Manila Standard - 2019 February 24 - Sunday

FIL-AM ACTOR PAYS TRIBUTE TO 'BARONG'

By Nickie Wang

FILIPINO-AMERICAN actor and “Glee” star Darren Criss has finally dumped the single’s club after tying the knot with TV producer Mia Swier two days after Valentine’s.

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VOL. XXXIII • NO. 14 • 4 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P18 • SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2019 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

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PUMP PRICE HIKES FUEL BID FOR OIL TAX FREEZE

MAKING MUSIC MOOD.

A screen shot of the couple, Filipino-American actor Darren Criss, and TV producer Mia Swier, who said their marital vows two days after Feb. 14 in New Orleans.

DESTINATIONS / D1

HOLIDAY GETAWAYS

By Alena Mae S. Flores

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HE country’s oil firms will implement a big-time oil price increase of as much as P1.50 per liter this coming week to reflect the movement of prices in the world market.

FOR MOVIE LOVERS

THE WINDING ROAD.

MEASLES: CAVITE UNDER STATE OF CALAMITY—SP

Ballet Manila dancers perform some excerpts of their forthcoming season finale of ‘Deux’ The Winding Road, an original Ballet number based on the music of the Beatles, at the Star Theater in Pasay City. Deux is a toast to the company’s twin forte in both the classics and the contemporary, anchored on two major pieces: the romantic ballet Les Sylphides and a new work by British choreographer Martin Lawrence’s Beatlesthemed The Winding Road. Ey Acasio

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SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2019

By Benjamin B. Chavez

News

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UN CHIEF HAILS ESTABLISHMENT OF BANGSAMORO TRANSITION BODY

CUSTOMS BLAZE. Firefighters extinguish a blaze that hit the Bureau of Customs Port of Manila building past 11 p.m. on Friday. The fire started at the 3rd floor and reached the fifth alarm, according to the Bureau of Fire Protection. Authorities are still trying to determine what caused the fire. Norman Cruz

POMPEO TO DROP BY PH FOR CHAT WITH DU30 WASHINGTON—US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will travel next week to the Philippines, the State Department said Friday, as the former United States colony increasingly flirts with regional giant China.

Pompeo will travel to Manila on Feb. 28 and March 1 for talks with President Rodrigo Duterte, State Department spokesman Robert Palladino said.

The top US diplomat will be paying the visit on his way back from Hanoi, where he is joining President Donald Trump for his closely watched second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

After winning the presidency in 2016, the brash Philippine leader threatened to split with the United States and patch up with China by ending a long-running sea dispute.

President Xi Jinping visited Manila in November, offering trade and investment incentives.

Duterte has bristled at all criticism over his sweeping crackdown on drugs and crime, which has killed thousands of people since mid-2016 despite criticism of lack of due process.

But Trump has hailed Duterte’s actions as a sign of toughness—a marked contrast with previous US President Barack Obama, who Duterte branded the“son of a whore.”

The Trump administration has downplayed human rights except when pressing adversaries and has set an overall priority of reducing the global influence of China and Russia. AFP

SWS: CRIMES UP; NCRPO: NOT TRUE

By Vito Barcelo

THE number of Filipino families who claimed to have been victimized by common crimes in the past six months rose in the final three months of 2018, according to the latest survey conducted by the Social Weather Stations.

In its fourth quarter 2018 survey, the SWS said approximately 1.8 million Filipino families, or around 7.6 percent of all families in the country, were victims of common crimes in the second half of 2018.

That is 1.5 percent more than the estimated 1.4 million families victimized by common crimes in the previous quarter, the SWS said.

However, National Capital Region Police chief Director Guillermo Eleazar on Saturday said the crime rate in Metro Manila is declining, despite the nationwide SWS poll.

Eleazar said in an interview on radio dzBB that while the crime rate is declining, “fluctuations” are expected.

“The trend is that it’s going down. The fluctuation is basically expected,” he said.

The NCR cop chief also stressed that the crime rate actually dropped to 54 percent during the first 30 months of the Duterte administration, compared to the last 30 months of the previous Aquino government.

The survey also said that 61 percent of Filipino adults fear burglary, up by nine points from the 52 percent posted last September.

Also, 54 percent of respondents claimed they fear walking the streets at night, up by eight points from the 46 percent in the preceding quarter.

The SWS said property crimes like street robbery or pickpocketing rose to 6.9 percent in the last six months of 2018, affecting at least 1.6 million families.

The figure is up from 5.6 percent, or around 1.3 million families, in the September survey.

“Except in June 2016 when it was at 10.9 percent, victimization by property crimes has been at single-digit levels from March 2012 to December 2018,”SWS reported.

The survey said Metro Manila posted the highest instance of street robberies, followed by Mindanao, Balance Luzon (areas of Luzon outside Metro Manila), and Visayas, respectively.

The National Capital Region continues to have the highest rate of carnapping, affecting approximately 1.0 percent of vehicle-owning families in the region. No cases of carnapping were reported from respondents from the other regions.

Eleazar said the police will intensify its efforts to curb criminality. “We really have to continue what we have started.

We will boost our operations against illegal drugs,” he said.

INCUMBENTS TOP METRO POLL SURVEY

By Joel E. Zurbano

MOST voters in Metro Manila prefer reelectionists or incumbent local chief executives for the coming May 13 midterm elections.

Incumbent leaders such as mayors Abigail Binay (70 percent) of Makati City, Edwin Olivarez (43 percent) of Parañaque City, Imelda Aguilar (68 percent) of Las Piñas City, Jaime Fresnedi (65 percent) of Muntinlupa City, and Miguel Ponce III (55 percent) of Pateros, will most likely earn another term based on the recent survey conducted by the RP Mission and Development Foundation Inc. The noncommissioned survey, conducted from Feb. 1 to 10 and covering 2,500 respondents in the National Capital Region, also showed that Binay enjoys a strong lead in Makati against her brother, Jejomar Erwin “Junjun” Binay Jr., who posted a 20 percent rating.

Olivarez got 43 percent against his rival, former Parañaque

mayor Florencio Bernabe Jr. with 15 percent, while Pasay City Rep. Imelda Calixto-Rubiano, sister of current Mayor Antonino Calixto, leads with 53 percent over Chet Cuneta, brother of actress Sharon Cuneta, who got 16 percent in the survey.

Fresnedi leads the mayoralty survey of Muntinlupa with 65 percent, followed by former Bureau of Immigration deputy commissioner Red Marc Mariñas with 12 percent.

Pasig City Mayor Robert “Bobby” Eusebio, who is seeking reelection, topped the survey with 75 percent against Vico Sotto, son of comedian and TV host Vic Sotto with 21 percent.

Former Manila vice mayor Isko Moreno, meanwhile, garnered 45 percent in the survey against incumbent Mayor Joseph Estrada (26 percent) and former mayor Alfredo Lim (24 percent) in the three-way fight for the capital’s top seat.

In Taguig City, movie director and former congressman Lino Cayetano, brother-in law of incumbent Mayor Laarni Cayetano, got 75 percent against rival Taguig-Pateros Rep. Arnel Cerafica, who got only 17 percent.

UNITED Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Saturday hailed the establishment of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority as a “landmark achievement on the road to lasting peace in Southern Philippines.”

“The United Nations will continue to support the Philippines in the implementation of the Bangsamoro Organic Law [BOL], and to help build the capacity of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority to achieve peace, democratic governance, and respect for human rights,” he said in a statement, which was read by UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric in New York.

Guterres also congratulated the Philippine government, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, the Bangsamoro Transition Commission, as well as the civil societies and local communities involved in the push to create the new autonomous political entity in Mindanao.

The successful Jan. 21 and Feb. 6 plebiscites for the BOL have effectively ratified the establishment of the Bangsamaro government, the transition of which is to be supervised by the BTA, in 2022.

On Friday, members of the BTA took their oath before President Rodrigo Duterte in Malacañang. PNA

BI CRACKDOWN VS. ILLEGAL ALIENS PICKS UP STEAM THE Bureau of Immigration has launched a total crackdown against foreign workers who are illegally working in casinos, construction sites, online gambling and retail stores in the country.

The crackdown has netted more than 500 illegal foreign workers since January this year, but the biggest apprehension was the arrest of 276 foreign nationals in a massive raid of a network technology company along Ayala Avenue in Makati City earlier this week, according to Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente.

He warned that all foreigners who are working without the proper working visa will be apprehended, deported and included in the bureau’s black list order.

Morente also urged all foreigners wanting to work in the Philippines to secure proper working documents at the BI, Department of Labor and Employment, the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and other government agencies that issue working visas.

The arrest of 276 foreigners, mostly Chinese, was carried out after lawmakers observed the rise of foreign workers in construction sites, restaurants, hotels, and retail stores—jobs that can be filled by Filipino workers.

According to Morente, the BI received reports foreign nationals were working in the building without the required immigration visas or permits.

“We are serious about our drive against illegal aliens and are focusing our energies on arresting those working without the proper documentation, stealing jobs from Filipinos,” the immigration chief said. Vito Barcelo

FACING SEX RAPS, R. KELLY TURNS HIMSELF IN

SALVAGING. Residents look for recyclable materials at the remains of a fire at the Parola Compound in Tondo, Manila on Saturday. The fire reached the fifth alarm before it was put out. Norman Cruz

CHICAGO—Rhythm and blues superstar R. Kelly turned himself in to Chicago police on Friday, after prosecutors charged him with 10 counts of aggravated criminal sex abuse against four victims, three of them minors.

The bombshell development in the Kelly saga came after a judge approved a no-bail arrest warrant for the 52-year-old, who for decades has faced accusations of child pornography, sex with minors, operating a sex cult and sexual battery.

Kelly surrendered to Chicago police at approximately 8:15 p.m. (0215 GMT) and was taken into custody.

He will appear in court tomorrow afternoon, a police spokesman said.

Kim Foxx—the state’s attorney for Cook County, which includes Chicago— told journalists the alleged crimes oc-

curred between 1998 and 2010. A court clerk had earlier told AFP nine of the charges involve minors ages 13 to 16.

The felony charges carry three to seven years of prison time per count, Foxx said.

After Kelly was booked, his lawyer Steve Greenberg dismissed the charges, saying they were based on old and false accusations.

Greenberg vowed the musician would be “vindicated,” saying: “I think all of the women are lying.”

“Everybody’s trying to profit off of R. Kelly.”

An arraignment was scheduled for March 8 in Chicago, where he resides, a Cook County clerk said earlier.

It is the second time Chicago prosecutors have charged Kelly with a sex crime: after a dramatic trial that also involved a sex tape, the musician was acquitted of

21 counts of child pornography in 2008.

Greenberg said one of the charges involved the same victim as in that trial.

Kelly, known for hits like“I Believe I Can Fly,” has faced renewed public scrutiny after a scathing docu-series shed new light on his checkered past.

“Today marks a watershed moment in the 25 years of abuse by this predator,” said high-profile lawyer Michael Avenatti, who is representing two victims, two parents and two whistle-blowers linked to Kelly.

Avenatti and prominent women’s rights attorney Gloria Allred are representing clients linked to Kelly, with the former saying his office had uncovered previously unreleased footage of Kelly having sex with a teenager, which he had given to the Cook County State’s Attorney. AFP

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“Expect fuel prices to go up next week. Diesel should go up by P1.40 to P1.50 and gasoline should go up by P1.30 to P1.40 per liter. Load up accordingly,” Unioil Philippines said.

This will be the third consecutive weekly increase as oil companies implement the latest adjustment of oil prices every Tuesday.

On Feb. 9, the country’s oil firms raised pump prices by P0.70 per liter for diesel and gasoline and P0.35 per liter for kerosene.

According to the latest monitoring report of the Department of Energy, year-to-date adjustments stand at a net increase of P2.20 per liter for gasoline, P3 per liter for diesel and P2.05 per lliter for kerosene.

DOE said in its report that oil prices went up after an outage at Saudi Arabia’s offshore oilfield, which could impact on supply.

It noted that global oil supply has also been curbed by US sanctions on Venfacebook.com/ ManilaStandardPH

S

ezuelan and Iranian crude and reduced Libyan output because of civil unrest.

Security threats could threaten Nigerian production after general elections this weekend, it added.

Growing confidence that the United States and China will resolve their ongoing trade dispute also supported prices.

Meanwhile, Senator Bam Aquino appealed to Malacañang to suspend the excise tax on fuel under the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Law, ahead of another round of oil price hike this week.

“I am appealing to President (Rodrigo) Duterte to suspend additional taxes on petroleum to help our people,” said Aquino, one of four senators who voted against the ratification of the TRAIN Law. In an effort to lower prices of petroleum products, Aquino filed the Bawas Presyo sa Petrolyo Bill in May 2018, seeking to suspend and roll back the excise tax on fuel under the TRAIN Law once Turn to A2

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P50-M BOC ASSETS UP IN SMOKE

By Vito Barcelo

MORE than P50 million worth of property were destroyed in a six-hour fire that hit the Bureau of Customs-Port of Manila Friday night which injured two people, officials said Saturday.

In a statement, BOC spokesperson Erastus Austria said no important documents, particularly documents pertaining to Turn to A2

CAVITE, where there have been at least 317 cases of measles and eight deaths since Jan. 1, is now in a state of calamity.

The Sangguniang Panlalawigan passed a resolution on Feb. 18 which declared the province, 21 klometers southwest of Metro Manila, under a state of calamity, following the measles outbreak and the increasing number of cases reported by the Provincial Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit.

One of the most industrialized and fastest-growing provinces, its population of 3,678,301 makes this erstwhile “historical capital of the Philippines” one of the most populated provinces.

Earlier, the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council convened in an emergency meeting to discuss necessary actions following the Department of Health’s measles outbreak declaration in Metro Manila and other regions including CALABARZON. During the meeting, the initial report of PESU revealed 317 cases from Jan. 1 to Feb. 19 with right deaths recorded.

Gov. Jesus Crispin Remulla sought out the legislative body to pass the resolution declaring Turn to A2

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SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2019 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

LABOR MARKS EDSA REVOLT WITH JOB FAIR IN CELEBRATION of the 33rd anniversary of the EDSA People Power Revolution, the Labor department is holding a Trabaho, Negosyo, Kabuhayan (TNK) job and business fair in Mandaluyong City on Monday.

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III encouraged jobseekers to take advantage of the around 20,000 local and overseas jobs to be offered by 50 participating employers and recruitment agencies at the 2nd Floor Activity Center of the Starmall in EDSA-Shaw tomorrow.

In an initial report from the Bureau of Local Employment, among the vacancies to be offered by local employers are for the positions of steelman, production machine operator, production workers, customer service representative, product promodizer, electrician, service crew, merchandiser, finishing mason, and plumbers.

In the same event, the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration said 12,000 job orders would be offered by 15 participating recruitment agencies.

Some of the vacancies are for the positions of laborer, nurse (general), welder, pipefitter, carpenter, technician (electrical/mechanical), foreman, steelfixer , IT engineer, and waitress.

Among the countries of destination are United States, Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Germany, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Turks and Caicos Island, Madagascar, Malta, Mauritius, Solomon Islands, South Korea, and Africa.

Bello reminded applicants to bring requirements such as resume or curriculum vitae (bring extra copies for multiple job applications); 2 x 2 ID pictures; certificate of employment for those formerly employed; diploma and/or transcript of records; and authenticated birth certificate.

The EDSA People Power Revolution is observed with the theme ‘EDSA 2019: Pagkakaisa Tungo sa Pambansang Kapayapaan.’

Meanwhile, children’s rights group Salinlahi Alliance for Children’s Concerns announced it was joining different organizations in marking 1986 People Power Uprising today at Edsa.

“We are one with different sectors and organizations in commemorating the 39th year of People Power Uprising to end Marcos dictatorship in 1986. (But) 39 years after, state fascism continues to persist in the country in different forms and we are enraged with the attacks to children’s rights and welfare like the lowering of minimum age of criminal responsibility and mandatory ROTC to senior high school students,” Eule Rico Bonganay, Salinlahi secretary-general stated.

Salinlahi reiterated its statement regarding the brutality of the Duterte government to Filipino children. “The Duterte administration, even without declaring a nationwide martial law, has already committed numerous violations of Filipino people’s rights through implementing its anti-people and anti-poor policies,” Bonganay added.

Last February, there were moves to pass the bill amending Juvenile Justice Law, lowering the minimum age of criminal responsibility and the mandatory ROTC to senior high school in the lower house and Senate. Salinlahi trooped to both houses to protest and block the passage of the bills.

“This administration has completely abandoned its responsibility to Filipino children and worse, criminalizes and subject them to a violent and corrupt environment. The Duterte government has gone from neglect to total destruction of Filipino children’s future! The lesson of the EDSA people’s uprising teaches us to rise against tyranny and dictatorship and we are rising because we are enraged by these atrocities,”Bonganay said in a press release.

The group vowed to continue its awareness-raising efforts and to hold protest actions, holding the current administration accountable for its crimes against the Filipino people, especially children.

PUMP...

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the country’s inflation rate exceeds the government’s target for three straight months.

“Our people can only seek help from Malacañang because Congress session is over,”Aquino insisted, adding that government should listen to the cry of people burdened by high prices of food and other goods.

With oil prices in the world market rising, Aquino said the government should act now and immediately suspend the excise tax on fuel under the TRAIN Law to help lower prices of petroleum products.

“With the increase of the price of oil inthe world market, it is not right to impose this excise tax due to TRAIN Law because our poor people would be hit by this increase,” said Aquino. With Macon Ramos-Araneta

HOUSE PUSHES CONVENING OF NAT'L SECURITY COUNCIL

By Maricel V. Cruz

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HE House of Representatives has adopted a resolution expressing the need to convene the National Security Council so that a national policy on the West Philippine Sea may be formulated and defined.

