DFA TRIES NEW TACK IN KUWAIT
VOL. XXXII • NO. 80 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P18 • SUNDAY, MAY 6, 2018 • www.manilastandard.net • editorial@manilastandard.net
By Sara Susanne D. Fabunan
THE Department of Foreign Affairs is taking a “three-pronged approach” in dealing with the diplomatic crisis in Kuwait, stressing the four officials holed up inside the Philippine embassy there were safe but with “limited movement.” Refusing to name the foreign officials stuck inside the embassy, Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano said the agency was pushing for a 24/7 hotline to the ministry and the police in handling the welfare of the 260,000 overseas Filipino workers there. “Right now, the people who are there are doing very well,” Cayetano said. “But their families are informed, and we’re doing everything. Turn to A2
SERENO WANTS 6 JUSTICES OUT OF HER CASE By Sara Susanne D. Fabunan
WORLDWIDE WALK. Members of the Iglesia ni Cristo religious sect gear up along Roxas Boulevard and Quirino Grandstand near Manila Bay for their second Worldwide Walk to fight poverty, a charity walk that will be held simultaneously today in 358 sites in 44 different countries across 18 time zones. The first Worldwide Walk organized by the INC was in 2014 and was recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest charity walk across multiple venues held in 24 hours, with 519,221 participants in 129 sites located in 16 countries. Ey Acasio
DUTERTE TO ASSERT PH WIN IN SEA ROW By Vito Barcelo and Maricel Cruz
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RESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte said he would assert the Philippines’ victory in an international court before his term ends in 2020 to get back the territory now occupied by China, as he blamed former President Benigno Aquino III and the United States for their failure to stop China from occupying and militarizing the disputed South China Sea some eight years ago. “Before my term ends, I will have to demand to talk about this arbitration. I cannot let my administration pass without really insisting
because I am doing it for my country. I am not doing it for myself,” the President said in his speech during the 37th Philippine Principals
Training and Development Program and National Board Conference in Davao City on Friday. In related developments: • An opposition lawmaker on Saturday urged Malacañang to safeguard the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Philippines as provided in its published National Security Policy for 2017-2022. Magdalo Party-list Rep. Gary Alejano made the call following overt militarization efforts of China in the South China Sea with installation of missiles as the most recent one. Alejano noted that since 2016, the Duterte administration had shifted to China instead of pursuing a genuine ‘independent for-
eign policy’. “When Duterte sidelined the favorable ruling of the UN arbitral tribunal, we know this so-called independent foreign policy is a farce,” Alejano said. • China should strictly abide by international law if it wants to become a superpower and have claims on the disputed South China Sea, UP political science professor Dr. Clarita Carlos said Saturday. Carlos said the Philippines used to seek assistance from the US on the disputed seas, but with US President Donald Trump challenging China’s territorial waters and air space as well, Philippines has been put on the sidelines. Turn to A2
CHIEF Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno on Saturday sought the inhibition of a Supreme Court magistrate whom she accused of faith-shaming her during the April 10 oral arguments on the quo warranto petition filed against her by Solicitor General Jose Calida. In a pleading filed with the Supreme Court, Sereno said Associate Justice Samuel Martires showed actual bias against her after he insinuated that her pervasive faith in God could be a sign of mental illness. “The Chief Justice, with due respect, has reasonable grounds to believe that the Hon. Associate Justice Samuel R. Martires has manifested actual bias against her which should disqualify him from participating in these proceedings,” Sereno said, citing Canon 3, Turn to A2
JURADO STARTS COLUMN IN OP-ED SECTION ERIC JURADO begins his column, “From Where I Stand,” this week at the opinion section of Manila Standard. His column will appear every Sunday and Friday. He has been a contributor to the section’s “Everyman” column since January. Jurado is managing director of an investment office and advisory firm and holds an MBA from the Southern New Hampshire University Graduate School of Business.
TEO COUPLE TOLD: CHOOSE WHO TO QUIT TOURISM JOB
By Vito Barcelo
MALACAÑANG said Tourism Secretary Wanda Tulfo-Teo or her husband, Roberto U. Teo, a member of the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority’s (Tieza) board of directors, should answer whether one of them should resign out of delicadeza. This, amid controversies on the P60-million advertisement deal between the Department of Tourism and the governmentrun Channel 4, registered as People’s Television Network Inc. or People’s Television 4. In a statement, Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque said Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea was also conducting an investigation of all government officials linked to the controversial advertisement entered between the DoT and Teo’s two brothers, Ben and Erwin Tulfo. Roque also said that the Office of the Ombudsman was conducting a separate investigation. “Delicadeza is addressed to the public office concerns. So it’s not for me to answer that. I do not know if her husband is in Tieza. And I do not know because there are reports that he was there during the time of previous administrations,” the Palace official said. Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Martin Andanar, who oversees PTV-4 , was also included in the probe. “It would be an investigation that would cover everyone... It is being investigated by the Office of the President,” Roque earlier said. He said President Rodrigo Duterte was aware of the controversy and had ordered the investigation. The Palace spokesperson said an investigation was being conducted by the Executive Secretary, saying “so the Executive Secretary will probably submit his recommendations to the President.” Turn to A2 twitter.com/ MlaStandard
HOUSE BILL SILENCES KARAOKE
By Maricel V. Cruz
HELPLESS MAN. A man watches helplessly as lava comes out from a fissure in Leilani Estates subdivision on Hawaii’s Big Island on May 4. Up to 10,000 people have been asked to leave their homes on the Big Island following the eruption of the Kilauea volcano that came after a series of earthquakes. (Related stories on A2, A6) AFP
facebook.com/ ManilaStandardPH
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THE House of Representatives has backed a measure prohibiting the use of videoke and karaoke systems in residential areas. Rep. Angelina Tan of Quezon, author of House Bill 1035, welcomed the House committee on public order and safety’s creation of a technical working group that will draft the final version of the bill addressing noise pollution and unnecessary disturbances to the public produced by sound amplifying equipment in residential areas. Turn to A2
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SUNDAY, MAY 6, 2018 mst.daydesk@gmail.com
6.1 QUAKE JOLTS EASTERN PH; NO CASUALTIES A STRONG 6.1-magnitude earthquake was detected off the eastern Philippines Saturday, but there were no immediate reports of any damage or casualties, authorities said. The epicenter of the quake—which struck at 2:19 p.m. local time (0619 GMT)—was about 310 kilometers (190 miles) east of the capital Manila in the Philippine Sea, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology. The US Geological Survey reported that the earthquake was 6.1-magnitude, but Philippine authorities said it was 5.9-magnitude. The USGS said the epicenter was at a depth of 17.9 km. Local authorities in areas close to the epicenter said the tremors were not strong enough to cause serious damage. AFP
TEO...
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However, Roque said there was no timeline for the probe but assured that all the people tasked by Malacañang were doing their specific tasks to submit their findings. The Commission on Audit revealed that the DoT had placed P60 million worth of TV advertisements on the show of her brothers, Ben and Erwin Tulfo, on PTV-4. Despite the controversies surrounding Tulfo-Teo and other executives involved, Roque said they were still trusted by Duterte. “Every Cabinet member, until they’re fired, enjoys the trust and confidence of the President... The President lets them go if it’s proven they’re involved in graft and corruption. That’s the President’s track record, “ he said,
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SOLONS SUPPORT BAN ON TURNCOATISM By Maricel V. Cruz
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AWMAKERS from different parties on Saturday expressed support to the proposal of Constitutional Consultative Committee (ConCom) tasked to draft Charter changes to effect the shift to the federal form of government to ban political turncoatism two years before and after an election. “I fully support this proposal. Strengthening the political party system and preventing turncoatism should be at the cornerstone of any political reform under Cha-Cha,” Magdalo Party-list Rep. Gary Alejano, a member of the opposition, said. Alejano lamented that the loyalties of politicians are often dependent on the personalities in power, and not on the platform and principles of the political parties. “By banning political turncoatism, political parties become more relevant and the electorate can start
becoming more judicious on party platforms and ideologies,” Alejano said. Akbayan Party-list Rep. Tom Villarin also frowned on political turncoatism. He said that even without Charter change, Congress can enact a law that will ban “political butterflies.” “What we need are ideological parties with real programs that can sustain the needed political and electoral reforms for a modern democracy. This is also a pre-requisite to a shift to a federal parliamentary system. At present, what we have
are pseudo-political parties controlled by the elite,” Villarin, an oppositionist, said. Administration allies Reps. Ben Evardone of Eastern Samar, Gus Tambunting of Parañaque City, Albee Benitez of Negros Occidental and Robert Ace Barbers of Surigao del Norte said banning political turncoatism will strengthen the country’s political party system. “I will support it. It will strengthen our party system,” Evardone said. Tambunting, for his part, said, “We support all efforts to provide stability in our political system. These reforms, including the proposed anti-dynasty provisions, will ensure the establishment of clear party lines that are based on issues and advocacies. This will go a long way in helping our democracy to mature.” Benitez also echoed a similar view. “It is a welcome proposal. It will also address the issue of minority president,” Benitez said. Meanwhile, Barbers pushed for the passage of his House Bill 7431,
which covers not only elective officials who change their party affiliations, but also independent and party-list candidates. Barbers’ bill provides a penalty of automatic forfeiture of public office for violators. Barbers said his bill also covers lawmakers who would create their own party-list groups for convenience, and party-list group members who jump from one group to another. HB 7431 proposes to prevent an elected official from switching parties during his or her term; a candidate from switching parties within one year preceding an election and within one year following the election if they lose; an independent or party-list group member from joining any political party within a year following an election he or she participated in, whether he or she won or lost; and an elected official, after resigning from his or her party, from joining another party within one year immediately preceding or following an election.
POLICE ON ALERT AS POLL CAMPAIGN BEGINS THE Philippine National Police said that it would continue to monitor the situation as the campaign period for the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections kicked off on Friday, which it described as ''peaceful.'' “The first day of the campaign period for the barangay and SK elec-
tions is generally peaceful with no significant election campaign-related incident recorded,” PNP spokesperson Chief Superintendent John Bulalacao said. To last for two weeks, the campaign period started at midnight of May 4, Friday, the day when the police put its forces on full alert to pre-
vent any untoward incident. The alert will last until May 20, or as long as needed. The elections is set on May 14. Bulalacao also made the assurance that they will continue to monitor election hotspots. “To maintain this favorable situation, the PNP continously moni-
tors the barangays categorized as hotspots or those where violence are likely to occur due to intense political rivalry with history of violence and presence of armed and threat groups,” he said. “With all security forces on alert, the PNP remains on top of the situation,” the PNP added.
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“Noise causes difficulty in conversations. It interferes with sleep and negatively impacts certain kinds of work. As a source of stress, it can promote high blood pres sure and other cardiovascular problems as well as nervous disorders,” said Tan, chairman of the House committee on health. She acknowledged that major sources of noise among residential areas were videoke and karaoke systems. Tan said many local residents or groups were accustomed to occupying public streets or road sides to gain a wider space for private activities or functions, often making use of videoke and karaoke systems and amplified audio devices. “The making or creation of excessive, unnecessary or unusually loud sounds from videoke/karaoke systems or other amplified audio devices beyond limits and at unacceptable levels during unholy hours causes serious discomfort and has created numerous complains and public condemnation as they are detrimental to public health, comfort, convenience, safety, welfare, and prosperity of the general public,” Tan said. The committee chairman, Antipolo City Rep. Romeo Acop, rallied behind the bill’s passage, taking into account the welfare of businesses while protecting the health of the public. HB 1035 defines noise or sound pollution as any exposure of people or even animals to sound levels that are annoying, stressful, or damaging to the ears. Tan noted that in recent years, much of the world had become urban, industrial, and chronically noisy. Tan, in filing the bill, said despite existing anti-noise pollution laws, current legislation did not squarely address President Rodrigo Duterte’s policy pronouncement of enforcing a 10 p.m. ban on videoke/ karaoke singing as part of imposing strict discipline to make the entire country safe and orderly. The bill provides that the playing or operating or permitting either action of any radio, CD player, television set, amplified musical instrument, loudspeaker videoke or karaoke system, or other sound amplifying equipment shall only be allowed from eight o’clock in the morning until 10 o’ clock in the evening throughout the week. Under the bill, operation of such machine or device as to be plainly audible at a distance of 50 feet from the place in which it is located shall be prima facie evidence of a violation. Any individual or business entity found in violation shall be punished by a fine of P1,000 or an imprisonment of not more than six months, or both. Succeeding offenses shall be met with both penalties in addition to the revocation of the license to operate a business. If the violation is committed by a corporation, partnership, association or similar entity, the most senior officers shall be held liable for the offense.
DUTERTE...
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The UP professor said that in the meanwhile “diplomatic protest is the most we can do.” • In Singapore, a veteran foreign diplomat has advised the Duterte administration to stay calm amid China’s reported installation of anti-ship cruise missiles and surface-to-air missile systems in the South China Sea. Kishore Mahbubani, Singapore’s former permanent secretary at the Foreign Ministry and founding dean of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, admitted that the situation would become difficult but the Philippines should not escalate the issue. “I think it will become more and more difficult definitely. It is important to stay very calm because the last thing you want is to have any kind of a conflict with China in the South China Sea,” Mahbubani told GMA News Online at the sidelines of the 2nd Asean Media Forum Friday afternoon, in reply to a question. He said China might see the issue as putting them under the spotlight. “If you escalate the issue now, at the time when the Chinese feel already under some pressure from the United States, they will see this as a coordinated move to try to embarrass them. So they [Philippines] have to be very careful,” he said. American news network CNBC reported on Wednesday, quoting US intelligence assessments, that the missiles were
DFA... From A1 “It’s nowhere like a hostage situation. Just restricted movement. To be fair to the Kuwaiti side, there’s no threat,” he added. Cayetano said the Kuwait government was asking them for a list of Filipino officials who are involved in the uncoordinated rescue mission. He said that, as part of the security of the Philippine embassy there, the Philippines would not provide any list. In Malacañang, Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque said talks between the Philippines and Kuwait continued as the
SERENO... From A1 Section 5(a) of the New Code Of Judicial Conduct for the Philippine Judiciary. This brings to six the total number of SC magistrates the Chief Justice wants to inhibit from her quo warranto case. Earlier, Sereno also asked for the recu-
moved to Fiery Cross Reef, Subi Reef and Mischief Reef in the Spratly Islands within the past 30 days. Aside from the Philippines, Vietnam and Taiwan also claim jurisdiction over the islands. Duterte in his speech said the US, a superpower with their seventh fleet stationed in the Philippines, did not do anything to stop China some eight years ago, saying US warships could have patrolled or put up a station in the disputed region which could have prevented the building of artificial islands in the disputed SCS. “You cannot build an island, artificial island on the high seas. That’s not allowed. And the only country who could have stopped them was America,” the President said. He said the US was already around when the arbitration was being heard. “I’m sure seven or eight years ago, there were already intelligence reports over flights by so many countries, including ours, that something was afoot there, that they were trying to build reclamation. At that time, because it’s a violation of the International Law of the Seas, UNCLOS, the only country who could have stopped the Chinese was America,” he said. The President also faulted the Aquino administration who filed an arbitration case which the country won. “He was still there. You won. Aquino was still there then, not so many months there. Why he had not visited or warned them? Then when he left, there were already some additional—well, accretion, but artificial,” the Chief Executive said. The Hague-based Permanent Court
of Arbitration said China had no historical rights to the resource-rich waters but China refuses to recognize the ruling. Duterte claimed the reclamation in the disputed region could have been prevented had his predecessor initiated the international ruling. “You claim it by historical right; by judgment, we won and it’s ours,’ he said. However, the President admitted he would not go to war with China and preferred to have to explore diplomatic means to resolve the issue. “Manila and the nearest military airport of China is only 17 minutes away. If you declare war, pulpog tayo lahat. Well, that is the reality of it,” he added. Pulpog is a Cebuano term that means pulverized. China, for over several years, has taken a more assertive stance in the SCS, and transformed previously submerged features into artificial islands with multi-level buildings and runways. According to US intelligence reports, China has installed missiles on the three areas, Mischief Reef, Subi Reef and Fiery Reef being claimed by the Philippines. Meanwhile, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said the government has viewed the matter with concern but they were still verifying the reports that China installed missiles in the disputed region. “Let me begin by saying we are still verifying. Everything that we have read on the papers is based on a US media report, which really we should not completely rely on, okay. So we are first verifying if it is true, and we have not had any verification,” the Palace spokesperson said.
