Manila Standard - 2018 May 27 - Sunday

SPORTS/ A8

CAVS, JAMES STAY ALIVE VOL. XXXII • NO. 101 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P18 • SUNDAY, MAY 27, 2018 • www.manilastandard.net • editorial@manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

JAMES

YOUNG LIFE/ C2

P.3-B GAS SUBSIDY MISSING COA QUIZZES ENERGY ON FUND USE

By Maricel V. Cruz

T

HE Department of Energy has yet to account for the P300-million transport subsidy rolled out during the immediately preceding Aquino administration from 2010 to 2016.

In its 2017 report, the Commission on Audit said the department had failed to submit documents needed to evaluate the fuel subsidy program, that was last implemented in 2013.

The Pantawid Pasada program of the DoE has not been audited since its implementation seven years ago, the latest CoA report indicated.

The DoE implemented the Pantawid Pasada, or Public Transport Assistance program with the Transportation, Finance, and Interior departments to cushion the high fuel prices caused by the Middle East oil crisis.

CoA said it notified the DoE about the pending review of the P300-million program, but its letters were left unanswered for several years.

Among the documents demanded by CoA were the fund utiliza-

tion report, fund loading by the Bank of the Philippine Islands, and the inventory of the cash cards given to jeepney drivers.

With the DoE’s failure to submit the documents the CoA demanded, how the P300 million was used, and how many cards were loaded with cash could not be determined.

However, the DoE’s Oil Industry Management Bureau said auditors handling the Malampaya fund had “already audited” the program.

The bureau said that the CoA reported no major finding but it asked for supporting documents from BPI. The bureau blamed “systems failure” for its failure to submit supporting documents that have been pending since

PHILIPPINE TRICOLORS. Peddlers sell Philippine flags of different sizes to passing motorists along a busy stretch of Manila’s bayside Roxas Blvd. during the weekend in anticipation of the observance of National Flag Day from May 28 until June 12. Ey Acasio

2013.

“BPI submitted already the fund utilization report but CoA requested a detailed utilization per card which BPI system cannot immediately act [on] because their system crashed,” it said.

In 2011, then President Benigno Aquino III instituted the program through Executive Order 32 with an initial funding of P450 million.

Of this amount, P300 million was allocated to the DoE while the rest was given to the Department of the Interior and Local Government.

Funds for the program were sourced from its earnings from the Malampaya Deep Water Gas-to-Power project.

PALACE SEEKS PRICE FREEZE AS OIL FALLS

By Vito Barcelo and Maricel V. Cruz MALACAÑANG has warned traders and business sectors not to increase the prices of their products, with global oil prices falling after top producer Saudi Arabia signaled a likely boost in supply as soon as the third quarter.

At the same time, Malacañang ordered the Department of Trade and Industry to strictly monitor the prices of basic commodities and to penalize those who would take advantage of the rise in oil products.

World oil prices fell Friday after Saudi Arabia signaled a likely boost in supply as soon as the third quarter, and world stock markets were mixed over the sudden US move to cancel the summit with North Korea.

Saudi oil minister Khaled al-Faleh told an economic conference in Russia that a gradual output increase could happen in the second half of the year to prevent any supply shocks, according to the RIA Novosti agency.

In a related development: • Militant lawmakers on Saturday vowed to intensify mass protests against the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion or the TRAIN Law blamed for spiraling prices of fuel and other prime commodities Turn to A2

PH REPAIRS SEA OUTPOSTS

By Sara Susanne D. Fabunan

BEST FESTIVAL.

Included in the list of astonishing events people want to witness in the rice-growing town of Pulilan in Bulacan north of Manila is the award-winning Kneeling Carabao Festival where hundreds of the often described beasts of burden gather every mid part of May for a parade in homage to the patron saint of farmers San Isidro Labrador. This has gained recognition from the Association of Tourism Officers of the Philippines as Best Festival in the town level for 2015 and 2016. Teddy Pelaez

twitter.com/ MlaStandard

facebook.com/ ManilaStandardPH

S

THE Philippines has begun long-delayed repairs to its crumbling runway in the country’s territory in the disputed Spratly Islands, Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative reported.

The renovation in the Philippines’ nine outposts came amid increasing Chinese military reclamation in the disputed Spratly Island.

The AMTI said the commotion was monitored in February 2017 and May 17, 2018 by its satellites which showed minor improvements to facilities on Pagasa Island (Thitu Island) and three other of its post in 2017 until the present.

“In addition to the runway repairs, a comparison of recent imagery with photos from February 2017 shows minor upgrades to facilities on Thitu and three other outposts in the last year,” the AMTI said.

Turn to A2 manilastandard.net

FILIPINA SINGS HER WAY TO LONDON

ORILA

WALK

ANDSINGS FILIPINA CHEW GUM, HER WAY IT MAY KEEP YOU TOTHIN: LONDON STUDY PARIS, France—Still looking for the secret to effortless weight loss? It may be as simple as chewing gum while walking, Japanese researchers suggested on Saturday.

Turn to A2

TRUMP MAKES ABOUT-FACE ON TALKS WITH KIM WASHINGTON, United States—One day after abruptly pulling the plug on a high-stakes summit with North Korea, US President Donald Trump said Friday the meeting with Kim Jong-un could go ahead after all—and would “likely” happen on the originally scheduled date of June 12.

The summit would be an unprecedented meeting between a sitting US president and a North Korean leader, which Washington hopes will result in the full denuclearization of the reclusive state.

Trump said in a tweet that “very productive talks” were ongoing with North Turn to A2

'SOLGEN'S KIN BAGGED THREE SECURITY DEALS'

By Maricel V. Cruz THE Calida’s Vigilant Investigative and Security Agency Inc. has secured multimillion-peso contracts with at least three government agencies months after Jose Calida’s appointment as Solicitor General.

This was revealed in the documents leaked to media during the weekend.

Turn to A2

Missed your copy of Manila Standard? Call or text our Circulation Hotline at 0917-8848655 or email: circ@manilastandardtoday.com

News

A2

SUNDAY, MAY 27, 2018 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

WALK...

JOMA COLD-SHOULDERED ON HANOI GAB WITH RODY

From A1

In experiments, they said, the heart rate of 46 people, aged 21 to 69, increased when they were given gum to chew while walking at a natural pace.

And while masticating caused a measurable physical difference in participants of both genders and across all age groups, it was most pronounced in men over 40, the team reported at the European Congress on Obesity in Vienna.

“Combining exercise and gum chewing may be an effective way to manage weight,” the researchers said—particularly in countries such as Japan where walking is the “most widely performed movement”.

Previous research had found that gum chewing boosts heart rate and energy expenditure in people at rest.

This was the first study dedicated to studying its effects in people while walking, its authors said.

Volunteers completed two walking trials, each 15 minutes long.

In one they chewed two pellets of gum that contained three kilocalories. In the other, for comparison, they walked after ingesting a powder containing the same ingredients as the gum.

The team then measured participants’ resting heart rate and walking heart rate in both legs, as well as the distance they covered at a natural pace, walking speed, and the number of steps taken.

In all participants, the mean heart rate was “significantly higher” in the gum trial, said the researchers.

In men over 40, it also boosted the distance walked, number of steps taken, and energy expended.

Though the study was not designed to explain the link, the team speculated it may have something to do with “cardio-locomotor synchroniZation,” a natural phenomenon whereby the heart beats in rhythm with a repetitive movement.

Obesity has become a global scourge. It increases a person’s risk of developing heart disease and stroke, diabetes, and certain cancers.

“Effective preventive methods and treatments for obesity are needed,” the researchers said.

The study was published in The Journal of Physical Therapy Science. AFP

By Joyce Pangco Pañares

T

HE Communist Party of the Philippines has proposed a meeting between CPP founding chairman Jose Ma. Sison and President Rodrigo Duterte in Hanoi, but the government has rejected the offer.

In a statement, Sison, also the chief political consultant of the National Democratic Front, said the original plan was for Duterte to attend the ceremonial signing of an interim peace agreement in Oslo once both sides have firmed it up.

“But the government side backed out and offered Medialdea as the proxy of Duterte,” he said.

Sison said the NDF then offered Hanoi as an alternative venue to “facilitate the attendance”of the President.

“Hanoi as a venue near the Philippines was proposed by NDF in consideration of the heavy work sked of Duterte,” he said.

The government, however, “did not give a positive answer,” the communist leader said, noting that Norway, as third party facilitator, could not make any arrangement with Vietnam until a consensus had been reached by both negotiating panels.

Sison has rejected Duterte’s offer to

TRUMP...

From A1

Korea about reinstating the summit.

“If it does happen, will likely remain in Singapore on the same date, June 12th,” he wrote, adding the meeting could be extended further if necessary.

On Thursday, Trump canceled the summit that was due to take place in Singapore, blaming “tremendous anger and open hostility” from Pyongyang in recent days.

But North Korea responded Friday by saying it was willing to talk to the United States “at any time”—a reaction Trump welcomed as “warm and productive.”

“We’re talking to them now,” Trump said of the North Koreans. “They very much want to do it. We’d like to do it.”

US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said there was “possibly some good news” on the summit, while White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders told reporters: “If the meeting takes place on June 12, we will be ready.”

On Saturday, South Korea, which had brokered the remarkable detente between Washington and Pyongyang, cautiously welcomed Trump’s latest comments.

“We find it fortunate that the embers of the North Korea-US talks are reignited.

We are watching developments carefully,” Presidential Blue House spokesman Kim Eui-gyeom said.

SISON

LENI HITS OUT AT 'FAKE NEWS' ON SOCIAL MEDIA

PH...

From A1

Court Chief Justice Antonio Carpio warned Friday warned that Subi Reef (Zamora Reef) could soon see foreign bombers and fighter jets landing on its runway.

The magistrate, a foremost advocate of the Philippines’ claims in the South China Sea, said this is in light of a recent report that the island was now home to a small town with “sports grounds, neat roads, and large civic buildings,” and could possibly host China’s first troops in the area.

Carpio told reporters the presence of military-grade runways, hangars, hardened storage for ammunition, and retractable roofs for anti-cruise missiles in Chinese military installations in the South China Sea all point to the presence of fighter jets and bombers in the near future.

“What will they do with close-in weapons if not to protect valuable aircraft?

All military analysts agree that China will bring their fighter jets and bombers,” he said on the sidelines of a special exhibit of the Murillo-Velarde 1734 Map at the Manila Polo Club in Makati City.

The map was among the close to 300 ancient maps the Philippines submitted to the United Nations arbitral tribunal in pursuing its case against China’s expansive claims to the South China Sea. The Philippines military has also occupied, controlled, and raised the flag over Rizal Reef and Ayungin Shoal.

Some of these were permanently occupied as early as 1970 (Lawak Island); the latest (Ayungin Shoal) in 1995.

The Island is also home to 100 Filipino civilians—just over 12 nautical miles from China’s air and naval base at Subi Reef.

hold the peace talks in the Philippines, saying there are security issues that have to be considered in making such a move.

“I have consistently declared that I will return home when substantial progress is already achieved in the peace negotiations and my comrades and lawyers are satisfied with the legal and security guarantees. By substantial progress, I mean the entire Comprehensive Agreement on Social and Economic Reforms has been mutually approved by the government and NDF principals,”he said.

“There are certain important considerations against my prematurely returning to the Philippines…I would be placing myself and the entire peace negotiations in the pocket of Duterte and at his mercy. Any peace spoiler or saboteur would be able to destroy the entire peace negotiations by simply abducting or harming any NDF panelist or consultant,” Sison added.

While Duterte promised that no

harm would come to Sison if he returned to the Philippines, the President threatened to kill his former college professor if the peace talks failed to produce an agreement within the next two months.

“If we come to an agreement, that is good. But if not, I will escort him personally to the airport if the talks amount to nothing within the next two months. I will allow him to go out of the country.

I will not arrest him because I gave my word on that,”Duterte said.

“But I will tell him, ‘You son of a whore. Do not return here or I will really kill you,” the President said.

Sison, however, shrugged off Duterte’s latest threat, saying the President had vowed to kill him one time too many that he now saw it as an expression of affection.

VICE President Leni Robredo, denying she has had any romantic ties with anyone after her husband’s death, has addressed “false information” circulating on social media against her.

In an interview posted on her Facebook page, Robredo denied a quiet but persistent claim that she planned the plane crash of her late husband and former Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo. “[His death] was the saddest. First of all, why would I kill the person I loved the most? When

my husband died, it was so hard on me and my children,” she said in Tagalog.

She added, also in Tagalog: “Why would I make myself go through that hardship? Why would I do that to my children?

“And why would I hurt the person who love me so much? When he died, we went through all the hardships. So, why would I do that?

There’s no logic behind it..”

The Vice President reiterated not having any romantic relationship after her husband died.

On rumors she was dating anyone, Robredo said: “I will repeat: since my husband died, I never had a boyfriend, I don’t have one, and have no plans to have a boyfriend.”

Robredo also set the record straight on her travels, and said her family trips were covered with their savings, adding “I only travel if it’s official.”

She said: “In our family, Jesse wanted us to travel with the kids to their horizons. So we save up. My children wait for seat sales. We always travel in economy class.”

Robredo said she was debunking allegations because she realized that if she kept silent, people would believe in them.

She said: “I realized my mistake. I have been at the receiving end of fake news. My decision at first was to not dignify. I was thinking that if I spend my time on these, I will lose focus on my job.

“I was focused but I realized that if I don’t answer, people will believe it and we can’t blame them because it’s the only thing they read. Lately, I said I will fight against fake news.”

PALACE...

From A1

Reps. Antonio Tinio and France Castro of ACT Teachers Party-list vowed to continue the protests until Republic Act 10963 was repealed.

“President Duterte has drained the already empty pockets of the Filipino people with the regressive TRAIN 1 which imposes excise tax on sensitive products like oil and petroleum gas which will have a domino effect on the prices of other products,” Tinio said.

“Inflation rates are at a record high with the first P2.50 of the P6 excise tax on fuel. Without the repeal of the TRAIN 1, we would expect an even higher inflation rate in the coming years,” Castro said.

Benchmark crude prices tumbled almost $3 per barrel in London and fell more than $2 in New York.

Oil stocks were also hammered as a result, with US supermajor Chevron falling 3.5 percent.

The weakened energy stocks weighed on Wall Street’s performance, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500 each lost 0.2 percent for the day.

Russia’s oil tsar Alexander Novak said ministers from Opec and other members of the production pact would discuss how much to increase production next month.

“If we come to a common opinion that it is necessary” to increase supply it “should probably take place from the third quarter,” Novak said, according to RIA Novosti.

The lackluster finish in New York came amid light trading volume ahead of a three-day holiday weekend, the traditional start of the US summer when many market players are on vacation.

Quincy Krosby, chief market strategist at Prudential Financial, said that more than simply reacting to oil prices, traders were seeking to reduce their exposure to global uncertainties ahead of the holiday.

“You don’t want to stay in the market for a long weekend with the uncertainties surrounding North Korea as well as the situation in the middle-east with Iran,” he told AFP.

London and Frankfurt stock indices finished the week slightly higher, while Paris was essentially flat at the close as investors hesitated amid the confusing series of reports on geopolitics.

President Donald Trump on Friday (Saturday in Manila) raised the possibility of pressing ahead after all with a June summit with North Korea, barely 24 hours after abruptly calling the meeting off.

That news followed the Trump administration’s announcement it was considering imposing duties on auto imports, which threatens to disrupt a crucial North American industry and anger major US trading partners who are already in fraught trade talks with Washington.

US markets will be closed on Monday in observance of Memorial Day. Asian markets mostly fell Friday after the news of Trump’s cancellation of the summit.

“It looks like we are back to fire and fury as the modus operandi for the White House again after President Trump [threatened] a new 25 percent car import tariff and canceled the summit with North Korea,” said Greg McKenna, chief market strategist at AxiTrader.

In Malacañang, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque estimated that at least 70 percent of traders were taking advantage of the rising oil products and the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion Act. “Many in the business sectors are taking advantage of the situation, thus, prices of commodities are high. However, there are penalties for those who would be caught,” Roque said over a radio interview.

The Palace official assured the consumers that the government was doing all efforts to control and maintain the prices of goods in the market.

“The DTI will prosecute individuals who will take advantage of price hikes,” he said.

Roque said Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III had ordered the regional wage board to convene and conduct summary proceedings on the necessity of

wage hikes.

Labor groups earlier asked the DoLE to raise the minimum wage of workers due to the supervening event from the sharp inflationary impact of the TRAIN Law. In a statement, the Alliance of Labor Unions-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines claimed there was enough reason for the regional wage boards to conduct summary proceedings on the necessity of wage hikes even in the absence of wage petitions within their respective regions.

Duterte’s spokesperson also said the Department of Energy was looking into the possibility to buy cheaper oil products from Russia and non-Opec members.

“We will do everything to import cheaper oil, because not all oil producers are members of Opec. We are looking into the possibility that we can import diesel from Russia,” Roque added.

Castro said as the school opening for academic year 2018-2019 nears, parents, teachers and students who have been preparing for the supplies and other expenses for schooling were not exempt from the burden of higher prices of school supplies.

“The Duterte administration has done nothing but to increase prices of basic needs for school supplies, food, transportation and other basic needs and services while also keeping mum on the demands of the people for salary increase, job security and depriving the people from their benefits,” Tinio added.

Duterte’s economic managers stand firm against the repeal of the TRAIN 1 despite the loud clamor of the people especially the poor who are most affected, including those sending their children to school, Tinio said.

At the same time, they are pushing for the swift passage of TRAIN 2 which will give away billions of savings to giant local corporations with the lowering of corporate income taxes, Tinio added.

With AFP

'SOLGEN'S...

From A1 The security firm owned by Calida’s wife, Milagros, bagged various contracts with the National Parks Development Committee, the National AntiPoverty Commission, and the National Economic and Development Authority from 2016 to 2018, documents from these agencies showed.

As of press time, Calida has yet to issue a statement.

The documents said the NPDC awarded a P29.2-million contract to Calida’s firm last January for security services at

the Rizal and Paco parks in the capital city.