House Resolution 1855, principally authored by Rep. Rozzano Rufino Biazon of Muntinlupa City, noted now was the most opportune time to convene the NSC so that the country might benefit from the collective wisdom, experience, and expertise of its members in crafting an official Philippine position on the West Philippine Sea. The resolution cited the July 12, 2016 ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration against China’s “historic rights” claims to the maritime areas of the West Philippine Sea encompassed by the so-called nine-dash line.

The resolution also noted the Court’s ruling that China’s occupa-

tion and construction activities on Mischief Reef, also known as the Panganiban Reef, violated the provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Seas (UNCLOS).

Biazon pointed out in the resolution that despite the ruling, developments in the West Philippine Sea being conducted by different claimant-nations in the Spratly area continued to create tension.

These include the reported recent installation of anti-ship cruise missiles and surface-to-air missile systems by China on Kagitingan, Zamora, and Panganiban Reefs as well as other activities.

“According to reports, China has

P50-M...

From A1 cases involving billions of pesos worth of shabu intercepted by the bureau, were lost.

The Port of Manila is the bureau’s third largest collection district.

The two injured persons were later released from the hospital, according to fire officials.

A fire of undetermined origin engulfed the Port of Manila building that raged for more than six hours last Friday night and was only declared out by Saturday morning.

Austria assured that all important documents were not affected by the fire and now kept at the bureau’s gym.

“The documents are there. And in any case, all of the transactions of the Bureau of Customs have electronic copies and it is also in our servers and that is all safe and secure,” Austria said.

The fire reached the fifth alarm and more than 20 fire trucks from the NCR and Chinese fire volunteer trucks responded to contain the blaze.

Austria said all transactions and other services would continue on Tuesday and there would be no disruption in the

FIL-AM...

From A1 The friends of the couple have been sharing photos of the magical wedding, which was a four-day event that kicked off with an ’80s prom night on Valentine’s Day, followed by a swamp tour in New Orleans the day after.

Yesterday, fashion designer Francis Libiran shared photos of the newlyweds on Instagram showing Darren wearing a Barong Tagalog.

“Hollywood star Darren Criss hon-

deployed HQ-9 surface-to-air missiles and YJ-12 supersonic anti-ship with a reported range of 160 and 295 miles respectively, with the latter theoretically enabling China to interdict shipping in an arc stretching from the coast off central Vietnam, to eastern Malaysia’s Sabah state and the Philippines’ Palawan Island,” the resolution states.

While the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte has conducted various initiatives such as several state visits and high-level talks to deepen the country’s ties with the People’s Republic of China, numerous Philippine government officials have issued separate statements on the West Philippine issue that reflect the need to formulate a national policy and plan of action.

“There is therefore a need for the country to come up with an official policy on the West Philippine Sea that will serve as the national guide to all officials and policymakers in order that the Philippine position may be clear and strengthened in the inter-

bureau’s services “as offices affected by the fire blaze will be temporarily placed in the BOC Gymnasium, specifically the Formal Entry Division.”

Meanwhile, the Bureau of Fire Protection is still conducting an investigation into the fire.

Meanwhile, a member of the House of Representatives called on authorities to immediately investigate the fire incident.

“As member of the House committee on public order and safety, I request DILG Secretary Eduardo Año to task the Bureau of Fire Protection to immediately assign its best arson investigators to probe this incident,” Misamis Oriental 2nd District Rep. Juliette Uy said in a statement.

“Their investigation must be meticulous, thorough, and scientific,” Uy said.

She added: “Given the notoriety of the Bureau of Customs for graft and corruption, it is understandable for the public to be skeptical about the cause of the fire that has razed the offices of the Bureau of Customs at the Manila Bay Port Area.”

“I am also concerned about the operations of Bureau of Customs. I hope there will be little or minimal disruptions because disruptions at the Port Area can have ripple effects involving the business sector and the flow of goods in and out of the Manila Bay harbor,” Uy said.

ored his Filipino roots by wearing a traditional Barong Tagalog on his extravagant wedding in New Orleans,” Libiran wrote in his social media post showing the actor dancing with his Filipino mother, Cerina, who is native of Cebu.

“Take a look at multi-awarded actor’s most talked-about wedding where he wore a custom-made Barong Tagalog,” the Filipino designer captioned another photo, this time showing the 32-year-old actor with his beautiful bride.

On their wedding day, the bride, who has produced and directed

national community,” Biazon said.

As such, Biazon posits that convening the NSC has become necessary. As per Executive Order 115 series of 1986, the NSC is tasked “to formulate and adopt policies, programs, and procedures on all matters pertaining to or affecting the national security so that judgments and actions thereon by the President may rest on sound advice and accurate information.”

The NSC shall be constituted, according to Executive Order 34 by former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in 2001, with the President as chairperson and members including the Vice President, Senate President, and House Speaker, among others.

“The membership of the NSC as provided under EO 34 was designed in such a manner to ensure that the analytical and discerning minds of government officials, past Presidents, and private citizens will be utilized in the formulation and integration of policies affecting national security,” the resolution states.

BAYWALK BORDER. Workers from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources install fence on the long stretch of Roxas Boulevard that serves as border between Baywalk promenaders and the Manila Bay which is undergoing massive cleanup and rehabilitation. Lino Santos

content for shows such as ”Dexter,” ”Shameless,” and “Glee,” among others, wore a custom-made Vera Wang strapless crepe gown with white Dr. Martens, while the groom wore an off-white Giorgio Armani tuxedo.

Guests enjoyed an outdoor ceremony in the sculpture garden at the New Orleans Museum of Art. Darren sang a song with his guitar to accompany his and Mia‘s families down the aisle before they walked down the aisle together.

For the reception, where Darren switched up his look donning Barong Tagalog, guests moved into the mu-

seum for live music where the couple performed “The Ballroom Blitz” to start the party with their “first dance.”

The event lasted for three hours featuring friends and family as performers. Nearing the event’s finale, the couple opted for a silent disco where everyone wore headphones listening to Darren and Mia’s personalized playlist of their favorite songs.

The couple who first met in 2010, dated for more than seven years before they decided to finally exchange wedding vows. The Emmy award-winning actor announced their engagement in January 2018.

MEASLES:...

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the state of calamity and authorizing the release of P5,904,350 from the 5 percent Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund for the provision of drugs and medicines, medical supplies and rice to address the cases and promote vaccination against measles.

Cavite Provincial Health Officer Gilberto Ilog is leading the PHO Measles Outbreak Team to ensure that all emergency protocols are enforced, and necessary measles outbreak response operations are carried out.

As of Friday, officials said there were 424 recorded cases of measles for Morbidity Weeks 1-8 covering the period January 1 to February 22, 2019 which is 2,550 percent higher compared to last year’s 16 cases for the same period.

The city of Bacoor posted the most reported number of cases with 104 followed by the cities of Imus with 61, Gen. Trias with 55, and Dasmariñas at 52.

Two days earlier, the Department of Health reported more than 11,000

people had contracted measles while 189 had died of the disease in less than two months.

The agency said it recorded 11,459 confirmed cases of measles with 189 fatalities from Jan. 1 to Feb. 20 this year, and that the latest figure was 2,000 cases higher than its last measles surveillance on Feb. 18.

In other developments: • Earlier, the Department of Health in Region 4A was rushing to get children vaccinated against measles as the number of confirmed deaths in the CALABARZON area due to the infection had risen to 73.

A report from Region 4A showed that from Jan. 1 to Feb. 22, 2019, 3,077 cases of measles infection were recorded in the region. Rizal had the highest number with 1,586 cases and 51 deaths, followed by Cavite with 437 cases and eight deaths.

Meanwhile, Laguna had 427 cases, Batangas 329 and Quezon 298.

• With at least one Filipino dying

every hour from measles and more than 2,000 new cases being recorded every two days, the Anakalusugan party-list urged the Department of Health and local government units to step up its information dissemination and immunization campaign to arrest the spread of the measles outbreak across the country.

Based on the department’s latest measles surveillance on Feb. 20, the number of confirmed cases reached 11,459 with 189 fatalities from only 8,000 cases and 136 deaths on Feb. 18.

“The measles outbreak is seen to last until June. At the rate the number of cases and fatalities is increasing, we might surpass the total number of measles cases recorded last year at 18,407

by March,” Anakalusugan nominee Mike Defensor said.

The National Capital Region recorded the highest number of cases with 2,936 and 52 deaths, followed by Calabarzon with 2,635 cases and 61 deaths.

Most of the fatalities had no immu-

nization against measles.

The Health department earlier declared an outbreak of measles in CALABARZON, Metro Manila, Central Luzon, Western Visayas and Central Visayas.

Duque earlier said the outbreak in the regions might wane in April.

Measles, caused by a virus that infects the respiratory tract, can be passed on through direct contact and through the air. Its complications include severe diarrhea, pneumonia, blindness and even death.

The symptoms include fever, reddening of the eyes, cough and colds and red rashes.

Unvaccinated children aged five and below are at the highest risk from the disease, Health Undersecretary Eric Domingo said earlier. The measles vaccine is usually given to children aged six months and above, and their parents must be extra cautious.

Free vaccines against measles are available in government hospitals and health centers.

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3 AGENCIES OFFER HELP TO REMOVE ‘EPAL’ POSTERS

BARE STAND ON DEATH PENALTY, POLL BETS TOLD PARTY-LIST group Buhay has urged all Senate and House runners in the May 13 midterm elections to declare their “exact position” on the controversial proposal to bring back the death penalty.

“Voters deserve to know the clear-cut stance of every Senate and House aspirant—whether they are for or against the return of capital punishment,” said Buhay Rep. Lito Atienza, the House senior deputy minority leader.

“It would be unfair—even deceitful—for candidates to court the support of voters who are opposed to the death penalty, only to betray them later on,” Atienza, a former three-term mayor of Manila, said.

The House, voting 217 in favor, 54 against and with one abstention, passed on third and final reading in March 2017 a bill reinstating the death penalty for drug-related offenses.

The bill, however, remains unsigned because the Senate has refused to take it up.

Atienza fought against the passage of the House bill reviving judicial executions on the grounds that they violate the sanctity of human life.

Instead, Atienza introduced a substitute bill that seeks to impose the new penalty of “qualified reclusion perpertua” on the worst criminal offenders.

The penalty is equal to imprisonment for 40 years, or until the convict reaches 70 years old, without the benefit of early release.

The results of a Social Weather Stations survey in March 2018 showed that less than 40 percent of Filipinos believe that the death penalty should be the punishment for people convicted of grave drug-related offenses.

Among those who disagreed with the death penalty, 42 percent invoked religious reasons for opposing it, 21 percent believe it is possible for offenders to reform, 14 percent believe in alternatives to executions, 10 percent cited the country’s corrupt and unreliable criminal justice system, seven percent mentioned humane reasons, and three percent disputed the policy itself.

“The certainty of capture and punishment is the best deterrence to crime, more than the penalty itself. And the modern world has come to accept that prolonged imprisonment is just as effective,” Atienza said.

“The death penalty leaves no room for rectification. A dead convict cannot be brought back to life even if somebody else later on confesses to the crime,” Atienza said.

Congress revived the death penalty for 13 heinous crimes in 1993, only to abolish it in 2006 due to mounting flaws.

Maricel V. Cruz

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SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2019 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

By Joel E. Zurbano

REMEMBERING EDSA. Hundreds of militant groups from Bagong Alyansang Makabayan staged a protest rally at the EDSA Shrine as they remember the EDSA uprising that toppled the Marcos dictatorship. Manny Palmero

IMMEDIATE IRR ON EXPANDED MATERNITY LEAVE URGED

By Maricel V. Cruz

T

WO militant lawmakers on Saturday urged concerned agencies to hasten the drafting of the Implementing Rules and Regulations for the expanded maternity leave benefits that was recently signed by President Rodrigo Duterte.

“We urge the agencies concerned such as the Department of Labor and Employment, the Civil Service Commission, the Social Security System and other stakeholders to hasten the drafting of the IRR for the urgent implementation of the law. This social legislation is what the women need and not the other anti-people and an-

ti-poor priority bills the government is pushing,” ACT Teachers Reps. Antonio Tinio and France Castro said.

The two lawmakers also lauded the enactment of the “long-overdue” clamor of women to expanded maternity leave.

“As principal authors of the expanded maternity leave, we are grateful that finally after the long wait, it is now a law. The expanded maternity leave bill in the lower house has gone through a very tedious journey, the bill was first introduced in 2010, it was refiled in 2016, then the plenary deliberations took almost a year before the approval in second reading, then almost a month for third reading approval until the signing into law before the lapse of the 30-day period,” Castro said.

“We filed and pushed the enactment of this law because the previous maternity leave period is inadequate, and in fact among the shortest maternity

leave in the world. This law will make our maternity leave compliant with international standards on maternity protection,” Tinio, for his part, added.

Castro said the law is needed as she believes there is a dire need for an additional maternity leave especially to the ranks of teachers where majority are women.

“We urge the Department of Education to ensure that there is an allotted fund for hiring of substitute teachers to relieve teachers who will have a maternity leave,” Castro said.

She also appealed to the agencies involved not to delay the drafting of the implementing rules to enable the law’s implementation at the soonest possible time.

“The urgent release of the [Implementing Rules and Regulations] will benefit as many women and infants as possible especially the poor,” Castro said.

THREE NPA REBELS, TWO COPS KILLED IN SERIES OF CLASHES

By Francisco Tuyay THREE New People’s Army fighters and two policemen were killed while dozens more rebels were wounded in three days of running gunbattle in separate areas in the NPA-infested hinterlands of Mindoro and Bukidnon province on Saturday.

The clashes erupted after government troops launched combat operations against the rebel group which had reportedly been extorting money from civilians and sabotaging the operations of private contractors of government projects across the country.

In Mindoro province, army troopers from the 4th Infantry Battalion, acting on civilian tip, raided a temporary hideout of around 10 NPA rebels led by a certain Peter Rivera, alias “Rotche” of Platoon Mike of Kilusang Larangan Guerillas Silangan in Barangay Teresita, Mansalay, Occidental Mindoro.

The raid resulted in a five-minute clash which left two NPA rebels dead and the recovery of an M16 rifle, two

rifle grenades, three backpacks, bandoleers, medical paraphernalia and personal items. The rebels reportedly retreated to different directions.

Lt. Col. Dennis Gutierrez, commander of 4th IB, said the encounter prevented the rebels planned from setting fire construction equipment nearby.

A pursuit team was dispatched to intercept the fleeing rebels who are believed to have escaped to the boundary of Oriental and Occidental Mindoro.

As combined troops from the 4th IB, operatives of the Provincial Mobile Police Force and Criminal Investigation and Detection Group were giving chase, the retreating NPA rebels were seen at Sitio Barungbong, Barangay Mapaya, San Jose town.

Col. Marcelino Teofilo, Commander of the 203rd Infantry Brigade said government troops engaged the rebels at transpired at 6 a.m. against Platoon Mike which escaped to another area dragging with them their

wounded and presumably dead comrades.

Four hours after, another firefight broke out when a separate police team encountered the fleeing NPAs at Sitio Imbrasan, Brgy Mayapa which resulted to the killing of two policemen.

After a two-hour lull, government troops again clashed with the same NPA group. The firefight is still ongoing as of press time.

Reports said all available troops, their K9 units and members of the local police were mobilized to pursue the rebels.

Maj. Gen. Rhoderick Parayno, commander of the Army’s 2nd Infantry Division has extended his condolences to the families of the slain police officers.

“The NPA group engaged by our forces is the same group we hit last Thursday in Mansalay where they suffered two casualties. These are the tired remnants seeking refuge from the community they are extorting.

THREE agencies joined hands to help the Commission on Elections remove political billboards and campaign materials posted in areas in Metro Manila not designated by the government.

Some of these political billboards and tarpaulins were also described as “epal”, “nuisance” and “unsafe” for blocking traffic lights and road signs providing guidance to motorists.

As the May 13 midterm elections draws near, the government formed “Task Force Baklas” and enlisted the Metro Manila Development Authority, the Public Works and Highways department and the National Capital Region Police Office to support the Comelec in its drive against the street political advertisements.

MMDA chairman Danilo Lim and his deputy general manager Jose Arturo Garcia Jr. met with Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez, DPWH-Regional Director Ador Canlas, and NCRPO chief Guillermo Eleazar to discuss preparations as campaign propaganda materials started appearing in every corner of the metropolis.

Garcia said the Comelec requested the agency to “help them remove all election materials posted in prohibited areas.”

“The MMDA is willing to help so I am warning all candidates not to waste their resources because campaign materials posted on traffic lights, trees and public places will be removed,” said Garcia.

He also vowed that no candidates will be spared from their campaign against illegal campaign materials.

“I gave strict instructions to remove all illegal materials of all candidates.

We shall not favor certain candidates in removing election materials in prohibited areas,” Garcia added.

3RD LIKHANDULA INT’L ARTS EXCHANGE & COLLABORATION SET THE Arts Research and Training Institute in Southern Tagalog Inc. or ARTIST Inc. will hold its 3rd Likhandula International Arts Exchange and Collaboration from Feb. 26 to March 1, 2019 at the University of the Philippines in Los Baños, Laguna.

This year’s activity is in collaboration with the Lusong Luzon Arts and Culture Network Inc. and Artist- Pars Association Inc. through the assistance of the National Commission on Culture and the Arts and the Department of Education.

ARTIST Inc. marketing officer Lois Anne Zurbano said the event dubbed as “Collab: Imagined Spaces and Multiple Voices” will serve as a platform for conversation among artists, cultural workers, artistteachers, performing ensembles, art managers, cultural organizers, and community of the creative to be able to develop construct on emerging perspectives in art production, including the practices of the marginalized, of those at the edge, and the voices of resistance.

