Manila Standard - 2018 July 22 - Sunday

VOL. XXXII • NO. 157 • 4 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P18 • SUNDAY, JULY 22, 2018 • www.manilastandard.net • editorial@manilastandard.net

DESTINATIONS/ D1

COTABATO: THE CITY THAT NEVER BLINKS

ENTERTAINMENT/ D3

ALDUB STILL LOVED BY MILLIONS

CALM, AFTER THE RAINS. The intermittent monsoon rains

during the weekend in the National Capital Region suggest a soaked city, with the towering Manila City Hall suggesting defiance, while the rest of northern Luzon is being pounded by downpour from Tropical Depression 'Josie' Rey Baniquet

TF LLANA GOES AFTER KILLERS OF RADIOMAN

SWS: PINOYS PRESS FOR WPS CONTROL

By Francisco Tuyay LEGAZPI CITY—Philippine National Police Chief Oscar Albayalde on Saturday directed police officials in Bicol to conduct relentless manhunt and investigation on the identities of criminals directly behind the murder of Albay radioman Joey Llana outside of his residence early morning Friday.

Albayalde, who had condoled with the bereaved family, ordered Chief Sup. Arnel Escobal, regional director of Region 5, to resolve the murder of Llana posthaste and make it “a top priority.”

“Through relentless investigative work and follow up police actions, let us put these criminals and their patrons behind bars as soon as possible,” Albayalde told Escobal.

Like some chasing thunderbolt, authorities in Bicol formed an interagency task force that will look into the death of Llana.

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PRIMER ON DRAFT CON-COM CHARTER

By Fr. Ranhilio Callangan Aquino Con-Com 2018 Member

7th in a series Q: What happened to the phrase “human rights” in Article II? A: A LOT OF FUSS is made about the supposed silence of the Con-Com’s draft on human rights. This is fault-finding.

Art. II, Section 11: The State values the dignity of every human person and guarantees full respect for human rights.

This was the 1987 Constitution. Here is what the draft says: “The Federal Republic values the dignity of every person and guarantees full respect for the person and the right of all citizens to participate in all government processes.”

In logic when A includes B and C, then there is no need to mention B separately. Respecting the person necessarily includes respecting his human rights. In short, the ConCom opted for the more comprehensive concept “respect for the person”.

Why? In Philippine jurisprudence, “human rights” designates those rights that a person can claim against the State. So, when a gangster kills a hapless victim, that is the ordinary crime of murder or homicide (although no murder or homicide is ever “ordinary.” When a policeman causes the extrajudicial execution of a detainee that is a human rights violation. To cover the rights of all persons against all potential violators, the Con-Com opted for the broader concept “respect for the person”.

What should be paid attention to is Article III, Section 1 of the draft that makes the rights under the Bill of Rights demandable both against the State and non-State actors, and IMPORTANTLY makes international human rights standards the measure of their enforcement.

WEATHER STORM WARNING UP OVER ILOCOS TROPICAL Depression ''Josie,'' with sustained winds of 45 kph near the center while moving west northwest of Pinili in Ilocos Norte this weekend, has forced weathermen to raise Cyclone Warning Signal 1.

Josie, which was previously a low pressure area, has raised Signal 1 in Batanes, northern Cagayan including the Babuyan Group of Islands, Ilocos Norte, the northern part of Ilocos Sur and the northern part of Abra in the Cordilleras.

In related developments: • Three casualties were reported in Central Luzon following heavy monsoon rains even as Turn TurntotoA2 A2

By Vito Barcelo

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T LEAST 87 percent of Filipinos want the Philippines to regain control of the West Philippine Sea or South China Sea being occupied by China, according to the latest survey by the Social Weather Stations.

The Philippines claims parts of the South China Sea within its exclusive economic zone and calls it the West Philippine Sea. According to the survey, of the 87 percent, 69 percent said regaining control was “very important” while the remaining 18 percent believed it was “somewhat important” that Philippine government must assert claim on the disputed region and islands.

Last month, the Pulse Asia survey showed 73 percent of Filipinos believed the Duterte administration should exercise sovereignty over the West Philippine Sea. This was down from 84 percent in December 2016, two years after a United Nations tribunal ruled in the Philippines’ favor by finding China’s claims over the West Philippine Sea to be excessive.

“A plurality of Filipinos are of opinion that the Philippines should file a diplomatic protest in relation to the continuous militarization of the Chinese in our territories in the West Philippine Sea,”

Pulse Asia Phils. President Ronald D. Holmes told a forum.

The survey also showed that the US, Japan, and Australia, as well as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the United Nations were trusted by a plurality to a significant majority of Filipinos.

But Filipinos ranked concerns over defense of the country’s territorial integrity against foreigners only 11th out of 15 national concerns.

At the same forum, acting Chief Justice Antonio Carpio said educating Filipinos that they have sovereign rights in the area was the first step in rallying the international community to establish a rule-based system in the West Philippine Sea. He added that the next step was to enter a conversation with the rest of the world to comply with the ruling.

China has refused to recognize the authority of the UN tribunal, however, and does not accept its verdict.

The Pulse Asia survey, conducted from June 15 to 25, queried 1,800 participants.

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COPS, SOLDIERS DISMISS SONA THREATS

By Francisco Tuyay, Maricel V. Cruz and Vito Barcelo

MILITARY and police authorities said they have not detected any security threat in the runup to President Rodrigo Duterte’s State of the Nation Address on Monday.

This coincided with the House of Representatives guaranteeing safety measures for officials attending the official function, where the presiden-

tial address would be beamed nationwide by television and radio.

The authorities announced this amid rumors the Communist Party of the Philippines and its military arm New People’s Army planned to topple the Duterte administration.

Close to 2,000 troops from the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police will be mobilized and deployed to the perimeter of the Batasang Pambansa

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to secure the edifice during Duterte’s Sona.

“As of this report, the AFP has not monitored any threat from local terrorist groups, but its forces will continue to be on a proactive stance against all threats of violence and will exert every effort to preserve the peace, particularly in NCR, where the seat of the government is,” said Col. Noel Detoyato, chief of AFP Public Affairs Office.

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ON THEIR TOES. Police from the National Capital Region stand up to drenching rains Saturday outside the main entrance to US Embassy along bayside Roxas Boulevard in anticipation of gathering crowds of anti-government protesters. Ey Acasio Missed your copy of Manila Standard? Call or text our Circulation Hotline at 0917-8848655 or email: circ@manilastandardtoday.com

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SUNDAY, JULY 22, 2018 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

DHL HEIR FAILS DRUG TEST, JAILED IN PALAU THE fugitive DHL heir Larry Hillbroom Jr. has been arrested and jailed in Palau after two days on the run, the Pacific island nation’s attorney general said Saturday.

Hillbroom was found at his girlfriend’s house after fleeing arrest when he failed a mandatory drug test imposed as part of a trafficking sentence.

The multi-millionaire, who holds US and Palau passports, is a son of Larry Hillblom, co-founder of the shipping company, although their surnames are spelled differently.

Hillbroom was sentenced to 10 years’ probation, fined $50,000 and ordered to undergo a drugs rehabilitation program last month after admitting trafficking methamphetamine.

Authorities had warned him he would serve a five-year jail term if he failed the drug test.

“Yes, Hillbroom went to jail right away,” Attorney General Ernestine Rengiil told AFP when asked if the full sentence had been invoked following his arrest.

Hillbroom had faced a jail term of up to 50 years before pleading guilty at the last minute to trafficking charges under a deal that allowed him to escape incarceration last month.

Rengiil said the conditions in the plea agreement clearly stated that if he tested positive for drugs it would mean immediate incarceration.

The initial plea bargain had angered Palau President Tommy Remengesau who said the island nation’s zero tolerance policy on drugs should apply to all people, regardless of their wealth.

Hillbroom is one of four illegitimate children fathered by Larry Hillblom, and successfully sued for a share of the billionaire businessman’s fortune after Hillblom died in a plane crash in 1995.

His inheritance has been estimated at $100 million, although he said last year that financial mismanagement meant it was now much less. AFP

TF...

From A1 Escobal said he immediately formed a special investigation group called “Task Group Llana” that would conduct an indepth investigation into the possible motive behind the media man’s death, as well as the identity of the killers and the mastermind.

Escobal directed Albay Police Director Senior Supt. Milo Pagtalunan and Supt.

Benito Dipad to lead the task group.

Escobal said investigators were still pursuing leads and gathering testimonies from possible witnesses, who might be able to shed light on the killing.

Probers said at least 12 empty shells from .45 and 9-mm handguns were recovered at the crime scene.

Philippine National Police Chief Director General Oscar Albayalde had vowed to prioritize solving the case of the slain radio broadcaster.

He directed the Bicol Police to coordinate closely with the Presidential Task Force on Media Security to help solve the case quickly.

“Through relentless investigative work and follow up police actions, let us put these criminals and their patrons behind bars as soon as possible,” Albayalde said.

“Let there be no stone unturned as we seek justice for the victim and his family.”

He also expressed his deepest condolences to the bereaved family of Llana as he strongly condemned the slaying of the media man.

PTFoMS executive director Undersecretary Joel Sy Egco formed “Task Force Llana” less than six hours after the reported killing.

Egco said the task force would extensively look into the killing of the journalist, adding that PTFoMS directly participates in issues involving the security and safety of media practitioners like Llana.

Malacañang on Friday strongly condemned the killing, with Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque calling Llana’s slay as another infringement on press freedom.

The killing of Llana on Friday brings to five the media personalities killed in Albay over the past two decades, including John Villanueva, radio anchor of dzGB; Claire Domingo, a military radio anchor; Jose Loreno of dzRC; and Ruel Endrinal of dwRL. Llana was a blocktimer at dwZR-AM, holding programs “Metro Banat” at 5:30—7 a.m. and “Asenso Daraga”—a blocktime program of LGU Daraga every Saturday at 9 to 10 am.

Reports said Llana was receiving death threats several weeks before he was gunned down. With PNA

COMMODITY PRICE SURGE BLAMED ON BAD WEATHER

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AD weather in the past week can be blamed for the reported violations of the suggested retail price for agricultural products and other basic commodities, Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said in a radio interview Saturday.

Lopez told radio dzBB the Department of Trade and Industry has received reports of some products going over the specified SRP of the Department of Agriculture, particularly vegetables.

The price of red onions, for in-

stance, went up to P120 from a P95 SRP, Lopez said.

He repeated his warning to markets and stores found violating the SRP that they could face fines raging from P5,000 to P1 million, as the DTI stepped up its monitoring

efforts from 400 to 600 outlets visited in a day.

Still, the Trade chief explained the price increases are caused by the days of widespread rains from an enhanced southwest monsoon or “habagat,” which has made transport of products from farm to market difficult.

“Based on DTI’s monitoring, there are some items that have prices not within the SRP. Since the rain has fallen hard in the last three days, the supply fails [to arrive at the markets] ... delivery is delayed

so the price is affected,” he said.

DTI personnel will check warehouses and depots to verify the level of supplies, suggest ways to facilitate the transport of the products from farms to markets, and ask the Agriculture department to pinpoint government-initiated market outlets of products sold within the SRP. The department was also planning to launch a program that would accredit public markets and big sari-sari stores selling agriculture products and basic commodities within the SRP, Lopez added.

RIGHTS AGENCY URGES REVIEW OF FOX CASE THE Bureau of Immigration should reconsider its decision to have Sister Patricia Fox deported, the Commission on Human Rights said in a statement Saturday.

Saying it was “saddened” by the bureau’s decision, the CHR stressed it is “not a crime to do humanitarian work and service as part of a religious mission for poor and vulnerable communities.”

“The Commission urges the BI to review its decision,” it said in its statement about the Australian nun released by spokesperson lawyer Jacqueline Ann C. de Guia.

“The deportation order sets a

dangerous precedent for foreign human rights workers and discourages them from doing important humanitarian work in our country,” the CHR added.

The principles of human rights “must reign supreme” when distinguishing between humanitarian work “and perceiving something as political activity,” the commission added.

The right to join peaceful assemblies is a fundamental human right, which pertain to all persons regardless of context, race, and nationality, said the human rights body.

“We must take to heart that the

COPS...

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However, the purchasing power of daily average pay P327 fell to P212.45—an erosion of P114.55.

• Acting Supreme Court Chief Justice Antonio Carpio has confirmed his attendance on Monday’s Sona, according to House of Representatives Secretary General Cesar Strait Pareja who earlier said Carpio had sent his regrets to the House’s Sona organizers.

“He [Acting Chief Justice] has already confirmed his attendance at the Sona on Monday. We were in receipt of his reply to the invitation earlier sent by the House,” said Pareja, adding all security measures inside and outside of Congress were impeccably now in place.

Pareja said the House expected about 3,000 guests, including foreign and local dignitaries to grace the occasion as well as hundreds of local and foreign media from different organizations to cover the event.

He added the House might not be able to accommodate all requests for a seat inside the 1,500-seater plenary session during the Sona due to its limited capacity.

This will only be possible if some of the invited guests declined the invitation.

On Friday, some 1,021 composite military personnel assembled in front of the AFP Headquarters where they were given specific instructions by AFP Chief Gen. Carlito Galvez.

“As part of its measures, the AFP raised the alert level to ‘red’ within GHQ and AFPWSSUs since 8:00am on Friday to indicate its immediate readiness in responding to any threat that may arise duringthe occasion,” Detoyato said.

In related developments: • The labor group Associated Labor Unions-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines appealed to Duterte to consider reform policies which would bring economic relief to millions of poor workers and to take executive actions that would address the root causes of workers' misery and rally the people toward pragmatic solutions.

ALU-TUCP spokesman Alan Tanjusay said the workers were expecting the President to raise the plight of workers, bring down prices, end contractualization, make safer workplaces and bring down unemployment and underemployment during his third State of the Nation Address.

Workers can no longer afford to feed their families and are faced with the continuing erosion of wages even as the prices of basic goods and services continue to surge, said Tanjusay.

The poorly paid and without security of tenure workers under contractualized work arrangement practice such as Endo (Endof-Contract) and other fixed-term jobs were not effectively addressed by President Duterte’s signing of Executive Order No. 51 but rather continue unabated and there is swelling unemployment and underemployment, the labor group said.

He also said the total average daily nominal minimum wage of workers in private non-agricultural sector in all 17 regions in October 2017 is P327 a day.

SWS:...

From A1

In the Social Weather Stations survey, around 1,200 adult respondents were interviewed, using sampling error margins of ±3 percentage points for national percentages, and ±6 percentage points each for Metro Manila, Balance Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

The June survey used face-to-face interviews of 1,200 adults aged 18 and above and done nationwide with 300 each in Metro Manila, Balance Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. The sampling error margins of ±3 percent for national percentages, and ±6 percent each for Metro Manila, Balance Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

The survey revealed that 65 percent were aware that the Chinese Coast Guard people were forcefully taking

the catch of Filipino fishermen in the West Philippine Sea. It was also reported that 69 percent believed China was afraid to face any court because it was aware that justice “is not on their side.”

Only eight percent disagreed, while 22 percent expressed indecision on the issue.

However, 43 percent said the government’s non-protest of the actions of China was not considered treachery.

The survey also said that 43 percent considered as “treachery” the Duterte government’s soft attitude to China’s extensive claims to the resource-rich West Philippines Sea. Only 29 percent were convinced that it was a form of treachery, while 28 percent were ambivalent on the matter.

The President, however, has maintained a “soft-leaning” approach to resolve the maritime row with China.

About 46 percent of the participants strongly agreed and 27 percent some-

protection of human rights of all persons in the Philippines, including foreign nationals, is the duty of the government,” the CHR added.

In a resolution Thursday, the BI ordered the 71-year-old Fox deported for her alleged participation in “political activities,” nearly two months after the Department of Justice granted her a reprieve.

This time, the bureau decided Fox was an undesirable alien and that she has violated the limitations and conditions of her missionary visa.

Fox was earlier granted a missionary visa on July 21, 2016, valid

STORM...

From A1 wide areas of coastal villages remain under three to four feet of floodwaters as of Saturday.

The regional office of the Department of Social Welfare and Development in Central Luzon reported the first casualty as Irene Espanola Agno of San Simon, Pampanga.

Agno was swimming in the river when he (correct) was carried away by rampaging floodwaters and drowned. His body was fished out by residents.

Injured were Divina Purificacion and Orlando Waing, both of Apalit, also in Pampanga. They were rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment.

No other casualties were reported in other parts of the region as of Saturday.

Rainer Gorospe, information officer of the DSWD in Region 3 said they continued distributing family food packs to the residents of the coastal towns of Lubao and Masantol in Pampanga and Bagac, Bataan numbering 4,004 packs worth P5,097.200.

The floods situation in the coastal towns Pampanga, Bulacan and Bataan deteriorated during high tide and heavy rains, threatening the marine industry of the privinces.

Gorospe said they were seeking additional family food packs totaling 13,345 packs worth P4,752,000 for towns of Baler, San Luis, Dilasag, Casiguran in Aurora and towns of Bulacan, Zambales and Bataan.

• Adverse weather conditions brought about by Tropical Storm ''Henry'' and Severe Tropical Storm''Inday'' have so far affected

until Sept. 5, 2018, with a limitation that she would render missionary work in Barangay Amihan, Quezon City.

She attended different rallies holding banners and wearing shirts representing different leftist organizations, the bureau said.

In an interview with radio dzMM, Fox said she is not ready to leave.

