Manila Standard - 2019 April 28 - Sunday

ENTERTAINMENT / D3

VOL. XXXIII • NO. 73 • 4 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P18 • SUNDAY, APRIL 28, 2019 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

PARAW REGATTA.

Paraws with colorfully painted sails line up the shore of Station 2 in Boracay Island for the 3rd Paraw Biniray Festival. The painted sails are the local artists’ depiction of the story and rich culture of Boracay.

The festival coincides with the Sustainability Week celebration in the island in line with the 1st year anniversary of the Boracay rehabilitation.

DENR-SCIS

SHOWBIZ CALLS ON

MAUREEN MONTAGNE

'CONSERVE WATER, SAVE ANGAT DAM'

MASSIVE LOSSES FEARED IN METRO QUAKE IMPACT STUDY NEEDS UPDATING—ASEP

By Francisco Tuyay

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FORMER president of the Association of Structural Engineers in the Philippines warned Saturday that more than 48,000 could die in Metro Manila if the so-called Big One—a hypothetical magnitude 7.2 earthquake due to the movement of the West Valley Fault—would hit the capital where nearly 13 million live.

Also yesterday, five light tremors with magnitudes ranging from 3.9 to 5, hit Surigao del Norte, a day after the province was rocked by a moderate magnitude 5.3 earthquake Friday.

In a radio interview, engineer Adam Abinales said the 2004 Metropolitan Manila Earthquake Impact Reduction Study must be updated.

The study warned a magnitude 7.2 earthquake could cause 34,000 to 48,000 deaths and destroy 40 percent of all residential structures in the capital.

“That 48,000 is a low estimate. The study was conducted in 2004, and you can just imagine how much more

structures have been erected in Metro Manila since then,” Abinales said.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology on Thursday warned movement in the Manila Trench under the West Philippine Sea could trigger a magnitude 8 earthquake and result in a tsunami that could affect Zambales, Tarlac and Pampanga.

Possibility of tsunami Such a tsunami could also enter Manila Bay within an hour, said Phivolcs Director Renato Solidum, affecting 2.5 million people, 200 schools and 35 hospitals in Metro Manila.

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STILL NO END TO OIL PRICE HIKE IN SIGHT INDEPENDENT player Unioil Petroleum Philippines said Saturday pump prices of petroleum products were expected to increase yet again next week.

In its weekly fuel forecast for April 30 to May 6, Unioil said the price per liter of diesel might increase by P0.75 to P0.85, while gasoline price should go up by P0.70 to P0.80 per liter.

Local oil companies usually implement fuel price adjustments every Tuesday of the week.

Latest data from the Department of Energy showed diesel prices range from P41.94 to P46.25 per liter, while gasoline prices range from P53.00 to P59.96 per liter.

Price adjustments since the start of 2019 went up to a net increase of P6.80 per liter for gasoline, P4.65 per liter for diesel and P3.45 per liter for kerosene.

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CYPRUS LOOKS FOR MORE VICTIMS XYLIANTOS, Cyprus—Cypriot authorities on Friday combed lakes for the remains of more victims dumped by a suspected serial killer, as they hunted for bodies in a case that has shocked the island.

Since April 14, police have recovered three bodies, all believed to be Filipina domestic workers, in what local media has dubbed Cyprus’“first serial killings.”

The search focused on two lakes southwest of Nicosia where the suspect, named in local media as Nicos Metaxas, a 35-year-old Greek Cypriot army officer, allegedly confessed to having dumped the bodies.

The suspect has admitted to killing seven foreign women and underage girls on the Mediterranean holiday island, according to police sources.

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THE National Water Resources Board on Saturday urged the 12 million water consumers of Angat Dam to conserve at least four liters or one gallon of water a day as the dam’s water supply was expected to hit below operating level this weekend.

“We start with one gallon,” NWRB executive director Sevillo David said in an interview on Super Radyo dzBB, heard nationwide.

The NWRB is the leading government agency for the water sector in the Philippines, regarding water resources and potable water; it is conferred with policy-making, regulatory and quasi-judicial functions within the government.

David said that if all the Angat Dam water consumers—by his count 12 million people—conserved four liters a day, the savings would be equivalent to 48 million liters daily.

The NWRB reported on Friday that Angat’s water level was at the 180.73-meter mark.

Given the rate of decline in the last two months, it would hit below 180 meters this weekend, and by end-May it is projected to hit the 170-meter level.

Angat Dam supplies 96 percent of Metro Manila’s tap water needs.

Apart from conservation, David said the government should also adjust allocation, activate deep wells, and conduct cloud seeding operations as contingency measures to keep the water supply in check amid the effects of the weak El Niño which may last until the end of the year.

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SERIAL KILLER. Protesters hold banners as they demonstrate in support of the victims of a suspected serial killer in front of the presidential palace in Nicosia on Friday. The suspect has admitted to killing seven foreign women and underage girls on the Mediterranean holiday island, according to police sources. AFP

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Oops! In the banner story (MS April 27 issue), the lead paragraph should read: Global warming and the extreme heat due to El Niño phenomenon COULD NOT trigger the occurrence of earthquakes, the PHIVOLCS said Friday. We regret the error.

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SUNDAY, APRIL 28, 2019 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

'MIGRAINE' FORCES RODY TO SKIP GALA DINNER

By Vito Barcelo PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte skipped the gala dinner Friday for heads of state attending the second Belt and Road forun in Beijing, China due to migraine, according to Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo.

However, it was not yet clear if Duterte sent a representative to the gala.

Earlier in the day, Duterte witnessed the signing of agreements between China and the Philippines, and, among others, spoke before a high-level meeting of world leaders.

Duterte also skipped several meetings during the 33rd Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit in Singapore last year but only after attending other meetings himself.

The Palace had said Duterte had to take power naps so he could catch up on some lack of sleep.

Duterte on Saturday was scheduled to join Chinese President Xi Jinping at the welcome ceremony of the Belt and Forum at the Yanqi Lake International Conference Center.

He will also be attending two highlevel roundtable sessions before flying back to Davao City in the evening.

Prior to the gala dinner hosted by Chinese President Xi Jinping for the heads of states and government and other business leaders, Duterte witnessed the signing of 18 business agreements forged between Filipino and Chinese companies at the Grand Hyatt Hotel here.

Duterte also delivered a short speech that focused on his commitment to ensure a friendly business climate for the investors in the Philippines.

He has also promised the foreign investors that he won’t tolerate corruption and instead ensure ease of doing business back home.

In a statement, Panelo said that Duterte’s visit to China resulted in 19 business agreements with an estimated investment value of $12.165 billion.

“More than 21,000 of our fellow Filipinos are expected to be employed as a result thereof. The agreements cover a wide range of areas from energy to the construction of an economic zone, from the design of a Green Textile Industry Park to airport expansion, from the construction of tourism-related facilities to infrastructure for nationwide WI-FI connectivity,” the Palace spokesman said.

'CONSERVE...

From A1 Meranwhile, Angat Dam will retain its irrigation water allocation of 10 cubic meters per second (cms) in May, even if its dipping water level breaches the minimum operating level (MOL) of 180 meters before that month.

This is to ensure the availability of irrigation water for rice farms in Angat’s service areas in Bulacan and Pampanga provinces that have not yet harvested their crops, NWRB engineer Bea Soriano said Friday.

“Those plants still need water before harvest time,” Soriano said.

Despite the irrigation allocation, Angat Dam’s water quota for Metro Manila in May will still be 48 cms, the same as in April, she said.

Soriano made the assurance as hydrologists of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration expect Angat Dam’s water level to dip below the MOL this weekend.

Angat’s 6 a.m. water level on Friday already dipped to 180.73 meters, 6.2 meters lower than the desired 186.93 meters for the day, PAGASA hydrologist Jason Bausa said, noting that the dam’s water level has been dipping this week by an average 0.50 meters. With PNA

STILL...

From A1

Oil prices went up due to involuntary supply cuts from Venezuela and Iran plus conflict in Libya which supported perceptions of a tightening crude market, the Department of Energy earlier said.

The department said upbeat Chinese economic data eased concerns about waning crude demand.

“The price has been driven upwards

by OPEC [Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries]’s ongoing supply cuts, US sanctions against Iran and Venezuela, and strong US jobs data,” the agency said.

OPEC is set to meet on June 25 in Vienna to discuss extending the agreement to cut output by 1.2 million barrels per beyond end of June.

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CHINA URGES NATIONS TO OPEN UP MARKETS

EIJING—Chinese President Xi Jinping urged dozens of world leaders on Saturday to reject protectionism and invited more countries to participate in his global infrastructure project after seeking to ease concerns surrounding the program.

Addressing 37 leaders from Europe, Africa, Asia and Latin America, Xi made a new pitch for his cherished Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) as he kicked off the last day of a three-day forum.

The world’s number two economy has been fighting a festering trade war with the United States for months, and Xi has long sought to take the mantle of the new world power open to multilateral cooperation and globalization.

“We need to build an open world economy and reject protectionism,” Xi told leaders including Russian President Vladimir Putin, Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte and Pakistan’s Imran Khan seated around a large round table at the idyllic Yanqi Lake retreat at the edge of Beijing.

A draft communique for the forum

seen by AFP similarly pledges to “reject protectionism”and “unilateralism” in an oblique swipe at President Donald Trump’s “America first” presidency. US officials were not sent to the summit.

Xi’s signature foreign policy aims to reinvent the ancient Silk Road to connect Asia to Europe and Africa through massive investments in maritime, road and rail projects—with hundreds of billions of dollars in financing from Chinese banks.

“We need to encourage the full participation of more countries and companies, thus expanding the pie of common interests,” Xi said.

But critics say BRI is a plan to boost Beijing’s global influence, riddled with opaque deals favoring Chinese companies and saddling nations with debt and environmental damage.

The United States, India and some European nations have looked at the project with suspicion.

Rising resistance So far Chinese companies and workers have emerged as the primary beneficiaries as they are tapped to build the China-financed infrastructure in other developing countries.

BRI projects have faced pushback in some countries. In Malaysia, Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad canceled some planned works and renegotiated a rail project cutting 30 percent off the price tag.

But Mohamad and other leaders attending the summit had fulsome praise for BRI. The draft communique says BRI will welcome developed countries and international investors to participate in the projects.

Xi batted away some concerns at the opening ceremony Friday, saying the BRI will have “zero tolerance” for corruption while vowing to ensure the financial sustainability of projects and further open China’s economy.

“Faced with this rising resistance for the past year and a half and this debt image ... China is trying to re-

position (BRI) and send a reassuring message,” said Nadege Rolland, a senior fellow at the National Bureau of Asian Research, a US-based think tank.

But “let’s see how it is put into practice,” she said.

China’s finance ministry released guidelines Thursday for assessing financial risk and debt sustainability to apply to projects in BRI countries.

But the document notes that countries already facing payment problems or in the process of restructuring payments “does not automatically mean that debt is unsustainable in a forward-looking sense.”

During a state banquet Friday night, Xi called on attending world leaders to band together in the face of setbacks.

“Certainly, while building the Belt and Road Initiative, we will face difficulties and there will be twists and turns,” he said.

