS–MAR. 18, 25 & APR 2, 2018)

gei Babayev, a 55-year-old transport manager, told AFP in central Moscow shortly ahead of the vote.

“They promised us a crisis and we stuck it out. That’s Putin’s main quality -- he is at the core of our state.”

Putin, who has run under the slogan “a strong president -- a strong Russia”, has declined to take part in televised debates and shot no new material for his own campaign advertisements.

He is standing against seven other candidates, including millionaire communist Pavel Grudinin and former reality TV host Ksenia Sobchak, but none are polling more than 8 percent.

One of the more memorable moments from the campaign came during a debate when Sobchak threw a glass of water over the ranting ultra-nationalist candidate Vladimir Zhirinovsky, prompting him to call her a “prostitute” and a “mad fool”. AFP

A SCRAMBLE TO MAKE TRUMP-KIM SUMMIT A REALITY

NOTICE OF SALE OF SERVICE VAN OF Standard VENTECH PHILS.INC. Notice is hereby given that in accordance to Section 13.3 (D) of the Contract of Lease with Insular Life Assurance Co. Ltd., the personal property of VENTECH PHILS., INC. in Insular Life Corporate Centre, Insular Drive, Filinvest Corporate City, Alabang, Muntinlupa City will be placed in public bidding. All interested bidders may call Lester or Carol at 582-1818 local 2331, Monday-Friday, 7:00 am – 4:00 pm, or email mljacinto@ insular.com.ph for the walkthrough, registration procedures and requirements.

Schedules of Walkthrough: March 22, 23 & 28, 2018, 8am to 4pm April 2 – 5, 2018, 8am to 4pm Sealed bids will be accepted on or before April 6, 2018, Friday until 4:00 pm.

Service Van: 2007 TOYOTA HI-ACE GRANDIA GL (Manual transmission): Minimum Bid Price is P450,000.00 (as-is where-is basis).

which Britain has blamed on Russia.

Russia also said it was halting the activities of the British Council, Britain’s international organization for cultural relations and educational opportunities, across the country.

“Due to the unregulated status of the British Council in Russia, its activity is halted,” the foreign ministry said.

And the ministry had also warned Britain that “if further unfriendly actions are taken towards Russia, the Russian side retains the right to take other answering measures.”

Rising tensions with the West over the poisoning of former double agent Sergei Skripal in Britain, and new sanctions from Washington over alleged election meddling, strengthen the impression of a Russia at loggerheads with the rest of the world.

“In America and Europe, they are trying to make us bend over and kneel, but we’re still standing,” Ser-

PIO’S PATRON. Pope Francis speaks on stage with a picture of St Pio of Pietrelcina behind him, on Saturday during a pastoral visit in Pietrelcina on the 50th anniversary of the death of St. Pio (Padre Pio). Pio was revered during his lifetime (1887-1968), and his popularity has grown since his death, particularly in Italy, where mini-statues and pictures of the mystical Capuchin friar are ubiquitous. AFP

WASHINGTON—Senior officials staged a Trump’s White House remained cautiously flurry of calls and top-level meetings on Fri- optimistic that his strategy of making miliday as they scrambled to make a proposed tary threats backed by crippling real-world nuclear summit between US President Don- sanctions had forced Kim’s hand. ald Trump and North Korea’s Kim Jong Un a Trump and Moon “agreed that concrete reality. actions, not words, will be the key to achievThere was no immediate breakthrough, ing permanent denuclearization of the Kobut North Korea’s foreign minister was to re- rean peninsula, and President Trump reitermain in Stockholm into Saturday for further ated his intention to meet with North Korean talks with Swedish leaders, as the Scandina- leader Kim Jong Un by the end of May,” the vian intermediary strives to pave the way for White House said. talks that could end a threat of nuclear war.

“The two leaders expressed cautious opFrom Washington, Trump called his South timism over recent developments and emKorean counterpart Moon Jae-in, whose phasized that a brighter future is available for government last week passed an apparent North Korea, if it chooses the correct path.” summit invitation to Trump from Kim. Trump Before a date or a venue for the summit accepted on the spot and triggered a race to can be set, North Korea will have to publicly set a credible agenda for what could be a his- confirm that it sent the invitation and intends toric breakthrough. to honor it, by attending a meeting to discuss CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK At the same time, foreign ministers Kang giving up its nuclear arsenal.

Kyung-wha of South Korea and Taro Kono of There had been speculation that PyongJapan were in Washington for talks at an under- yang might do so Friday, when Ri Yong Ho staffed US State Department, left in turmoil by met Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven Trump’s abrupt and brutal Twitter-sacking of and Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom, but former secretary of state Rex Tillerson. afterwards Swedish officials said the talks “I think we’re cautiously optimistic that would be extended into Saturday. the talks will happen and that this will be a Sweden has longstanding ties with North breakthrough for a peaceful resolution of the Korea. Its diplomatic mission in Pyongyang, North Korean nuclear issue,” Kang told the which opened in 1975, was the first Western PBS NewsHour. embassy established in the isolationist counThe abrupt decision to accept the sum- try and now represents US, Canadian and mit has triggered much skepticism from Ko- Australian diplomatic interests, with Sweden rea observers but, after his call with Moon, playing a key liaison role. AFP

B4

SUNDAY, MARCH 18, 2018 Riera U. Mallari, Editor rumallari@thestandard.com.ph

TECH & Gadgets

VIVO TO BRING HOUSE DOWN THIS MARCH WITH NEWEST FLAGSHIP TOP global phone manufacturer Vivo is set to send the mobile phone industry in frenzy with the release of yet another stunner in their smartphone series.