“If it is verified of course, we view it with much concern, because any form of militarization of, really, in the West Philippine Sea is worrisome given that it is one of the busiest sea lanes in the world. Okay, so that is our concern. It is a concern common to the international community,” Roque said. In 2017, the Duterte administration drafted and released its NSP for 2017-2022. The document contains enumeration of national interests which includes “Safeguard of the Philippine territorial integrity and sovereignty.” Alejano reiterated the NSP and reminded the Duterte administration to abide by its own national security policy. “The NSP identifies safeguarding of territorial integrity and sovereignty as one of our national interests. Under this, the objectives that the Duterte administration is expected to fulfill include “pursue international support for a rules-based regime in West Philippine Sea” and “respect the Award of the Permanent Court of Arbitration” while engaging claimant states for the management and settlement of disputes. May I remind this administration of its own policy,” Alejano said. The Philippines is counting on China to advance the bulk of the estimated $7.5-billion cost of a new natural gas project in the West Philippine Sea under a proposed joint exploration and development agreement, Buhay Rep. Lito Atienza said on Saturday. “This is the reason why we are bringing the Chinese in—for them to shoulder the cost—because we simply do not have the wherewithal to develop a second deepwater gas field there,” Atienza said.
two sides tried to mend ruffled ties following the controversial rescue of Filipino migrants. Roque said discussions were ongoing between the two nations after Kuwait took offense at the recent rescue of distressed Filipino workers by Philippine embassy officials from employers’ homes in the Gulf state. Cayetano said the Kuwait government was now conducting an investigation and look at possible charges of kidnapping against the identified senior officials there. In an earlier report, a Foreign Affairs insider revealed that the three senior officials, who had limited movement and could only stay within the premise of the Philippine embassy, were DFA-Office
of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs executive director Raul Dado; DFA-Office of the Undersecretary for International Economic Relations officer Muammar Hassan; and DFA-Assistanceto-Nationals officer Francis Baquiran. The athree were part of the Rapid Response Team headed by DFA-OUMWA Sarah Lou Arriola, who were able to leave Kuwait via Riyadh before the Kuwaiti government filed warrant arrests against officials involved in the alleged “uncoordinated” rescue operation. The RRT was formed by the office of the Secretary and OUMWA to augment the team of the Philippine embassy in any conflict areas. “He selected the top minion for that of-
fice who put together the RRT. Considering rank, his office should be dealing with the irascible spin doctors,” the insider said, who spoke under condition of anonymity. “It is this aspect of operations that shows the weakness in the command and control protocol that they were observing,” the insider said. But a foreign affairs official, speaking anonymously, said the RRT instead led the said rescue mission where videos were uploaded by some DFA officials. “The Rapid Response Team are (sic) formed from Manila and was deployed to Kuwait. On top of the operation, who gave them the authorization [to operate]...when an Undersecretary said yes, you have to follow,” the insider said.
sal of Associate Justices Teresita Leonardo de Castro, Diosdado Peralta, Lucas Bersamin, Francis Jardeleza and Noel Tijam. All six justices readily and willingly testified against Sereno in the impeachment proceeding in the House of Representatives and actively participated in the socalled “Red Monday” protest in the SC that called for her resignation. During the oral arguments, Martires appeared to have made insinuations
questioning Sereno’s “mental” or “psychological” fitness on the basis of her belief that God is the “source of everything in [her] life.” This, despite the fact that the Chief Justice’s mental or psychological fitness was not an issue raised at all in Calida’s petition. Sereno took exception to the following questions propounded by Martires to Calida during the oral arguments: “Would you agree it (is) a mental illness when a
person always invokes God as the source of his strength? The source of happiness? The source of everything in life? Is that mental illness?” Martires also asked Calida if he would agree that the psychiatrist made a wrong evaluation with respect to the psychiatric report on the Chief Justice, to which the Solicitor General replied: “Unfortunately, I have not read the psychiatric report yet, Your Honor.”
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PAL TO CONTINUE FLIGHT OPERATIONS TO AND FROM CATICLAN, AKLAN By Joel E. Zurbano
THE ART OF SUMAN. The Suman Art at SM City Masinag is a celebration of Antipolo City’s beloved delicacy called Sumansa Ibos. It is a variety of Suman or local rice cake made from glutinous rice; wrapped in vertical coils of buli or buri palm leaves; dyed yellow to look more enticing then cooked or steamed in coconut milk. For 2018, the Sumansa Ibos is presented as a huge canvas that depicts a collage of the iconic symbols of what the City of Antipolo is known for—the Antipolo Cathedral, HinulugangTaktak falls and popular delicacies suman, kasoy and mangga. The Sumansa Ibos artwork measures 8ft x 8ft and is painted with food-grade colorants that are totally edible. Shown in photo during the unveiling are 2,000 pieces of Antipolo’s popular local delicacy made as an artwork with food-grade colorants are presented at SM City Masinag as part of the annual Maytime Festival of the city. Manny Palmero
THAILAND, VIETNAM TO SUPPLY NFA RICE TO PH THE National Food Authority will be getting its new rice stocks from Thailand and Vietnam, with some of the imported staple coming before the end of May. NFA’s Documentation and Legal Research Division chief Richardson Bassig said in a media briefing on Friday that the new rice stocks would be imported through the government to government (G2G) mode, which the agency deems faster than the government to private (G2P) mode. The importation covers 250,000 metric tons of wellmilled long-grain white rice, aimed to boost NFA’s nearly depleted rice stocks meant for the masses in the country. Thailand and Vietnam’s price offers were lower than the reference prices the NFA set for rebidding on Friday, Bassig said. “We are therefore expecting the rice imports to be in the country already on or before June 30 this year,” he said. The NFA conducted the rebidding on Friday after bidding last April 27 failed, since offers of Thailand and Vietnam to supply rice exceeded the agency’s reference prices then. For the rebidding, the NFA set reference prices of USD531 per metric ton of rice with 15 percent broken grains and USD520.50 per metric ton for rice with 25 percent broken grains. Thailand will supply the NFA with 120,000 metric tons of rice with 25 percent brokens at USD517.50 per MT. Vietnam will supply 50,000 MT with 15 percent brokens at USD526.50 per MT and 80,000 MT with 25 percent brokens at USD517.50 per MT. Delivery of Thailand’s first 60,000 MT and Vietnam’s first 40,000 MT at 25 percent brokens will be not later than May 31. PNA
DND TO CONSIDER ARMING NAVY CRAFT WITH MISSILES
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HE Department of National Defense is looking into the possibility of arming the Navy’s multipurpose attack craft with Israeli-made Spike-ER surface-to-surface missiles. “The idea is still under consideration,” DND spokesperson Arsenio Andolong said Friday when asked about the feasibility of arming all
operational MPACs with missiles to boost their capability. Spike-ER missiles are capable of penetrating 1,000 mm. (39 inches) of rolled homogeneous armor and have a range of 8 km. As of this posting, the Navy has nine MPACs in its inventory with another three units planned. Three of these craft are being fitted with Spike-ER missiles and launchers. The naval craft vehicles were activated on May 22, 2017 and were manufactured by Subic-based Propmech Corp. for P270 million. The Spike-ER surface-to-surface missiles, along with their launchers,
arrived third week of April. After the installation, the Spike-ER missile systems will go through the Technical Inspection and Acceptance Committee, he added. “The missile systems for the Navy’s MPACs have arrived in the country and are now undergoing Integration Phase under the guidance of the proponent, Rafael of Israel. The missile-equipped MPACs will greatly enhance the Navy’s capability to secure our littoral areas against terrorism and in support of maritime law enforcement operations,” Andolong earlier said.
ARMM READY TO DISSOLVE AFTER 27 YEARS FINALLY allocating P50 to P100 million for preparatory activities and transition projects, the core political administration of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao is ready for dissolution in June after 27 years of existence, officials said. ARMM Gov. Mujiv Hataman said he had already issued a memorandum for the “creation of a transition team,” which would bind regional agencies, including those operating under local funds, to comply with submission of accomplishment reports for common compilation by the Regional Planning and Development Office. Under the proposed BBL drafted by the Expanded Bangsamoro Transitional Commission, the presentday ARMM will be replaced by a Bangsamoro Transitional Authority. Hataman said the ARMM has allocated its savings to provide some P50 to P100 million in preparation for an expected BTA succession of the ARMM, which includes construction of buildings. He said a self-imposed Presidential deadline on Congress to pass of the Bangsamoro Basic Law proved too heavy for an indication that the law will be passed before the end of May. “If the BBL is passed by end of May, a plebiscite [to ratify it] would then
be held. To my mind a June target for a countdown would be fair enough,” Hataman said. In his speech last April 25 in Buluan, Maguindanao, President Rodrigo Duterte said Congress should pass the BBL before the end of May or he might as well resign as president. “That came too heavy for a presidential statement, that’s why I am 100 percent sure the BBL will be passed into law. Moreover, if we go over the President’s previous statements on BBL, he has been consistent on it,” Hataman said in Filipino. Hataman was with members of Bangsamoro media in Darapanan, Maguindanao, following the presidential visit hosted in Buluan by Maguindanao Gov. Esmael Mangudadatu for the turnover of loose firearms to authorities by officials and residents of the province’s 36 municipalities. A BTA setup will be basically the ARMM minus the regional governor, the regional vice-governor, and members of the Regional Legislative Assembly, including the peer-elected RLA Speaker. Members of Bangsamoro Parliament, six per district, will be appointed by the President under a transitional BTA administration, with
a three-year lifespan to evolve into a Bangsamoro Government. Appointed Members of Bangsamoro Parliament in a BTA period will elect a Parliamentary Speaker, and an Acting Chief Minister among themselves, to replace the regional governor in the present setup as the head of the autonomous government. ARMM Executive Secretary Laisa Alamia said the Moro people were hopeful of gaining “lasting peace and development with the coming passage of the Bangsamoro Basic Law.” For her part, Alamia philosophically explained the evolution of the Moro experience in a Catholic school commencement exercises on April 29. She said the road (from conflict) to peace and recovery starts with resilience: “We build resilience into ourselves; we build resilience into the people we love; and we build resilience together as a community.” “That’s called collective resilience. It’s an incredibly powerful force which our country, the Philippines, and the world right now need a lot more of,” Alamia said as speaker of the recent commencement exercises of the Ateneo de Davao Graduate. Nash B. Maulana
DAVAO REGION RANKS 2ND AS FASTEST GROWING PH AREA By F. Pearl A. Gajunera DAVAO Region ranked 2nd as the fastest-growing region in the entire country. In a press conference at the Malacañan of the South located at Panacan this City, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque congratulated the Davaoeños for being one of the fastest-growing region. In 2017, Davao Region grew by 10.9 percent due to its Industry sector, Agriculture, and many more. “Davao Region ranked as the second fastest growing region in the country as it grew by 10.9 percent in 2017, backed by the positive growth of the Industry sector and by Agriculture, Hunting, Forestry and Fishing sector,” Roque said. In 2017, the fastest-growing industry in the region was Construction with 38.2 percent, followed by Manufacturing
with 11.4 percent. Agriculture, Hunting, Forestry and Fishing also recorded a 1.7 percent growth due to the 1.9 percent recovery of the Agriculture and Forestry subsectors. Roque said that the present administration will commit to further enhance the growth of the country within 7 to 8 percent this year due to the various programs of the government such as the build, build, build program. “We are hopeful that this target can be achieved through the full implementation of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion Act [TRAIN], and the Build, Build, Build program that is expected to continue the growth momentum by inviting more investments, generating more jobs and delivering public service,” Roque said.
CLAIMANTS. Human Rights Victims Claim Board chairman Lina Sarmiento with Presidential Task Force on Media Security Undersecretary Joel Egco were the guests on the weekly Saturday Forum at University Hotel in Quezon City where they discussed the situation of human rights victims-claimants. Manny Palmero
FLAG carrier Philippine Airlines has announced that it would continue its flight operations to and from Caticlan four times weekly until May 15 as the government enforced the temporary closure of Boracay due to environmental problem in the famous island. “PAL flights between Manila and Caticlan will operate four times weekly until May 15,” said PAL Corporate Communications Department head and spokesperson Ma. Cielo Villaluna in her Facebook account. She said that from May 16 until Oct. 26, PAL’s Manila-Caticlan service will be temporarily suspended but will resume when Boracay Island reopens on Oct. 27. Villaluna also said daily flights to and from Kalibo will continue to operate during the entire Boracay closure period in order to serve the travel needs of residents and visitors in the city as well as the government Boracay rehabilitation team. The airline management came up with the adjusted flight frequency in support of the government’s decision to temporarily close or limit access to Boracay for urgent major environmental rehabilitation of the island. PAL has expanded flights to a number of other Philippine tourist and provincial destinations to help ensure the continued growth of domestic tourism. PAL has deployed additional commercial flights on routes between Manila and Cebu, Iloilo, Puerto Princesa in Palawan and Bacolod. It also increased flights between Cebu and Busuanga (Coron), Cebu and Siargao as well as between Clark and Busuanga and between Cebu and Clark.
PH IS AT FOREFRONT OF ASIA AND PACIFIC DEVELOPMENT —ADB THE Philippines, for once, is at the forefront of Asia and Pacific development. Thus claimed Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III, saying that the country is at the forefront of the region’s remarkable development. “I am particularly proud of the fact that the Philippines is fully engaged with the rapid growth of the region,” Dominguez said in his welcome remarks during the Opening Session of the Board of Governors at the 51st ADB Annual Meeting in Pasig City. The Finance chief sits as this year’s chairman of the ADB’s Board of Governors with the Philippines as host country of the annual meeting. Dominguez boasted that in the past two years the country’s gross domestic product grew at an average of 6.7 percent. “We seek to grow at 7 percent on a sustained basis. By 2022, we expect to bring down the poverty rate to just 14 percent,” he said. He also lauded the Duterte administration’s comprehensive tax reform program which it said is aimed at “further expanding the fiscal space” to make possible immense investments in infrastructure and human capital. “Our ambitious infrastructure program benefits from the support of the ADB and other partner development institutions. With this program, we will increase public sector infrastructure spending to 7.3 percent of GDP by 2022. This program will link all islands and make all communities part of the mainstream of wealth creation,” he said. “The infrastructure program will, at the same time, reduce our vulnerability to natural calamities. It will also foster the growth of manufactures that will lessen our dependence on remittances from overseas workers and from the business process outsourcing sector,” he added. The Finance chief added that the “center of gravity of the global economy” has decisively shifted to Asia. The world’s two most populous countries —China and India—are now among the planet’s largest economies. “They have become the principal engines of growth for the global economy,” Dominguez said. “The Asean region, a common market with 640 million consumers, includes some of the fastest growing economies,” he added. As ADB chairman, Dominguez also took note that the Asia-Pacific region stands as “compelling proof” that free trade brings rapid progress in a period haunted by rising protectionist regimes and threatened by autarkic politics.
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Opinion
SUNDAY, MAY 6, 2018
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Adelle Chua, Editor
EDITORIAL
A
THE UNKINDNESS OF STRANGERS
WHAT’S WRONG WITH STRONG?
TIME Magazine cover story puts President Rodrigo Duterte in the company of world leaders like President Vladimir Putin of Russia, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, and Prime Minister Viktor Orban of Hungary. The story is headlined “The Strongman Era is Here. Here’s What it Means for You.” According to the author, Ian Bremmer, the strongman is a tough-talking populist who promises to protect “us” from “them.” But “them” could take on different meanings, depending on who is talking, Bremman says. It could pertain to “the corrupt elite or the grasping poor; foreigners or members of racial, ethnic or religious minorities. Or disloyal politicians, bureaucrats, bankers or judges.” There is demand for the strongman archetype—muscular, assertive leadership—because of changing times. For example, Duterte’s electoral success is attributed to his promise of wiping out the drug trade that has caused a rising tide of violent street crime. Mr. Duterte talked more
like a mob boss than a President, Bremmer said. But the President rejected the “strongman” label, saying he still thinks of himself as a government worker, whom ordinary people can “criticize and bullsh*t” because he is their employee. The rules change, however, when it is foreigners who do the criticizing. In support of the President, the Palace said in a statement that however TIME Magazine intended the story, Filipinos appreciate Duterte’s “strong” and “decisive” leadership. Since when did the word “strong” begin to mean something negative? Certainly its opposite—weak—is a much less desirable trait in a leader. The country’s ills are so overwhelming that any type of leadership other than “strong” will not do the job. But even mere strength, in conventional terms, is not enough. Leaders will ultimately be judged by the wisdom they use to guide their strong decisions and actions. By the fairness and justice they go by in ensuring that the law is observed and applied in equal measure to each citizen. By the honesty with which they conduct themselves. By the humility with which they accept their shortcomings and accept constructive input from others. “Strongman” is a label that is easy to use or reject. Being a genuinely strong, inspiring and transformative leader, on the other hand, is a constant, ongoing challenge.
ONE Tuesday evening, in the thick of rush hour, at a popular mall right along Edsa. The day’s heat had given way to a downpour, a short one, after which it became unbearably hot again. The taxi queue on Julia Vargas Avenue was building up. More people were joining the line than cabs were actually stopping and conveying passengers. As a result, people waited, on average, 45 minutes to one hour from the time they lined up to the time they actually got into one. After nearly an hour of standing, Liv and her younger sister Lizzie finally were the next in line. Lining up greatly diminishes the chances of a driver saying no to your destination, so they felt happy that at last their wait was coming to an end. It had been a stressful day at work, the heat was enervating, and the two girls looked forward to resting their backs, stretching their legs, and getting home, even if it meant inching their way there.