“No matter a smooth or challenging way, we need to continue the spirit of partnership, not forget our initial intention of cooperation and move forward unwaveringly,” he said. AFP

FAMILY PHOTO. President Rodrigo Duterte joins other leaders as they pose for a family photo on the sidelines of the Leaders Roundtable Discussion of the 2nd Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation at the Yangqi Lake International Convention Center on Saturday.

Presidential Photo

CYPRUS...

From A1

One of them was retrieved Thursday after the suspect showed investigators the spot where he had dumped a body in a well at an army firing range outside the capital.

The stepped-up search at the lakes—water-filled craters of former mines now normally used as picnic sites in the foothills of the Troodos mountains—coincided with the day that Greek Cypriots mark the Orthodox Good Friday.

Police cordoned off the area and a sole diver entered Memi Lake in Xyliantos, descending into the emeraldgreen water.

“We are searching step-by-step,” fire department spokesman Andreas Kettis told AFP. Rising waters The mines-turned-lakes are swol-

MASSIVE...

From A1

It was the second dire warning from Phivolcs in as many days.

On Wednesday, Solidum said the West Valley Fault running through six cities in Metro Manila and nearby provinces could move and trigger a magnitude 7.2 earthquake anytime.

Solidum said there were plans to put up a national government center in Clark Air Base in Pampanga so that key operations would continue in case a powerful earthquake or a tsunami would hit Metro Manila.

The warning followed a meeting earlier in the week of civil, environmental and geological experts who underlined the urgency that all structures in the country be climate smart and disaster resilient, a gesture aimed to save lives in the event of a higher magnitude earthquake.

The call was raised at the Climate Smart and Disaster Resilient Asean International Conference at Bayleaf Hotel in response to the magnitude 6.1 tremor

len after record rainfall in Cyprus this winter, posing an extra challenge for investigators.

At a second crime site at Red Lake in Mitsero, a 10-minute drive away, Kettis said robotic equipment might also be sent in to search its acidic waters.

The case came to light after a German tourist taking photographs of the mine spotted the first body, brought to the surface of the 150-meter (500-foot) shaft which flooded after unusually heavy rains.

The suspect reportedly met the Filipinas, through Badoo, an online dating site.

Police are still searching for the body of a six-year-old Filipina girl, daughter of one of the murdered women, according to local media.

They are also probing the cases of a missing Romanian mother and her young daughter as well as unidentified Asian woman also on the list of Metaxas’s suspected victims.

that toppled the four-story Chuzon Supermarket in Porac, Pampanga.

The earthquake, with epicenter in Castllejos, Zambales, caused major infrastructure damage to Clark International Airport.

Glenn Nagaguas, organizer of the CSDR, highlighted the importance of giving priority areas as embodied in the National Climate Change Action Plan that an infrastructure be climate smart and disaster resilient to save lives.

The group has elevated serious concern about the safety of all highrise and mid-rise buildings, not only in Metro Manila, where nearly 13 million live, but also in other major cities in the country, whether those buildings can withstand an even higher magnitude, or a stronger earthquake.

Treated rebars Francis Aldrine Uy, dean of Civil, Environmental and Geological Engineering, cited an instance that a hotel or school could stand more than 300 kph tropical cyclone, while strressing the need to install systems like a Universal Structural Health Evaluation and Recording System to monitor buildings in real time during an earthquake.

‘Where are they?’

Growing outrage over the murders pushed some 400 people to gather outside the iron gates of the presidential palace in Nicosia Friday evening for a candle-lit vigil—both for the dead and those still missing.

Holding placards calling for “justice,” the crowd held an extended moment of silence, closing down the main road in front of the gates as Cypriots and members of island’s sizeable Filipino community continued to pour in.

Organizers used a loudspeaker to read a list of names of dozens of women believed to have gone missing in Cyprus since the 1990s.

“Where are they?” the crowd chorused after each name.

Holding an unlit candle, head of the Federation of Filipino Organizations in Cyprus Ester Beatty said the community “was still coming to terms” with the “brutal” murders.

“Right now everyone is very

scared,” she said, urging “vigilance” amongst the community.

President Nicos Anastasiades in a statement condemned “these hideous crimes” against foreign women.

“Shocked by the revelation of so many shameful murders against innocent foreign women and young children,” the president said, expressing “deepest sorrow and strong concern.”

At the vigil, Lissa Jataas, who heads a solidarity group for domestic workers in Cyprus, said the saga has been “devastating” for the entire Filipino community.

Activist Maria Mappouridou, who put out the call for the protest yesterday on Facebook, said the deaths should serve as a wake-up call for usually quiet island.

“This is big. The women have been missing for years and no one has been asking where they’ve been,” the 43-year-old said.

“Someone has to take responsibility for this.” AFP

In the same conference, the safety of Quenched Tempered or Thermomechanically Treated rebars was discussed, particularly its vulnerability to buildings in case of an earthquake.

QT rebars are said to have a fatal flaw, since only the outer skin of the rebar meets the minimum grade, and thus becomes vulnerable, in the event of a major calamity, like an earthquake.

Several international studies cited the disadvantage of using QT steels for high-rise buildings.

Reports said that QT steels were manufactured and sold by big steel mills across Luzon.

A 2016 study in Japan highlights the importance of improving the standards of steel bars.

It concludes, “As for buildings, accompanied by the trend in high rise structures, the strength of steel materials was enhanced, and steel materials excellent in seismic resistance were developed, in which the upper limit of yield ratio and the validation limit of yield strength are specified.”

Pampanga Gov. Lilia Pineda said they were looking for the technical specifica-

tions of materials used including steels bars, the mixing of cement and the depth of posts in the construction of the collapsed Chuzon Supermarket.

Meanwhile, disaster authorities officially ended on Saturday the search and rescue operations at ground zero of the Chuzon Supermarket, five days after the 6.1 quake that jolted Central Luzon and nearby provinces.

Authorities declared the close of the search and rescue operations after ascertaining no signs of life had been detected under the rubble.

Pampanga Provincial Police personnel showed on Saturday videos of several days of the search and rescue operations, indicating that all possible corners and floors of the collapsed building were searched and cleared.

At the same time, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said the number of missing persons from the collapsed Chuzon Supermarket went down to five from the initially reported 14.

The identities of the missing five are still being validated by authorities, the NDRRMC said.

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CATHOLICS WORLDWIDE OBSERVE FEAST OF DIVINE MERCY TODAY

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ATHOLICS all over the world will celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday on April 28 to spread continuously the unfathomable mercy of God, and for mankind to repent now, not later, for the forgiveness of sins in these troubled times.

Divine Mercy Sunday is celebrated on the first Sunday after Easter Sunday.

Sister Faustina was only 20 years old when Christ appeared to her in several apparitions, which she wrote about in her diary.

In her Diary Entry 848, St. Faustina wrote, “Souls perish in spite of My bitter Passion. I am giving them the last hope of salvation; that is, the Feast of My Mercy. If they will not adore My mercy, they will perish for all eternity… tell souls about this great mercy of Mine, because the awful day, the day of My justice, is near.”

In another entry, she said, “Yes, the first Sunday after Easter is the Feast of Mercy, but there must also be deeds of mercy, which are to arise out

of love for me. You are to show mercy to our neighbors always and everywhere. You must not shrink from this or try to absolve yourself from it.”

In Diary 742, St. Faustina recorded, quoting Jesus’ “promises of Grace and Mercy associated to the Feast of Divine Mercy on Mercy Sunday.”

“Ask of my faithful servant (a priest) that, on this day, he tell the whole world of My great mercy; that whoever approaches the Fountain of Life on this day will be granted complete forgiveness of sins and punishment.

Mankind will not have peace until it turns with trust to My mercy,” she quoted Christ as saying.

St. Faustina also wrote, “Desire that the Feast of Mercy be a refuge and shelter for all souls, and especially for poor sinners. On that day, the very depths of My tender mercy are open. I pour out a whole ocean of graces upon those souls who approach the fount of My mercy.

“The soul that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion shall obtain the complete forgiveness of sins and punishment. On that day, all the divine floodgates through which grace flow are opened. Let no soul fear to draw near to Me, even though its sins be as scarlet.

“I want to grant a complete pardon to the souls that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion on the Feast of My Mercy.”

On Sept. 13, 1935, Sister Faustina started the devotion of Divine Mercy after Christ appeared to her in a series of apparitions to promote the Devotion to the Divine Mercy.

Incidentally, it was the fifth day and the 18th year anniversary of the Apparition of Fatima by the Blessed Virgin Mary to three shepherds— Lucia, Jacinta and Francisco—in Fatima Portugal, asking mankind for penance.

Since then, the devotion to the Divine Mercy has continued to flourish throughout the world.

The Divine Mercy Devotion grew more vigorously during the reign of Pope John Paul II when he led the faithful to pray the Divine Mercy prayer daily at 3 p.m.

It was also John Paul II, who canonized Sister Faustina to sainthood in 2000.

On April 1, 2005, John Paul II wrote his last and final statement from his death bed that it be read on Divine Mercy Sunday on April 3, 2005.

However, the Holy Father died on April 2, 2005.

St. John Paul II was canonized on April 27, 2014, together with Pope John XXIII. In his final message, the Pope expressed to the world the great importance and the urgency to understand and accept Our Lord’s incredible gift of Divine Mercy to all the people of the world. PNA

HEALTH IN TOURISM SUMMIT.

Department of Health 4-A (Calabarzon) Director Eduardo C. Janairo signs the pledge of commitment during the first ‘Health in Tourism (HIT) Summit‘ at the Taal Vista Hotel in Tagaytay City on Friday, April 26. The summit aims to make the region a safe and healthy tourist destination.

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BLACK PROPAGANDA HOUNDED GMA’S PRESIDENCY, SPEAKERSHIP

By Maricel V. Cruz SPEAKER Gloria Macapagal Arroyo assumed her present position as well as the presidency in 2001 under “dramatic conditions” that she did not really relish.

Her “irregular” assumptions to the two posts made a natural magnet for black propagnda.

In a television interview early last week, Arroyo said she preferred to become President “under peaceful, uncontroversial [and] less dramatic conditions.”

However, she said People Power Revolt II or Edsa (Epifanio de los Santos Avenue) Dos happened at the time when she was the vice president, and thus she was catapulted to power.

In the case of speakership, Arroyo was chosen by a great majority of her peers to replace her unpopular pre-

cedessor who at first resisted, resulting in a tumultuous session that caused the delay in the State of the Nation Address of President Rodrigo Duterte.

Upon her assumption to the presidency, Arroyo was immediately barraged with black propaganda that put all her policies and projects under a bad light.

Arroyo’s travails were capped by her more than five years of detention at the behest of a vengeful president who was smarting at the loss of very large land holding that was distributed by the Arroyo administration to small farmers.

The official who filed most of the charges against her, former Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, is now detained at the same detention facility where Arroyo was held for about five years.

In the television interview, Arroyo said she did not plan to enter politics but being the daughter of a former

ROTARY FUND RAISER. The Rotary

Club of Makati-Paseo de Roxas sponsored the first day showing of the movie Avengers: Endgame at Rockwell Cinema 7 to raise funds for its projects on awareness and support for Autism Spectrum Disorder, provision of potable water systems in public elementary schools, youth mentoring and antiplastics use. Incoming Rotary-Paseo de Roxas president Jasmin Sy holds a placard of one of the Rotarians’ advocacies.

President (Diosdado Macapagal) it “seemed natural” that she wound up taking that path.