Set to be unveiled March, Vivo’s latest offering promises consumers bigger and better offerings in their mobile phone experience.

Following the success of the V7 plus and the V7 release, word is out that consumers can expect that the new offering will retain all of the V7

A

phones’ impressive, thumbprint features albeit enhanced and updated with specs that are centered on delivering flawless selfie shots made even by state-of-the-art artificial intelligence beautifying tools.

Because it is still dedicated in delivering perfect photos, it should also be expected that the camera will rock a souped up HDR mode.

Moreover, a buzz on this newest Vivo flagship includes a bigger display complemented by a full HD

resolution. As the V7’s successor, the Game Mode feature is expected to still be onboard in the list of specifications along with the futuristic Face ID and fingerprint unlock component.

The mobile phone industry awaits with bated breath as Vivo’s freshest charmer is out in the market. Although the specs are merely founded on speculations, one thing that is certain is Vivo will never disappoint.

MARIWASA EMBRACES DIGITAL INNOVATIONS

S AN industry leader capable of adapting to the demands of modern technologies, Mariwasa officials revealed during the opening of the 23rd WORLDBEX that they have already embraced e-commerce and digital marketing.

“We are aware of the big change on how e-commerce shapes the consumers’ buying behavior most especially in other countries. For now, we are thoroughly studying if we can adapt it now here in the Philippines setting. Our main focus is digital marketing. Going through online particularly website, social media and search engines will reach our market and company’s objective faster. We are also using online communication as a channel to interact with the young sector or the millennials,”said Mariwasa Siam Ceramics, Inc. President Phaskorn Buranawit, who is also the Country Director for SCG Philippines, Mariwasa’s mother company.

Jakkrit Suwansilp, vice-president for sales and marketing of Mariwasa Siam Ceramics Inc., agrees.

“As you can see in our digital platforms, our mascot, Tyler, shows how to properly install tiles to our customers through our do-it-yourself video. We are very much into digital promotion and innovations,” said Suwansilp.

Mariwasa, the Philippines’ leading ceramic tile manufacturer, unveiled its latest tile collection FOCAL POINT at the WORLDBEX, World Trade Center in Pasay City.

FOCAL POINT is a fusion of ideas from different generations from Gen X to Millennials, captivating the distinct taste of society’s diverse clientele with its timeless, modern and stunning natural designs.

The collection is divided into three categories, namely Revitality, a timeless design which gives a relaxing, therapeutic and energetic sensation; Technique, which is a cross cultural vibe and modern function; and Wanderwall, which gives an extraordinary ambiance.

“Mariwasa has been part of Filipinos’ homes for more than five decades already. We kept up with the demand and taste of the changing sector through our innovations,” said Buranawit.

An example of such innovation

The Mariwasa booth (above) at the 23rd WORLDBEX, features its latest collection (below). At right is Tyler, the Mariwasa mascot with an expo goer. Angelica Villanueva

was when Mariwasa launched its new tile size of 20 x 60 cm that is a good alternative of wood plank designs.

“Our wall tiles are commonly used in the kitchen and bathroom before.

Now, we noticed as we go around the country that people are already using 30x60 cm tiles as wall cladding in their house façade,” added Buranawit.

Arch. Rina Soriano, VP-Architectural and Interior Design of DMCI HOMES one of Mariwasa’s top project clients, attests to this.

“During plant visits, I can see they update their machineries. They’re willing to develop a different size based on the specifications that we wanted. They are very flexible and very easy to work

with,” said Arch. Soriano.

And while Mariwasa reveals that its big sizes such as the 60x60 cm and 30x60 cm, together with its FULL HD Tiles, which are commonly in Wood, Marble and Stone designs, are the fast moving ones in tile shops and home depots, this does not stop them to search for new designs.

“Our designers go to different places in the Philippines and abroad to look for inspirations that will be incorporated in the tiles. They also roam around Europe and Asia to look for the latest tile trends.

Moreover, each year we have a trend spotting workshop to identify the new trends, patterns and pulse of the consumer,” Buranawit revealed.

“Last 2016, we donated tiles and

sanitary wares to more than 100 public schools nationwide. We are continuing this advocacy with DepEd because we believe that the best way in giving back to the community is through the public schools because we know that uplifting the conditions of the schools could lead to better learning,” he said.

Mariwasa focused on donating tiles and sanitary wares to remote public schools in the country, where building materials are not accessible, with the tile company and DepEd identifying these schools to improve their sanitation.