How far should our culture of deference take us? Just as she was about to open the car door, Liv felt a tap—a poking, actually—on her shoulder. “Miss, miss,” an elderly man in white shirt and khaki shorts said, quite imperiously. “Don’t you know how to read?” He pointed to a sign at the post, which read something along the lines of priority being given to the elderly, pregnant, disabled, and women with small children. And then it dawned on Liv that the old man had in fact been hovering for a few minutes at the head of the line, muttering that his back was aching and that it was difficult to be old. He never said a word to the two or three previous passengers who got their rides, though. Liv was aghast at such arrogance. She was just standing in line like everybody else, and he really didn’t have to poke her shoulder repeatedly and accuse her of not reading signs. Exhausted from the day’s challenges and from the hour spent standing in line, in shock at being insulted in public, surprised at such display of entitlement and yet reluctant to call out an elderly man for his rudeness, Liv was speechless. She pretended she did not see or hear anything, and shushed the feistier Lizzie who became animated as she answered back to the man. Dazed, she got into the car. As the taxi pulled away, Liv looked at the man from the window and thought: I would have stepped back, you know, if you hadn’t been so arrogant. *** It has been more than a week since the incident, and Liv finds herself still thinking about how she could have handled the situation. Turn to A5
ELAINE CASTILLO’S ‘AMERICA IS NOT THE HEART’ THE title of Fil-American writer Elaine Castillo’s novel riffs off the Carlos Bulosan classic from 1946, “America is in the Heart”—but the similarities don’t end there. Both are stories of Filipino immigrants trying to make new lives for themselves in America, particularly California. Both portray the hardships faced by people of a minority ethnicity settling into a different culture.
Both show how strong and warm relationships with family and friends are the key to survival. However, Bulosan’s is a memoir and Castillo’s a novel. Still, the latter draws on personal experiences to shape her narrative that’s set in the ‘80s. Like Roni, one of the characters in the novel, Castillo had eczema and was born in the Bay Area. The solid rooting in a place—Milpitas—helps anchor all the various stories of the characters. The novel’s protagonist is Geronima de Vera, an Ilokana who comes to live with her Tito Pol’s family in the Bay
Area after crushing experiences as a doctor in the New People’s Army. The Philippine military captured her, subjected her to torture, and broke her thumbs, before she was released upon the plea of her wealthy and prominent family. As regimented her life was with the NPA, so her life drifted in the US. Even her identity was fluid—known as Nimang by the family, in the States she is known as Hero. She had not finished her medical degree, and so settled for work in a carinderia, whose owners become a second family to her.
Hero’s uncle Pol was a brilliant surgeon in the Philippines, but is a security guard in the US. His patient and martyr-like younger wife Paz, a registered nurse, gives birth to her “American morena” daughter Roni— her real name also Geronima—in a US hospital. Paz is glad to have escaped her poverty in the Philippines, glad to have brought her daughter into a better world, and works hard to provide her family with material things. Hero, upon joining their family, takes to the eight-year-old Roni with deep affection and acts as her babysitter
and confidant. Roni battles pre-teen angst and a severe case of eczema that covers much of her body. The story weaves back and forth, from the past to the present, as the characters’ backstories are presented and motivations for their actions explained. Hero and Roni first visit the carinderia because its owner Adela is a faith healer and might be able to help ease Roni’s skin ailments. It’s not clear, however, what Adela does exactly in this regard. Turn to A5
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There isn’t much faith healing that takes place (later it is learned that Paz has been slipping Roni some strong medication), but Adela and her family provide friendship to both Hero and Roni. The carinderia is also where Hero meets Adela’s granddaughter Rosalyn, a makeup artist and who will later be Hero’s lover. Hero, perhaps suffering from PTSD, and grieved that her parents have disowned her, glides adrift and unanchored for most of the book, indulging in a series of onenight-stands but finds stability in her relationship with Rosalyn and her affection for Roni, Pol, and to some degree, Paz. There are a few passages that explicitly describe the intimacy between Hero and Rosalyn that will be an eye-opener for those who have not read any queer literature before. Structurally, it seems that the novel could have ended at any point and drags a bit about three-quarters in, simply because the reader can’t see where everything is going. But patience will be rewarded and the story is wrapped up on an optimistic note. The novel is rich with Filipino references—places, social details, history, and particularly words and sentences in Tagalog and Pangasinan, some of which are left untranslated. There are hardly any non-Filipino characters and the story takes place within the Filipino community in Milpitas at the time. As a snapshot of Filipino immigrant life and experiences, it’s a valuable addition to literature and we look forward to more such stories that bring to life the narratives of those in the diaspora. America Is Not the Heart by Elaine Castillo, 2018. New York: Viking. 406 pages, paperback. Dr. Ortuoste is a writer and communication consultant. FB and Twitter: @DrJennyO
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BORACAY: MAN VS NATURE
From A4
She understood very well society’s deference to senior citizens. They worked hard all their lives, took care of who are now the main actors and decision makers. They deserve a measure of comfort in their advanced years. Little things like discounts, hassle-free transactions and yes, priority on queues are the least we could do to care for them. What rankled was the way the man asserted he was entitled to the privilege. Liv thought: Should she have ignored the man’s behavior and given in, anyway, by virtue of his being old? Charity has been defined as continuing to love or show kindness to another even when he or she does not appear worthy of it. She would grow old, too, one day, and certainly she would have to depend on the kindness of strangers. Would karma catch up and put her in a situation where she would be resented rather than helped? Or should she have ignored his seniority and retorted with a few choice words of her own? A brilliant reply came to mind—a full 15 hours after the incident (and why does such sterling wit always come belatedly?). She could have pointed to the sign as well and said: “Oh, but didn’t you know there was an exception? The rule doesn’t apply to a**holes.” Filipinos—Asians in general—are deferential to the elderly. In fact, it does not have to be forced on us. It’s a natural thing to care for your parents when they are no longer as strong as they used to be. In fact it’s more than love; it’s piety. They get to our nerves sometimes but that’s inconsequential. We are there for them anyway. The attitude goes by extension to the others—grandparents, aunts and uncles, ninongs and ninangs, neighbors, family friends, and yes, strangers. Some may be rude, but sometimes rudeness itself is a cry for help. Her reaction could be argued as human, even natural, but in the end, Liv concluded, there is a reason such signs are hung and such privileges are legislated. The law does not distinguish between the elderly— and the elderly who are bullies. Liv says that if the incident were to happen today, she would give up her cab for the elderly man. Another ride is bound to come, anyway.
SUNDAY, MAY 6, 2018
FOR one of those rare times in Philippine history, the government ordered the temporary closing of an island—for environmental reasons. Last month, Boracay, an island famous for its white sand beaches and for being one of the world’s top destinations for relaxation, was closed to tourists for “rehabilitation.” Its crime? The continuous rise of tourists and businesses “aggravated the environmental degradation and is destroying the ecological balance of the island.” Last month was also Earth Month, and it is worth noting this event, for it illuminates the essential meaning of environmentalism. The closing of Boracay is the implementation of environmentalism’s fundamental, though often unrecognized, tenet: That man ought to be sacrificed for the sake of nature. The common view of environmentalism is that its goal is the betterment of mankind— that it wants to purify our air and clean up our parks so that we can live healthier and happier lives. But that is a very superficial interpretation. When environmentalists are faced with a conflict between the “interests” of nature and those of man, it is man who is invariably sacrificed. If there is a choice between electric power for human beings and swimming lanes for salmon, it is always the fish that are given priority. If there is
a choice between cutting down trees for human use and leaving them untouched for the spotted owl, it is always the bird’s home that is saved and human habitation that goes unbuilt. Why? Because the requirements of human life are not the standard by which environmentalists make their judgments. Their goal is to maintain nature in its virginal state—despite the demonstrable harm this inflicts upon people. They want to preserve wildernesses, to enshrine wetlands, to tear down dams and levees—to prevent the manmade “intrusions” upon nature. In the case of Boracay, for instance, they want to protect the island not because it is a source of enjoyment, or relaxation, of any other human value. Rather, they regard the “welfare” of the island as an end in itself—for the sake of which man must forgo the benefits of the island. Environmentalists often declare their philosophy openly. For example, David Graber, an environmentalist with the US National Parks Service, described himself as among those who “value wilderness for its own sake, not for what value it confers upon mankind…We are not interested in the utility of a particular species, of free-flowing rivers, or ecosystem to mankind. They have intrinsic value, more value—to me—than another human body, or a billion of them.” David Foreman, founder of the organization Earth First, bluntly stresses the environmental irrelevance of human beings: “Wilderness has a right to exist for its own sake, and for the
sake of the diversity of the life forms it shelters; we shouldn’t have to justify the existence of a wilderness area by saying: ‘Well, it protects the watershed, and it’s a nice place to backpack and hunt, and it’s pretty.’” The environmentalist goal, in other words, is to protect nature, not for man, but from man. But this means that man must suffer so that nature remains pristine. Human beings survive by reshaping nature to fulfill their needs. Every single step taken to advance beyond the cave— every rock fashioned into a tool, every square foot of barren earth made into productive cropland, every drop of crude petroleum transformed into fuel for cars and planes—constitutes an improvement in human life, achieved by altering our natural environment. The environmentalists’ demand that nature be protected against human “encroachments” means, therefore, that man must be sacrificed in order to preserve nature. If “wilderness has a right to exist for its own sake”— then man does not. Litter-free streets or pollution-free air—or any provable benefit to man—are not what environmentalists seek. Their aim is to eliminate the benefits of the man-made in order to preserve—unchanged—nature’s animals, plants, and dirt. Earth Month is an appropriate occasion for challenging the environmentalists’ philosophy. It can be the occasion for recognizing the Earth as a value—not in and of itself, but only insofar as it is continually reshaped by man to serve his ends.
MEGHAN MARKLE: FASHIONISTA FACING A ROYAL MAKEOVER By Edouard Guihaire LONDON—Glamorous and elegant, Meghan Markle is set to freshen up the British royal family dress code, while tailoring her outfits to suit her new role. As she prepares to wed Prince Harry on May 19, the US former television actress is unlikely to be seen again in ripped jeans, hotpants or a plunging neckline. As a sign of her new responsibilities, the 36-year-old has already closed her Instagram account, where she often posed in the sexy or dishevelled outfits befitting a TV celebrity— but not necessarily a royal spouse. In tying the knot with Queen Elizabeth II’s grandson, she is also marrying into an institution where age-old traditions govern virtually all aspects of the royals’ lives— including the clothes they wear. “Royal dress codes are very traditional, especially when the family member is carrying out royal duties,” said Grant Harrold, a former butler in the House of Windsor. The etiquette expert, who used to work for heir to the throne Prince Charles and his sons Princes William and Harry, said Markle could follow the example set by William’s wife, the former Kate Middleton. “As we have seen with the Duchess of Cambridge, hats are part of the royal dress code and it is likely that we will see Meghan Markle wearing hats more often,” he told AFP. And the royal newcomer will also have to get used to wearing neutral-colored tights, ditch any eccentric nail varnish and watch the hemlines. “The outfits are more of a personal decision, but dresses should always be the correct length of on or below the knee, and never above,” said Harrold. The makeover is already under way. At Harry’s side at public events since their engagement was announced in November, her
style has been one of refined elegance: Long dresses, turtlenecks, classic coats and unflashy colors. There have been some exceptions: black jeans here, bare legs there, but hardly enough to trigger a palace revolution. After all, Markle has not yet married into “the firm”—as royals call the family in private—and will still be learning the ropes as she goes along. Passion for fashion A keen fashionista, Markle has long cultivated a casual Californian look that is a nod to her Los Angeles upbringing: comfortable in shorts and
flip-flops. But after landing a starring role in 2011 in the US legal drama “Suits” where she played a senior paralegal, her look became symbolic of business chic. “The fashion on ‘Suits’ is gorgeous, so it also became my education of designers and really knowing what fits my body well,” Markle told outnet.com. “On a normal day, I love a shift dress with flats and a little cropped jacket. I would probably wear jeans, a nice top and a blazer.” She cites Emmanuelle Alt, the editor-inchief of Vogue Paris magazine, and US actress Gwyneth Paltrow as her inspiration—two influential fashion figures whose outfits are studiously copied by their stylish fans. Markle is “a hint of Grace Kelly, a dose of Alicia Keys, a touch of Amal Clooney and a lot of Kate Middleton,” said French magazine Madame Figaro. Christine Ross, who edits the Meghan’s Mirror blog dedicated to Markle and her wardrobe, said the star’s style was “modern and on-trend while still maintaining a classic elegance.” “Meghan will definitely bring a youthful, vibrant change to the royal family,” Ross told AFP. “She is very different from the other royals, being an American with a diverse upbringing, and this will naturally give her a different outlook.” Her wedding dress is a closely-guarded secret that will be kept until the day itself—and it could provide a hint about the sort of styles she might adopt once married into the royal family. For several weeks, London has been bristling with rumors about who will design the dress, with names like Burberry, Ralph and Russo, Victoria Beckham, Roland Mouret, Erdem and Alexander McQueen swirling around. On May 19 at Windsor Castle, the world will have its answer. AFP
JAPAN BULLFIGHTING LIFTS ‘MEN-ONLY’ RULE TOKYO—Japanese bullfighting organizers said Saturday they had lifted a long-standing ban on women entering the sport’s “sacred” ring, in a bid to modernize the traditional activity for the #Metoo generation. Japanese sumo wrestling has recently come under fire for its strict men-only rules. In “togyu” bullfighting, women were similarly barred from the ring, which is ritually purified before matches with salt and Japanese sake. But on Friday, organizers lifted the prohibition and allowed female bull owner Yuki Araki to lead her animal into the ring in Yamakoshi,
north of Tokyo, after a fight on the opening day of this season. “Equality for men and women is a trend of the times,” said Katsushi Seki, an official with the Yamakoshi bullfight organization. “By opening the ring to women, we hope this traditional bullfighting will continue far into the future,” Seki told AFP. Unlike Spanish-style bullfighting which ends with a matador slaying the animal, “togyu” is a bloodless match between two bulls locking horns, with great pains taken to ensure the animals do not gore each other. “I’m glad that local people
openly welcomed us,” bull owner Yuki Araki, 44, told Japanese public broadcaster NHK. One of Japan’s other traditional sports, sumo, has found itself in hot water after women, including at least one nurse, were shooed out of a sumo ring as they tried to help a man during a medical emergency. Just days after that incident triggered scathing national and international headlines, a female mayor in the western city of Takarazuka was barred from delivering a speech inside a sumo ring. Sumo bosses then came in for
further criticism after trying to prevent girls from participating in a children’s sumo event in Shizuoka prefecture, citing unspecified “safety concerns.” In an attempt to stop the latest public relations disaster to hit the roly-poly sport, officials met last week, but failed to reach a decision on reversing their men-only rule. The rings where sumo is practiced, known as sumo dohyo, are seen as sacred places. Sumo is closely interlinked with the native Shinto faith, which considers women to be ritually unclean, meaning they are barred from stepping into the ring. AFP
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PTTS NOTICE OF TRANSFER OF VEHICLES Vehicles at SLEX and Star Tollway storage areas are currently being transferred to the new storage area at Bulihan, Malvar, Batangas . Upon completion of transfer, vehicles impounded more than six (6) months from April 30, 2018 shall be auctioned off. Owners who wish to inquire about the status of their vehicles may call 0932-3321189 or 0932-5772663.
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TRUMP: CHINA ‘SPOILED’ BY TRADE WINS OVER US
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ASHINGTON—China is “very spoiled” by trade wins over America, United States President Donald Trump said late Friday, as a top business delegation headed back to America after high-stakes talks with Beijing. The two days of talks were aimed at forestalling momentum towards a looming conflict between the world’s two largest economies, with both sides prepared to pull the trigger on tariffs that could affect trade in billions of dollars of goods. “Our high-level delegation is on the way back from China where they had long meetings with Chinese leaders and business representatives,” Trump wrote in a tweet. “We will be meeting tomorrow to determine the results, but it is hard for China in that they have become very spoiled with US trade wins,” he added. The American president has accused China of unfair trade practices that have driven up the US goods deficit with the Asian giant. Washington has also alleged “theft” of American intellectual property by China. The discussions promised a potential off-ramp for the trade conflict. Trump has threatened to levy new tariffs on $150 billion of Chinese imports while Beijing shot back with a list of $50 billion in targeted US goods. “Both sides recognize there are still big differences on
some issues and that they need to continue to step up their work to make progress,” China said in a statement released by the official Xinhua state news agency. “The two sides exchanged views on expanding US exports to China, trade in services, bilateral investment, protection of intellectual property rights, resolution of tariffs and non-tariff measures.” It added that they had reached “a consensus in some areas”, without elaborating. The agency said both sides had agreed to establish a “working mechanism” to continue talks. Beijing has promised reform on several fronts in recent months -- including lifting foreign ownership restrictions for automakers and allowing foreign investors to take controlling stakes in financial firms. But a list of US demands presented at the talks in Beijing showed these steps fall far short of expectations in Washington. The demands included cutting China’s trade surplus with the US by at least $200 billion by the end of 2020, lowering all tariffs to match US levels, eliminating technology transfer practices, and cutting off state support for some Chinese industries, according to Bloomberg News. The White House called the discussions “frank” while making no mention of continuing the negotiations. “There is consensus within the Administration that immediate attention is needed to bring changes to United States– China trade and investment relationship,” a White House statement said. AFP
Republic of the Philippines Province of Laguna CITY GOVERNMENT OF CALAMBA Office of the City Mayor Market Management Division Mercado de Calamba, Pabalan St., Barangay 5, Calamba City
NOTICE This is to inform the public that in exercise of the powers given under Ordinance No. 10-480, s. 2010, specifically, Chapter IV - A, Article A, The Market Awards Committee of the New Pamilihang Panglungsod ng Calamba (Mercado De Calamba) shall award Lease Certificates to all previously recognized and validated stall holders as February 8, 2013. The awarding of Certificates of Leasehold Rights will be held at the 2nd Floor, Building 5, Mercado De Calamba, Brgy. 5, Calamba City, Laguna on May 28, 2018 at 10:00am. The stallholders or their duly authorized representatives must present themselves on the date and place above given. Failure of the stall holders or their duly authorized representatives to appear will be considered as waiver of their rights in favor of the City Government of Calamba.