“This has become my home, so I hope I can say,” she said in Filipino.

The 71-year-old missionary plans to file a fresh appeal to block her deportation.

“According to my lawyers, we can still appeal,” she said.

46,877 families in 222 barangays in Ilocos, Central Luzon, Western Visayas, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, and the National Capital Region.

In an update released Friday night, National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council executive director Ricardo Jalad said the 46,877 families consisted of 190,081 individuals.

Of these, 711 families or 2,581 persons are being assisted in 34 evacuation centers while 39,126 families or 166,322 individuals are receiving help outside evacuation centers.

According to Jalad, the casualties from the two weather disturbances were still being verified.

He also reported that 207 areas in Ilocos, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, the Cordillera region and NCR were flooded.

Meanwhile, the Department of Social Welfare and Development and various local government units have extended P6,164,260 worth of assistance to affected families in Central Luzon, Western Visayas, and Mimaropa.

• The City Council placed Dagupan City under a state of calamity in a resolution approved Saturday due to continuous rains and flooding caused by the storm-enhanced southwest monsoon.

In a radio interview, Councilor Jose Netu Tamayo said the resolution was passed during a special session at the recommendation of the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office and the request of Mayor Belen Fernandez.

“Mayor Fernandez requested that our city be put under a state of calamity after the nearby Sinocalan River in Sta. Barbara has breached its dikes, causing the water to overflow in Dagupan,” he said. Romeo Dizon, PNA

what agreed that the administration must assert the ruling that invalidated China’s claim in the West Philippine Sea. Only 17 percent were in the middle while 4 percent somewhat disagree and 3 percent strongly disagree with enforcing the decision.

Two percent admitted they did not have enough knowledge to give an opinion.

The same survey showed that 34 percent of Filipinos believed the Philippines should file a diplomatic protest against the militarization of the West Philippine Sea. Some 22 percent believed the Philippines must strengthen its military alliances with the US, Japan, Australia, and other countries and 16 percent want the Philippines to strengthen its own military capabilities.

Only 21 percent wanted to continue the government’s program to befriend China.

Filipinos still have a high amount of

trust in the United States (74 percent), Japan (45 percent), and Australia (32 percent) in comparison to China (17 percent), the Pulse Asia survey said.

On the second year of the Hague ruling invalidating China’s claim, the government said it will continue to assert the country’s rights over the West Philippine Sea. Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque assured the public that the Duterte administration would not give up the country’s rights in the WPS. “It is the second anniversary of our win in the arbitration before the Permanent Court of Arbitration and we assure the public that on the second year... anniversary, we will continue to assert what is ours while we move on with our bilateral relations with China,” Roque said at a press briefing.

Roque added that confronting the world’s second largest economy would be “suicide.”

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SUNDAY, JULY 22, 2018 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

TAGUIG TAKING MEASURES TO PREVENT ‘LEPTOSPIROSIS’

PAY HIKE FOR GUIDANCE COUNSELORS SOUGHT

By Maricel V. Cruz TWO party-list lawmakers on Saturday demanded an increase in salary of guidance counselors in public schools.

In addition, Reps. France Castro and Antonio Tinio of ACT Teachers asked for the hiring of more guidance councilors to address the emerging needs of the students in guidance and counseling.

The two lawmakers, both members of the Makabayan Bloc in the House, made the statement after their partylist held a dialogue with officials of the Department of Education, the Philippine Guidance and Counseling Association and Department of Education Guidance Counselors’ Association of the Philippines early this month to address the issues confronting guidance counselors.

“DepEd committed itself to find solutions in correcting the long injustice to our guidance counselors,” Tinio said.

At the same time, Castro said there is a need to upgrade their salary.

“To become a licensed guidance counselor, he or she must first obtain a masteral degree. Sadly, the entry level salary is just Salary Grade 11 or P20,179. The government need to increase their salary given the high qualifications and expertise and heavy workload.”

At present, Castro said only 1,400 positions out of 4,200 guidance counselor positions are filled up in DepEd and they are expected to serve almost 27 million students.

In reality, she said the positions are not attractive to registered guidance counselors due to low compensation so in effect the positions are not being filled up.

TRADITIONAL DANCE. Yakan dancers from Basilan perform a traditional dance to entertain visitors at the Basilan village on Thursday, July 19, 2018 inside ARMM compound, Cotabato City. The Yakan dancers are just one of the attractions in the ARMM villages display. The five provincial villages will feature the customs and traditions of ARMM’s people to recognize and appreciate the similarities and the differences of the Moro culture, traditional living, tribal communities, livelihood, heritage, arts, cuisines and products. Omar Mangorsi

ASG SUB-LEADER ARRESTED IN ‘ZAMBO’

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AMBOANGA CITY—Police operatives have arrested in this city an Abu Sayyaf Group sub-leader who was reportedly involved in the raid on a Malaysian diving resort more than 18 years ago, an official said Saturday.

Police Regional Office 9 (Zamboanga Peninsula) Director Chief Supt. Billy Beltran identified the arrested ASG sub-leader as Hadji Faizal Radjae, 54, a resident of Sitio Logpond, Barangay Libertad, Tungawan, Zamboanga Sibugay.

Beltran said Radjae was arrested in a law enforcement operation in Sitio Marangan, Barangay Tumitus here at

about 3:30 pm Friday.

He has a standing warrant of arrest for the crime of kidnapping and serious illegal detention issued by a court of Parang, Sulu on Sept. 28, 2000, the police official said.

Beltran said the suspect was also involved in the kidnapping of 21 people from the dive resort island of Sipadan, Malaysia on April 23, 2000. The hostages— eight Europeans, 11 Malaysians and two Filipinos—were herded to the hinterlands of Sulu and were later released in batches following the payment of ransom.

Radjae, he said, was also involved in other atrocities, among them the bombings in the Zamboanga, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi areas.

Radjae is temporarily detained at the headquarters of Zamboanga City Police’s Station 11 while the police are processing his commitment order. PNA

PAL PURCHASES TWO NEW AIRBUS UNITS

By Joel E. Zurbano LEGACY carrier Philippine Airlines has formally introduced its two brand-new aircraft—the Airbus A350 XWB (eXtra Wide Body) and Airbus A321neo—in a rollout ceremony attended by President Rodrigo Duterte at Villamor Airbase in Pasay City.

The two of the most advanced commercial aircraft are set to operate longer range routes to North America, Europe and the AsiaPacific region.

Duterte, who led the traditional ceremonial welcome for the new jets at the Lufthansa Technik Philippines hangar in Pasay City, was joined by PAL chairman and chief executive officer Lucio Tan, PAL president and chief operating officer Jaime Bautista, along with officials of airplane manufacturer Airbus and financial firm SMBC Aviation Capital.

The event coincided with the birthday celebration of Tan who has

served as PAL chairman since 1995.

“As the PAL family works together to achieve our dream of becoming a five-star global carrier, we have achieved great strides in support of this goal. We are in the midst of a fleet modernization program. We are also focused on route network expansion and have improved our services to our passengers. I am happy to welcome the A321neo and A350 to our fleet,” Tan said.

Bautista, for his part, said that “through these new airplanes, we aim to reclaim our stature as one of the world’s best airlines—to be a beacon of hope … that Filipinos can set the standard of excellence and be the best at what we do. This is the vision of our Chairman, Dr. Tan. This is the legacy of Philippine Airlines to our country.”

“We are pleased to welcome Philippine Airlines as the latest operator of the A350 XWB,” said Eric Schulz, chief commercial officer of Airbus. “The A350 XWB

has set new standards for long haul flights, combining extra-long range capability with the lowest possible operating costs and the highest standard of comfort. We are confident that the A350 XWB will be a great success with Philippine Airlines and will enable the airline to reinforce its position as one of Asia’s leading international carriers.”

Peter Barret, CEO of SMBC Aviation Capital, the aircraft leasing company that financed PAL’s A350-900 XWB, added, “This delivery is an important milestone for SMBC Aviation Capital as it marks the first delivery to our new customer, Philippine Airlines.

The Asia-Pacific region is one of the fastest-growing markets in terms of air travel and we are delighted to have the opportunity to continue to expand our footprint here with the delivery of the first two A350s to Philippine Airlines.” SMBC is a principal sponsor of the delivery event in Manila.

PAL’s A350 sets a new standard by

allowing PAL to fly nonstop almost halfway around the world on the longest routes to be flown by a Philippine carrier.

The A350’s range and efficiency are the result of its all-new design and state of the art technology, starting with advanced Rolls Royce Trent XWB engines. The A350 can fly up to 8,000 nautical miles (14,800 km.) and boasts of quieter cabin (up to 4 times less noise), making it the quietest twin-aisle aircraft to date.

The A350 XWB structure, 70 percent of which is made of advanced material including 53 percent composites, is not only lightweight and very strong but also costs significantly less to maintain.

PAL spokesperson Ma. Cielo Villaluna said PAL flights to the United States and Europe will get a major boost, as the A350 will be deployed on nonstop ManilaNew York JFK and Manila-London Heathrow routes by the end of October 2018.

ECO GROUP LAUNCHES E-WASTE PROGRAM

ANTI-CHINA PROTEST. Around 300 members of Bayan Southern Tagalog march to the Chinese consulate in Makati City to protest economic issues a few days ahead of President Rodrigo Duterte’s Sona on Monday. Norman Cruz

ENVIRONMENTALIST group Ecowaste Coalition has launched a program called e-Waste to promote safety management and proper disposal or recycling of waste electrical material and electronic equipment.

As an exhibitor in a wellness fair held at the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Assembly Hall in Manila on July 19 and 20, Ecowaste set up a booth, handed out e-Waste information leaflets and received a variety of damaged and outmoded electronic stuff from BSP employees.

The group collected e-wastes, including batteries, cellphones, laptops, printers, servers, modem routers, kitchen appliances and other electrical products that have reached the end of their useful lives, were immediately brought to a government-accredited facility in Laguna for proper recycling or disposal.

“Our presence at the BSP event is part of our ongoing effort to draw public awareness about the threats posed by e-waste to human health and the

environment and the need to ensure the safe management of this growing toxic waste stream,” said Primo Morillo, Ecowaste e-Waste campaigner.

“Promoting the environmentallysound management of e-waste will protect workers and the rest of the society against adverse effects caused by improper handling, storage, transport, dismantling, recycling or disposal that can let loose the highly hazardous components of such waste or create even more toxic byproducts,” he added.

The group noted that among the hazardous substances found in e-waste are heavy metals such as arsenic, cadmium, lead and mercury, persistent organic pollutants (POPs) like polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), and other chemicals of concern.

It stated that byproduct POPs such as dioxins and furans are formed as a result of combustion processes such as open burning and waste incineration.

Joel E. Zurbano

THE Taguig City government is taking preemptive measures to protect and guard city residents from the threat of leptospirosis and other diseases.

City health workers have started distributing prophylaxis to residents living in flood-prone barangays in the city in line with the local government’s commitment to stop the dreaded infection from harming the people this rainy season.

Last Thursday, the distribution of prophylaxis was made in the barangays of Bambang and Calzada Tipas.

Mayor Laarni Cayetano said residents who have waded through floodwaters are encouraged to go to the nearest health center to have themselves checked and to avail of the prophylaxis, free of charge.

“Leptospirosis is a deadly infection, but Taguig City wants to prevent loss of life by providing residents with a prophylactic that can ward off the infection for up to a week,” she said.

Leptospirosis is a bacterial infection in many animals, such as rodents. Waste products from infected animals can contaminate soil, water and vegetation.

The bacteria—leptospira spirochetes —can enter the human body through ingestion or open wounds, which is the usual mode of transmission during heavy rains and flooding. The infection can manifest itself through fever, muscle pains, headaches and even organ failure.

According to the World Health Organization, “Leptospirosis can be transmitted to humans through cuts and abrasions of the skin, or through the mucous membranes of the eyes, nose, and mouth with water contaminated with the urine of infected animals.”

Joel E. Zurbano

FVR WELCOMES SOKOR’S AID FOR PH DEFENSE FORMER President Fidel V. Ramos has welcomed South Korea’s move to help the Philippines modernize its defense capability.

Ramos made the statement during an interview with the Philippine News Agency, following the launch of his latest book, “Undying Service to the Filipino” at the Manila Hotel Champagne Room last Thursday.

Earlier, South Korean Ambassador Han Dong-Man said his country is ready to help the modernization program of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, such as by supplying new submarines, helicopters, and infantry weapons.

Han said his country will never forget when the Philippines sent more than 7,000 combat troops to Korea during the Korean War. Ramos cited South Korea’s defense industry that has developed tremendously over the years and now manufactures not only infantry weapons but also airplanes, helicopters, submarines and ships.

The former president is a veteran of the Korean War that broke out in 1950. He had just graduated from the US West Point when he volunteered for combat duty during the Korean War. It was in Korea where he had his baptism of fire, when he led his troops of the 20th Battalion Combat Team of the Philippine Expeditionary Forces to Korea that conquered the strategic Eerie Hill following fierce fighting against the Chinese forces.

The Philippines bought 12 FA-50 jetfighters from South Korea to replace the aging F-5 supersonic fighter jets of the Philippine Air Force in 2005.

South Korea completed the delivery of the airplanes early last year. Ben Cal

ALBAYALDE TO SPEAK AT MOPC FORUM PHILIPPINE National Police chief Director General Oscar Albayalde will be the keynote speaker at the “MOPC PNP Forum” organized by the Manila Overseas Press Club on Tuesday, July 24, at 12 noon at the Manila Golf and Country Club in Makati City.

Albayalde is expected to discuss the current peace and order situation in the country, the status of the government’s war on drugs, and current issues involving the Philippine National Police.

Following the keynote speech of General Albayalde will be an open forum moderated by MOPC chairman Tony Lopez with a select panel of journalists.

For more information, contact the MOPC Secretariat at 994-6738 or 09202049229.

A4

SUNDAY, JULY 22, 2018

Reira U Mallari, Editor sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

Sports THAI EYES ICTSI CHAMP TOUR SWEEP

MARESTELLA SEES EXTENDED CAREER

T

HREE-time Olympian Marestella Torres-Sunang continues to compete because of her love for country and the trust of supporters as she retains her dominant form in women’s long jump.

“Meron pa ring mga tao na tuloy tuloy ang suporta not just for me but for the whole national track and field team. At saka iyong pagmamahal ko sa laro tuloy tuloy pa rin,” said Marestella in reference to Ayala Corporation which supports the Philippine track and field team and built, through its real estate arm Ayala Land, Inc., the Vermosa Sports Hub as home to the country’s elite track and field athletes.

Marestella, who lives in Bacoor Cavite, shared that with her training now so near her home she no longer has to go through the daily Ortigas traffic just to train. This allows her more time to focus on reaching her peak form as she prepares for the Asian Games. And since the Vermosa oval is the only IAAF certified track in the country, she is now able to accurately monitor her performance and peg her progress based on international standards.

Along with access to a world-class track oval, Ayala also provides the PATAFA athletes a hydration program care of Manila Water Company’s Healthy Family Purified Water, as well as financial support to help improve training and recruitment programs.

The 37-year-old Marestella goes to the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta and Palembang Indonesia to be held August 18 to September 2 as one of the country’s best hope for another Asian Games gold medal.

Indonesia’s Maria Natalia Londa won the women’s long jump gold during the 2014 Asian Games in South Korea with a leap of 6.55.

Torres-Sunang beats this mark by a wide margin with a leap of 6.72 during the Kazakhstan Open July 2016 which is the national record.

The feat assured her participation in the 2016 Rio Olympics.

She says her giving birth to a son and motherhood are not a hindrance. Rather she draws motivation

from her family and her absence when she gave birth re-ignited her passion for the sport.

“Noong nag stop ako talagang na-mi-miss ko ang competition. Nag stop ako for one year. Wala talaga akong competition kasi nabuntis ako.

So yon na-miss ko ang competition.

So talagang naging maganda ang comeback ko dahil talagang naging eager ako na mag compete ulit,” said Marestella.

If anything, she says she is more motivated and more dedicated than ever before.

“Kung ano ang motivation ko noong dalaga pa ako doble ang motivation ko ngayong may asawa na ako at may anak. Ginagawa ko ito hindi lang para sa akin kundi para sa anak ko. Gusto ko patunayan na kahit nabuntis ako pwede pa rin. Gusto ko ipakita na kahit nabuntis ka kung ang dedication mo nandoon pa rin then kaya mo itong gawin,” said Marestella.

The native of San Jose, Negros Oriental has always had to overcome plenty of doubters and obstacles in her career. She says he has never doubted her ability to succeed.

“Hindi naman naging hadlang sa akin ang mas matatangkad ang mga kalaban ko. Kasi napatunayan ko na noon pa na kaya ko mag compete against mas matangkad,” said Marestella.

The veteran has travelled the world representing the country. She is not fazed by the competition or in performing before an international audience in a world stage. She in fact welcomes the opportunity to compete against the best in the world which she says can only help her improve and be the best that she can be as an athlete.

“Nakita ako sa IAAF pag nagko compete ako pumapasok naman ako among the top sa world. Every time na mag compete ako, ako yung pinakamaliit at nananalo pa rin. Marami

Three-time Olympian Marestella Torres-Sunang takes off from the long-jump platform as she makes another attempt. Photo courtesy of Rappler

humahanga sa akin dahil ang liit ko pero malakas ako. So doon ako nagkaroon ng confidence. Kaya ko pala kahit maliit ako. Walang nagiging hadlang sa akin.”