A service agreement between NPDC and VISAI dated Jan. 31, 2018, as shown in one of the documents, identified Milagros Calida as the security agency’s “Chairwoman/President.”

Last year, the NPDC—under the Tourism department—also awarded a P10.3-million security contract to VISAI to provide security for the two parks.

The securiry firm of Calida also bagged a P2.8-million service contract

from the National Anti-Poverty Commission in August 2016.

A month after (September 2016), it got another contract with the National Economic and Development Authority amounting to P6.8 million for security services.

Calida is facing graft raps at the Ombudsman owing to his allegedly anomalous ownership of a security agency that has contracts with several government agencies.

Jocelyn Acosta-Nisperos filed a 13-

page complaint against Calida.

She said Calida allegedly violated the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, the Code of Conduct and for Ethical Standards for Public Offices and Employees and the Revised Penal Code.

Acosta-Nisperos claimed in her complaint that the document she received from the Securities and Exchange Commission showed Calida owned 60 percent of Vigilant Investigative and Security Agency, while his wife and three children own 10 percent each.

News

DFA CONFIRMS: 2 PH NURSES DIE IN AUSTRALIA CAR CRASH

By Sara Susanne D. Fabunan

“Our thoughts and prayers go to the loved ones of two of our own who lost their lives in tragedy,” Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter HE Department of Foreign this Cayetano said after receiving the initial report Affairs on Saturday from Ambassador Minda Cruz of the Philippine Embassy in Canberra. extended its condolences Cayetano also said that the country is praying to the families of two for the quick recovery of six others who were Filipina nurses who were killed in a injured.

The Foreign Affairs chief added that the DFA is car accident in Australia on Friday. ready to extend any possible assistance that the In a statement released on Saturday, the DFA families of the victims may require.

In her report, Cruz said a pharmacist, his three confirmed that two individuals who died from a children and a relative of one of the fatalities were head on car crash were Filipina nurses.

T

injured in the car crash.

Cruz said the two fatalities, who were active members of the Filipino Community in Canberra, were on their way to Melbourne to attend an El Shaddai anniversary event when the accident happened.

The envoy who visited the injured victims in the hospital, said the victims were on board a Dodge Journey vehicle which collided headon with a Toyota Land Cruiser being driven by a 65-year-old man.

The crash, which took place along a stretch of highway in Wallaroo, about an hour from Canberra, is under investigation by authorities.

FLOODED.

Barangay Mapulang Lupa, Valenzuela City is submerge in flood due to heavy rains during the past few days. Andrew Rabulan

A3

SUNDAY, MAY 27, 2018 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

DUTERTE TO VISIT S. KOREA IN JUNE

By Vito Barcelo THE Palace confirmed on Saturday that President Rodrigo Duterte will visit South Korea on June 3 to 5, and meet with Korean President Moon Jae-In who are expected to discuss ways to enhance bilateral trade between the two countries.

Palace Spokesperson Harry Roque said Duterte’s trip would be his first visit as President of the Philippines to South Korea. He visited South Korea twice as mayor of Davao City.

“The President will meet with South Korean leaders to discuss and strengthen economic ties with that country,” Roque said over a radio interview.

During his bilateral meeting with Moon Jae-in on the sidelines of the Asean Summit last year, Duterte encouraged South Korea to invest in manufacturing, automotive, food production, processing, agribusiness, electronics and energy.

President Duterte also expressed his gratitude to South Korea for importing Philippine products such as food, garments, chemicals and electronic parts.

There are more than 24,000 Filipino workers deployed in South Korea under the Korea’s Employment Permit System.

ECOWASTE URGES USE OF LEAD-FREE PAINTS IN SCHOOLS

By Joel E. Zurbano

TIEZA BUILDS ‘OUTFALL’ FOR ‘BORACAY REHAB THE Tourism Infrastructure Economic Zone Authority is hurrying the construction of a temporary discharge pipeline to fast-track rehabilitation activities in Boracay before the onset of the rainy season.

Working side-by-side with the departments of Environment and Public Works, Tieza hopes to complete the temporary outfall project by July.

The permanent outfall will be completed by January next year.

The temporary discharge pipeline

JOINT MILITARY, POLICE TEAM KILLS 9 DRUG SUSPECTS A JOINT operation by the police and the military resulted in the killing of nine people suspected of drug dealing in a town in Cotabato City.

According to Superintendent Bernard Tayong, spokesperson for the North Cotabato Police Office, police and military operatives were about to serve a search warrant on the “lair” of drug suspects Dadting Kasan and Intan Aban in Sitio Biao, Barangay Kilada in Matalam town at about 11:15 pm. on Friday when the suspects fired at them.

The operatives fired back, killing Kasan and Aban were and seven other suspects.

“During the implementation ... subjects of search warrants fought and engaged law enforcers using high-powered firearms,” Tayong said in a statement.

The government operatives recovered from the crime scene assorted heavy firearms, including improvised 50-caliber barret sniper rifle, rocket-propelled grenades and ammunition. No illegal drugs, however, were found during the raid.

Meanwhile, Major General Cirilito Sobejana of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division vowed to support the administration’s campaign against illegal drugs.

“We will sustain our active support in the PNP and PDEA’s war on illegal drugs.”

The police have yet to determine if Kasan and Aban and their followers are members of drug syndicates operating in North Cotabato and in other areas in south and central Mindanao.

will prevent flooding in various underground utilities and road construction projects while Tieza and the Public Works department augment their declogging activities in the drainage systems and sewerage facilities of Boracay.

The outfall will have a discharge pipe extended up to 800 meters off the shore of Bolabog beach. It will cater drainage water from central Boracay.

The water to be discharged from this outfall will be treated before being released to the

continental shelf.

According to Tieza, this temporary outfall is part of the task force’s action plan to ensure that the sixmonth rehabilitation of Boracay would be unhampered even during the June to December rainy season.

Tieza has already hastened the implementation of Phase 2 of the Boracay Drainage Improvement Project.

Phase 2, among others, targets to finish the construction of four more pumping stations and three sea outfall pipelines.

Tieza’s mandate in Boracay’s rehabilitation program, pursuant to Executive Order No. 53 that created the Boracay Inter-Agency Task Force, is to undertake the completion of the drainage system, to work with the Department of Public Works and Highways in establishing flood control infrastructures, and to ensure the completion of the expansion of the water and sewerage system in Boracay Island’s three barangays.

Tieza is the infrastructure arm of the Department of Tourism. PNA

STIFFER PENALTIES FOR VIOLATORS OF CHILD PROTECTION LAWS PUSHED

By Maricel V. Cruz A PANEL in the House of Representatives is poised to pass a measure imposing stiffer penalties for violators of child protection laws to deter future abuses against them.

The House committee on the welfare of children, chaired by Rep. Divina Grace Yu of Zamboanga City, backed House Bill 5662 authored by Rep. Geraldine Roman of Bataan.

The bill proposes to increase the penalties committed against children as embodied in Republic Act 7610 or the “Special Protection of Children Against Abuse,

Exploitation, and Discrimination Act” enacted in 1992.

The bill amends several sections of RA 7610 specifically Section 9 which currently imposes prision mayor in its medium period to any person who shall hire, employ, use, persuade, induce, or coerce a child to perform in obscene exhibitions and indecent shows, whether live or in video, or model in obscene publications or pornographic materials or to sell or distribute the said materials. Under HB 5662, such offense shall be penalized with reclusion temporal in its medium period.

The bill also carries a penalty of reclusion perpetua which shall be imposed if

BRIGADA. SM City Taytay joins Brigada Eskwela 2018 headed by SM senior assistant vice president Allan Brosas. SM employees volunteered to paint the classroom walls and donated electric fans to Manuel I. Santos Memorial National High School in Taytay, Rizal. Norman Cruz

the child used as a performer, subject, or seller/distributor is below 12 years of age.

The penalty of reclusion temporal in its maximum period is imposed on any ascendant, guardian, or person entrusted in any capacity with the care of a child who shall cause and/ or allow such child to be employed or to participate in an obscene play, scene act, movie of show or in any other acts covered by the section.

On the other hand, House Bill 6295 authored by Rep. Michael Odylon Romero of 1-Pacman Party-list proposes to increase the penalties of offenses committed against children embodied in RA 9231.

RA 9231 enacted in 2003 penalizes certain exploitative acts with regard to child labor.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development expressed support for the approval of the two measures.

At a congressional hearing, DSWD representative Miramel Laxa said the bills will serve as a deterrent to future abuses against children because of the stiffer penalties for the violators of child protection laws.

“We all know that despite the presence of several laws protecting our children, abuses against them still happen,” she said.

The DSWD proposed to the panel that the two proposals be consolidated into one bill.

Among its recommendations for the enhancement of HB 5662 is that violators, especially those entrusted in any capacity with the care of a child, must undergo mandatory seminars on child protection offered by the DSWD and non-government organizations.

ENVIRONMENTALIST group Ecowaste Coalition on Saturday urged school officials and teachers to stay vigilant on lead-containing decorative paints that are illegal to use in schools and hazardous to children.

The group made the appeal in time for this week’s Brigada Eskwela program, an annual school maintenance activity to help ensure that public elementary and high schools nationwide will be ready in time for the school opening.

Under the program, teachers, parents, pupils, civic groups, volunteers and even police and military personnel members picked up brooms, paint brushes, washed walls and started cleaning the surroundings and classrooms in public schools nationwide.

“We call upon all school heads and teachers to exercise the utmost vigilance to ensure that banned leaded paints are not used to decorate classroom walls, windows, doors, desks, and tables, and other school amenities during the Brigada Eskwela,” appealed Thony Dizon, Ecowaste Chemical Safety Campaigner.

Ecowaste said that lead-containing decorative paints that are typically used for homes, schools, daycare centers, and playgrounds, as well as for toys and other children’s products, have been phased out effective Dec. 31, 2016 in line with DENR’s Chemical Control Order for Lead and Lead Compounds.

“It is likely that old stocks of lead-containing paints are still available in hardware stores and unknowingly sold to uninformed buyers. Paint consumers have the right to be protected against hazards to health and should insist on lead-safe paints at all times,” Dizon warned.

AUSSIE NUN STAYS AS DOJ INTERVENES IN BI DECISION CONTROVERSIAL Australian nun Patricia Fox is staying in the country for the time being, thanks to the intervention of the Department of Justice.

The DoJ quickly responded to an appeal aired by Fox’s lawyers, who filed a petition for review of the BI’s order cancelling the nun’s missionary visa.

The DoJ ordered the BI 10 days to comment on Fox’s petition. The nun’s camp, meanwhile, has five days to answer BI’s comment once it was received.

The petition effectively put the BI’s deportation order on hold and also reinstates Fox’s missionary visa.

Fox’s legal team welcomed the decision and DoJ’s quick action on their pleading.

“Sa bahagi ng legal team ni Sister Pat, we welcome itong mabilis na pag recognize ng Department of Justice,” Kathy Panguban, one of Fox’s lawyers, said at a forum in Quezon City.

“While we welcome this prompt issuance of an order of the Department of Justice requiring the Bureau of Immigration to comment within 10 days on the petition that we filed, we will not be complacent, we will not let our guards down,” she added.

A4

Opinion

SUNDAY, MAY 27, 2018

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Adelle Chua, Editor

EDITORIAL

NEVER FUNNY

DIARY OF A NOT-SO-YOUNG GIRL

S

ENATOR Vicente Sotto III has just been named the third most powerful person in government. He took over the Senate presidency last week from Senator Aquilino Pimentel III.

THE first time I got my words and photo printed on a newspaper was in 1991. I was 15 and a junior in high school. The newspaper was Dyaryo Filipino, and on the education section was a survey—“Sino ang iyong idolo (Who is your idol)?”

I said, Anne Frank. At that time I had read her diary once. I would read it again a few years hence, and would see a movie on it much, much later.

My answer, in Filipino, had something to do with being brave in the face of change, even a drastic, life-changing one.

I remember all this today because of the news earlier this month that researchers have uncovered two hidden pages of the famous diary, which Anne fondly addressed as Kitty.

The Associated Press reported that Anne wrote the secret diary entry on Sept. 28, 1942, less than three months after her family went into hiding in Amsterdam. The pages contained jokes about sex and some of her thoughts on sex, contraception and prostitution. *** A generation later, if I were asked who my idols are, Frank would still be among my answers—but for much, much different reasons.

She was part of the reason I kept writing diaries—journals if I did not want to sound juvenile or schoolgirlish—well into my...okay, confession: I still keep them.

The documentation changed with the times. My first diary was a real one, with lock and key. Over the next decade they became plain steno notebooks, ones I would lug around everywhere and wrote on whenever “the need arose.” I scribbled furiously while keeping my sick mother company at the hospital, while catching up with readings at the university library, while on board a bus even though the motion made writing in longhand difficult. Later, when I started working and was assigned a computer terminal, I kept a Word file, with a password, and at the end of the year printed that year’s Episodes file.

Oh, but I lost some years. I lost the printouts, deleted the files, or just forgot the passwords. Later, blogging came along and for a while the novelty of “publishing” one’s musings became tantalizing—until times changed again and the dangers of revealing everything online manifested themselves.

With cloud technology I learned to keep the years I had managed to salvage. It is on Google Drive, too where I sustain this habit—no, this means of survival. This way I can access the file from my Mac, which I use at home and use everywhere, even in Grab or the P2P. That, or from my desktop at the office.

One is not always prolific, of course. Months could go by without me writing anything, because I am swamped with work and other, ugh, preoccupations. But always, I go back. It’s not something that is nice to do, or I want to do. One needs it, to clear one’s head, to master one’s emotions by capturing them in words, to express a broad range of

A long-time lawmaker and local government executive, Sotto is also known for his role in a comedy show and as a host in a noontime program. He’s proud of this latter tag—“I don’t mind people calling me a mere comedian...I take everything as a compliment,” he said.

He pointed to his track record—his perfect attendance at Senate sessions and the dozens of laws he had helped pass. He said he would ignore his bashers and focus instead on the challenges of his position.

He said he wants to maintain the dignity of the Senate.

We certainly understand the people’s apprehension. Sotto could be a polarizing figure. Remember his staunch opposition to the reproductive health bill on what he said were moral grounds? How he said a single mother was “na-ano”? How he shamelessly used the words of another and passed them off as his own? None of these are laughing matters, or issues that should be trivialized.

It’s not the background in comedy but these, done when he was already in public service, are what the critics are worried about. There is already so much perceived bigotry, intolerance and hatred, even misogyny, in other branches of the government. One more such official could be one too many.

We need lawmakers who take their mandate seriously, and that means showing up for work and, true to their job title, making laws.

We also need an effective counterbalance to the many forces that threaten to tear our independent institutions apart. Moreover, we need leaders who will lead us to think we are moving forward in how we see the world and conduct ourselves—not the other way around.

Sotto is seen as a funnyman, not because he starred in comedy shows or movies, but because he apparently believes some issues should be taken lightly and that a patriarchal mindset still applies. Now he has his chance to prove he is dead serious.

Turn to A5

2018 PALANCA AWARDS DEADLINE THE deadline for the 68th Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature is on May 31 this year. Entries will be accepted up to 6:00 p.m. only, so participants are encouraged to send their entries now.

This year, the Palanca Foundation is accepting entries for 20 categories: • English Division—Short Story, Short Story for Children, Essay, Poetry, Poetry Written for Children, One-act

Play, and Full-length Play; • Filipino Division—Maikling Kuwento, Maikling Kuwentong Pambata, Sanaysay, Tula, Tulang Para sa mga Bata, Dulang May Isang Yugto, Dulang Ganap ang Haba, and Dulang Pampelikula; • Regional Languages Division— Short Story-Cebuano, Short Story-Hiligaynon, and Short Story-Ilokano; • Kabataan Division—Kabataan Essay and Kabataan Sanaysay, with the theme “How will you encourage the Filipino youth to read more books?” for the essay, and “Paano mo hihikayatin ang mga kabataang Pilipino na magba-

sa pa ng mga aklat?” for the sanaysay.

Entries may be submitted directly or by mail or courier to the Palanca Foundation office at Ground Floor, Greenbelt Excelsior Bldg., 105 C. Palanca Street, Legaspi Village, Makati City.

Winners will be honored in a ceremony later this year.

For more information, visit the website www.palancaawards.com.ph or contact cpmawards@gmail.com / (632) 843-8277. Look for Ms. Leslie Layoso. *** The Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature (Palanca Awards) was

established in 1950 to commemorate the memory of Don Carlos Tanguinlay Palanca Sr. through an endeavor that would promote education and culture in the country.

Palanca was born in 1869 in Xiamen, China, and immigrated to the Philippines in 1884. His original name was Tan Quin Lay. He worked as an apprentice in a relative’s hardware store for six years until opening his own store in 1890.

He diversified into textile trading and later established a distillery, the famed La Tondeña. An astute business-

man, he propelled his company into the ranks of the country’s top liquor purveyors and became one of the most prominent Filipino-Chinese businessmen and philanthropists during the American era.

Among his pet charities were educational institutions and he instilled in his descendants the value of education.

He died on Sept. 2, 1950, at age 81.

Today, the CPMA is the most enduring and prestigious literary award in the country, even being dubbed “the Pulitzer Prize of the Philippines.” It aims, accordTurn to A5

Rolando G. Estabillo Publisher ManilaStandard

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

ONLINE

can be accessed at: thestandard.com.ph

MEMBER

PPI

Philippine Press Institute The National Association of Philippine Newspapers

Former Chief Justice Reynato S. Puno Anita F. Grefal Baldwin R. Felipe Edgar M. Valmorida

Board Member & Chief Legal Adviser Treasury Manager OIC-Ad Solutions Circulation Manager

Ramonchito L. Tomeldan Chin Wong/Ray S. Eñano Joyce Pangco Pañares Adelle Chua

Managing Editor Associate Editors News Editor Opinion Editor

Emil P. Jurado

Honor Blanco Cabie Night Editor Jimbo Gulle City Editor Romel J. Mendez Art Director Roberto Cabrera Chief Photographer

Chairman Emeritus, Editorial Board

Opinion DIARY...