Zurbano said the event consists a forum (The Artist Praxis or TAPx) tackling many sub-themes; a series of workshops on lights design (Tagpograpiya), devised theatre (Sining Ganap), performance art (Tanghal Sining), and contemporary art (Sining Kontemporaryo); and performances from fifteen different local and international performing groups, organizations, and individuals (Tanghal Taripon Performances).

CANCELLING ACTIVISTS-STUDENTS SCHOLARSHIP ILLEGAL—SALCEDA

CANCELLING or removing the scholarship of so-called anti-government students, and consequently collecting fees from them, is illegal under the Universal Access to Quality and Tertiary Education Act (UAQTEA) or Free College Law (RA 10931) and is punishable by six months to one-year imprisonment and a fine of P20,000 to P10,000.

Albay Rep. Joey Sarte Salceda, who authored the UAQTEA measure in the lower house, said there are only two clear-cut conditions for cancellation of scholarship grants as stipulated under Section 6 of the law: 1) failure to complete the course within one year after its prescribed period for a college degree, and in the case of technical vocational courses, failure in any course enrolled in during the duration of the program; and 2) failure to comply with admission and retention policies of the institution.

The lawmaker has joined the chorus of a opposition against proposal

by National Youth Commission chairman Ronald Cardema to cancel the scholarships of students who join anti-government rallies and protests, a

proposal that has met a flat ‘no’ answer from President Rodrigo Duterte himself.

Whether they support or oppose the government, Salceda said, students who fail to finish their course within the prescribed period are deemed to have failed in complying with the retention policies of the school and will lose their scholarship privilege. Nothing in the law may be construed as basis for scholarship cancellation of suspected “anti-government” students. There is no practical process anyway for identifying them, Salceda said.

He said the UAQTEA guarantees free college education regardless of beliefs or political persuasion of students, or their stand on vital issues, for as long as they are not proven not to have broken any law, or the retention policies of the school. The Free College Law, he pointed out, sets only two basic eligibilities for national scholarships or financial assistance—first, the student must be a Filipino citizen and second, he/she must be admitted to a course by an accredited tertiary institution.

LAS PIÑAS RALLY. Senator Nancy Binay shares a light moment with the crowd during a rally in Las Piñas organized by Senator Cynthia Villar. Binay said she will continue to push for legislation that will improve tourism and promote sustainability of the country’s natural resources.

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UN CHIEF HAILS ESTABLISHMENT OF BANGSAMORO TRANSITION BODY

CUSTOMS BLAZE. Firefighters extinguish a blaze that hit the Bureau of Customs Port of Manila building past 11 p.m. on Friday. The fire started at the 3rd floor and reached the fifth alarm, according to the Bureau of Fire Protection. Authorities are still trying to determine what caused the fire. Norman Cruz

POMPEO TO DROP BY PH FOR CHAT WITH DU30 WASHINGTON—US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will travel next week to the Philippines, the State Department said Friday, as the former United States colony increasingly flirts with regional giant China.

Pompeo will travel to Manila on Feb. 28 and March 1 for talks with President Rodrigo Duterte, State Department spokesman Robert Palladino said.

The top US diplomat will be paying the visit on his way back from Hanoi, where he is joining President Donald Trump for his closely watched second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

After winning the presidency in 2016, the brash Philippine leader threatened to split with the United States and patch up with China by ending a long-running sea dispute.

President Xi Jinping visited Manila in November, offering trade and investment incentives.

Duterte has bristled at all criticism over his sweeping crackdown on drugs and crime, which has killed thousands of people since mid-2016 despite criticism of lack of due process.

But Trump has hailed Duterte’s actions as a sign of toughness—a marked contrast with previous US President Barack Obama, who Duterte branded the“son of a whore.”

The Trump administration has downplayed human rights except when pressing adversaries and has set an overall priority of reducing the global influence of China and Russia. AFP

SWS: CRIMES UP; NCRPO: NOT TRUE

By Vito Barcelo

THE number of Filipino families who claimed to have been victimized by common crimes in the past six months rose in the final three months of 2018, according to the latest survey conducted by the Social Weather Stations.

In its fourth quarter 2018 survey, the SWS said approximately 1.8 million Filipino families, or around 7.6 percent of all families in the country, were victims of common crimes in the second half of 2018.

That is 1.5 percent more than the estimated 1.4 million families victimized by common crimes in the previous quarter, the SWS said.

However, National Capital Region Police chief Director Guillermo Eleazar on Saturday said the crime rate in Metro Manila is declining, despite the nationwide SWS poll.

Eleazar said in an interview on radio dzBB that while the crime rate is declining, “fluctuations” are expected.

“The trend is that it’s going down. The fluctuation is basically expected,” he said.

The NCR cop chief also stressed that the crime rate actually dropped to 54 percent during the first 30 months of the Duterte administration, compared to the last 30 months of the previous Aquino government.

The survey also said that 61 percent of Filipino adults fear burglary, up by nine points from the 52 percent posted last September.

Also, 54 percent of respondents claimed they fear walking the streets at night, up by eight points from the 46 percent in the preceding quarter.

The SWS said property crimes like street robbery or pickpocketing rose to 6.9 percent in the last six months of 2018, affecting at least 1.6 million families.

The figure is up from 5.6 percent, or around 1.3 million families, in the September survey.

“Except in June 2016 when it was at 10.9 percent, victimization by property crimes has been at single-digit levels from March 2012 to December 2018,”SWS reported.

The survey said Metro Manila posted the highest instance of street robberies, followed by Mindanao, Balance Luzon (areas of Luzon outside Metro Manila), and Visayas, respectively.

The National Capital Region continues to have the highest rate of carnapping, affecting approximately 1.0 percent of vehicle-owning families in the region. No cases of carnapping were reported from respondents from the other regions.

Eleazar said the police will intensify its efforts to curb criminality. “We really have to continue what we have started.

We will boost our operations against illegal drugs,” he said.

INCUMBENTS TOP METRO POLL SURVEY

By Joel E. Zurbano

MOST voters in Metro Manila prefer reelectionists or incumbent local chief executives for the coming May 13 midterm elections.

Incumbent leaders such as mayors Abigail Binay (70 percent) of Makati City, Edwin Olivarez (43 percent) of Parañaque City, Imelda Aguilar (68 percent) of Las Piñas City, Jaime Fresnedi (65 percent) of Muntinlupa City, and Miguel Ponce III (55 percent) of Pateros, will most likely earn another term based on the recent survey conducted by the RP Mission and Development Foundation Inc. The noncommissioned survey, conducted from Feb. 1 to 10 and covering 2,500 respondents in the National Capital Region, also showed that Binay enjoys a strong lead in Makati against her brother, Jejomar Erwin “Junjun” Binay Jr., who posted a 20 percent rating.

Olivarez got 43 percent against his rival, former Parañaque

mayor Florencio Bernabe Jr. with 15 percent, while Pasay City Rep. Imelda Calixto-Rubiano, sister of current Mayor Antonino Calixto, leads with 53 percent over Chet Cuneta, brother of actress Sharon Cuneta, who got 16 percent in the survey.

Fresnedi leads the mayoralty survey of Muntinlupa with 65 percent, followed by former Bureau of Immigration deputy commissioner Red Marc Mariñas with 12 percent.

Pasig City Mayor Robert “Bobby” Eusebio, who is seeking reelection, topped the survey with 75 percent against Vico Sotto, son of comedian and TV host Vic Sotto with 21 percent.

Former Manila vice mayor Isko Moreno, meanwhile, garnered 45 percent in the survey against incumbent Mayor Joseph Estrada (26 percent) and former mayor Alfredo Lim (24 percent) in the three-way fight for the capital’s top seat.

In Taguig City, movie director and former congressman Lino Cayetano, brother-in law of incumbent Mayor Laarni Cayetano, got 75 percent against rival Taguig-Pateros Rep. Arnel Cerafica, who got only 17 percent.

UNITED Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Saturday hailed the establishment of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority as a “landmark achievement on the road to lasting peace in Southern Philippines.”

“The United Nations will continue to support the Philippines in the implementation of the Bangsamoro Organic Law [BOL], and to help build the capacity of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority to achieve peace, democratic governance, and respect for human rights,” he said in a statement, which was read by UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric in New York.

Guterres also congratulated the Philippine government, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, the Bangsamoro Transition Commission, as well as the civil societies and local communities involved in the push to create the new autonomous political entity in Mindanao.

The successful Jan. 21 and Feb. 6 plebiscites for the BOL have effectively ratified the establishment of the Bangsamaro government, the transition of which is to be supervised by the BTA, in 2022.

On Friday, members of the BTA took their oath before President Rodrigo Duterte in Malacañang. PNA

BI CRACKDOWN VS. ILLEGAL ALIENS PICKS UP STEAM THE Bureau of Immigration has launched a total crackdown against foreign workers who are illegally working in casinos, construction sites, online gambling and retail stores in the country.

The crackdown has netted more than 500 illegal foreign workers since January this year, but the biggest apprehension was the arrest of 276 foreign nationals in a massive raid of a network technology company along Ayala Avenue in Makati City earlier this week, according to Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente.

He warned that all foreigners who are working without the proper working visa will be apprehended, deported and included in the bureau’s black list order.

Morente also urged all foreigners wanting to work in the Philippines to secure proper working documents at the BI, Department of Labor and Employment, the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and other government agencies that issue working visas.

The arrest of 276 foreigners, mostly Chinese, was carried out after lawmakers observed the rise of foreign workers in construction sites, restaurants, hotels, and retail stores—jobs that can be filled by Filipino workers.

According to Morente, the BI received reports foreign nationals were working in the building without the required immigration visas or permits.

“We are serious about our drive against illegal aliens and are focusing our energies on arresting those working without the proper documentation, stealing jobs from Filipinos,” the immigration chief said. Vito Barcelo

FACING SEX RAPS, R. KELLY TURNS HIMSELF IN

SALVAGING. Residents look for recyclable materials at the remains of a fire at the Parola Compound in Tondo, Manila on Saturday. The fire reached the fifth alarm before it was put out. Norman Cruz

CHICAGO—Rhythm and blues superstar R. Kelly turned himself in to Chicago police on Friday, after prosecutors charged him with 10 counts of aggravated criminal sex abuse against four victims, three of them minors.

The bombshell development in the Kelly saga came after a judge approved a no-bail arrest warrant for the 52-year-old, who for decades has faced accusations of child pornography, sex with minors, operating a sex cult and sexual battery.

Kelly surrendered to Chicago police at approximately 8:15 p.m. (0215 GMT) and was taken into custody.

He will appear in court tomorrow afternoon, a police spokesman said.

Kim Foxx—the state’s attorney for Cook County, which includes Chicago— told journalists the alleged crimes oc-

curred between 1998 and 2010. A court clerk had earlier told AFP nine of the charges involve minors ages 13 to 16.

The felony charges carry three to seven years of prison time per count, Foxx said.

After Kelly was booked, his lawyer Steve Greenberg dismissed the charges, saying they were based on old and false accusations.

Greenberg vowed the musician would be “vindicated,” saying: “I think all of the women are lying.”

“Everybody’s trying to profit off of R. Kelly.”

An arraignment was scheduled for March 8 in Chicago, where he resides, a Cook County clerk said earlier.

It is the second time Chicago prosecutors have charged Kelly with a sex crime: after a dramatic trial that also involved a sex tape, the musician was acquitted of

21 counts of child pornography in 2008.

Greenberg said one of the charges involved the same victim as in that trial.

Kelly, known for hits like“I Believe I Can Fly,” has faced renewed public scrutiny after a scathing docu-series shed new light on his checkered past.

“Today marks a watershed moment in the 25 years of abuse by this predator,” said high-profile lawyer Michael Avenatti, who is representing two victims, two parents and two whistle-blowers linked to Kelly.

Avenatti and prominent women’s rights attorney Gloria Allred are representing clients linked to Kelly, with the former saying his office had uncovered previously unreleased footage of Kelly having sex with a teenager, which he had given to the Cook County State’s Attorney. AFP

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Adelle Chua, Editor mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Opinion RAGING BULL: SMASHING AWAY ANGER AT INDONESIA’S ‘TEMPER CLINIC’

EDITORIAL

NO CRASH PROJECT

T

HERE has been uninhibited talk in some coffee shops and elsewhere regarding the prospect of changing the name of the Philippines to anything that, so the argument goes, does not remind the 106 million Filipinos of a colonial past.

Colonial as defined by them to be uncultured, unsettled, primitive and unsophisticated, among negative frames that needlessly indicate being submissive, deferential, acquiescent, compliant, accommodating, obedient, dutiful, duteous, biddable, yielding, meek, docile, ductile, pliant, passive, unassertive, spiritless, subdued, humble,

timid, mild, lamblike.

Historically, the eventually identified 7,107 islands or parts thereof have had numerous names, including but not limited to, Mai-i, Lim-kia-tung, Luconia, Las islas de San Lazaro, Las islas de Poniente, Ilhas do oritente, ilhas Lucoes, ilhas de Liquios Celebes, Caesaria Caroli, Tendaya, Las islas Filipinas, Maniolas, Basroussai, Ophir and Perla del mar de Oriente.

There have been, over the years, proposed names for this Land of the Morning: Haring Bayang Katagalugan, Kapatiran, Luzviminda, Republica Rizalina, and then and again Maharlika.

What urgency is there that politicians from the clear-cut political divide must propose a name change, as though a change in name would allow a material, if meaningful, metamorphosis for this multi-ethnic, multilingual nation that

continues to be hobbled by more important problems that should be addressed now for the benefit of the ordinary Juan and Juanita and the well heeled John and Janette.

Arguments, however phrased, that the name Philippines breathes with colonialism, no longer wash, given the record of other countries who, by accident of chronology, were discovered by explorers and after whom they were named.

What’s wrong with that anyway?

Would it make the Philippines a better Godfearing country with consequential values for nation-building and a better life for the now and forthconming generations if there would be a name change?

Name change for the Philippines, whatever the arguments are, given the enormous problems that continue to pester the Filipinos every day, is no crash project.

RACISM IN THE TIME OF TRUMP I ARRIVED in the US as an immigrant two months before Donald Trump won the election. While not the target of blatant attacks, I was subjected to microaggressions: “Oh, you just moved here? You speak English so well!” It took all my willpower not to answer, “Thanks, so do you.”

Back in the Philippines early last year, before Trump had been in power two years, I was distressed to read of racist incidents targeting women of color (WOC) that grew increasingly frequent the more Trump’s antiimmigrant and racist rhetoric were amplified by media.

Black and Muslim men and women were reported to the police for doing mundane things—sleeping, swimming, eating in places they had the right to be in. The racists being caught on camera are always white— I’ve never seen a POC involved as the aggressor in a racist incident.

Recently, former MTV video jock and model Belinda Panelo, who moved back to the US some years ago to raise her family, became the victim of an elderly white woman’s racist rant. On Feb. 12, Panelo and her son stopped for coffee at a Blue Bottle, parking on a street in the ritzy Los Angeles enclave of Playa Vista.

Panelo recorded some of the

incident, but not the worst parts.

What she did manage to preserve was pretty bad: her attacker screamed “He doesn’t even look human,” referring to Panelo’s son. She also called mother and son ugly, subhuman, and poor, and asked what ‘mix’ they were.

The former VJ, however, was heard to reply calmly, “Are you okay, ma’am?”

Later, in an interview with KTLA news, Panelo said that her demeanor was an effort to show a good example to her son. “How do I deal with this in front of my child? Because inside, you know, you want to react a certain way, but you are going to have to keep it together,” she said.

“You are trying to model the behavior that you want your child to [have]. You would hope that in a situation your child would react in a respectful way—maintaining their dignity but while still standing up for themselves,” she added.

Filipinos in the diaspora are not unused to being the brunt of racist attacks, but such aggressions have escalated since Trump took power.

His refusal to come through for the Dreamers, his unhinged rants about “building a wall,” and his administration’s inhumane treatment of asylum seekers reinforce similar attitudes among America’s whites,

By Dessy Sagita ARMED with crowbars and wearing protective gear, three women assembled at a Jakarta stress clinic survey the cluster of bottles they’re about to smash to pieces.

“I feel relieved. It’s like something I have been holding inside is finally released when I smashed those bottles,” Genta Kalbu Tanjung, a 20-year-old university student, told AFP as blaring rock music pulsated in the background.

Tanjung and her two friends paid 125,000 rupiah ($8.85) each to unleash their pent-up rage at the Temper Clinic, which also lets clients bust up old televisions and printers for a slightly higher price.

Inside a bare smash room, one wall is covered with a written reminder: “Holding on to anger is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die.”

Aliya Dewayanti Senoajie wanted to use the students’ half-hour session to channel her frustrations as a school holiday quickly comes to an end.

“The break is over—it was too short and I’m not ready to go back to school,” Senoajie said, declaring her bust-it-up session a success.

“It was really fun. My adrenaline was pumping.”

The clinic opened last summer in a posh Jakarta neighborhood after coowner Masagus Yusuf Albar returned from an overseas holiday where he saw similar businesses sprouting up.

The first dedicated space for such destruction therapy opened in Japan in 2008, with a view to helping stressed salarymen relieve their pent up frustrations.

It has spread in popularity and temper clinics, also known as rage rooms, can be found in most key US and European cities.

The trend has taken off in Asia in the past two years with similar ventures opening in China, Singapore, and Hong Kong.

But the service might not immediately make sense for a place like Indonesia—its citizens regularly rank high among the world’s leaststressed people.

That wasn’t lost on Albar, who conceded that life in places like Bali or jungle-clad Sumatra was pretty relaxed.

But not so in Jakarta, a city of 10 million plus with hours-long traffic jams that can drive the most patient mad and where school and work are becoming increasingly competitive.