No doubt the support of Ayala for PATAFA’s training and sports development program will be a big help for Marestella as she continues to dominate the local scene in her sport.

SAILING MADE EASY FOR ALL FILIPINOS

OWNING a boat or a yacht costs more than a car or a house. In reality, it doesn’t have to be.

Collaborative endeavors of international sailboat and boatbuilding organizations coupled by their strong will of making sailing feasible to all Filipinos have brought about the increasing popularity of an affordable and userfriendly sailboat in the country: The Oz Goose sailboat.

This initiative was brought through the efforts of an internet group of boating enthusiasts Philippine Home Boatbuilders Yacht Club or PHBYC, with the cooperation of Hyde Sails International, Duckworks Boatbuilder’s Supply of the US, Broadwater Marine of Australia, and local boatbuilding materials suppliers such as Zamboply Marine Plywood, Pioneer Epoxy, and Santa Clara Marine Plywood among others.

Designed by Batangas-based Australian designer Michael Storer, the Oz Goose sailboat is a four meters long and made from 5 or 6 millimeter marine grade plywood and lumber, which

Oz Goose sailboats

can be assembled using one of PHBYC’s consistent boatbuilding material supplier Pioneer Epoxy.

Pioneer Adhesives Inc., maker of Pioneer Epoxy, has long been supporting PHBYC because of their adherence on keeping the water safe, which is lined with Pioneer Adhesives’ strong commitment to the protection and preservation

of the environment. The annual Pioneer National Bangkarera, which was formed to showcase fishermen’s skill in boating, has also brought Pioneer Adhesives even closer to PHBYC and its goal in making sailing possible to all.

So far, over 50 Oz Goose sailboats have been built in the three island groups of the Philippines by being

built from scratch using downloadable boat plans, built to order from authorized builders, and most of them being produced during Family Boatbuilding Weekends, the signature event of PHBYC, wherein families or groups assemble a boat from a prefabricated kit.

In three years, the PHBYC has successfully organized three Oz Goose FBWs in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao making the Oz Goose the fastest growing sailing fleet in the country.

“The unique coming together of international and local boating experts and suppliers leading to the rising popularity of the Oz Goose class in the Philippines is unprecedented and could be the hope for the future of dinghy sailing here,” said sailing enthusiast Peter Capotosto, Commodore of the Taal Lake Yacht Club.

Sailing clubs around the world are trying to emulate what PHBYC has done to revive interest in small boat sailing.“We still have a long way to go to get mainstream interest in small boat sailing in the Philippines, but PHBYC is making progress,” said Oz Goose designer Michael Storer.

WHILE she relishes nailing her first crown on the Ladies Philippine Golf Tour, Ploychompoo Wirairungreung wants to showcase her true potential and at the same time test her mental toughness when she shoots for a sweep of the ICTSI Champion Tour at Tagaytay Midlands unfolding Wednesday (July 25).

With the weather expected to improve in the coming week, the organizing Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. and co-sanctioning Taiwan LPGA Tour see a fierce duel in all three days of the $75,000 championship unlike last week when Wirairungreung wrapped it all up in just 36 holes in the rain-shortened event at Manila Southwoods.

The 23-year-old ace from Chiang Rai said she would’ve wanted to play it through the cancelled round at Southwoods to see if she could measure up and withstand the pressure. But her pair of bogey-free 65 and 69 more than underscored her superb form, which she hopes to dish out at Midlands.

But she expects a tougher challenge from practically the same field she outclassed by four at Southwoods, headed by local ace Princess Superal, who settled for joint second, along with her fellow Thai bidders and the leading Taiwanese players from the TLPGA Tour.

That should make the upcoming championship put up by ICTSI doubly interesting with wind-swept Midlands providing a different kind of challenge with its up-and-down layout, hazards that come into play in most holes and sleek putting surface.

Aside from Wirairungreung and Superal, also back in the hunt are Thais Supamas Sangchan, Chonlada Chayanun and former Philippine Ladies Masters champions Saranporn Langkulgasettrin and Renuka Suksukont, and top TLPGA campaigners Chen Min-Jou, Hsin Lee, Chang Hsuan-Ping, Lin TzuChi and Lee Chia-Pei. Amateur sisters Hou Yu-Chiang, who tied for second with Superal and Sangchan, and Hou Yu-Sang are also tipped to contend and spoil the pros’ title drive in the event along with fellow amateurs Hsuan Chen, Chou Yi-Tsen and Yen Yu-Hsin.

The event, serving as the 11th leg of this year’s LPGT, has also lured participants from Korea, Singapore, Japan, Indonesia and the US, all eyeing to contend for the top $15,000 purse.

Meanwhile, Wirairungreung and Superal, along with a select number of pros, prime up for the championship as they team up with officials and guests of the event’s chief backers, including ICTSI, Custom Clubmakers, BDO, Meralco, Sharp, KZGm PLDT, Champion, Summit Mineral Water and K&G Golf, in the pro-am tournament on Tuesday.

PACMAN FIT AS A FIDDLE, DISPELS RUMORS ABOUT HIS HEALTH SENATOR Manny Pacquiao dispelled rumors about his health and assured his fans, friends and family that he is perfectly well following recent reports that claimed otherwise.

A week before his historic knockout win over WBA champion Lucas Matthysse in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Pacquiao admitted to have undergone a routine medical and physical checkup, a requirement for all boxers before they step inside the ring.

Pacquiao, the only eight-weight division champion of the sport, breezed through the tests as always like in all of his fights in the last 23 years, fighting throughout the world.

“I feel fine. I feel great. I thank God for giving me strength everyday and keeping me protected through all the years of my life. Winning by knockout over Matthysse was a bonus,” said Pacquiao, who turns 40 in December.

It was the 60th win for the Philippine champion-turnedsenator and the 39th knockout in his sterling career.

“I really wanted to win this fight and I challenged myself so much in training that I pushed myself to the maximum limits of my body,” said Pacquiao. “I always knew that training hardest makes every fight easier.”

Heading into the last stages of training, Pacquiao took to punishing and lung-busting road work up in the mountains of Sarangani province where the roads were steep and narrow despite the initial disagreements with his coaching staff.

“Manny knows best. He is not the young Manny of years past but we knew that he was testing himself mentally and psychologically more than the physical,” said Justin Fortune, Pacquiao’s long-time strength and conditioning coach, referring to the many times Pacquiao took the team to the mountains for the “killer” road challenge.

“Pumayag na rin kami kasi mas alam naman ni Manny ang kanyang katawan. Hindi niya gagawin iyon kung hindi niya kaya,” added chief trainer Buboy Fernandez, beaming with joy after steering the team to victory for the first time.

“Walang problema iyan. It’s just part of medical requirements for athletes,” said Pacquiao, following reports of ailments prior to the match.

Doctors cautioned the public not to make medical opinions.

“First and foremost, we protect the patient. We give clearance as we deem fit. Individuals who have no medical background should refrain from giving out opinions especially if they do not have the medical records and experience. Patients also have the right to secrecy and that is strictly confidential and protected by our laws,” said a doctor, who requested anonymity.

Thai Ploychompoo Wirairungreung looking for another cruise?

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SUNDAY, JULY 22, 2018

Opinion

Adelle Chua, Editor mst.daydesk@gmail.com

BANE OF PAKISTANI POLITICIANS: YOUNG VOTERS WITH SMARTPHONES

EDITORIAL

By Gohar Abbas

I

ISLAMABAD—The crowd of young Pakistanis, many armed with smartphones, surround the politician’s car and begin streaming live footage of something extraordinary: angry voters asking their elected representatives what they have done for them lately.

A titanic 46 million people below the age of 35 are registered to vote in nationwide elections on July 25 —many of them savvy social media users who are posting videos calling out the powerful.

In one clip, influential politician, landowner and tribal chief Sikandar Hayat Khan Bosan is filmed in his car in the central city of Multan surrounded by young men chanting “thief” and “turncoat.”

“Where were you during the last five years?” they ask Bosan, complaining over the poor state of roads in the area. An aide can be heard pleading that the leader is feeling unwell.

To be held accountable in such a public manner is virtually unheard of for most Pakistani politicians, especially in rural areas where many of the videos have been filmed.

There feudal landowners, village elders and religious leaders have for decades been elected unopposed.

Many are known to use their power over residents to bend them to their will.

Dubbed the “electables,” these politicians command huge vote banks. Most also take a flexible approach to ideology, and are highly courted by political parties, who view winning their allegiance as a passport to power.

But videos like the one of Bosan have gone viral in the weeks leading up to the polls, shared thousands of times in a country of some 207 million people, of whom roughly a quarter use 3G and 4G internet, according to the Pakistan Telecommunications Authority.

They have also made their way on to Pakistan’s numerous and raucous television channels, ensuring they are also broadcast to audiences without access to social media.

Analysts are watching closely to see whether these rare moments of accountability might disrupt the way the major political parties have long relied on rural politicians and their huge vote banks as a shortcut to power.

‘My vote can bring change’ The videos’ popularity is a sign of simmering resentment against corrupt politicians among Pakistan’s youth, says Sarwar Bari, an analyst at the Free and Fair Election Network, a democratic watchdog.

Historically apathetic, young Pakistanis first emerged as a political force in the 2013 elections, when a generation who grew up idolizing cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan voted for his Pakistan Tehreeke-Insaf party in droves.

Under-35s represent a massive proportion of the total electorate of 106 million voters registered in the 2018 elections.

More than 17 million are in the 1825 age bracket, with a huge chunk set to cast their ballot for the first time.

The Asia Foundation noted in a recent report that many young people are increasingly engaged in the democratic process, particularly through the widespread use of social media.

If so, and as concerns over election rigging mount ahead of the vote, the

SONA SURPRISES

N PREVIOUS administrations, Filipinos wondered about what this or that lawmaker, or lawmaker’s wife, would wear at the State of the Nation Address. This was just about the most non-substantive thing that people could get excited about.

The rest of the attention was focused on being able to sit still through the speech, keeping track of what the president would say and whether the recitation of things done and yet to be done fit well with the vision that that president had laid out for the country.

But now, welcome to a Rodrigo Duterte presidency.

The focus will be the president, as it should be, and the speech, as it has always been. The main difference however is that Filipinos do not really know what to expect. It will be the manner, not the content, of the Sona that is sure to make headlines. After all, did not Mr. Duterte’s underlings said he would be “speaking from the heart”?

The Palace engaged a popular movie director for the production, for the benefit of those who will watch the Sona on TV. We wonder what difference would such direction make; has text of the speech been made available to the stage managers so they would know what to do on certain points?

Then again, even if there were an advanced copy of the speech, it’s likely the President would not even read it to begin with. In past addresses, Mr. Duterte made a show of looking at the prepared text and then, after a paragraph or two, launching into his own words.

And didn’t the Palace say just recently it was in need of better speechwriters?

It would not be so bad if the President were the type that went from Point A to Point B, but as we know all too well, he is made of different stuff. Given that, there is no discounting the possibility that he would pick out one or two from the well-dressed people in the audience and, well, talk about them in an unflattering way, whether they deserved it or not.

What the people at least want to hear is how jobs can be created, how they will feel empowered despite the dwindling value of the pesos in their pockets, how they can feel safe in this environment of crime and impunity. We want to hear why there is an inordinate rush to change the system of government and how this would result in a better quality of life for Filipinos across the country, not just for the more prosperous areas. Most of all, we want to be assured that those who will decide on this great change will not be the ones to benefit from it.

We really do not know what to expect from the President’s speech, but while we can anticipate the worst, we cross our fingers and hope it would at least be a performance where we don’t get the urge to flip the channel. Now that’s us, speaking from the heart.

Turn to B4

METRO MAYORS AND FOUL WEATHER: DO THEY CARE? IT HAS been raining heavily this past week and Thursday night to Friday morning was no exception.

I was wakened at 3:00 a.m. on Friday by loud growls of thunder, eerie flashes of lightning, and a steady downpour. I’d kept my window open to take advantage of the coolness, and was treated to a

barrage of weather effects that alarmed me enough to sit up and investigate.

Water swirled around our residential street. Even that early and into the succeeding hours, photos were posted on social media showing flood waters rising steadily in the main thoroughfares, where most people pass on their way to

work and school.

Some cities and municipalities had already advised of suspension of classes.

At 4:00 a.m., the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council had posted advisories that Metro Manila, Rizal, and Cavite were under Orange Rainfall alert.

POP GOES THE WORLD

Under the Orange warning, rain is intense and expected to continue in the JENNY next two hours. People are warned to be ORTUOSTE on alert for possible evacuation because flooding is a definite threat.

Yet at 4:00 a.m. that Friday, many cities people, I tweeted Mayor Joseph Estrada in Metro Manila still had not issued class (@PresidentErap) of Manila and Mayor suspensions. Along with many other Turn to B4 Rolando G. Estabillo Publisher

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B2

SUNDAY, JULY 22, 2018 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Cesar Barrioquinto, Editor / Jimbo Gulle, Issue Editor

17 DEAD, 9 FROM ONE FAMILY, AS ‘DUCK BOAT’ SINKS CHICAGO—Nine members of one family were among 17 people killed when an American tourist boat capsized during a sudden storm on a Missouri lake, relatives told United States media on Friday, with accusations they were told there’d be no need for life jackets.

The accident occurred Thursday night in full view of witnesses, at least one of whom captured video of the amphibious vessel bobbing in rough waters on Table Rock Lake near the city of Branson, a popular holiday destination.

“My heart is very heavy. Out of 11 of us there’s only two that’s surviving, that’s me and my nephew” Tia Coleman, her voice breaking, told Fox59 from her hospital bed.

“I lost all of my children. I lost my husband. I lost my mother-in-law and my father-in-law,” along with other relatives, she told the Indianapolis TV station.

Coleman said the boat’s captain had told passengers earlier in their trip that they “won’t need” life jackets.

“He said it when we were in the water,” she told Fox59. “When it was time to grab them, it was too late, and I believe that a lot of people could have been spared.”

She added that the water “didn’t look ominous at the very first.” AFP

‘STATE-ACTORS BEHIND SINGAPORE CYBERATTACK’ SINGAPORE—State-actors were likely behind Singapore’s biggest ever cyberattack to date, security experts say, citing the scale and sophistication of the hack.

The city-state announced Friday that hackers had broken into a government database and stolen the health records of 1.5 million Singaporeans, including Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong who was specifically targeted in the “unprecedented” attack.

Singapore’s health minister said the strike was “a deliberate, targeted, and well-planned cyberattack and not the work of casual hackers or criminal gangs”.

While officials refused to comment on the identity of the hackers citing “operational security”, experts told AFP that the complexity of the attack and its focus on high-profile targets like the prime minister pointed to the hand of a state-actor.

“A cyber espionage threat actor could leverage disclosure of sensitive health information... to coerce an individual in (a) position of interest to conduct espionage” on its behalf, said Eric Hoh, AsiaPacific president of cybersecurity firm FireEye. Hoh told national broadcaster Channel NewsAsia that the attack was an “advanced persistent threat”.

“The nature of such attacks are that they are conducted by nation states using very advanced tools,” he said. AFP

THOUSANDS RALLY VS AUSSIE REFUGEE DETENTION POLICY SYDNEY—Thousands of people marched across major Australian cities Saturday calling for an end to Canberra’s offshore detention of asylum-seekers.

The government sends anyone who tries to enter the country by sea to camps on Papua New Guinea’s Manus Island or on Nauru in the Pacific for processing.

Protestors took to the streets to mark the fifth anniversary of the policy’s reintroduction, when in 2013 Canberra significantly toughened its stance, signing deals with the Pacific nations and declaring anyone arriving by boat had “no chance” of being settled in Australia.

“The policy that was introduced in 2013, to expel people -- the ‘Fortress Australia’ policy that they (the government) put in place -- that has to go,” rally organizer Ian Rintoul from the Refugee Action Coalition told Sydney protestors.

“So, we fight to close the detention centers on Manus and Nauru, but we fight in that process to bring them here.”

Hundreds marched through Sydney shouting, “Free, free the refugees”, with banners stating, “Five years too long, evacuate Manus and Nauru”. Joint rallies were held in Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra and Perth.

Canberra says its policy deters people from embarking on treacherous sea journeys, but rights groups and the United Nations have slammed the wealthy nation for turning its back on vulnerable people, as reports of abuse, suicide and despondency filter out of the camps. AFP

AFGHAN DROUGHT. In this photograph on Thursday, an Afghan boy use a water pump to collect water in Sakhi village on the outskirts of Mazar-iSharif. Thousands of farmers are migrating to cities as Afghanistan’s worst drought in at least a decade has impacted the war-torn country. AFP

KEEP PRESSURE ON NOKOR, POMPEO URGES UN STATES

N

EW YORK—United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Friday urged United Nations member-states to keep tough economic sanctions fully in place on North Korea and maintain pressure on Kim Jong Un to dismantle Pyongyang’s nuclear program.

“We need to see Chairman Kim do what he promised the world he would do,” Pompeo told reporters after meeting with the Security Council.

The United States believes that North Korea can shed its “pariah” status from its nuclear and missile programs, but “it will take full enforcement of sanctions for us to get there,” he said.

Pompeo traveled to New York for the one-hour meeting with the council to provide a first briefing to the top UN body on North Korea since Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un’s summit.

China and Russia have argued that North Korea should be rewarded with the prospect of eased sanctions for opening up dialogue with the United States and halting missile tests.