FUN HATS. Two priests wearing large hats arrive for an international meeting with the Pope to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Neocatechumenal Way at Tor Vergata, a suburb of Rome, on Saturday. AFP OLIVE B. NATIVIDAD Market Supervisor III Mercado De Calamba (MS-MAY 6,13 & 20, 2018)
Republic of the Philippines Department of Finance Securities and Exchange Commission Markets and Securities Regulation Department
IN THE MATTER OF D.M. WENCESLAO AND ASSOCIATES, INCORPORATED (Registrant)
: : REGISTRATION OF SECURITIES : (In relation to an Initial Public : Offering) : x-----------------------------------------------x AMENDED NOTICE Notice is hereby given that on March 6, 2018, an amended sworn Registration Statement’ was filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) for and on behalf of D.M. WENCESLAO AND ASSOCIATES, INCORPORATED for the registration of 3,395,864,100 common shares with a par value of P1.00 per share, details of which are as follows: For Initial Public Offering Issued and outstanding Total
679,172,800 Common Shares 2,716,691 ,300 Common Shares --------------------3,395,864,100 Common Shares ============
Out of the 2,716,691,300 outstanding shares, up to 101,876,000 shares (Optional Shares) shall be sold by the selling shareholder and purchased by the Stabilizing Agent upon exercise of the Overallotment Option. The shares will be offered at a price of up to P22.90 per share. According to the papers presented on March 6, 2018, the following persons are the key officers/directors of the corporation: NAME POSITION Director, President and Chairman of Delfin J. Wenceslao, Jr. the Board Delfin Angelo C. Wenceslao Director and Chief Executive Officer Director and Vice President for Carlos Delfin C. Wenceslao Loqistics Director and Vice President for Edwin Michael C. Wenceslao Treasury and Administration Paolo Vincent C. Wenceslao Director and Chief Operating Officer Alberto P. Fenix. Jr. Independent Director Alberto E. Pascual Independent Director Atty. Heherson M. Asiddao, CPA Chief Finance Officer Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Atty. Paul Mar M. Quinto Secretary Vice President for Corporate Social Sylvia C. Wenceslao Responsibility Rachelle C. Paunlagui Investor Relations Officer Jorqe Vincent G. Manali Compliance Officer The said registration statement and other papers/documents attached thereto (collectively referred to as “RS”) are open for inspection by interested parties during business hours, and copies thereof, photostatic or otherwise, shall be furnished to every party upon request at such reasonable fees as the Commission may prescribe. The RS and the Prospectus dated March 6, 2018 and the corresponding updated version may be downloaded from the company’s website: http://www.dmwai.com VICENTE GRACIANO P. FELIZMENIO, JR. Director A notice of the original filing of the company’s Registration Statement with the Commission was published in the August 13 and 17, 2015 issues of The Manila Times and The Standard and was republished on October 6 and 13, 2015 issues of The Standard and October 7 and 12, 2015 issues of The Manila Times to reflect the new independent directors.
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(MS-MAY 1 & 6, 2018)
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QUAKE HITS HAWAII, PRODS VOLCANO ERUPTIONS LOS ANGELES—A magnitude 6.9 earthquake shook Hawaii’s Big Island on Friday, prompting fresh eruptions of a volcano that has been spewing lava near residential areas, forcing hundreds of people to flee. The United States Geological Survey said the quake struck at 12:32 pm (2232 GMT) and was centered on the south flank of the Kilauea volcano, which first erupted on Thursday after a series of tremors on the island. “This is in almost exactly the same location as the deadly 1975 M 7.1 quake,” USGC said in a tweet. That quake killed two people and injured 28. Another 5.7-magnitude tremor hit the island earlier on Friday and authorities said they expect more seismic activity. The quakes have prompted the Kilauea volcano, one of five active on the island, to erupt. Drone and video footage showed orange magma gushing up from cracks in the ground and snaking through a wooded area. Molten lava could also be seen bubbling up through cracks on streets in the Leilani Estates and Lanipuna Gardens neighborhood where residents were ordered to evacuate on Thursday. The area is home to about 1,700 people and 770 structures. The broader district potentially impacted by the threat is home to some 10,000 people. No injuries have been reported but several homes were said to have been destroyed or badly damaged on Friday, authorities said. Officials urged any remaining residents to evacuate and warned of extremely high levels of toxic fumes. “Elderly, young and people with respi-
ratory issues need to comply with the mandatory evacuation order and leave the area,” a statement from the mayor’s office said. Governor David Ige said residents were being housed in community centers until the danger from Kilauea, one of the world’s most active volcanoes, has passed. Ige signed an emergency proclamation releasing disaster funds to the Big Island. The lava outbreak came after hundreds of small earthquakes in recent days that followed the collapse of a crater floor on the Puu Oo volcanic cone. A 5.0-magnitude earthquake early Thursday south of the cone triggered rockfalls and potential additional collapse of the crater, USGS said. It sent a short-lived but massive pink plume of ash wafting into the air. Big Island resident Janice Wei, who moved to Hawaii from California—known for its own high earthquake risk—said the eruption was almost a “relief.” “We’ve been waiting for big movement from the crater, after so many small earthquakes,” she told AFP. “Hawaiians and local people have lived here forever,” she said. “You know what’s going on; we have warning systems. “Everybody should be prepared.” Using his drone, area resident Jeremiah Osuna captured video footage of the lava flow, which he described as a “fire curtain” that left him feeling “shock and awe.” “It was like if you put a bunch of rocks into a dryer and turned it on—a lot of earth and pressure and fire just moving around,” Osuna told AFP. Governor Ige activated the state’s National Guard troops, and told residents to pay heed to official warnings. AFP
HONDURANS RUE LOSS OF US PROTECTION STATUS TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras—Honduras expressed regret Friday that around 60,000 of its citizens living and working in the United States are losing special protection status under tougher migration changes brought in by President Donald Trump. The US Department of Homeland Security announced in a statement that it was ending the socalled Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Hondurans, but giving 18 months’ time, to January 5, 2020, “to allow for an orderly transition.” Trump’s government has already announced it is terminating the TPS category for citizens from El Salvador, Haiti, Nepal and Nicaragua. That status will cease to apply for them on different dates next year. The Honduran Foreign Ministry said it recognized the end of TPS was a “sovereign decision,” but added it “deeply regrets the cancellation of the TPS program.” Those migrants living in the United States under the soon-to-be-scrapped TPS will have to find other ways to retain legal US residence or face being returned to their countries of origin. The United States accepted more than 100,000 Hondurans under the temporary protection status given in 1999, following devastation caused in Honduras by Hurricane Mitch the previous year. US Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said it had “determined that the disruption of living conditions in Honduras from Hurricane Mitch that served as the basis for its TPS designation has decreased to a degree that it should no longer be regarded as substantial.” Trump’s administration has taken a harder line against migrants, especially those coming from Latin America over the US southern border with Mexico. The US president has repeatedly vowed to have a wall built along the border, and last month sent hundreds of National Guard troops to bolster monitoring along the frontier. AFP
Sports
NICOLE CAMCAM: FUTURE OF PH EQUESTRIAN
Nicole Camcam trains six days a week, putting in 4 hours per training session.
By Lito Cinco
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ON’T look now, but it appears the future of Philippine equestrian is here in 12-year-old Nicole Camcam.
Many-time equestrian champion and veteran internationalist Toni Leviste made this prediction for Camcam. “For a 12 year old, she is very dedicated to her sport, something I do not see among young people of today who are involved in sports. Equestrain training is difficult, needs a lot of patience, but Nicole does everything. She knows what she needs to do to get better and I guess it comes from her love for horses. Definitely, I will be very happy when she succeeds
in the future,” said Leviste, who has taken Camcam under her wings and trains her at her horse ranch in Lipa City. This young rider has also seen action abroad and joined a competition in Wellington, Florida for junior riders last December, when she finished second of 20 riders in her second time to compete internationally, with her first time coming earlier in Sweden. This year, Camcam will be returning to Florida for more competition
together with her mentor Leviste. Locally, Camcam has won Jr. Rider of the Year at the Manila Polo Club and ranks no. 1 there. She was just seven years old when she got interested in riding horses, but it was three years later that she became more serious about the sport. “I was just curious. How you can make a horse jump, that was the reason why I went into it as a sport. My idol is Toni and I want to exceed her achievements in the future. I am looking all the way to the Olympics and maybe in 2028, that dream will come true,” Camcam told this writer in Lipa City. What she finds the most difficult part of the sport is establishing that connection between her and
the horse. For this is a sport, where many consider the horse as the real athlete than the rider and Camcam recognizes the need for her to learn to connect with her horses. Currently, Camcam has four horses. Camcam, who is very tall for her age, trains six days a week, putting in 4 hours per training session, but still manages to do well in school, where she is an honor student. This is what Leviste admires in her. And the multi-titled Leviste would love to see her protege succeed her. Only time will tell what the future holds for this young rider, but from what Camcam shows now, her mentor will not be disappointed, for sure.
CAGE TOURNAMENT WITH A HEART RETURNS
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SUNDAY, MAY 6, 2018 sports_mstandard@yahoo.com
ALMAZAN, SANGALANG FORM SOLID FRONTCOURT WITH AGUILAR TWO former national pool members try to show the way for the Luzon selection when it takes its turn to host the Philippine men’s team during the PBA All-Star week. Raymund Almazan and Ian Sangalang form a dreaded frontcourt trio with Japeth Aguilar for the Luzon team of coach Leo Austria as it tries to neutralize the steady presence of June Mar Fajardo for the nationals in their May 25 encounter in Batangas City. Both Almazan and Sangalang were once part of the national pool team of coach Chot Reyes. Aguilar was voted as starter for the Luzon All-Stars during the event, which has Phoenix Fuel with Phoenix Pulse Technology as major sponsor, along with Barangay Ginebra teammate LA Tenorio, Calvin Abueva of Alaska, Paul Lee of Magnolia, and Jason Castro of TNT Katropa, who takes the place of the injured Marc Pingris. Stanley Pringle of Globalport, Phoenix’s Matthew Wright, and the San Miguel trio of Arwind Santos, Marcio Lassiter, and Alex Cabagnot make up the rest of the team. Meanwhile, joining Fajardo in the national team roster for the meet also supported by Peak Sports Apparel, Molten and PBA RUSH-Cignal are the TnT Katropa’s Terrence Romeo, Roger Pogoy, and Troy Rosario, Carl Bryan Cruz, Mac Belo, Allein Maliksi, Gabe Norwood of Rain or Shine, Magnolia’s Jio Jalalon, and rookie Kiefer Ravena of NLEX. The Batangas phase of the threeleg spectacle that will also have stops in Mindanao (Davao del Sur) and the Visayas (Iloilo), sees the holding of the obstacle challenge, three-point shootout, and slam-dunk side events. Allein Maliksi will be back to defend his three-point shootout title against a cast that includes former champions Terrence Romeo and James Yap, Marcio Lassiter, Paul Lee, Matthew Wright, Larry Fonacier, Garvo Lanete, Ronald Tubid, Stanley Pringle, LA Tenorio, and JV Casio.
VALDEZ, COOL SMASHERS KICK OFF DRIVE Games today
10 a.m. – Army vs Vice Co (men’s) 2 p.m. – Tacloban vs PayMaya (women’s) 4 p.m. – Creamline vs Petro Gazz (women’s)
Senators Sonny Angara (left) and Joel Villanueva are expected to lead the charge for the Senate Defenders, who are coming off a title conquest in the regular tournament of the UNTV Cup. At right is Bong Go, President Duterte’s Special Assistant, who could suit up for the Malacanang-PSC Kamao team. Below right is former PNF Chief Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa, cheering the PNP Responders.
A NOVEL concept with a heart that has taken the local sporting scene by storm returns today (Sunday)—the off season games of UNTV Cup Executive Face Off. Eight teams, composed mostly of officials from various government agencies, will compete for the P1 million grand prize to be given for their chosen beneficiaries. Dubbed as the League of Public Servants, the cage tournament will have the PNP Responders, AFP Cavaliers, Judiciary Magis, DOJ Justice Boosters, Senate Sentinels, Malacañang-PSC Kamao, Ombudsman Graftbusters and GSIS Thunder Furies pitting guts and skills against each other. Some of the cabinet members of the Duterte administration are expected to play. A total of P2,000,000 and P350,000
will be given away for all the teams’ charities, tax free. The bulk of the prize, P1,000,000 goes to the champion team, while P500,000 is allotted to the runner-up. Third and fourth placers get P250,000 and P200,000, respectively, while fifth to eighth placers all receive P100,000 each. For the off-season defending champion, the AFP Cavaliers, it’s a huge challenge to defend their title. “I think ‘yung team ay ready naman. Dahil marami kaming bago ngayon, sana maagang mag-gel sila team. Compared kasi dati, mas matagal magkaroon ng samahan. Ngayon, may mga bago, sana in time magre-group, mag-gel kaagad. Pero sa tingin ko nga defending champion tayo, dapat ipakita natin na defending champion nga tayo,” said AFP Cavaliers’ Head Coach Cornelio “Sonny” Manucat III.
Meanwhile, the PNP Responders, headed by Police Director General Oscar Albayalde, promise to avenge their defeat to the Cavaliers in the Exective Face Off championship. Regular season champion, the Senate Basketball Team, is also expected to make its precense felt. This year’s Executive Face Off will run until July 30, with the knockout championship game at the SmartAraneta Coliseum. The opening games of the UNTV Cup Off Season Executive Face Off at the Pasig City Sports Center is set at 3 p.m., with telecast on UNTV and webcast via www.untvweb.com. The four teams that will play will be determined by the drawing lots. Wish107.5’s 1st Wishcovery Grand Champion Princess Sevillena will be performing.
ALYSSA Valdez and a loaded Creamline squad kick off their title bid with a confidence never seen in their past campaigns, taking on newcomer but promising Petro Gazz at the start of the Premier Volleyball League Season 2 Reinforced Conference at the Filoil Flying V Center in San Juan today (Sunday). Valdez has committed to stay for the Cool Smashers at the expense of playing abroad as an import this year with an eye on delivering the very first championship for Creamline following a couple of third place finishes in last year’s inaugural season. This time, she has a solid, talented backup crew ready to rise to the challenge, including Jia Morado, Risa Sato, Melissa Gohing, Pau Soriano and reigning Binibining Pilipinas Ms. Globe Michele Gumabao along with Thai import Kuttika Kaewpin and Serbian reinforcement Nikolina Asceric. “I’m excited to play because we have a good team, a very good one,” said Valdez, who missed key games last year after suiting up for 3BB Nakornnont in Thailand and Attack Line in Chinese Taipei and the national team. “We know it’s going to be a tough season because all the teams are really strong. But our goal is to win the championship and we will do our best to win it,” said Valdez. But Petro Gazz is also out to prove its worth this early and spoil Creamline with coach Jerry Yee to lean on veterans Wensh Tiu, Paneng Mercado, Chie Saet, Djanel Cheng, Cai Nepomuceno and Ranya Musa and reinforcements Kadi Kullerkannm of Estonia and Anastasia Trach of Ukraine. “We have a solid core,” said Yee. “It’s a matter of putting in practice and finding cohesion at the right time.” Game time is at 4 p.m. Also on tap is the men’s division with Army and debuting Vice Co tangling at 10 a.m.
A8
SUNDAY, MAY 6, 2018 Riera U. Mallari, Editor
Sports
Reuel Vidal, Issue Editor sports_mstandard@yahoo.com
CERRONE DOESN’T FIGHT FOR TITLES By Reuel Vidal
Jenel Lausa
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ONALD “Cowboy” Cerrone was quiet, almost serene, as he sat on a tan sofa answering questions in a waiting room at the Marco Polo Hotel. Manila Standard was granted a one-on-one interview with the veteran MMA fighter and the room was empty save for Cerrone’s trainer, some UFC personnel and photographers waiting their turn to take pictures. The UFC representative said Cerrone was terribly jetlagged from the long trip but the interview was cordial. It started off well after Cerrone broke into a wide smile as he acceded to this interviewer’s request to remove his cap for picture-taking purposes during the interview. The veteran MMA fighter made clear his love for fighting as the primary driving force at continuing to compete in such a punishing sport for so long. “I don’t care. The title means nothing to me. Never has. Never will. I would just rather fight. I just want people to know me and my style of fighting,” Cerrone said. Cerrone fights Leon “Rocky” Edwards at UFC Fight Night on June 18, 2018 in Singapore. (Tickets now on sale at https://www.sportshub. com.sg/UFC2018) He talked to Manila Standard in a one-on-one interview during his recent visit to the Philippines as part of his worldwide media tour to promote the fight. The veteran is easily one of the most exciting competitors in the UFC roster. He is a frightening Muay Thai fighter whose best weapons are his kicks from distance. He loves kicking to the head or body and uses his punches to set up those nasty kicks. He is tall and likes to keep some space between himself and his opponents to exploit his length. He doesn’t like his opponents too close which takes power away from his kicks. Unlike most other fighters Cerrone doesn’t need to get all worked up and hyped to fight. He stays calm, focused and in the moment when in a fight. “No mindset. I just go out there and have fun. I enjoy it. I literally just enjoy it. I don’t have to be angry or mad. I have no feeling whatsoever (when I fight),” said Cerrone. The veteran has fought in some of the most memorable, most exciting fights in the UFC. He was in a Fight of the Night (three times), Knockout of the Night (three times), Performance of the Night (five times) and Submission of the Night (two times). He is the first fighter to be awarded bonus payments in all four possible categories (Fight, Knockout, Performance and Submission of The Night awards). Cerrone has had a long and storied career in MMA. But he has never changed his approach to fighting. This probably explains why he has lasted so long in such a brutal sport.