Some cities in Negros Oriental province have already received the donation and more schools are being targeted. Charles Dantes

PRECY Erguiza, 76, learning about the basics of smartphones with an Adamson volunteer during the Smart Millenniors’ session in Paco, Manila.

MILLENNIORS GET TECH SAVVY THRU SMART AT 76 years old, Precy Erguiza’s ultimate wish is to be able to share her beach photos on social media.

“My niece knows how to use Facebook—she dances, swims, takes photos while she is at the beach and shares them right away,” said Nanay Precy, who originally hails from Surigao del Sur. “I don’t know how to do that. I’d like to learn.”

Nanay Precy and 23 other senior citizens from Brgy 672 in Paco, Manila are now closer to this dream after attending the first session of the Smart Millenniors program facilitated by Smart Communications in their barangay recently.

“Millenniors” is a play on the words “millennials,” who are known to be tech savvy, and “seniors.” The goal of the program is to teach technology to the elderly, specifically about smartphones, mobile data and social media.

Assisted by senior high students and Computer Science students from Adamson University, the new batch of Smart Millenniors learned about the basics of smartphones and mobile data. They were also able to setup their Facebook accounts and were assisted by student-volunteers in taking their selfies.

One of Nanay Precy’s classmates, Bernardo “Boying” Corpuz, said smartphones will be useful for him because he has children working abroad.

“I have a sibling in Guam, and their family is already based there,” said Tatay Boying, 76, a jeepney driver. “I am happy that I was taught about the basics of smartphones, and that I can now message my relatives abroad.”

Among the participants was the chair of Brgy 672, Domingo Amaro, who was a senior himself. “Like many of my fellow seniors here in the barangay, I also do not know much about smartphones,” said the 64-year-old Amaro. “My grandchildren are the ones who know more about technology, and they teach me. Now that I already know a few things, with my grandkids’ help, I will get better at this, too.”

For one of the student volunteers, Grade 11 student Danica Tumlos, joining the Smart Millenniors session taught her and her classmates about the values of patience and empathy.

“This is the first outreach program of our student council and we had a great time. It feels good to be able to help out and share our knowledge,” said 17-year-old Tumlos, who is also student council chair. “I learned that to be able to teach well, one must see from the point of view of the learner, too.”

FIVE COOL FEATURES YOU GET WITH YOUR AI-POWERED HUAWEI PHONE STILL not sure of what AI means in your mobile phone?

HUAWEI runs it down for you with its revolutionary flagship device, the Mate 10 Series.

1) Object Recognition and Calorie Calculation Mate 10 can free AI from the restraint of internet, enabling phones to recognize object locally, so when grapes, apples, croissant and other objects are placed in front of the camera, it is able to tell the name of the food and even calculate calories!

2) AI Beautification Mode With built-in facial recognition technology, Mate 10 phones are able to detect human faces and features, and beautify the image automatically, alternating dynamic effects as fast as every 3 seconds. Even when a human face moves in front of the camera, AI beautification can still function precisely.

3) Auto Reply and Mood Detection Mate 10 is also built with functions such

as recognition of texts on objects, mood recognition, and intelligent auto reply. For instance, when entering the following text during chatting: “it’s payday today”, it will automatically display the emoji “XX”.

4) AI Noise Reductions With its in-depth learning algorithm, Kirin 970 is capable of reducing noises and enhance vocal signals effectively. Success rate of its voice recognition amid vehicle noise has risen from 80% to 92%.

5) Recognition of Scenes Currently, Mate 10 and Mate 10 Pro have been equipped with over 100 million pictures to be able to detect 13 scenes and objects intelligently. After having recognized scenes/objects inside the lens (such as a still flower or a running human), the system will adjust camera setting or conduct deburring automatically according to the property of the objects, and thus producing a picture that better fits the scene.

Huawei Mate 10 and Mate 10 Pro

Pricing and Availability You can now get your own Huawei Mate 10 at only P29,990, 3K less from its original SRP of P32,990, and the Mate 10 Pro at just P36,990 from its original price of P38,990 via Huawei Experience Stores nationwide.

Customers can experience smartphone royalty with the Huawei Mate 10 Pro in Gray and Mocha Brown. Limited edition Midnight Blue color variants became available starting Dec. 15, for Php 38,990.

Globe also offers the Huawei Mate 10 with ThePLAN 1999 with P4,800 cash-out and the Mate 10 Pro at ThePLAN with P14,400 cash-out. Both plans include unlimited calls to Globe/TM, unlimited texts to all networks and various streaming subscription plans.

Smart can also get the Huawei Mate 10 for Php 1,000/month with a Smart Postpaid Plan 799 or opt for lower monthly device payments with Plan 999-2999.

C1

Young Life SUNDAY, MARCH 18, 2018

Bernadette Lunas, Issue Editor

manilastandardlife@gmail.com

@manilastandardlife

12

WOMEN

SHAPE THE WORLD

L

OVE-LOVE Tioseco became the first female superbike racer from the Philippines in 2000. After 18 years, she has remained the only woman racing a 1000cc displacement motorcycle in the Philippines.