A5

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

NO HOPE IN SOCIALIST VENEZUELA

From A4

and sometimes conflicting feelings, and to allow oneself to have faith that one day, present tempests notwithstanding, everything will fall into place.

Writing journals is not for everybody. Different people make sense of the world differently. Some turn to other art forms, do sports, converse with their friends, for example. Others immerse themselves heavily in work, or on social media, or in some other hobby.

This is why I remember how I was inspired by Anne Frank again, today.

Sure, there is something to be said about weathering change, especially if it is the kind that yanks you out of the comfortable environment you have known your whole life and thrusts you into a situation where you don’t know if you would live or die soon (Anne’s family’s Secret Annex was eventually discovered, they were brought into concentration camps, and only her father, Otto, survived the Holocaust).

But the more compelling reason I would likely still love the diary now is the candor with which Anne wrote it. I imagine she would still have sounded this way even if she survived the war. I try to read through my own stuff and realize that I still sound like quite a girl, even though I am now in my 40s and have seen, considerably, the blows and rewards that life has to offer.

Narcissism? Of course. Diaries are one big “Me me me” document. Selfcenteredness is their essence. Isn’t it interesting—hilarious, even—to read back and see how you regarded yourself and the world when you were young and unscarred? How people and places and events could occasion nostalgia, or happiness, or sorrow, or a Eureka moment—“I was so stupid before”? Isn’t it instructive to note how much you have matured, how certain people have come and stayed, or have come and gone, and how you have evolved to be the kind of person that you are now? Isn’t it incredible to see how your questions were eventually answered, and how you became knowledgeable about the things you used to be so ignorant about?

More importantly, however, diaries are a great tool for introspection. Isn’t it amazing to see that beyond the trappings, the inevitable growing up, the accomplishments and the failures, it is the same old clueless, vulnerable, silly, bumbling, rambling—but very hopeful—you?

SUNDAY, MAY 27, 2018

SOCIALIST President Nicolas Maduro was reelected in Venezuela last Sunday. But many Venezuelans, as well as foreigners, believe the vote was illegitimate. Unfortunately, that will mean nothing to the current government.

In power for 18 years, the Socialist platform has destroyed one of the most oil-rich countries in the world. But no matter how bad things get, whether it’s the hyperinflation, food and medicine shortages, or the rising crime, Maduro and his supporters continue to repeat that their problems are caused by the United States.

To them, US influence is what is creating the unrest, not the fact Venezuelans have nothing to eat.

To countless Venezuelans, however, this election has reinforced what they knew: There’s nothing they can possibly do in the short term to get rid of Maduro. What’s left to do? Get on a bus and leave.

On Monday, 99 people had purchased tickets to leave the country on a bus to Colombia. One of these desperate migrants, Betsabeth Casique,

had to save for eight months to afford the $2 (1.4 million bolivars) bus fare.

Between 2015 and 2017, nearly 1 million Venezuelans left the country. With no hope in sight, more are expected to flee. But are Venezuelans learning anything from this horrific crisis?

Maduro has never stopped promising to save the country. He wants to save its economy, save it from America, and save it from the greedy capitalist pigs.

With price freezes, money printing, factory seizures, and gun grabs, Maduro managed to make all Venezuelans equally miserable. But the lack of hope—and food—hasn’t done much for the current regime. As it turns out, when central governments have a huge iron fist crushing every aspect of the country’s economy, the first ones to suffer are the working poor and middle class.

It’s estimated that the average Venezuelan lost 24 pounds last year alone because of this crisis.

With more people fleeing, nobody creating jobs out of fear of government’s seizures and price controls, and Maduro going nowhere, the forced weight loss will continue. What’s next? Famine?

Mass graves?

History shows us that when the government, not the market, is in charge of pricing and production, misery and death are just around the

corner. But Maduro either refuses to see the reality or is smart enough not to so he can continue fooling his supporters. The only way out of misery is freedom. And the only way to prosperity is an unleashed market.

As noted in a Mises Institute report, when markets are free, the poor can actually afford things that make their lives better. If Maduro’s dream of helping the poor was, indeed, genuine, he would embrace the complete unleashing of the Venezuelan economy.

Freedom isn’t in the cards for Venezuelans so long as socialists keep a tight grip on power.

Venezuela is a cautionary tale.

Once a country goes down a socialist path, there’s no easy way back. And the longer a country stays socialist, the harder it is to reform it.

Venezuela has been socialist for over two decades.

If you don’t think it can happen here, whether “here” is the Philippines or anywhere else, you’re fooling yourself. When people get used to depending on the government—no matter how poor they remain—that dependency is hard to break.

That’s why you should never buy the socialist lie. Socialism is a drug. And like a drug, it feels great—at first. But eventually it will ruin your country.

Just like it ruined Venezuela.

TAIWAN DIPLOMACY HARDER THAN EVER IN US-CHINA TUG OF WAR

By Michelle Yun TAIPEI—Diplomacy has never been easy for Taiwan and is becoming ever more complex as it is caught between the United States under an unpredictable leader and an increasingly assertive China, which claims the self-ruling island as its own.

In her strongest statement yet over pressure from China, Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen blamed Beijing after Burkina Faso severed ties Thursday with Taipei.

Tsai said China was showing insecurity over “more substantial developments in relations between Taiwan and the US, and other like-minded countries.”

The US remains democratic Taiwan’s most powerful ally and leading arms supplier, although it gave up official diplomatic ties in 1979 to recognize Beijing.

In recent months, it has made a series of new overtures—President Donald Trump signed a symbolic bill paving the way for mutual visits by high-level officials and Washington gave long-awaited approval for a license necessary to sell submarine technology to Taiwan.

Yet while Taiwan’s relationship with the US is essential to its security, it must also guard against riling China, its biggest military threat but also the

dominant market for the island’s export-driven economy.

Beijing officials have described ramped-up Chinese military drills near Taiwan as a warning against asserting its sovereignty. Analysts say they are also a message to Washington.

Foreign minister Joseph Wu— whose resignation over Burkina Faso was rejected by Tsai—said earlier this month that furthering Taiwan-US relations must be done “in a very cautious manner.”

He described the government as seeking to “advance bilateral interests without creating any kind of trouble for anyone else.”

New friends While Taiwan calls itself a sovereign country, the island has never formally declared a split from the mainland and China sees reunification as its eventual goal.

Since Tsai came to power two years ago, Beijing has become increasingly hostile and is highly suspicious of her traditionally pro-independence party.

China is using its clout to shut Taiwan out of international meetings and to pressure companies to list the island as a Chinese province on their websites.

To mitigate against Beijing’s suppression, Taipei is making a concerted effort to win more international backing.

Tsai is pursuing new business and

cooperation with other nations, including through her “southbound policy,” which targets 16 south and southeast Asian countries, as well as Australia and New Zealand.

More countries than ever had voiced support for Taiwan after Beijing blocked it from a major meeting of the World Health Organization earlier this month, said Tsai, who cast it as a sign the island was gaining global recognition.

“Taiwan needs to form a broader coalition of willing friends to supplement the support it gets from the US,” said Jonathan Sullivan, director of the China Policy Institute at Nottingham University, although he added the US remains the island’s top foreign relations priority because of its influence.

Washington shift Observers say growing frustration with Beijing has prompted the latest supportive gestures from the US towards Taiwan as trade tensions between the world’s two largest economies escalate and concerns mount over China’s assertiveness in the region.

Relations with China are “no longer serving US interests,” said William Stanton, who headed the American Institute in Taiwan—the US de-facto embassy in Taipei—from 2009 to 2012.

Arguably the most liberal place in Asia, Taiwan stands in stark contrast to Communist China’s authoritarian one-

party state and is a strategic Pacific ally for Washington to counter Beijing’s territorial ambitions.

All eyes will be on which US official is sent to the opening of AIT’s newly built office complex next month, which cost $250 million.

However, some observers point to Trump’s erratic approach to foreign policy and fear Taiwan could be used as a pawn in his negotiations with China.

“It may appear the situation in the US bodes well for Taiwan. But so far, we haven’t seen what kind of benefits it is bringing us,” said Teng Chung-chian, a diplomacy professor at Taipei’s National Chengchi University.

The US has not granted special trade protections to Taiwan, such as relief from steel and aluminium tariffs, he added.

Any US support highlighting Taiwan’s claim to sovereignty could also risk a “harsh response” from Beijing, said Kharis Templeman, a political scientist at Stanford University.

But foreign minister Wu dismissed the possibility of Taiwan being used as a bargaining chip by the US, saying the island has “good friends” in the Trump administration.

“Taiwan by itself is also an actor,” he added. “We can also try to judge what is in Taiwan’s best interest, and try to find the right policy for Taiwan.” AFP

adellechua@gmail.com

2018...

From A4 ing to their website, to “develop Philippine literature by providing incentives for writers to craft their most outstanding literary works, by being a treasury of the Philippines’ literary gems from our gifted writers, and to assist in their eventual dissemination to our people, particularly students.”

Most major Philippine authors have a Palanca or more under their belt, and several have been elevated to the CPMA Hall of Fame, which recognizes writers who have won five first prizes in the regular categories.

Among the ‘Hall of Famers’ are Jose Y. Dalisay Jr., Alfred A. Yuson, Eugene Y. Evasco, Reuel Molina Aguila, and Peter Solis Nery. *** The CPMA has become a veritable institution in the world of Philippine letters. It changes with the times; for instance, it recently allowed entries that have been previously published within a certain time period (they only used to accept unpublished works).

It’s probably every writer’s dream to win a Palanca, but competition is getting tougher now that entries are accepted from Filipinos and those of Filipino descent from all over the world.

In its nearly 70-year history, the Palanca Foundation now possesses a large archive of among the best works of the best Filipino writers.

From time to time it comes out with anthologies of works, but they’re not caught up and the latest is from some years back.

Ideally, the book featuring the previous year’s winner’s works should be released not later than submission time the following year. If they can be released by Christmas the same year, that would be even better—the books would make great holiday gifts.

I hope that they can somehow fasttrack the publication of the annual winners so that we all can savor the works while they are fresh, and make the CPMA’s endeavors more meaningful. (I volunteer as editor!)

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

SPAIN’S ‘LOST GENERATION’

By Frankie Taggart

LOS ANGELES, United States—Catalan filmmaker Carla Simon remembers little of the day that, aged six, she joined the ranks of countless orphans left behind

by Spain’s “lost generation” of AIDS victims.

Her parents were among 50,000 Spaniards who contracted HIV from 1981, when the virus first appeared, until its peak around 1997, with needle-sharing by drug addicts the largest cause of transmission.

“As a kid, when something like that happens to you, it’s like the memory erases or blocks and I don’t remember specific things,” the Catalan director told AFP. “I remember emotions, like I remember that I didn’t cry the day that my mom died and this made me feel very bad.”

Simon went back to that traumatic period for her feature directorial debut “Summer 1993,” looking through old photographs and piecing together halfremembered images and snatches of conversation.

Premiering at Berlin’s annual festival and winning best debut feature, the Catalan-language movie made a respectable $1.2 million in Spanish box offices.

It has been gaining momentum in recent months, picking up prizes for best feature, director and writing as well as awards for its cast at festivals around the world ahead of its US release on Friday.

The movie follows a six-year-old Simon reimagined as the fictional Frida, who looks on in silence as the last objects from her recently deceased mother’s apartment in Barcelona are placed in boxes.

Her aunt, uncle, and three-year-old cousin, Anna, welcome her with open arms—but it is only very slowly that Frida begins to get used to her new home in the countryside.

New liberties Critics have raved about the performances of Laia Artigas as Frida and Paula Robles as her surrogate sister Anna, who make for the film’s emotional heart despite being too young to learn their lines.

“I talked a lot during the takes. I would tell them what to do or what they had to say and they would repeat,” Simon told AFP. “They got used to just hearing my voice, not looking at me and following instructions. And then in post-production we took my voice out.”

By 1997, Spain had 120,000 HIV/AIDS cases in an adult population of around 21 million—the highest rate in the European Union and triple the average.

The virus spread rapidly during years of heavy heroin use, a manifestation of the new liberties enjoyed by Spaniards after the downfall of the Franco dictatorship in 1975.

“Democracy started and everyone was very happy to get their freedom finally. Some of the young people brought this freedom to the extreme,” says Simon.

“They needed to feel free and try and experiment with everything that had been forbidden for many years. Drugs came in and I don’t think the government did much to stop that.”

Simon’s father—who was separated from her mother—came from Vigo in northwestern Spain, which she says is conspicuous for the “lost generation” of young adults who died in the AIDS crisis.

The filmmaker was just three when he died and remembers nothing about him.

‘Power of storytelling’ “Lots of these people had kids. So my story is not a particular case – there are many orphans of AIDS in Spain—and I didn’t know that it was such a big thing,” she says.

“After releasing the film, when it got released in Spain last June, I got so many messages from people telling me that they had exactly the same story.”

Born in a small Catalan village in 1986, Simon graduated in audiovisual communication from the Universitat Autonoma of Barcelona after spending a year at the University of California.

She directed television series and programs for Catalan television before studying at the London Film School, where she wrote and directed documentary short “Born Positive” and the fictional “Lipstick.”

“Summer 1993” has turned her into a star at home, where the film won best new director at the Goya Awards, Spain’s equivalent to the Oscars, and has sealed her reputation at the vanguard of a new generation of Catalan filmmakers, many of whom are women.

It was also picked to represent Spain in this year’s coveted Academy Awards foreign-language race, and Simon was further honored at the black-tie Women in Motion Awards at this month’s Cannes Film Festival.

“The truth is that I never really thought about universal appeal. My producer told me this is a story that can touch many people and I said I’m not too sure, I just want to tell the story,” Simon said.

“That was before making the film. Really, this film made me discover the power of storytelling in that sense. It’s talking about childhood and everyone had a childhood.” AFP

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

LIFT ABORTION BAN, IRELAND VOTERS SAY DUBLIN—Traditionally Catholic Ireland looks set to “make history” by liberalizing some of the strictest abortion laws in Europe, the Prime Minister said, as votes in the hardfought referendum were counted Saturday.

The campaign to repeal a ban was predicted to win by a two-thirds majority, with an Irish Times poll of 4,000 saying the “Yes” camp was leading by 68 percent to 32 percent. Another poll by national broadcaster RTE suggested an even bigger victory, with 69 percent to 30 percent backing reforms.

“Thank you to everyone who voted today. Democracy in action. It’s looking like we will make history tomorrow,” Prime Minister Leo Varadkar, who backs the reform, said in a tweet.

The Irish Times survey suggested that women voted by 70 percent in favor of the proposal and 30 percent against. Support among men was 65 percent pro-choice and 35 percent antiabortion.

People over 65, however, voted mostly against over-

hauling the current legislation, which only allows terminations in cases where the mother’s life is in danger.

Among the youngest voters, 18 to 24-year-olds, the poll found that 87 percent of respondents voted to allow abortion.

The exit poll showed “an overwhelming desire for change that nobody has foreseen”, wrote Irish Times deputy political editor Fiach Kelly.

“The victory for the ‘Yes’ campaign looks set to be neither narrow nor based on a few segments of Irish society. Rather, it will be carried high on the shoulders of a majority across the entire country,” he said.

Kelly pointed out that in the Connacht-Ulster constituency, traditionally seen as the most conservative region in the country, the exit poll indicated that 59 percent voted for change.

He called it “the final casting off of old mores”.

Nearly 3.5 million voters were asked whether they wanted to overturn the ban after an emotional and divisive campaign. AFP

MORGAN FREEMAN ‘SORRY’ AFTER HARASSMENT CLAIMS LOS ANGELES —Octogenarian Oscar-winner Morgan Freeman has apologized after a report Thursday of multiple sexual harassment accusations, making the actor the latest high-profile figure to face allegations of misconduct in the #MeToo era.

Sixteen people -- eight of whom say they were victims -- described to CNN a range of troubling behavior by Freeman on production sets or promotional tours.

The downfall of Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein last October triggered a US reckoning over sexual harassment and abuse that has toppled a litany of powerful men across a variety of sectors including entertainment, politics and media.

The actor, who turns 81 next week, issued a quick apology after the news network published its report.

“Anyone who knows me or has worked with me knows I am not someone who would intentionally offend or knowingly make anyone feel uneasy,” Freeman said in a statement.

“I apologize to anyone who felt uncomfortable or disrespected -that was never my intent.”

One of the most bankable, respected actors in the business, Morgan was honored with a lifetime achievement award in January that the Screen Actors Guild is now considering withdrawing, the organization told AFP. A spokeswoman for the guild acknowledged Freeman’s right to due process but described the allegations as “compelling and devastating,” and said its starting point was to believe the “courageous” women who had complained. AFP “Given Mr. Freeman recently received one of our union’s most prestigious honors recognizing his body of work, we are therefore reviewing what corrective actions may be warranted at this time,” she said.

CNN quoted a young production assistant who said Freeman harassed her over a period of months in the summer of 2015 while she was working on his bank heist comedy “Going in Style.” AFP

T

HE HAGUE, Netherlands — The Netherlands and Australia on Friday took the first step towards dragging Russia to court over the shooting down of flight MH17, accusing Moscow of being responsible for the disaster over war-torn eastern Ukraine in 2014.

The move won swift support from international allies, a day after investigators concluded that the Russian-made BUK missile which tore apart the Boeing 777 passenger plane in mid-air on July 17, 2014 came from a Russian military brigade based in southwestern Kursk.

“There is but one conclusion to be made from yesterday’s presentation, namely that Russia is thoroughly responsible for the deployment of this BUK system,” Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte told reporters.

All 298 people on the flight en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur were killed when the missile slammed into the plane as it flew over territory held by pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine.

The Dutch government said in a statement that, together with Australia, it was holding Moscow “formally accountable” for the tragedy and may now move towards submitting the complex dossier to an international judge or organization.

Russia, however, swiftly denied any responsibility.

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said he had been informed by his Dutch counterpart Stef Blok that “they have practically no doubt that the BUK came from Russia.”

“I asked him about facts proving these claims. He did not give me any facts saying they want Russia to help establish them based on unfounded suspicion,” Lavrov added.

- Russia ‘accountable’ “The downing of flight MH17 caused unimaginable suffering,” said Blok the day after the latest findings from the Dutch-led Joint Investigation Team (JIT).