But US Ambassador Nikki Haley made clear that the best way to sup-

port US diplomacy on North Korea was “to not loosen the sanctions.”

“We can’t do one thing until we see North Korea respond to their promise to denuclearize,” Haley said.

Pompeo’s talks in New York came a day after Russia and China put a sixmonth hold on a US request to cut off deliveries of refined oil to North Korea.

Last week, the United States asked a UN sanctions committee to order a halt to shipments of oil products to North Korea after accusing Pyongyang of exceeding a cap on fuel deliveries with illegal imports.

But Russia and China said they needed more time to consider the US request and to review Washington’s allegations of sanctions-busting by North Korea.

Pompeo called for an end to the illegal ship-to-ship transfers of fuel while Haley rejected the Chinese and Russian appeal for more time, saying

the United States had photographs as proof of the violations.

Trump opened up prospects for an end to the standoff with North Korea when he met in Singapore on June 12 with Kim, who agreed to work toward denuclearization of the peninsula.

The agreement however was short on details—North Korea has long trumpeted a denuclearization goal, but one that it sees as a lengthy process of undefined multilateral disarmament, rather than a unilateral dismantlement of its nuclear arsenal.

And more than a month later, no concrete progress has been reported.

South Korea’s Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha told the council that it must be ready to grant temporary exemptions to sanctions in specific areas such as communications to help push North Korea toward progress, according to diplomats.

Kang told the council that President Moon Jae-in is expected to visit Pyongyang in the coming months, they said.

On her way into the meeting, Kang said Kim had made a clear commitment to scrap his nuclear and missile programs “and we will hold them up to that commitment.”

French Ambassador Francois Delattre said both Pompeo and Kang sought to “confirm the unity and firmness of the Security Council in the full implementation of the sanctions.”

Delattre said it was important to avoid “any premature signal of a loosening of sanctions that would be a counter-message.”

The council last year adopted three rafts of sanctions targeting North Korea’s economy in response to Pyongyang’s sixth nuclear test and a series of ballistic missile launches.

Those sanctions banned North Korea’s exports of raw commodities while severely restricting supplies of oil—vital for the country’s military.

A UN sanctions resolution adopted last year set ceilings for North Korea of four million barrels of crude oil per year and 500,000 barrels of refined oil products.

The United States last week sent a report to the sanctions committee that said North Korea had secured at least 759,793 barrels of oil products through ship-to-ship transfers at sea.

North Korean tankers reportedly obtain clandestine oil cargo in international waters from ships that often switch off their satellite tracking systems to prevent any monitoring of their activities. AFP

GAZA CEASEFIRE HOLDS AFTER ISRAELI STRIKES GAZA CITY, Palestinian Territories—A ceasefire announced by Hamas largely held Saturday after a wave of deadly air strikes across the Palestinian enclave sparked by the death of an Israeli soldier shot near the border.

Israel did not confirm the deal announced by Gaza’s Islamist rulers, which went into effect around midnight Friday reducing fears of a wider conflict.

But the Israeli army said a tank struck a Hamas observation point east of Gaza City on Saturday morning, saying it was retaliation for an attempted border infiltration in northern Gaza.

There were no reports of injuries in that strike and there was no major Israeli bombing campaign overnight or mortar fire from Gaza toward Israel.

“With Egyptian and UN efforts, we reached (an agreement) to return to the previous state of calm between the (Israeli) occupation and the Palestinian factions,” Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said in a statement early Saturday.

A senior Hamas official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told AFP the deal involved “the cessation of all forms of military escalation” including Israeli air strikes and Hamas mortars and rockets.

The source said that balloons and kites attached with incendiary devices, which Palestinians have been floating over the border for months to spark fires inside Israel, were not included in the agreement.

Israeli politicians have been calling for a fierce response to the kites and balloons, which have caused damage amounting to millions of shekels (hundreds of thousands of dollars).

Israel’s army and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office declined to confirm a truce was reached.

“All we can say is that there have been no incidents or Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip since the last wave of airstrikes on Friday night,” a military spokeswoman told. AFP

REUNITED. An Eritrean woman living in Ethiopia is overcome with emotions

while being reunited with a family member for the first time in more than two decades upon the arrival of the flight from Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa at Asmara International Airport in Asmara, Eritrea on Wednesday. Ethiopia and Eritrea resumed commercial airline flights on July 18 for the first time in two decades after resuming diplomatic ties after 20-year standoff. AFP

LGUs

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SUNDAY, JULY 22, 2018 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

QC CREATES CULTURE AND ARTS COUNCIL

Q

UEZON City Mayor Herbert M. Bautista has ordered the creation of a Culture and Arts Council following a 2006 ordinance that aims to develop and strengthen the premier city’s cultural fabric.

In issuing Office Order 110-2018, Bautista appointed the following to sit in the Council: • Councilor Kate Abigael G. Coseteng, in her capacity as chairman of the City Council Committee on Tourism, Cultural Affairs and Heritage; • Teresa Tirona representing the Quezon City Tourism Council; • Marian C. Orayani, city budget officer; • Pedro P. Rodriguez Jr., city planning and development officer; • Ares P. Gutierrez, city information officer • Dr. Elizabeth E. Quesada, superin-

tendent of schools, and • Divina Gracia P. Pascua, officer-incharge of the QC Tourism Department.

Representatives from theater, visual arts, heritage conservation, indigenous people and cultural communities, and non-government organizations will also be named to the Council.

The QC Tourism Department will serve as the Council’s secretariat.

Meanwhile, Bautista also led the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with Israeli Ambassador to the Philippines Ephraim Ben Matityau for the construction of a Philippine-Israel Friendship Park

within the Quezon Memorial Circle.

The Philippine-Israel Friendship Park will feature a special marker in honor of President Manuel Quezon for saving the lives of over 1,000 Jewish refugees during the Second World War, and also to commemorate the Philippines’ vote in favor of the partition of Palestine and the recreation of the state of Israel.

“This signing ceremony is about the establishment of a marker, special monument in Quezon Memorial Circle which is going to honor the unique friendship between Israel and the Philippines. This monument in Quezon City will be dedicated to Manuel Quezon, Manuel Roxas, and Elpidio Quirino as the president and vice president in 1947 for saving Jewish lives and 60 years of our friendship treaty,” Matityau said, after the MoU signing on Thursday at QC Hall.

The Quezon City government together with the Embassy of Israel and President Elpidio Quirino FoundationInc. already broke ground for ‘Friendship Park’ on Dec. 15, 2017.

“It’s a great sign of friendship and it demonstrates the unique relationship of Israel and the Philippines, especially Israel and Quezon City. Quezon City is fully aware of this story and chapter in the history that’s highligted in so many ways and I’m really more than thankful to Mayor Bautista,” Matityau added.

President Quezon is also known as the “Asian Schindler” for allowing Jewish refugees to enter the Philippines during Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler’s reign.

Oskar Schindler is a German businessman who saved hundreds of lives of Jews from Hitler’s onslaught by providing them jobs in his industrial factory.

PLDT WORKERS BRING SCHOOL-IN-A-BAG TO APARRI PLDT employees recently went to a remote public school in Aparri, Cagayan to donate devices and digital learning content housed in a package called Smart School-in-a-Bag. The kit, given to Bulala Norte Elementary School, is the fifth one donated by the PLDT Employees Credit Cooperative Inc. to underserved schools in the Philippines. The group has turned over Smart School-ina-Bag units to Malipay Elementary School in Bacoor, Cavite; Macabud Elementary School in Rodriguez, Rizal; Lanipew Barrio School in Kibungan, Benguet; and Malalan Elementary School in Davao City.

Created by Smart Communications, the School-ina-Bag is a big backpack containing a laptop, tablets, TV, a solar panel with battery, pocket Wi-Fi, and various digital and printed educational content aligned with the official curriculum. It is donated by Smart and by sponsors willing to contribute P100,000 for each kit.

The donation package includes teacher training and yearlong monitoring.

“We are thankful to have been given these tools for our students. We have a hard time providing for their needs.

Our teaching tools are insufficient. These gadgets would help in our daily classes. I am very sure that this would motivate our students to go to school and participate in class activities,” said school principal Reynaldo Enayo.

Fifth grader Badeth Sosa said she’s excited about the tablets she and her classmates would get to use at school. “I’m more willing to go to school. I’m grateful because they provided tools for our study,” she said.

Previous school recipients of the Smart School-in-a-Bag have reported enhanced literacy and heightened interest in learning among their students. One teacher in Albay noted that some of her students would even go to school despite class suspensions so they could learn from the tablets.

PECCI’s Henry Estolano, who chairs the cooperative’s social and community development committee, said,

DAVAO CITY BUILDS 4TH CHILD-MINDING CENTER IN MINTAL

By F. Pearl A. Gajunera

“When I learned about the Smart School-in-a-Bag, I told my colleagues that it’s a complete package, as far as education is concerned. So, we didn’t hesitate to contact Smart, and the PECCI board agreed to donate to schools selected by the Department of Education.”

The cooperative will turn over five more bags in the coming months.

Smart public affairs senior manager Stephanie Orlino encourages organizations and even individuals to sponsor Smart School-in-a-Bag units, especially for remote schools.

“Smart has donated several bags to schools in Luzon,Visayas, and Mindanao, but we cannot do this by ourselves.There are thousands of public schools without access to electricity and to digital tools that can enhance students’ learning. Let us work together so these students would not be left behind.”

Those interested to help can email PublicAffairs@ smart.com.ph and check out Smart Communities on Facebook for more details.

Students of Bulala Norte Elementary School in Aparri show their excitement to learn using the digital tools donated by PLDT employees (inset).

MANGO PLATFORM LAUNCH WOOS JAPANESE INVESTORS AT LEAST 100 Japanese investors attended the launching of an online business venture that will benefit local workers and even overseas Filipino workers in a convention last Thursday at the City of Dreams Ballroom in Parañaque City.

The venture is being organized by Mango Remittance C U Inc., a dulyregistered company with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

The firm has created a platform that can be used online, from consumers’ daily purchases to investors’ trading in real time, at a lower cost while ensuring a secured transaction every time.

MRCUI chief executive officer and president Jose Jonas M. Cochico III said the company’s mission is to provide efficiency to all its stakeholders.

Through the Mango venture, Cochico said the day-to-day transactions of its clients will be efficient and cheaper, as compared to other methods or entities.

Sara Duterte

Attending the Mango Remittance C U Inc. launch at the City of Dreams Manila are (from left) IT manager Mohamath Mustafa, MRCUI president and CEO Jose Jonas M. Cochico III, lawyer Andrelille Christian A. Cruz, ACTS-OFW Party-list Rep. John Bertiz, and investor Toshihide Miyauchi.

“We intend to offer a more affordable and practical remittance application to our OFWs,” he said.

MRCUI, Cochico added, is also an IT company specializing in remittance and payment/settlement applications.

“It is a secured and efficient application that can reduce the fees per transaction. We intend to offer a more affordable and practical remittance application to our clients,” he said.

As part of its social responsibility, a portion of MRCUI’s fees will be set aside to provide social services to the poor, uplifting their lives.

An investment in Mango’s platform will also provide job opportunities for Filipino workers, as MRCUI is planning to put up a Japanese village in the country.

“Could you just imagine the employment it will bring to our people once it is fully operated,” said Cochico.

DAVAO CITY—The City Government of Davao has formally opened an additional child-minding center in Barangay Mintal, in ceremonies led by Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte on Tuesday.

The child-minding center in Mintal is the fourth of its kind in Davao City. The other centers are located in Calinan, Barangay 27-C and 2-A. City Social Services and Development Office head Maria Luisa Bermudo said the Mintal Child-Minding Center aims to help working parents in the area ensure they have a safe place to leave their child while they are at their workplaces.

“One of the problems that we have seen, especially for our working mothers is their difficulty to take care of their children while they are at their workplace. With the childminding center, they have trusted people who will watch over their kids,” Bermudo said.

Two teachers employed by the city government will be assigned at the center, which can cater up to 10 toddlers of ages up to 3 years old per day, she added.

The center is open from 7:30 am up to 5 pm.

Mintal barangay captain Rey Amador Bargamento said the center would be of great help to their barangay, especially that its population continues to grow.

“We really need this center because we have a lot of residents who are working mothers. They don’t have someone whom they can leave their children while they are earning a living,” he said.

Mayor Duterte revealed the city is ready to allot funds for other barangays that intend to build their own child-minding facilities.

“If a barangay is planning to have a center of this kind, especially those big barangays that are centers of economic activity, we can partner with them through the CSSDO. They can put up the infrastructure and we can hire the personnel needed to run the child-minding center,” she said.

The mayor also donated some toys owned by her eldest daughter, Sharkie, so these can be used by the children in the center.

TAGUIG, MERALCO SIGN PACT TO POWER LGU PROJECTS

Signing the EPP-MoU are (from left) Taguig executives City Administrator lawyer Lyle C. Pasco, Vice Mayor Ricardo S. Cruz Jr. and Mayor Laarni L. Cayetano with Meralco SVP and head of Customer Retail Services and Corporate Communications Alfredo S. Panlilio, Meralco VP and head of Home and Microbiz South Business Area Ferdinand O. Geluz; and Meralco VP and head of South Distribution Services Bernard H. Castro.

A HIGHLY urbanized city with growing electricity needs, Taguig recently signed a memorandum of understanding which aims to spur economic progress through joint initiatives between the country’s largest electric distribution utility and local government units.

“With the signing of the EPP-MOU, we at

Meralco have further committed to remain steadfast in our support of Taguig City’s programs, which are all in line with delivering excellent service to its constituents,” Meralco senior vice president and head, Customer Retail Services and Corporate Communications Alfredo S. Panlilio said.

At the signing ceremony, Panlilio

noted that, to date, Meralco has energized numerous projects with the LGU including the Taguig-Pateros hospital, the Taguig Lakefront community park, 10 day care centers, 12 multipurpose halls, nine covered courts, over 40 streetlights, and more than 1,000 households through the RAISE project led by One Meralco Foundation.

For her part, Mayor Lani Cayetano affirmed that Meralco has long been helping the city government, saying that the distribution utility’s “Ang Liwanag ng Bukas” slogan serves as a clear representation of how the power utility literally and figuratively gives light to every home, street and community.

“On behalf of the City of Taguig, we thank Meralco for all the help and support. I am truly confident that this new partnership will lead to a better, closer collaboration between Taguig and Meralco, and consequently boost our capability to continuously respond to the fast-changing needs of our citizens,” she said.

MALABON MISSION. The Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry Inc., in cooperation with the Malabon Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Office of the Malabon City Mayor, conducted a medical and dental mission and helped 1,000 families affected by a recent fire in Barangay Catmon. In photo are Mayor Antolin Oreta III, his wife Melissa Oreta, FFCCCII officials led by vice president William Yap Castro, and Malabon Chamber president Charlie Policarpio.

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SUNDAY, JULY 22, 2018

FROM WHERE I STAND ERIC JURADO ECONOMICS in One Lesson by Henry Hazlitt (1894–1993) is a book that taught supporters of free market economics. It is a brilliant and pithy work first published in 1946, at a time of rampant statism all over the world. It taught millions about the bad consequences of putting government in charge of economic life. College students across America and the world still use it and learn from it. It may be the most popular economics text ever written.

Hazlitt’s lesson is simple but profound: “The art of economics consists of looking not merely at the immediate but at the longer effects of any act or policy; it consists in tracing the consequences of that policy not merely for one group but for all groups.”

Hazlitt was a journalist, literary critic, economist, and philosopher who wrote on economic affairs for the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and Newsweek, among many other publications.

Opinion

Adelle Chua, Editor mst.daydesk@gmail.com

THE CAUSE AND CURE OF INFLATION He was one of the most brilliant public intellectuals of the twentieth century. In his final years, he often expressed surprise that Economics in One Lesson had become his most enduring contribution. He wrote it to expose the popular fallacies of its day. He did not know that those fallacies would be government policy for the duration of the twentieth century and now.

The following is a summary of Hazlitt’s statement on the cause and cure of inflation: 1. Inflation is an increase in the quantity of money and credit. Its chief consequence is soaring prices.

Therefore inflation—if we misuse the term to mean the rising prices themselves—is caused solely by printing more money. For this the government’s monetary policies are entirely responsible.

2. The most frequent reason for printing more money is the existence of an unbalanced budget.

Unbalanced budgets are caused by extravagant expenditures which the government is unwilling or unable to pay for by raising corresponding

tax revenues. The excessive expenditures are mainly the result of government efforts to redistribute wealth and income—in short, to force the productive to support the unproductive. This erodes the working incentives of both the productive and the unproductive.

3. The causes of inflation are not, as so often said, “multiple and complex,” but simply the result of printing too much money. There is no such thing as “cost-push” inflation. If, without an increase in the stock of money, wage or other costs are forced up, and producers try to pass these costs along by raising their selling prices, most of them will merely sell fewer goods. The result will be reduced output and loss of jobs. Higher costs can only be passed along in higher selling prices when consumers have more money to pay the higher prices.

4. Price controls cannot stop or slow down inflation. They always do harm. Price controls simply squeeze or wipe out profit margins, disrupt production, and lead to bottlenecks and shortages. All government price and wage control, or even

“monitoring,” is merely an attempt by the politicians to shift the blame for inflation on to producers and sellers instead of their own monetary policies.