@MStandardLIFE

BELIEFS OF TODAY'S YOUTH

change the world because if you affect one person this way, you inspire them to live this way. Then hopefully they’ll inspire another person and just pay it forward,” shared Wiji.

Meanwhile, Jasmine Mendiola, a mother and entrepreneur, faced a life-and-death situation. Shad to go through an emergency hysterectomy when, after giving birth to her third child, she started losing a lot of blood. The doctors had no choice but to remove her uterus, rendering her unable to bear a child again.

Despite encountering complications such as acute kidney failure, Jasmine recovered and went on to become a work-fromhome mom, a successful bridal makeup expert, and a style and image consultant.

For women who are going through tough times, Jasmine has this advice to share: “When you feel that life just gets too much for you for whatever reason, don’t doubt yourself, believe in your own strength and shape your mind according to how you want to live your life.”

These three women, who fight their own battles, who remain steadfast in their commitment to themselves and to the people and environment they value, who refuse to give up on their dreams, who survived their battles and succeed in their fields, these are the women Levi’s #IShapeMyWorld.

Love-Love, Wiji, and Jasmine join the #IShapeMyWorld campaign, which highlights the stories of fearless women and celebrates the female form—in all its forms. It features Levi’s 300 Shaping Series which is made for women with different body types.

She may have won a lot of competitions, but, sometimes, she still encounters disparaging comments. But Love-Love does not let them put her down and stop her from winning more races.

“I have accepted that you cannot please everybody,” the superbike racer said of her critics. “I love my passion. Criticisms, bashers, haters, none of you guys can put me down.”

For Love-Love, the best competitions have been those where she landed a spot on the top five against 15 to 20 other men.

Artist Wiji Lacsamana’s love for creating things that are readily available from nature gave birth to her homegrown brand Radioactive Mushrooms in the Forest, which creates scents inspired by wanderlust, memories, and imagination.

Wiji believes that it is important to create things that make a positive impact on the environment and future generations, that’s why she only uses natural ingredients for her cosmetics and scents. Even her watercolor tattoos are made of vegan ink.

“Your own little way can help

They say the youth holds our future; they are the ones who shape it. Hence it helps to know what are their ideals and beliefs.

For its new season campaign, Bershka traveled to London’s coolest boroughs and beyond to find the new talent shaping the future of culture in the UK. The artists, the style breakers, the rhymers, the dancers, the thought provokers, the darers.

Their answers prove that youngmindedness does not equate to naiveté. Here’s what they have to say:

“People always ask me what I want to do in the future, and I say: I can do anything.” –Benji, dancer

“I rap about my past, my future, my present—what I would like my life to be like; what my life is like.” –Flohio, rhymer

FIGHTER. SURVIVOR. ACHIEVER. Love-Love Tioseco, Wiji

“I believe that people are born to be kind, to love and be loved.”

–Chen Xue, model and designer

Lacsamana, and Jasmine Mendiola prove that women can shape the world.

Turn to C2

WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY? WE all have different sources of our individual happiness. It comes in various forms,a tangible or intangible, and it changes or evolves as we grow older—what once makes us happy no longer does and vice versa.

Adults can truly be complicated beings, especially when it comes to things that make them happy. But children? Children are different.

In Jollibee’s latest heartwarming video, five kids tell what they truly value, what makes them happy. Not toys, not new clothes, not the latest gadget. It’s the time their parents spend with them.

“Being present in their formative years is very important—everyday special moments can be as simple as cheering up your son when

he’s down or curling up with your daughter to watch her favorite TV show,” said Jollibee marketing director Cathleen Capati.

Capati said, the video, which was supported by world-renowned parenting and character formation expert Dr. Michele Borba, aims to show everyone what kids truly value and to remind parents that quality time can positively impact their childhood more than any toy or material gift ever could.

“As parents, this video is just a reminder that making our kids feel our unconditional love need not be expensive nor complicated. The simple everyday moments we spend with our kids are enough for them to feel loved, with the hope that they grow up paying that love forward,” she added.

Dr. Borba affirmed that parents should “develop a close, mutually respectful relationship” with their children for the latter to grow into wonderful human beings.

To make any bonding experience more memorable, Capati suggested parents share the meaty, cheesy goodness of Jolly Spaghetti with their kids. Jolly Spaghetti Solo is available for only P50, while the Jolly Spaghetti Family Pan (good for four to five people) is priced at P199, both available for dine-in, take-out, delivery, and drive-thru transactions.

Go to Jollibee Philippines Facebook page to watch the video.

Happiness for children is the time they spend with their parents

Young Life

C2

SUNDAY, MARCH 18, 2018 manilastandardlife@gmail.com

12 BELIEFS ...

From C1

THE TALENT SEARCH WHERE LITTLE STARS ARE BORN O ver the past 12 years, the SM Little Stars talent competition has become a stepping stone for bigger, better, and brighter things.

“I make my dreams come true by helping others follow their dreams.”