“On the basis of the JIT’s conclusions, the Netherlands and Australia are now convinced that Russia is responsible for the deployment of the BUK installation that was used to down MH17,” he added.

Piet Ploeg, who lost three relatives in the crash, told AFP the Dutch and Australian decision to hold Russia responsible “is

The Department of Health (DOH), through the General Appropriations Act of 2018 intends to apply the sum of Forty-Five Million Pesos (PhP 45,000,000.00) being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the contract for the Procurement of Progestin Only Pill (POP) under IB No. 2018-259. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

2.

The DOH now invites bids for the procurement of the above-captioned project.

Delivery of the Goods is required within the period specified under SECTION VI. Schedule of Requirements. Bidders should have completed, within two (2) yearsfrom the date of submission and receipt of bids, a contract similar to the Project, equivalent to at least twenty-five percent (25%) of the ABC. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II. Instructions to Bidders.

3.

Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using a non-discretionary “pass/fail” criterion as specified in the 2016 Revised Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act (RA) 9184, otherwise known as the “Government Procurement Reform Act”.

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

4.

Interested bidders may obtain further information from the COBAC Secretariat, G/F, Bldg. 6, Department of Health, San Lazaro Compound and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given above during 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM, Monday to Friday.

5.

A complete set of Bidding Documents may be acquired by interested Bidders on 28 May 2018 – 19 June 2018 from the address above and upon payment of the applicable fee for the Bidding Documents, pursuant to the latest Guidelines issued by the GPPB, in the amount of Twenty-Five Thousand Philippine Pesos (PhP25,000.00).

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

6.

The DOH will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on 05 June 2018, 10:00 AM at the COBAC Conference Room, Ground Floor, Bldg. 6, Department of Health, Sta. Cruz, Manila, which shall beopen to prospective bidders.

7.

Bids must be duly received by the COBAC-D Secretariat at the address below on or 19June 2018, 9:00 AM All Bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in ITB Clause 18.

Bid opening shall be 19 June 2018, 9:00 AM at the COBAC Conference Room, Ground Floor, Bldg. 6, Department of Health, Sta. Cruz, Manila. Bids will be opened in the presence of the bidders’ representatives who choose to attend at the address above. Late bids shall not be accepted.

8.

The DOH reserves the right to reject any and all bids, declare a failure of bidding, or not award the contract at any time prior to contract award in accordance with Section 41 of RA 9184 and its IRR, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.

9.

For further information, please refer to: COBAC-D Secretariat Department of Health San Lazaro Compound Sta. Cruz, Manila Tel. Nos. 651-7800 local 1625 to 1627; 1650 to 52 Facsimile No.: 741-9775; 740-6830 (SGD) HERMINIGILDO V. VALLE, MD, MPA Undersecretary of Health Chairperson, COBAC -D

BIKERS’ DAY. Riders arrive for the Blessing of the Bikes at the National Cathedral on Friday in Washington, DC. AFP

exactly the right thing to do”.

“It’s an important step on the way to get justice for victims,” Ploeg added.

The EU and NATO both urged Moscow to accept responsibility for the disaster. Russia should “fully cooperate with all efforts to establish accountability”, said the EU’s foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini in a statement.

The United States and Britain also said they backed the move to hold Russia responsible for the

disaster.

“It is time for Russia to acknowledge its role in the shooting down of MH17 and to cease its callous disinformation campaign,” said State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert.

Ukraine’s President Petro Poroshenko said the Dutch and Australian decision “is an extremely important step for Russia to assume its responsibility for systematic violations of its international commitments”. AFP

CANADA HUNTS 2 MEN IN BLAST THAT HURT 15

InvItatIon to BId Procurement of ProgestIn only PIll (PoP) IB no. 2018-259 1.

Cesar Barrioquinto, Editor / Jimbo Gulle, Issue Editor

RUSSIA SHOT MH17, DUTCH, AUSSIES SAY

Republic of the Philippines Department of Health CENTRAL OFFICE BIDS AND AWARDS COMMITTEE

(MS-MAY 27, 2018)

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

World

SUNDAY, MAY 27, 2018 A6 Standard TODAY Manila

FORCEFUL. French President Emmanuel Macron meets with the media at the French Institute in Saint Petersburg on Friday. AFP

OTTAWA, Canada—Police in Canada on Friday hunted for two men believed to have detonated explosives at an Indian restaurant near Toronto, wounding 15 people, but police said there was no indication the blast was an act of terror.

The explosion late Thursday at the Bombay Bhel restaurant in Missasauga in Toronto’s western suburbs, which was reportedly felt more than four kilometers (2.5 miles) away, also did not appear to be a hate crime, authorities said.

“Two men wearing hoodies were seen entering the restaurant with an IED,” or improvised explosive device, Peel Regional

Police Chief Jennifer Evans told a news conference.

“The men were seen fleeing the scene immediately following the explosion,” Evans added.

“Every police resource is being used right now to locate the people responsible for this horrendous act.”

Evans added: “We haven’t ruled anything out as we start our investigation.”

Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale said there was “no connection to national security at this point.”

The pair, who were also wearing jeans and face coverings, did not say anything in the res-

taurant, where two birthdays were being celebrated. They just dropped off the device and left, authorities said.

The incident is nevertheless likely to provoke jitters in the nation’s biggest metropolitan area -- it comes just one month after a man in a rented van plowed into pedestrians on a crowded sidewalk in Toronto, killing 10 people.

Pictures and video footage showed victims being escorted in wheelchairs and stretchers to waiting ambulances, or limping out of the restaurant, bleeding from wounds caused by flying glass and shrapnel. AFP

WEINSTEIN HIT WITH SEX RAPS NEW YORK —Disgraced Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein was charged with rape and a sex crime in New York on Friday, in what was hailed a landmark for the #MeToo movement, nearly eight months after his career imploded in a blaze of accusations of misconduct.

The former mogul -- once the toast of Hollywood, whose films won scores of Oscars -- smirked as he was escorted into a Manhattan courtroom in handcuffs to face the first criminal charges lodged against him.

Weinstein, a 66-year-old twicemarried father of five, was charged with rape in the first and third degrees, stemming from an attack on a woman in 2013, and a criminal sex act against another woman in 2004.

Neither victim was named. AFP

PET THE PANDA.

A Malaysian zoo attendant pats a four-month old female giant panda cub, the second offspring of parents Liang Liang and Xing Xing who are on loan from China, during the cub’s unveiling inside the panda enclosure at the National Zoo in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday. AFP

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

Sports

Manila

Standard

TODAY

DE LOS SANTOS TAKES HOME 6TH PNG GOLD

By Peter Atencio

C

EBU City—For James de los Santos, it’s another proud moment in the 9th Philippine National Games.

He has won his sixth kata title in the karatedo competitions of the five-day meet at the SM Seaside Mall’s Skydome last Thursday.

De los Santos, who is seeking a a medal in the 18th Asian Games, defeated Dagupan City bet Mark Andrew Manantan in the finals.

He displayed his sharp form and technique in dominating the men’s senior individual kata to rule the event.

“It’s really a proud moment for me, I take every tournament seriously,” said de los Santos.

For the 28-year-old de los Santos this is one of his latest medal conquests, after bagging a bronze at the Southeast Asian Games last year.

“Every medal for me counts,” de los Santos said.

De los Santos said training and preparation is key to his success, and it involves weights, sprints, and plyometric activities. These are important in developing power and speed.

He also discovered delicious Kaffea coffee which gave him that extra boost not only during training but also in competition.

“Kaffea, in all honesty, woke me

James de los Santos displays the form that helped him win the individual men’s kata event in the karate competition of the Philippine National Games at the SM Seaside mall in Cebu.

up and gave me the energy to keep me active during training and competition. I love the taste and aroma of the coconut sugar. I would recommend it for people who have health problems since most cheap instant coffees have unhealthy ingredients.

Kaffea is a very healthy alternative,” said de los Santos.

The karateka said he needed to get better because his competitors

De los Santos said some of his opponents in the PNG like Manantan have the potential to be a member of the national squad. He feels that many other Cebuano karatekas who won medals can also be part of the national squad.

Among those promising athletes were Warlito Pontero, who settled for the first bronze.

De los Santos’ performance helped host Cebu City take the no.

1 spot in the overall medal race with 38 golds, 54 silvers and 58 bronzes.

His latest win shows how far de los Santos has gone.

In the 2013 SEA Games he did not get any medal. And winning a medal last year was redemption for him.

And that’s because he had to wait four years after karatedo was scrapped in the 2015 SEA Games in Singapore.

This year, de los Santos said that many of his opponents are starting to catch up and may soon be at par with him.

“They just need more development and proper programs for them,” said de los Santos, who has been winning the kata event since 2007.

De los Santos said he is now preparing for the Asian Games.

And to win medals there, he will have to train with a Japanese coach next month.

Last year, de los Santos went to Europe to train.

While in the Netherlands, his conditioning coach Jay Futalan helped him build his power, stamina, and speed.

FIRST DIVISION IN THE MATTER OF THE PETITION FOR REGISTRATION OF HUGPONG NG PAGBABAGO PARTY AS A REGIONAL POLITICAL PARTY

PETITION Petitioner, HUGPONG NG PAGBABAGO PARTY, by counsel, respectfully states: 1. Petitioner HUGPONG NG PAGBABAGO PARTY (with acronym “HNP”), a political party duly organized by the local registered voters and politically inclined personalities in the Davao Region, is seeking for registration as a Regional Political Party in Region XI (Davao Region).

2. HNP’s principal headquarters and postal address is located at 2nd Floor, Matina Town Square (MTS), Davao City, where it may be served with summons and other processes of this Honorable Commission.

3. HNP has also established its provincial chapter offices in the following addresses: Provincial Chapter Office Address Tagum City, Davao del Norte Mel Village, National Highway, Chapter Tagum City Nabunturan, Compostela Valley Cabadianan, Nabunturan, Comval Province Chapter Province 7, Acasia New Mati Estate, Mati City, Davao Oriental Chapter Phase Dahican, Mati City Malita, Davao Occidental Chapter Poblacion, Malita, Davao Occidental Cadungog Building, Digos Creative Digos, Davao del Sur Chapter Studio, 3097, Jacinto St., Zone 3, Digos City, Davao del Sur 4. HNP has also established city and municipal chapter offices in each province, the addresses of which are stated in Annex “A” hereof.

5. Efforts to organize HNP started as early as August 2016 when different local leaders in the Region initially gathered themselves in order to collaborate on the implementation of their respective programs and projects.

6. On 23 February 2018, in a general assembly held at the Royal Mandaya Hotel, Davao City, the HUGPONG NG PAGBABAGO PARTY was officially organized and launched. a. The founding members and organizers of HNP are: Mayor Sara Z. Duterte of Davao City, Governor Claude P. Bautista of Davao Occidental, Governor Nelson L. Dayanghirang of Davao Oriental, Governor Anthony Del Rosario of Davao del Norte and Governor Jayvee Tyron L. Uy of Compostella Valley. b.

Four Hundred Seventeen (417) persons attended the general assembly on 23 February 2018. These attendees expressed their intention to become party members and were, thus, inducted as such on the same day.

c.

Likewise, on the same assembly, the organizers and founding members were appointed as the pioneer officers of HNP, and were unanimously approved and accepted by the body. The pioneer officers of HNP are as follows: Position Chairperson

Name Sara Z. Duterte

President

Claude P. Bautista

Vice President

Nelson L. Dayanghirang

Sectetary General Anthony G. Del Rosario

d.

It was also during the same general assembly that the Constitution and By-laws of HNP was presented to the body, where it was further reviewed, discussed and was later on adopted and ratified.

e.

ATTY. JOYCE FELISA B. DOMINGO-DAPAT ATTY. CHARO V. REJUSO- MUNSAYAC Counsels for the Petitioner DOMINGO MUNSAYAC and ASSOCIATES Unit UG 22 City Land Mega Plaza ADB Avenue corner Garnet Road Ortigas Center, Pasig City

2.

HUGPONG NG PAGBABAGO PARTY Petitioner 2nd Floor, Matina Town Square(MTS) Davao City

HUGPONG NG PAGBABAGO PARTY reserves the right to present additional documents/evidence in accordance with the COMELEC rules of procedure as the need arises.

GREETINGS: Attached is a copy of the ORDER of the Commission ( FIRST DIVISION) in the above entitled case dated 24, May 2018.

Given this 24th day of May 2018, City of Manila, Philippines.

FOR THE DIVISION: (SGD) ABIGAIL JUSTINE M. CUARESMA-LILAGAN Acting Clerk of the Commission

8. As its platform of government, HNP, as a regional political party, seeks the realization of the promise of positive change, transformation, progress and stability made by the Duterte administration for the Filipino people. To achieve this, HNP endeavors to pursue the following: a. Secured Life. The Party shall help realize the desire and aspiration of the people in the region to live better and stable life and to look forward to a future that is secured.

c. Effective Leadership and Good Governance. The implementation and success of the political and socio-economic agenda of the Party demand that government agencies and offices are efficient, competent, innovative and conscious of their civic duties and responsibilities and accountability and transparency to the public.

FIRST DIVISION IN THE MATTER OF THE PETITION FOR REGISTRATION OF HUGPONG NG PAGBABAGO PARTY AS A REGIONAL POLITICAL PARTY

7. HUGPONG NG PAGBABAGO PARTY is a Regional Political Party, with constituency spread over the present geographical territory of Region XI, including the highly-urbanized (independent) Davao City and the five (5) provinces of Davao del Sur, Davao del Norte, Compostela Valley Province, Davao Oriental, and Davao Occidental. HNP covers only the registered voters and constituents within the Davao Region.

b. Strong Region. The Party will build a stronger Southern Mindanao Region that is able to confront and overcome all forms of challenges.

Republic of the Philippines COMMISION ON ELECTIONS Intramuros, Manila

SPP NO. 18-009(PP)

Copies of the Platform of Government and Declaration of Political Creed of HNP are hereto attached as Annexes “G” and “H”.

9. HNP is not a religious sect or denomination.

HUGPONG NG PAGBABAGO PARTY represented by SARA Z. DUTURTE in her capacity as Chairperson, Petitioner.

X------------------------------------------------X

10. HNP shall not and will never pursue its goals through violence or other unlawful means.

ORDER Acting on the verified petition of “HUGPONG NG PAGBABAGO PARTY (HNP)”, for registration as a regional political party in Region XI (Davao Region), the Commision ( First Division) hereby sets the hearing of this case on June 05, 2018. At 2:00 o’clock in the afternoon, Comelec Session Hall, 8th Floor Palacio del Gobernador, Intramuros, Manila.

To simplify the proceedings, petitioner is required to submit prior to the scheduled hearing the following: 1.

The names of two (2) witnesses who shall be the Chairperson or President and Secretary General of the political party;

2.

Judicial affidavits of the witnesses; and

3.

Proof of publication

Meantime, all evidence on file with the records of the Commission, and/or to be presented by petitioner shall be pre-marked including evidence to prove compliance with the jurisdictional requirements before the Clerk of Commission on June 04, 2018.

Counsel shall manifest during the marking of exhibits his/her appearance and the same be entered in the minutes. In no case shall representatives of parties, other than counsel, for purpose of marking be allowed. Further, counsel is requested to prepare his/her summary of exhibits as a guide during the marking/s thereof.

11. HNP shall uphold and adhere to the Constitution and shall obey all laws and legal orders promulgated by duly constituted authorities.

12. HNP is not supported by, nor does it accept, financial contribution from any foreign government or their agencies.

PRAYER WHEREFORE, premises considered, it is prayed that after due consideration, an Order or Resolution be issued approving the present petition for registration of HUGPONG NG PAGBABAGO PARTY as a Regional Political Party, issuing the corresponding Certificate of Registration, as such, and granting such rights and privileges necessarily attendant with such registration as a political party.

Other reliefs, just and equitable under the premises, are likewise prayed for.

Pasig City for the City of Manila, 20 March 2018.

The Commission requires the petitioner to publish at its own expense in three (3) national newspaper of general circulation the petition without annexes together with the instant Order of the Commission requiring the publication with the date of scheduled hearing.

By:

Given this __ day of May 2018, at Manila, Philippines.

FOR THE DIVISION:

CHARO V. REJUSO-MUNSAYAC PTR NO. 3860059, 1/5/2018, Pasig City IBP Lifetime Member No. 015678, 1/11/2017, RSM Roll of Attorneys No. 52189 MCLE Compliance No. V-0005639, 1/21/2015

(SGD) AL A. PARRENO Presiding Commissioner (MS-MAY 27, 2018)

DOMINGO MUNSAYAC AND ASSOCIATES Counsel for the Petitioner Unit UG22 City and Land Mega Plaza ADB Avenue corner Garnet Road Ortigas Center, Pasig City (02) 942-4901/ ajd.prime@gmail.com JOYCE FELISA B. DOMINGO-DAPAT PTR No. 386005, 1/05/2018; Pasig City IBP Lifetime Member No. 010556, 2/3/2012 Roll of Attorneys No. 56393 MCLE Compliance No. V – 0014164; 2/11/2016

SO ORDERED.

Terrence Romeo (center) drives to the hoop against fellow All-Star Arwind Santos (29) and Calvin Abueva during the 2018 PBA All-Star game at the Batangas City Sports Center.

Jayvee Tyron L. Uy

Address Matina, Davao City Malita, Davao Occidental Dahican, Mati City, Davao Oriental Mel Village, Nat’l Highway, Tagum City, Davao del Norte Cabadianan, Nabunturan, Compostela Valley Province

1.

(SPP NO. 18-009(PP)

NOTICE

wind Santos in the last 1:22.

June Mar Fajardo quashed that rally by scoring five straight points which gave his side a 152-144 advantage.

Luzon tried one last uprising cutting the gap to just three behind Santos and Calvin Abueva.

They cut the gap to just three points with seven seconds left following a Santos three-pointer.

But LA Tenorio missed the potential game-tying triple in the waning seconds which allowed the Smart All-Stars to level the series to one game apiece.

The third leg, in this series presented by Phoenix Fuel with Phoenix Pulse Technology, is slated in Iloilo today.