Prior to running for the Senate in 1992, Arroyo was the undersecretary of trade and industry and before that taught economics in several schools including the Alma Mater of her successor (who was her student) and the University of the Philippines where she obtained her doctorate in economics.

“It seemed natural that being an economist plus being the daughter of a former President, somewhere along the way, I would be drafted to join politics,” she said.

Arroyo won in 1992 but only for a three year term, forcing her to run for reelection in 1995. She topped the senatorial race in that election.

It was when she topped the senatorial race that she realized that she was a presidential timber.

However, she said she did not run to the presidency in the 1998 elections and instead ran for vice president under the banner of the ruling party at the time.

“At that time, if you’re going to have resources, you need to either have the support of the Ramos administration, or your own independent resources, or the support of the Catholic Church. Those were the big power brokers at that time.”

She said that in the 1998 elections, Arroyo said then Speaker Jose de Venecia was supported by President Fidel V. Ramos, while then Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim had the backing of the Catholic Church. The sitting vice president at the time, Joseph Estrada, had his own independent means.

Arroyo said De Venecia asked her to be his running mate when he was endorsed by Ramos for the presidency.

‘SENDONG MEMORIAL AND DISASTER PREPAREDNESS DAY’ GETS BACKING THE House of Representatives has supported a measure declaring Dec. 16 of every year as the “Sendong Memorial and Disaster Preparedness Day” in Cagayan de Oro City and Iligan City.

Rep. Maximo Rodriguez of Cagayan de Oro City, principal author of House Bill 2580, said typhoon “Sendong” entered the country late night of Dec. 16, 2011 and hit Cagayan de Oro and Iligan City during the wee hours of Dec. 17, 2011. Sendong caused tremendous damage including loss of lives and destruction of property, which led the past administration to ssue Proclamation 303 declaring a state of national calamity, he said. The House has approved the measure on third and final reading.

“To constantly remind us of what the wrath of Mother Nature can do and remember both the victims and those involved in rescue, a day of remembrance should be held every year in Cagayan de Oro City and Iligan City, wherein exhibits

and forums on disaster awareness and disaster readiness are conducted along with other activities which would remind us of the damage that Mother Nature can bring if we do not take care of our environment,” Rodriguez said.

Citing data from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, Rodriguez said Sendong affected at least 92,964 families or 641, 098 persons. Reports cited that at least 1,010 people were found dead while about 200 persons were missing.

The bill mandates the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to lead the tree planting and reforestation activities.

The bill also mandates the NDRRMC to carry out forums on disaster and risk reduction in Cagayan de Oro City, while the Climate Change Commission shall conduct forums on climate change adaption. Maricel V. Cruz

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COPS NAB FIVE COMELEC GUN BAN VIOLATORS IN CATANDUANES BATO, Catanduanes—Five persons are facing charges for alleged violation of Section 28 of the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act (R.A. 10591) and of Comelec Resolution No. 10446 in relation to Section 261 of the Omnibus Election Code.

The cases were filed through inquest proceedings to the Provincial Prosecution Office, Virac, Catanduanes docketed under NPS No. V-IIINQ-19D-00056 and NPS No. V-II-INQ19D-00057 respectively, under Joint Inquest Resolution issued by lawyer Louie T Guerrero, assistant provincial prosecutor.

Police said the suspects were identified as Rius de la Cruz y Agao, Arnel Suarez y Fuentos, Noel Azores y Abelita, Jony Raco y Tacorda, all residents of Masbate City and John Paul Bernardino y Tumala, resident of Pandan, Catanduanes. The driver is confirmed to be the nephew of congressional candidate Cely Wong. Four units of cal. 45 pistols loaded with ammos (25 pcs) were confiscated. They were arrested at an established Spot Comelec Checkpoint along Barangay Sipi, Bato, Catanduanes by joint elements of Catanduanes Police Intelligence Branch, CAT 1st PMFC (Provincial Mobile Force Company) and Bato MPS. The arresting officers were tipped off about the armed personalities on board a white Toyota Prado (WKA 826), police said.

No bail was recommended for the case filed in violation of Sec. 28 of para (b) of R.A. 10591 while the case in violation of Comelec Resolution No. 10446 in relation to Sec. 261 of the Omnibus Election Code (B.P.881) has recommended bail amounting to Thirty Six Thousand Pesos (Php 36, 000.00) for each of the accused.

The Comelec promulgated Resolution No. 10446 on Nov. 21, 2018 providing “the rules and regulations on the ban on bearing, carrying or transporting of firearms or other deadly weapons; and the employment, availment or engagement of the services of security personnel or bodyguards during the election period of the May 13, 2019 national and local elections.”

PROBE POWER OUTAGES, RATE INCREASES —ENRILE FORMER Senate President and Puwersa ng Masang Pilipino senatorial candidate Juan Ponce Enrile yesterday underscored the need to revisit the Electric Power Industry Reform Act Law amid the threat of power outages and power rate increases.

Enrile, who continued the northern leg of his campaign tour in Quezon yesterday, lamented the news that power rates are poised to go up following widespread power shortages in Luzon the past few weeks.

“Consumers are the ones suffering the most. They are already being hit by these power outages, and yet they have to pay more with bigger electricity bills due in the following months,” Enrile said in an interview in Tayabas, Quezon.

On April 12 and 15, rotating power outages were imposed in several areas in Metro Manila and Luzon after the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines warned the public of low power reserves.

According to the Department of Energy, the cause for the power shortfall was a series of unplanned shutdowns in a number of power plants run by San Miguel Consolidated Power Corporation, TeaM Energy Corporation, Southwest Luzon Power Generation Corporation, Pagbilao Energy Corporation, and South Luzon Thermal Energy Corporation.

Other plants were also undergoing scheduled maintenance.

“It is baffling why all of these power plants had problems simultaneously.

An investigation on this is in order because there is always a possibility of collusion among power plant players to increase power rates. On the other hand, if there is no collusion, the government should still look into any common technical or other problems that could affect the country’s supply in the long term,” the former Senate President urged.

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JOY’S LEAD CONFIRMED IN QC POLLS

By Maricel V. Cruz and Joel E. Zurbano WITH only two weeks to go before the elections, mayoralty candidate Joy Belmonte has cemented a strong lead in Quezon City in the most recent non-commissioned survey among local voters.

The three-term vice mayor garnered 63 percent in voter preference, while rivals Rep. Vincent Crisologo and Ismael “Chuck” Mathay III trail with 32 percent and three percent, respectively, in the poll conducted by iSurvey, an independent research and data analytics company.

The city-wide survey was conducted between April 19 to 25 with 15,000 registered voters 18 years and older from across all districts of Quezon City.

Belmonte is also the preferred candidate in the May 13 elections based on the latest survey released by the RP-Mission and Development Foundation Inc. Dubbed the “Halalan 2019 NCR Survey,” RPMDinc’s tally saw Belmonte garner 62 percent of the votes compared to the 36 percent and one percent obtained, respectively, by Crisologo and former lawmaker Chuck Mathay. The noncommissioned survey was conducted last April 1 to 8.

The iSurvey poll was “conducted amidst a background of contrasting platforms from the two main candidates.”

Poll leader Belmonte is campaigning on a “progressive platform” centered on providing affordable housing to informal settler families, improving benefits for health and education in the city, providing social services for all, and ensuring peace and order.

Meanwhile, Crisologo has focused on allocating a big portion of Quezon City’s budget to social services. The incumbent 1st District Congressman has also been campaigning to remove tax discounts given to senior citizens, solo parents, and people with disabilities to uniformly tax all sectors in the city.

WATER UPDATE. Dr. Sevillio David, executive director of the National Water Resources Board, informs the public that the water supply for Metro Manila ‘will be sustainably managed’ amid the weak El Niño phenomenon being experienced in the country in a press conference in Quezon City on Friday. He also said the water elevation of Angat Dam was at 180.73 meters, nearing the minimum operating water level of 180 meters, as of 6 a.m.

Saturday. Angat’s lowest water elevation this year will reach 173.13 meters by the end of May, David added. (Story on Page1) Manny Palmero

SAFETY PROTOCOL REVIEW URGED

S

ULONG Dignidad Party-list has urged the Department of Labor and Employment to review the occupational safety protocols for workers and impose stiff penalties on employers, after reports showed that some establishments did not observe proper evacuation procedures when a 6.1-magnitude earthquake hit Pampanga, Metro Manila, and neighboring provinces on Monday.

Sulong Dignidad president and first nominee lawyer Rico Paolo Quicho encouraged workers who were not allowed to evacuate their offices to file complaints with DOLE and provide specific information to help the agency

to act on the issue.

“The safety of our workers should always be our number one concern. Business establishments should be aware of safety protocols in times of emergencies, and we need to make sure that stiff

fines are given to violating employers,” Quicho said.

“To the workers who were forbidden to evacuate during the earthquake, we can file a complaint with the DOLE so the government can act on it,” he added.

Quicho cited Republic Act No. 11058 or An Act Strengthening Compliance with Occupational Safety and Health Standards, which requires employers to respond to possible hazards in the workplace and inform workers of these accordingly.

“Under this law, employees are al-

lowed to refuse to go to work if they think that their workplaces are unsafe and dangerous,” Quicho said.

“Employers or establishments who do not follow this law can be fined and penalized,” he added.

According to reports, workers from business process outsourcing firms and malls were among those who were not allowed to evacuate during the quake.

Some workers were also made to resume work right after, without waiting for the structural integrity of the buildings to be checked.

‘CHOOSE CANDIDATES WITH JOB GENERATION SOLUTIONS’ A PRIVATE think tank asked Filipino voters to choose senatorial and local candidates who have balanced solutions for workers and businesses that will generate more jobs and lift more Filipinos out of poverty.

“Voters should ask senatorial and local candidates what they will do to generate jobs and increase the income of workers. They should have balanced solutions that will go beyond myopic political terms,”Dindo Manhit, president of the Albert del Rosario Institute for Strategic and International Studies, said during a recent roundtable discussion.

ADRi held a recent forum on Labor Productivity and the Wage Stagnation Paradox at the Tower Club in Makati City. The forum was led by ADRi non-resident fellow Dr. Vicente Paqueo and Philippine Institute for Development Studies research fellow Dr. Michael Abrigo, who presented a paper on the topic.

Manhit said that for the poorest and most vulnerable Filipinos, employment and wages represent critical factors in poverty reduction.

The challenge for politicians, he said, is how to promote increasing income while generating jobs and maintaining economic growth.

“This will need a shifting to a more strategic mindset that focuses on long-term competitiveness and sustainability instead of myopic political cycles,” he said.

Paqueo and Abrigo presented a paper that looked at labor productivity and the so-called wage stagnation paradox and highlighted the importance of raising productivity growth and opportunities through factors such as technological catch-up, building of complementary capabilities, and instituting policy reforms.

Paqueo said wage stagnation is a misleading paradox because it does not reflect nonwage benefits. He disputed wage stagnation as an indicator of worker exploitation from a macro-level point of view “due to factors such as compensation schemes, acquisition of advanced technology, and [that] wages don’t take into consideration the labor output.”

He cited the need to increase capital to raise compensation, while pointing out that the government should temper “unrealistic regulatory mandates” that would not have sustainable and positive long-term impact on the labor sector and productivity.