–Indira, activist

Filipino-Korean Chun Sa Angella Jung, who was the Girl Grand Winner in 2014, is now a mainstay in a children’s sketch comedy show on mainstream TV. Nhikzy Vheench Calma, the Boy Grand Winner in 2013, was awarded as WCOPA 2017’s Junior Grand Champion Performer of the World on July 8 in Long Beach, California. And Sheena Kirtsten Bentoy, the 2016 Grand Girl Winner, is now a commercial model and is all set to play a well-loved role in Disney’s The Lion King the Musical.

They will also comprise the board of judges who will pick 26 adorable and talented kids who will compete in the Grand Finals at SM Mall of Asia Arena Annex Building on Aug. 3.

From the finalists, they will choose the winners based on Star Quality (40 percent), Talent (40 percent), and Personality (20 percent).

Over P9.5 million worth of great prizes await the Grand Prize winners (one boy and one girl).

Each will receive a brand new Chevrolet Trax, P200,000 worth of cash and shopping money, an all-expense paid trip to China for two, and a four-year college scholarship grant from National University. Each will also receive P15,000 worth of Toy Kingdom Gift Cards.

Meanwhile, the First Runner-Up will receive P100,000 worth of cash and shopping money, all-expense paid trip to China, any fouryear college scholarship grant from NU, and P10,000 worth of Toy Kingdom Gift Cards.

The Second and Third Runners-Up will get P70,000 and P50,000 worth of cash and shopping money, and P8,000 and P6,000 worth of Toy Kingdom gift cards, respectively. Runners up will also each get a five-day and four-night

Chun Sa Angella Jung is now a TV actress and commercial model

trip to China for two, and any four-year college scholarship grant from NU To join the contest, submit an application form with the contestant’s Birth Certificate (original and photocopy), and two copies of 4R size photo taken with light makeup: one close up shot and one whole body shot. Application forms are available at the Marketing Department of Administration Office of any SM Mall branches or at www.smlittlestars.com.ph.

LITTLE STARS, BIG DREAMS.

SM Little Stars alumni (from left) Chun Sa Angela Jung, Esang de Torres, and JC Gumacal.

“People can find whatever emotion they’re looking for in a piece of music.” –Sam, musician

Esang de Torres makes a name in the theater stage

“I believe that everything you need to find is in yourself, so get inspired from what’s out there but always come back to yourself.” –Monica, Instagrammer and fashion stylist “I believe in equality. I believe in young people and our generation changing the world.” –Emily, model “I think creativity is the way you change the world. Everything comes from creativity.” –Sonny, creator “Who inspires me? My friends and family.” –Daisy, design student “I believe music is a powerful tool to cause change.” –Elikem, student and model “I believe in treating animals ethically.” –Frankie, writer “We believe people should have the right to love whoever they want.”

–Philip + Gerritt, fashion designers

This year, SM Little Stars, a nationwide search for cute, bright, and promising kids aged 4-7, continues to be a platform for kids to share talents, enhance their personalities, and develop their confidence.

Registration for SM Little Stars 2018 is currently ongoing until June 3 at all SM Supermalls.

The competition not only recognizes the shining and brightest kids, but also celebrates the start of their journey in becoming stars in the future. During the contest, the kids will have the chance to be guided by celebrity mentors and to go through a series of workshops to help develop their talents and boost self-confidence, as well as to encourage them to have fun and make new friends.

The 2018 edition of SM Little Stars will have actress and beauty queen Winwyn Marquez, singer Sam Concepcion, dancer and choreographer Mickey Perz, and actor John Arcilla as mentors.

TravelBook.ph’s travel fair HOTEL and tours booking website TravelBook.ph prepared a lot of treats and surprises to those attending its first travel fair, dubbed “Destination:PH,” ongoing until today at Century City Mall in Makati.

Major prizes include a travel package to Boracay with threeday/two-night stay at Azalea Hotels and Residences Boracay with breakfast for two, with 23,000 worth of Mabuhay Miles for Philippine Airlines; two winners of AirAsia BIG points worth 52,000; one winner of 13,000 AirAsia BIG points; and two winners of luggage from World Traveller Bags and Luggage.

TravelBook.ph will also be treating two lucky winners to vouchers for TravelBook reward points worth 5,000. These points are as good as cash and can be used for booking hotels and tours through its mobile app or website.

For the minor prizes, Subic Bay Yacht Club will be giving away an overnight stay good for two persons with breakfast to one lucky winner. Midori Clark Hotel

and Casino will also be raffling off an overnight stay for one lucky event-goer.

Only attendees of the fair who were able to pre-register will be eligible for this prize.

Free admission tickets will also be given away as prizes.

Zoobic Safari and The Dessert Museum will each give away free admission tickets good for two persons to four lucky winners.

Meanwhile, Enchanted Kingdom and Inflatable Island will be giving away free admission tickets good for two persons to five winners. There will also be six winners of free admission ticket for two persons from Zoocobia, Residence Inn, and Paradizoo.