5. Prolonged inflation never “stimulates” the economy. On the contrary, it unbalances, disrupts, and misdirects production and employment. Unemployment is mainly caused by excessive wage rates in some industries, brought about either by extortionate union demands, by minimum wage laws (which keep teenagers and the unskilled out of jobs), or by prolonged and over-generous unemployment insurance.

6. To avoid irreparable damage, the budget must be balanced at the earliest possible moment, and not in some sweet by-and-by.

Balance must be brought about by slashing reckless spending, and not by increasing a tax burden that is already undermining incentives and production. eric.jurado@gmail.com

BANE... From B1 impact of uncensored content such as the viral videos could become significant, analysts say.

“Social media has emerged as a democracy strengthening tool,” says Shahzad Ahmed, director of Bytes for All, a digital rights group.

Bari, who predicts election turnout will be “massive,” says if even half of the young voters who have seen and shared such videos go to the polls “it will strengthen the trust of the people in the democratic system.”

Pakistanis only started to recieve high-speed mobile data in 2014 and its use has spread at one of the highest rates in Asia.

Access for young people to social media is helping to create a more democratic and participatory form of government, argues Maham Khan, a 21-year-old student of international relations at the Quaid-i-Azam university in Islamabad.

She references protests in Cairo in 2011 which were organized via social media and eventually unseated the then-president Hosni Mubarak.

“Basically the youth is actually using social media just like in Egypt, to bring about slow social revolution,” she says.

But who they will vote for is hard to predict, with vast socioeconomic, religious and ideological differences between this huge population—though jobs and education are among their most unifying demands.

Nevertheless, most students who spoke to AFP expressed hope for change after decades of corrupt political dynasties, and Khan—despite widespread claims he is being backed by the powerful military as they seek a pliant government— represents the best chance of that.

“As a first time voter myself...

I’m very excited and I want to be a part of this process through which my vote can bring change,” says 23-yearold Rafey Khan Jaboon. AFP

METRO... From B1 Abby Binay (@Mayora_Abby) of Makati, but still there was no suspension until around 6:00 a.m.

By then many students and employees had already left their homes. A junior high school student who lives in our compound and studies in a public school in Makati had risen at 3:00 a.m. and was on his school bus by 5:00 a.m. He arrived back home close to 8:00 a.m., telling his mother, “Paikot-ikot lang kami sa kalsada.

Tapos pinauwi lang din kami.”

What a waste of time, effort, and money. If only the mayors of those two cities and those others who did not soon enough had perhaps acted in a timely

manner, it would have saved so many people a lot of trouble.

As it is, many were exposed to health risks—cough, colds, flu, fever, and leptospirosis, which has resurged with great ferocity in the metro.

The hardest part of going anywhere in bad weather is traveling. There never seems to be enough public transport around and people end up stranded and wading through flood waters. (Have I mentioned that leptospirosis cases are on the rise?)

Are these mayors aware that not everyone has private cars or ride school buses, and that the majority take public transport? Many can’t even afford rain boots for protection against exposure to flood water!

Mayors who fail to respond

appropriately to bad weather put people’s health at risk and increase the risk of accidents and untoward incidents on the road. It also is a great disservice to those who earn barely enough for their needs.

The question is, where were all these Metro Manila mayors? Asleep on the job? Torn by indecision on whether or not the weather would clear? Saying “let them wait” while they have their morning coffee?

Bah. They must do better—it’s their job. There was an Orange rainfall warning, by golly, a suspension should have been automatic.

In case these don’t-care mayors don’t realize it yet, their constituents don’t owe them any favors—and they’re likely to remember all these failings come the

next elections.

*** Workshop season is coming soon, and two top writing programs are now open for application.

The University of the Philippines Institute of Creative Writing (UP ICW) is accepting applications for the 58th UP National Writers Workshop to be held on April 21-28, 2019.

The workshop aims to help published writers further hone their craft. Writers from the regions outside NCR are encouraged to apply. All fellows are entitled to a modest stipend and free hotel accommodation.

The deadline for submission is Sept.

30, 2018. For details of requirements and inquiries, call the ICW at 981-8500 loc. 2117, e-mail upicwnww2019@gmail.

TRUMP UPS ANTE AHEAD OF G20 DISCUSSIONS

By Barnaby Chesterman BUENOS AIRES—US President Donald Trump’s latest attacks on China and the European Union will shape the discourse on global trade conflicts and competitive devaluation as Group of 20 finance ministers meet in Buenos Aires this weekend.

Trump’s protectionist policies that have seen him slap steep tariffs on steel and aluminum, angering allies such as the EU, Canada and Mexico, already looked set to fashion discussions between finance ministers and central bankers from the world’s 20 leading economies during two days of meetings.

That is even more the case after his latest Twitter outburst on Friday saw him accuse the EU and China of “manipulating their currencies and interest rates lower,” while he also took aim at the US Federal Reserve for hiking interest rates, complaining that it eroded “our big competitive edge.”

China and the US have no plans for bilateral talks, according to US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, who has vowed to “respond to concerns on US trade policies” when he meets with fellow ministers.

But China will be a hot topic as Group of Seven ministers hold a onehour session on the margins of the wider meeting, not least after Trump threatened to crank up punitive tariffs against the country to include the entire $500 billion in goods the US imports from the Asian powerhouse.

As well as his steel and aluminum duties, and threats to likewise hit foreign car imports with tariffs, Trump has already slapped China with a 25 percent levy on $34 billion in goods, with another $16 billion on the way.

‘Very serious’ Other than announcing countermeasures, China has kept relatively quiet over Trump’s various threats—perhaps safe in the knowledge that his tariffs are a drop in the bucket next to their expected $2.4-trillion exports for 2018.

But German Chancellor Angela Merkel warned that the EU was “ready” to respond to the US should more excises be forthcoming, describing current trade tensions as “very serious.”

International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde, whose press conference will kick off activities on Saturday morning, said earlier this week that increasing trade restrictions pose “the greatest nearterm threat” to the world economy, despite projected growth of 3.9 percent through 2019.

She also warned Trump that “the US economy is especially vulnerable” due to “retaliatory measures.”

IMF economists say that in a worst case scenario $430 billion—a half point —could be cut off global GDP in 2020 if all tariff threats and retaliation are implemented.

Others are also worried about Trump’s measures, including India, which alongside China, Brazil, Russia and South Africa make up the five emerging market BRICS countries, all of which are G20 members.

“All BRICS members have benefitted from globalization. All of them need finance and capital inflows,” said Sreeram Chaulia, dean at Delhi’s Jindal School of International Affairs.

As well as the dollar, rising oil prices and US interest rates have helped fuel the capital flight from emerging economies such as Brazil and Argentina, with investors taking out $14 billion between May and June.

“The meeting will take place against the backdrop of ongoing financial vulnerabilities in emerging market economies and global trade tensions,” said Australian Treasurer Scott Morrison.

He headed to Buenos Aires planning to urge G20 members to keep markets open.

“History is clear: when trade barriers go up, growth and jobs go down,” he added. AFP

com, or visit their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/upicw/.

The Center for Creative Writing and Literary Studies (CCWLS) of the University of Santo Tomas is now accepting applications to the 2019 UST National Writers Workshop to be held April 7-14, at Ridgewood Residence, Baguio City.

Fourteen fellowships will be available to writers 21 years and older. Address all applications to Prof. Chuckberry Pascual, workshop coordinator, CCWLS office, Benavides Building, UST, España, Manila. Deadline for submission is Oct. 31, 2018. For inquiries, call 4061611 loc. 8281.

Dr. Ortuoste, a writer and researcher, has a PhD in Communication. FB and Twitter: @DrJennyO

C1

SUNDAY, JULY 22, 2018

Business

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

SSI EXPANDS FOOD BRANDS

SSI Group president Anton Huang

S

SI Group Inc., a leading distributor of global lifestyle and retail brands in the Philippines, has seen the growth of its food brand investments, through the opening of SaladStop!, Good Eats and TWG Tea restaurants.

It is eyeing further expansion of its food business through its next import, New York’s iconic modern-day “roadside� burger stand, Shake Shack. “Given the success of Salad Stop! in the Philippines and the availability of many

Shake Shack chief executive Randy Garutti

interesting restaurant brands that have yet to open in the country, the group is planning to selectively expand its food business through 2019. This will allow the group to leverage on the experience we have acquired in operating SaladStop!, TWG Tea, Good Eats, and our central kitchen,� said SSI Group president Anton Huang.

Shake Shack, an American icon popular across the globe, resonates with the Philippine market and SSI’s brand identity.

It is critically-acclaimed and known for its 100-percent all-natural Angus beef burgers, chicken sandwiches and flattop Vienna beef dogs, fresh-spun frozen custard, crinkle cut fries, craft beer and wine.

The brand’s fine dining heritage and

commitment to real, premium ingredients, along with its fun environment has earned it a cult-like following around the world — and makes it a perfect fit for the SSI Group, which has been successfully curating quality retail and food concepts for the country for 30 years. “The group’s expanding food business will also leverage on the Group’s expertise in identifying concepts that resonate with Filipino consumers,� said Huang.

Michael Kark, vice president of global licensing at Shake Shack, said SSI is the ideal partner for the brand’s launch in Manila. “Manila is an incredible city; its heart beats with a distinct warmth and hospitality. We are excited to begin the search for our first site in Metro Manila and look forward to becoming part of this community,� he said.

Huang said it has been a mission of the SSI Group to provide complete lifestyle offerings and global partnerships that aim to enrich and elevate the lives of Filipino consumers. “With Manila becoming a credible location for food finds, it was inevitable for us to bring to our local shores one of the best burger joints with a worldwide cult following around the world — Shake Shack. We are most excited to partner with them and bring the complete gastronomic experience, coupled with its fun and lively environment to food lovers here in the Philippines,� he said.

Shake Shack will open its first store in Manila in the first quarter of 2019.

PAL WORLD’S SECOND MOST IMPROVED AIRLINE Philippine Airlines is now ranked 49th in world airline standings and second most improved airline in the world for 2018, according to the largest airline passenger survey conducted by Skytrax.

The global ranking of PAL was a leap of 34 notches from a rank of 83rd just two years ago, and 18 notches from its 2017 ranking at 67th.

Newly certified as a full-fledged 4-Star Global Airline just five months ago, the flag carrier was voted into the top 50 in the recent survey involving

20 million passengers, 100 nationalities and 335 airlines carried out by the independent rating and audit firm. “I am overwhelmed with pride and joy. This latest win shows how far we have come in working to transform our airline, and this victory is especially sweet because it reflects the votes of our beloved customers. We are honored to be recognized by millions of passengers, and we renew our commitment to keep on serving them better from the caring heart of the Turn to C2

Officials of Philippine Airlines and Airbus celebrate in Toulouse, France the turnover of the carrier’s latest acquisition an A350-900 twin-aisle aircraft that can fly nonstop between Manila and New York.

CRAVE ALLEY LAUNCHED AT FRANCHISE ASIA

CRAVE Alley, a new business model that is open for franchising, was launched at the Franchise Asia Philippines 2018 held at the SMX Convention Center, Mall of Asia in Pasay City on July 20 to 22.

Conceptualized by a team of talented chefs and a barista from Technolux, Crave Alley is a first in the food kiosk franchising industry in the country.

It is comprised of four concepts, each with a unique twist, namely: Quiche and Tell (quiches and tartes with a twist) by French Chef Mathieu Amet; Katsulit (assorted katsu with homemade sauces) by Chef Miguel Vengko; Fruit Skin (sorbets made with real fruits) by R&D specialist Geraldine Buela; and Conespresso (coffee in a cone) by beverage innovator Karen Quizon.

All dishes and drinks are priced within the reach of the market (millennials, young professionals, students).

Aside from offering delicious and imaginative food and drinks that are some of the firsts in the Philippines, Crave Alley affords prospective entrepreneurs an innovative and cost-effective way of getting into the franchising business. “There is no franchise fee and no royalty. All interested franchisees have to do is purchase the equipment from the franchisor, Technolux,� says Norell Ortega, Technloux vicepresident for sales at Foodservice Manila. “A l l fo u r c o n c e p t s c a n b e franchised collectively as Crave Alley or individually as a stand-alone kiosk,�

Ortega says.

Full support will be given to franchisees (technical, after sales, construction, marketing, supply chain, staff uniforms, R & D among others).�

Technolux is the largest importer and distributor of kitchen and laundry equipment and small wares in the country.

NESTLÉ PH NAMES NEW CHAIRMAN

NESTLÉ Philippines Inc. announced the appointment of Kais Marzouki as its chairman and chief executive effective July 1, 2018.

Before his Philippine appointment, Kais was CEO of NestlĂŠ Central and West Africa Region, a post he held since August 2013.

Kais, who holds a Master’s Degree in Management from the European School of Management, joined NestlÊ Switzerland in November 1995 as brand manager for frozen recipe dishes for retail and food services. In 1998, he moved to NestlÊ S.A. where he led various sales and marketing productivity efforts involving reorganization of commercial structures, redesign of key processes, and set-up of change management programs in different NestlÊ markets around the world.

From 2001 to 2011, Kais held various senior management positions in marketing, sales and general management in countries such as Jordan, Lebanon, Southern and Eastern African Region, Switzerland and Oceania.

Before his appointment as CEO of NestlĂŠ Central and West Africa Region, he was business executive manager in charge of Coffee and Milo in NestlĂŠ Oceania from 2011 to 2013.

Business

C2

SUNDAY, JULY 22, 2018 business@manilastandard.net

GOBEAR APPOINTS NEW CEO GOBEAR has appointed Adrian Chng to succeed Andre Hesselink as its new chief executive effective July.

GoBear is Asia’s first and only metasearch engine in insurance and banking. The appointment will see Chng lead the management team with Ivonne Bojoh, Frank Stevenaar and Marnix Zwart as GoBear continues to build on its successes and rapidly scale the business into new products and markets.

DEVELOPER UNVEILS NEW PARAÑAQUE TOWER

GoBear chief executive Adrian Chng

Chng is one of Asia’s foremost fintech startup entrepreneurs, cofounding two startups so far and sitting on the board of many others.

M o s t re ce n t l y, h e w a s C E O of Fintonia, a merchant bank he founded in 2015 that invests in fintech companies in Asean and Hong Kong. In addition, he co-founded Credolab and AsiaKredit in 2016 and 2017 respectively, driven by strong commitment to helping customers and the community thrive and creating employment for people.

Chng is also well known for leading Asian jobs portal JobsDB.com and a key achievement was their Au$1 billion merger with JobStreet.com in 2014. “There is no doubt that faster, cheaper and easier access to basic financial services improves people’s lives,” he said. “That is why I am so excited to join GoBear right now; we are in the middle of launching new products and expanding into new markets like Indonesia – we are reaching more and more people every day.”

GoBear was started as a partnership between Aegon, a global insurance company, and Walvis, a Dutch venture capital fund, in 2015. Since its inception, GoBear has grown from its home market of Singapore to serving millions of users across Thailand, Malaysia, Philippines, Hong Kong, Vietnam and, soon, Indonesia.

The company now employs over 100 people with 19 different nationalities.

ATIMONANINS EXPECT A1E POWER PLANT TO UPLIFT TOWN MARGINALIZED groups in Atimonan, Q u e zo n l a m e n te d t h e s e e m i n g orchestrated attacks and criticism against a project that is expected to provide jobs and make lives better for the people of the town.

Greg de Gracia, an accredited fisherman and chairman of Samahan ng Maliliit na Mangingisda ng Balubad, Lubi,Talaba at Kilait said the groups who were waging a campaign against A1E’s power plant were not representing the interest of the Atimonanins.

“I attended all public consultations together with my fellow fisherman and fellow Atimonanins,” said de Gracia, adding that they were aware that the consultations were required before the issuance of the environmental compliance certificate.

“We are real Atimonanins. We live here. We work here and we will be the direct beneficiaries of the project. These groups don’t represent us and they don’t come and talk to us. The information they are spreading are false or fake news.

We continue to strongly support the project,” said de Gracia.

He said the power plant would help not only the town of Atimonan, but would also uplift the lives of its residents.

“The project is not yet constructed but we are already benefiting from it through the different programs and activities that will not be available to us without Atimonan One Energy,” de Gracia said. “ Together with the other real Atimonanins, we believe that the project will also help our families and the next generation who will benefit from better service, more job opportunities, and improved health and educational facilities that we will get from this project,” he said.

By Alena Mae S. Flores

A

LPINA Heights Properties Corp., one of the fastest growing property developers in the Philippines, has recently unveiled its second tower in Parañaque City.

Located near Sucat exit of South Luzon Expressway, Alpina Heights residents have an easy access to multiple shopping malls and commercial establishments, allowing its community to take advantage of the new and emerging economic hub.

The first tower of the mid-rise condominium project was sold out in six months and the company is now gearing itself to focus on selling the second tower within three to four months.

AHPC positioned itself competitively by providing a good value for money proposition with its generous unit offering of P2.25 million for a 1-bedroom unit with 28 square meters of floor area and P3.45 million for a two-bedroom unit with 41.20 sqm in size.

APHC wants to tap overseas Filipino workers and young professionals for its latest property offering.

The company is looking at investing around P2 billion for the second unit and its upcoming developments in the pipeline within the next couple of years.

AHPC vice president for administration Rey Caligner said during the soft launch of its Alpina Heights Tower Twothat the residential market remains strong and that they would like to target Filipinos working abroad and those investors

PAL... From C1 Filipino,” PAL president and chief operating officer Jaime Bautista said.