PINOY FIGHTS AT UFC FIGHT NIGHT CARD
Donald ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone unloads with a kick to the torso of his training partner during an open workout at the Activity Center of SM Megamall last week.
“Even when I was younger I just came to fight. I’ve never ever needed to be angry at anybody to fight. I am an angry little fuck. But I’ve never needed to be that to fight,” Cerrone said. Cerrone enters the Octagon at UFC Fight Night Singapore: Cowboy Vs Edwards presented by AirAsia at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on June 23 which has four additional bouts. Chinese MMA athlete Li “Leech” Jingliang (14-5, fighting out of Beijing, China) comes back to Singapore to face Judo specialist, Daichi Abe (6-1, fighting out of Tokyo, Japan). Young 20-year-old Chinese star Song Yadong (10-3-2NC fighting out of Heilongjiang, China) makes his bantamweight debut in Singapore when he squares off against Felipe ‘Sertanejo’ Arantes (18-9-1, 2NC, fighting out of Sao Paulo, Brazil). In a welterweight clash, Song ‘The Assassin’ Kenan (13-4-0, fighting out of Tangshan, Hebei, China) meets The Ultimate Fighter Latin America semifinalist Héctor Aldana (4-1, fighting out of Mexico). Teruto ‘Yashabo’ Ishihara (11-5-2, fighting out of Osaka, Japan) will continue his bantamweight campaign in a bout against UFC debutant and promising Russian prospect, Petr ‘No Mercy’ Yan (8-1-0, fighting out of Omsk, Russia).
Donald ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone in a one-on-one interview at Marco Polo Hotel.
MARK your calendars for the UFC Fight Night Singapore: Cowboy Vs Edwards presented by AirAsia at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on June 23, 2018. (Tickets now on sale at https://www. sportshub.com.sg/UFC2018) Not only will exciting veteran fighter Donald Cerrone battle Leon Edwards you will also get to see Pinoy MMA fighter Jenel Lausa. The 29-yearold native of Iloilo City competes in the Flyweight division of the UFC. Lausa made his professional debut in Asia’s first professional MMA promotion, URCC, in 2011 as a flyweight. In 2013, he signed with Pacific Xtreme Combat (PXC) where he compiled a record of 5 wins and 1 loss and a flyweight championship. He was riding the crest of four consecutive victories when he signed with the UFC. Lausa said he has been preparing hard for his bout against the formidable Ashkan Mokhtarian. “Ready na po ako sa coming fight ko na ito. Palagay ko po malaking tsansa ko dahil pinaghahandaan ko ang laban na ito. Pero hindi lang tayo magtiwala dahil magaling din po ang makakalaban natin (I am ready for the coming fight. I believe I have a very good chance of winning because of all my preparation. But I will not be overconfident because my opponent is also a good fighter),” Lausa said. Lausa confessed he will need all the help he can get and appealed to fellow Filipinos to support him for this coming fight. “Hinihingi ko po ang inyong support sa laban na ito. Pray ninyo po ako na manatiling safe at manalo po tayo. Laban po natin lahat ito. Thank you po and God bless you all (I am asking everyone to support me in this coming bout. I am appealing for everyone to pray for my safety and for victory. This is our fight. Thank you and God bless us all),” said Lausa. Other bouts in the card include veteran knockout artist Ovince St Preux (22-11, fighting out of Knoxville, Tennessee, USA) who will take on surging Australian submission specialist Tyson Pedro (7-1, fighting out of Sydney, Australia). Powerful Japanese striker Shinsho Anzai (10-2, fighting out of Tokyo, Japan) will face “The Celtic Kid” Jake Matthews (13-3, fighting out of Epping, Victoria, Australia) who is looking to build on his two-fight winning streak in the welterweight division.
MANUEL POWERS ALASKA TO BACK-TO-BACK VICTORIES THE Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner’s Cup is supposed to be the conference where big imports showcase their preternatural athleticism and skill as they dominate the field. That hasn’t been the case at all as local boy Vic Manuel took over the spotlight as he led the Alaska Aces to back-to-back lopsided routs of overmatched opponents. Manuel posted up inside the paint and scored at will to lead the Aces to a 134-103, rout of Columbian Dyip last Friday, May 4, 2018 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. The Aces terrorized the Dyip at the defensive end with their pressure defense while relying on their inside-outside offense built on the post plays of Manuel and the outside sniping of import Antonio Campbell. The Aces settled the outcome of the match as early as halftime after outscoring Columbian 42-9 in the second period to build a 36-point,
73-37, edge at the halfway mark. Manuel was unstoppable as he came in to replace Campbell. The local big man came back to the field late in the period and led the Alaska demolition of the Dyip. Manuel was unstoppable from near the goal and Abel Galliguez and Kevin Racal sniped from the outside as the Aces finished the half with a 20-5 run to turn the game into a fearful rout. With the outcome of the game settled after two quarters the two teams just traded baskets in the third. The Aces eventually held on to a 34-point, 106-72 lead after three quarters. Before that victory over the Columbian the Aces relied on their pressure defense and Manuel’s inside incursions to rout a hapless Blackwater Elite squad, 93-74, last Sunday, April 29. Manuel scored 27 points (on 13 of 18 shooting from the field) and grabbed three rebounds. He was
also named Best Player of the Game. The Aces (2 wins, 1 loss) are now at solo third place behind unbeaten squads Rain or Shine Elasto Painters (3-0) and the TNT KaTropa (2-0). The other teams include the Globalport Batang Pier (2-1), Columbian (2-2), the Phoenix Fuelmasters (1-1) and the Meralco Bolts (1-1). Bringing up the rear are the NLEX Road Warriors (0-2), Barangay Ginebra (0-1) and the Elite (0-4), The San Miguel Beermen and the Magnolia Hotshots have not yet played this conference. The Aces have stamped their class as serious title contenders this conference and arguably the biggest reason is Manuel’s superlative performance. After two disappointing conferences, where they failed to advance to the playoffs, the Aces finally broke through and qualified to the quarterfinals of the 2018 PBA Philippine Cup. They seem poised to improve on that finish this conference.
Alaska Aces big man Vic Manuel (87) dribbles past Columbian Dyip defender Jackson Corpuz (1) during their game at the Smart Araneta Coliseum won by the Aces.
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SUNDAY, MAY 6, 2018
Business
Ray S. Eñano, Editor / Roderick dela Cruz, Issue Editor business@manilastandard.net
TOSHIBA LAUNCHES 14-TB STORAGE
By Alena Mae S. Flores
TOSHIBA Electronic Devices & Storage Corp., subsidiary of Toshiba of Japan, has launched its latest innovation—a storage drive that has gotten the industry’s attention with the world’s first enterprise conventional magnetic recording to reach 14-terabytes, the first with nine disks and filled with helium, thereby reducing energy consumption. Toshiba said in a statement that helium was the key to the innovation. The second lightest gas, it lowered disk resistance, improved performance and contributed to the capacity increase. It also helped improve power consumption by over 40 percent compared to previous models. Masafumi Fujimori of Toshiba Electronic Devices & Storage Corp.’s’s HDD sales and marketing division said the new product has received a strong response from popular technology analysts and the company is targeting data centers as its main market. “We will develop the market in China, and in small data centers, and, of course, the hyper-scale data centers in the US. Progress in big data is driving an information explosion, and we will have to continue to develop HDD with larger capacities, because data center companies tend to demand the HDD that have the highest capacity at any given time,” Fujimori said. He said the new 14TB HDD has captured the industry’s attention because it is the world’s first CMR drive with nine disks, and it delivers 14TB capacity and the first Toshiba HDD to replace air with helium. Sato Takumi of the HDD products engineering department said squeezing nine disks into a hard drive increases capacity . “Before this, our largest capacity drive was a 7-disk, 10TB model. The most any other company has achieved so far is eight disks. If you want to mount nine disks in the same housing as an 8-disk drive, it is crucial to scale down parts and eliminate variations in parts. The HDD must also pass strict shock and vibration resistance tests, to confirm reliability. We were able to resolve these problems with know-how and experience we gained in developing 0.85-inch and 1.8-inch HDD,” Takumi said.
Healthy Meals PH by Renato’s founder and CEO Rodrigo ‘Rad’ Pelayo
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LIFESTYLE COACH STARTS HEALTHY MEAL DELIVERY
ODRIGO ‘Rad’ Pelayo has already accomplished many things in life as an entrepreneur, medical representative, lifestyle coach, fitness specialist and ‘emerald’ executive of an American personal care and nutrition company. Pelayo says what he has learned through the years is that good nutrition is the key to good health.
Pelayo, 39, says this encouraged him to put up Healthy Meals PH by Renato’s—a new gastronomic delivery and catering service provider in Metro Manila that offers the right approach or TRA to preparing complete and balanced meals. “Good nutrition is the key to good health. That is why we must start having healthy food and jump to TRA in attaining good well-being to address malnutrition among growing children and incidence of obesity, diabetes and hypertension among adults,” says Pelayo. “I want to promote the right approach to healthy living which means you are able to eat complete and balanced meals [fruits, veggies, protein and carbs] which are hard find in a restaurant or it will cost you so much,” he says. Headquartered in Quezon City, Healthy Meals PH by Renato’s prepares meals designed to achieve or maintain the ideal body weight for customers who are usually on the go, or those who don’t have the time to prepare balanced and healthy meals for their loved ones, says Pelayo. “I started Healthy Meals PH because I live independently and I have no time to prepare food, especially the healthy ones. I want food which is tasty but healthy and I want to reduce my trips to fastfood chains,” says Pelayo. Pelayo grew up in a farm in Candaba, Pampanga and developed entrepreneurial skills early on when he managed the family’s sari-sari store as a young student. While studying Physical Therapy at Manila Central University in Caloocan City, he worked as a fitness specialist to help support his studies. He also sold candle holders on the side. “After graduation from MCU, I did not have money. I started with P500 which was given to me as a graduation gift. I did not want to ask more money from my parents who were supporting the education of my siblings,” says Pelayo, who was the fourth of six children. “With P500, I started a candle holder business. I sold candle holders in schools,” he says. “While studying for my board exam, I worked as a fitness specialist. After passing the board exam, I knew that I was not going to earn as much as a PT practitioner. Then I learned that a med rep was earning more,” Pelayo says.
TECHNOLUX TO CONTINUE BUSINESS SERIES IN MAY
He applied for work with Zuellig Pharma and armed with the right motivation, agreed to be assigned in Ilocos Region. He was recognized as “Med Rep of the Year”at Zuellig for two years. “After two years, I transferred to Unilab [United Laboratories Inc.] where I stayed for a decade. I was a consistent performer,” he says. In his second year at Unilab, his entrepreneurial hunger kicked in. He invested P300,000 in a laundry shop in Kamuning, Quezon City at a time the laundry business was just about to flourish. “I was saving P10,000 to P15,000 every month as emergency fund for my parents. My father is a farmer while my mom is a housewife. After a year or two at Unilab, Unilab announced that my dependents would be my parents. So when my parents needed hospital care, Unilab would take care of it. That’s when I withdrew the money and started to put up the laundry shop in 2006,” he says. The first laundry shop was followed by five more outlets, with each branch providing him a monthly net income of P10,000 to P15,000. Pelayo was also doing well with Unilab, where most of his travel, fuel and food expenses were subsidized. Aside from the good salary, he received a commission package of P200,000 to P300,000 a year. Turn to B2
TECHNOLUX, the country’s largest importer and supplier of a complete line of foodservice, small wares and laundry equipment for over 40 years, continues its business series in May to help entrepreneurs grow their businesses by providing them with products renowned in the food and hospitality industry. During the said Technolux Business Series, product demos and sharing of best practices including recipes using various kitchen equipment are conducted by the company’s sales, technical and culinary teams. First up is a TBS featuring Magnesol, the world leader in frying oil filtration that improves oil life by 50 percent. That means more savings and profit for restaurants, hotels cafés and other food businesses. This will be on May 4 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Mall of Kitchens in Barangay La Paz, Makati City. On May 25, TBS will be conducted at Mall of Kitchens, this time about Vittore/Monin and Merrychef while a TBS will be held on May 31 in Tarlac. Monin is the world’s leading producer of the finest flavored syrups and sauces. Founded in France in 1912, it has a rich and long heritage that made it the brand of choice by bars, restaurants, bartenders and chefs looking for ways to jazz up their drinks and recipes. Vittore Espresso Machine, on the other hand, is ideal for coffee shops and restaurants or those excellent espresso, coffee, cappuccino, latte and macchiato among others. Made in Italy, Vittore is designed for professional use with technologically advanced, easy to use features approved by international certification institutes that ensure quality and reliability.
FILIPINO INVENTOR BUILDS MACHINE TO FIGHT HEAT, POLLUTION FILIPINO inventor and entrepreneur Edgardo ‘Gary’ Vazquez has developed a bigger machine to suck heat from the air and repel pollution in industrial sites surrounded by communities. “Other countries are already imposing a law against air pollution. Big industries such as chemical factories or coal-fired power plants need to have pollution or dust control, so that the dust or dirt released by their plants into the air would not fall on nearby communities,”Vazquez, 65, says in an interview in Makati City. Va z q u e z , w h o d e v e l o p s h i s prototypes in China where there are abundant materials, says he will initially bring eight Turbo Cool units to the Philippines later this month to showcase what they can do to fight pollution. “The design is now a reality. It is a remote-controlled, elevated dust suppression control system that can blow cool fine mist more than a hundred meters into the air that can capture dust and other particulates and bring them down to the ground. It can also lower
temperature by 5 to 10 degrees Celsius,” says Vazquez, who based the design on his earlier innovation—the Misty Kool outdoor air-conditioning unit. Misty Kool is a misting system that sprays ultra-fine microns of water to cool off any area. It conserves energy while offering an air-cooling effect and repels flying insects, dust, smoke and pollen. He says that unlike the Misty Kool line system and electric fan-type machines, the Turbo Cool dust suppression control system is ideal for industrial areas, power plants, ports, materials handling facilities, construction sites, orchards and large gardens. “You can even use it to freshen and cool off the atmosphere on an entire street. Imagine deploying Turbo Cool machines on top of the buildings along Ayala Ave. and simultaneously release cool fine mist into the air, it would substantially clean and cool off the air and make it more convenient for people walking on the street,” he says. Vazquez earlier developed the Misty
Kool machine—an outdoor cooling solution that consists of misting fan, high-pressure pumps, fine nozzles, switches, oil indicator, programmable timer, automatic shut-off mechanism, hose, 41-liter water tank and heavyduty wheels with locking mechanism.
A unit can cover an spray area of 85 square meters. He offers the technology in two forms—a line machine and electric fantype unit that can produce Baguio-like breeze instantly. Misty Kool produces mist, which
evaporates into the air, and this is sometimes called “flash evaporation” because it happens “quickly as a flash” and gives a stronger cooling effect. He says the air is cooled evenly and feels more like a fog. The Philippine Arena complex in Bulacan uses the line system of Misty Kool to reduce temperature along its open walkway. It is also used in the country’s largest greenhouse and mushroom farm in the same area. Misty Kool is also being used in the patios and gardens of exclusive subdivisions in Makati City, gardens, restaurants, resorts, greenhouses, parks, gas stations and other open areas. Among the popular clients is Gretchen Barreto who posts photos of the mists produced by Misty Cool in her garden on Instagram. “In engineering, they call it the flash point. When you subject the water at a very high pressure, then extrude it through a very fine nozzle, it Turn to B2
Business
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SUNDAY, MAY 6, 2018 business@manilastandard.net
FILIPINO...
CHINESE FIRM BUILDING 12 PASAY CONDO TOWERS
From B1
automatically becomes mist and floats in the air,” says Vazquez, who is also known as the inventor of the Vazbuilt modular housing technology in the Philippines. Vazquez says for every pound of water that evaporates in the air, 1,100 Btu (British thermal unit) of heat is sucked out of the air. When heat is removed from the air, it becomes cooler. The Misty Kool machine can cool the air down to a comfortable 25 degrees Celsius, he says. The Misty Kool system caught the attention of an executive of a materials handling port in Bataan province where dust control is a big problem. The port is the unloading area for silica, gypsum, coal and other raw materials. “What happens is that dust builds up in the area. The dust starts to fly and the surrounding villages are affected. The owner of the port went to visit me and told me about the problem,” he says. Vazquez says tackling the problem would require a bigger machine. He went back to China to develop the first prototype of Turbo Cool, which is much bigger and more powerful than the Misty Cool electric fan. “This is what I developed as a solution to control pollution and dust,” he says.