A 2017 survey done by dry cleaning firm Zipjet found Jakarta was one of the world’s most stressful cities based on criteria including traffic, air and noise pollution and unemployment.

“Try to go anywhere on Friday night and it’s very annoying. My friend once got caught in the traffic and she ended up crying. That’s how bad it was,” Albar told AFP. “Customers find this cathartic,” he said.

But smashing things up to let off steam is not necessarily risk free, warned Jakarta-based psychologist Liza Marielly Djaprie.

She suggested that regularly using such rooms could simply condition the body to need an aggressive release whenever tensions rise.

Djaprie explained: “I don’t usually encourage patients to destroy things just so it won’t become a habit. We need to learn about our anger—and anger management.” AFP

POP GOES THE WORLD

whose numbers are dwindling as Latino and other POC communities grow larger.

For a long time, Filipinos in the US believed that they were accepted as ‘almost white’ because they assimilate easier than other nationalities, a dubious advantage conferred by American colonialization at the fin-desiecle and 40 years thereafter.

Fil-Am psychologist Dr. EJ Ramos David calls Filipinos “the invisible minority.” We fly so much under the radar that Fil-Am sociologist Dr. Anthony C. Ocampo says Filipinos are often omitted from discussions about race.

The truth is that Filipinos are still considered the Other, even after decades of immigration. When I was in the US, I filled out government and hospital forms that asked for my race and country of origin.

Invariably, these forms carry the words ‘Philippine Islands.’ We are already two decades into the new millennium and up to now the Americans still call our country ‘P.I.’ —a term from their colonial past. It’s also Filipino shorthand for a profane phrase, another reason I dislike the abbreviation.

It’s no surprise then that it’s the

JENNY ORTUOSTE older white folks like Trump, those who remember or learned from family and neighbors about the days of Chinese exclusion, Jim Crow, and Japanese interment, who carry around a racist mindset, lately fanned into flames by Trump’s xenophobic bluster. So it’s no surprise that it was an old white lady who accosted Panelo. It’s no surprise that such attacks are accelerating and we might expect more in the days to come.

Some hindsight protection is offered by modern technology. As American Muslim podcast host Qasim Hashid said about this incident: “POC and white allies: record everything.”

Posting such videos for the world to see will make racists realize eventually that they are being held accountable for their actions, which have no place in a democratic society.

Meanwhile, like Panelo, we try to handle similar incidents with all the grace and compassion we can muster, keeping our dignity—and safety—intact.

We have not been the “P.I.” for nearly a century, dammit. FB and Twitter: @DrJennyO

Rolando G. Estabillo Publisher ManilaStandard

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TOP AL-QAEDA COMMANDER KILLED IN MALI

BAMAKO, Mali—French armed forces have killed a top jihadist leader in an air and ground ambush in Mali, the government said on Friday, ending a years-long hunt for a man accused of masterminding the kidnapping of Westerners in the Sahel region.

Djamel Okacha, an Algerian commander in Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), was killed on Thursday after French commandos, helicopters and a drone hit a column of vehicles he was travelling in north of Timbuktu, French officials said.

Okacha, a jihadist veteran known also as Yahya Abou El Hamame, was “the mastermind and financer of several attacks,” the defense ministry said. US officials had accused him of kidnapping a number of Westerners in North and West Africa.

French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe arrived late Friday in the capital, Bamako, along with Defense Minister Florence Parly, on a visit to show “support” for Mali, where some 4,500 French troops have been deployed since 2014 to retake the north of the country after it fell to jihadist fighters.

Earlier Parly had described the killing of the jihadist commander as a “spectacular action”, saying it followed a manhunt which lasted several years.

AFP

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Cesar Barrioquinto, Editor / Jimbo Gulle, Issue Editor

WARNING ISSUED OVER DNS ATTACKS

AN FRANCISCO—Key parts of the internet infrastructure face largescale attacks that threaten the global system of web traffic, the internet’s address keeper warned Friday.

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) declared after an emergency meeting “an ongoing and significant risk” to key parts of the infrastructure that affects the domains on which websites reside.

“They are going after the internet infrastructure itself,” ICANN chief technology officer David Conrad told Agence France-Presse.

“There have been targeted attacks in the past, but nothing like this.”

The attacks could date back to 2017 but have sparked growing concerns from security researchers in recent weeks, which prompted

the special meeting of ICANN. The malicious activity targets the Domain Name System or DNS which routes traffic to intended online destinations.

ICANN specialists and others say these attacks have a potential to snoop on data along the way, sneakily send the traffic elsewhere or enable the attackers to impersonate or “spoof” critical websites.

“There isn’t a single tool to address this,” Conrad said, as ICANN called for an overall hardening of web defenses.

US authorities issued a similar warning last month about the DNS attacks.

“This is roughly equivalent to someone lying to the post office about your address, checking your mail, and then hand delivering it to your mailbox,” the US Department of Homeland Security said in a recent cybersecurity alert.

“Lots of harmful things could be done to you (or the senders) depending on the content of that mail.”

So-called “DNSpionage” attacks might date back to at least 2017, according to FireEye senior manager of cyber espionage analysis Ben Read.

The list of targets included website registrars

and internet service providers, particularly in the Middle East.

“We’ve seen primarily targeting of email names and passwords,” Read said.

“There is evidence that it is coming out of Iran and being done in support of Iran.”

DNSpionage hackers appeared intent on stealing account credentials, such as email passwords, in Lebanon and the United Arab Emirates, according to Adam Meyers, vice president of intelligence at CrowdStrike cyber security firm.

Similar attacks took place in Europe and other parts of the Middle East, with targets including governments, intelligence services, police, airlines, and the oil industry, cybersecurity specialists said.

“You definitely need knowledge of how the internet works, and you have to handle a lot of traffic being directed to you,” Meyers said of the DNSpionage hackers.

“With that access, they could temporarily break portions of how the internet works. They chose to intercept and spy on folks.” AFP

VENEZUELA’S GUAIDO DEFIES TRAVEL BAN

CÚCUTA, Colombia—Venezuela’s opposition leader Juan Guaido claimed the military helped him defy a travel ban by the government of President Nicolas Maduro as he joined thousands over the Colombian border on Friday for a charity concert to push for humanitarian aid deliveries.

Maduro is trying to prevent food and medicines, from entering the country as tensions over access to the supplies turned deadly, prompting an angry condemnation from the United States.

Humanitarian aid has become a key focus of the power struggle between Maduro and Guaido, who has been recognized as interim leader by more than 50 countries.

Guaido delivered a blow to Maduro as he turned up unexpectedly at the concert in the Colombian border town of Cucuta, claiming “the armed forces participated in this process” to help him flout his travel ban.

Hours later, Caracas said it had sealed the Colombian border across the whole of Tachira—the western state that borders Cucuta— citing threats to Venezuela’s security.

“Due to the serious and illegal threats attempted by the Government of Colombia against peace and sovereignty in Venezuela, (the Venezuelan government) has taken the decision of a total, temporary closure of all bridges that unite both countries in Tachira,” Vice President Delcy Rodriguez wrote on Twitter.

The powerful military’s backing is crucial to the viability of the socialist leader, with defections strengthening Guaido’s hand. AFP

UN WANTS FORCES PULLED BACK FROM PORTS IN YEMEN UNITED NATIONS—The UN Security Council on Friday called on the warring parties in Yemen to immediately implement a deal to pull their forces out of three key ports and a key grain depot.

In a unanimous declaration, the 15-member council welcomed the recent UN-sponsored agreement between Huthi rebels and the Saudi-led coalition fighting them.

They called for “the immediate implementation” of the first step of the deal, which includes the various factions pulling their fighters first back from the ports of Saleef and Ras Issa and then from the port city of Hodeida.

Martin Griffiths, the UN special envoy in Yemen, said on Tuesday he hoped the redeployment of forces would happen as early as Tuesday or Wednesday but there was no indication that it had happened.

On Thursday, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres held a meeting on the issue in New York with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

Under the agreement struck in Sweden on February 17, fighters would redeploy outside the ports and away from areas that are key to the humanitarian relief effort in Yemen, devastated by famine and outbreaks of disease after years of conflict.

The ports are in the Huthi-held west of the country. The agreement also sets out free access to the grain warehouses at Red Sea Mills, under control of the Saudibacked government forces.

The UN has not had access to the grain depots since September and estimates that the stockpiles there could be enough to feed 3.7 million people for a month. AFP

WALKING WOUNDED. Men suspected of being Islamic State fighters carry a wounded man as they walk toward the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces after leaving the IS group’s last holdout of Baghouz in Syria’s northern Deir Ezzor province on Friday. AFP

TRUMP: CHINA TRADE DEAL LIKELY; TALKS EXTENDED WASHINGTON—US President Donald Trump said on Friday a trade summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping was likely next month and hailed two days of “very good talks” by negotiators.

The negotiations were extended through Sunday as officials race to reach a deal ahead of a deadline next week when US duty rates are due to rise sharply.

But Trump again said he was considering pushing back the deadline for raising tariffs on more than $200 billion in Chinese exports.

“We expect to have a meeting sometime in a not too distant fu-

ture,” he said of the meeting with Xi. “Probably fairly soon in the month of March.”

Xi also sounded a positive note in a letter delivered to Trump by China’s lead negotiator Liu He. The Chinese president expressed hope that the talks maintain “a mutually respectful, cooperative and win-win attitude” and lead to a “mutually beneficial” agreement.

“I am ready to maintain close contact with the President through various means,” state-run China Central Television quoted Xi’s letter saying.

Details remained scant about any concrete progress in the sev-

en-month-old trade war, which has rattled global markets and prompted stark warnings about the risks to the world economy.

“I think there is a very, very good chance that a deal can be made,” Trump told reporters at the White House on a second day of trade negotiations with Chinese officials.

“If we are doing well, I could see extending that” deadline for the end of the three month tariff truce.

And Trump said an agreement on currency manipulation will be included in the trade pact. Officials from Beijing also expressed optimism about a positive outcome.

“From China, we believe that it is

very likely that it will happen,” Liu said, speaking through an interpreter.

Global stock markets were higher on expectations the two sides would avoid further deterioration in their trade relations.

Wall Street rose to a banner finish, posting its longest streak of weekly gains in nearly 24 years.

Analysts say the two sides are likely to trumpet mutual agreements to resolve the easier parts of the trade dispute -- increasing purchases of American goods, more open investment in China and tougher protections for intellectual property and proprietary technology. AFP

KIM JONG UN TO VISIT VIETNAM OFFICIALLY

GOODBYE, KARL. A store sign depicting the profile of late German fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld is pictured at the Karl Lagerfeld concept store in Berlin on Wednesday. The fashion world has been plunged into mourning by the death of legendary designer Karl Lagerfeld, the rapier-witted dandy who ruled over the industry for half a century. The German fashion designer died at the age of 85. AFP

HANOI, Vietnam—North Korea’s Kim Jong Un will soon make an official visit to Vietnam, Hanoi said Saturday as it beefed up security on the Chinese border where Kim is expected to cross by train ahead of his summit with US President Donald Trump next week.

Vietnam is hastily preparing for a second summit between Trump and Kim on February 27-28 in Hanoi, and sources have said the North Korean leader is likely to arrive ahead of the meeting for an official visit and to tour industrial zones.

“Kim Jong Un will pay an official visit to Vietnam in the coming days,” Vietnam’s foreign ministry said Saturday in a post on its Facebook page, without providing dates.

Pyongyang has not yet publicly confirmed the summit with Trump,

and routinely keeps Kim’s travel plans shrouded in secrecy.

Several sources told AFP Kim is expected to arrive in Vietnam by train ahead of the summit, stopping at the Dong Dang train station near the China border and driving 170 kilometres (105 miles) to Hanoi by car.

Vietnam on Friday announced the unprecedented move of closing the stretch of road from the station to Hanoi on February 26 between 6:00 am and 2:00 pm, state media reported, suggesting Kim could travel on the road between those hours.

Soldiers were deployed to the Dong Dang train station on Saturday and along the road to Hanoi, according to AFP reporters at the scene, who spotted several military vehicles and communications equipment in the area. AFP

Images

BODY LANGUAGE. US President Donald Trump impersonator Russel White and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un impersonator Howard X pose together for photographs outside the Opera House in Hanoi on Feb. 22. AFP

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SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2019 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

SILHOUETTE. Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray of the Philippines blows a kiss to fans during a parade held in her honor in Manila on Feb. 21, two months after she won the crown. AFP

PHOTOS OF THE WEEK

LIGHT UP THE WORLD. A plane flies past the super snow moon in Nuremberg, on Feb. 19. AFP

CONTRITE.

Pope Francis prays during the opening of a global child protection summit for reflections on the sex abuse crisis within the Catholic Church on Feb. 21, at the Vatican. Pope Francis has set aside three and a half days to convince Catholic bishops to tackle paedophilia in a bid to contain a scandal which hit an already beleaguered Church again in 2018, from Chile to Germany and the United States. AFP

WILDLIFE SANCTUARY. Migrant egrets fly along the Las Piñas River, which is part of a protected ecotourism area considered as ‘the last natural bastion’ of Metro Manila. Lino Santos

BUILD, BUILD, BUILD. Workers install metal scaffolding at a construction project in Parañaque City.

Lino Santos

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SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2019

Riera U. Mallari, Editor sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

Sports

COMEBACKING STARS BOOST PH’S SEAG BOWLING CAMPAIGN

By Randy Caluag

T

HE Philippine Bowling Federation is making sure that the national team will have a strong showing in the 30th Southeast Asian Games.

In recent years, the Philippines has not performed well in international bowling competitions.

Hall of Famers Bong Coo and Paeng Nepomuceno have taken the helm to revive the sport that has given the country countless pride and honor in the global arena.

With the country set to host the regional multi-event on Nov. 30 to Dec. 10, the PBF’s national team cannot afford to underperform before hometown fans.

“We need to perform strongly, hindi tayo puwedeng mapahiya,” said Coo, a four-time world bowling champion, currently the Philippine bowling team manager.

The Philippines, which has slowed down in recent years, will be up against Southeast Asian rivals which have improved tremendously—Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam.

Faced with a tough task, Coo is coming up with an old formula that could work wonders for the Philippines bid.

She recalled the services of former champions Frederick Ong and Paolo Valdez and asked Liza Del Rosario to put on hold her retirement. Another comebacking player, Rachel Leon, is also creating quite a stir in local tournaments.

The four, along with current toast Kenneth Chua, recently topped the MBA 47th Sarimanok Open, which served as one of the considerations for selecting the four-men, four-women national squad.

“We should form a really solid team. Na walang bubuhatin and dapat balance. On their own, they should be able to produce. It is still an individual performance that counts in bowling,” said Coo. “We feel with the veterans, iyung mga baguhan aangat na din, they will be inspired.”

Currently, there are 10 female and 10 male players in the national pool.

Golden Boy

Once called the as the Golden Boy of Bowling, Paulo Valdez was winning tournaments here and there. He won multiple medals in the FIQ World Championships, Asian Games and Southeast Asian Games.

He retired early because of mixed priorities.

Now, 45 yeas old, Valdez has decided to become a full-time athlete again. “Nagkaroon ako ng excitement to go back to the game I love. We are hosting (the SEA Games) and I want to compete before our countrymen again,” said Valdez, who gave a glimpse of his old self in his first comeback tournament last year in the Philippine Open by rolling a perfect game.

In the most recent tournament participated by national campaigners, he placed 3rd runner up.

PH team manager Bong Coo

Frederick Ong

Liza del Rosario

Paolo Valdez

Frederick Ong was one of the Filipino stars when he won the men’s singles’ bronze in the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou, then the 2011 SEA Games singles’ gold, silver in doubles, bronze in team event and another silver in the masters.

Then, injury forced to him stop in 2015.

Returning to the sport he truly loves, the 37-year-old Ong has resigned from his day-job to focus again on his sport.

“I decided to come back and aspire for the national team kasi it’s a privilege to represent the country again. I’m fully healed and I want to show na kaya pa rin natin manalo.”

Del Rosario was supposed to retire last year after winning the women’ singles’ trophy in the PH International Open. But she was asked to stay one more year—just for the SEA Games.

“How can I say no if kung para sa bayan ito? I decided to stay also help ang mga batang players for the transition. Dito gagawin ang SEA Game and ayaw nating mapahiya ang bansa,” said Del Rosario. “We will rise up to the challenge, lalaban tayo.”

The recent champion among contenders from the national squad, Rachel Leon, is likewise making her return.

After two years of absence, she came back last year but hardly made a splash.

Her victory in the Sarimanok, beating even male contenders like men’s coach Biboy Rivera, Valdez and Kenneth Chua, is a big revelation for her.

“This victory means so much to me because this is one of the gauges of our skill level and probably, will have weight in the selection of players for the national team,” said Leon.

She topped a field of 32 contenders, 20 of them members of the national pool.

In the first semifinal run, Leon outpointed Paulo Valdez Biboy Rivera with 240 pinfall total.

Leon defeated Liza Del Rosario in the 2nd semifinal, 209-163, to advance to the winnertake-all final, where he outpointed Kenneth Chua, 212-151.

Chua topped the elimination round with an aggregate of 2404 after 12 games, followed by De Rosario (2398), Valdez (2388), Leon (2388) and Rivera (2378).

Just like other old champs who are making their return, Leon said the call of duty is irresistible.

“Kakaiingit kasi when your former teammates are playing again, so I decided to go at it again.”

Coo said the final line-up of the national team will be announced first week of March. The team will undergo intensive training in the US and compete against the best in the world.

MANOTOC TO LEAD CANLUBANG’S PAL BID PUSHING 70 years old, Tommy Manotoc will return to action in the 33rd Philippine Airlines Seniors Interclub golf team championships set to kick off on Feb. 27 in Cebu City.