PILOT DIES AT PLANTATION AS PLANE HITS LIVE WIRE AN AGRICULTURAL plane hit a live wire during an aerial spraying activity at a banana plantation in Davao del Norte on Saturday morning, killing the pilot instantaneously.

Eric Apolonio, Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines spokesperson and chief information officer, said the agency withheld the identity of the pilot pending the notification of family members.

Apolonio said the incident happened around 6:53 a.m. at the banana plantation in Barangays Kasilak and Mangalcal in the boundary towns of Carmen and Panabo.

“Initial investigation showed that the pilot must have been blinded by the glare of the sun, causing him to hit and get entangled in a high-tension wire,” the CAAP report stated.

It also showed that the lone pilot was flying a Grumman G-164 Ag Cat, a singleengine biplane agricultural aircraft with registration number RP-R 5388 during the spraying activity.

The aircraft’s airframe, engine, and propeller were also damaged in the crash.

CAAP director general Capt. Jim Sydiongco dispatched Aircraft Accident and Incident Inquiry Board investigators to the site to assess the accident.

Two days ago, Sydiongco also created an AAIIB special team headed by chief investigator Rainier Baculinao to investigate the helicopter crash in Bulacan, which led to the death of three people, including a prominent Pampanga-based businessman.

The fatalities were identified as Liberato “Levy” Laus, owner of the CarWorld chain of car dealerships and CLTV36, a regional TV station; pilot Capt. Eber Coronel; and Laus’ bodyguard Wilfran Esteban. Joel E. Zurbano

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SUNDAY, APRIL 28, 2019

Adelle Chua, Editor mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Opinion

EDITORIAL

I

LONG STORY SHORT

LET THE EARTH MOVE, BUT...

T IS only apt that Filipinos, wherever they are in the country, be reminded not to succumb to panic and even fake information—given the series of earthquakes that rumbled underneath in the past week.

The first to usher in the tectonic movement of the earth’s crust on Monday was a magnitude 6.1 tremor that struck Castillejos in Zambales, which left a swath of at least 18 dead, 282 injuries and destruction of property.

Twenty-one hours later, a magnitude 6.5 shock rocked the coastal town of San Julian in Eastern Samar on the western edge of the vast Pacific,

which triggered tsunami disquiet.

And while the country, well within the Pacific Ring of Fire—where many earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur—continues to experience aftershocks, other quakes of lesser magnitude have jabbed Surigao del Norte and San Nicolas in Ilocos Norte and another in Leyte two days ago.

The nervousness challenging the population has gone some notches higher, with authorities urging the people, particularly in the National Capital Region, to be ready in the event the feared “Big One”—a magnitude 7.2 earthquake from the West Valley Fault, which could result in the collapse of 170,000 residential houses and the death of 40,000 people.

Authorities say the movement would start along the fault, several kilometers below the ground, and would move horizontally and would

ADELLE CHUA

SPOIL AWAY

cause vibration.

It is in this light that the people, whether they are near the West Valley Fault or far from it, must immediately prepare themselves, the continuing earthquake drills in the metropolis notwithstanding, and should stand their ground and not succumb to panic.

Alongside this single-mindedness, they should be on their guard against fake information, which can be plenty online.

While we urge local authorities to post in their easily read respective bulletin boards in public places tips on what to do when an earthquake shakes the ground and the shorelines, we also call on the people to read the counsel of the experts to minimize, if not avoid, death and destruction.

In these times, such counsel should not be disregarded.

THESE days, movie or series spoilers could cause acrimony, even the end of a friendship.

Not everybody has the time or privilege to watch a much-awaited film or show upon its release.

Unfortunately, some of those who manage to do so ahead of everyone else do a good job of broadcasting what transpires. For an avid viewer, spoilers take away the thrill of the emotional roller coaster. What’s life without a few jolts and surprises?

After all, many of us consume works of fiction to get us out of our current state and live another reality.

Part of that is allowing ourselves to experience various emotions for the fun of it—with the convenient knowledge that we can pull the plug anytime if the suspense gets to be too much.

Some spoil unwittingly, doing so because of their big uncontrollable mouths. Others do it on purpose, deriving perverse satisfaction in bragging that they’ve seen what many others have yet to see.

Some spoil simply to wreck another fellow’s day.

On the other hand, there are those who don’t mind spoilers at all. In fact, they seek out precisely what is bound to happen. They want to know what’s in store—if things turn out well for this or that character, if good does in the end overcome evil, if justice is ever served.

For them, knowing the ending does not diminish the appeal of the story. They just want to keep their emotions even and in check, manage their expectations, and perhaps focus on how the story is advanced from A to B to C to Z—if it is plausible, masterful, realistic, contrived.

“Where’s all the fun in that?” you ask. There’s fun, all right.

Given wildly contrasting preferences on how to consume a movie, show or even a book, at the end of the day it all boils down to respect. Know that one preference is as valid and as legitimate as the next one. Never try to question what others like or convince them that their preference is inferior to yours and try to convert them accordingly.

As they say these days, “walang basagan ng trip.”

••• There’s one ending however we can all reasonably be keen on knowing.

It’s the outcome of a story that has been going on for decades.

Filipinos have gone through a lot as a people. We’ve been colonized several times over, fought a war because of affiliation, not ideology, and seen a series of administrations that have had different characteristics but largely similar results. We have known how it is to be economically promising, only to suffer blows yet again and an even more gaping inequality than before. We’ve seen disasters natural and man-made.

We’ve seen a revolving door of selfproclaimed political Messiahs. We’ve had numerous problems within our shores and outside. As a bonus, these days we have difficulty determining whether something is a joke or a “figure of speech” or downright fake news.

If we were in a movie, I’d like to hear some spoilers about how we are eventually able to get out of this rut. Which officials would turn our benighted country around?

What among the many problems would be, and correctly, given priority? Is there are end in sight for age-old, entrenched practices of corruption, patronage, dynasties and personality politics? Will merit, honesty and integrity ever figure as top qualifications, or will we be forever content with those whose last names are familiar or those who put up a show of caring?

This is one spoiler we would not mind. Wouldn’t it be cool to know if we we would ever be able to focus on moving forward instead of putting out fires?

And then perhaps we can have just a little bit more hope.

PLAYING WITH FIRE

By Val Abelgas IT WAS not a U-turn, after all, but obviously just a signal to the Chinese that we can go the other way if the situation warrants.

In the past two weeks, Filipinos were left wondering why after more than two years of appeasing China on the territorial dispute over a few islets and reefs on the South China Sea, Philippine government officials seemed to be making a turnaround in their posture toward the country’s giant neighbor. We thought that finally, the Philippine government was making sense and defending the country’s territorial integrity.

President Duterte himself started what looked then as a promising trend when he told China to lay off Pagasa Island following reports from the military’s Western Command that hundreds of Chinese vessels, described as a flotilla of Chinese militia, are swarming the island, a village of Palawan’s Kalayaan town where hundreds of Filipinos live and where the military maintains a small base.

“I will not plead or beg, but I am just telling you to lay off the Pag-asa because I have soldiers there. If you touch it, that’s a different story. I will tell the soldiers ‘prepare for suicide mission’,” Duterte said in a speech.

The comment surprised many observers, coming from a leader who has done everything to please China and who has pursued a policy of appeasement with that nation from the early days of the presidential campaign.

The President’s “lay off Pag-asa” remark triggered a series of unfamiliar, but welcome statements from both Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. and Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo.

“The stand is that it is ours. And they took it. World’s highest court ruled that. Period,” Locsin tweeted. “Now the question is how to take it back. I personally have no fear of war. One attack on a public vessel triggers World War 3 with the USofA which is impervious to attack from Asia,” he added. Locsin also said that the US was and would remain the “only military ally” of the Philippines.

Later, Locsin insisted that the vessels swarming

Pag-asa Island were Chinese poachers and militia, definitely not fishermen as China continues to claim.

And then came a series of warnings from Panelo, who said Philippine sovereignty is “non-negotiable” and that China should immediately respond to a protest that both he and Locsin said had been filed but would not be made public. Panelo then said in another stinging statement that China should respect the 2016 UN tribunal ruling. And more importantly, Panelo stressed that the Philippines owns the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea. Panelo was not done. He later said China should stop harassing Filipino fishermen in waters within Philippine territory and warned that such actions could sour “currently friendly relations” between the two countries. He basically told the Chinese to stop disrupting peace in the South China Sea. Reacting to reports on Tuesday that Chinese vessels were extracting giant clams in the Scarborough Shoal (Panatag Shoal), Panelo such action violates the country’s sovereignty. He further said that the President had “effectively” invoked the UN tribunal ruling when he told China to lay off Pag-asa Island.

He also hinted that Duterte may even bring up the UN ruling during his coming meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

The “salvo” of strong remarks vis-à-vis China was welcomed by many Filipinos, but questions remained as to what set off the sudden U-turn in the South China Sea issue.

The sudden strong reaction came after the reports on the swarming Chinese flotilla, and reached its crescendo when Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lu Kang maintained that the disputed Spratly Islands are within its territory as supported by “sufficient historical and legal basis.”

In March, US State Secretary Mike Pompeo met with the Philippine foreign secretary where he reassured the Philippine government that the US would come to the defense of the country if it came under attack in the South China Sea under the US-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty.

Was it just the reassurance of US defense in case of

military attack, or did something else occur during the meeting with Locsin that prompted the new tack on the South China Sea issue? Or was Duterte just appeasing Filipino voters in time for next month’s midterm elections, knowing that in surveys after surveys, the people have shown an overwhelming distrust for China and a continued trust for Americans?

Malacañang offered us an inkling of what really motivated those unusual remarks that seemed to signal a shift in the Duterte administration’s policy towards China. Just before he left for his fourth visit to China this week, the Palace said in a statement that the President would be seeking more deals with Beijing to boost his ambitious “Build, Build, Build” infrastructure program.

Indeed, during the opening of the second Belt and Road Forum, President Duterte sat down with Chinese President Xi Jinping, telling his host that the occasion gave him “another opportunity to renew and reaffirm our valued relations based on mutual trust, respect and friendship, and must continue to grow strength and meaning in the coming years.”

In response, Xi said he was happy to see PhilippinesChina relations “getting better and better,” referring to Duterte as a “genuine friend” and “trusted partner.”

The two leaders later met in private, which was closed to the press. They were lovey dovey again, as if no incidents occurred in the disputed islands and no strong statements were made against each other.

Obviously, the strong remarks of just a few days ago were made to give the President leverage when he asks for more money for his various big-ticket projects and for more investments from Chinese businessmen.

The President is playing with fire in his dealings with the superpowers US and China. Namamangka sa dalawang ilog, as Filipinos would say. We know what happens to people who play with fire. valabelgas@aol.com Mr. Abelgas is a former managing editor of Manila Standard.

adellechua@gmail.com Rolando G. Estabillo Publisher ManilaStandard

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

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SUNDAY, APRIL 28, 2019 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

2 KNIVES FOUND AT SCHOOL DESK OF JAPANESE PRINCE TOKYO—Two kitchen knives have been found at the school desk of Japan’s Prince Hisahito, grandson of Emperor Akihito, with security camera footage showing a suspicious man trespassing on the grounds, media reported Saturday.

The incident comes as authorities are beefing up security ahead of the popular emperor’s abdication next week after a 30-year reign.