Romeo was named the All-Star Game MVP. He went 7-of-16 from distance. He was the complete package as he also had nine assists and five rebounds.

Fajardo scored 26 points and grabbed 13 rebounds.

Troy Rosario had 20 points to go with nine boards, while Roger Pogoy had 17 markers.

SPP NO. 18-009 (PP)

HUGPONG NG PAGBABAGO PARTY represented by SARA Z. DUTERTE in her capacity as Chairperson, Petitioner. x----------------------------------------x

Attached to support this petition are the following organization papers of HNP: Document Annex “B” List of Officers and Members Minutes of the General Assembly Meeting held on 23 February 2018 showing, among other things, “C” the induction of members, appointment of pioneer officers, adoption and ratification of the Constitution and By-laws.

Hugpong ng Pagbabago Party Constitution and By“D” laws Resolution Approving and Ratifying the Reviewed Constitution and Bylaws and Platform of Government “E” of Hugpong ng Pagbabago as formulated by the Technical Working Group (TWG) Resolution Authorizing the Filing of this Petition for the “F” registration of HNP with COMELEC

HUGPONG NG PAGBABAGO PARTY REPRESENTED BY SARA Z. DUTURTE IN HER CAPACITY AS CHAIRPERSON, Petitioner.

X------------------------------------------------X

ROMEO STAMPS CLASS AS MVP OF ALL STAR GAME

IN THE MATTER OF THE PETITION FOR REGISTRATION OF HUGPONG NG PAGBABAGO PARTY AS A REGIONAL POLITICAL PARTY,

Treasurer

Republic of the Philippines COMMISION ON ELECTIONS Manila

James de los Santos and fellow karateka Junna Tsukii proudly hold their medals and show off the secret for their success that is Kaffea coffee which gave them energy during practices and actual competition.

IF there was ever any doubt about Terrence Romeo’s skill as a scorer then those have all been erased after his stellar performance during the second leg of the 2018 PBA All-Star Week at the Batangas City Sports Center.

Romeo was unstoppable and scored from all angles to power the Smart All-Stars to a pulsating 152149 victory over the Luzon All-Stars.

The TNT KaTropa star was virtually on fire in the first half as he scored 26 of his 48 points in the first two quarters. It seemed the national team, like Romeo, couldn’t miss from the field as they converted 60 percent of their attempts.

Romeo dribbled effortlessly around Luzon defenders to amaze the crowd with his offensive repertoire highlighted by back-to-back triples as Gilas took control of the game, 140-125, with 5:55 to go.

Luzon mounted repeated rallies late in the game and cut the deficit to just four, 148-138 after backto-back triples by Ar-

have also stepped up their games.

“I’ve seen some of my competitors, and I’d say that these guys can play with the national team someday,” de los Santos said.

De los Santos discovered his love for the sport back in March 2003. That was in Grade 6, when he became a victim of bullying. That’s when his uncle suggested that he try combat sports.

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES COMMISSION ON ELECTIONS Manila

A7

SUNDAY, MAY 27, 2018 reuelvidal@yahoo.com

(MS-MAY 27, 2018)

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

A8

SUNDAY, MAY 27, 2018 Riera U. Mallari, Editor

Reuel Vidal, Issue Editor

Sports

sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

DRIFTING Balasabas

TO A NEW MOTORSPORT SPECTACLE

By Charles Dantes

W

E’VE all been accustomed to various motorsports disciplines all year round, from karting to slalom, superbikes to motocross, circuit to drag racing.

But drifting?

They’re as rare as a blue moon in these shores.

And so when news broke out that the Philippines will be host to the final leg of the Federal Tyres King of Nations Asia Pro Series 2018 today (Sunday) at the Clark International Speedway, interest in the motorsport of drifting from fans spiked no end.

But what is drifting, really?

The Little Wizard will be banking on his trusted 1989 Toyota Corolla with a 2JZ turbo engine and 700 HP.

According to Wikipedia, it is a driving technique where the driver intentionally oversteers, with loss of traction in the rear wheels or all tires, while maintaining control and driving the car through the entirety of a corner.

Car drifting is caused when t h e rear slip angle is greater than the front slip angle, to such an extent that often the front wheels are pointing in the opposite direction to the turn.

As a motor-

ing discipline, drifting competitions were first popularized in 1970s Japan, and today are held worldwide and are judged according to the speed, angle, showmanship and line taken through a corner or set of corners.The desired line is usually dictated by the judge or judges, who describe their desired line as well as highlight areas of importance, such as clipping zones, clipping points and touch and go areas.

If you are familiar with the Fast and Furious Tokyo Drift movie, wherein sports cars race sideways, then you have a fairly good idea of the motorsport of drifting.

And what better way to preach what drifting is all about than the current leader in the King of Nations series, Thailand’s Wuttitat “Keng” Pankumnerd, flag-bearer of the Thai PTT RD-2 Drift Team.

“Anybody who wants to be a drifter can be a drifter. If you like the sport, you can do it. But never do it on public roads. There’s a circuit to drift. But never on public roads,” said Pankumnerd, nicknamed the Little Wizard as he stands only five foot flat.

But make no mistake about it, Keng is one of the big names in the drifting scene.

As a matter of fact, he currently leads the series with 240 points after two legs, and a mere Top 8 finish from the 30-driver cast will give him the overall KON Asia title, owing to his earlier points earned in the first two legs of the series held in Thailand.

He will have his hands full though heading to Sunday’s final events against Asia’s finest, including Charles Ng of Hong Kong, Daigo Saito, Hirohide Tanaka, Keiichiro Kadekaru and Toni “HalfBreeds” Arakaki of Japan, and Nasser Almutairi of Kuwait.

Filipino drifters will try to hold their ground, led by 19-year-old Luis Gono and veteran David Feliciano, Atoy Llave and Gabe Tayao.

“They are all very good,” said the Thai ace, who hopes to vie in the world stage as well as the tough Japanese circuit. If I get to the final four, I will have a very strong chance (of winning the PH title),” said the 25-year-old drifter through Piyapoom Seechang of PTT Lubricants Philippines. “I really want to win the championship.”

Pankumnerd will be banking on his trusted 1989 Toyota Corolla (KE30) with a 2JZ turbo engine and 700 HP, together with the full support of PTT oil and lubricants.

VETERAN TRIATHLETES PIT GUTS, SKILLS THE TRI-Factor Asian Championship Series caps its unique triathlon weekend today with a host of rising and veteran triathletes clashing for top honors in three categories at the Camsur Watersports Complex in Camarines Sur. The event, serving as the third leg of the Asian Series, is a four-leg mass participation series composed of individual swim, bike and run events and a finale triathlon and staged to promote an active and healthy lifestyle, particularly among the youth.

It actually kicked off yesterday (Saturday) with the staging of the Community Aqua Fun Event, the TRI-Factor freshmen distance triathlon and the TRI-Factor kids

distance triathlon with action heating up today in the sprint, standard and long distance triathlon.

Cutoff time for the standard distance is 4 hours and 15 minutes while a five-hour limit is set in the premier long distance event.

The individual and team competitions in the long triathlon distance will be fired off at 6:30 a.m. while the standard distance, also featuring individual and team events, will be flagged off 10 minutes later. The sprint triathlon distance, on the other hand, will start at 7 a.m.

For details, visit www.trifactorph.com.

Regular triathlon campaigner Gerald Anderson, Ms Earth-Air 2016 Michelle Gomez and Rep. Pia Cayet-

ano are joining the event organized by Orange Room Pte. Ltd. with Anderson vying in the sprint with fellow Team De Rossa mainstays.

Gomez will also do the sprint in her triathlon debut while Cayetano will be competing in the standard triathlon.

The sprint distance triathlon is a 740m swim-20km bike-5km run event featuring age-group classes of 16-29, 30-44, and 45-and-above. The standard distance triathlon (individual and team relay) will be disputed over 1.5km swim-40km bike-10km run while the long distance triathlon (individual and team relay) is set over 1.5km swim-60km bike-15km run), both in various age classes.

F2 TEAM OWNER WANTS TO SUPPORT PH’S SEAG VOLLEY TEAM

By Lito Cinco F2 Logistics, the company behind the highly successful F2 women’s volleyball squad in the Pilipinas Superliga, is open to lending a helping hand to the sport for next year’s Southeast Asian Games to be held in Manila.

This was bared by F2 Logistics President/Chief Executive Officer Efren Uy in an interview at his office in Paranaque, where 11 years ago, he started the company with less than 10 employees to its current more than 1,200 staff operating not just nationwide but world wide.

“Definitely, F2 is willing to help as we have done in the past when we sponsored the Philippine team in a world-class inter-club women’s volleyball tournament also held here.

We have been in the sport of volleyball the past three years and we are looking at a long-term involvement

for us in the sport,” said Uy. Uy’s involvement with volleyball started when his company agreed to help the women’s team of his MBA alma mater De La Salle University in its UAAP campaign three years ago, the same year that he decided to join the PSL with a team bannered by Aby Marano, Cha Cruz and Paneng Mercado.

With his winning touch in business applied to sports, F2 has already won two PSL championships, the All Filipino in 2016 and the import-laden Grand Prix in 2017.

They just missed winning a third title recently after losing in the PSL finals to arch-rival Petron.

“But 2018 is not over and we are looking forward to the All-Filipino tournament to maintain our winning tradition. In the last conference, where we lost to Petron, their import made the difference. We have to play a perfect game for us to beat Petron

and their imports, but I am really impressed with our player and their attitude on and off the court. Marano’s intensity and passion and the maturity of Soriano, the setting skills of (Kim) Fajardo, we have a good team and in between conferences, our players hold free volleyball clinics.

Our players love doing this,” added Sy. The F2 chief also takes pride in the fact that with their support, the Lady Spikers of DLSU won a three-peat in the UAAP. His son Earvin Chance, who has joined the company, was instrumental in F2’s involvement with La Salle.

“We were already fans of the team.

In fact, some of the team members are my classmates and friends and we were already helping the team even just before we formed the F2 team and I guess it became a natural thing for us to look at La Salle as our source of players,” he said.

With Efren Uy’s winning touch in business applied to sports, F2 has already won two PSL championships, the All Filipino in 2016 and the import-laden Grand Prix in 2017.

BALASABAS SCORES BREAKTHROUGH GOLF VICTORY JERSON Balasabas ended a long quest for a breakthrough win the hard way, recovering from a wobbly finish in regulation and edging Dutch Guido Van der Valk on the first sudden death hole to snare the ICTSI Villamor Philippine Masters crown at the Villamor Golf Club yesterday.

The former amateur hotshot, who has gone without a win since breaking into the pro ranks in 2010, toughened up in a pressure-laden finish, coming through with a routine par on their second trip at the par-5 18th to clinch the coveted crown as Van der Valk overshot the green and muffed his par-putt bid from 15 feet.

“I’m glad to get over the hump.

Now I know how it feels like to win,” said Balasabas, who missed winning the crown outright with a flubbed birdie-putt on the 72nd hole.

He actually blew a two-stroke lead with three holes left in regulation as he bogeyed No. 16 coupled with Van der Valk’s birdie on the final hole three flights ahead. The Filipino bet closed out with a 72 while the Manila-based ace from Lelystad, the Netherlands fought back with a 70 to force a playoff at 285.

The victory, worth P550,000, also augured well for Balasabas going to the resumption of the PGT Asia next week at Riviera where Clyde Mondilla is the defending champion. It also foiled Van der Valk’s bid for back-toback victories in the early season of the Philippine Golf Tour put up by ICTSI following his three-stroke win in the ICTSI Eagle Ridge Challenge last March, also the 33-year-old shotmaker’s first victory here.

While Balasabas split the fairway in the playoff, Van der Valk drove into the trees, needed to play out but overshot the green in his third shot from 150 yards, the ball nearly going out of bounds. Balasabas dumped his 4-iron second shot into the greenside bunker and made a poor blast, the ball resting 50 feet away from the cup.

CAVS, JAMES STAY ALIVE

LOS ANGELES—Cleveland superstar LeBron James drained his second three-pointer in less than a minute and thumped his chest as Cavaliers fans roared.

The back-to-back bombs pushed Cleveland’s lead over the Boston Celtics to 11 points with 1:40 left to play in their must-win game six of the NBA Eastern Conference finals on Friday.

“The love of the game causes reactions like that,” said James, who scored 46 points with 11 rebounds and nine assists in the 109-99 triumph that earned the Cavs a game seven in Boston on Sunday.

“Understanding the situation and understanding the moment that you’re in,” he added. “It was just a feeling that you can’t explain unless you’ve been a part of it. That’s all.”

The 46 points were the most James has scored in an elimination game and just three shy of his playoff career high of 49.

“I have a drive,” James said. “I have a love of the game. I have a passion for the game, and while I have the opportunity to lace my shoes up and put a uniform on, then I try to go out and do my job to the best of my ability.”James was hurting after teammate Larry Nance fell into his right leg in the fourth quarter—but scored 12 points after they tangled.

“I felt some pain throughout my entire right side of my ankle into my leg,” said James, who clutched the leg before gingerly rising from the court. “Luckily I was able to finish the game.” AFP

B1

T

SUNDAY, MAY 27, 2018

Business

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

CEO WANTS TO INSURE FILIPINO MILLENNIALS

HE chief executive of a large insurance company is worried about the emerging lifestyle trend in the Philippines that leads to young call center agents and other professionals dying in their early 30s because of heart attack or stroke.

BPI-Philam Life Assurance Corp. chief executive Surendra Menon

“I have been here for four years now. And the number of people I have seen suffer heart attack or stroke in their 30s is quite substantial. No other country in the world have I seen so many young people [succumb to heart problems],” BPI-Philam Life Assurance Corp. chief executive Surendra Menon says in an interview in Makati City.

Menon, 59, heads BPI-Philam Life, which was recognized by the World Finance Global Insurance as the “best life insurer for the Philippines” in 2017.

BPI-Philam Life is the banccasurance partnership of Bank of the Philippine Islands and Philam Life.

Menon, a Singaporean executive who is married to a Filipino entrepreneur from Los Baños, Laguna and has an 18-year old daughter, wants Filipino millennials to understand the concept of insurance. He says young Filipinos now sense the need to protect their health, as they see many of their friends suffer from unhealthy lifestyle choices.

Menon, who maintains 16 insurance policies between himself and his family, says the need for insurance policies is high especially among millennials, who are now more aware of the importance of fitness, health and social good.

“Their real need is pretty high. Because heart attack is happening in their 30s, their friends are also very cautious. One of the things causing it is the BPO lifestyle where they work at night. We can help them adjust their lifestyle. We have products for protection, mitigation and prevention,” says Menon, who wears a medical wristband to monitor his heart, fitness level and the number of steps he takes everyday between his office along Ayala Ave. and his home at Raffles Makati near Glorietta shopping mall.

Menon, who attends five to six meetings a day, says he lost three kilograms and now carefully watches what he eats, after becoming a member of the Vitality wellness program of BPI-Philam Life last year.

Vitality is a science-backed health and wellness program that provides benefits such as premium discounts, additional coverage, incentives and rewards from partner establishments. It advocates nutrition and wellness programs designed to improve health.

Menon says the program, introduced in South Africa in 1997, has made a big difference in the lives of Vitality members. He says while life expectancy in South Africa was only 62 years, the average for the insured population was 68 years, while Vitality enrollees were expected to live up to 82 years.

He says BPI-Philam Life launched Vitality in the Philippines a couple of years ago as a wellness program, aside from protection and unit-linked products. “Insurance traditionally has been for death, sickness. Now, wellness is to prevent it. Statistics from other countries suggest that if you monitor your health, your life expectancy can increase by anywhere from 14 to 15 years. Getting people to monitor your health is the first step in moving up current life expectancy by 10 to 15 years. If you are really fit, it can go up to 20 years. And then there is a huge difference in productivity and quality of life,” he says.

“We are putting together the traditional products, the unit-linked products as well as the prevention side which is the wellness. We call it the Philam Vitality. It is definitely a growth area. Nobody else has done prevention [in the Philippines] before. Philam Vitality is very scientific. It is based on something that has already been done overseas [South Africa].

We have a franchise in Asia. It goes along with both what you need to eat, what exercise you can do, how you manage even basic walking, basic habits, sleeping or water consumption. It looks at your overall wellness,” he says.

“Just monitoring those with fitness devices help you understand whether you are deteriorating or getting better or what you might want to do. Giving people data helps them manage their heath and they feel empowered.

The issue is to empower the person to handle his own health,” says Menon.

Menon, who has travelled all over the Philippines while overseeing more than 1,000 sales professionals of BPI-Philam Life with an average age of 29 years, says Filipinos need to understand the importance of how to manage income at a young age. He says he taught her daughter how to invest in the stock market when she was 10. Along with the education plan she bought for her, the proceeds from such stock investments can now send her to a college in London, he says.

Menon, who worked at DBS Bank before joining the AIA Group, the parent company of Philam Life, also believes that insurance holds the key to poverty reduction in the Philippines. “Insurance is protecting you from losing your future income,” he says. “From my experience in other countries, usually people allocate between 5 and 10 percent of their income to insurance, and this is to protect their future income.”

Turn to B2

COCA-COLA HELPS EMPOWER REPATRIATED WOMEN OFWS ADDRESSING the plight of distressed women overseas Filipino workers, Coca-Cola Philippines will conduct its second micro-enterprise training specifically designed for women who wish to start their own business.

Coca-Cola Philippines, through its 5by20 Program, and in partnership with government agencies, is leading the efforts to help these women prepare for their reintegration in the country.

There are currently over 2.2 million Filipinos working in various labor sectors abroad, 83 percent are in Asia, with large concentrations in the Middle East.

About 54% of these OFWs are women, who are primarily engaged as laborers or low-skilled workers and who venture abroad in their bid to find better sources of income in order to provide for their families.

In line with the government’s b i d t o p ro v i d e l i ve l i h o o d fo r returning distressed OFWs, CocaCola Philippines, through its 5by20 program and in partnership with the Department of Labor and Employment through the O verseas Workers Welfare Association and the National Reintegration Center for OFWs, launched the Women Entrepreneurs Reintegrated and Economically Active at Home or Women Reach program in

The women OFWs at the Philippine Overseas Labor Office in Kuwait shed tears of joy upon hearing the various possibilities that the Coca-Cola 5by20 entrepreneurship program holds for them and their families. the State of Kuwait.