Manotoc, one of the most accomplished players in Interclub history, missed the last two stagings of the annual event and feigned surprise he was called for duty again

by Canlubang to spearhead its title-retention bid.

“I’m surprised they (Canlubang) called me,” said Manotoc who will replace veteran Dave Hernandez in the roster.

Manotoc spent most of the last two years in the United States and saw little action.

“Well, I played a lot of golf but not competitively. That’s why I made sure to play three rounds during the FilAm event in Baguio last December,” he said.

The last time the Interclub was played in Cebu, Manotoc was absent.

In fact, Manotoc played Alta Vista Golf and Country Club for the first time last Thursday.

“It’s a risk-and-reward course, shorter than the other one, but

demanding,” said the mercurial sportsman.

Aside from Alta Vista, the seniors’ event will be played at the Club Filipino de Cebu.

Manotoc will be supported by the same team that regained the title last year in Bacolod.

Sixteen-time champion Luisita is fielding an almost intact lineup in its bid to foil the return of Manotoc.

Luisita has replaced Jingy Tuason with former pro Demmy Saclot.

Most of the more than 100 participating teams are expected to fly in Sunday for the three-day

practice rounds.

The field is divided into five divisions, namely: Championship, Founders, Aviator, Sportswriters and Friendship.

This year’s Interclub is sponsored

by Asian Air Safari and Radio Mindanao Network. Also extending support are ABS-CBN Global Ltd. (The Filipino Channel), Rolls Royce, Primax Broadcasting Network, UM Broadcasting Network (Mindanao), Fox Sports, GECAS, Boeing, Lufthansa Technik AG and Manila Standard. Official hotel is Quest Hotel Conference Center Cebu.

DUREMDES: MPBL A SANCTUARY FOR CAGERS THE Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League is a sanctuary league for everyone—grassroots, college, out-of-school youth and even ex-pros.

This was stressed by MPBL Commissioner Kenneth Duremdes in reaction to reports that the Games and Amusements Board is determined to classify the MPBL as a pro league under the direct supervision of the government regulatory body.

“We stand by our vision that the MPBL is an amateur league.

We cater to amateur players from grassroots, college, out of school and even ex-PBA players coming back,” said Duremdes in a talk with sportswriters during the 11th TOPS’ “Usapang Sports” at the National Press Club in Intramuros last Feb. 21.

Duremdes, nicknamed “Capt.

Marbel” during his PBA days, said MPBL officials discussed the matter with GAB Chairman Abraham “Baham” Mitra twice already to resolve the issues.

While he is not directly against the decision of GAB, Duremdes said making the MPBL a professional status will contradict the vision of the league founded by Sen. Manny Pacquiao.

“Mas maganda din naman ‘yun under ka ng GAB. But then again, it will contradict our vision. Mahirap ikuha mo agad ng pro license ‘yung mga players coming from the barangays. Pati mga college players, hindi papayagan na basta mag-turn pro,” explained Duremdes.

The one-time PBA MVP said he has not encountered any problems with the schools or mother leagues of the players also playing in the MPBL “Wala naman kaming problema sa mga schools na may players na naglalaro din sa MPBL. If the schools allow them to play, walang problema.

Sabi nga, itong MPBL ay tinatawag din natin na liga ng bawat Pilipino para sa Pilipino,” said Duremdes.

Duremdes also revealed that the MPBL is looking to add six more teams to its current 26-team roster divided into North and South Divisions.

“We have received a lot of feelers already but nothing is definite yet. One of them is Olongapo. We want to make it a 32-team league. Tapos tama na,” added Duremdes.

SOTTO GETS ‘MANOK NG BAYAN’ AWARD FROM PSA YOUNG Kai Sotto makes a towering presence in Tuesday’s SMC-PSA (Philippine Sportswriters Association) Annual Awards Night at the Centennial Hall of the Manila Hotel.

The 7’2” high school student from Ateneo will be the latest to be recognized with the Mr. Fan Favorite ‘Manok Ng Bayan’ Award by the country’s sportswriting fraternity when it holds the traditional gala night on Feb. 26 presented by MILO, Cignal TV, and the Philippine Sports Commission.

Sotto is the second ‘Manok ng Bayan’ awardee honored by the country’s oldest media organization in partnership with Chooks To Go after PBA star Terrence Romeo.

This early, the 15-year-old Sotto is already being dubbed the future of Philippine basketball owing to his size and immense skills never before seen from a young budding Filipino player.

The son of former PBA player Ervin Sotto bannered the country’s campaign in the FIBA U16 Asian Championship in Foshan, China last year in which he produced a monster game of 28 points, 21 rebounds, three assists, and three blocked shots in a memorable quarterfinal win over Japan, 72-70, that earned for the Philippines a berth in the FIBA U17 World Cup in Argentina.

He also paired up with another budding Filipino prospect AJ Edu in the FIBA U18 Asia Championship in Nonthaburi, Thailand where they helped the country qualified to this year’s FIBA U19 World Cup in Greece.

In the local front, he helped the Ateneo Blue Eaglets win the 2018 UAAP juniors’ basketball championship, where he emerged as the Finals MVP. Sotto was also tapped by coach Yeng Guiao to be part of the training pool for the FIBA World

Cup qualifiers, and earlier was included by former national mentor Chot Reyes to become part of the 23-man Philippine pool already preparing for the 2023 World Cup to be held here.

Owing to his potential, Sotto already received serious offers to play from international ballclubs, including suiting up for Real Madrid’s youth team.

With his towering height, Sotto is expected to stand out of the 74 awardees to be feted during the special ceremony also backed by Chooks To Go, NorthPort, Rain or Shine, Tapa King, SM Prime Holdings, Mighty Sports, and the Philippine Basketball Association.

Highlight of the affair though is the bestowing of the coveted Athlete of the Year award to weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz, skateboarder Margielyn Didal, and golfers Yuka Saso, Bianca Pagdanganan, and Lois Kaye Go.

Kai Sotto Photo by Arvin Lim

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SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2019

Business

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

UP STUDENTS PAY BILLS THROUGH LIVESTREAMING

Acoustic duo Ffyona Stefanie Baas (right) and Earl Joshua Cabatingan

T

HOUGH acoustic duo Ffyona Stefanie Baas and Earl Joshua Cabatingan now pay their bills from tips earned on livestreaming app Kumu, they discovered the platform by accident.

The pair had taken leave from the University of the Philippines to save money for tuition largely through busking, or performing on mall walkways to earn tips from passersby.

One night in late 2018, Ffyona and Earl were supposed to busk in Eastwood, but could not push through because of heavy rain. Not to be deterred, Ffyona and Earl set up a livestream on Kumu and began singing to an enthusiastic audience of Kumu users.

Ffyona and Earl soon began to regularly busk, preferring it to performing in-person in Eastwood. For one, they saved significant time by not having to commute and set up on a sidewalk. More crucially, their audience was much more intimate and interested.

“When busking in person, you don’t have everyone’s full attention, as most of them are only happening to pass by. When you’re doing a livestream on Kumu, in contrast, we do have their full attention, as people only watch shows that truly interest them,” said Earl.

Getting acclimated to Kumu was not without its challenges. Both Ffyona and Earl describe themselves as introverts, which could be off-putting for a very inyour-face medium like livestreaming. Earl shared that they overcame their introversion by interacting with other users in the community, or Kumunity, in the parlance of Kumu.

“We met a lot of fellow users and content creators on Kumu and established healthy friendships. This made it easier to be natural on our livestreams, as it felt like we were sharing our singing with a close group of friends. We could stay true to who we are,” said Earl.

On Kumu, users have the ability to tip their favorite content creators with digital gifts that correspond to and can be redeemed for real cash. After initially earning humble tips, Ffyona and Earl’s monthly income from these gifts quickly rose in lock-step with their budding fan base. In time, they began to eventually pay all their monthly expenses from their Kumu income, with plenty left over for their own savings.

Ffyona and Earl’s tips and fans rose in large part because they no longer just create usergenerated content. After seeing the success of Kumu’s in-house shows like QuizMoKo and PinoysDoingStuffs, the duo wanted to conceptualize a show that allowed them to engage with more people, all while doing

what they loved the most: music.

According to Ffyona, they pitched their ideas to Rexy Dorado and Roland Ros, two of Kumu’s co-founders, and they were very supportive of their idea for a musical game show titled, Sing Tanong.

“It was a simple set-up at first. We did the show in our condo unit and assembled props on our own. The show started out with roughly 400 viewers each livestream, and we thought that this reach was already blast for a user-generated game show,” said Ffyona.

Eventually, the Kumu team invited Ffyona and Earl to produce the show in their inhouse studio, similar to a QuizMoKo setup. Sing Tanong now regularly commands thousands of viewers, and Ffyona and Earl have a devoted fan base for both their show and their music.

After seeing how successful musicians can be on Kumu, many people will want to follow in the footsteps of Ffyona and Earl. What advice does the duo have for these aspiring Kumu talents?

Earl held no punches in dishing out his advice.

“It will not always be rainbows and butterflies when it comes to earning an income. The key to your own branding is being yourself. If you can show people who you really are, they’ll recognize you with not only appreciation but also with their support,” said Earl.

The Philippines’ ‘premium 7’ food exports include banana, cacao, coffee, coconut, mango, pineapple and tuna.

TRADERS INVITED TO GET FINEST FOOD FROM PH FOOD traders and enthusiasts around the world are invited to get the finest Asian food and ingredients from the Philippines as the country’s food and agricultural product exports continue to expand.

The Philippine Department of Trade and Industry, through the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions, said global buyers could discover the next big thing in Asian food in the International Food Exhibition Philippines at the World Trade Center in Pasay City on May 24 to 26, 2019.

In its 13th edition, the three-day event will present ‘NXTFood Asia’ featuring the innovations, trends and best practices in the food industry with the participation of Philippine and Asian food champions, manufacturers, culinary talents and other stakeholders.

“The Philippines is your gateway toAsian food products with its vibrant agri-export and food manufacturing industry, as well as its strong oriental influence and strategic proximity to other Asian countries,” said Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions executive director Pauline Suaco-Juan.

“Food buyers and lovers can savor these Asian products and other tropical delights with the showcase of ‘NXTFood Asia’ in IFEX Philippines, the country’s biggest and most respected business-to-business event for Asian food and ingredients,” she said.

The three-day event will cover 12 different food sectors, including (1) seafood and marine products; (2) alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages; (3) coffee, herbal teas and cocoa; (4) fresh and processed seafood; (5) fruits and vegetables; (6) grains and cereals; (7) herbs and spices; (8) meat and poultry; (9) natural, healthy and organic products; (10) bakery and confectionery; (11) specialty, ethnic and gourmet products; and (12) allied industries.

Suaco-Juan said buyers and visitors are in for a much exciting and productive sourcing experience in IFEX Philippines this year. Attendees can discover, taste, feel, smell, see in full color the next big thing in Asian food and relish in their lineup of exhibits and activities.

“By presenting ‘NXTFood Asia’, we aim to showcase the agricultural bounty and culinary heritage of the Philippines and other Asian countries that are now delighting palates across the globe,” she said.

In 2017, the Philippines’ export earnings from agricultural products reached P331.61 billion with fresh banana as the country’s leading agricultural export commodity, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority. This number grew 32.25 Turn to C2

MARANAO MOTHERS UNDERTAKE LIVELIHOOD SKILLS TRAINING AROUND 60 Maranao mothers in Bubong and Saguiaran, Lanao del Sur cooked turmeric powder and palapa, a Maranao condiment during a livelihood skills training which is part of the Creating Spaces Project.

The training aims to provide economic opportunities to mothers who got married at an early age. The mothers are expected to generate income from selling processed foods.

The project is also linking the mothers to the Department of Trade and Industry to help them market and compute the cost of their products

which are not only based on raw ingredients. It also includes the maintenance and sustainability of their utensils and equipment.

It is funded by Global Affairs Canada through Oxfam, and is implemented by Philippine Business for Social Progress in partnership with Al-Mujadilah Development Foundation Inc. Other training courses include weaving, dressmaking and awarenessraising to stakeholders about women’s economic rights in Lanao del Sur and Maguindanao.

PBSP is the largest business-

led non-government organization at the forefront of strategic corporate citizenship and business sector leadership contributing to sustainable development and poverty reduction.

Established in 1970, PBSP remains a consultant and partner of choice of companies and donors with its proven track record in creating sustainable solutions in health, education, environment and livelihood while strategically engaging companies through social investment, responsible business practices and philanthropy.

Business

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SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2019 business@manilastandard.net

SUY SING’S BUSINESS BOOMING SUY Sing Commercial Corp., the leading one-stop grocery distribution company in the Philippines, is poised to grow its customer base with new strategies aimed at bolstering business growth within the hotel, restaurant and cafe or Horeca sector and other institutional accounts.

The move aims to diversify Suy Sing’s portfolio and officially open the business to a new set of clientele.

With more diversified product offerings and attrac tive Horeca packages, Suy Sing hopes to keep competition at bay and remain to be the top of mind wholesale grocer across industries.

The higher-than-expected inflation rate last year had made bulk purchase transactions a way to contain the effects of the upsurge in prices for small start-up companies and community stores (sarisari stores). Suy Sing saw the opportunity as the number of clients they are getting from this sector continues to increase.

Getting a strong foothold in these sectors will cement Suy Sing’s market leadership as Horeca businesses in the country continue to flourish, with the restaurant sector leading at more than 6,000 establishments all over the country. There is also a rise in the number of specialist coffee shops, one of the fastest growing formats in the recent years.

This rise in number may be attributed to the increase in the spending on travel or dining out particularly by millennials who have also shown keen interest in putting up a café or restaurant business of their own.

Consequently, Suy Sing gears up to meet evolving demands with competitive price points, incentives and loyalty rewards and by further strengthening the Suy Sing brand and improving its processes, delivery hubs and distribution centers.

This will also provide the company with multiple income streams and positive cash flows in the years ahead.

With over 70 years of expertise in the grocery business catering to independent grocers, Suy Sing envisions to bring the same level of success to its new clients.

TRADERS... From C1 percent from the 2016 record of P250.75 billion.

The country has recently reclaimed its position as the second-largest exporter of bananas in the world based on a preliminary market review report of the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization.

FAO estimated that Philippine banana exports last year expanded by 77.34 percent to an all-time high of 2.95 million metric tons from a recorded volume of 1.663 MMT in 2017.

The output recover y of the Philippines, which accounts for about 90 percent of the total Asian banana exports, boosted the region’s shipments by 70 percent in 2018 to 3.2 MMT from 1.9 MMT in 2017, according to FAO. Meanwhile, the same PSA report showed the volume of centrifugal sugar exports hit 440,733 metric tons, representing a 142.48 percent increment from 2017. Its exports value went up to P10.26 billion, up by 118.14 percent from a year ago and contributed 3.09 percent to the total value of agricultural exports.

The volume of fresh mango exports at 16,166 metric tons and value at P1.17 billion also went up by 12.36 percent and 84.56 percent, respectively, with a notable increase in market price.

COINS.PH: THE ANATOMY OF A SUCCESSFUL PH STARTUP The Coins.ph team

W

HEN Silicon Valley entrepreneur Ron Hose founded Coins.ph in 2014, he only had one goal in mind— to drive financial inclusion in the Philippines and eventually expand to other countries in Southeast Asia which have low penetration of formal financial services.

Ron’s determination, coupled with powerful technology and huge potential for growth in a largely underserved market, made Coins.ph a highly-attractive investment for international and local investors that included Quona Capital, Naspers, Pantera Capital and Kickstart Ventures— all of which strongly believed in the company’s ability to scale and succeed.

The investors were right. Fast-forward to 2019, Coins.ph is now Southeast Asia’s leading mobile blockchain-enabled platform. A majority stake acquisition in Coins.ph was recently announced by the Indonesian ride-hailing firm Go-Jek, a strategic move that will allow both companies to build something bigger and better for their customers.

This acquisition has also allowed its investors to make an exit, which incidentally, makes Coins.ph the first exit for Kickstart, the corporate venture capital arm and whollyowned subsidiary of Globe Telecom that invests in digital startups globally.

What did Coins.ph do to be in such an enviable position and which other startups could learn from?

Coins.ph is a digital wallet and mobile payments app for the unbanked looking for life-improving financial services. It allows users to easily send or receive cash across online and offline platforms, transact bills payments across registered and non-registered users, or buy mobile load top-ups.

Through the app, Coins.ph has successfully carved out a path to scale and profitability, thereby becoming a compelling fintech player for emerging markets. However, this is not to say its journey has been easy —building a valuable business meant responding to customer demands at a scale and speed uncommon in a highly-regulated industry.

Lesson 1: Spot opportunities In 2013, when Ron and co-founder Runar Petursson did their research, the Philippines had a population of 100

million but only two out of 10 households were banked and only one out of 20 Filipinos owned a credit card. Yet, four out of 10 Filipinos were on Facebook.

Other emerging economies were in a similar position.

For Southeast Asia’s population of 618 million, 59 percent were unbanked and 95 percent did not have a credit card although most were online or owned digital identities.

With this socio-economic environment where mobile penetration is high but access to financial services is low, Coins.ph saw the opportunity to reach out to a bigger number of people and make it very easy for them to access financial services directly from their phones.

“There were a few things that excited me about the Philippines, which led me to establish a fintech startup here in 2014: 1. the economy was growing at 6 to 7 percent, faster than other developing markets in Southeast Asia but at the same time, a large section of the population was not included in that growth -- this offered me an open area to create social good; 2. there was low penetration of technology, and how technology was being applied that will bring real impact and change in people’s lives; 3. the operating cost here was low, which was conducive for innovation since the cost of experimentation was not so high; and 4. the Filipino culture and mindset, which made me and continues to make me feel right at home,” Ron explained.