Lastly, 10 winners will get to go home with loot bags from GetGo. TravelBook.ph invited several speakers to discuss travel-related topics during the event. Among these are Azucena Pallugna from the Department of Tourism and travel bloggers Arjay Abellara, Sheena Gonzales, Arnie Villanueva, and Rogelio Gabiano, Jr.

NESTLÉ PH

HOSTS STUDENTS IN K-12WORK IMMERSION PROGRAM

THE Cagayan de Oro and Lipa factories of Nestlé Philippines recently hosted 31 selected grade 12 students under a twoweek K-12 Work Immersion Program called “Nesting Your Future at Nestlé.”

The program, launched in 2017 in partnership with the Department of Education, is part of a global initiative called Nestle Needs Youth, in which Nestlé enables students, called NESTers, to acquire exposure to the company’s operations and corporate values to help prepare them for the professional workplace.

Some 20 students from Gusa Regional Science High School in Cagayan de Oro were provided ample time and opportunity to familiarize themselves with operations at the Nestlé factory in the city and to gain first-

Students learn about the hard work it takes to produce a single cup of coffee

hand experience working at the facility.

They were assigned to various departments including engineering, milks, coffee, quality assurance, and factory supply chain. The students also visited the Bukidnon Coffee Farm where they witnessed coffee farmers at work and how Nestlé supports farmers toward the production of high quality coffee beans. They saw first hand the amount of hard work and passion it takes both coffee farmers and the factory to produce a single cup of coffee.

Meanwhile, in Lipa City, a second batch of 11 NESTers from Mataas na Kahoy High School were provided comprehensive orientation on a wide range of Nestlé-related subjects in addition to actual work immersion in MILO production. They were briefed on safety practices, Nestlé Good Manufacturing Practices, the company’s mission, purpose, and values as well as the factory’s own vision and objectives, guiding each student to create his own personal mission, vision, and objectives in life as a roadmap to success.

The students learned about Nestlé’s Creating Shared Value programs, highlighted by a trip to the Lipa Integrated Coffee Center and a visit with community leader Ka Mila, who collaborates with the company in implementing livelihood programs for women. They also learned about the factory’s waste water treatment operations, gaining an understanding of the importance of water conservation for future generations.

Showbiz

SUNDAY, MARCH 18, 2018

C3

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

STANDARD’S CHOICE

BB. PILIPINAS 2018 FEARLESS FORECAST

KILIGFEST. Edward Barber and Maymay Entrata in the romantic comedy, 'Loving in Tandem.'

By Eton Concepcion

MAYWARD’S ‘LOVING IN TANDEM’ PREMIERES TODAY

T

HE prestigious Bb. Pilipinas 2018 search is now in the homestretch. Tonight, a new batch of beauty representatives in six important beauty pageants around the world will be crowned.

As customary every year, Manila Standard releases its Fearless Forecast, a list of favored beauties who have a good shot at the most coveted Bb. Pilipinas Universe and Bb. Pilipinas International titles, and the other four titles -- Supranational, Intercontinental, Globe and Grand International -- that the Bb. PIlipinas Foundation, Inc. (BPCI) is also giving equal importance.

This 10 possible winners list, a mixture of pageant newbies and regulars, is based on the girls’ appearances during the swimsuit press presentation, national costume show and the Parade of Beauties.

1. Catriona Gray, 24, is a Fil-Australian singer, model, and a graduate at Berklee College of Music. Finishing as a finalist in Miss World 2016, she is one of the biggest crossover beauties, locally and internationally, that people should watch out for. Perfect for Miss Universe, Catriona is a striking beauty who has great catwalk skills. She is eloquent and can be a good MUO ambassador being a children advocate herself.

2. Michele Gumabao, 25, is the daughter of actor Dennis Roldan. This volleyball poster girl is one of the strongest contenders in this year’s batch. A Marketing Management graduate at De La Salle, this Pinay beauty has numerous advantage including her height and her being spontaneous during interviews. It’s good to note that she has a strong fan base, too.

3. Aya Abesamis, 26, is a PMAP model, a Fine Arts graduate at University of Santo Tomas, and carries the beauty queen DNA of her mom (1984 Miss Universe 3rd runner up Desiree Verdadero) and aunt (Miss World 2003- Top 5 Mafae Yunon). Aya has a magnetic, sunny personality perfect for Miss Supranational. She is a stand-out with her exotic looks and terrific catwalk skills, and fashion style.

SIRKUS’

THRILLING EPISODE IN TODAY’S episode of Sirkus, Mia (Mikee Quintos) and Miko (Mikoy Morales) continue their search for their parents.

Ever since their parents were kidnapped by the villainess La Ora, twins Mia and Miko have relied on Master Leviticus and the Sirkus to protect them and to reunite them with their parents. But after moving through many towns with no sign of their mother and father, Mia begins to wonder whether or not Master Leviticus really knows how and where to find their parents.

On the road, the Sirkus meets Lola Waya, a legendary warrior and sorceress known for defending the magical world in past wars. Mia becomes curious when she sees a tattoo of a map on Lola Waya’s arm. The map shows a prominent-looking tree near the town where they last saw their parents, a town which they have long passed and travelled far away from.