The Women Reach program is designed for women OFWs who were employed in the low-skilled labor sector such as domestic helpers, prioritizing those who have experienced distress during their employment period.

This program is the first of its kind that provides a step-by-step entrepreneurial training, business counseling, and self-assessment for the OFWs to determine the most appropriate business model and scale

based on their skills and resources.

“This is our way of continuously empowering women, especially those in the most vulnerable sectors–in this case, the distressed women OFWs who are currently here at the Philippine Overseas Labor Office in Kuwait– by helping them prepare for their livelihood once they set foot back in the Philippines,” said Gilda Maquilan, 5by20 lead and sustainability manager of Coca-Cola Philippines.

“This program has been designed in

such a way that it will be responsive to the skills and resources that they have. We are one with the government in helping uplift this sector that once they are back with their families, they are also economically empowered in their own country,” said Maquilan.

In 2017, the pilot training at the Philippine Overseas Labor Office in Kuwait was able to reach 100 distressed women OFWs, most of whom are awaiting the completion of their deportation procedures. The 5-day training program tackled topics such as the creation of a solid business plan, technical assistance in the fine-tuning of these business plans, and gender sensitivity.

Amidst the government-imposed deployment ban to Kuwait, Filipino women OFWs who are still waiting for repatriation to the countr y will continue to receive their entrepreneurial training. They will also be provided with entrepreneurial starter kits through the Balik Pinay, BalikHanapbuhay program of the Labor Department.

Most of the business plans that were conceived by the participants during the training included backyard hog and poultry raising, carinderia, sari-sari store, computer rental shop and online ready-to-wear shop.

Dr. Jose P. Leviste Jr. addresses the graduates of the Colleges of Allied Medical Professions and Business & Accountancy of the Angeles University Foundation.

BUSINESS LEADER ASKS GRADUATES TO BOOST LABOR FORCE OF LUZON A BUSINESS leader and constitutionalist called on the new graduates of Angeles University Foundation in Pampanga province to take advantage of Central Luzon’s economic growth.

“Around you as well, in both Clark and Subic Bay Freeport Zones, lie the gateways to the world. So close to AUF, this is where they await you—the best and brightest minds —to take your place as productive members of the growing workforce,” says Jose Leviste Jr., who chairs various companies such as OceanaGold (Philippines Inc.) and Mabalacat Solar Philippines Inc. Leviste delivered the 2018 commencement address for the College of Allied Medical Professions and Business and Accountancy at AUF in Angeles City on April 26. His company, Mabalacat Solar, built a 22-megawatt solar project in Clark Freeport Zone to provide clean power to residents of Central Luzon.

“Ladies and gentlemen, the interconnected world via our international gateways is now within reach; most literally and figuratively, they are right at your doorsteps. Seize it, and shape your future alongside it,” says Leviste, who represented the 2nd district of Pampanga in the Constitutional Convention, after graduating with an MBA degree from Columbia University in New York City.

That started a career of more than 20 years in government, which gave Leviste the opportunity to work with leaders and technocrats at the highest levels. After serving in government, he involved himself in enterprises and industries.

Leviste, who is married to Jenniffer Dayrit of San Fernando, Pampanga, says the commencement ceremony is an excellent opportunity for AUF graduates to start something big for Angeles City, Pampanga, Central Luzon and the Philippines.

“I’m also very proud to be here at Angeles University Foundation today, to see how much the school has grown since its founding by the Angeles family in 1962. At a time when many of our qualified teachers are moving overseas, AUF has the highest percentage of faculty with graduate degrees in the Philippines staying on to continue to offer topnotch education,” he says.

“But more than the expansion and the certifications and honors it has received, Angeles University Foundation is now the premier school in the region because of its graduates – because of you and the countless others, who have come before you and who have made something out of themselves and the education you have received here. You have made Angeles University Foundation, and put it on the map,” says Leviste.

“Although I am no longer as young as you are, I cannot contain my optimism at the potential of this region. The Philippines is building a new government center in New Clark City, next door. It will be our version of Malaysia’s Putrajaya. In this area, which is being built from ground up, government service can be delivered free from the hassles, free from the distractions that you cannot escape from in Manila.

And around it, enterprise zones, residential enclaves, and transport systems will arise,” he says.

“This is your new world, and it is being built under the leadership of your fellow Kapampangans...

You have wonderful role models from the region to look up to,” says Leviste.

Business

B2

SUNDAY, MAY 27, 2018 business@manilastandard.net

CEO...

From B1

Nearly 100 percent of the population in advanced countries such as Singapore are insured, he says.

Data from the Insurance Commission showed the market penetration in the Philippines was below 50 percent in 2017.

“It is clear to us that the Philippine population requires a lot more insurance. The current amount of insurance does not compensate with the growth of the population.

If the Philippines is going to go from a developing country to developed country, one of the big differences between them is actually insurance.

The reason for that is insurance actually prevents poverty,” he says.

Menon says in most cases in the Philippines, a family’s money gets wiped out every time someone goes to the hospital. He says with insurance, one’s ability to build savings and wealth and move from lower social structure to a higher one is protected.

“If you don’t have it [insurance], it [wealth] gets wiped out,” he says.

“Insurance prevents your investment from being wiped out. It is protection for the investments. If you ask any banks when customers pull out the most money, it is always when someone is sick or someone died. The only thing that prevents them from pulling it out would be insurance.

That is the difference from moving up from developing to developed,” says Menon.

The Philippine case is unique, he says, because the rich and the poorest are both insured. “A lot of insurance is bought by rich people, but in the middle-income [segment], not a lot of people are selling to them or talking to them. One of our missions is to get to them, to make sure they are sufficiently insured, so when they go up the socio-economic ladder, they can continue,” he says.

“Current product designs really fit the high income. Expectations are that people pay once a year. To cover the middle one, you have to allow people to be paying every month, based on their cashflow. That is what is missing. What is ironic is that right at the bottom, there is insurance also. All the remittance centers offer insurance.

The funny thing in the Philippines is that the rich has insurance, the poor has insurance, but the middle do not. That’s the biggest market. If the country is moving from developing to developed, the middle income must go up,” he says.

Menon says the low penetration rate as well as the growing population provide growth prospects for the insurance industry in the Philippines.

“Prospects are really good. It goes in line with demographics and the economy,” he says.

“The Philippines’ average age is 23, with a net reproduction rate of 3 [children per family]. To replace the population, a family needs 2.1 [children]. Almost any other country in Asia has less than 2, except the Philippines at 3. Population here is growing faster than people who are dying. That means it is going to drive demand, and to drive liabilities,” he says.

“I think the industry will continue to grow substantially, simply because demand is growing. As more and more people get into working life, they will ask more how to make sure their family is okay. Per capita income will go up, because money is coming in,” says Menon. Roderick T. dela Cruz

Asian Mergers and Acquisition Links founder and CEO Hideki Tanifuji and his Filipino team

BUSINESS DEAL EXPERT BRINGS INVESTORS TO PH

H

IDEKI Tanifuji, the Japanese founder and chief executive of Asian Mergers and Acquisition Links, has brought his expertise to the Philippines to invite more foreign capital.

Established in 2015, AMAL is a boutique investment bank that aims to guide businesses and corporations in merging and acquiring companies for business expansion and new industry opportunities.

Its services include strategy development, corporate valuation, financial consulting, pre- and post-merger evaluation and due diligence works.

With over 10 years of reputable corporate experience in the field of M&A and thorough understanding of the global market, Tanifuji is proud to bring his long-time passion and industry expertise to the country via his growing team of young Filipino professionals. Through his visionary leadership, AMAL has closed six deals, five of which were cross-border in just one year.

Prior to AMAL, Tanifuji was a former corporate officer in M&A Capital Partners which is one of the leading boutique investment banks in Japan. In 2007, he put up his own M&A company in Tokyo.

When asked why he chose the Philippines among other locations in the region for his work, Tanifuji says he sees great potential for M&A in the country and he envisions to bring a lot of foreign investors that can contribute to more growth for the economy. To date, three Japanese companies have invested in the Philippines through AMAL. “The prospects of growing the business here are very high. Back in 2016, the Philippines has been recognized to be among the countries in

COMPANIES ASKED TO JOIN CAMPAIGN TO GIVE 10M BOOKS

CIVIL society-led campaign Sa Pagbasa, May Pag-asa calls on corporations participating in the annual Brigada Eskwela to further promote the love and facility for reading and learning by donating books during the annual event.

Brigada Eskwela refers to that week when school employees, volunteers and other stakeholders in the education sector participate and contribute time and resources to clean, repaint and repair classrooms in time for the opening of the school year in June.

A program institutionalized by the Department of Education, this year’s Brigada Eskwela is set for May 28 to June 2, with the theme Pagkakaisa Para sa Handa, Ligtas at Matatag na Paaralan Tungo sa Magandang Kinabukasan Sa Pagbasa, May Pag-asa coconvenors former Education Secretary Armin Luistro, BDO Foundation president Mario Deriquito and civil society leader Vicky Garchitorena launched the book donation campaign on Nov. 27, 2017 (Araw ng Pagbasa) at the Aurora Quezon Elementary School in San Andres Bukid, Malate, Manila.

Sa Pagbasa, May Pag-asa aims to donate 10 million storybooks a year to public schools nationwide, for the use of students from kindergarten to senior high school. It aims to help public school children gain access to a wide range of creative, interesting,

and age-appropriate reading materials and instill in them a culture of reading and learning.

“Storybooks are an important part of learning because they spark a child’s imagination, help reinforce values learned at home and in school, and teach about different people and environments. Through this campaign, we will help foster a love of reading and learning among Filipino children, equip them with key skills, and build their character,” said Armin.

Corporations and organizations that have participated in Brigada Eskwela could make their volunteerism more meaningful by donating storybooks, Armin said. “They could add to their advocacy by donating storybooks that they held dear during their own formative years. If every employee or organization member just brought one book when they visit their chosen school, that would already make a huge difference,” he said.

Sa Pagbasa, May Pag-asa encourages corporations and organizations to adopt the campaign by collecting age-appropriate storybooks from their employees or members. The co-convenors also propose that these groups request participating employees to bring one storybook each, for donation to public schools that they’ll be visiting for Brigada Eskwela.

the region whose GDP growth is the highest, at 6.8 percent, compared to its neighbors that are still struggling to achieve GDP growth stability.

Majority of Filipinos are good English speakers, and the culture and quality of professional manpower are also plus factors,” he says.

With matured countries like Japan looking for investments and/or acquisitions in developing countries such as the Philippines, which he considers the top in the Asean, Tanifuji is confident that M&A will go a long way in the years to come.

“This line of business is unique in such a way that all efforts and resources of the company are focused only on providing financial advisory services, hence clients are assured that they will receive dedicated service from the company.

Another core strength is that AMAL is an independent firm with no political attachments, has many strong connections with big Japanese companies, and has connections with big foreign companies in Australia, Singapore, and the US,” says AMAL finance director Shaela Mae Claveria.

In bringing companies from across the world together seamlessly, AMAL provides advisory services and assistance to clients that have M&A needs throughout the entire rigorous process.

After assessment and evaluation of clients’ individual needs, AMAL matches companies that have same corporate goals and objectives with regards to M&A transactions.

“Due diligence is a later stage in M&A. Most accounting firms are focused on that. For us, while we support due diligence, our focus is to offer the total wholistic M&A package. Functions include tapping clients, introduce clients to M&A, negotiation for evaluations, all the works. Add to this the smart combination of Japanese financial business expertise and Filipino brand of rigor, a

core competency that is unique to the Asian M&A Links team,” says AMAL chief operating officer Dinah Ilagan.

By paving the way for seamless, unimpeded business transitions, AMAL provides clients with maximized benefits in the form of immediate returns and long-term advantages.

While still considered a young company, AMAL is continuously growing in operations.

In fact, it is positioning itself to become the No. 1 M&A company in the Philippines and one of the leading in Asia. To date, AMAL is one of the biggest in its industry in terms of manpower as it has 80 employees composed of the management team, HR, IT staff, accountants, marketing analysts, consultants and foreign language speakers/ translators.

Apart from transferring to a more spacious and modern office in Bonifacio Technology Center this year, Tanifuji says his other immediate goals for AMAL includes establishing a subsidiary in Bangkok in October 2018 with a target of growing into having 100 employees within the next five years.

Envisioning the long-term growth of the business, AMAL is also aiming to list in SME board of the Philippine Stock Exchange by second quarter of 2019. This is also the main growth strategy of Tanifuji to accelerate the growth of the company inorganically. Aside from the publiclylisted M&A firms in Japan, AMAL will be the only M&A firm to be listed in any Asian stock exchange.

Additionally, AMAL is targeting to be the number one in the ASEAN region and grow its workforce to 200 employees by 2020.

AMAL’s main headquarters is located at Unit 8, 3rd floor, Bonifacio Technology Center on 31st Street corner, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig.

STORE OF INNOVATIONS TO OPEN AT NPC COMPOUND THE Department of Science and Technology and the Filipino Inventors Society Producers Cooperative teamed up with the National Press Club to establish a store for Filipino inventions and innovations at NPC Building in Manila.

Science Secretary Fortunato dela Peña, FISPC president and chief executive Francisco Pagayon and newly-elected NPC president Rolando Gonzalo signed a memorandum of understanding for the OneStore hub at the NPC compound.

Other signatories were DOST Region 2 director and onestore.ph national program leader Sancho Mabborang; DOST National Capital Region director Jose Patalinjug III, DOST Region 1 director Armand Ganal, DOST Cordillera Administrative Region officer-in-charge Nancy Bantog and DOST Region 3 director Julius Caesar Sicat.

Dela Peña said the partnership with the inventors cooperative and the oldest organization of journalists would support the growth of micro, small to medium enterprises and help inventor-entrepreneurs sell their products to the public.

“With this partnership, the MSMEs assisted by the DOST and the inventorentrepreneurs we help in developing

Science Secretary Fortunato dela Peña (fourth from left), FISPC president and chief executive Francisco Pagayon (third from left) and newly-elected NPC president Rolando Gonzalo (fifth from left) sign a memorandum of understanding for the OneStore hub at the NPC compound in Manila. their inventions and ideas will have another venue to showcase their products in the home of our country’s respected journalists,” Dela Peña said.

Gonzalo said the OneStore hub at the NPC complex would also allow MSMEs and inventor-entrepreneurs to introduce their products to NPC members who could write or feature them in their respective publications and broadcast agencies.

“It’s a win-win for everybody,” Gonzalo said.

Th e D O S T e a r l i e r s i gn e d a partnership agreement with FISPC to open more OneStore hubs which showcase and sell Filipino products on brick-and-mor tar stores to complement the electronic commerce site onestore.ph set up by the DOST. Onestore.ph was conceptualized as an online platform for products of Filipino MSMEs received technical and equipment assistance from the DOST under the Small Enterprise Upgrading Program.

Tech & Gadgets

S

DISK STATION DS1618+: FASTEST EVER NAS SERIES

YNOLOGY® Inc. recently launched DiskStation DS1618+, a 6-bay NAS featuring the Intel Atom® C3538. For tech enthusiasts and small to medium sized businesses, DS1618+ is the perfect all-in-one solution for file serving, application hosting, data backup, and real-time collaboration—all aided by its exceptional performance.

DS1618+ is powered by a quadcore Intel Atom® processor C3538 and 4GB DDR4 non-ECC SODIMM, expandable up to 32 GB in ECC SODIMMs. The storage capacity can be upgraded to 192TB when connected to two DX517 expansion units, providing fast-growing companies a data storage solution that scales with their business.

“Modern-day companies compete based on the speed at which they generate, process, and use data to drive innovations,” said Derren Lu, CEO at Synology. “By integrating Intel technology , we are putting a compact powerhouse in every SMB. It will allow them to take advantage of that untapped throughput to give their companies that extra edge.”

With Synology’s M2D17 PCIe adapter card, DS1618+ can house dual M.2 SATA SSD, taking advantage of the SSD cache to boost maximum throughput and reduce the I/O latency. By alternatively installing a network interface card via the PCIe slot, DS1618+ supports up to two

DS1618+ is powered by a quad-core Intel Atom® processor C3538 and 4GB DDR4 non-ECC SODIMM, expandable up to 32 GB in ECC SODIMMs.

10GbE ports to reach a maximum throughput of 1,551 MBps reading and 586 MBps writing.

“Small to medium sized businesses need powerful, secure and scalable storage solutions to efficiently manage their growing levels of digital content,” said Dan Artusi, Vice President and General Manager of Intel’s Connected Home Division. “Through our collaboration with Synology, their new DiskStation NAS products based on the Intel Atom® processor C series have

the performance and configurable high-speed I/O to help businesses quickly store and manage their most critical data.”

DS1618+ runs on DiskStation Manager, the advanced and intuitive operating system for Synology NAS devices, with quality applications offered to enhance data security and work efficiency. Synology has received numerous media accolades, topping the mid-range NAS category in TechTarget’s storage solution survey and winning PC Mag Readers’

Choice seven years in a row.

Synology’s Extended Warranty add-on service (EW201) can be purchased together with DS1618+, to provide up to five years of hardware warranty coverage.

For more information on DS1618+, please visit https:// www.synology.com/products/ DS1618+ For more information on extended warranty, please visit https://www.synology.com/ products/Extended_Warranty

B3

SUNDAY, MAY 27, 2018 rumallari@thestandard.com.ph

PERKS GALORE AT SM SUPERMALLS MOBILE APP SM Supermalls Mobile App users can now enjoy over 500 exclusive perks and discounts from participating stores and restaurants in 68 SM malls nationwide.

As part of the SM Supermalls “Show Card Get Reward” privilege program for the existing 12 million SM loyalty cardholders, customers can avail instantly in-app coupons by simply downloading and signing up on the SM Supermalls Mobile App, and presenting their SM Advantage, SM Prestige, BDO Rewards, Global Pinoy or E-Plus card, when they make a purchase.