Lesson 2: Differentiate Coins.ph’s stickiness as a product is anchored on two key pillars: a powerful technology at its core and ease of use for customer adoption.

The use of blockchain as its underlying technology has allowed the company to provide instant, global cross-border settlement and access to a global network of fintech services. At the same time, the team regarded user experience as a product, not a by-product of great design and so they made the onboarding of new customers fast, easy, and seamless thereby allowing more time spent transacting on the app than on learning how to use it.

The recognitions that Coins.ph received—the first company in Southeast Asia to be regulated as a virtual currency exchange and electronic money issuer (e-wallet) as well as the first virtual currency provider based in the Philippines to be issued the “virtual currency exchange” license by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas—serve as testaments to the product’s compelling value proposition, and its differentiation from earlier mobile wallets.

Lesson 3: Scale Coins.ph has wisely used its capital infusion from investors to deliver new and competitive products that

grabbed market share at a faster clip versus entrenched incumbents in the Philippines, proving the team’s ability to deeply understand the market it serves.

The team is also skillful in partnering with different ecosystem players, even competing ones whose own products and resources such as deep talent bench and geographical reach complemented Coins.ph. As a result, the startup was able to triple its user base from 1.5 million to 5 million in under a year, and has developed one of the largest cash distribution networks in the country with over 33,000 partner locations nationwide.

The way forward When asked how he feels about the Go-Jek acquisition, Ron replied that “it was clear to us that there were strong synergies between the two companies. Together, we can work on creating a cashless society built on the backs of our products without sacrificing our respective missions, visions, and values.”

Meanwhile, Minette Navarrete, Kickstart president and vice-chairman, viewed Go-Jek’s acquisition of Coins.ph as a step in the right direction and should invite a closer look into the reasons that made Coins.ph a strategic acquisition for Go-Jek. “While a lot of effort has been undertaken by many parties over the years, and we’ve seen progress in how both private and public sectors engage with startups, the universally accepted indicators that define a robust startup ecosystem have yet to manifest in the Philippines, i.e. high deal flow, large investment sizes, a critical mass of significant exits whether in the form of IPOs or acquisitions by global and regional giants like Amazon, or Google, or Go-Jek,” Minette said.

She said: “We’re thrilled for Ron and the Coins.ph team: the Coins.ph exit is an important win for the Philippines.

For startup founders, it is both proof and a pathway for scaling technology solutions that create measurable market value; for investors, it’s concrete evidence that the Philippines presents attractive opportunities equally as a source of high-value investible startups as well as a compelling consumer market; and for the government and corporate sectors, the Coins.ph exit demonstrates how digital startups are not just a kind of MSME [micro-, small- and medium enterprise], so that the startup-specific policy and programmatic interventions that are being crafted now can genuinely increase tech startups’ chances of massive success.”

Coins.ph represents one of the first large exits for a startup founded in the Philippines in recent years. It leads the way for what will be many more to come.

TOP F&B DISTRIBUTOR INITIATES DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION ONE of the top distribution companies of food service chains in the country, Multi-M Food Corp., announced that they are kicking off their digital transformation journey to transform their operations to continue their mission of providing quality food products with dependable customer service.

Project SAPFire, which began in January, aims to improve MMFC’s operations, finance, inventory, sales and supply chain as MMFC manages their growth strategy and expansion into new markets. MMFC chose SAP Business ByDesign for this purpose, with Service 101 plus consulting to implement and deploy the solution across MMFC’s business entities and satellite offices in Cebu, Davao and Bulacan.

SAP Business ByDesign, a single cloud ERP software for fast-growing, midsize businesses, is a complete end-to-end business suite that unifies every functional department and process from accounting and finance to manufacturing, supply chain management and human resources.

With a cloud solution, MMFC has the potential to have

satellite offices access and consolidate financial reports per business entity which would assist in compliance to BIR tax reporting. It would also help them have faster access to sales reports and computations for agent commissions, as well as assist in the supply chain management to have more efficient handling of product costs, weights and deliveries.

“We are optimistic about the rollout of SAP Business ByDesign’s capability to help fast-growing businesses like ours be more efficient and ready to meet growing market demands,” said Irene Lee, president of MMFC. “As we seek to grow and expand into new markets, we also remain committed in our mission to provide good food and great service. Balancing this growth as well as maintaining the same impeccable service that our customers expect. Going on the cloud with SAP Business ByDesign will help us to do that,” Lee said.

Edler Panlilio, managing director of SAP Philippines, said: “We are especially proud that one of the best food distribution companies like Multi-M Corpo. has chosen SAP as its foundation to grow further. SAP

Business ByDesign has a proven track record of ongoing investment, innovation and delivery in the cloud and is specially designed for fast-growing businesses such as Multi-M Corp. to turn growth potential into results.

This just shows that any business regardless of size can embark on their journey towards the intelligent enterprise.”

FOODPANDA’S RESTAURANT PARTNERS SHARE SUCCESS STORIES

Frankie’s New York Buffalo Wings owners

FOODPANDA, the on-demand food delivery service in the Philippines, asked three of its top restaurants partners about their secrets to success.

Frankie’s New York Buffalo Wings, the popular chickenwing joint-stop in the Philippines, started in 2012. The owners wanted people to have a unique experience centered around buffalo wings and saw the potential in this untapped market. “We wanted to build a better, all-around experience centered around Buffalo wings,” said company president Eduardo Firmalo.

While brainstorming the name of Frankie’s, they googled the history of buffalo wings and discovered that

it originated from American-Italian couple—Frank and Teressa Belissimo who started selling buffalo wings in Buffalo, New York City. “So we decided to go with Frankie’s as it sounded very much ItalianAmerican.”

Frankie’s is now a staple for those who love chicken wings, before getting to this point, they had to face hurdles along the way. “Struggles will always be present in any business, most especially when you are a startup. Because we were a startup, we had to build all our system, forms, processes from scratch. To this day our processes are still evolving and not only that; managing people is also tricky. So I would say the biggest challenges that a startup business will face are managing people and creating an effective and reliable system with limited resources,” said Firmalo.

“The best advice we can give is for people to center their restaurant or concept around a proven, timeless product, and then innovate the manner in which it can be marketed to the guests,” he said.

Frankie’s New York Buffalo Wings’ long-term goal is to expand to all major markets in Metro Manila and eventually areas outside the Metro. They want to continue improving their processes and keep on innovating.

Meanwhile, Hummus Elijah, the healthy Mediterranean restaurant, started in the owner’s

home kitchen in 2015. Before this, Eli Lapid used to cook for his friends and family and it wasn’t until he was prompted by his loved ones that he turned it into a proper business.

The restaurant name was derived from the combined names of the owner’s favorite food, hummus, and his name.”Hummus is my favorite food in the world ever since I was very young and Elijah is my first name so I just combined the two,” said owner Eli Lapid.

“The biggest struggle aside from the financial investment was maintaining the consistency of the dishes at the beginning and teaching the staff how to provide the best service in the world,” he said, referring to the struggles they needed to deal with while running the business.

As every experience is a lesson learned, Lapid gave a piece of advice to those who aspire to run their own restaurants someday, “Try to do something special that only you can do and can do it the best. Leave a personal signature in your food that people will recognize in every bite.”

In the future, Hummus Elijah is aiming to be known nationwide.

The third restaurant is 101 Hawker Food House, which was started in 2010 by Chef Rexmond Chua.

The owner used to work for Singapore’s Grand Hyatt kitchen.

“I was a chef for different companies before starting out on my own. The inspiration to opening 101 Hawker Food House the time I spent working in Singapore’s Grand Hyatt where I would usually work overtime at their buffet restaurant, Straits Kitchen,” said Chua.

The restaurant’s name was inspired by the address of the first branch, 101 Urban Ave., Makati. Starting 101 Hawker Food House wasn’t a breeze for Chef Chua. “I started with very little marketing because most of our investment went to construction and setting up the restaurant,” he said.

Despite the difficulties in running 101 Hawker Food House, Chef Chua shared some useful advice to those who are having a hard time running their own restaurants, “Look for another venture if your heart is not 100 percent committed to the restaurant. That means long hours, losing sleep, missing out on gatherings and special occasion, etc. It is easy to get burned out in this field.”

101 Hawker Food House aims to stay in the business for more years to come.

Foodpanda said it is proud to team up with all of its successful restaurants such as Frankie’s New York Buffalo Wings, Hummus Elijah and 101 Hawker Food House.

Tech & Gadgets

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SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2019 rumallari@thestandard.com.ph

VIVO: LIVEN UP YOUR DAYS WITH #WhatGetsYouUp

VERY day, we’re flooded with endless tasks, whether at work or at school. While it may be easy to be bogged down by the daunting work ahead, the key is to re-focus on the things that get us up and actually make us happy.

TECH-DRIVEN COMPANIES CHANGING FINANCIAL PH LANDSCAPE

Here are three tips to keep you in good spirits and ready for the everyday grind:

Surround yourself with people that uplift you

Keeping the right people by your side can completely change your life. There’s no better motivation than being surrounded by friends and loved ones who inspire you to be the best that you can be and who cheer you on in the process.

Engage in activities that will elevate your life

Do you have a passion project that you’ve always wanted to pursue? Why not give it a try? Immersing yourself in hobbies, developing your talents, or learning new skills during your spare time are things that can really enrich your life.

In recent years, Vivo has taken frequent efforts in the sports field and is committed to promoting the mutual penetration of the brand’s diverse fields and diversifying its brand image.

Vivo Philippines announced its partnership with the NBA by the end of 2017.

Indulge in instant mood boosters

Sometimes the simple joys make all the difference. Watching an episode of your favorite series, dancing and singing along to your favorite song, or even playing a quick game on your smartphone can help reduce some stress and instantly boost your mood.

Nowadays, technology is seamlessly intertwined with most of our life moments, so it’s important to find a tool that enhances these experiences. Luckily, Vivo smartphones are here to empower you with cutting-edge technologies that elevate every day moments.

Capturing the best moments with friends and family is easier with Vivo smartphone’s upgraded cameras and innovative photo modes. Watching movies, videos and playing mobile games just got more immersive with their Full-

View™ Display. For those who want an over-all optimal phone experience, Vivo ensures a powerful performance with improved battery life, storage, and processors to help you achieve more.

So, what are you waiting for?

Discover #WhatGetsYouUp with Vivo! The top global brand has something special coming up so stay tuned and head on over to (https://www.facebook.com/VivoPhil/) for the latest updates.

Vivo is a leading global technology company committed to cre-

ating trendsetting smart mobile innovations and services. Vivo is devoted to forming a vibrant mobile internet ecosystem, and currently owns and operates an extensive network of research operations, with R&D centers focusing on the development of cutting-edge consumer technologies including 5G, AI, mobile photography and nextgeneration smartphone design.

In recent years, Vivo has taken frequent efforts in the sports field and is committed to promoting the mutual penetration of the brand’s

diverse fields and diversifying its brand image. Vivo Philippines announced its partnership with the NBA by the end of 2017.

Currently, Vivo has over two hundred million users enjoying its mobile products and services around the world. Vivo is present in 18 markets globally and features offline retail stores in over 1,000 cities worldwide. In the Philippines, Vivo is the top3 smartphone brand in terms of market share with 1.5 million users nationwide.

IMPORTANCE OF OMNICHANNEL FACILITIES STRESSED

By Ram Christian Agustin and Lorraine Alberto THE first Omnichannel Asia Summit Philippines 2019 bearing the theme “Connecting the Custom-

In photo are (from left) Bevin Manian (Retail Pro International), John Boe (Genie Technologies Inc.), Brian Fernandez (Director Sales, Capillary) and Sriharsha Ilindala (JDA). Lorraine Alberto

er Journey” was held Friday at the SMX Convention Center Aura, SM Aura Premier, Taguig City, where retail and innovation industry experts shared their knowledge to businesses and professionals.

“Retail is not complicated, but old strategies are failing to address customer problems due to the changing demands of the market. By taking advantage of omnichannel facilities, businesses can provide an even better experience to their customers,” said GenieTech Philippines Chief Operating Officer Mahesh Gopinath.

Mahesh said omnichannel solutions connect multi-channel listing, POS, inventory management, and solutions with the purpose of consolidating customer data from all points of the buying process to provide a seamless customer experience.

With more consumers purchasing online using omnichannel facilities with the aid of mobile devices and various digital tools that shape the development of brand-to-custom-

er experience, one of the leading solutions provider Genietech said that businesses are too slow to adapt to the fluxing digital world, while consumer expectations heighten and ecommerce sales steadily rise.

“Retailers are competing to provide the best customer experience. Omnichannel solutions are the way to provide customers with a seamless online and offline experience,” he added.

Based on a 2018 Nielsen study, the global fastmoving consumer goods (FMCG) e-commerce platform will account for almost 20 percent of the market share of over US$400 billion.

Among the resource persons from technology and retail industries, who shared their knowledge and expertise in logistics, supply chain, customer service, data-driven insights and social media include Grab Philippines Country Head Brian Cu, Facebook Philippines Head of Client Solutions Ash Mandhyan, Shopee Associate Director Martin Yu, and Lazada’s COO Carlos Barrera.

SYNOLOGY INTRODUCES DISKSTATION DS1019+ SYNOLOGY® Inc. recently launched DiskStation DS1019+, a 5-bay desktop NAS with excellent performance and scalability, right for small offices and IT enthusiasts.

“For professional home or SOHO users, it’s always struggling to find a NAS server providing outstanding performance, scalability, and applicability at the same time. DS1019+ eliminates all your concerns with a compact chassis design,” said Kevin Meng, product manager of Synology Inc. “Featuring a quadcore processor, 8GB memory and dual M.2 NVMe SSD slots, DS1019+ allows you to create SSD cache without occupying any drive trays.

Its dual-channel 4K video transcoding capability and scalable storage design also make it an ideal option for multimedia applications, perfectly suitable for ultra HD video streaming among all of your devices.”

Scalable Storage Server in All Aspects DS1019+’s scale-up design allows a seamless storage expansion with minimal effort, making it an ideal server for file sharing, data backup, and recovery. Pre-loaded with dual-channel 8GB memory and NVMe SSD cache support, DS1019+ provides sufficient horsepower for I/O intensive applications and virtualization deployment.

Scalable storage: Up to 140TB with one expansion unit Dual-channel memory: Loaded with two 4GB memory modules (8GB memory capacity in total) Two built-in M.2 SSD slots: Supercharge random IOPS via NVMe SSD cache High performance: Deliver encrypted sequential throughput at over 225 MB/s reading and writing An Ideal Multimedia Library Supporting dual-channel, realtime 4K video transcoding, DS1019+

provides a remarkable experience in ultra HD video streaming and sharing. You can also enjoy the image recognition technology with Synology Moments, automatically organizing your precious memories effortlessly.

Powered by Synology DiskStation Manager DS1019+ runs on DiskStation Manager, the advanced and intuitive operResilient horsepower in a compact chassis ating system for Synology NAS devices, with various please visit https://www.synology. applications offered to enhance work productivity. Synology com/products/DS1019+.

Availability has received numerous media accoDS1019+, priced at PHP 41,999, is lades, topping the mid-range NAS category in TechTarget’s storage solution available in Synology retail partners survey and winning PCMag Readers’ and distributors. For more information Choice eight years in a row. about where to buy, visit: https://www.

For more information on DS1019+, synology.com/wheretobuy/

THE Philippines has made plenty of progress in promoting financial inclusion, and this is supported by the 2017 data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas which shows improvement in financial literacy and awareness among Filipinos. But opportunities for providing even greater access to financial products still abound.

And according to Annica Witschard, CEO of Prague-based consumer finance company Home Credit Philippines, there is one factor which she believes can help promote better financial inclusion in the country.

“Technology gives us a lot of leverage in improving financial inclusion in the Philippines,” said Witschard.

“We can, and we have been utilizing it to speed up, increase and generally improve Filipinos’ access to financial tools—especially those who are unbanked or previously excluded by the financial system.”

Over a third or 36 percent of Filipino adults think that obtaining a loan from formal financial institutions is not accessible to them because of lack of documentary requirements.* “This is one area that technology can address,” noted Witschard. “Home Credit, for example, has found an innovative way of underwriting and risk management to provide alternative financing options even for customers with zero credit history. On top of that, we do it at a speed that had been unheard of in the traditional finance industry; and we have technology once again to thank for it.”

“This is just the tip of the iceberg though,” Witschard continued. “Technology can be used as a gateway to open these options to these people, but they also play a major role in supporting the products and services. For example, knowing your loan details through mobile apps, SMS notifications, and online application of financial products are hugely important in a country with a high rate of mobile phone and internet usage as the Philippines. And they help to make financing even more inclusive.”

Witschard added that financial inclusion goes hand in hand with financial literacy, and with that comes the need to understand and embrace the technology. “The BSP data says that only 18 percent of Filipino adults use their bank accounts for payments because of concerns on availability, distance, and trust.

I think we need to help consumers understand that technology can be trusted when it comes to making financial transactions.”

“Near-instant” approval time

“Without a doubt, we see technology as a cornerstone of our business; it helps us become even better at we do, which means being able to serve customers better. We were able to speed up our application approval time from ten minutes to near-instant approval, with majority of customers approved within one minute of submission of their loan application. We have shifted our documentation to paperless which saves us time, manpower, not to mention provide ease to our customers. We are also beefing up our eKYC methods with features such as facial recognition. And all these are aimed at making the customer experience even better than before,” Witschard said.

“At the end of the day, that is why we are using, and continuing to improve on, all of this technology: because it can empower and improve the lives of people.” *Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, Financial Inclusion Survey, 2017

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TECH & Gadgets SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2019 Riera U. Mallari, Editor rumallari@thestandard.com.ph

EVOLUTION OF SONY’S ICONIC WALKMAN LG: HOME IS BEST PLACE TO NURTURE CONNECTIONS

The NW -W

Although several names were proposed, Walkman was eventually selected and made its way into the prestigious Oxford English Dictionary in 1986.