Officials of the Tokyo junior high school found the knives Friday at the desk used daily by the 12-year-old prince, public broadcaster NHK and other news reports said, quoting unnamed investigators.

Hisahito, who began attending the school this month, was not in the classroom when the knives are believed to have been left.

There were no reports of any injuries or damage at the school, the reports said, adding that police did not find any threatening note related to the case.

Security camera footage showed a man with a helmet trespassing on the school grounds at around noon, they said.

Police were searching for the middle-aged man who was dressed as a construction worker.

A police spokeswoman declined to comment while no immediate confirmation was available from the school.

Threats to the imperial family are relatively rare. In 1975, Akihito was almost hit by a Molotov cocktail in Okinawa, a major World War II battlefield where there was strong anti-emperor sentiment. AFP

Cesar Barrioquinto, Editor / Jimbo Gulle, Issue Editor

15 DEAD IN SRI LANKA RAID ON ISLAMIST LAIR

C

OLOMBO, Sri Lanka— Fifteen people including six children have died during a Sri Lankan security forces operation in the aftermath of the Easter attacks, as three cornered suicide bombers blew themselves up and others were shot dead, police said Saturday.

The three men set off explosives, also killing three women and six children inside what was believed to a jihadist safe house near the eastern town of Kalmunai on Friday night.

“Three other men, also believed to be suicide bombers, were found dead outside the house,” police said in a statement, adding that they had been shot.

Police backed by troops exchanged fire with those inside the house for over an hour, a military official said, adding that the bodies were

recovered early Saturday following a search operation.

Security forces have stepped up their searches for extremists after the Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the suicide attacks on three churches and three luxury hotels, which killed least 253 people and wounded hundreds more.

The joint operation between the police and the army was carried out following a tip-off that those responsible were holed up in a built-up area of Kalmunai, 370 kilometers (230 miles) east of the capital.

There were no casualties among the security forces, the police said.

The government has admitted major intelligence lapses, although Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said he was unaware of any warnings ahead of the attacks, in a sign of the rift between him and President Maithripala Sirisena.

“If we had any inkling, and we had not taken action, I would have handed in my resignation immediately,” he told the BBC. “But what do you do when you are out of the loop?”

Sirisena tried to sack Wickremesinghe last year, and experts believe the feud could have played a part in Sri Lanka’s failure to act on intelligence warnings given weeks before the attacks.

Friday’s clashes came hours after the security forces raided a nearby location where they believe Islamist radicals recorded a video pledge to Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi before carrying out the Easter bombings.

Police said they found an IS flag and uniforms similar to those worn by the eight fighters for the video before they launched the attacks. IS released the video two days after the attacks.

The head of a local extremist group, Zahran Hashim, who appeared in the video, was killed at one of the Colombo hotels targeted, the Shangri-La. He was accompanied by a second bomber identified as Ilham Ibrahim.

Authorities had been desperately searching for Hashim after naming his group, National Thowheeth Jama’ath (NTJ), as the perpetrators of the attack, but announced Friday he had been killed in the hotel bombing.

DNA tests are being done on a severed head to conclusively establish that it is Hashim’s, officials said. AFP

BETTING HEATS UP ON BRITAIN’S NEW ROYAL BABY GIRL

LONDON—Prince Harry and his wife Meghan’s baby will be a girl called Diana born at home early next month— or so say the odds being offered by British bookmakers.

As royal watchers await the couple’s first baby, punters are having a flutter on its gender, whether it will have Harry’s ginger hair, when it will be born, and, of course, the name.

It should be an even chance, but betting firms are convinced the baby, who will be seventh in line to the throne, will be a girl.

Bookmakers William Hill priced the odds on a girl as low as 2/5, which means betting £5 to win £2 implying a five in seven chance of it being the correct outcome.

But punters have still been piling on big money, forcing the chain to suspend taking bets on April 9.

“In a normal market, that means people know,” said William Hill spokesman Rupert Adams, adding that the only other possibility was that gamblers were simply following other people’s bets, assuming the secret was out.

“I would be astonished if it’s not a girl,” he said.

The odds on a red-haired baby are 3/1.

The name of Harry’s mother, tragically killed in a 1997 car crash, has captivated punters. AFP

VIETNAM COPS BUST $1B ILLEGAL ONLINE GAMBLING RING HANOI, Vietnam—Police in Vietnam broke up an online gambling ring that had handled more than $1 billion in bets and arrested 22 people, reports said Saturday, in what is believed to be the largest-ever internet betting operation in the communist country.

Most forms of gambling are illegal for locals in Vietnam but black market betting flourishes, especially on sports.

Massive raids in cities and provinces across the country this week came after the discovery of hundreds of thousands of accounts tied to a ring processing an estimated $1.28 billion in funds, staterun Thanh Nien newspaper said.

The gambling ring was operating in a “sophisticated manner that had been so difficult to detect”, the report said, citing police sources.

It explained that gamblers who visited the website Fxx88.com were asked to deposit cash into banks in exchange for virtual money in coded accounts, mostly for football betting.

The accused hid the scope of the funds by using bank accounts with small amounts of money to conduct transactions.

So far a total of 22 people have been arrested including 12 organizers, police said.

Authorities declined to comment when asked for additional details.

The one-party state has started loosening its rules on domestic gambling, allowing Vietnamese to bet in casinos on a trial basis and opening up some sports betting.

But lucrative illegal operations have mushroomed, prompting a crackdown. AFP

RIGHTS DEFENDER. An indigenous man performs a ritual at a protest camp in Brasilia, Brazil, on Thursday. Thousands of indigenous people decorated with traditional feathers and body paint converged on Brazil’s capital Wednesday to defend hard-won land rights many fear could be eroded by far-right President Jair Bolsonaro. AFP

SHADOW OF SANCTIONS LOOMS LARGEST OVER VENEZUELA’S SICK CARACAS, Venezuela—In sanctions-scourged Venezuela, the sick suffer the most.

Five-year-old Zabdiel needs a bone marrow transplant. Venezuela’s government has stopped paying his treatment, blaming sanctions by the United States— which is set to add an oil embargo Sunday.

Zabdiel’s case is common in Venezuela, where families want answers as their sick children await life-saving transplants.

The child’s lymphoblastic leukemia is a nightmare made all the more acute because he has had to be treated with out-of-date medi-

cines -- the only drugs available in Venezuela. He has already suffered a relapse and his transplant cannot wait.

“In December, we were called by the oil company PDVSA to tell us that everything was ready, that there was a donor in Italy. And then in January, they told me my son could not leave because of the economic blockade, because there’s no more money,” said his mother Ani Camacho, in tears.

PDVSA, the state oil company, runs a key humanitarian assistance program for transplant cases. It was directly targeted by US sanctions last month, and said

the lives of 25 patients, mostly children, who were transferred to Rome to receive bone marrow were at risk.

Socialist President Nicolas Maduro accuses the US sanctions of being responsible for blocking PDVSA’s “humanitarian assistance” program. From Sunday the US will no longer buy Venezuelan crude, an additional attempt to economically suffocate Maduro’s regime.

But the shortages of medicines and medical equipment pre-date the first sanctions applied in 2017.

The fall in oil prices in recent years has had a major impact.

“Before the blockade, this was

already coming, a decline, a lack of government,” said Ani, 40.

Enfeebled by his illness, Zabdiel interacts little with the outside world. With a handful of Lego pieces, an aquarium and a television, his parents are trying to rescue his childhood.

According to Venezuelan consultancy Ecoanalitica, imports of crude by the United States that topped $66 billion in 2012 were worth only $7.8 billion this year before the embargo.

It is sure to worsen the crisis in a country that relies on oil exports for 96 percent of its revenues, with the US its main customer. AFP

TRUMP, MEDIA IN OPEN WAR ON ANNUAL US DINNER DATE

PEEKABOO? Artist Jaume Plensa’s ‘Behind the Walls’ is on display at Rockefeller Center on 5th Avenue in New York on Thursday during a press preview of the inaugural Frieze Sculpture at Rockefeller Center. The public art installation features 20 sculptures from 14 local and international artist. Works appear in a variety of indoor and outdoor locations throughout the Center including Rockefeller Plaza, the Channel Gardens, the Rink at Rockefeller Center, North Plaza, and South Esplanade. AFP

WASHINGTON — It’s meant to be the annual Washington love-in, a dinner where White House journalists and the president yuck it up in a hotel ballroom. But this Saturday, President Donald Trump will stand up his dates.

Members of the White House Correspondents’ Association, or WHCA, will be decked out in bow ties and gowns at the downtown Washington Hilton.

Trump, however, will be 685 miles (1100 kilometers) away in Green Bay, Wisconsin, for a rally with his baseball cap-wearing supporters.

And he’s almost guaranteed to devote a portion of his speech — like most of his speeches — to haranguing the “fake news media” or “enemy of the people.”

Although there’s nothing obligatory about attending WHCA dinners, presidents have usually done so at

some point during their time in office every year since the inaugural version in 1921.

Ronald Reagan was the last absentee in 1981 and he had a decent excuse: being recently shot in an assassination attempt.

Trump, however, has boycotted what he calls the “boring” and “negative” party for three years in a row — his entire presidency so far.

The gala used to be a glamorous affair where hundreds of journalists, Hollywood celebrities and the president were entertained by a top-drawer comedian or other talent.

Now the celebs have drained away and this year even the comedian is missing. A presidential historian, Ron Chernow, will deliver the main speech instead. AFP

Images

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SUNDAY, APRIL 28, 2019 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

HOT IN THE CITY. Street kids beat the summer heat at a water fountain in Binondo, Manila.

Lino Santos

WORLD-CLASS. Philippines’ Natalierose Uy competes during the pole vault women event during the third day of the 23rd Asian Athletics Championships at Khalifa International Stadium in the Qatari capital Doha on April 23. AFP

ELUSIVE JUSTICE. Family members and friends gather at the Commission on Human Rights to mark the 12th anniversary of the forced disappearance of farmer-activist Jonas Burgos. Manny Palmero

HANDS OFF OUR CLAMS. Protesters display paper-shaped clams and placards during a rally in front of the Department of Foreign Affairs. The protesters urged President Rodrigo Duterte to confront the Chinese President on the alleged illegal harvesting of clams by Chinese fishermen in the Scarborough Shoal. AFP

S O T O PH F THE O EEK W

AFTER THE QUAKE. Rescue workers tend to a victim in Porac, Pampanga, after a powerful earthquake hit northern Philippines on April 22. AFP

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SUNDAY, APRIL 28, 2019

Riera U. Mallari, Editor sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

Sports

PAL INTERCLUB REAPS BIG ECONOMIC BENEFITS

HE Philippine Airlines Interclub Golf Tournament—or PAL Interclub—is acknowledged as the longest-running amateur team golf championship in the Philippines.

The 72nd edition held in Cebu this February and March 2019 assembled a record 101 teams for the Seniors Tournament, breaching the one-hundred mark for the first time, and 77 teams for the Men’s Regular Tournament.

A total of 60 “International” teams— whose players hail from far away countries—represented more than half of the teams at the Seniors Tournament, indicating the global lure of the PAL Interclub. The roster for both Seniors and Men’s tournaments included teams and golfers from San Francisco, Vancouver, Los Angeles, Riyadh, Guam, Sydney, Honolulu, New York, Hong Kong, Guam, Melbourne, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, London, Auckland, Haneda and Toronto.