The latest international accolade was announced just days after PAL accepted delivery of its first ultra-modern Airbus A350-900, the “world’s most advanced commercial aircraft”, according to Bautista.

The A350-900 arrived in Manila after a celebratory ferry flight from Toulouse, France on July 15, and now joins another brand new aircraft, the Airbus A321neo, in the flag carrier’s fleet. President Rodrigo Duterte braved a rainstorm to lead the ceremonial blessing of the new fleet on July 17, marking a historic milestone

Architect Joel Manankil presents the features of Alpina Heights Towers. eyeing to have a premium residential property at an affordable price as an investment vehicle.

AHPC set itself apart from other developers as its unit are pre-furnished with appliances that allow its residents to immediately feel at home.

“All units come pre-furnished with an split-type inverter air conditioning unit, induction stove, refrigerator and shower heater. Its power saving appliances will certainly help conserve energy and lessen electricity consumption, for its residents.”

Caligner said.

AHPC teamed up with Santos Knight Frank for the property management of Alpina Heights.

SKF is an internationally renown property management firm, which has a strong track record

and reputation in managing a variety of different real estate projects in the metro.

Customers will be more at ease knowing that their units are in good hands and are well maintained by SKF’s personnel, professionally trained to manage and maintain the property.

“Owners will feel more relaxed knowing that their property is being well managed and looked after by a highly respectable property management firm. This will also lead to higher preservation of the building leading to a higher long-term value for its shareholders,” Caligner said.

APHC also put in place solar facilities for the common areas that provide a clean and green living environment.

in Philippine aviation.

“The 4-Star award, Top 49 ranking and the 2nd Most Improved Airline vote challenge us to keep up the progress, and our hi-tech new A350s and A321neos mark our determination to hit full 5-Star status by the end of 2020,” said Bautista.

PAL chief customer experience officer Jessica Abaya said: “We jumped 18 notches from Top 67 in 2017, besting other full-service carriers and other 4-Star airlines. We also placed Top 30 in the World’s Best Cabin Cleanliness category. This recognition inspires us to focus even more on delighting our customers. It also gives us greater confidence to reach our long term vision of becoming the 5-Star, full-service national carrier of the Philippines.”

PAL management led by chairman Dr. Lucio Tan expressed their gratitude to the 8,000 strong

PAL family, citing their team synergy as the crucial factor in making the airline a global winner.

“The future is bright for Philippine Airlines. As the Philippines’ first and only 4-Star Airline, we will continue to provide more innovations and product refinements. Indeed, we will take in 27 new aircraft starting with our recently arrived new A350s and A321 NEOs, so that we can fly more customers more comfortably and conveniently to their dream destinations,” Bautista said.

PAL remains focused on its key programs which include route network expansion, service innovations and fleet modernization. Its fleet of 89 Airbus, Boeing and Bombardier aircraft now serve a network covering two-thirds of the globe, promising distinctly Filipino heartfelt service as the international market leader in Philippine aviation.

TRANSUNION HELPS BANKS SAY ‘YES’ TO MORE BORROWERS INFORMATION solutions provider TransUnion Philippines is in full support of extending more credit to more Filipinos, even as about 65 percent of the population is unbanked. TransUnion has already helped banks extend credit to at least 25,000 previously non-credited customers per month since 2012.

As the countr y ’s only private comprehensive credit bureau, TransUnion has a database of 18.5 million accounts used to create solutions that help banks and other financial institutions make smarter decisions and give them more confidence when extending credit.

Among TransUnion’s products is the New-to-Credit score that allows banks to assess a non-credited individual’s risk potential. It uses a look-alike model generated using sophisticated algorithms based on data the bureau currently has. It simulates behavior based on the person’s demographics.

This practice allows financial institutions to consider granting loans even to those who have no previous credit card or loan records. “ The economy has been ver y

TransUnion Philippines president and chief executive Pia Arellano (third from left) signs a partnership agreement with Gustav Eriksson (second from left), Collectius Group chief executive to create practical payment arrangements that will help Filipinos eventually pay off their debts. The partnership involves sharing data and using it to find solutions to credit-related situations.

bullish. So many new financial players are entering the market, many of whom are FinTechs. With more lenders in the marketplace, consumers may have more opportunities to access credit.

TransUnion not only allows lenders to extend more credit, but empowers them to make accurate decisions given that we have data on historical behavior,” said Pia Arellano, president and chief executive of

TransUnion Philippines.

TransUnion works on a data sharing model, where members have to contribute data before they can access that of all the other members, albeit in masked form in compliance to data privacy laws. The database is refreshed monthly to keep records up-to-date, taking into account both positive and negative aspects.

The bureau currently has 44 members on board, cutting across commercial banks, credit card issuers, financing companies, and cooperatives, among others, thereby giving members a line of sight on the entire market, not limited to their own portfolio or even respective industries.

In line with its goal of serving as a catalyst that fuels the economy, TransUnion is developing a bureau score for small and medium enterprises to boost entrepreneurship in the country.

“We’re planning to launch a special SME-specific score sometime next year. We’re hoping to collaborate with banks that cater to them and the prospects look really very promising,” Arellano said.

Tech & Gadgets

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MOIRA, IV OF SPADES PLAY MUSIC AT ACER DAY 2018

CER, the global leader in computer hardware technologies, kicked off its annual Acer Day celebration last July at the Glorietta Palm Drive Activity Center.

Themed “Play Music Together”, the launch event doubled as a concert and dance show featuring Moira dela Torre and IV of Spades, both youth music icons of today, as well as renowned dance troupe the G-Force.

Introduced last year, Acer Day saw its beginnings in 14 countries across Pan-Asia Pacific. This year, the celebration grows as 20 countries in the region join in on the fun. Aside from the Philippines, Acer Day 2018 will be kicking off in Australia, Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, New Zealand, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam.

In keeping with its global theme “Play Music Together”, Acer Philippines echoes the message that music is one of the most powerful forms of expression and communication. As a testament, the Acer Day Launch Event brought together Moira Dela Torre and IV of Spades, 2 artists that are making waves in the music industry today, for an unforgettable duet that’s sure to be one for the books. Of course, doubling down and making the music truly come alive was the G-Force dance troupe, who delivered a live show-stopping performance of the Acer Day dance to delight the crowd.

“Music has been around for decades, and yet it manages to stay youthful, trendy, and innovative,” shares Sue Ong-Lim, Sales and Marketing Director of Acer Philippines. “In a way, this mirrors how Acer regards technology, in that it should always be fresh, modern, and inventive in terms of its design and capabilities.”

The event-turned-concert show also saw the announcement of the many activities and promos Acer Philippines has in store to properly celebrate the leading tech brand’s Acer Day celebrations.

Treats and Prizes Await The music plays on until September as Acer rolls

Moira and IV of Spades being ietrviewed at the annual Acer Day.

out a series of events where customers may catch their favorite artists and score awesome treats and discounts!

Make Your Mark and Earn Cool Points Swinging into full gear on July 20 is the Acer Day website—a platform through which customers from all over the world may complete tasks and challenges to get the chance to score gifts and giveaways such as free travel to Taiwan for two (2) and Acer laptops!

On top of that, from August 3 until September 17, more discounts are in store for those who visit and complete the first challenge at any of the 33 Acer Concept Stores. By doing the Dance challenge in the Acer shirt and cap, and sharing it on Facebook and tagging 30 friends, customers get P 1,000.00 off their purchase for any qualifying Acer product! Even bigger, those who successfully complete all challenges may happily slash off P 5,000.00 outright from their

Aidan Fajardo

purchase of any Swift, Spin, Nitro, and Helios model!

Acer Day Music Video Fest Formally announced at Acer Day Launch Event, PHP 500,000.00 is up for grabs for both amateur and professional dance groups out there! By simply following the Acer Day signature dance by the G-Force, your group gets the chance to be one of the 3 finalists (who will each get P 100,000.00 each), and eventually compete for the grand prize!

Acer Day Digital Concert in partnership with Wish FM 107.5 Fans of Moira and IV of Spades are also in for a treat as the collaborating artists do an encore of their appearance aboard the Wish FM 107.5 bus towards the end of August!

For more information and updates on the different activities and promotions, simply visit the Acer Philippines Facebook Page or the Acer Day website at http://acer-day.com/ph.

TRADERS BOOST INCOME WITH SMART LOAD IN Pangasinan, businessmen and store owners have found a dependable business partner in PLDT wireless subsidiary Smart Communications.

According to Lorie de Ramos, a store owner from Alaminos, Pangasinan, selling Smart load has contributed to the growth of her family’s mobile gadgets and accessories business.

“We were unsuccessful with our first business venture, so we thought of opening a cell phone accessories shop that also sold Smart load. The store flourished. Now, when people

see us, they automatically associate us with phone load,” De Ramos said.

Smart load sellers are part of the company’s Ka-Partner loyalty and rewards program, which aims to enhance their livelihood while enabling the community to stay connected.

With the earnings from the store, Lorie said her husband, Aldrin, did not need to leave the family to go back to his previous work as a seaman. “Both of us wanted him to stay here for good because our family was growing. When I noticed our store

A Smart subscriber reloads prepaid credits at a cell phone accessories shop in Alaminos, Pangasinan.

was doing well, I asked him to quit his job on the ship,” she said.

A Smart load retailer for 11 years now, Lorie said the earnings had allowed the family to set aside funds for both expenses and savings, plus other business ventures. The De Ramos couple have four children; the elder siblings have recently graduated from college, while the younger ones are still going to school.

The De Ramoses are known at Suki Market in Alaminos for their mobile and loading store, which is frequented by both locals and tourists headed for the Hundred Islands National Park.

According to Aldrin, most of their customers use the All Out Surf 30 and Giga Surf 50 packages. These data plus call and text packages connect mobile users to Smart’s fast Long-Term Evolution (LTE) connection, allowing them to share with their family and loved ones photos and videos from their island getaway. They also enjoy free access to YouTube for one hour daily.

Smart distributor sales manager Vera Vergara said Smart load retailers had experienced a boost in their sales due to network improvements in the area. “More mobile users are availing of our SIMs and load packages because of our strong LTE connection especially on the island areas,” she said.

Accelerated network rollout Smart has been accelerating its

deployment of LTE, LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), and carrier aggregation (CA) all over the Philippines as part of efforts to improve mobile data experience for its subscribers.

In areas where Smart has rolled out network improvements, such as in Quezon City and Marikina, small business owners and retailers have also reported an increase in earnings, boosted by improved mobile internet experience.

These efforts are in line with Smart’s commitment to the National Telecommunications Commission to bring high-speed mobile data using LTE, LTE-A and 3G to over 90 percent of the country’s cities and municipalities.

In 2018, Smart is doubling the number of LTE base stations to about 17,700 nationwide and raising the number of LTE-equipped cell sites to more than 6,800 using frequencies that are compatible with CA-capable smartphones available in the market today.

PLDT has committed historic levels of resources to support network transformation. Capital expenditures is expected to reach P58 billion this year, including allocations for the aggressive rollout of its fiber broadband service, which also supports the stepped up deployment of the mobile network by providing high-capacity links for cellular base stations.

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SUNDAY, JULY 22, 2018 rumallari@thestandard.com.ph

HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF FROM PHARMING FILIPINOS spend over nine hours a day browsing the Internet, scrolling through websites of interest, watching YouTube videos, reading Tweets, lurking in Facebook and posting Instagram photos.

With 67 million active users, the Philippines is considered to be the king of social media, according to the UK-based consultancy We Are Social.

Filipinos, therefore, have the most number of users in the world that are exposed to online scams and malware that litter the Internet.

One such online scam is called pharming, which involves malware installed on your computer or device (through visiting malicious websites or downloading infected files) that redirects your browser traffic to a fake or phishing site of the hacker. It does this by “poisoning” your browser’s ability to map a website domain to the correct IP address. For example, you may have typed and saw the correct website address of the bank “www.bank.com. ph” in your browser but your access is actually redirected to the fraudster’s IP address and phishing site.

It’s tricky to defend against pharming because the phishing site address that you see on your browser is the actual website name of the real site.

But you can still avoid being a pharming victim. Your best defenses against pharming are: Install and Update your antimalware program A good anti-malware program is your first line of defense against pharming. Avoid being infected with spyware or malware designed to pharm your computer by installing a reputable anti-malware program and ensure that is updates itself automatically and very regularly.

Verify the site’s secure HTTPS page Almost all sites that offer banking, shopping, email and even social media use the secure “HTTPS://” protocol by default to encrypt your login details and transactions. Always check that you don’t get any SSL/TLS certificate errors when you visit these sensitive sites. These security certificates installed by the legitimate sites are very difficult to forge. The fake certificates are easily detected by your browser and will warn you if there’s something funny about the security certificate that the website is using.

Use mobile apps to conveniently keep track of your transactions Always keep an eye on your online financial accounts and check on any suspicious transaction. The PSBank Mobile App has a quick view feature that allows you to instantly monitor your account and previous transactions. It also has an ATM Lock feature to help prevent the unauthorized use of your PSBank ATM card accounts.

“Pharming is relatively hard to defend against, but the right amount of Internet access prudence and security awareness can go a long way in protecting your login credentials and sensitive data from being stolen by fraudsters,” PSBank First Vice President and CISO Dan Duplito said.

“Be Aware!” is PSBank’s consumer protection campaign that provides clients with the necessary information to protect them and their hard-earned savings against scams.

STATE-OF-THE-ART STORAGE MART OPENS NEW HOME HOWARD Sy, grandson of business tycoon Henry Sy Sr., is set to grow his brainchild as StorageMart expands and finds its new home in Quezon City.

His first entrepreneurial venture, StorageMart prides itself as a premier self-storage company with world-class facilities and services. It currently has self-storage facilities located in key areas at the heart of the metro namely Makati City and Bonifacio Global City. The newly opened StorageMart facility can be found in Quezon Avenue, Quezon City.

“We saw the need and the demand for self-storage here in Metro Manila. It is steadily growing since we launched our first two branches in Makati and Bonifacio Global City,” Sy said.

“Our newest StorageMart facility in Quezon City aims to bring the same standard of quality service and accessibility for individuals, households and businesses up north seeking additional storage spaces,” he continued.

The inspiration and the vision The University of Melbourne graduate got the idea from the American reality television series, Storage Wars—a show where people bid for auctioned contents of abandoned storage units.

“I was at my second year working as an investment analyst at Macquarie when I chanced upon the show,” he shared. “It immediately piqued my interest, because come to think of it, for a bustling city like Manila, people might be looking for alternative areas to store their things—like businesses with limited office space, households who are moving, or even individuals who travel regularly.

StorageMart is the answer to their storage needs.”

StorageMart offers a wide range of storage space sizes at affordable prices, from one sqm lockers to 40 sqm one bedroom apartment-sized units. It has flexible rental periods, from one month to one year, without lock-in contracts.

The world-class storage facility also boasts of its state-of-the-art security systems with roundthe-clock security and individual door alarm

that will notify both the central security and the owner of the room whenever there’s an unauthorized access.

“StorageMart is my vision coming to life, and I’m happy it’s growing,” he added.

“Through StorageMart, I wish to provide affordable storage solutions, hopefully to Filipinos nationwide.”

To rent a storage space, you can visit any StorageMart facility, choose the size of the storage, and the duration of use. You’ll have the option to avail an in-house insurance for an added layer of protection, or get from another insurance provider. Once paid and agreed upon, you’ll receive an individual PIN code that will allow you 24/7, 365 day a year access to your storage space without additional charges.

For more information on the Quezon City facility, you may call (02) 712 3466, (+63) 917 846 4069 or (+63) 999 220 5929. You may also visit www.storagemart.com.ph or like StorageMart PH on Facebook.

The world-class storage facility also boasts of its state-of-the-art security systems.

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TECH & Gadgets SUNDAY, JULY 22, 2018 Riera U. Mallari, Editor rumallari@thestandard.com.ph

TAKE IG-WORTHY SHOTS WITH VIVO X21’S CAMERA

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LOBAL brand Vivo is best known for its selfie-centric phone cameras and with each of their product, the smartphone innovator never fails.

In fact, their smartphone cameras only get better with each launch and there is no stopping Vivo when it comes to providing consumers with topnotch and high-technology means of self-expression.

Vivo just recently launched the future-forward X21 which is popular not only for its industry-first in-display fingerprint sensor but also for its AI Face Beauty-enabled dual rear and selfie camera which boasts of dual pixel sensors.

With a set of impressive camera specs, expect that the X21 will deliver the goods, creating flawless and vivid shots whether in low-light or backlight situations.

Rely on your X21 to give you only the best, feed-worthy shots taken anytime of the day, anywhere. Moreover, committed to coming up only with perfect photos, the Vivo X21’s AI HDR, an upgrade of the regular HDR, merges more frames to resolve the problems presented by contrasting strong dark and light tones in a photo. Tired of capturing very dark and blurred night-time photos of evening celebrations and night-outs?

This X21 technology solves this low-light situation obstacle for all photo enthusiasts.

Adding to the premium camera features is Vivo X21’s 6.28-inch FullView Display. Selfie fans will benefit from this ample phone display as it could improve the overall composition of every photo-

Fans will benefit from Vivo X21's ample phone display as it could improve the overall composition of every photograph taken, with enhanced clarity and definition.

graph taken, with enhanced clarity and definition.

Take photos of your favorite meal and even its delicious colors will reveal itself appetizing; or show off your chosen outfit for the day and the textures come alive because of the photo’s clearness in detail.