Lola Waya reveals that the tree, a magical Balete, is the lair of the sorceress La Ora and that all those in the magical world know about this place. Mia feels betrayed that Master Levi kept this secret from her and her twin. She runs away with Lola Waya to find the tree where her parents may be hidden.

Will Mia finally see her mother and father? Sirkus will reveal tonight at 6:10 p.m. on GMA-7.

Mikee Quintos and Mikoy Morales as Mia and Miko

4. Vicky Marie Rushton, 25, is an actress and a model. She’s a former Mutya ng Pilipinas and popularly known as one of the PBB housemates in 2014. The elegant and articulate Vicky has big, expressive eyes—the quality that the Japaneses-owned pageant normally looks for in a candidate.

5. Jehza Mae Huelar, 22, is a Finance graduate at Ateneo de Davao. She won Bb. Pilipinas 2nd runner up in 2016. This eloquent Asian Barbie doll is always calm and composed. She confident shows off her svelte figure while on the catwalk.

6. Sandra Lemonon, 23, is a Fil-French beauty who graduated at Escola Portuguesa de Macao with a degree in Fine Arts. This polyglot won Miss World Philippines 4th Princess 2016 and ready to dominate the Binibini stage with her killer body, great catwalk skills and exotic looks.

Bubbling Up Eva Psychee Patalinjug, 24, is a Nursing graduate from Cebu Doctors’ University. She was a Mutya ng Pilipinas Asia Pacific International winner.

Anjame Magbitang, 20, stands 5-foot-11 (the tallest candidate).

She is a Tourism Management student and a former Miss United Continents .

Muriel Orais, 26, a Flight Attendant (Face of PAL) and Miss Earth Philippines Water 2011 winner.

Ma. Ahtisa Manalo, 20, an Accountancy graduate and a former Binibing Niyogyugan 2016 and 2017 Reyna ng Aliwan 2nd runnerup.

MAYMAY Entrata and Edward Barber—collectively known as MayWard—lead the kiligfest in Cinema One’s premiere of Loving in Tandem today.

Directed by Giselle Andres and produced by Star Cinema, the film is the first big screen project topbilled by rising stars Maymay and Edward. It also stars MayWard’s fellow Pinoy Big Brother Lucky Season 7 housemates Kisses Delavin and Marco Gallo.

The romantic comedy follows the story of bright and determined Shine (Maymay), willing to do anything for her family. She meets the balikbayan Luke (Edward) in the most unusual circumstance.

With a bit of a language barrier getting in the way, the two accidentally put themselves in an awkward situation when Luke announces in their entire barangay that Shine is his “jowa.”

Will the language of their hearts triumph over whatever differences Shine and Luke have? How will they change each other’s lives?

Witness the wacky road of young love in Loving in Tandem later at 8:00 p.m. on Cinema One, available on SKYcable and Destiny. Visit facebook. com/Cinema1channel to view full schedule.

'PGT' JUDGES PICK SEMIFINALISTS AFTER weeks of auditions, judges Freddie “FMG” Garcia, Angel Locsin, Robin Padilla, and Vice Ganda make another cut to determine the acts that will advance to the semi-finals in the Judges Cull this weekend.

Only a few acts out of hundreds who made it to the first round will move forward and will be given another chance to show the world what they got.

On top of the list are Golden Buzzer acts Bardilleranz, Julius Obero and Rhea Marquez, Nocturnal Dance Company, and Kristel De Catalina plus the act to be chosen by hosts Billy Crawford and Toni Gonzaga.

Results will be revealed tonight at 7:30 on ABS-CBN.

C4

sunday, march 18, 2018

Desiree Carlos, Editor

daycarlos28@yahoo.com

Pets My Furry Bestie

Keep your cat saFe FroM

chylaMydiosis

By Anthony Prado Basa, DVM

R

unny nose, watery eyes, sneezing?

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.

This can be a respiratory disease called chylamydiosis which hits cats.

Chylamydiosis refers to a bacteria-based chronic respiratory infection caused by the Chlamydia psittaci bacterium.

Cats who develop this infection will often exhibit traditional signs of an upper respiratory infection. With treatment, the prognosis is positive. your cat will survive.

SYMPTOMS AND TYPES

Chlamydiosis infection affects the respiratory system, the eyes, the gastrointestinal system and the reproduction systems of animals.

Cats experience standard upper respiratory tract symptoms: 1. sneezing 2. watery eyes 3. discharge from eyes 4.coughing 5. difficulty in breathing 6. runny nose 7. lack of appetite (anorexia) 8. fever 9. and pneumonia if left untreated. This can lead to death.

Meet PEPPER, a one-year old shih Tzu-Chihuahua mix. “he may be small but he really puts up a fight when necessary. he is really obedient and happy-go-lucky. he will always approach you with a smile and give you a paw,” says owner Denise Concepcion.

CAUSES

While there is a higher prevalence of this infection in kittens, the condition is present in all ages and breeds.