M1Z Wa

lkman

By Christina Tang

W

HEN Guardians of the Galaxy first screened globally in 2014 and the subsequent sequel in 2017, fans were intrigued by the vintage metallic blue device that appeared together with Star-Lord in the movie. It even appeared in the promotional clip for the movie original soundtracks by Marvel Studio.

The device, Sony’s first personal Walkman®, the TPS-L2, received overwhelming responses online and according to Geek Media, “many diehard fans have had the itch to purchase a similar Walkman in order to emulate the beloved character”.

This year marks the 40th anniversary of Sony’s first portable cassette player, the TPS-L2. With Sony Revolutionizing the way consumers listened to music on the go, many were skeptical as the idea of a portable music player without a recording function was unheard of. Developed by modifying the Pressman (Sony’s voice recorder TCM-100), the TPS-L2 proved to be a huge success, proposing a

new lifestyle which became popular around the world.

Sony’s next breakthrough was the introduction of the world’s first portable CD player, the D-50, in 1984.

The CD player, equivalent to the size of four CD cases stacked one top of another, was instrumental in accelerating the popularity of the CD and was priced affordably. Further perfecting the craft, Sony introduced the world’s first MiniDisc Walkman, MZ-1, which featured recording, playback, a numeric keyboard and anti-skip technology in 1992.

The year 2013 saw the introduction of High-Resolution Audio, with Sony among one of the first companies to

(L-R) The D-50 CD player, MZ-1 MiniDisc Walkman

launch the technology with a line-up that encompasses the ZX1 Walkman.

It allowed high-resolution audio source playback that was developed by integrating knowledge and technology accumulated over the years.

In 2016, Sony announced the NWWM1Z Walkman as part of the Signature series. Building upon a wealth of experience in digital amp technology, our engineers developed the NWWM1Z with detailed acoustics and natural sound qualities, resulting in a unique and truly pleasurable listening experience.

Over the years, Sony’s Walkman has dramatically changed the way

the world listens to music. The Walkman made music listening a personal experience, by providing people with the freedom to enjoy music regardless of place and time. Embracing the spirit of innovation and always looking towards the future, Sony has been the first in the industry to achieve many important milestones in audio engineering and continues in its pursuit to deliver sound experience ‘from one you listen to, to one you can feel’.

For more information, visit www. sony.com.ph, like facebook.com/SonyPhilippines, or follow twitter.com/ SonyPHinc and Instagram.com/sonyPHInc.

BEAT SUMMER HEAT WITH COOL NOKIA DISCOUNTS IT’S never too early to get ready for summer. HMD Global, the home of Nokia phones, brings you the best discounts that are sure to give you a premium summer experience at an affordable price.

From Feb. 20 to April 30, you can purchase the Nokia 7 Plus for a reduced price of P15,990 and the Nokia 3.1 for P6,990 from their original prices of P19,990 and P9,990, respectively. Save up to P4,000 during this two-month promo when you avail of any of these Nokia phones. These special discounts let you find the perfect mobile buddy to capture your best summer vacation with yet.

Flagship hero without the flagship price tag The Nokia 7 Plus is powered by a Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 660 processor and has a large-capacity 3800mAh battery, perfect for worry-free long trips with family or friends. You can also count on your Nokia 7 Plus to capture your crazy night-outs with loved ones. The phone’s 16MP front-facing camera and 13MP + 12MP

dual rear cameras with ZEISS optics guarantee only the best pictures even in low-lighting conditions.

The #Bothie feature offers unique photos that showcase both your best smile and the gorgeous view in front of you in a single snap.

First-class experience at the palm of your hand The Nokia 3.1 is Nokia mobile’s most-affordable 18:9 smartphone but it doesn’t make any compromises on design and performance. It blends a careful selection of materials into a perfect harmony to create a premium-looking smartphone that can perfectly complement your summer OOTDs. It runs on an octacore MediaTek 6750 chip for high-speed performance that can keep up with your action-packed summer adventures.

The Nokia 3.1 also has a 13MP auto-focus rear camera and a wide-angle 8MP front camera, making it the ideal partner to take along to the beach, mountains or wherever your vacation takes you.

REDEFINING FOOD/DRINK BUSINESS ONE PRINT AT A TIME MAKING siopao buns for her family and friends is a regular affair for Nelly Co. One day in a typical gathering at home in 1994, as she watches the familiar faces smile, laugh, and chat in between bites, she’s suddenly struck with what seems like a crazy idea: could this become a business?

Today, more than two decades later, those same siopaos are enjoyed by thousands of Filipinos every day in the Philippines.

That’s because Nelly Co’s home cooking became Nathaniel’s, which over the years has grown into a 14-venue-strong food corporation that also exports products to Japan and the US. According to her daughter Faye Nerissa, who now works as the company’s sales and marketing director, the success came as a complete surprise.

“My mum just dreamed of having another source of income, so that she could provide her children a better quality of life,” she says. “She never expected the business to become this big thing.”

Despite the company’s rapid development, Faye still describes it as a “family business.” At first, it’s a description that seems at odds with the company’s evergrowing size and popularity. But dig a little deeper and it starts to make sense. From the development and production to sales and marketing, the family does everything itself.

“Our customers understand this,” says Faye. “Which is why they know that they get what they pay for – and why they keep coming back for more.”

That’s how it’s always been, and that’s how it always should be. It’s what sets Nathaniel’s apart By giving the company the tools to oversee its own label production, Epson’s C3510 printer helps it stay true to its DIY, family values. Owning one means Nathaniel’s doesn’t have to meet the minimum order requirements of an external printing company and are free to print labels as and when they need them. Faye

says this saves time and money, makes it easier to address any errors, and gives the company greater control over product release times.

“We no longer have to delay launches while we wait for another company to deliver our labels. It’s been great for our sales, as we can now release new products as soon as they’re ready,” she says. “And it’s also helped us to sell more of them, as marketing is crucial to encouraging customers to try new things and the new labels look fantastic.”

That’s because the C3510 uses Micro Piezo printhead—a patented system that uses mechanical pressure, rather than heat, to deposit microscopic droplets of ink onto its labels.

Created when piezoelectric elements in the printheads contract in response to an applied voltage, the mechanical pressure forces ink out of thousands of fine nozzles on the printhead at a rate of 40,000 times a second. As a result, the printer produces sharp, rich, virtually grain-free labels that put industrial size printers to shame.

“The printers also produce chemical-free, waterproof labels that are safe for our food products,” says Faye. For SMEs operating in the food industry, the importance of this feature is difficult to overstate, as is the printer’s compact size and low price.

AS HOW organizing consultant, author and internet personality Marie Kondo puts it, your home should “spark joy.” You start and end the day at the comfort of your house. More importantly, albeit you spend more time outside or at work, your home is the place where you bond together with your family and loved ones.

Staying true to its commitment in connecting people through technology, LG strongly believes that the home is the best place to start and nurture those connections. Watch Netflix on Friday nights with your family, enjoy a home-cooked dinner every day, do the household chores together—there are tons of way to make your home a happy place to live in for you and your family.

Who said you have to go the mall to have some quality time?

Make your indoor time at home more fun with a TV that turns regular viewing habits into memorable experiences. LG offers superior home entertainment experience through the 4K OLED TV that delivers high resolution, spectacular picture quality and infinite contrast, virtually matching those seen in movie theaters.

Taking a meal together is very important in every Filipino home. It’s an avenue to update your family how your day went, or simply just bond over sumptuous food. Let LG help you with the everyday preparation with an all-in-one dining solution. LG’s InstaView ThinQ™ refrigerator keeps food – even takeout leftovers – fresher for longer, while offering one of the largest capacities for additional food storage.

It can also recommend recipes and send the right temperature and function settings to a connected LG oven, so cooking will be hassle-free. With this innovation, you spend less time in the kitchen and more time bonding with your loved ones.

Household chores can be tedious and time-consuming; enemies, so to speak, for many. One would prefer to rest than clean an entire house. But as how Kondo puts it, organizing the home can be actually relaxing and therapeutic especially when you do it together with your loved ones.

After all, an organized home is a happy home.

Doing the laundry is a great way to start bonding over household chores. Make it a breeze using LG’s TwinWash with an almost noise-free dual motor washer that helps make the machine work more efficiently to save on electrical and water consumption. Equipped with LG’s SmartThinQ technology, you can control and monitor the washer anytime, anywhere through the LG mobile app. With the efficiency of the LG TwinWash, you’ll be done doing the dirty work in a jiff, and you’ll have more quality time with your family.

LG acknowledges that the home is central to everything, and through technology, we aim to make every experience unforgettable. Leave the tasks to us and focus on things that spark joy—being together with your family in the perfect home you’ve dreamed of for a long time.

Destinations D1

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2019

Bernadette Lunas, Issue Editor

manilastandardlife@gmail.com

@manilastandardlife

HOLIDAY GETAWAYS

FOR MOVIE LOVERS

@MStandardLIFE

4 PH HOTELS

JUST LIKE IN THE MOVIES. Film buffs looking to recreate some of the most popular and unforgettable scenes in their favorite movies can check out Agoda's list of film-inspired holiday getaways, which includes Queensland in New Zealand where 'Mission Impossible: Fallout' filmed its helicopter action sequence.

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RAVELING is one of the best cures for weary soul and broken heart. Watching films, meanwhile, is one of the quickest ways to take a breather, to temporarily forget, to escape. Both open our eyes to exciting new experiences.

RECEIVE FORBES TRAVEL GUIDE 5-STAR RATING FOUR premier hotels in the Philippines received the coveted 5-Star rating from Forbes Travel Guide 2019.

For the third consecutive year, Solaire Resort and Casino’s 17-story Sky Tower was given the highest rating.

The all-suite Sky Tower boasts 312 splendid rooms that exude classic opulence, at the same time providing a warm comfort.

Also maintaining its 5-Star rating is Nüwa Manila at City of Dreams Manila.

Forbes cited its “rooms, suites, and villas lavishly designed to provide maximum comfort and convenience with a touch of Filipino warmth.”

Agoda, one of the world’s fastest growing online travel agents, has rounded up a list of holiday ideas inspired by last year’s blockbusters—combining the two activities.

Action-packed destinations

If you fancy playing action hero for a day or two, head to Queenstown, New Zealand, where Mission Impossible: Fallout filmed its helicopter action sequence. Take your own helicopter ride, if possible, and try NZ’s wide range of extreme

Hop on London's big red buses.

sports, from bungee jumping to heli-skiing. Adventure travelers headed to Queenstown can choose from over 700 properties available on Agoda.

If Sci-Fi and the chance to run

into dinosaurs in the modern world is more your thing, head to Oahu, Hawaii, the setting for Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. Not only is it an excellent backdrop for extinct creatures, but also for

travelers looking for a holiday full of sea, volcanoes, outdoor sports, and lush nature. Take your pick from over 1,900 Agoda properties in Oahu.

Turn to D2 Solaire Resort and Casino's 17-story Sky Tower maintained its 5-Star rating.

Oahu is perfect for travelers looking for a holiday surrounded by lush nature.

The colorful houses in Busan Gamcheon Culture Village.

“This recognition reflects our colleagues’ hard work and unwavering commitment in creating luxury and signature experiences and delivering the highest standard of personalized service in all aspects,” said Kevin Benning, City of Dreams Manila’s chief operating officer.

Joining Sky Tower and Nüwa are The Peninsula Manila and Marco Polo Ortigas Manila.

Nine Philippine properties also made it in this year’s list. Six hotels were given a 4-Star rating, while three were Recommended.

SAVING MANILA BAY

The glorious sunset of Manila Bay is captured in this photo taken right after the January 27 cleanup drive.

I CAN just imagine how many romantic relationships blossomed on Manila Bay. I remember, when I was new here in Manila, and that was around half-a-century ago, I still didn’t have too many friends from here and had a lot of free time on my own. So on weekends, I would make it a point to spend my afternoons in Roxas Boulevard, walking from the US Embassy towards Aristocrat for my supper, enjoying the calming effect of the golden sunset on the placid waters of the bay, with the fresh sea breeze blowing from every which way.

Sometimes, I would just sit on the seawall, watching some people maneuver their fishing rods, to catch what they probably would be having for supper. Of course, my mention of “fresh sea breeze” and “fishing” points to the fact that these could only have happened a very long time ago!

MERCURY RISING

BY BOB ZOZOBRADO

When I started to establish my career here in the big city, I began to notice the continuous desecration of what once was my favorite de-stressing hangout. The golden sunset was no longer glorious, as the view came with litter floating on the waters of the bay. The area near the Manila Yacht Club smelled like drainage clogged with human waste.

Sadly, through the recent years, Manila Bay, to me, could only be appreciated from inside my car, as I drive along Roxas Boulevard to and from my residence. This way, the garbage on the water is not visible and the foul smell of drainage won’t bother me inside the air-conditioned vehicle. A disgrace to what was once the pride of Manila!

Fast forward to the appointment of my friend, Bobby Joseph, as Commodore of the Manila Yacht Club. I was very happy to hear his first pronouncement—to help clean up Manila Bay. I found out that, as early as 2008, the Supreme Court had already ordered 13 government agencies to rehabilitate and preserve the Bay, but nothing has been done about it.

Turn to D2

Destinations

D2

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2019 manilastandardlife@gmail.com

HOLIDAY...

From D1

Film-inspired city breaks

Crazy Rich Asians, the rom-com of the 2018, had travelers going crazy for Singapore. The film captured multiple locations across Singapore, from the famous Gardens by the Bay to the food hawker stalls at Newton Food Centre, which lends itself to a pretty full itinerary for travelers keen to explore the Lion City. Whether you have a crazy huge budget or not, one of Agoda’s 1,000 properties in Singapore will fit the bill.

Black Panther had its epic casino fight and car-chase scenes take place in Busan, South Korea, a city that’s arguably more beautiful at night than during the day. Though the glamorous underground casino doesn’t exist in real life, you can pretend otherwise at one of Busan’s swanky cocktail lounges or nightclubs.

During the day, check out Busan’s beaches, hot springs, temples, and shrines—local gems that didn’t make the cut in the film. Agoda has over 1,100 properties in Busan for you to choose from.

TPB GEARS UP

FOR DYNAMIC 2019

Musical destinations

The City of Angels was the backdrop for many of the scenes in last year’s remake of A Star is Born, the romantic drama about a seasoned country musician eclipsed by his rising star of a partner.

Los Angeles is home to several skateparks.

Throughout the movie, many of its noteworthy concert scenes were shot across a number of Los Angeles venues, including the 5,870-seat music venue Greek Theatre, the cozy Regent Theatre, and the Shrine Auditorium, a landmark venue where multiple film and music award events have been held. Explore Los Angeles from any one of Agoda’s 5,000 properties in the area.

If your taste in music is more classic rock than country, this award-winning biographical film about one of the greatest rock bands of all time should be on your must-watch list. Bohemian Rhapsody is framed around the band’s Live Aid performance at Wembley Stadium. Home to England’s football, Wembley is also still one of the most popular venues for major artists to perform. Check out London’s other noteworthy landmarks from any one of Agoda’s 15,800 properties.

SAVING...

From D1 The Boracay fiasco got several government agencies working 24/7 to meet our President’s deadline to clean up our world-famous beach destination within six months. Thank goodness to our President’s iron hand, finally, something has been done about the festering Boracay problem.

Of course, the President’s instructions applied also to our other natural tourism attractions, but aside from news bits about solving similar drainage problems affecting El Nido and Bohol beaches, I didn’t hear of any move from any government agency to stop the continuous defilement of my erstwhile favorite destressing destination. If ever there was any, there was not much fanfare about it.

That is why I was ecstatic when I read in the papers, shortly after Commodore Joseph’s declaration, that Department of Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Roy Cimatu immediately did an ocular, to determine the extent of work that has to be done to restore Manila Bay to its old glory.

I was even happier to learn that the DENR now leads an inter-agency super body composed of the 13 government agencies, tapped to rehabilitate Manila Bay—Interior and Local Government, Tourism, Public Works and Highways, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, Education, Agriculture, Health, Philippine Coast Guard, Budget and Management, Metropolitan Waterworks and

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The Tourism Promotions Board ramps up its efforts this year to actively promote the Philippines as a major tourism destination.

HE tourism department’s marketing arm, Tourism Promotions Board is looking forward to a very busy year as it ramps up its efforts to actively promote the Philippines as a major tourism destination.

The TPB Marketing and Promotions sector is set to participate in numerous international events year in and year out, in a bid to place the Philippines on the global tourism map. This is also in keeping with TPB’s goal for visiting tourists from key markets such as Europe, North America, Australia, Japan, China, and Korea to enjoy an optimal travel experience, thus extending their stay and spending more time in the country.

Foremost among the agency’s activities was its recent participation in the ASEAN Tourism Forum, a tourism summit held at Ha Long, Vietnam; and the Boot show in Düsseldorf, Germany where the Philippines was recognized as the most preferred dive destination.

Through a 270-square-meter booth at the ATF, TPB was able to showcase the inviting array of local destinations, attractions, and special interest programs the country has to offer. The country has generated an estimated US$475,000 in business leads during the four-day event.

Sewerage System, Philippine National Police, and Philippine Ports Authority.

In fact, one recent weekend, January 27 to be exact, there was a “call for action” to further highlight the government’s resolve to finally do something to save the Bay, with a massive Luneta assembly of employees of the involved government agencies, civic groups, students, etc., and they later marched along Roxas Boule-

YOUR WEEKEND CHUCKLE The effective radius of Wi-Fi is limited, but the effective radius of Wife-Eye is unlimited, and works even without power!

vard to dramatize their involvement in the cleanup drive.