As if these are not enough surprises under Vivo X21’s camera hood, other fun specs include the rear camera’s slow motion and timelapse feature for a more cinematic video effect, plus portrait bokeh to add more flair and drama to selfies.

The Vivo X21, is now up for grabs for the retail price of P29,999.00 in all Vivo kiosks and in online shopping destinations Lazada and Shoppee. The X21 is chic and contemporary in its matte black color.

For inquiries about Vivo, visit the Vivo website at vivoglobal.ph or check out their Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/vivophil), Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/ vivo_philippines/), and Twitter (https://twitter. com/vivo_phil) accounts.

LG GIFTS PH MUSEUM WITH NO. 1 OLED TV ON its 30th anniversary, LG Philippines salutes the National Museum of the Philippines and its new National Museum of Natural History, celebrating one of the world’s richest marine ecosystems.

To further its Corporate Social Responsibility thrust of promoting education, LG Philippines, has made a large donation in-kind to the National Museum of the Philippines, both in acknowledgement of its valuable work and to celebrate its newly opened National Museum of Natural History at the Rizal Park.

LG is hoping to promote a more holistic and interactive experience for visitors by donating one 65-inch OLED TV (E8), one 55-inch OLED TV (C8) and one 55-inch UHD TV to the premier public museum institution in the country.

As part of the donation, LG also commissioned underwater conservationist director/photographer Noel Guevara to create a short video that showcases the richness and beauty of underwater life in the Philippines, said to be the epicenter of marine biodiversity on earth. The video, shot off Balicasag Island in Panglao, Bohol, features colorful reefs, tropical fish of all sizes and turtle residents.

“As an underwater photographer and in this case, videographer, I am one of the many visual ambassadors of the sea, whose job is to bring the ocean closer to people’s hearts,” said Guevara.

“Balicasag is a beautiful, bountiful dive spot. Showcasing its vibrant marine life in glorious, colorful 4K allows a viewer to take in these sights in more detail and with better appreciation, where the only thing better left to do is to actually dive there.”

LG is donating one 65-inch OLED TV (E8), one 55-inch OLED TV (C8) and one 55-inch UHD TV to the PH's premier public museum institution.

Guevara’s video was premiered to media and special friends at the NMNH on the 77-inch LG OLED W8 TV, LG’s newest and most stunning display to date, which showed off the underwater sights of the Bohol Sea to the best advantage. Marrying best-in-class picture quality with a mind-blowing “wallpaper” design (the display measures a paper-thin 0.23 inches), the W8 represents the height of TV technology, flaunting true-to-life picture quality and cinema-quality Dolby Atmos sound. This newly launched model is also equipped with LG’s new Alpha α9 intelligent processor, which has the ability to create the clearest and most detailed pictures with realistic color and ultra-fast response times.

Jeremy Barns, director of the National Museum of the Philippines,

expressed his profound gratitude for the TVs and commissioned video.

“We are very thankful to LG for their generous donation to the National Museum and for their enthusiastic support of our new National Museum of Natural History, which has broken new ground in facilitating far wider public appreciation of the natural wonders of the Philippine archipelago. These cutting-edge, beautifully designed TVs, combined with the work of this institution, will immerse our viewers and provide them with special experiences of the heritage and patrimony of the Filipino people. This video will convey more effectively than ever before the amazing marine experience that Bohol, one of so many extraordinary places in the Philippines, has to offer—short of diving Balicasag Island’s hidden depths themselves,” he said.

Barns also added that the video is a very timely complement to the opening later this year of the new National Museum in Bohol, housed at Tagbilaran’s restored and converted former provincial capitol building which was damaged in the 2013 earthquake. The museum director believes that the video should also be prominently featured in the Bohol museum in addition to the NMNH. He went on to say that the video will also feature in all the appropriate public platforms of the National Museum and be recommended to relevant key partner government agencies, including the Department of Education, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the Department of Tourism, and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts.

“LG’s goal is to harness the power of beautiful images and modern, innovative technology to fuel and inspire the next generation,” said LG Philippines managing director Inkwun Heo. “The TVs we are donating to the National Museum can be used both as educational vessels and design inspiration. The LG OLED TVs can integrate perfectly into the interiors of the National Museum in Manila and the other educational centers in their growing network of museums within the country, while the video will give museum visitors moving glimpses of the Philippines’ natural inheritance.

We at LG Philippines are very proud to be associated with this great public institution and center of education, science and culture, and all of the work that they carry out for the benefit of the Filipino people and their innumerable friends throughout the world.”

YOUTUBE NEXTUP COMES TO PH YOUTUBE is announcing the launch of its NextUp contest in the Philippines to turbocharge the careers of local up-and-coming YouTube creators.

Since its launch in 2011, NextUp has helped over 500 creators in more than 13 countries take their channels to the next level, giving them skills, mentorship, and a network to help them create compelling content.

This year, YouTube NextUp is looking for creative and inspiring creators who will join a week-long creator camp at the next YouTube Pop-up Space from Sept. 7 to 12 in Manila, where they will learn production techniques from NextUp alumni and work closely with top YouTube creators.

So who’s NextUp? YouTube is looking for passionate and motivated YouTube creators who are ready to create powerful stories with better production skills; those who are seeking mentorship from production and channel development experts, and eager participants looking for an opportunity to collaborate with talented creators and be a part of the global NextUp community.

If you are selected to join the NextUp Manila’s class of 2018, you are eligible to receive: Ongoing strategic account management by the YouTube Creator and Artist Development team; One-week Creator Camp at YouTube Pop-Up Space; $1,000 USD production voucher and Mentorship by Alumni / Top Creators To enter the contest and see full details, go to youtube.com/nextup to fill out the application form.

To be eligible for NextUp Manila, your channel must be in good standing with 10,000 to 100,000 subscribers. The channels will also be selected on the basis of their potential for improvement, capacity for attracting audiences, and alignment with YouTube’s core values.

The deadline for submitting the application form is Aug. 3.

NextUp’s launch in the Philippines further boosts opportunities for a growing community of Filipino creators.

Last year, the Philippines saw a 50 percent growth in hours of content uploaded to YouTube. The number of Gold Creator Award channels also almost doubled, with more than 15 Gold Creator Award channels in 2018.

“We’re bringing NextUp to the Philippines to support Filipino creators, who are among the most creative and inspiring in the world. We want to help them bring their YouTube careers to the next level by exposing them to meaningful learning experiences,” said Gabby Roxas, Google Philippines Country Marketing Manager.

“We are also giving Filipino creators the opportunity to inspire and learn from other creators around the world who share their passion for creating great online content.”

For inquiries on YouTube NextUp Manila, visit youtube.com/nextup or send an email to nextup@ youtube.com.

TANDUAY PARTNERS WITH SHOPEE TO LAUNCH ONLINE STORE TANDUAY Distillers Inc., makers of the world’s number one selling rum brand, recently partnered with Shopee, the leading Singapore-based e-commerce platform with 12 million users in Southeast Asia and Taiwan, to launch the Tanduay brand international online store.

The e-commerce store features carefully curated products previously available only at the Tanduay store in Century Park Hotel such as original apparel, bags, and accessories. This dedicated in-app space will allow shoppers to easily access authen-

tic premium items and products from one of the country’s wellloved Filipino brands.

Paul Lim, chief marketing officer of Tanduay, said the partnership with Shopee is aligned with the strategy of the company to continuously improve ways and find new avenues to make Tanduay accessible to a broader market.

“Tanduay is now an official Shopee partner. Online shopping has continued to gain traction in the region with the increasing internet and smartphone penetration. We are excited about the op-

portunities that our partnership will open for our business. As of now, the move is consistent with our core strategies to reach a growing global market of online shoppers,” Lim shared.

Brand manager Edzel Ty further said that more products are expected to be added to the Tanduay Brands International online store in the succeeding months.

“We have chosen to partner with Shopee because insights from all our marketing efforts point towards the future of commerce online. With Shopee, we are making our products available to

them with several payment and delivery options all for their convenience,“ he explained.

Last June, global spirits think tank Drinks International revealed Tanduay has taken over the world’s number one spot from a list of rum brands that has long been dominated by Bacardi.

Tanduay Distillers Inc. is a member of the LT Group of Companies. Tanduay is the Philippines’ top rum maker, which is also distributed in the United States.

Likewise, the company produces whiskey, brandy, gin, vodka and other flavored spirits.

The e-commerce store features carefully curated products previously available only at the Tanduay store in Century Park Hotel such as original apparel, bags, and accessories

Destinations D1

sunday, july 22, 2018

Bernadette Lunas, Issue Editor

manilastandardlife@gmail.com

@manilastandardlife

Cotabato

the City that never blinks

By Ayunan G. Gunting

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he City of Cotabato is one of the unique cities in the country. It’s different because it isn’t a part of any province. The fact that it doesn’t belong to South Cotabato still surprises many Filipinos. Geographically it’s in Maguindanao but it doesn’t fall under the jurisdiction of that province. Cotabato is among the few cities in the country that happens to be an independent component city.

It also happens to be the seat of the autonomous region of Muslim Mindanao. and it’s perhaps Central Mindanao’s most cosmopolitan city—it’s the hub of the center of the island of Mindanao. It’s the “go-to” destination when it comes to shopping and experiencing life in the big city as a child growing up in Marawi City, I and my siblings always looked forward to visiting Cotabato during summer vacation. We had relatives who lived in this city and we’d have fun shopping and driving to the nearby beach for a swim.

For many of us, it is also the city that never sleeps; it never even blinks. It is the place to make it big. naturally, after finishing college, I sought my first job in Cotabato. I then had the honor of being one of the original employees of the arMM when I was hired to be a member of the legislative staff of Lanao del Sur assemblywoman Princess Diamond Johaira Pangarungan. She had won a seat during the first election of arMM’s regional Legislative assembly. Yet after a while, I decided to go to Manila to search for other opportunities.

But I never turned my back on Mindanao. Lately, having visited the city for its annual celebration of the arMM Pakaradjaan Festival, I was elated to witness how Cotabato is as lively as ever. Mayor Cynthia Guiani-Sayadi has evidently done much in push-

Cotabato City's new city hall, the People's Palace combines ethno-modern architecture with Muslim-inspired designs.

@MStandardLIFE

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Keep your passport, IDs, boarding passes, and tickets together in this faux leather travel document holder.

ing forward its progress. She’s also made great strides in maintaining peace and order. a report prepared by the Philippine national Police indicated that during the first three months of 2018, Cotabato was the second safest city in the country, next to Ormoc. Puerto Princesa in Palawan came in third. Correspondingly, the city is the safest in region 12 and Mindanao.

The mayor herself was elated by the report, though with all the effort she had put into reducing the city’s crime rate, the news to her was hardly a surprise. She has continuously implemented the rOnDa: a peacekeeping effort done in collaboration with the PnP, the Task Force Kutawato, and the barangay force multipliers.

These teams have tirelessly been patrolling the various sections of the city and have suc- c e s s fully aided the PnP in a p prehending criminal elements.

In a statement, the mayor s a i d

the city has proven itself to be safe for its people despite the insurgencies that have plagued neighboring provinces. as a result, the city’s economy is on the upswing. It has attracted local and foreign investors. In fact, a group of Chinese businessmen has committed to build a new airport terminal and seaport for the city.

The mayor has also transformed the city into a thriving metropolis that beautifully blends the old heritage of Muslim Mindanao and the modern style of living. It remains to be the center of the region where various tribes of Muslim Mindanao converge. never has this been so clearly manifested in the 2018 anniversary celebration of the arMM. at the grounds of the Sharif K a b u n - suan Cultural Complex in Cotabato, a festival showcasing the colorful cultures of the six provinces under arMM is in progress.

Mayor Guiani-Sayadi also marked Cotabato City’s 59th Foundation Day with several festive events last month.

She kicked off the celebra-

Cute and colorful luggage tags help you easily spot your stuff on the carousel.

Turn to D2 The stunning Sultan haji hassanal Bolkiah Mosque, also known as the Grand Mosque of the Cotabato, is the largest mosque in the Philippines.

These soft neck pillows with the cuddliest animal designs cradle your head in the right position while you doze off.

Turn to D2

A heAvenly treAt in Stockbridge mercury rising

By BoB zozoBrado

The beautiful altar of the national Shrine of The Divine Mercy in Stockbridge, Massachusetts.

On a visit to new Jersey several years ago, my siblings and I were trying to figure out at the dinner table where we would go for the weekend. There were as many suggestions as there were relatives. each proposed a destination that sounded as interesting as the others. Since we had already been at it for close to an hour, and still couldn’t make up our minds, we decided to just drive north and see where it would lead us, while enjoying the view along the way.

We drove through the state of new York and stopped for lunch at a farm which had a small restaurant that served home-

cooked meals. It was like being invited to the home of a typical american family because the interiors of the restaurant made us feel very comfortable and we were so at home. In fact, the family matriarch herself cooked and served us the food we ordered.

Driving northwards after the hearty lunch, we found ourselves in Massachusetts, also known as The Pilgrim State because this is where the first Pilgrims from europe landed. This state is very rich in Colonial history. But before we could even decide which part of the state to explore, we immediately saw a sign on the freeway that said “Divine Mercy Cathedral, next exit.” Of course, since most of us siblings are devotees of The Divine Mercy, we followed the directions in a heartbeat, and ended up in Stockbridge.

With a population of only 2,000, approximately, Stockbridge, Massachusetts is a tiny town, but popular

The Lourdes Grotto is one of the religious attractions in the gardens of eden hill, where the shrine sits.

among art enthusiasts as home to noted enclave for psychiatric treatthe norman rockwell Museum. In ment. Of course, pilgrims from the the medical world, it is also known religious community troop to this for the austen riggs Center, a Turn to D2

destinations

D2

sunday, july 22, 2018 manilastandardlife@gmail.com

colorFul...

From D1

erwan heussaFF’s

top 5 new ZealanD experiences n need to squeeze in a few hours of shuteye? This Kitty sleeping mask with cooling gel helps reduce stress and headaches, and help de-puff tired eyes.

EW Zealand has a special place in the heart of restaurateur Erwan Heussaff. not only did he tie the knot with anne Curtis in this island country, this is also where, he said, he have witnessed some of the purest natural landscapes one will ever experience. Here are some of his favorite #nZMustdos: Exploring Wanaka

On the southern shores of lake Wanaka, the resort town of the same name offers outdoor adventures and indoor luxury. But Wanaka’s not just for outdoor enthusiasts—stroll the streets and be inspired by cool galleries, stylish shops, and a great selection of cafés and restaurants.

It is also a prime destination for luxury getaways. Its many prestige lodges and boutique B&Bs combine privacy and pampering, and perfectly complement options such as helicopter tours, vintage plane rides, and back-country 4Wd touring.

Write down your itinerary or jot down notable experiences during your trip in these scenic travel journals.

Driving the West Coast from Hokitika to Haast

leave your bulky wallet behind and opt for this stick-on card holder wallet. Flexible and slim, it’s easy to put on your phone case.

Prefer to draw than to take photos of sceneries? Then these Micron sigma pens and Croquis sketch book should be in your carry-on.

These travel essentials are available at the Stationery section of all SM Stores.

cotabato...

From D1

tions on june 12 to coincide with the observance of Philippine Independence day. It included a week-long program of cultural presentations produced by the department of Education, which was held at the City Plaza. This was followed by the threeday Cotabato Toy Fair at the City Mall. simultaneously, the sayaw Cotabato dance Workshop and Competition, and a sports festival (Taekwondo, table tennis, jiu jitsu, super fights, a fun run, and lawn tennis) were held in various venues. also, the mayor’s Culinary Competition was held at the People’s Palace. and of course, no city foundation day anniversary celebration in the Philippines would be complete without a beauty pageant.

The 2018 Mutya ng Cotabato was held at the sharif Kabunsuan Cultural Complex.

The founding date itself (june 20) was observed with a military parade and the presentation of “sayaw, Cotabato,” the annual indigenous dance festival that showcases the city’s diverse ethno-linguistic groups and modern dance influences. The davao-based daybreak Band also performed at the City Plaza.

Hailed as one of the greatest road trips in the world, the West Coast drive from Hokitika on state Highway 6, will see you pass icy-looking rivers spanned by one-lane bridges, with the deep green of Westland Tai Poutini national Park looming up on your left. Catch the Franz josef and the Fox glaciers, where you can go from easy guided or self-guided walks to scenic flights and heli-landings on the glacier.

The mesmerizing lake Matheson, described by Lonely Planet as “a hidden jewel” of the West Coast, is also part of the forested shoreline just six kilometers from the Fox glaciers. On a good day, new Zealand’s highest peaks, aoraki Mt. Cook and Mt. Tasman are reflected in the still mirror-like waters.

Exploring Franz Josef Glacier

One of the two glaciers down West Coast, Franz josef is five kilometers from the town of the same name, and a 1.5-hour walk will take you to within 750 meters of its terminal face. If you want to actually make contact with the glacier, take a guided ice walk or a heli-hike. aerial sightseeing is another option.

There is also a range of natural attractions in close proximity to Franz josef Glacier Village. lose yourself in the rainforests, waterfalls, and lakes. In the town, you’ll find plenty of places to stay in and eat at. you can also choose to relax at the Glacier Hot Pools or explore the wildlife center. at nearby lake Mapourika, you can take a kayak tour or rent a stand-up paddle board.