IMPERIAL ERA MANSION PROJECT
By Othel V. Campos
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“With the first prototype that I designed, they were very happy, because the dust disappeared. But as the pile of materials at the port became higher, the first prototype could not reach the necessary height. That is why I redesigned the prototype, which now sits on an elevator type mechanism and is remotely controlled. “You can make the blower turn left, right, up or down,” he says. “The new model also consumes less water and has stronger pressure. When I showed it to Science and Technology Secretary Fortunato dela Peña, he was happy about the development. But I said I am not yet contented with this. I still have to innovate. But I will initially bring eight units to the country in the third or fourth week of May,” says Vazquez. Vazquez also tapped a Chinese contractor to build more units of Misty Kool electric fans, as his inventory in the Philippines was depleted at the onset of summer. He says aside from the outdoor Misty Kool electric fans, he is developing a new prototype for indoor use. “You can use it inside your home, because it would not release as much mist as the original Misty Kool which can cover 80 to 85 square meters. This one will cover only about 30 meters, using the same technology and will be remotely controlled. It is a good alternative to traditional airconditioning unit which consumes a lot of energy. The indoor Misty Kool consumes only 150 watts,” says Vazquez. Roderick T. dela Cruz
LIFESTYLE...
From B1
“Unilab was okay, but sometimes you were trying to look for something that will challenge you. Day in, day out, I was working in a hospital,” says Pelayo. He recalls that he accompanied a friend to buy a product from direct selling company NU Skin in 2013 and he listened to a presentation where he learned the importance of active and passive income. He was told that he could have active and passive income by building a network of individuals who could sell NU Skin products. “As we grow old, our expenses increase but our income decreases as you lose your youth and you retire. After you retire, we could only support 40 percent of our needs. Then I realized that I wanted the life of the people in front of me. Some of them were Ateneo graduates who gave up managerial positions at Procter & Gamble to be with NU Skin,” he says. He joined NU Skin on a part-time basis and in less than a month earned big commissions that convinced him to join the American multi-level marketing company permanently eight months later. He also sold his laundry business. “This is now my fifth year with NU Skin. I sold the laundry shops to focus on NU Skin. I am an emerald executive
CHINESE developer is building a cluster of 12 high-end condominium buildings in Pasay City amid the growing penchant of Chinese investors for real estate in the Philippines.
HK Golden Mountain Property Co. Ltd., the lo cal unit of Longchang Real Estate
Development Group Co. Ltd., unveiled the plan for Imperial Era Mansion—a 12-tower, low-rise condominium project near the Mall of Asia complex and Entertainment City. The company is teaming up with a local partner to develop a 2.6-hectare property in the area. “Manila, specifically Pasay City, is a world-class tourist attraction, home to resorts, entertainment facilities and casinos. So we chose Pasay as the place where we intend put our investments in high-end residences,” says Zhu Jin Long, president of Longchang Group. Zhu and other Longchang executives came to Manila to attend to the soft launching of Imperial Era Mansion which would rise near City of Dreams, Okada Manila and Solaire Resort and Casino. Zhu is optimistic that Chinese businessmen, who are known for buying an entire floor on a pre-selling rate, will be interested in the new residential project. “There are many Chinese investors who are buying an entire floor or maybe two floors at a time and rent out the units. They see preselling as a good opportunity to stretch out their capital,” he says.
right now, which means I have at least six to eight franchise teams. An emerald executive earns an average of P250,000 and I am qualifying for diamond executive right now which means I could earn around P250,000 to P500,000 a month. The highest is blue diamond which earns around P1 million to P2.2 million income on the average. Worldwide, NU Skin has around 1,400 plus blue diamond executives,” Pelayo says. Pelayo says NU Skin, which is headquartered in Utah and listed on the New York Stock Exchange, is best known as the premier anti-aging company in the world, with cellular treatment. Pelayo says one of the perks provided by NU Skin is overseas travels with his family. My first travel with NU Skin is in Istanbul, Turkey with five-star accommodation. They really take care of the people. In China, they close the roads for NU Skin. In Dubai, officials shake hands with 7,000 tourists brought by NU Skin,” he says. “When I traveled to London, I brought my mother for her first overseas trip. When I traveled to Paris two years ago, I was able to bring my mom, my dad and my sister. NU Skin made it possible for me. This was the first time my dad told me that life is wonderful,” Pelayo says. He also had the opportunity to travel to Belgium, Singapore, Hawaii, Australia and Japan. Pelayo downplays criticisms that
Longchang Group president Zhu Jin Long
He says the design, created a group of Chinese architects and engineers, follows the pattern of two dragons and a pearl which is said to bring good luck and a great deal of fortune. HK Golden has already opened two of the 12 towers for pre-selling. Each tower is estimated to have 19 to 25 units, with 30 square meters as the smallest cut and 100 sqm as the biggest. All penthouse units will have a loft. Pre-selling rate is about P220,000 to P250,000 per square meter, slightly lower than ongoing developments in the area ranging from P250,000 to P270,000 per sqm.
networking is not a legitimate form of business. “Whom will you believe— those who succeeded in the business, or to those who did not? If you listen to them, you tend to mimic the failures that they had,” he says. Pelayo says NU Sk in teaches distributors to handle finances and how to deal with people. “The training is not only about product, but about you, how you grow the business, personal development and talking to people,” he says. He says as a lifestyle coach with NU Skin, he has learned how to prioritize and prepare every stage of his life. This also encouraged him to put up Healthy Meals PH, which now delivers 440 to 500 packs of food a week, despite it is only the second month of its operation. Healthy Meals PH delivers carefully prepared food to customers in the cities of Quezon, Malabon, Valenzuela, Manila, San Juan, Mandaluyong, Marikina, Pasig, Taguig, Makati, Pasay, Parañaque and Las Piñas. Pelayo says Healthy Meals PH follows the right approach or TRA program which entails the proper, well-balanced and the right amount of carbohydrates, protein, vitamins and minerals that must be consumed by individuals to ensure the attainment of healthy wellbeing. He says he has tapped seasoned chefs, nutritionists, molecular and nutritional oncologists, physical therapists and sport
Imperial Era is mixed-type development where the ground floor will be fitted as commercial space for different businesses. The blueprint suggests the creation of at least two executive towers to be placed at the center, with bigger cuts and fewer units than the rest. At the center of the development is a converging area where a 50-lap pool will be constructed along with other amenities that promote health and fitness. The project is set to ground break well in May, as the company eagerly awaits its license to sell from the city government of Pasay. “Manila is touted as the New York of Asia. We see a great deal of traffic coming from Asian countries and from other points in the world. This is a good project to help promote Philippine tourism,” Zhu says. Pasay City mayor Antonino Calixto says the project will be one of the biggest residential developments in the city. “The area they will develop used to be occupied by a Moslem mosque. It’s a huge property and we heard there could be as much as 2,000 units for all 12 towers. The project is envisioned as a high-end residence especially for casino players,” he says. Longchang Real Estate Development was founded in 1994 with a capitalization of over 100 billion renminbi. It is headquartered in Nanjing and is engaged in the development of large-scale real estate as well as in the field of property and asset management. It has over 10 projects all over China with combined development area of 1 million sqm.
science specialists to help prepare the specialized packed meals that are ideal to families, those who want to have balanced weight and those with medical conditions such as diabetics and hypertensive. They also provide consultations and fitness advice. “Healthy Meals PH. by Renato’s aims to promote complete, balanced, proper combination and sequence meals for every Filipinos with different needs, without compromising the joys of eating. We believe that if every customer is happy while eating, in consideration with the right amount of vitamins and minerals, everyday eating entails a happy life,” says Pelayo. He says Healthy Meals PH serves calorie counted meals, high-protein lowcarb meals, diabetic and hypertensive meals and healthy lunch boxes for children. “Children will be enticed and excited when they see their favorite hotdogs and burgers on their lunch boxes, not knowing that the food that they are consuming are meat without preservatives, keenly innovated by the chefs of Healthy Meals PH by Renato’s and packed with vitamins and minerals” he says. Pelayo says that compared to others, “we believe that our price is reasonable enough to make our customers our long time partners.” He says Healthy Meals PH is also the first to cater different
products and serves as a one stop shop for meals, breads, supplements and even fitness services. “Healthy Meals PH does not only cater for sumptuous food, but also for the security of the well-being of our well-loved customers. We consider Healthy Meals PH as a one stop shop that deals with the holistic and scientific approach for the attainment of healthy living,” he says. Pelayo says healthy meals should not taste like bland food. “With Healthy Meals PH by Renato’s, you can now enjoy healthy and luscious food, as the essential minerals and vitamins are well premeditated, without compromising the desire of your taste buds and unminding the effects on your precious health,” he says. The weekly cost of the meals ranges from P1,500 for lunch boxes to P2,400 for high-protein meals, plus a delivery fee of P20 to P40 per day depending on the area. Payment is via bank deposit or online transfer. Pelayo says the plan is to reach 500 daily regular clients within a year. “The reception of the market is overwhelming in a short time. We now have almost 100 customers already. As an entrepreneur, I know there is a market for it because I myself want healthy meals. I just want something unique, in terms of service. Our clients can talk to us. That’s the joy of caring that we embody,” he says. Roderick T. dela Cruz
Tech & Gadgets
DELL EMC LAUNCHES 5000, 7000 SERIES By Peter Paul Duran
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ELL EMC launched its Latitude 5000 and 7000 series recently at The Eye, Green Sun Hotel to empower productivity and mobility without compromising performance and security. The company introduced the thinand-light laptops designed with recycled carbon fiber and 2-in-1 form factors to address the myriad ways people work today and help them adapt and transition to the future of workforce. “At Dell, innovation never sleeps. We’re passionate about creating technology that expands the boundaries of what’s possible,” said Ronnie Latinazo, Country General Manager, Dell EMC Philippines. “And, at the same time, we pride ourselves in finding better ways to do business responsibly, particularly through our supply chain.” The suite of new commercial client solutions laptops aims to address the myriad ways how people work today and help them adapt and transition to the future. The innovations and improvements within these products are designed to improve performance, functionality and overall user experience. In addition, Dell EMC Philippines also revealed the industry first pilot project to reuse gold from e-waste into new motherboards. Designed for the mobile workforce, Dell’s Latitude portfolio of secure and manageable commercial notebooks and 2-in-1s has been fully refreshed with the latest dual-core and quad-core 8th Gen Intel® Core™ vPro™ 15W processors delivering significant performance improvement. Productivity benchmark tests also
DELL EMC launched its Latitude 5000 and 7000 series, thin-and-light laptops designed with recycled carbon fiber and 2-in-1 form factors to address the myriad ways people work today and help them adapt and transition to the future of workforce.
show the dramatic performance uplift over products based on the previous generation processors. Latitude 13 7390 and 7390 2-in-1: Impressive Power in a Premium Design Dell Latitude 7390 line has been refreshed with thin and light designs, excellent efficiency and powerful processing options. Latitude’s superior security, versatility and accessories empower the way people work and maintain office-level productivity. The new Latitude 13 7390 comes with processor options up to Intel™ 8th Gen processors and PCIe SSD for optimal performance. Dell offers a wide range of hardware and
software security options including Dell ControlVault ™ 2.0, contacted and contactless Smart Card Readers, touch fingerprint reader or infrared camera, ensuring users information is secure. Latitude 5290 2-in-1: Set Up for Success At less than 2lbs, the Latitude 5290 2-in-1 is built for mobility. From meetings around the office to traveling across the country, its thin and light frame can fit anywhere. It allows users to work in luxury with its 12.3” convertible screen featuring Full HD finished with OTP touch panels treated with anti-glare resin, providing superior display. Its narrow bezel, Intel®
Core™ 8th Gen Processor, exceptional battery life & security keep users productive. The auto-deploy kickstand, which rotates up to 150 degrees for multiple viewing angles, offers a smooth work experience. The Dell Latitude 13 7000 (7390) price starts from P74,000, while the Dell Latitude 13 7000 (7390) 2-in-1 price starts from P76,000. On the other hand, the Dell Latitude 5290 2-in1 price starts from P83,000.
SAMSUNG PH LAUNCHES OFFICIAL STORE ON SHOPEE SAMSUNG, a global leader in technology and innovation, has recently launched its official store on Shopee, the largest e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia and Taiwan. The launch marks the beginning of a partnership aimed at enhancing customers’ overall shopping experience, by providing access to a variety of world-class electronic products. “We at Samsung put people at the heart of everything we do. Our products are purposefully designed with meaningful technologies to improve users’ quality of life,” says Fatima Lopez-Brodit, Samsung Electronics Philippines’ Marketing Manager for Online Business. “We are pleased to be working with a market leader such as Shopee, who shares the same dedi-
cation to customer satisfaction. With their help, we look forward to the opportunity to enrich the lives of more consumers.” “Shopee is committed to delivering a great shopping experience through collaborations with leading brands like Samsung. We know how valuable mobile phones and electronic gadgets are for the modern consumer, that’s why we’d like to provide them with more quality options when it comes to these products,” says Terence Pang, Chief Operating Officer at Shopee. “We intend to initiate more such strategic partnerships moving forward, to drive the potential of our company’s e-commerce capabilities.” Apart from the widely popular
Samsung Galaxy J Series, and the premium S Series, the Samsung Official Store on Shopee also carries the brand’s best-selling A Series and then premium Note Series. The tech giant is also preparing to expand its product portfolio on the online platform to include its premium digital appliances, TV, and Audio Visual products. All products listed on Samsung’s Official Store are covered by Shopee Mall benefits, which include a 100% Authenticity Guarantee, 7-day Return Policy, Free Shipping and a Cash on Delivery payment option nationwide. Visit https://shopee.ph/ samsungofficialstore or download the Shopee app for free on the Google Play Store to avail of these exciting offers from Samsung.
PAYMAYA MAKES CASHLESS COMMUNITY POSSIBLE PAYMAYA, the pioneer in digital financial services in the country, has taken another huge step in making its “Cashless Philippines” vision a reality as it officially turns the surfing town of San Juan, La Union— one of the top beach destinations this summer—into a cashless community with PayMaya QR. PayMaya has partnered with the town’s top merchants and destinations— including Flotsam & Jetsam, El Union, The Great Northwest Philippine Travel Stop & Viewing Deck and Beach Bum Food Park, among others to provide cashless payments convenience to locals as well as tourists who flock the beach town, particularly during summer and in time for the Labor Day long weekend. At these spots, beach-goers can experience the ease and convenience of paying using only their mobile phones —an experience that appeals particularly to the young, mobile-savvy crowd that flocks the area. All they have to do is simply scan the QR code of the partner establishment, enter the amount you need to pay, and tap “Pay” to complete your transactions. “People who visit San Juan, La Union now experience financial mobility through the convenience and simplicity of payments via PayMaya QR, while of-
fering them different choices for meals, drinks, and experiences through our partner establishments. Our vision is to bring this ecosystem to more cities and provinces to create more cashless communities nationwide,” said Paolo Azzola, COO and Managing Director at PayMaya Philippines. Convenience and perks for tourists, locals It’s the kind of cashless ecosystem that fits local communities like San Juan, La Union. With its weekly influx of local travelers especially during the peak summer season, having this kind of payment option allows people to go around not having to bring their wallets and still be able to pay for meals, drinks, and activities with just their smartphone. Convenience aside, account holders also get special discounts, freebies, and other perks when they pay via PayMaya QR, too. For the Labor Day weekend, for example, customers get P50 off their purchases at these establishments when they pay via PayMaya QR from April 27 to May 1. Indeed, more value for money comes with using the app. Soon, more establishments, hotels, surf schools, and even tricycle drivers in La Union will also begin accepting payments via PayMaya QR—making it a full-
fledged cashless community. “The goal is really to empower both merchants and consumers with digital ways of transacting with each other, because going ‘cashless’ is definitely more convenient, and we are making sure that they get more value out of their transactions whenever they pay with PayMaya as opposed to just paying cash,” added Raymund Villanueva, Consumer Business Head at PayMaya. PayMaya’s convenience doesn’t end in La Union. Download the app now and you can instantly have a virtual card that allows you to shop online. You can also use the physical PayMaya card in all establishments that accept VISA and MasterCard payments here and abroad. And PayMaya QR’s growing list of merchant partners will make it easier for you to shop or dine even if you don’t have cash on hand. Loading your PayMaya account is easy and convenient through its more than 15,000 add money touch points, including partners and on-ground booths in La Union, 7-Eleven branches, SM Business Centers, Robinsons Business Centers inside Department Stores, Touchpay Kiosks, UnionBank ATMs, Shopwise, Wellcome, 2Go, ExpressPay, Cebuana Lhuillier, Palawan Pawnshop branches, Smart
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SUNDAY, MAY 6, 2018 rumallari@thestandard.com.ph
10 STUDENT TEAMS BATTLE IT OUT IN SMART’S INNOVATION COMPETITION TEN student teams from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao will battle it out next week in the country’s biggest technology competition, the SWEEP (Smart Wireless Engineering Education Program) Innovation and Excellence Awards. In the running for the top spot are three teams from University of San Carlos in Cebu along with teams from Adamson University, Ateneo de Manila University, Ateneo de Zamboanga University, Aurora State College of Technology, Davao Central College, Gordon College in Zambales, and University of San Jose Recoletos in Cebu. The teams will compete for the P300,000 top prize in the final judging to be held on May 11. The second placer will get P200,000, while the third placer will receive P100,000. Schools of the top three teams will each get a digital campus package from Smart Communications and parent company PLDT. Smart received more than 300 applications for the 14th SWEEP Awards, which has the theme “#LifeLikeNeverBefore: Digital Innovations for a Better Tomorrow.” Projects that made the cut include an app that could help farmers reach produce buyers directly, an app that could link sports enthusiasts with each other so they could schedule games, and a chatbot that could enable users to control home appliances remotely via a messaging app. To help the finalists improve their projects before the judging, Smart introduced them to mentors who, over two days, taught them to validate the existence of problems before creating solutions, the imp o r t a n ce of getting feedback from SWEEP Awards finalists peers and undergo a two-day boot potential camp so they could custompolish their entries in ers, and time for judging. the need to adjust their plan of action based on these feedback. The mentors also taught the finalists how to pitch their proposals to judges and potential investors. Participant Gian Guerrero said the two-day boot camp helped his team create a business model for its project. “What was very hard was the business model because we’re into IT (information technology) and engineering, so we’re not very knowledgeable about it. But the SWEEP Awards experience proved to be a treasure trove of knowledge. It’s fun, more than I expected, and I’m thankful to be part of it,” he said. The SWEEP Awards was launched in 2004 to provide college students with the platform to create innovative applications that solve consumer pain points. It is an initiative under SWEEP, a long-running collaboration between Smart and the academe which aims to raise the standards of engineering and IT education in the country. Because of SWEEP, Smart was cited in 2016 by international magazine Fortune as one of 50 companies that have “changed the world.” For more information on SWEEP and the SWEEP Awards, please visit facebook.com/ sweepschools and smartsweep.ph SWEEP Awards finalists undergo a two-day boot camp so they could polish their entries in time for judging.