Economic dividends for the country

With its huge following, the PAL Interclub has helped to boost the local economy in the Philippine cities that serve as tournament venues—Bacolod, Cebu, Davao, Cagayan de Oro and Clark. More than a thousand participants converge yearly in the designated host city, engaging in various tourism activities before, during and after the tournament.

This is what we now call “sports tourism,” as local and foreign players and their families pour welcome revenues into the coffers of the local governments, the host communities and their respective tourism and entertainment sectors. Golfers, traveling with families and friends, help support the livelihood of Filipino workers and businesses at hotels, restaurants, shopping centers, resorts, golf courses, tour organizers, car rentals, souvenir stands, event venues, airports and more.

Cebu-based blogger Nimrod Quiñones, who is currently general manager of Alta Vista Golf and Country Club, estimates that more than P36 million was pumped into the local economy during the recent 72nd PAL Interclub in Cebu. “Sports is one of the best ways to bring people together and when people gather, it means money will be spent,” said Quiñones.

The 72nd PAL Interclub reportedly pumped more than P36 million into the local economy of host city Cebu last February. Shown in photo are (left to right) PAL Area Manager-Mindanao Sales Victor Suarez, PAL President and COO Jaime J. Bautista, Alta Vista General Manager and journalist Nimrod Quiñones, and PAL SAVP Metro Manila & Luzon Sales Genaro ‘Bong’ Velasquez.

anticipation. Every time PAL comes here for the Interclub, it is fiesta time in Bacolod.” Bacolod City was the triumphant venue for the 71st Interclub in 2018.

Tomas Iñigo, the new general manager of Rancho Palos Verdes Golf and Country Club in Davao, said— “The PAL Interclub always has a positive impact on Davao—from the food industry, to hotels, to caddies, everyone benefits from the arrival of golfers in Davao. Activities are abuzz not just at the golf courses but throughout the city.

The city comes alive, much like a twoweek festival.”

Contending with fully booked hotels and restaurants as well as entertainment venues, some communities have their hands full in catering to PAL Interclub business and thus resort to importing workers from adjacent communities.

When the Interclub goes to Bacolod, caddies from nearby Iloilo hop on the ferry to ensure golfers get ably assisted at the courses. In Cebu, souvenir makers and hawkers from as far as Danao, Talisay, Naga or Carcar flock to Metro Cebu to offer their wares during the Interclub.

That’s the magnitude of the economic ripple of the PAL Interclub to these host cities; one side of the Interclub legacy that local communities appreciate. It is thus no surprise that the Philippine Sport Tourism Awards nominated the PAL Interclub for the International Event of the Year as well as Event Sponsorship of the Year awards in 2018, while awarding the 2018 Airline of the Year top honors to host carrier Philippine Airlines.

As Quiñones explains: “There are 101 teams of eight players each playing in the Seniors’ division, starting from the threeday practice rounds onto the four-day tournament proper. Let us round it off to 800 players plus probably 400 more people travelling with them. Let us not include the cost of their airline tickets, and just have a conservative estimate that each of the 1,200 people gathered for the event will spend P30,000 for the week.

That alone is already P36 million spent at the golf courses, hotels, restaurants, department stores, on transportation, bars, medicine and many more.”

Livelihood Boost

Eyeing these economic benefits from sports tourism, local governments look forward to hosting the PAL Interclub.

Bacolod City Mayor Bing Leonardia said: “Whenever we’re told the PAL Interclub is coming to Bacolod, it creates so much

Famous tourist destinations like The Ruins in Bacolod are some of the places visited by the players and their families after participating in the PAL Interclub Golf Tournament.

AC TRIPLE A-2 WINS MCC MEGA 9-COCK TITLE

Team AC Triple A-2 with MCC Operations Manager, Mr. Rolly Ramos (2nd from left); MCC President, Mr. Ding Magboo (5th from left); and MCC Game Management Head, Mr. Paolo Guevara (rightmost).

CARMONA–Manila Cockers Club, Inc. (MCC), the country’s cockfighting industry game changer, successfully concluded its Mega 9-Cock Championship Derby last April 15, with Triple A-2 emerging as champion.

The event was held at the world-class Cockers Arena, San Lazaro Leisure Park (SLLP) in Carmona, Cavite.

Marlon Matias and Jovito Jamelano of team AC Triple A-2 claimed their first solo title, besting the entries of other World Pitmaster and Slasher Cup participants which include Atty. Carlos Tumpalan, Don Mauro Prieto, Honey Yu, Rey Morla, Rey Briones, Rod Advincula, Cong. Amado Bagatsing, Cong. Arnie Teves, Teng Rañola, Buddy Robrigado, and Henry Chua, among others.

A total of P2.5 million participating breeders assistance fund was awarded to

the solo champion.

Before qualifying for the derby, players had to participate in at least four (4) 7-cock championships of MCC held from January to March 2019. This ensures that the quality of matches and excellent standards of the Club are maintained in every event.

MCC is set to continue its exciting slate of derbies in the coming months of May to July, the remaining leg of the open cock season.

Each will have a guaranteed breeders participating fund of Php4.5 million. All events will have a weight limit of 1.850kgs to 2.400kgs, open to all cocks and bullstags.

To learn how you can join MCC and its exciting derbies, you may call our hotline at (02)696 1120 or (63)917 582 2615; you may also visit our website, www.manilacockers.com.

SUNLIFE TRIATHLON TODAY IN CEBU

By Reuel Vidal NAGA CITY, Cebu—This one’s for this city and its children.

Sun Life Financial Philippines partnered with the City of Naga and Sunrise Events to hold the Sun Life 5150 Triathlon Cebu along with the Go For Gold (GFG) Sunrise Sprint today April 28, 2019 at the Boardwalk of the City of Naga, Cebu.

Mayor Kristine Chiong said the City of Naga will host the twin events as part of its recovery and healing from the deadly landslide which ravaged the city last year.

Hosting the event will bring positivity and unity to the community, the mayor said.

The event will also promote Naga before a global audience and challenge the city and its inhabitants to host world class activities.

For its part, Sun Life Financial Philippines partnered with the city to promote a healthy lifestyle and financial security.

Sun Life launched TV and entertainment personality Enchong Dee’s Palangoy ni Enchong yesterday here for the benefit of needy but deserving children.

“I see myself in these children.

I remember having so much fun whenever I went swimming during vacations. Swimming is a celebration. It’s what’s given to poor children like me for birthday parties and other events,” said Dee. The Olympic distance Sun Life 5150 Triathlon Cebu race includes a 1.5km swim, a 40km bike and a 10 km run. The Sunrise Sprint includes a 750m swim, a 20km bike and a 5km run.

The two short distance triathlon races are ideal for newbies to triathlon as well as those who have graduated from the IRONKIDS races but are still into the sport.

To ensure the safety of the participants and their smooth conclusion, the races will be held within Naga.

Professional triathletes Sam Betten, Dan Brown and Mitch Robins of Australia as well Guam standout Manami Iijima will vie for the $10,000 prize money.

There will also be a Cebu Team Challenge presented by TriLife magazine. One team will consist of five age groupers, regardless of gender, with the winners to be crowned as the Best Tri Team of Cebu.

Other SEI-organized and produced events this year are the Century Ironman 70.3 Subic on June 2, the Penong’s 5150 Davao on July 7, the Regent Aguila IRONMAN 70.3 Philippines on Aug. 11, the Black Arrow Express 5150 Subic on Oct. 27 and the Sun Life Cycle PH in November.

Sun Life Financial Philippines advocates healthy and fun activities as well as helping people achieve lifetime financial security. Sun Life Financial in the Philippines offers a wide range of services that include Life Insurance, Accidental Insurance, Pension Plans, Education Plans and Mutual Funds.

WARRIORS ON WHEELCHAIRS

By Arman D. Armero

WARRIORS aren’t always strong, able-bodied men with superior fighting skills that can reduce mere mortals to rubble.

There, too, are ordinary men—and women— who choose to rise from their physical limitations with admirable grit, courage, and an indomitable warrior spirit.

Welcome to the world of Pilipinas Lady Warriors, a group of differently-abled young women who have committed to be part of a women’s basketball team—on wheelchairs.

Fate may have dealt Patricia Camille Castro, Cecille Naceno, Kymberlee Dangayo and Jean de los Reyes an unfortunate hand, but they have chosen to accept their lot, move on, and become productive citizens of society through a sport they have chosen to embrace.

Camille, Cecille, Kymberlee and Jean are the core members of the Pilipinas Lady Warriors national women’s wheelchair team, formed only

a month ago but with the lofty goal of one day representing the country in an international wheelchair basketball competition.

The team is coached by Vernon Perea and assistant Harry Solanoy, who are also handling the country’s men’s basketball wheelchair team.

“These four women have different inspiring stories to tell and I believe they best represent the character of the team. They are also the best people to convince their fellow women PWDs to join the team,” said Vernon.

But while the coaches’ role is to train and hone the skills of these courageous young women, the task of managing the team fell into the lap of Nina Castro, whose own story is as inspiring as those of her wards.

A cancer survivor, Nina was thrust into the job as team manager, not only because she happens to be the mother of Patricia Camille (an amputee) and DJ (clubbed foot), a member of the men’s wheelchair basketball team), but because of her extensive background in media,

sales and marketing and politics, having worked as a technical assistant in Malacañang Palace a few years back.

Nina hit the ground running and after only a few days, was able to secure needed support for the team’s first international event, the 2nd International Wheelchair Basketball Federation Asia Oceania Women’s Development Camp held at the National Paralympic Training Centre in Suphan Buri, Thailand, participated in by a total of 70 PWDs from ten countries.

In Thailand, the Warriors interacted with their fellow PWD-athletes and impressed other participants from Nepal, Bangladesh, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Cambodia, Laos, Australia and India with their basketball skills.

Nina says for wheelchair basketball, the team needs a ‘lighter’ wheelchair that is easy to maneuver and is customized to fit the player’s body frame.

Nina found the right wheelchairs for her team through the internet —the Matsunada

Members of the Pilipinas Lady Warriors women’s wheelchair basketball team and their coaches are shown, namely (from left) head coach Vernon Perea and players Patricia Camille Castro, Cecille Naceno, Kymberlee Dangayo and Jean delos Reyes, with assistant coach Harry Solanoy (extreme right). brand—in Japan.

Each wheelchair costs around P214,000 or nearly three million for the projected 12 members of the team.

Aside from the wheelchairs, Nina also has to look for venues for the team’s practices, a specialized ball, uniforms, transportation allowances and other logistic, not to mention

that they also need to ‘convince’ other women PWDs to try out and join the team.

But the mother of two PWDs isn’t fazed by it all. Her mind, as do the rest of the team, is focused on the goal of helping the Pilipinas Warriors realize their dream to someday proudly carry the Philippine flag in an international competition.

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SUNDAY, APRIL 28, 2019

Business

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

FILIPINO PR EXECUTIVE NAMED BEST IN ASEAN

Employees of NCH Philippines turn into volunteers

US FIRM TURNS WORKERS INTO GLOBAL VOLUNTEERS

By Alena Mae S. Flores

N

CH Corp., a global leader in industrial and commercial maintenance products and services since 1919, is celebrating its 100th anniversary focusing on “giving back” and completing 100 community service projects worldwide by yearend.