Winery hopping in Central Otago

nestled up against the southern alps, Central Otago is the world’s southernmost wine region. What makes Central Otago even more remarkable is that many of its wineries are family-owned and full of colourful characters, following philosophies of low cropping and handcrafting, while pushing the geographical boundaries of grape growing right to the edge.

There is a range of wine trails to suit any wine lover’s needs, including a new walking wine trail that visits four of Central Otago’s top wine producers—Misha’s Vineyard, aurum Wines, scott Base, and Wooing Tree Vineyard—while capturing some wonderful scenery through orchards and around lake dunstan. Photo from winetoursnz.com

a heavenly...

From D1 town for the divine Mercy Cathedral.

Officially called The national shrine of The divine Mercy, this beautiful piece of architecture had its beginnings when the Congregation of Marian Fathers of the Conception of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary purchased, in 1943, several acres of land with a house on it serving as their residence. an image of the divine Mercy was enshrined in a small chapel where novenas were prayed daily by members of the community.

Pilgrims from all over the country come in hordes every spring, right after Easter, to celebrate the Feast of The divine Mercy. The number of devotees grew by leaps and bounds after World War II ended, in thanksgiving for graces received through their devotion. These thousands of devotees petitioned the Congregation to build a shrine, to which the Marian Fathers agreed.

Taking 10 years to build, the present edifice was completed in 1960, and in 1996, the united states Conference of Catholic Bishops declared it a national shrine. since then, it has been attracting devotees of

Hiking up Ben Lomond

Ben lomond towers above Queenstown offering a rare opportunity to ascend a lofty new Zealand peak via a well-trodden route. Travelers can take the gentler route and grab a scenic ride from town up the skyline Gondola or start your hike from downtown Queenstown.

Panoramic views of lake Wakatipu, the Remarkables mountain range, and Mount Earnslaw await you at the top which is 1,748 meters above sea level.

The divine Mercy from all over the world. being crowned by the Holy Trinity as Queen of The shrine itself is small, but it sits on 350 acres heaven and Earth. of land called Eden Hill that offers other religious Gazing in awe at all these beautiful images in attractions for the pilgrims, like the lourdes Grot- the quiet interior of the shrine was almost surreal. to, the stations of the Cross sculptures, etc. Inside It felt like I was transported to a heavenly realm, the shrine, one immewith my eyes wide diately appreciates the open, savoring every extensive woodwork minute of this celestial and craftsmanship of environment.

YOUR weekend CHUCkLe the builder who was an as I knelt down in One of the most wonderful things in life is Italian woodcarver and front of the altar, I was to wake up and enjoy a cuddle with somecarpenter. teary-eyed, realizing body...unless you are in prison.

Its 36 stained glass that God’s hands drew windows and two mous to this place. never saics give the interiors did we plan on going light and character, and to any religious destithe visuals on it depict several instances showing nation, as we just wanted to drive along and exGod’s mercy as detailed in the Bible. The 14 stations plore america’s countryside, to enjoy the sights of the Cross come from spain, and the marble altar, and everything else it has to offer. where the tabernacle is, has the emblem of the saBut, as they say, God works in mysterious ways. cred Heart. above the beautiful altar is the image of He knows that most of us in the family are devojesus The divine Mercy, surrounded by His apostles, tees of The divine Mercy so He gave us a real whose statues were done by a carver from Italy. treat! stockbridge’s heavenly attraction drew us to above the embossed likeness of The divine where He wanted us to be.

Mercy is a marble statue of the Immaculate Conception, with a mural overhead showing Our lady For feedback, I’m at bobzozobrado@gmail.com.

Entertainment

SUNDAY, JULY 22, 2018

D3

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

FIVE TV SHOWS TO SATISFY YOUR WANDERLUST DYING to scratch that wanderlust itch?

Live vicariously through these five shows on ANC, the ABS-CBN News Channel, as you experience the hottest local and international scenes through these programs and get inspired to go on your own adventures, stat.

Show Me the Market (Saturday at 10:30 p.m.)

Travel and food go hand in hand as food blogger and restaurateur Joel Binamira of Zubuchon and Sarsa chef JP Anglo, passionate lovers of Filipino food and ingredients, take us to explore the country’s cuisine and local markets with new eyes. On the July 13 episode, the two head to Batanes to explore the flavors the island has to offer.

Rising boy band One Up will hold its first major concert at Sky Dome on Aug. 24.

READY FOR THE BIG STAGE

ONE UP HOLDS FIRST MAJOR CONCERT

By Nickie Wang

E

XACTLY two years ago, GMA Network introduced a group of talented young men who were products of the different reality shows of the station. They were collectively introduced as One Up. The group was touted as the next boy band to watch out for.

The band, composed of Kevin Sagra, Nikki Co, Brent Valdez, Joemarie Nielsen, Arjan Jimenez, Ralf King, Prince Clemente, Yasser Marta, Jay Arcilla, and Dave Bornea, will have their first major concert entitled All in One Up on Aug. 24 at the Skydome in Quezon City.

The ten-member group will showcase exciting numbers that will highlight their individual talents apart from their harmonies as a group.

“I think it’s about time to showcase how versatile One Up members are. We want people to see that apart from our individual projects on TV and in film, we can give them good some entertainment on stage,” says Dave Bornea who has appeared on different GMA programs including Alyas Robin Hood, The One That Got Away and Kambal,

IT HAS been three years since the camera caught a fresh face Maine Mendoza gushing over Alden Richards during Eat Bulaga’s “Juan for All, All for Juan.’” This marked the birth of AlDub which set world records through Twitter, remaining as the primary platform for the AlDub phenomenon.

AlDub Nation from different parts of the world have been flocking Twitter to share their support and hopes as the onscreen couple celebrated its third anniversary, generating nearly 2 million related tweets. The conversation surrounding it peaked at around 11:00 a.m. on July 16 with 150,000 tweets per minute.

Thanks to AlDub Nation, the fan army behind every trending topic about AlDub, for always setting the trend not only in the Philippines but also around the world. The worldwide AlDub phenomenon created numerous fan bases in other countries, and enabled them to unite on

Karibal.

“We’ve been preparing explosive numbers. And we hope to incorporate audience participation to make the show much livelier,” added Nikki, who along with Dave, was an alumnus of StarStruck 6th season.

Since their debut as a group, they have undergone trainings and workshops under the mentorship of a seasoned theater director and a singer-composer. They have also released a single entitled “Smile,” under GMA Records.

“We’ve been waiting for this opportunity. After our single, we now have a major concert. We hope we can reach more audience through our music and performance,” noted one member.

The concert, produced by GlON Prestige Productions, will also ex-

Executive Class (Sunday at 10:00 pm) David Celdran gives you a peek into the lifestyle of jet setting businessmen and women with an executive pass to the hotels, restaurants, vacation spots, and exclusive clubs preferred by Asia›s business elite. On the July 1 episode, the editor and host flew viewers to Dubai, the largest city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and a modern, fast-growing city home to expats from around the world.

Asian Air Safari (Sunday at10:30 p.m.)

The show takes travel a step further with host and pilot Captain Joy Roa as he flies to unique destinations around the world. On the June 3 episode, Capt. Joy showed us the beautiful, lush scenery in Auckland, New Zealand, as he explored its islands, volcanoes, indigenous culture, and unique way of cooking.

Cityscape (Saturday at 10:00 p.m.)

This program serves as your guide to the urban jungle and beyond and brings the best of the city scene to your TV screens. Last July 7, host Marie Lozano explored Hong Kong’s Sham Shui Po district for an inside look at the thriving district brimming with cult-favorite shops, restaurants, coffee shops, and bars.

Some members of One Up in a recent show in Dagupan.

hibit the boys’ most all-out performances through the direction of Marvin Caldito and choreography of Mark Benzon Pelota.

Their recently released single entitled ‘Smile’ will also be the boy band’s key instrument in serenading the audience as they deliver their

ALDUB STILL

LOVED BY MILLIONS

SOCMED SUPERSTARS. In a photo posted by Maine Mendoza on Twitter, she thanked the entire AlDub Nation for the unparalleled support they are giving her and Alden Richards for the last three years.

message of love and gratitude towards their fans.

Joining them on stage are fellow Kapuso stars Migo Adecer, Karlo Duterte, Sofia Pablo, Will Ashley, and Andrea Torres. Tickets are priced at P1,600 and are now available for purchase at SMTickets.com.

Twitter to know #WhatsHappening about AlDub. Despite AlDub not being together onscreen as often as before, the love, loyalty and dedication of the AlDub Nation remains steadfast and unchallenged. The fan army illustrates they #StillLoveAlDub every time they tweet updates on the couple’s milestones and activities, together or separately.

Both Maine and Alden have been using Twitter to connect with their fans.

Alden usually updates his fans about his projects like his upcoming series, Victor Magtanggol. Maine, on the otther hand, stays engaged with followers by sharing witty and personal Tweets aside from her professional endeavors.

Their accounts have grown significantly along with the popularity of the love team, whether they are together or as do projects separately in the past three years. Combined, the two have accumulated more than 9.8 million followers globally as of writing.

Trending with Kelly (Saturdays at 9:30 p.m.)

Model, TV host, and lifestyle blogger Kelly Misa-Fernandez discovers the latest trends in beauty, style, health, technology, and food around the world on “Trending with Kelly,” which recently won the Best Lifestyle Program at the Gawad Tanglaw Awards. On its anniversary episodes on July 1 and 8, Kelly flew to San Francisco, California to meet Filipinos who found success in the “Golden City” and explore wineries, houseboat communities, and the best of what the city has to offer.

Watch these shows on ANC or ANC HD or online via www.iwantv.com. ph or www.skyondemand.com.ph. Stay updated on the news, follow @ancxph and @ANCalerts on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram or visit news.abs-cbn. com/anc.

D4

sunday, july 22, 2018

Desiree Carlos, Editor

daycarlos28@yahoo.com

Pets An Art show for A cAuse

pet tales

By desiree carlos

T

heY are not just dogs or cats.

They are not just cute, cuddly, and a great companion. a dog or a cat also makes a human--the owner—enjoy many physical and emotional benefits.

In health benefits of owning a Pet, the staff of the site Curiosity Makes You smarter shares: 1. Petting a dog or a cat lowers blood pressure.

2. When you play with a pet, this reduces the level of cortisol, which is the stress hormone 3. Playing with a dog or a cat also boosts the “happy chemical” called serotonin 4. an owner’s cholesterol level is lowered when you walk your dog, an activity that your dog needs.

5. studies showed pet owners take 15-20 per cent fewer annual visits to a doctor.

There are other benefits, says Jeannie Lerche Davis in WebMD’s 5 Ways Pets Can Improve Your health. “a pet is certainly a great friend. after a difficult day, pet owners quite literally feel the love. In fact, for nearly 25 years, research has shown that living with pets provides certain health benefits. Pets help lower blood pressure and lessen anxiety. They boost our immunity. They can even help you get dates, “ Davis says.

Allergy Fighters

researcher James e. Gern, MD, a pediatrician at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, in the Journal of allergy and Clinical Immunology says numerous studies have suggested that kids have less risk of developing allergies and asthma while growing up in a home with a dog, a cat or any animal in a farm “In his recent study, Gern analyzed the blood of babies immediately after birth and one year later. he was looking for evidence of an allergic reaction, immunity changes, and for reactions to bacteria in the environment,” Davis says. a child who lives in a home with a dog is also less likely to have eczema, a common allergy skin condition that causes red patches and itching, Gern shares.

The same child has higher levels of some immune system chemicals which means the child has a stronger immune system activation.

"Dogs are dirty animals, and this suggests that babies who have greater exposure to dirt and allergens have a stronger immune system," Gern says.

Date Magnets

“Dogs are great for making love connections. Forget Internet matchmaking -- a dog is a natural conversation starter,” Davis says.

Nadine Kaslow, PhD, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at emory University in atlanta, says having a conversation about dogs “helps ease people out of social isolation or shyness.”

"People ask about breed, they watch the dog's tricks," Kaslow says. "sometimes the conversation stays at the 'dog level,' sometimes it becomes a real social interchange."

Pets As heAlth boosters And dAte mAgnets

Loose MarbLes presents ‘Pumayag ba si Delia?’ — an amalgamation of different forms of aesthetics, philosophies, and principles. one lazy afternoon, four years ago, Loose Marbles was born in a coffee shop. The founders — both burnedout digital designers — stumbled upon the concept over tall, black, hot... cups of coffee and a few slices of cake.

In the middle of a crowded, ridiculously expensive coffee shop, while whining and venting about mundane things, such as Gwyneth Paltrow and that guy who sang Yellow’s ‘mutual uncoupling’, came a feeling of extreme sense of loss. Not for Gwennie, but for the versions of themselves trapped in a cycle of endless, curated briefs and colorcoordinated deadlines.

Through visual art, music, and the spoken word, Loose Marbles aims to provide a platform for the burned-out and the bored, the forgotten and the rejects, the underdogs and the defeated. For they, too, have something to say. To show. To tell. To celebrate.

Inspired by the #MeToo move-

Gabriel santos, now 5, grew up with dogs. he plays and sleeps with them. " I did not feel afraid that they will bite him but I do always remind my son not to play rough with them. Thus, he learned how to treat them well, to care for them and he developed compassion for them, " shares his mother, Tet. With Gabriel on the bed are brix a cancer survivor who is now 6 years old, and Punchy who were adopted by Tet from a rescuer, and Maki, anton and anthonia who were rescued by Tet herself. anton and anthonia have been adopted by a person who Tet screened.

nounced when people are strongly attached to their pets," says researcher Judith siegel, PhD. one study also showed that stockbrokers who adopted a cat or dog had lower blood pressure during stressful situations than persons without pets.

When a person is stressed out, he or she gets into a state of dis-ease wherein “harmful chemicals like cortisol and norepinephrine can negatively affect the immune system,” says blair Justice, PhD, a psychology professor at the University of Texas school of Public health and author of Who Gets sick: how beliefs, Moods, and Thoughts affect Your health.

Justice adds that studies have shown a link between these chemicals and plaque buildup in arteries, which can lead to a heart disease.

“Like any enjoyable activity, playing with a dog can elevate levels of serotonin and dopamine -The Lobos—botchok, Lalai and Cholo (shih tzu)—enjoy life to the fullest. The Lobos nerve transmitters that are known go to the malls, pet restos, and even the beach for bonding. botchok walks Cholo to have pleasurable and calming everyday. "Cholo just makes everything great!!! Cholo is the reason I turned vegan. properties,” Justice says.

Justice adds: "People take drugs botchok always removes my . tiredness and stress when I go home. We also see like heroin and cocaine to raise how Cholo makes other people happy just by smiling. We love witnessing that, " Lalai says. serotonin and dopamine, but the healthy way to do it is to pet your who can still walk a dog or care dog, or hug your spouse, watch Dogs for the Aged sunsets, or get around something alzheimer’s patients with a dog for one. “one insurance company, Mid- beautiful in nature." at home have less anxious outbursts as shown by studies, says land Life Insurance Company of Good for the Heart Lynette hart, PhD, associate pro- Columbus, ohio, asks clients over a person who has a pet and has fessor at the University of Califor- age 75 if they have a pet as part of nia at Davis school of Veterinary their medical screening -- which had a heart attack survives longer often helps tip the scales in their than a person without a pet, studMedicine. ies showed.

"Their caregivers also feel less bur- favor,” Davis reveals.

“Male pet owners have less sign dened when there is a pet, particularly of heart disease -- lower triglycerGood for Mind and Soul if it is a cat, which generally requires an aIDs patient is less likely to have ide and cholesterol levels -- than less care than a dog," says hart. non-owners,” based on researcha dog provides companion- depression if he or she has a pet.

"The benefit is especially pro- ers’ works, Davis says. ship and exercise for the elderly

cAt tIPs What are the signs of aging? an older cat may exhibit the following signs: · Frequently meows; · hides instead of going to his/her favorite resting place; · Does not use the litter box or misses it; · When called, he/she does not come; · sleeping pattern or eating pattern has changed ; · Please bring to the veterinarian immediately when he/she exhibits any change in behavior or health - acute or gradual.

Garfield, the five-yearold one-cat welcome committee who made the garage his territory, sleeps when not entertaining visitors.

With proper care, it is hoped this friendly cat will live for more than a decade more, without medical challenges associated with growing older.

silver, around 16 years old, was rescued by save aLL from an illness-ridden, dirty pound in 2014. he is one of the beneficiaries of the one-night art short "Pumayag ba si Delia?" on July 28 at 6PM in 192 banlat road, Quezon City.

ment, ‘Pumayag ba si Delia?’ is the group’s take on female sexuality and its power, society’s perception and influence on the female sexual evolution, as well as the prevalence of sexual assault and violence against women.

‘Pumayag ba si Delia?’ — ‘Did Delia consent?’ — is Loose Marbles’ fourth and most daring exhibition yet. a one night art show happening on July 28, 2018 at 6PM in 192 banlat road, Quezon City. Please checkout the Facebook event page for more details: https://www.facebook.com/ events/639229436437000/ In-kind or monetary donations will be collected as entrance fee to the event and will go straight to three of Loose Marble’s non-government organization partners: Grace To be born is a non-government organization that helps and provides girls and women in pregnancy crisis with confidential and holistic services. For more information, please go to their facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ GraceTobebornofficial/ In-kind donations: • Canned goods • Biscuits • Cerelac • Rice • Laundrysoap • Fruitsandvegetables • Meat,chicken,eggs,etc.

(To be continued next week)