IMPROVING...
From B4
La Union tourists, merchants experience cashless convenience with PayMaya QR
Padala centers, BDO, UnionBank Online, and RCBC Online Banking, among many others. Aside from these channels, depositors of Asia United Bank, BDO, China Bank, Chinabank Savings, Equicom Savings Bank, Security Bank, and UnionBank are also able to instantly add money to their PayMaya accounts through InstaPay. To find out more about PayMayg, log on to: www.paymaya.com or follow @ PayMayaOfficial on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Apart from financial services, MoneyMax.ph is also working on improving the financial education landscape in the Philippines. Through its ‘Pesopedia’ blog, MoneyMax.ph provides a wide array of information for Filipinos looking for tips and tricks on how to manage their personal finances. “Technology and finance is evolving. We are working hard on creating content not just for users, but for anyone who would like to make better and wellinformed choices to help them with the decision-making process,” Gastl noted. On another note, MoneyMax.ph, in partnership with Oriental Assurance Corporation, is celebrating their fourth year with a brand new 2018 Toyota Vios to be given to one lucky customer. Even better, it also comes with a one year comprehensive car insurance from Oriental Assurance Corporation. For more information, visit https:// www.moneymax.ph.
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TECH & Gadgets SUNDAY, MAY 6, 2018 Riera U. Mallari, Editor rumallari@thestandard.com.ph
DAILY LIFE MADE EASIER WITH LG PRODUCTS
IMPROVING FILIPINOS’ FINANCIAL LITERACY WITH MONEYMAX.PH By Peter Paul Duran
LG Super UHD TV (above left) and LG InstaView Door in Door refrigerator (right) are but some of the products LG introduced at the InnoFest Asia.
I
NNOFEST has come home. After launching show-stopping events in South Africa and France, LG Electronics brought its annual InnoFest roadshow to Asia from April 23 to 25 at the new LG Science Park in Seoul, South Korea, where it welcomed over 250 representatives from LG, its distribution/ retail partners and members of the media from all over the region.
scan the contents for faster and easier In the living room, users were access to their favorite drinks and introduced to the pride and joy snacks. This distinctive feature ofof LG’s Home Entertainment fers an energy-efficient and comdivision: the newest OLED fortable way to look inside without TV model. Equipped with opening the appliance door, leadLG’s α (Alpha) 9 intelligent ing to less cold air escaping and processor, LG’s OLED TV offresher food for longer. fer enhanced picture quality Transforming consumers’ and true-to-life colors from kitchen experience even more, virtually any viewing angle. To the InstaView Door-in-Door complement this superior imrefrigerator is equipped with age rendering feature, LG’s OLED LG’s SmartThinQ—users can TVs also support Dolby Atmos remotely control their refor an immersive audio-visual exThis year’s event, themed “An Invitation to frigerator with their smartperience. AI functionality is also the AI Home That Thinks of You,” introduced LG’s phone, enabling them to set embedded in the sets—viewers range of smart appliances equipped with LG’s the refrigerator temperature can speak directly into the remote SmartThinQ, the brand’s signature AI techand diagnose applicontrol to enjoy the latest voice nology, and high-tech inLG CLOi Hom-Bot ance problems assistant technology. LG’s ThinQ AInovations aimed at making on a connected apenabled TVs also use services based on daily life easier and more conplication. This smart appliance the Electronic Program Guide (EPG) to deliver realvenient for the consumer. can also call up recipes based time information and locate channels offering Guests were able to exon the ingredients inside the desired content. Viewers can say “search for this perience these products for refrigerator, and relay in- movie’s soundtrack” or “turn off the TV when this themselves in a set-up destructions to LG smart ovens, program is over” without repeating the program’s signed to emulate a natural which automatically adjusts title or specifying a time. home environment. A mock cooking setting after receiving “LG InnoFest is the perfect opportunity to inliving room, kitchen, and launthe recipe. troduce our unique ThinQ AI-enabled products dry room a displayed a variety From the kitchen, guests to our partners in key regions,” said Han Changof products embedded with AI can move on to a makeshift hee, vice president of LG’s Global Marketing technology and designed to laundry room to experience Center. “AI technology is fast becoming a part seamlessly integrate into everythe TWINWash washing ma- of our world but the realization of how fast this day life. chine, a convenient and time- revolution is coming is still unrealized by many The mock kitchen highsaving appliance with both a consumers. InnoFest allows us to bring our partlighted LG’s latest InstaView main washer and mini washer ners—who are engaging local customers on a Door-in-Door fridge technolthat makes it possible to wash daily basis—into the fold.” ogy, now applied to Multitwo loads of laundry simultaInnoFest Asia 2018 also featured zones that Door refrigerators. Featuring neously. The TWINWash wash- showcased LG’s latest range of smart home a sleek and elegant stainless ing machine also comes fully appliances (refrigerators, washing machines, TWINWash steel design, LG’s InstaView Doorequipped with Wi-Fi connectivity, vacuum, dishwashers, microwave ovens and in-Door refrigerators come with a enabling users to easily control and remotely airconditioners), the brand’s energy-saving glass panel that illuminates the interior with monitor their appliance, download wash cycles inverter technology, and its array of premium two simple knocks so users can conveniently and track energy use. TVs including SUPER UHD models.
A MERE quarter of the whole number of Philippine households have savings, that’s why this up-andc o m i n g company aims to change just that and e n co u ra g e Filipinos to Moritz Gastl save and be more financially literate. According to MoneyMax.ph Country Manager Moritz Gastl, which Manila Standard Tech talked to recently at Soma Bistro in Green Sun, Makati, many Filipinos view saving up as a loss, instead of an investment to their future. The intimate sit-down tackled how world-class technology can help startups, seasoned professionals, and even yuppies maximize their money through investments that will fit their budget, from car loans, insurance, and even the best credit card options. “By the time that they are ready to start saving and invest, they become overwhelmed with the information that’s available. It can be very intimidating to make a financial decision when you are unsure of your choice,” Gastl said. MoneyMax.ph aims to empower Filipinos to make better financial choices by providing a comprehensive platform for their financial and telco needs-from car insurance. personal loans, and even internet service providers. Compare, Invest, Save With the large market for financial services, choosing the right service provider can be tedious. From going through one company to another and taking to review each offer, you’ll likely end up with not much time to deliberate before making a choice. MoneyMax.ph created a userfriendly platform to simplify the process of choosing a service easier and more accessible to every Filipino. By adding the user’s profile including budget, monthly income, and needs, a personalized quote for any financial service will be ready in less than five minutes. Even better, you can access the comparison site anywhere, anytime. MoneyMax.ph has partnered with the Philippines’ most reputable companies for its financial services. MoneyMax.ph has a strict screening process for its partners to ensure that they have a roster of reputable firms for their users. Turn to B3
VIVO V9 ALLOWS YOU TO LEVEL UP WITH PERFECT SHOTS THIS SUMMER SUMMER is almost everyone’s favorite time for taking photos. With the sun out and left and right forays to beach and nature destinations, the “pics-or-itdidn’t-happen” trend is getting everyone excited to show their mad photography prowess. Summer is for the youthful, the free, and the energetic. True to its commitment of being part of its loyal users’ every adventure, Vivo makes sure that its powerhouse specs cater to a patron’s every trip or venture by providing a fit-in-one-hand, everythingyou-need device. Powered by an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 626 SoC and boasts of a full view 6.3-inch screen with a 19:9 aspect ratio, Vivo V9 users can do more and be more this summer and all year round with specs that allow for endless possibilities in self expression and entertainment, to live a life on the go but still be accessible. Specializing in producing perfect shots, the Vivo V9 also gives its users the
freedom to customize photos and selfies the creative and fun way with AI stickers. The AI Bokeh Effect feature, on the other hand, rivals the capabilities of the traditional DSLR camera with its high-tech algorithm, which enables precise and optimal focus on the photo’s main subject. Finally, with Vivo V9, mobile photography have leveled up with the super HDR mode, which helps produce crystal clear photos, brighter colors, and deeper, more defined tones. A leader in taking flawless selfies and perfect photographs because of its smartphones’ above par camera specs, Vivo, the fifth largest global smartphone brand, has taken this mode of self-expression notches higher with the release of the Vivo V9, an artificial intelligence (AI) selfie camera with a 16 MP+5 MP dualcamera setup. Recollections of summer trips to the beach, or a day or two of communing with nature are captured just as how we remember
them—with colors vivid and reallife, thanks to Vivo V9’s powerful cameras. The nags of inferior selfies taken under harsh lighting conditions of the summer season are placed in the backseat with Vivo V9’s AI Face Beauty Natural Light, Studio Light, and Monochrome background features which levels up every selfie game, no matter the lighting condition. Moreover, the ample phone display of the Vivo V9 improves the overall composition of photos and provides a perfect view while enhancing clarity and definition. Visit exotic places and far-flung lands, the Vivo V9 is your perfect travel companion. Take hundreds of perfect shots complemented by AI-powered features, your travel photo-diary would be the envy of all. For inquiries about Vivo, visit the Vivo website at vivoglobal. ph or check out their Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/vivophil), Instagram (https://www. instagram.com/vivo_philippines /), and Twitter (https://twitter.com/vivo_phil) accounts.
Vivo V9’s special bokeh mode is AI-powered for optimal focus on the subject, while leaving the background aesthetically blurred
Play around with AR stickers for unlimited selfie fun.
Young Life C1
sunday, may 6, 2018
manilastandardlife@gmail.com
Bernadette Lunas, Issue Editor
@manilastandardlife
@MStandardLIFE
a softball player’s secret
K
to Her energy
How to travel
in style
like arci Muñoz ACTrESS and band vocalist Arci Muñoz makes sure her adventures are matched perfectly with stylish and comfortable outfits. She proves that wherever you go, you will always have the freedom to express your personal style in your own bold fashion. Like a true fashionista, Muñoz shares her tried and tested tips on how you can travel in style and comfort.
AFFEA is for everybody, from baby boomers who have achieved most of what they dreamed of to millennials who are always on the go and living life to the fullest.
Kaffea ready-to-drink coffee helps regulate blood sugar levels and blood pressure as well as promotes a healthy digestive system
Philippine national women's softball team captain Cheska Altomonte
Cheska Altomonte, team captain of the Philippine national women’s softball team, secretary general of the Philippine Olympic Committee’s Athletes Commission, and a marketing and merchandising manager for a retail company, is a drinker of Kaffea. “I like Kaffea. I’m not a coffee person so the fact that I like it means a lot,” shared Altomonte. “It’s coffee for everyone, I guess. I enjoy taking it regularly before workouts. It’s good for my training. It’s good for my body. That’s what I want as an athlete, as a player. If it helps me be in the best condition then I want it.” She benefits from Kaffea’s healthy ingredients like collagen which strengthens the muscles, tendons, and joints. It also tightens the skin thus making you look well-nourished and glowing. Kaffea also promotes weight management because of the combination of glutathione (a liver cleansing agent) and LCarnitine. Kaffea gives energy and focus because of the combined power of Co-Q10 and grape seed extract. Altomonte will lead the national team to four international tournaments coming up in July and August. The first one is the World Cup in Irvine, California, followed by the Canada Cup in Surrey, British Columbia. They will then head to the world championship in Japan, and finally to the Asian championship in Indonesia. The ultimate goal is to help the national team qualify to the Olympics. “I want to be playing softball until the 2020 Olympics. The national team’s focus is to qualify to the 2020 Olympics. The tournament in Japan, that’s one tournament. If we don’t qualify there we have another one next year for the Asia Oceania games. I believe in our capability to qualify to the Olympics,” enthused Altomonte. She added, “Softball is not a very popular sport here in the Philippines but it’s something Filipinos can excel in. It’s a very intelligent game. It’s very exciting. There’s so much that can happen. And you have to think a lot. It’s just so challenging and that’s why I like it.” Cheska Altomonte relies on Kaffea to give her the energy to help her train, stay fit, and achieve her goals. Kaffea is available at lazada.com.ph,beautymnl.com, SM Supermarket Market Street booths, SM Kultura outlets, Rustan’s, and CityMall GoLokal stores nationwide. Call (02) 477-9920 for inquiries and more details.
Not-so-usual ways to celebrate Mother’s Day WhILE dining out with mom is a fine way to celebrate the queen of the house’s special day, there are other different, not-so-usual gifts and activities that can make her feel cherished and loved.
Wine, dine, and listen to an orchestra May 12 Treat mom to a night of melody, elegance, and sumptuous delights at the SM Aura Premier Atrium which will be filled with classical music by the Manila Symphony Junior Orchestra a day before Mother’s Day. The lounge will be adorned in no less than Crate and Barrel divans; neighbouring tenants like La Mere Poulard and Providore are convenient choices for dinner. The show in the atrium is open to all mall guests.
Express your love with custom-made cards May 12 to 13 Instead of buying greetings cards at the local bookstore, why not create one with the help of calligraphists and watercolor artists? Learn the basics at the free workshop hosted by Scribe and Just Add Water at the Skypark of SM Aura Premier. Do you and your mom love crafts or interested to dabble in it? You can spend an afternoon of arts and crafts at the park and surprise her with your personalized letter. Complement your picnic date with a selection of wine and charcuterie available at Barcino’s and Prego Trattoria. Turn to C2
Sunglasses come in handy
What with uncomfortable sleeping situations, long flights or drives can be hard sometimes thus having your favorite sunglasses would help cover up those tired eyes due to sleepless nights. Aside from concealing your tiredness, they are also helpful in protecting your eyes from harsh sunlight. They’re also perfect for accentuating any ensemble.
Comfy jeans are your best friend
A good pair of jeans will make sitting on a plane for hours or taking longer walks a lot more bearable, according Turn to C2
young Life
C2
sunday, may 6, 2018 manilastandardlife@gmail.com
how to...
From C1
to muñoz. This True Wanderer swears by Wrangler’s InfiCool jeans, declaring that “they’re cool, comfy, and perfect for traveling.” With Wrangler’s InfiCool jeans, you’ll surely be sweat free all-day especially when you’re going to warmer destinations, as the entire line is designed to absorb moisture and keep perspiration away from your body.
PoP-uP lab
For young sCienCe enthusiasts The drone Lab at the diwa Innovation showcase shows students how drones work and how the technology can be applied in various fields of study.
s Graphic tees offer a unique, no-fuss style
muñoz shows us how sporting your favorite graphic t-shirt can make a simple pair of pants more fashionforward. It’s a great way to show off personal style effortlessly while at the same time keep yourself comfortable throughout a long flight or car ride.