The US company is promoting volunteerism and asked employees from 50 countries to volunteer their time with at least two organizations in honor of NCH’s 100th anniversary.

NCH Philippines joins the entire NCH family in the celebration and has lined up activities to attain the company’s goal.

“NCH Cares is one of the biggest worldwide corporate social responsibility projects of NCH Corp. in its history. NCH launched a collective effort for all its 55 subsidiaries worldwide to contribute and actively volunteer for two SR programs to 100 non-profit organizations. Its goal is to have a historic 100 community service projects completed by the end of 2019,” NCH Philippines chief executive Rod Arellano said.

The company is rolling out 100 seeding preparation at the Haribon Foundation’s Buhay Punlaan and is planting 100 trees.

“NCH Philippines believes in giving, sharing and supporting. We have organized volunteer service for several orphanages. During severe calamities, we offer our products free of charge and even with our customers, we make sure we are good partners through good and bad weather,” Arellano said.

Arellano said CSR activities are very important for NCH, as more than 30 community service projects have already been undertaken by NCH companies in different regions like the US and South America, Europe and Asia in the first quarter alone, with over 100 hours of services.

In Thailand, NCH in cooperation with Foundation for Environmental Education for Sustainable Development Thailand, organized Mangrove Reforestation activity in January at Bangpu Recreation Center, Samut Prakarn Province, Thailand.

The Mangrove reforestation involved 60 employees who participated and united their

efforts in cultivating 180 mangrove trees which are expected to restore the forest. The trees would protect the area from drought and flood.

NCH is founded by businessman Milton Levy in 1919. Levy’s three sons—Lester, Milton Jr. and Irvin—started working in the company warehouse and shipping areas as teenagers.

Today, NCH distributes to more than 50 countries with an extensive and varied product line. The leadership of the company remains in the hands of the Levy family, descendants of the founder.

The company has been providing effective, excellent and environment-friendly products, good and honest business practice on the walls of all NCH offices over the world for the past 100 years and “this company exists because of its people,” Arellano said.

“Operating in different countries with different environments and cultures is finding that people need the same thing—everyone needs a degreaser, everyone needs lubricants but the key is being a reliable company that provides solutions that meet local and international standards,” Arellano said.

The company also takes pride in its commitment to honesty and good business ethics.

Arellano said NCH is excited about prospects for the future after reaching the 100-year milestone this year.

“We will make NCH the one-stop shop for cleaning water, conserving energy, maintaining equipment in the next 100 years,” he said.

He said NCH Philippines is also looking at expansion opportunities in the Philippines, confident of the country’s continued economic growth.

“We intend to put up a satellite plant in Davao City for this fiscal year to serve the growing number of customers in the southern part of the Philippines,” Arellano said.

NCH was founded in 1919 in Dallas, Texas and has global headquarters in Irving, Texas.

The company has $1 billion in annual sales and employs 8,000 individuals, with branch offices and manufacturing plants across 50 countries with an extensive and varied product line. It focuses on commercial, industrial and infrastructure businesses.

BIG QUAKE AND SUBSTANDARD STEEL THREATEN METRO MANILA TOWERS

THE powerful earthquakes that rattled Metro Manila, Central Luzon, Eastern Visayas and Mindanao last week should serve as a serious reminder on the need to build disaster-resilient structures to prevent the unnecessary loss of lives, two incumbent senators and two former ones said.

Former senator Nikki Coseteng brought to the fore continued use of substandard steel bars, particularly in high-rise buildings and crucial government infrastructures such as airports and mass transport. She advocated for more stringent measures to be adopted by the government to ensure that all steel products in the country are safe to use.

Veteran lawmaker and current senatorial candidate Juan Ponce Enrile called for a more rigid building code and echoed calls made by Senators Panfilo Lacson and Koko Pimentel for stricter testing and labelling of construction products, namely cement and steel products, given that the Philippines lies on the so-called Pacific “Ring of Fire”—a seismically active arc of volcanos and fault lines in the Pacific Basin.

“Considering that our country has suffered from an inexhaustible number of deadly typhoons, earthquakes, volcano eruptions and other natural calamities, it is

imperative that our structures are sturdy and disasters resilient,” Lacson said.

Good news, bad news The good news is that the Department of Trade and Industry has displayed good foresight by gradually moving to standardize the manufacture and labeling of quality steel reinforcing bars, particularly for high-rise buildings. Industry sources revealed that the DTI would implement the distinct embossing on each rebar of the steel grade of a product to properly identify its quality within the year.

This follows a law filed earlier this year by Congressman Scott Davies Lanete (House Bill 8871) seeking more stringent labeling, testing, enforcement and penalties, among others, for steel rebars.

The labeling, or “embossing” of grades which reflect the actual type of steel, is a welcome move, industry observers say, as well as much needed reforms reportedly in the works, namely “cyclic loading tests” for locally manufactured steel rebars, which calls for these to be subjected to repeated, fluctuating intensity stress tests; and minimal steel-grade requirements (grade 60) for rebars to be used in high-rise buildings and other major infrastructure.

The bad news is that the reforms may not be able to address the danger faced by the plethora of high-rise buildings that have risen, particularly in Metro Manila over the past ten years, when the “big one” hits.

Many of these buildings, direc t beneficiaries of the property boom over the past ten years, including mushrooming government infrastructure such as airports and mass transport facilities, were built using substandard steel rebars sold using the color-coded labeling process.

A major controversy in the industry over the past decades have been steelmakers who market their supposedly tested and

correctly-labeled rebars as grade 60 in strength when they are only grade 40.

Experts agree that such practices put into question the structural integrity of high rise edifices during times of a major earthquake. In other seismic-prone countries, the testing grades can be up to 80 to 100. The Philippine government has been slow to adopt this safety-driven process and has simply relied on using painted marks to identify rebar types over the past decade. This has been a source of fraud in the industry as the paint can be erased or painted with another color.

More alarmingly, a leading Turn to C2

Grupo Agatep chairman and CEO Charlie Agatep

GRUPO Agatep chairman and chief executive Charlie Agatep has been conferred the Best PR Practitioner in Asean at this year’s Asean PR Excellence Awards held on April 29 at the Hilton Kuching in Sarawak, Malaysia.

The award was given to Agatep for his outstanding achievements as a public relations professional, an illustrious career spanning more than five decades and for his passion to continuously inspire new generations of PR practitioners.

Organized by the Asean PR Network and Institute PR Malaysia with support from the Sarawak State and the Global Alliance for Public Relations and Communication Management, the Asean PR Excellence Awards brings together PR professionals from around the world to celebrate the best and the brightest in public relations in the past year.

“I feel extremely privileged to be given this award. It gives me more reasons to continue the practice of good PR as part of building brands, and ultimately, of building the nation.

I would like to express my gratitude to the Asean Public Relations Network for this recognition,” said Agatep.

While Agatep is widely known as a pillar of the PR and communication industry, not many knew that his first job after returning from Boston University was as program director of Alto Broadcasting System, Channel 3 in 1953, which later became ABS-CBN. Then he worked as an advertising and PR executive of Sterling Products International, Esso Standard Fertilizer and finally assistant vice president for PR of Mobil Oil Philippines and Mobil Micronesia.

Following Mobil’s divestment in the Philippines in 1983, Agatep set up a one-man PR consultancy which was incorporated as Agatep Associates in 1988, rebranded to Havas PR Agatep in 2000 and finally rebranded again to Grupo Agatep in 2016. The company is an integrated marketing and digital communications agency which he continues to lead today.

From 1955 to 1978, Agatep taught PR, Communication Arts a n d Ph o to J o u r n a l i s m at t h e Faculty of Philosophy and Letters, University of Santo Tomas where he mentored students like Joe Burgos, Francisco ‘Kit’ Tatad, Jake M a c a s a e t , Pa t G o n z a l e s, R o y Acosta, Jullie Yap Daza, Andy del Rosario, Gualberto Lumauig, Mart del Rosario, Hermen A zarcon, Greg Macabenta, Elinando Cinco, Cornelio de Guzman, Diego Cagahastian and many others.

Agatep’s many contributions to the advancement of the PR industry in the country has earned him numerous accolades throughout his career, including the Gawad Panday Award, the highest award conferred by the Public Relations Society of the Philippines to a PR professional, the 2006 PR Professional of the Year award at the Asia Pacific PR Awards, the 2006 IABC Communication Excellence in Organizations (CEO Excel) award and the 2018 AMIC Asia Communication Award for Transformative Leadership given in Kamataka, India.

Business

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SUNDAY, APRIL 28, 2019 business@manilastandard.net

CLARK SET TO OPEN WIDE BIKE LANES CYCLING enthusiasts will soon experience more convenient and accessible routes in Clark Freeport Zone as Clark Development Corp. started the construction of bike paths.

The CDC Engineering Services said the bike paths would be three meter-wide with two lanes. These will be along main thoroughfares in the Freeport including M.A. Roxas Highway, C.M. Recto Highway, Friendship Gate to Jose Abad Santos Ave. and around the Parade Grounds. Additional traffic signages and blinking lights warning will be put up to ensure a safer and more convenient ride as motorists and bike enthusiasts alike traverse parallel and intersecting roads in the Freeport.

The provision of bike lanes is seen to pave the way for both bike enthusiasts and employees to go to their work on bikes while helping promote a healthy lifestyle and reduce carbon dioxide emission.

Abel Carreon, one of the ride leaders in the 2nd Clark Cycling Challenge, underscored the importance of having bike racks to ensure the safety of bikers.

Edna Eufemio, organizer of the 2nd Clark Cycling Challenge said the provision of bike lanes and the conduct of the various sportsrelated events in Clark would help promote the Freeport not only as a biking route but also as a tourism destination.

Aside from being a preferred location for various sports-related activities, Clark Freeport is viewed as a destination where people can enjoy open spaces with walkable, bikeable, green and resilient roads.

AMAIA’S NEW PROJECT RISES IN BINANGONAN PROPERTY developer Amaia Land Corp. will soon launch an exclusive residential project in Binangonan, Rizal—a development that is set to bring fine contemporary living to this formerly sleepy town east of Metro Manila.

Located in Barangay Tatala in Binangonan, the 35,900-square-meter project will offer 309 spacious and masterfully designed units.

The 50-sqm, two-story single-detached home will cost P1.4 million to P1.5 million.

As in other Amaia developments, the soon-to-rise Amaia residential village will provide residents with access to functional amenities such as a basketball court, a swimming pool, a village pavilion and a children’s play area.

“Amaia Land proposes yet another top-notch development for aspiring homeowners, this time right in the heart of Rizal. This shows that we are committed to sustaining our momentum in bringing quality and affordable living closer to more Filipinos,” said Raizel Matibag of Amaia Land.

Amaia Land brings the dream of owning affordable and sustainable homes closer to hardworking Filipinos through easy payment options: cash, deferred cash, and bank financing.

Amaia continues to offer its homeowners affordable and sustainable developments that aim to elevate the Filipino living experience in a well-served environment.

PHILRICE SUPPORTS IPOPHL’S PROGRAM THE Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines has secured support from Philippine Rice Research Center for its strategic ‘end-to-end’ support program for IP creators—the ‘Mind2Market’ program.