Every in-app coupon redeemed also gives customers an e-raffle entry to win a brand new Samsung Galaxy S9.

The more coupons redeemed means the more chances of winning in the raffle draw on May 31.

The SM Supermalls Mobile App is free on Google Play Store and Apple App Store.

For exclusive news about SM Supermalls, visit www.smsupermalls.com or follow SM’s official social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram; and get an insider access to all the fun happenings at SM Supermalls nationwide through SM’s Viber Public Chat.

Tweet your thoughts, upload and share your photos about your memorable moments at SM, then use its official hashtag #EverythingsHereAtSM.

PRE-ORDER YOUR LG G7 THINQ NOW LG Electronics’ brand-new smartphone, LG G7 ThinQ is available for pre-order starting May 30.

The latest in LG’s series of premium flagship phones, the G7 ThinQ offers an array of ground-breaking audio-visual technologies, a highly advanced processor that run even the most demanding tasks and apps with ease, and deep AI integration.

Packing powerful sound, a brighter display, and an amazing low-light camera, the LG G7 ThinQ enhances your smartphone experience.

Get your hands on the LG G7 ThinQ weeks before it launches, and avail of freebies, including a LG Tone Iinfinim Bluetooth stereo headset worth Php 7,490, with your purchase. The pre-order promo is available at participating LG concept stores from May 30 to June 10.

The following are the mechanics for LG G7 ThinQ’s preorder program: Customer may pre-order an LG G7 ThinQ from participating stores by paying a P2,000 downpayment within the promo period (May 30 to June 10, 2018). Downpayment can be paid in cash or

Packing powerful sound, a brighter display, and an amazing low-light camera, the LG G7 ThinQ enhances your smartphone experience.

straight payment via credit card.

Customer gets the following freebies as part of the pre-order offer: • LG Tone Infinim Bluetooth stereo headset worth P7,490 • Fast-charging wireless charger worth P1,900 • An LG G7 ThinQ premium case

worth P1,500 Customer may claim the LG G7 ThinQ in the store where it was pre-ordered by paying the balance (SRP less down payment) starting June 11, until sixty days after start of claiming period.

Customer needs to present the following:

• Official receipt of downpayment • Valid ID (name has to match the one in the official receipt) If customer does not claim the pre-order within sixty days (until August 10), the reservation will be cancelled.

This offer is not convertible to cash.

This offer cannot be availed with other promotions.

The LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company is a global leader and trendsetter in the mobile and wearable industry with breakthrough technologies and innovative designs. By continually developing highly competitive core technologies in the areas of display, camera optics, audio and battery, LG creates handsets and wearables that fit the lifestyles of a wide range of consumers all over the world. LG is seeking to provide a mobile experience that extends beyond the scope of traditional smartphones. For more information, visit lg.com/.ph, like @LGMobilePhilippines and follow @LGPhilippines on Instagram.

SONY...

From B4

The charger is a bit different compared to the android phone out there. It has a USB Type-C port at the bottom part of the phone with quick charging capabilities perfect for a short-time charge while on-the-go.

It has 3G connectivity and is LTE-ready, perfect for any preferred cellular network. I mostly used it with a Wi-Fi connection at home and at work.

Other than the basic security features of a standard smartphone, XA2 Ultra has a Fingerprint scanner at the back, just a few centimeters below the rear camera. The positioning of the scanner is perfect for the positioning of the index finger, while holding the gigantic size of XA2 Ultra.

Verdict

GLOBAL EXPERTS TACKLE BENEFITS OF BLOCKCHAIN BLOCKCHAIN is a new form of technology, although one that has the potential to change the way people do business.

Being a relatively new concept, blockchain remains an arcane concept to many local businessmen and company executives, particularly those that are not too tech-savvy.

As such, many questions are floated around business circles. How can blockchain help improve the way we do business? Will the blockchain technology prove to be a boon for Philippine commerce? Is our country ready for it?

These and many other questions are what the coming Blockchain Applications and Economics Forum 2018 aims to answer. With the theme “Transforming Businesses and Industries with Blockchain Technology,” the three-day forum, which will run from May 28 to 30, aims to increase the general understanding of the blockchain technology and bring together business leaders and thinkers that are not yet on the blockchain but are evaluating its impact on their business.

The forum also aims to help entrepreneurs and corporate decision-makers find the right blockchain solution for their businesses, particularly in the light of the fact that aside from Fintech, blockchain solutions can be implemented into gaming, supply chains, logistics, digital identity, and much more.

Blockchain Bootcamps

Blockchain Applications and Economics Forum 2018 will have blockchain and fintech experts from Europe, Asia, and North America who will act as speakers, panelists, trainers, and moderators during the three-day forum.

The first day of the forum, which will be on May 28, will be devoted to two pre-conference bootcamps. One is a whole-day workshop on “Ethereum and Smart Contract Development” which is designed especially for software developers, tech experts and blockchain enthusiasts who wish to get into coding in the blockchain platform Ethereum.

The trainers for this workshop are Harpreet Singh Maan and Adly Abdullah, CEO and CTO, respectively, and co-founders of Blocklime Technologies, one of the foremost blockchain consultancy and development service companies in the world.

While the second bootcamp will be devoted solely for members of the press, dubbed the “Media Blockchain Workshop.” The workshop aims to help media understand and have a better appreciation of what Blockchain is all about, its challenges, risks and opportunities.

This workshop is open to all interested journalists and will run from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. The trainer for this workshop is Amor Maclang, globally awarded brand archi-

tect; risk, crisis, and reputation strategist; marketing and communications innovator; and co-founder of GeiserMaclang Marketing Communications Inc.

Global Impact

The formal opening of the the conference will be on May 29, and will start out with the official launch of the Blockchain Association of the Philippines, the very first official blockchain-related association in the country.

The keynote address for the launch will be delivered by BAP and Unionbank chairman Justo A. Ortiz.

Panel discussions will be held throughout the day as well. Topics to be discussed include Global Developments and Perspectives in Blockchain, with panelists from Singapore, Malaysia, Russia and Ireland; Managing Legitimacy in Blockchain--Regulations, Risks, and Communications, moderated by Amor Maclang; Can Blockchain Replace IPOS?, moderated by Daphne Ng, Secretary General of Access Singapore and committee member of Singapore Fintech Association; Blockchain and its Impact on Financial Transactions and Services, moderated by Arvie de Vera, first vice president and head of the Fintech Business Group at Unionbank; and The Future of Blockchain, Cryptocurrencies, ICOs, and Digital Currency Exchanges, moderated by Shawn Tham, founder and CEO of Blockrypto.

If you are looking for the best midtier phone with top-notch entertainment value, good camera capabilities and a reasonable value for money, then Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra got you covered. From its big-screen to its high-octane processor, this phone is perfect for you. The phone is priced at P22,990 and available at Sony Centers, Xperia Shops, and Sony Authorized Dealers. There are three colors you can choose from—Black, Blue and Gold.

Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra

B4

TECH & Gadgets SUNDAY, MAY 27, 2018 Riera U. Mallari, Editor rumallari@thestandard.com.ph

SONY XPERIA XA2 ULTRA: SOLID, BIG, BRILLIANT

By Charles Dantes

I

NNOVATIONS in technology has never ceased to amaze phone enthusiasts, who want to get a hold on the latest and best smartphones.

That’s why phone geeks enjoy the sight of huge technology corporations competing against one another with their creations.

Sony, one of the biggest players in the phone world, released its newest Xperia phones in the country—the XA2 Ultra, Ear Duo, and Xperia Touch and the XZ2.

Luckily, I had the chance to get a grasp on their hottest mid-ranger smartphone today— the Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra, which operates on Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 octa-core processor with 4 Gigabyte RAM. It boasts of a 6.0-inch Full HD IPS LCD display and Android 8.0 Oreo with a 23-Megapixel rear camera and two rear cameras with 8 and 16 megapixels, respectively. The XA2 Ultra uses USB Type-C for its charger and Fingerprint scanner at the back for security.

Size does matter

The first you will notice about the new XA2 Ultra is its HUGE design, which makes you feel holding a very expensive phone. The plates on its sides, top and bottom, are metal, but the rear of the device is plastic. It weighed around 221 to 222 grams and 9.5 mm thick for its sheer size.

While its robust size transforms this mid-tier bad boy into an expensive feel and design, the six-inch screen is perfect to enjoy streaming your favorite shows and playing your favorite game on mobile. With its IPS LCD with 1080p resolution, I had the chance of having a home theater in the palm of my hand. Did I forget to say the audio

The writer uses the Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra's AR effect.

quality of the Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra is top-notch and a LED flash unit. Flip the device and that even without headphones, it still produced a you have two front cameras to satisfy very delicate and sharp sound? your selfie needs, with the main front cam having a 16-megapixel shooter at f/2.0, with Performance matters, too OIS paired with an 8-megapixel wide-angle The Sony XA2 Ultra ran smoothly for most of camera at an f-stop of f/2.4. the time and I never really had a problem with lags and slow-loading, creating a smart-phone Battery, Connectivity and Security perfect for entertainment. Under the hood of Sony XA2 Ultra has a 3580mAh battery, equal the Xperia XA2 Ultra is the workforce of Qual- to the size of the phone. In average, the phone comm Snapdragon 630 processor along with lasts for a day with heavy online video streaming, Adreno 510 GPU and 4GB RAM of 32GB of internet surfing and a small amount of time storage (can be upgraded to 64GB). with mobile games. Not really a game-changer, The XA2 Ultra has a 24-megapixel rear but a solid detail to compete in the market. camera at an aperture of f/2.0 that has PDAF Turn to B3

SMART POWERS SARANGANI BAY FESTIVAL TOURIST and residents attending the Sarangani Bay Festival will enjoy much improved mobile data experience as PLDT wireless arm Smart Communications Inc. (Smart) boosts connectivity in the area in time for the province’s much-awaited event.

As part of its commitment to cover 90% of the country’s cities and municipalities with mobile data service by the end of this year, Smart has fired up LTE-Advanced and carrier aggregation technology in the province to improve the mobile internet experience of residents and tourists, especially those expected to attend the sporting and music events during the festival.

After LTE-A was rolled-out last month, residents have reported experiencing download speeds of over 40 Mbps in Gumasa, Sarangani Bay. “With Smart’s LTE-A network now in place in Sarangani, attendees of the province’s biggest festival can stay connected to loved ones via messaging apps, share their experiences in real time via social media, or learn about new ways to protect and preserve marine life,” said Mario G. Tamayo, PLDT and Smart Senior Vice President for Network Planning and Engineering.

In the first quarter of 2018, Smart installed 1,300 more LTE base stations across the country, raising the total count to over 10,000 nationwide.

These base stations use various radio frequency bands, specifically the 700 MHz band for better coverage and indoor penetration, and the 1800 MHz and 2100 MHz for additional capacity.

Smart aims to increase the number of LTE base stations to about 17,700 by the end of 2018, and raise the number of LTE-equipped cell sites to over 6,800.

The installation of multiple LTE base stations in existing cell sites paves the way for the activation of LTE-A, which can deliver faster mobile data services to customers. Through LTE-A’s feature called carrier aggregation, much higher mobile data speeds are achieved by combining the capacity of two up to five frequency bands.

Speeds of between 20 to 40 Mbps have been recorded in Gumasa, Sarangani after Smart recently fired up LTE-A in the area.

TECHNO-CREATIVE LAB DIGIFY JOINS JAPAN IT WEEK 2018 DIGIFY Inc., a subsidiary wholly owned by GMA New Media Incorporated (NMI), was part of the Philippine delegation supported by the Department of Trade and Industry to the 28th Japan IT Week 2018, held from May 9 to 11 at Tokyo Big Sight, Tokyo, Japan.

DTI’s Export Marketing Bureau partnered with the Philippine Trade and Investment Center—Tokyo, the Philippine Software Industry Association, and the Department of Information Communication and Technology in holding an Outbound Business Matching Mission for the IT-Business Process Management sector and the country’s participation in the Japan IT Week 2018. The theme of the mission was “Go Global. Go Digital. Co-Create with the Philippines.”

Digify Inc. is a techno-creative lab that specializes in sensor technologies such as augmented reality and beacon/proximity marketing, multimedia content production, and endto-end software solutions for standalone digital and integrated marketing campaigns.

Digify’s membership to the PSIA is essential to achieving its goal of developing offshore markets. The PSIA’s collaboration with DTIEMB and the DICT to promote the Philippine software companies provided the opportunity for delegates to join the business matching sessions with potential Japanese clients.

This was a major component of the DTI-EMB’s OBMM initiative for the IT-BPM sector.

More than a hundred Japanese companies interested in Philippine software service providers participated in the series of

B2B sessions that allowed Digify to present its leading-edge R&D solutions and applications.

“The Philippine software industry has already established a solid reputation for being innovative and world class. That is why firstworld nations like Japan choose the Philippines to outsource their requirements for system and application development and other business functions. It was a distinct honor and privilege for Digify to be a part of the Philippine mission to the biggest IT event in Japan, one that has drawn over 120 Japanese companies that have already expressed interest to work and co-create with the Filipino service providers. I have met with companies who are keen on getting Digify on-board. Exciting times are up ahead. Thanks to the government agencies and PSIA for making all this possible” said Evert Chris Miranda, Digify’s General Manager, of the prospects that await the Philippine delegation.

The Philippine delegation also took part in the Software & Apps Development Expo (SODEC 2018), Japan’s largest exhibition, that featured a wide array of products for the development, operation, and maintenance of software and apps. This year, SODEC also included various segments of IT-BPM services covered under the Japan IT Week. Every year, hundreds of managers in information systems and software development visit SODEC to conduct face-to-face business discussions with exhibitors. Through the PSIA’s booth in SODEC, the Philippine delegation had the opportunity to distribute their company portfolios and meet clients who are in need of offshore services.

C1

Young Life sunday, may 27, 2018

Bernadette Lunas, Issue Editor

@manilastandardlife

manilastandardlife@gmail.com

Warzone Wanderer

@MStandardLIFE

What it’s like to be a female musician today thE future is indeed female. and in the music scene, women are taking over, sharing their dreams and their influences.

Fashion label Bershka flew to Los angeles to meet some rising stars of the music tour—women who are getting their voices heard all over the world.

TRUE WANDERER. Professional travel organizer Rhyan Joe Sianquita's photo taken in Marawi City earned him the top prize of a denim brand's travel competition.

R

hyan JOE Sianquita travels for a living. as a professional travel organizer, he has already explored many beautiful destinations across the country. But his recent trip to Marawi, where islamic Stateinspired militants laid siege last year, was a truly special one.

Callie Reiff, DJ and producer

“i travel every week because of my job,” said Sianquita.

“But what made this trip so different is the destination. all the blogs called Marawi the ‘city of no return,’ but at the airport, i met so many wonderful people who made me realize that it wasn’t true. they were even inviting me into their homes!”

Sianquita's #tru eCulture

Ballerina-turned-DJ Callie Reiff, who, at only 18, is the youngest DJ—of any gender—to have played at nyC’s historic Webster hall. She’s also opened for artists such as Skrillex, Zedd, anna Lunoe, Ed Sheeran, and austin Mahon, and has released songs on Skrillex’s label nest/Owsla and a-trak’s label Fool’s Gold.

“Women are so powerful, and when they use their voices to express themselves, there’s no stopping what’s going to happen.”

ls, gether with loca o shows him, to s. ot ph e di oo eF Sianquita's #tru ng some of Marawi's delicacie tryi

Last week marked the first anniversary of the five-month-long armed conflict in the city. Filipinos commemorated the many lives lost, remembered the chaos and damages—estimated at P17 billion—it brought, and celebrated the bravery of our soldiers and resiliency of its residents whose lives have been disrupted. this were the very things that inspired Sianquita to go to the southern city of Marawi, despite of the risk of entering what was once a warzone.

“Every time i travel, it’s important to have a pictureperfect adventure. as i walked through the warzone in Marawi, the angst of being there was real; it’s not a perfect picture,” he wrote in the caption of his photo taken in the city. he continued, “along with the 1st Scout Ranger Company, i crossed through the memorable sites of ground zero carrying the memories and stories before and during the war. We felt the anguish and pain of losing a fellow comrade. But something sparked in me what only eyes of the heart and soul can see.” photo entry

Turn to C2

The Regrettes, LA punk band

this punk band, composed of vocalist Lydia night, guitarist Genessa Gariano, and bassist Turn to C2

Let there be Light in Marawi WhEn war fell on Marawi, the city and its residents were left, literally, in the dark. Close to 400,000 Filipinos were displaced from their homes and struggled in temporary shelters and refugee sites with no electricity. the darkness around the city did not just make the situation difficult and unsafe, but also perpetuated fear in the evacuees who were unsure of what the next days would bring. a month before the siege was declared over, PepsiCo and Pepsi-Cola Products Philippines inc., in partnership with MyShelter Foundation’s Liter of Light, immediately went to work to provide the community with sustainable sources of light. the government tapped the Pepsi Philippines team as one of the private institutions to aid in the rebuilding of Marawi, working with the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation to further their reach.

Oc October 2017, the team engaged its celebrity brand ambassadors, including Daniel Padilla, Jasmine Curtis-Smith, national university volleybelle Jaja Santiago, and Magic 89.9 radio jocks tin Gamboa (DJ Suzy), anthony James Bueno (tony toni), and Eric Virata (Slick Rick) to help build Solar gasera lights for delivery to Marawi.

Each gasera light is made of LED bulbs wired to miniature solar panels using a copper board. it houses rechargeable

batteries similar to those found in computers. to date, the Pepsi Philippines team and Marawi community leaders have distributed 1,000 solar gasera lamps and installed 200 street lights in the city and temporary shelters. “the lights help make the people feel safe,” said PCPPi president Samudra Bhattacharya. “But apart from that, it helps uplift their spirits. this, we believe, is a step to rebuilding their lives. With this project, we replace the darkness around them with a light of hope.”

Pepsi celebrity brand ambassadors Daniel Padilla and (inset) Jasmine Curtis-Smith help create solar gasera lamps to be delivered to Marawi.

young Life

C2

sunday, may 27, 2018 manilastandardlife@gmail.com

what...