TudEnTs who love science never cease to look for explorative and creative opportunities that are fun and interesting to see how the subject affects their daily lives.
aware of this limitless curiosity of science enthusiasts and their desire to constantly discover, diwa Learning systems Inc., the country’s leading provider of K-to-12 educational resources, recently launched the diwa Innovation Lab, a pop-up science exposition that aims to boost students’ interest in science, mathematics, and engineering. The activities were further enhanced by presenting new technologies through the diwa Innovation showcase and the master class of Working science. The diwa Innovation showcase was composed of five laboratories that promoted critical thinking, creativity, and collaboration. using individual technologies, this feature creates challenges where students can collaborate to come up with solutions. The drone Lab showed students how drones work and how the technology can be applied in various fields of study; the Virtual Reality Lab introduced students to simulated bits of the world or completely imaginary worlds using cell phones and VR goggles; and the Robotics Lab enticed students to create something and program it to do specific actions. In the meteorology Lab, participants were taught how to use weather forecasting tools, while the Bato Balani Lab featured activities that allowed students to create their own science investigatory project. “The diwa Innovation Lab reminded me that whatever technology comes out, we should learn to use it responsibly,” shared one high school student. “In the classroom, it’s more
LyCEum of the Philippines university - Laguna, in collaboration with asia World Hospitality, is hosting the first CGsP Train the Trainer Workshop in the Philippines. The workshop, which will take place at LPu Laguna CITHm on June 6 to 8, will showcase all three aHLEI’s popular customer service segments: making Connections, Golden Opportunities, and the newest CGsP Tourism program. The three-day CGsP or Certified Guest service Professional workshop is intended for educators and practitioners across all levels, which include front office, revenue management, food and beverage, housekeeping, maintenance, security, human resources, and sales. This designation provides recognition for achievers in the field of hospitality and tourism who are able to deliver exceptional service through guest engagement and making experiences memorable for the guests. Furthermore, it is recognized worldwide and is considered the highest of its kind for award-winning guest service for employees in the lodging industry. This program also has a unique way to market regions as a tourist destination. The workshops are part of asia World Hospitality’s mission to equip hotels and related establishments with the necessary training programs to enhance professional services. The specialized training programs are envisioned to boost people development and support continuous learning. First 10 participants to register get 10 percent discount. Promo is valid until June 6. To sign up, email info@asiaworldhospitality.com or call (02) 729-6865 or Lyceum of the Philippines university - Laguna is hosting the first Certified Guest service Professional Train the Trainer workshop in the Philippines 0917 523-2128.
not-so-usual...
It’s better to wear several items of clothing than wearing a few, regardless of your destination, as an outer layer will help you transition from warmer to cooler temperatures. If you get cold, just add the outer layer, but if it gets too warm you may opt to take it off and just sport a comfy shirt or long sleeved top and jeans. you can’t go wrong with an oversized coat or leather jacket draped over a plain white tee and your favorite denim.
To learn more about Diwa and its educational resources and services, go to www.diwa.ph or email info@diwamail.com.
LPU LagUna hosts gUest service training
From C1
Wear layers
students learn how to create their own science investigatory project at the Bato Balani Lab.
BULLETIN BOARD
Stick to flats or sneakers
The most practical types of footwear when traveling are flats, loafers, and sneakers. These are easy to slip on and off and would make moving around simpler while carrying luggage. In addition to convenience, they also won’t hurt your feet after a day of long walking. Take it from muñoz who knows how to rock a pair of sneakers from Las Vegas to Paris.
about learning concepts. The diwa Innovation Lab gave us a hands-on experience, and because of that I am grateful.” another student, after visiting the VR Lab, exclaimed, “It was amazing! I was able to go underwater for the first time. It’s different from looking at an aquarium, because you can control where you want to look.” In Working science, students learned various topics such as the scientific method and everyday science. This session is a must for every student who wishes to understand the components of an exceptional science investigatory project. a student from Cebu said this class was relevant in the coming school year. “It was very interesting. I learned a lot and I know that the discussion will be very helpful for our coming science investigatory project in school.” The diwa Innovation Lab launch coincided with the national youth science, Technology, and Environment summer Camp, an annual gathering of science-loving high school students and their teacher-advisers from all over the country. Organized by the Philippine society of youth science Clubs, nysTEsC was held in Batis aramin Resort and Hotel in Lucban, Quezon, and placed a major focus on aerodynamics, weather forecasting, transportation, and animal aviation. The diwa Innovation Lab made stops at the university of san Carlos in Cebu; Liceo de san Pablo in Laguna; Claret school of Quezon City; saint Louis university in Baguio City; and First asia Institute of Technology and Humanities in Tanauan, Batangas.
Experience a unique gallery of flora May 7 to 13 Take your mother on a date to see a rare exhibit of flowers encased in glass, found at the main entrance of sm aura Premier. Representing each characteristic of our mothers, the showcase is an ode to the most important women in our lives. Complete your art affair with brunch at Paul or Cibo, and give her a stem or a bouquet of roses.
Shower her with complimentary gifts May 12 to 13 On mother’s day weekend, pick from an array of luxury presents such as Jo malone fragrances, maC makeup, hotel gift certificates, wine, and chocolate, and instantly take home your gift, care of sm aura Premier.
Showbiz
SUNDAY, MAY 6, 2018
C3
Nickie Wang, Issue Editor nickie.standard@gmail.com
BARBIE AND DERRICK
SPREAD MAGIC IN ‘DAIG KA NG LOLA KO’ BEFORE they bring kilig and good vibes in the upcoming GMA series Inday Will Always Love You, Kapuso loveteam Barbie Forteza and Derrick Monasterio give their fans a sneak peak of their tandem in Daig Kayo Ng Lola Ko, airing today. They will star in Lola Goreng’s (Gloria Romero) story entitled “Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs.” In the episode, Snow White (Barbie) and the prince (Derrick) teach the dwarfs the value of teamwork and leadership. As Snow White is poisoned by her stepmother, what lesson will the dwarfs learn for them to be able to save Snow White? Daig Kayo Ng Lola Ko airs every Sunday night after 24 Oras Weekend on GMA Sunday Grande.
Comedian and radio jock Jhai Ho anchors Jeepney TV's latest showbiz talk show, 'Showbiz Pa More."
‘SHOWBIZ PA MORE’ BRINGS FUN, FRESH ENTERTAINMENT ON CABLE J
EEPNEY TV introduces its first ever talk show featuring today’s latest and mosttalked about entertainment news in Showbiz Pa More, hosted by DJ Jhai Ho, which premieres today. The one-hour weekly program will bring in the most talked about showbiz controversies, trending topics, events, and other exclusives, delivered in a feel-good, engaging way by Jhai Ho, more popularly known as MOR 101.9’s showbiz reporter and DJ. He also features exciting celebrity interviews online via “Hotspot” and “Hotspot Wheel Talk.” In Showbiz Pa More’s pilot episode, Jhai Ho chats with actor Matteo Guidicelli in the show’s main segment, “On Da Spot.” Expect a fun interview with the Bagani star as Jhai Ho throws in exciting questions as well challenge his handsome
guest to a game. Other guest celebrities for the month of May are singer Jake Zyrus, The Blood Sisters actor Enchong Dee, and Hanggang Saan lead star Sylvia Sanchez. The show also includes “Hotspot,” a rundown of the most talked about showbiz headlines, and “Joyride” featuring behind-the-scene event exclusives. More showbiz tidbits follow in special segments, such as #ThrowbackKahitHindiThursday where stars share stories about unforgettable scenes in Jeepney TV’s featured movie or series, and portions where Jhai Ho talks to fans in On The Jeep (OTJ), Extreme Fan, and more. Jeepney TV takes pride in showcasing all-time favorite Kapamilya shows and movies dating back to the ‘80s as well as recent, contemporary classics that have become part of Filipinos’ lives. It is available on SKYcable channel 9, Destiny Cable Analog 41 and Digital 9. Catch Showbiz Pa More starting today on Jeepney TV, 4:00 p.m.. For updates, follow @abscbnpr on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram or visitwww.abscbnpr.com.
‘BORN TO BE WILD’ PRESENTS ‘OCEAN WORLD’ THIS MAY
Doc Nielsen Donato and Doc Ferds Recio host 'Born to be Wild,' the country’s first and only wildlife documentary series.
BEGINNING today, Born to be Wild celebrates the magnificence of the country’s seas, as well as explores how humans depend on this ecosystem for survival, and uncovers the warning signs that point to its possible collapse through the “Ocean World” series. In the first episode of “Ocean World”, Born to be Wild invites viewers to meet the ocean’s toughest: agile sharks, deadly octopus, and intelligent dolphins. As top predators, sharks have evolved to become the most effective hunters. Meanwhile, smaller species like the octopus have perfected the mechanism to hide from their enemies and to strike a deadly blow to their own prey. Dolphins, while among the gentlest of ocean creatures, are equipped to communicate and survive in the vast ocean. But there is one species that seems to have tipped the balance of this marine ecosystem. Without gills or fins, this species has altered the fate of marine life, contributing to its current state of peril—humans. With man-made climate change causing seas to warm, with more and more people depleting the ocean of its resources and polluting the world’s waters, can humankind still turn things around? Catch the special series “Ocean World” in Born to be Wild beginning today after AHA! on GMA-7.
Barbie Forteza and Derrick Monasterio team up in an episode of 'Daig Ka ng Lola Ko.'
TFC AT THE ICONIC GRAND CENTRAL TERMINAL AT THE start of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, from May 9 to12, an exciting four-day event is about to happen in the largest train station in the world: the Grand Central Terminal in New York City. Explore Islands Philippines focuses on bringing the best of the Philippines to the world. From the beauty of its 7,641 islands to its dynamic, growing economy, the Philippines’ rich cultural heritage as a cornerstone of its development will be showcased. Unlike any expo, the entire event —representing every category of the Philippine culture, products, and industries—will take place inside the Vanderbilt Hall at Grand Central Terminal, where more than 770,000 commuters pass through every day. Explore Islands Philippines Expo is organized by JS Productions Inc. under acclaimed event designer and book author Jerry Sibal, with the support of the Philippine Department of Tourism (DOT), Tourism Promotions Board Philippines (TPB), Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA), Philippine Airlines (PAL) and ABS-CBN The Filipino Channel (TFC). Explore Islands Philippines Expo is envisioned to bring together the shakers and movers in tourism and investments from the Philippines and the United States. It will showcase the Philippine agenda in tourism, tourism infrastructure, manufacturing, logistics, business process management, infrastructure, energy, manufacturing, agri-business, and medical tourism. “I am confident that the Expo will successfully present the Philippines as a premier tourism and investment destination,’’ Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel G. Romualdez said in a statement. To participate, visit http://exploreislandsphilippines.com/
Explore Island Philippines Expo at the Vanderbilt Hall of New York’s iconic Grand Central Terminal.
C4
sunday, may 6, 2018
Desiree Carlos, Editor
daycarlos28@yahoo.com
Pets My Furry Bestie
Love Means
keeping
our cats Fit G
UilTY was what i felt when i read Ten Ways to help Your Cat Get Fit by Pets4homes.
pet tales
By desiree carlos
My family has eight cats and save Animals of love and light (save All), an animal welfare group we belong to, has 31 cats and kittens. some of them are fat. One rescued cat – Gabriel—is undeniably obese. We have been playing with the cats to stimulate their minds but when i read this, my mind went: “hey, you have to do more for Gabriel and the cats who are getting fat!” i was reminded that we have to help them lose those unwanted pounds to help them become fit and healthy. The article notes: “Cats are not like dogs, and it is unusual for their owners to take them for walks. indeed, it seems unnecessary, for many cats seem to stay fit by themselves, and you might think the idea of helping them to do so is a bit strange. But this is not true of all cats. Obesity in cats is becoming increasingly common, and in addition some cats are just plain lazy. Also, many cats now live exclusively or mainly indoors, which makes exercising much harder than it is for outdoor cats. if your cat is like this, or even if she just seems to be putting on a little too much weight or rarely getting up from her favourite armchair, here are some ways of helping her to get fitter.” To help owners keep their cats in shape—PARTiCUlARlY iNDOOR CATs OR REsCUED CATs iN CAGEs, here are tips from Pets4homes:
“1. Cut Back on Food Treats
Many of us give treats to our cats in addition to their normal meals. These might be titbits of human food which your cat really likes, but increasingly it is possible to buy a wide variety of supplementary food for cats. Many cats love these cat treats, and owners may think it is harmless to give their cat as many treats as she wants. But if you do this, you may add significantly to your cat's calorie intake. so if your cat needs to lose weight, or you just want to make sure that she stays fit, give treats sparingly.
2. Make Your Cat Work for Her Food
in n the wild cats have to use up a great deal of energy in order to get their food, for hunting is hard work. You can simulate this by either hiding your cat's food, or by putting it in one of the puzzle feeders you can buy for this purpose. This might seem cruel, but many cats love 'hunting' for their food in this way. My cats have bowls of dried food out all day, but they also have a puzzle feeder available. They prefer to eat out of the puzzle feeder, moving bits of it to get at the food, then scooping it out with a paw. They just love this!
3. Remove Food at Night
Many owners have dried food available for their cats to eat ad lib. This is quite acceptable, for in the wild cats would eat little and often. But some cats will overeat if you do this. if your cat is one which tends to do this, it could be a good idea to remove her food overnight. it won't do her any harm, and she may be fitter as a result.
4. Have Plenty of Toys
Not all cats like playing with toys, but many do, particularly younger cats. so make sure your cat has plenty of toys. it could be a good idea to vary those which are available, putting some away, and bringing them out a few days later. Your cat will act as though the ones she hasn't seen for a while are completely new, and she'll probably start to play with them again, even if she was bored with them in the past. This is a fun way for her to get extra exercise.
5. Use Catnip
Most cats love catnip. You can buy toys impregnated or filled with this herb, or simply buy small amounts of catnip and sprinkle it on toys or your cat's bed. Even cats which show little interest in toys as a rule may well want to play with catnip toys, and again, this could be a way of giving your cat extra exercise.
6. Use a Laser Pointer
Most cats love to chase the little red light emanating from a laser pointer. You can buy these very cheaply, or you can get a battery operated one specially designed for cats, which costs rather more. Either way, you can give your cat hours of fun and a great deal of exercise this way – at least until she realises that no matter how hard she tries she just won't be able to catch the little red light.
7. Get a Cat Tower
Cat towers, also known s cat activity centres or cat trees, are available from all good pet shops and also on the internet. They come in various designs and sizes, but all have platforms, tunnels, and boxes for cats to play in. Most cats just love running up and down these towers, and they are an excellent way of persuading even the laziest cat to get more exercise.
8. Buy Your Cat a Treadmill or Wheel
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. GARFiElD, our cat, is a one-cat welcoming committee. he greets visitors and plays with them. During rummage sales to raise funds for save All rescues, he "guards" the items. in between all the "work," he sleeps.
For contributions, please email to daycarlos28@yahoo.com and put My Furry Bestie as subject.
large and rather expensive, but if you have the money and the space, this may well be something you would like to try. You might think that cats would not want to run in one of these, but many cats seem to really like them.
9. Teach Your Cat to Walk on a Harness and Lead
strange though it may seem, some cats enjoy wearing a harness and going for walks on a lead with their owners, just like dogs. if you decide to try this way of getting your cat to exercise, take things slowly. Get her used to the harness first, just for short periods. Then try it for longer, and then add the lead. Praise your cat for wearing the harness, and stop if she seems at all distressed. Not all cats will do this, but many enjoy the experience.
10. Get a New Kitten
This might seem like an extreme way of persuading an older cat to exercise more! it also might not work, as some older cats become really annoyed if a new kitten is introduced to the family. But sometimes the older cat will play with the new kitten, and is given a new lease of life. This happened with my older Maine Coon when i got a new kitten. he just loved the new baby, treated it as his very own, and the two became firm friends. And he became a lot fitter too. so if you want a new kitten anyway, this may work. “ Pet4homes omes adds,” adds,”helping elping your cat to get fit is not all that dif difficult, but it may involve a bit of time and effort. You might want to try the suggestions above, and see which of them work for you. All cats are different, but you only need one or two of them to work well for your cat to start to become slimmer and fitter. “
sEB, an odd-eyed rescue of save All, roams around the garden and plays with VAl, a kitten rescued on a busy street in Manila.
MiKEE is the oldest dog of Dee Yojz. she is now 13 years old. Of her five dogs Dee says Mikee is “pinakamasungit” probably because she is a spinster. But she is also the sweetest doggy who hugs her leg when she arrives from work, Dee adds. Mikee would stay there hugging Dee’s leg even when Dee is already walking, Dee says. Mikee will only stop when Dee bends down to kiss Mikee.
GEOM-EUN is Maureen Gaddi dela Cruz’ cat in Cotabato City “Geom-eun is a "community cat" who lives in an apartment compound. i moved into that compound when i relocated from Manila for work, and was giving food to the resident cats when i noticed that the gentle, timid black cat wasn't getting any food and was being bullied by larger cats. i coaxed him into my apartment and started feeding him there regularly, “Maureen recalls. “he is now much healthier than before, and has become really sweet and friendly to me. he's still shy around other humans and his fellow cats, though, often disappearing into the shadows when unfamiliar figures arrive, “ Maureen adds. “But when i arrive home from the office, he comes running and rubs up against my legs. he still has to sleep outside and remain semi-feral, though, because i travel frequently for work and i live alone so there's nobody to take care of him when i'm away. his name is the Korean word for ‘black,” Maureen says.
itt is now possible to buy treadmills or wheels specifically designed for cats. These are a first-rate way of persuading your cat to get more exercise. They are quite
Mykee is Juvy Gojo Vruz’ furbaby. “i love this doggy to bits,” she says.