Cats that are kept in crowded quarters with other animals, as in a kennel, are at an increased risk of infection.

Jill, rescued by save Animals of Love and Light from the streets, was given the tricat vaccine when she was still a kitten to protect her from deadly diseases.

Added to the risk is the ease with which this bacteria travels.

Transmission can take place even without direct contact with an infected animal, as the molecules from a cough or sneeze can travel across a room.

A human caretaker can carry the bacteria and spread it by touch, or the cat may come into contact with a contaminated object, such as a bedding or items in the feeding area.

DIAGNOSIS

your veterinarian will take a sample of the eye discharge, also referred to as a conjunctival scraping or swabbing, in order to have a culture of the fluid done to determine what the source of the illness is.

If it is believed that pneumonia is present, an X-ray of your cat's lungs will be performed to check for the presence of fluid.

TREATMENT

Treatment is most often performed on an outpatient basis, starting with antibiotic medications such as tetracycline or doxycycline.

Antibiotic treatments may be given orally or as an external direct application onto the eye.

The entire treatment process may take up to six weeks.

Please ask your vet for proper dosage. Do not decide on this for your cat. Incorrect dosage may cause complications.

PREVENTION

Author Dr. Anthony Prado Basa with blind cat Felix, a cat rescued by save ALL. Felix lost his eyesight due to the strong impact when a car hit him.

There is no preventative measure that can be taken for this medical issue, but vaccinations can help to reduce the severity of outbreaks when they do occur.

It is thus recommended that you have your cat vaccinated with the tricat vaccine, which also protects your kitten/cat from the deadly panleukemia.

PAWEE or Lester "Pawee" McCoyie Coy is a male Maltese born on May 10, 2015.

Franchesca 'Cheesy' Adao-sarmiento and her husband adopted him in June, 2015. “he has brought love and laughter to our entire family. he has been therapeutic to his Wowo and Wowa who are both senior citizens, especially to his Wowo who is diabetic and a stroke patient,” says Franchesca.

Franchesca adds, "Pawee is the sweetest furbaby! We can never imagine our life without our Pawee. he is our constant joy and happiness. he is our alarm clock every morning, he loves to cuddle, and he loves giving out kisses to everyone in the family. he is the reason we are always excited to go home early from school/work."

Artists bAnd together for the love of AnimAls

By F. Maria Regalado ThE sleeping Boy Collective is a Manilabased network of artists, musicians, and promoters who organize everything from dive bar shows to major events for touring musicians in and around the sEA region. That may sound like a lot now, but we’d like to tell you a little more about how and why we started.

Our roots ultimately trace back to a punk kid with a cat and a heart condition.

In 2014, our friend Raffy Mapa passed away due to cardiovascular complications. he was a beautiful soul who played in bands with us, made art, took photos, and put shows up with our collective’s future members. We were passionate about many of the same things, and his loss came at a time where we were all individually distanced/not entirely involved in music or the hardcore scene. It was a sad, but serendipitous thing where many of the people involved with the Philippines’ early emoviolence community just happened to be based in Metro Manila.

sleeping Boy Collective following Turnover's headlining Manila show in 2017

A number of us reconnected at Raffy’s wake, and we decided to try and get something going while we are all still here. Like, we would all still be working our day jobs, but we did not want

to grapple with the idea of wasted potential due to our own inaction at the time. At that point, we saw that it was as good a time as any to start putting up the shows we always wanted to be part

of—to be part of the pan-Asian touring network, and to bring our favorite post-hardcore/emoviolence bands over whenever we can. years on, we managed to make true on our commitment to these shows, bringing bands like hierophant, Birds in Row, Full of hell, Dangers, The saddest Landscape, Turnover, A Place to Bury strangers, and nothing to Manila, among many others.

We have always strived for memorable shows, but on top of that we feel the need to make these experiences meaningful as well. From time to time, we’d run donation drives or put together benefit shows for displaced indigenous people, LGBT homelessness, gender justice, and most recently, crucial services for people’s pets.

In anticipation of the Manila leg of Counterparts and stray From The Path’s southeast Asia tour, we are putting up a pre-show. The catch? It’s also a benefit show for a local animal rescue group.

Raffy, apart from being a creative force, also loved cats.

Most of us in the collective have deep, loving relationships with our pets, so it was an easy decision to get save Animals of Love and Light (save ALL) on board. The group actively rescues and cares for abandoned, abused, and neglected cats and dogs. As people who live with adopted and rescued strays, this means a lot to us.

The Counterparts and stray From The Path pre-show is at Mow’s Bar, 20 Matalino street, sikatuna Village, Quezon City this March 24.

Inspired by the two bands’ take on melodic and groove-based metalcore, we are pre-gaming hard with bands like Cadenzabler, Call From home, Equation Crisis, Life Lost, Modern Day Collapse, Palepaths, stillife, TnG, and Value Lasts.

Bands start at 7 p.m., and there’s a P150 door charge. you get a free drink though! Oh, and ticket holders for the Counterparts and stray From The Path show get in for free.

Catch us.