From C1

sage Chavis, with maxx morando on drums, has recently made their first headline tour and is about to take the stage alongside some of the world’s biggest female acts, including Beyoncé, st Vincent, and HaIm. “Women bring a lot of power and strength to the music industry. We bring a different and important perspective because it’s one that’s not heard as much.

We bring the true talent!”

shoppers can give the gift of learning to the children in marawi with The sm store's donate-a-Book campaign. In photo are students who received school supplies in 2017.

Sunni Colón, musician and producer

male artists the world over are lining up to collaborate with strong female talents. La musician and producer sunni Colón, described as the next Frank Ocean, cites women as his main source of inspiration and collaboration. He recently released an ode to the power of women on his track, God Is a Woman.

“Women bring power and fluidity to music. most artists create from a place of being inspired by women, and not by just the physical beauty, but the spiritual beauty: the essence of what women mean to the world and the universe. The best thing about collaborating with women is the duality and balance they bring to music—the inspiration.”

Bring BaCk peaCe, one Book at a time R

eadIng is known as a powerful tool for healing as it helps the mind find its peaceful place. aside from providing information, books motivate, inspire, and give a vision of human strength.

warzone...

From C1

“Beyond the chaos and hostility is a promise of HOPe. Rubbles turned into building dreams of a better marawi, where faith and camaraderie from each and every Filipino will make this land rise from the ashes,” he enthused after his three-day trip.

His photo and its caption earned him the 2018 True Wanderer award from denim brand Wrangler. sianquita and nine other finalists were sent on a three-day journey to different places in the Philippines. They had to undergo three different challenges and share photos and stories behind them using the hashtags #TrueFoodie, #TrueCulture, and #TrueAdventure.

“I was up against many professional photographers, and their captions were also so good,” he shared. “as the day of the announcement came closer I became more worried, but decided to just tell myself that I already won through the experience.” sianquita’s #TrueAdventure entry stood out from among the many other great photos and captions.

He won P500,000 worth of prizes, including a three-day/two-night allexpense-paid trip for four to any Philippine destination, as well as travel gear, one drone camera, one tablet, and Wrangler gift certificates.

He is particularly excited about the drone camera because he wants to take more spectacular shots while on his travels.

“I’m a hiker, so I want to be able to hike in mountains abroad like the everest base camp and Kinabalu. But for my upcoming True Wanderer trip, I’m thinking of going to Bohol,” he shared. “my mother has never been on a plane so I want to bring her with me, along with my graduating sister and my wife.” sianquita encourages everyone to wander and explore the many destinations of the Philippines—popular tourist spot or not.

“It’s really not about your destination but it’s about the memories you make along the way.”

The donate-a-Book campaign gave these alabang elementary school students the gift of reading last year.

It can be remembered that the five-month-long siege in marawi affected thousands of children’s lives. some schools were destroyed; children no longer have access to education and can’t afford basic learning materials like books and school supplies.

In a bid to help restore the peace of mind of children whose lives have been disrupted due to last year’s armed conflict, the sm store and sm stationery invite shoppers to give these kids the gift of reading with the donate-a-Book campaign. shoppers may donate new or pre-loved books and brand new school supplies at the booths set up in all The sm store branches nationwide from today until June 30. each donation entitles a customer with a P50 discount coupon which can be redeemed for every minimum P500 single-receipt purchase on regular-priced items from the sm stationery at The sm store.

Filipina sings her way to london sOCIaL media singing contest winner Jyl Orila got a taste of London following her victory in Costa Coffee’s #singyourWayToLondon.

For her Brit-inspired song number, Orila went all-out in her moving adele number, where she used Costa Coffee cups as her percussion instruments. moving on to the finals, she was tapped to sing live in front of a panel of judges that included david guison and celebrity siblings Kiana and Paolo Valenciano.

“Basically, I had to record my vocals (melody, first harmony, and then second harmony) a couple of times to make my voice sound thicker. I tapped Costa Coffee takeaway cups, lids turned up, to make the beat. some cups were turned upside down and scratched on paper towels to provide the egg shaker effect,” she related. at the finals, Orila was in full British attire complete with a Costa Coffee-colored romper and a bowler hat. among the prizes she received was an all-expense paid trip to her dream destination, London, where she

Jyl Orila (third from left) with #singyourWayToLondon judges (from left) Kiana Valenciano, david guison, and Paolo Valenciano

was able to tour the sights of the city that is steeped in rich culture and history. some of the popular attractions that she was able to visit on her trip included the London eye, Big Ben, the Tower of London, Thames River, and Westminster abbey. she was also able to wander through Trafalgar square, Picadilly Circus, the London Bridge, and witness the changing of guards at the Buckingham Palace.

On a musical note, she walked on abbey Road, famous for that iconic Beatles cover, and went on a Rock music Tour to see the houses of British rock legends.

Other unforgettable highlights on her five-day tour were catching a play at the West end Theater and participating in an open mic session at one of the city’s hip lounges.

The 26-year-old, who is a Costa Coffee eastwood branch regular, was particularly delighted for the opportunity to visit the Costa Coffee Roastery, the British coffee chain brand’s 85,000-square feet roasting facility. The Roastery, located in Basildon, essex, is capable of producing 45,000 tons of coffee yearly, or equivalent to 2.1 billion cups of coffee a year.

Back in manila, Orila paid a courtesy visit to daniel Pruce, British ambassador to the Philippines.

Jyl Orila's moving performance brought her to her dream destination, London.

Entertainment

SUNDAY, MAY 27, 2018

C3

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

BOOK BY

‘GAME OF THRONES’ AUTHOR TO BE ANIMATED FILM

With over 200 species, the Philippines has one of the largest populations of sharks in the world.

ATOM ARAULLO UP CLOSE WITH

‘KING OF THE OCEAN’ A

WARD-WINNING broadcast journalist Atom Araullo dives into the waters of Cebu, Sorsogon, and Camarines Norte to get up close with the “King of the Ocean” in today’s episode of The Atom Araullo Specials.

Award-winning documentarian Atom Araullo gets up close with the 'King of the Ocean' in 'The Atom Araullo Specials.'

Photo from Garage Magazine

Known as the ocean’s top predator, sharks are the undisputed ruler of the seas.

With over 200 species, the Philippines has one of the largest populations of sharks in the world—putting the country fourth in the list of Global Shark Biodiversity in the world, and second in Southeast Asia.

Some sustain a living and other places rake in a fortune by becoming popular tourist destinations because of these sea creatures. However, various threats beset them.

This Ocean’s Month, Atom travels to different parts of the country to take a close look at how the sharks industry has been shaping and thriving.

In Donsol, Sorsogon where the largest population of butanding or whale sharks was recorded, tourists are allowed to swim at the natural habitat of the whale sharks, the world’s biggest fish.

In Oslob, Cebu—another popular whale shark interaction site, Atom examines the situation and finds answers on why the Oslob venture has been criticized by various groups as disrupting the living patterns of whale sharks.

In Monad Shoal and Gato Island in Malapascua in Cebu, Atom also dives underwater in the only place in the world where thresher sharks can be viewed with certainty.

The broadcast journalist continues the journey in Mercedes, Camarines Norte where sharks trade is still prevalent. As some keep their ability to bring food to the family, they hunt, kill, and sell sharks which they claim are not considered as protected and endangered.

Is the shark tourism industry a form of conservation or exploitation?

How do we find balance on the need of others for sustenance and the need to protect the sharks?

Join Atom as he embarks on a meaningful journey and tackles the benefits and challenges and presents the present and future of the “King of the Ocean”.

Shark Land: The Atom Araullo Specials airs today at 4:30 p.m. on GMA.

WARNER Bros is set to produce an animated film based on an early book by the author of the Game of Thrones saga, a source familiar with the matter told AFP Wednesday.

The report, which first appeared on the specialty website Deadline, says that author George R.R. Martin will produce the film based on The Ice Dragon, published in 1980.

The book, written for young people, appeared well ahead of Martin’s Game of Thrones series and does not take place in the land of the Seven Kingdoms, the setting of the “Thrones” medieval fantasy series.

George R.R. Martin fans are eagerly awaiting the sixth Game of Thrones series, titled “The Winds of Winter,” which has been promised since 2012.

In late April, the author announced that readers will have to wait at least until 2019 to see the book published.

Martin has fallen so far behind in his book writing that the hit HBO TV series has already gone past the storyline in the books.

The much anticipated eighth and final season of HBO’s Game of Thrones is expected in 2019. AFP

Author George R.R. Martin

FIVE THAI SERIES PINOYS SHOULD WATCH

By Nickie Wang BEFORE it was only K-Drama that dominated Asian drama forums and sites, then there came C-Drama and J-Drama from China and Japan, respectively. Now, Asian powerhouses in the field of TV series and romantic comedies face a legitimate competition in Thai drama, which is more popularly known as lakorn.

For starters, like K-Drama, Thai lakorns are slowly changing the landscape of Asian drama with its fascinating stories and relatable characters, not to mention their actors who look so pleasing to the eyes.

A lakorn episode normally runs for an hour and when internationally broadcast, the running time is around 45 min. per episode.

Lakorns have very distinctive, though formulaic, characters, and narrative conventions. Generally, each lakorn aims to have a perfect ending, at least based on a few series we’ve seen.

In this week’s MS Entertainment Listicle, we are giving a rundown of the top five lakorns local viewers should start watching.

2. Full House (2014) The formula of a good laugh and cheesy romance never gets old as well as Full House that has been adapted several times.

In its Thai version, Aom’s (Sucharat Manaying) house and belongings are swindled by her sister while she is on a trip to Korea. Soon, she finds out that it is sold to Mike (Pirath Nitipaisankul). She opts to sign a marriage contract in an attempt to get her belongings back.

3. Kluen Chiwit / Life’s Waves (2017) Jeerawat (Urassaya Sperbund) is a famous actress with a painful past and tries to drink to forget her suffering. Once while driving intoxicated, she accidentally hits Sathit’s girlfriend which caused her dire consequences as Sathit (Suparat Prin), who happens to be a

1. You’re My Destiny (2017) There are specific reasons why it’s our top choice. First, this Thai drama is one of the most talked about lakorns online. And secondly, local TV viewers will soon have the chance to see the Thai version, dubbed in Tagalog, of this original Taiwanese drama (Fated To Love You)as it’s the first lakorn to hit local TV. It will soon air on GMA. The story revolves around Pawut (Wisetkaew “Bie” Sukrit), a successor of a large company and Wanida (Esther Supreeleela), a secretary in a law firm. The two had lawyer tries to take revenge on her. an intimate encounter while on a cruise. Three months later, Pawut Kleun Cheewit has the kind of taste that future lakorns need in the faces a big responsibility after learning that he impregnated Wanida. future as it proves that there’s more to life than just pain and suffering.

4. I See You (2016) The series is a mix of both romance and horror coming to life in one whole show.

It follows the story of Pairin (Chansangavej Chayanit) who can talk to supernatural entities but tries to fit in and pretend that she couldn’t.

With the help of her ‘friends’, she solves mysteries circling around the hospital where she works as a nurse.

Every episode makes its viewers shriek and fall in love with the show’s comical relief while balancing to deal with supernatural creatures.

5. Ka Badin (2015) In the era of King Nang Klao, Haym (Ma James), an heir turned elephant keeper, meets his childhood friend Lamduan (Matt Peerane Kongthai), a leading actress of a dance troupe and soon fell in love with each other.

Cliché as it sounds, another man takes away Lamduan from Haym, making him do whatever he can to rescue his lover and earn his reputation back.

As interesting as a love story in a historical era can get, Ka Badin takes us with Haym as he sets on a journey to get back Lamduan and a ride back in time to know the history and culture of Thailand. Louise Lizan

C4

sunday, may 27, 2018

Desiree Carlos, Editor

daycarlos28@yahoo.com

Pets

A ‘fixed’ cAt

is A heAlthy cAt

Y

ES, you love your kitten so pet tales much and you hope this furry By desiree carlos bundle of joy will always be healthy and will be your companion for many, many years.

One way for your kitten to grow into a healthy cat is to spay or neuter your pet, says David F. Kramer in the article “From What Age Should You Spay or Neuter Your Cat?” in PetMD.

Benefits of Spaying or Neutering

1. Spaying a female cat before the first heat cycle “virtually eliminates” the risk of breast or mammary cancer, Kramer says, citing an interview with Dr. Jennifer Coates, veterinary advisor with PetMD. An owner would want to remove this risk if possible as Dr. Coates said this kind of cancer can be very aggressive in cats compared to other species.

2. Other kinds of cancer that your cat will be spared from after spaying are ovarian and uterine cancers or a potentially fatal uterine infection called a pyometra, Dr. Coates said.

3. The possibility of complications that can occur during pregnancy and childbirth will also be removed if a cat is spayed, she added.

4. The benefits of neutering (for male cats), on the other hand, are “primarily behavioral, “ Coates said.

“Anyone who as ever tried living with an intact male cat will tell you that the vocalizations, escape attempts, roaming, fighting and urine spraying associated with normal tom cat behavior can get old really quick,” she said.

5. Neutering also removes the possibility of a cat developing testicular cancer, Coates added.

6. Fatal diseases like feline AIDS and leukemia can be spread between cats through bites. Cat fights occur during sexual competition, Coates said.

If the urge to mate is reduced, this will reduce the urge to fight. This will thus reduce the possibility of your cat contracting AIDS or leukemia, Coates said.

“Every study has shown spaying/neutering to be beneficial in regards to behavior and preventing disease. Behaviorally, cats are less likely to mark inappropriately in the house, less likely to roam outside, and less likely to engage in fighting with other cats. Medically, they are less likely to get certain cancers and infections,” Kramer quoted Dr. Adam Denish of Rhawnhurst Animal Hospital in Elkins Park, PA.

Responsible pet ownership

Kramer stresses it is very important to have your cat spayed or neutered to: 1. keep your cat healthy and away from cat fights. Responsible per owners would have their cat spayed or neutered.

Dos, rescued cat of animal welfare group Save ALL, has been spayed.

She enjoys mats and roaming in the garden.

2. reduce pet overpopulation, and thus reduce the number of cats being abandoned and neglected, who end up as strays or are euthanized in kill shelters.

“Too often, we view spaying and neutering through our own eyes, and how it might affect us, and assume that our pets would look at it the same way. As Coates puts it, ‘physiologically and behaviorally speaking, cats are made to reproduce as frequently as possible. Obviously, we have to put a stop to that. I think it is more humane to surgically eliminate the desire to mate than to block mating but leave the urge intact,’” Kramer said.

Right age to spay or neuter a cat

The right age to “fix” a cat has been the subject of debate among veterinarians, Kramer noted.

Kramer cites three options enumerated by Dr. Denish: 1. Early or pediatric spay/neuter iat six to eight weeks of age.

2. Standard spay and neuter at five to six months.

3. After the first heat, between eight (8) to twelve (12) months of age.

But Dr. Denish prefers doing the procedure at five (5) months of age.

Selena was brought home by our male cat Angel together with Kyle when they were kittens more than two years ago. Spayed Selena loves to climb trees and sleeps on crystals.

“As a vet who has done thousands of spays and neuters, I still perform them at five months of age. The pets are a good size, the owners have already trained and accepted them, and the anesthesia and surgery are usually safe,” Dr. Denish said.

Dr. Denish added: “The concerns over early spay/neuter are mostly due to the prevailing opinion that new owners may not do the procedure, and the pet is free to breed. The additional offspring contributes to the overpopulation of cats in the wild, as well as the burden of euthanizing unwanted and ill cats at shelters.”

Kramer notes there are definite health benefits for the cat at whatever age the cat is spayed or neutered.

Risks of spaying or neutering

All medical procedure Coates said.

have risks,

“For instance, neutered male cats are at higher risk for developing urinary blockages, and cats who have been spayed or neutered do have a tendency to gain weight if their diets aren’t adjusted accordingly. “ Regularly monitoring your cats, and ensuring a healthy diet and intake of water, can prevent these problems.

“Owners should always talk to their own veterinarian about what is best for their particular pet, but the benefits of spay/neuter almost always outweigh the risks,” Dr. Coates stressed.

Dr . Denish also emphasized that it is the owner’s responsibility to take care of his/ her pet.

“They live in our world, our homes and interact with our family and other pets.

That means that if spaying/neutering is Dr. beneficial, it should be done at any safe time,” he stressed.

Safe and good fruitS and veggieS for your doggo THERE are safe food and there are toxic food for dogs.

Here are some tips from Anajli Prasertong in the article “1 Healthy Fruit & Vegetable Treats for Your Dog or Cat” in @kitchn.

First off, Prasertong lists healthy fruits and veggies for dogs: 1. Carrots 2. Asparagus 3. Celery (stalks are best) 4. Zucchini 5. Green bell peppers 6. Cucumber 7. Broccoli 8. Blueberries 9. Watermelon (remove the seeds) 10. Peaches (remove the core) 11. Strawberries Second, Prasertong stressed: Never give your dog the following: 1. grapes 2. raisins 3. garlic 4. onion 5. avocado 6. chocolate Third, Prasertong emphasized: “Treats should make up no more than 10 percent of your dog or cat's daily calories, so don't overdo it.”

Mango, a Save ALL rescue who is now around 10-11 years old, will munch on anything.

He eats fruits and vegetables, aside from manufactured treats which are given less frequently now.

“My three-year-old rescue dog, Goblin, will do anything for a morsel of food, which is why I always keep a stash of dog treats on hand. But the cost of highquality treats without corn and other fillers can start to add up.. My dog is already a fan of apples, carrots and blueberries, but I've never thought about giving her things like celery stalks — apparently a good substitute for rawhide — or watermelon. And who knew my cat might enjoy the ‘semi-moist crunch’ of zucchini? “ Prasertong said.

Prasertong added: “A few things to keep in mind: Cats don't like fruit because they lack receptors for sweetness.”

All dogs will beg for food. Save ALL rescues Rafa (jumping, Xander (left) and NIca (brown,right) love treats. Natural treats such as singkamas, watermelon without seeds, thinly-sliced apple (no core), and carrots. are now being given to Save ALL rescues.