What’s even gratifying to hear is the snowball effect this long overdue move has created. I read the other day that even residents of CALABARZON have initiated the commendable act of restraining garbage from their area from flowing into our Bay. Hopefully, those in the other provinces will do the same. Large commercial establishments here in the metro have also volunteered to clean up the esteros that lead to the Bay, definitely a noteworthy undertaking!

However, what is quite worrisome is the report I read just the other day. DILG

The Philippine delegate to the ASEAN Tourism Forum 2019 headed by Department of Tourism Secretary Bernadette RomuloPuyat, TPB chief operating officer Marie Venus Tan, and DoT Undersecretary Benito Bengzon.

All strategic programs for 2019, TPB said, are anchored on the theme of responsible and sustainable tourism—“a balance between business opportunities and social responsibilities”—as set forth by DoT Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat.

TPB chief operating officer Marie Venus Tan said the attached agency aims to pursue sustainable tourism through community based products; revitalize domestic tourism by way of a revived advocacy campaign; and strengthen the country’s presence in the MICE space.

For 2019, TPB has its calendar full as it makes its presence felt in the following events: February – MICE Arabia & Luxury Travel Congress and Dubai Sales Calls; March – the ITB Berlin; April – China Outbound Travel and Tourism Market; June – The Meetings Show UK; July – IBTM Americas; August – Hokkaido Overseas Travel Fair; September – PATA Travel Mart and IMEX America; October – ITB Asia; November – The Global Meetings and Events Expo (IBTM World) Spain.

On top of these are the programmed domestic events such as

the Philippine Travel Mart, Travel Tour Expo, The World Street Food Congress 2019, the Ilog Project, the MICE Buyers Invitational Program, and The TPB-initiated regional travel fairs.

In addition, TPB will conduct Marketing Educational Seminars in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao for regional tourism officers, officials from local government units, and private sector tourism representatives. During the seminars, the agency will provide the necessary guidance and active mentoring in properly marketing the tourism attractions of a particular region or province.

Secretary Eduardo Año called a meeting of all mayors of towns and cities in Luzon that affect the Manila Bay watershed area. Four Metro Manila mayors did not attend, and some just sent their representatives. Could it be because a major factor that contributes to the pollution of the Bay are the informal settlers along the esteros, the same people who could deliver votes to these mayors in the upcoming midterm elections?

Although the Manila Bay cleanup drive started with a big bang, and the President has already approved the P47 billion budget for this project, the big question is—will it really succeed, considering the seemingly lukewarm support of some Metro Manila mayors? I’m keeping my fingers, my legs, and everything else crossed!

This lackadaisical attitude of these officials who should have eagerly thrown in their full support to this cause is quite unsettling. Nevertheless, I am still grateful to my friend, Bobby Joseph for having been the “spark plug” for this rehabilitation efforts. A heartfelt handshake also to DENR Secretary Cimatu, DILG Secretary Año and DoT Secretary Romulo-Puyat for taking up the cudgels for the many of us saddened by the past administrations’ cruel neglect of this “national treasure.”

Thank you all for this energized endeavor to save Manila Bay! For feedback, I’m at bobzozobrado@gmail.com.

(Photos courtesy of Pete Dacuycuy)

This shows the sharp contrast before and after the initial cleanup drive to further dramatize the work that has been done on Manila Bay so far.

Entertainment

SISTERS

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2019

By Robbie Pangilinan

W

E CAN’T get enough of the super talented “Brazilipina” TV host, singer and actress Daiana Menezes. And now her sister Laura has come to the Philippines to catch our eyes and capture our hearts. In one of Daiana’s endorsement renewal photoshoots, which Laura was also a part of, we got the chance to know more about Laura.

Back in Brazil, Laura was finishing high school and never thought she would enter her sister’s world of show business.

“I wasn’t modeling in Brazil, I was just studying. I’ve never been into modeling before. Well, once we did this commercial in Brazil then when I was about to go and see if I got the job, something went wrong that day that made me say, ‘No, I don’t want to do it anymore,’ and then I just forgot about modeling,” she shares. Last year, Laura shed her baby fats which made her feel more confident about her body and herself. “I started to think about modeling and I said, ‘I lost weight so what can I do with it now that I feel more confident.’ So I talked to my sister,” Laura says.

She went to the Philippines and since arriving, has been tagging along with Daiana. And just like her sister, she instantly fell in love with her second home. “The country reminds me of home sometimes, it’s very nice. And my sister is amazing, she’s right beside me for support,” says the 18-year-old Anne Hathaway look-alike.

For her first engagement as a model in the country, Laura has already been booked for print ads of a beauty company, an undergarment brand, and a big clothing line. Daiana has also been pushing her to try and learn more things. “I’m trying to learn singing with Daiana and I am inspired by her passion. When I asked her if she is a singer, she answered, ‘I do sing,’ so that became my goal,” adds Laura.

She also wants to try acting. Even as a child, Laura has always been amazed by actors and actresses. Laura looks up to Brazilian actress Bruna Marquezine and Hollywood’s supermodel Kendall Jenner.

She admits to not having a boyfriend right now, and for Valentine’s Day, she and Daiana had an “online promo” where lucky guys get the chance to go on a double date with the beautiful sisters.

Someday, Laura dreams of having her own nice and comfortable house where she can spend time with her family and travel a lot. But in the meantime, she is focused on her budding career. With her sister Daiana behind her, and her beauty and talent, Laura has a long long way to go.

Sisters Laura and Daiana Menezes both consider the Philippines their second home.

Halalan 2019 townhall debate hosts Alvin Elchico and Karen Davila

CANDIDATES FIGHT FOR PEOPLE’S VOTE IN ‘HARAPAN 2019’ DEBATE FILIPINOS worldwide tuned in to watch nine senatorial hopefuls air their platforms and stand on issues during the first leg of Harapan 2019:The ABS-CBN Senatorial Town Hall Debate, which obtained the number 1 spot in Twitter’s top trends for the Philippines last Sunday night, and came in second in the list of trending topics worldwide.

Participating candidates were Bam Aquino, Glenn Chong, Chel Diokno, Larry Gadon, Samira Gutoc, Florin Hilbay, Jiggy Manicad, Willie Ong, and Francis Tolentino.

Meanwhile, more candidates are set to join the following debates tonight at 7:00 live on ANC, the ABS-CBN News Channel, DZMM TeleRadyo, ABS-CBN’s Sunday’s Best, and ABS-CBN News’ online platforms.

Another debate will be aired live at 7:00 p.m. on March 3.

Included in lineup are Gary Alejano, Rafael Alunan, Neri Colmenares, Bato dela Rosa, JV Ejercito, Romy Macalintal, Zajid Mangudadatu, Serge Osmeña, Mar Roxas, and Erin Tañada.

The first round of the debates centered on the candidates’ credentials and platforms, and four issues brought forward by regular Filipinos—a contractual employee, a husband of an OFW, a doctor participating in medical missions, and a former youth offender—who were present at the debate. They asked the candidates to present their stand and proposed solutions to issues on labor, inflation, health care, and the age of criminal responsibility.

Anchors Karen Davila and Alvin Elchico also grilled all the candidates in a Fast Talk round, where each of the senatorial hopefuls had two minutes to answer various questions on issues concerning them, LGBTQ rights, divorce, federalism, candidacy requirements, traffic, transportation, peace and order, territorial disputes, human rights, the use of medical marijuana, corruption, the Bangsamoro Organic Law, constituent assembly, and more.

The “Fast Talk” round, in particular, was a hit with netizens, many of whom discussed and debated on the candidates’ answers over social media.

Harapan 2019: The ABS-CBN Senatorial Town Hall Debate is part of ABS-CBN’s comprehensive coverage for Halalan 2019.

‘BABIES4SALE.PH’ IN ‘THE ATOM ARAULLO SPECIALS’

Atom Araullo probes deeper into the appalling practice perpetrated by “Adoption Pages” on Facebook.

CATRIONA’S HOMECOMING CONCERT LIVE ON KBO

WELCOME Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray into your own homes this weekend as KBO airs her one-night-only homecoming concert at the Araneta Coliseum live at 7 o’clock tonight.

Joining Catriona are special guests Maymay Entrata, TNT Boys Keifer Sanchez, Mackie Empuerto, and Francis Concepcion, as well as Morisette Amon, Jed Madela, Bamboo, and KZ Tandingan. The concert will be hosted by Boy Abunda.

Apart from the guests mentioned, viewers can also catch the one-on-one interview of Vice Ganda with the newly crowned beauty queen.

Also on KBO this weekend is Aga Muhlach and Bea Alonzo’s First Time, which makes its TV premiere with the digitally restored and remastered film Forevermore, You’re My Boss, Kusina Kings, and That Thing Called Tadhana.

To catch this weekend’s KBO movies, simply register using any prepaid or postpaid SIM. For prepaid, just load up (Globe, TM, Smart, Sun, TNT) with P30; press the green / INFO button on your TVplus box remote to get your box ID; then text KBO30 (date) <TVplus box ID> to 2366.

D3

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

Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray

SOMEWHERE deep within the corners of social media lurks a shameless but covert business of online selling, not of the usual goods or beauty products—but of babies.

Today in The Atom Araullo Specials, Atom probes deeper into this appalling practice perpetrated by “Adoption Pages” in Facebook. He meets 20-year old “Christine”, who admits to being a B-Mom or Birth Mom—a person selling her newborn. Her baby’s father allegedly left her and she’d rather sell her two-month-old offspring for P35,000, than raise the child on her own.

While The Atom Araullo Specials team is working on this special report, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) uncovered this illegal practice and organized an entrapment operation. They arrested a group that included a mother and an agent or middleman, who were caught selling an 11-day-old baby for P40,000.

Purchasing a baby through online transaction is highly dangerous since the process circumvents all lawful proceedings and documentation. In the absence of legal and verified information, both babies and prospective adoptive parents are put into certain risks. There’s also a potential danger that these babies may be sold to cybersex dens and used for child pornography.

Go online with Atom Araullo as he investigates these alarming and shady baby transactions on social media and even in the barangays, 4:30 p.m. on GMA 7.

D4

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2019

Desiree Carlos, Editor

Pets

daycarlos28@yahoo.com

MY FURRY BESTIE THIS corner features pets of animal lovers every week. We hope new owners and those thinking of getting a pet will be encouraged to be responsible “furparents” through these features. We also hope more people will be moved to be kind to animals when they read about the great relationship that can be created between humans and animals.

For contributions, please email to daycarlos28@yahoo.com and put My Furry Bestie as subject.

Lucas (left), 11, and Nacho, 10, sniff each other's butts.

DON’T WORRY,

YOUR DOG IS NORMAL

dog stiffens up, sticks his head out, and his eyes may bulge. It's usually caused by something harmless, like pulling too hard on the leash. Help him by massaging his throat or giving him something to lick. Covering his nose may make him swallow, which could stop the sneeze. Call your vet if it happens a lot, “ WebMD says.

PET TALES

BY DESIREE CARLOS (First of two parts)

By Desiree Carlos

W

HAT may be weird to owners are actually normal behavior.

Some owners get anxious when their dogs chase their tails or hump their leg or arm.

Don’t worry, these are normal behavior. But if this is all that they want to do, you will need to see a vet.

In “Is my Dog Normal? “ WebMD says a lot of what humans perceive as unusual behavior are actually normal among dogs.

Tail-Chasing

Puppies chasing their tails are just like babies grabbing their toes. They are just being babies.

“It's a way to explore their bodies. It's not usually a problem unless dogs do it all the time. See if you can distract your pup. If he would rather chase his tail than eat or go for a walk, it's a problem. You may need to talk to your vet about training or medication, “ WebMD says.

Crotch-Sniffing

A dog sniffing bottoms of other dogs is normal.

“Dogs like to sniff each other’s bottoms, but it's different when they nose up to someone's crotch!

It's not bad manners, according to your dog, “ Web MD says

Eating Grass

Shakti, 10, loves running in the garden aside from car rides. And yes, sometimes she goes for the grass.

When dogs sniff someone’s crotch, it is just a way of getting information, WebMD says. ”Dogs can get a lot of information about other dogs by sniffing around down there. They probably get the same info by sniffing people, too. If your dog’s nosiness bothers you—or the people they sniff!—obedience training may help,” it adds.

Humping

Humping is normal in dogs.

“Watching your dog get personal with the new sofa may make you cringe, but it’s normal. For many dogs, humping feels good or relieves stress. It's more commonly done by male dogs, but females do it too, sometimes. It's OK to look the other way in most cases. But if they're humping people, they may be trying to show dominance. Call Scooting them off so they don't bother anySome dogs do scoot or drag one, and talk to a trainer or vet for their bottoms across the ground behavior tips, WebMD says. after doing their business—especially if their stool is loose.

Reverse Sneezing “But if a dog scoots a lot all day, You can help a dog with what is see your vet. Scooting can mean called reverse sneezing. impacted anal glands, which you “Does your dog ever make a should get your vet to treat. It loud snorting noise that sounds could also come from having a like a reverse sneeze? It usually tapeworm, “ WebMD says. lasts about a minute, while your

Dogs do eat grass. If your dog eats a lot of grass and dirt however, please contact your vet “Your lawn may not look yummy to you, but your dog has other ideas. Dogs aren't just meat eaters. Sometimes they like a little greenery, too. Eating grass, sticks, and even dirt is normal -- as long as they don't do it a lot. If your dog binges on grass, it could mean stomach problems. If your dog eats a lot of dirt, it could be a medical problem (like anemia). Call your vet to check, “ WebMD adds.

Eating Excrement

There are some dogs who eat their poop.

“It’s surprisingly normal for dogs to eat poop. Long ago, before dogs were domesticated, they were scavengers. They ate whatever they could find. Their digestive systems work well, so they can get some nutrients out of it. Most people don’t want kisses from potty-mouthed dogs. If you catch your pooch in the act, offer a tastier food. You can also mention it to your vet for more advice, “ Web MD says.

Next week: More ‘unusual” behavior of dogs.

Happy Sunday everyone! Namaste!

ZEPHYR PH TO RAISE FUNDS FOR RESCUES

Korean idol Sehun with his dog Vivi.

FILIPINO fans of Sehun, a Korean actor-singer-model, will raise funds for recued animals as a way of celebrating their idol’s 26th birthday (April 12).

The event, called To You, in 2,000 Years, will be held on April 13 at ODDS Café and Nail Spa. Pre-registration starts on February 19 and ends on March 8. Follow Zephyr PH’s Twitter page and find out more about the event.

Zephyr PH (Sehun’s Philippine fanbase) said they were inspired by dog lover Oh Sehun to help rescued

LEE was only about two months old when Leilani C. Aguinaldo saw her outside their house on June 30, 2018, afraid and trying to seek cover from the rain.

“My 10-month-old furbaby is so special to me. She went through so much hardship but survived. She shows us her gratefulness for saving her by always showing us she loves us. And we love her so much,“ Leilani says.

When they saw Lee, Leilani says she was full of wounds and was so emaciated.

“I gave her food but she was growling and afraid. It was evident she was hurt by someone as she had difficulty walking, and at night, and she would cry like there was something painful in her body,” Leilani says.

“There were many people in our place who were angry at her. They threw things at her, poured hot water on her, dragged her, and wanted her to leave our place.

It was raining very hard that day when I saw her trying to find some refuge and to keep herself dry in between the plants.

Because I pitied her-- although I already had 28 cats and 3 dogs then—I decided to get her, “ adds Leilani.

Leilani shares: “It was not easy to handle her as she would growl. She was very afraid. When I’d give food to her, I would tell her not to be afraid , assuring her that I will not hurt her.”

“The next days, her tail started to wag whenever she would see me. Slowly, she started to trust humans again. Today, she is such a sweet dog, “ Leilani says.

“Grabe ang pinapakita niyang pagmamahal sa amin. Pag dumarating kami, niyayakap niya agad kami at hinahalikan .She is just like a baby. I always assure her that she will no longer go hungry, that I will not allow anyone to hurt her anymore, “ Leilani says.

“That is why LEELEE SNOW is so special to our family. This furbaby went through so much but survived and grew up to be a beautiful, loving, sweet dog, Leilani says.

animals.

Sehun, the youngest member of the South Korean-Chinese boy group, EXO, introduced his adorable dog Vivi on Vlive, a South Korean live video streaming app. The idol said that Vivs’s name means ‘he’s alive.’

Vivi from the French word Vivre meaning ‘ Live,”“ Maria Sanchez of Zephyr PH said.

Sanchez added: “Through a segment entitled ‘Please take care of Sehun’s Puppy,’ the idol said that Vivi gives him comfort every time he feels down or tired. Their beautiful

relationship can be seen by 15.2 million followers through Sehun’s Instagram account (@oohsehun).”

Sanchez stressed, “Just like Sehun who is just as warm as the spring season he’s born in, Zephyr PH would like to share the same warmth to animals through a donation drive for Save Animals of Love and Light.

We invite all fans to attend our celebration packed with exciting activities and giveaways on April 13, 2019 at ODDS Café and Nail Spa. Enjoy a mini-exhibit, a viewing party, and a birthday party in one!”

BASTIE, a four-year-old cute mixed breed, was adopted by Eugene Rodriguez and his family last February, 2015.

This small dog who survived leptospirosis and parvo has such a sweet personality, Eugene says.

"My family became more closer because of him adds Eugene.

Editor's note: These stories were compiled by admin Miks Lim of Save Animals of Love and Light (Save ALL), a SEC-registered animal welfare group that helps animals in need, and encourages and promotes responsible pet ownership, adoption of rescued dogs and cats from fosters, shelters and pounds, and spaying and neutering of pets to control animal population in the country, among others.