The two agencies signed a memorandum of understanding on April 26 during the IP Convergence forum before 200 attendees from the intellectual property community.

Philrice is the first government agency to join the Mind2Market Program, essentially agreeing to be part of the official network of agencies to support IP owners through IP creation, IP protection and IP utilization. “ The Mind2Market program spans support throughout the full intellectual property cycle, from creation to utilization [commercialization]. We made a pledge to hand-hold the IP creators from assisting them at that crucial cross-over through what the IP community calls ‘the valley of death’ between creation, protection and utilization,” said IPOPhl documentation, information and technology transfer bureau director Mary Grace Cruz-Yap. “But no one agency can tackle all the needs of an intellectual property owner, and that’s why we’re building a network of government agencies to shepherd IP owners through the IP life cycle,” said Yap. The flagship program operates on interagency cooperation, allowing government agencies to come in and lend their agencyspecific support in any of the three stages.

BIG QUAKE... FromC1 industry player that has stridently advocated for color-coding of rebars instead of embossing — and has been unloading thousands of these mis-labeled rebars in the market— recently claimed that it had built over 50 percent of the high rise buildings in Metro Manila during much of the same period.

Last week’s earthquakes measured 5.6 to 6.0 intensity (Richter scale) at the epicenters, respectively, and left at least 19 dead and more than 80 people injured. The terrible structural damage to buildings in Pampanga and the Visayas happened at only intensity 4. If an earthquake at intensity 8 hit Metro Manila, over half of the high-rise buildings in the metropolis would be flattened due to the substandard steel used in construction.

Mis-labeling of rebars “Call this a signal from heaven, if you will, but these tremors simply stress the need to build better and safer structures. We should always think of safety first,” said Coseteng.

Enrile agreed, noting that the deadly impact of recent tremors should be a warning for future instances of stronger earthquakes especially in Metro Manila.

Referring to what officials of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology call the “Big One”, Enrile warned that buildings and other infrastructure might collapse, “definitely a deadly calamity.”

Meanwhile, a prominent newspaper columnist called for a serious post mortem of the damaged buildings in Pampanga and other provinces rocked by the quakes to see

J

TRAINEES FIND HOPE IN BEAUTY

OAN Mararac had big dreams when she was young. She wanted to work abroad to earn for her family, then return to the Philippines to set up her own restaurant.

However, getting pregnant prevented her from pursuing her dreams. She stayed in the country instead, taking care of her two kids. Determined to get a job, Mararac ended up as a cashier in several establishments despite having a degree in Business Administration. Eventually, she stopped working and her husband, an overseas Filipino worker, became the sole provider for the family.

Discouraged and overwhelmed with marital problems and motherhood responsibilities, Mararac lost confidence in herself. Thankfully, her training through the L’Oreal Philippines Inc.’s ‘Beauty for a Better Life’ program gave her hope and restored her self-worth and self-esteem.

Mararac is one of the 23 beneficiaries of BFBL Batch 6 who received training in haircare and makeup. Aside from lectures and hands-on training, Mararac and her fellow trainees underwent internship at L’Oreal partner-salons.

“I had difficulty managing my time because I had to juggle the training and caring for my kids. But I pushed through with the training because it gave me purpose and direction that I am more than just a mother, I can still have a dream. The training also helped me regain confidence and trust in myself,” said Mararac.

Graduating at the top of the class, Mararac and her fellow trainees also received starter kits that would enable them to launch their own small businesses. They were joined by BFBL alumni who received their Technical Education and Skills Development Authority national certificate.

“After this training, I will work on getting a Tesda national certificate. I am also going to put up my own home service salon to earn money for my family,” said Mararac.

Building confidence Under the program, L’Oreal Philippines in partnership with PBSP trains community members on beauty and hairdressing techniques as well as personality development and financial literacy. The

Joan Mararac is one of the 23 beneficiaries of ‘Beauty for a Better Life’ Batch 6 who received training on hairdressing and beauty techniques, personality development and financial literacy from L’ Oreal and Philippine Business for Social Progress. Graduating at the top of her class, Mararac also received a starter kit to put up her own small business.

three-month training includes hands-on exercises and internship at L’Oreal partner-salons. In fact, some trainees went to work for L’Oreal partner salons after graduating.

“Other L’Oreal countries run their BFBL for specific sectors of society like out-of-school youth or single mothers. But here in the Philippines, we decided to go back to the heart of the community which is the barangay. We are the only country implementing BFBL in a community-based program which caters to men and women alike,” said Carmel Valencia, corporate communications director of L’Oreal Philippines.

Launched in April 2017 in the Philippines, BFBL has already trained around 130 men and women from Barangay Sto. Niño and Barangay Jesus dela Peña in Marikina City. Most trainees were unemployed and never thought that they would have a chance to learn a new skill, but BFBL helped them realize that there are still opportunities for them. Now, more than 60 of the graduates are

employed or already have their own salon or home service business.

In the third year of Beauty for a Better Life Project, L’Oreal and PBSP will continue the training to benefit 225 men and women in Barangay Sto. Rosario Kanluran in Pateros; Barangay Western Bicutan in Taguig; and Barangay Bagong Nayon in Antipolo City.

“The BFBL program is our way of expanding the way people see beauty. We want people to see that beauty is a way to drive social progress.

That it is not just a service or product you buy in a store but something that can change lives,” said Valencia.

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.

MOBER AND GLOBE DRIVE SMALL BUSINESSES TO SUCCESS SENDING products to various places can be a hassle for most small businesses that may not have the resources to buy their own trucks or which simply want to avoid the heavy traffic that drivers and commuters in the metropolis face every day.

As a solution to the problem, Dennis Ng founded Mober, a Filipino tech startup that offers an on-demand mobile platform for same-day delivery services, thereby providing cost-effective, safe and fast logistical assistance for small businesses.

In 2015, Mober became the first on-demand delivery tech startup that connects small businesses to their customers and clients, as well as helps families move from one place to another.

“Our clients’ business is a business that we’re taking care of.

We feel that this responsibility is really loaded on our shoulder, that we have to fulfill it,” Ng said.

This commitment to service was why Ng teamed up with Globe myBusiness—the micro,

if there are any building code violations, and if the steel and concrete used are up to standard, “especially in high-rise buildings and major infrastructures such as the Clark International Airport.”

Coseteng, who testified last year at the Senate committee hearing chaired by Pimentel, cited independent studies and findings of the Association of Structural Engineers of the Philippines, which recommended that the government look closely into rampant cases of mis-testing, mis-labeling of steel rebars used for high-rise buildings as well as major infrastructures in the ‘Build, Build, Build’ program.

The studies by ASEP also highlighted reports of smuggling and mis-declaration of steel billets imported into the country by local steel manufacturers.

“More stringent measures should be in place to ensure that all steel products in the country are safe to use,” Coseteng said, amid claims by the ASEP that substandard materials continue to proliferate in the market.

ASEP chairman Emilio Morales said the current testing processes for steel rebars by the DTI should be further strengthened and ramped up to international standards as these may not be safe to use in earthquakeprone areas like the Philippines.

But at Pimentel’s committee hearing, s t e e l m a k e r s d e fe n d e d t h e m s e l ve s vigorously, maintain that their products had been tested and concerned government agencies likewise vouched that existing standards mandate the use of quality products for high-rise buildings.

Morales replied that the DTI should be more stringent than normal given the

From left: Globe senior advisor for Globe myBusiness Derrick Heng, Globe myBusiness marketing head Celeste Porto, Mober founder Dennis Ng and Globe myBusiness segment marketing head Anne David

small, and medium enterprise arm of Globe Telecom which values clients’ businesses just as much.

“Venturing into a fast-paced digital world, the need to keep up with the latest trends and innovative solutions has become more evident than ever.

Therefore, we want our clients, like

seismic location of the Philippines.

Raising the bar “A simple question for the DTI and these steelmakers who market their steel rebars as grade 60 in strength when it is only grade 40, is this: are these supposedly tested and correctly-labeled products safe enough to use in high-rise structures during times of a major earthquake?” Morales asked.

“In other countries, the testing grades can be up to 80 to 100: what’s preventing the DTI from implementing stricter testing process given that lives of people are at stake?” he said.

Morales said the DTI should do away with the process of using painted marks to identify rebar types.

Section 9 of the Philippine National

Mober, to stay on top of their operations to ensure that their business is more secure and efficient. We want them to enjoy peace of mind with the help of our easy-to-install and affordable tracking solutions,” said Celeste Porto, marketing head of Globe myBusiness.

Globe myBusiness provides

Standard for steel bars used in concrete reinforcement (PNS 49) requires manufacturers to emboss identifying marks, bar size and grade on each steel bar. Color codes painted on the ends, however, can be used in lieu of an embossed grade number.

Coseteng claimed that local manufacturers were doing customers a disservice.

“Imported steel bars have proper markings. Local manufacturers do not put proper markings. Why is the grade of steel not embossed in some manufacturers’ steel bars as mandated by law?” Coseteng said.

“I’m just asking as a citizen. They should put proper marks, emboss it on their steel bars. Are they hiding something? They are hiding the grade of their steel bars,” she said.

Coseteng claimed that manufacturers

Mober with a tracker and fleet management system to monitor their vehicles; easily coordinate with customers and drivers in case of delays, early arrivals or other emergencies; maximize resources and improve vehicle routing with proper planning and assessment; and receive instant updates on vehicles’ or drivers’ location with live tracking functionality. “ We installed the Globe myBusiness Vehicle Tracker to our fleet,” Ng said. “We can see the fuel consumption of the vehicle.

We can also see where they’re located, so we can give real-time information to our client.”

Ng said another thing that made them choose Globe myBusiness is the service. “We want to make sure that if there’s a problem, then they can address it right away. That’s one thing we are looking for from a partner,” he said.

With Globe myBusiness as a partner, SMEs can easily reach their full potential and create their own success.

had changed the composition of steel bars being sold in the domestic market.

“Did the steel manufacturers deliberately, consciously, intentionally keep silent about the composition of steel which they changed around a decade ago? Total substitution without informing the public was done,” Coseteng said.

“Are the steel suppliers agreeable that should there be a failure in their rebar products, when earthquake damage occurs and failure is attributable to poor performance, that they will not hold engineers, developers, contractors liable for the use of their products? My statements are very clear according to available international studies,” she said.

Pending bill A law seeking to standardize the manufacture of quality steel reinforcing bars for high rise buildings is currently pending in the 17th Congress. Filed by Lanete, House Bill 8871 seeks more stringent labeling, testing, enforcement and penalties, among others, for steel rebars.

Both Morales and Coseteng have expressed strong support for some of the proposed measures in Lanete’s bill.

Penal provisions for violators of the government testing and labeling processes have also been ramped up, with fines reaching up to P10 million as well as imprisonment from 1 to three years.

Coseteng justified the stricter provisions of the proposed bill, saying that “this issue holds a great economic impact on all of our lives.”

“Safety should not be sacrificed for a few pesos of savings. You can’t put a price tag on people’s lives,” she said.

Tech & Gadgets

ANGKAS PUSHES FOR INCLUSIVE MOBILITY THRU TECHNOLOGY

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NGKAS founder and CEO Angeline Tham believes that the new capabilities of digital technology will help in making mass transportation in the Philippines more inclusive while giving low-income family households sustainable livelihoods.

Tham, speaking during the recent Go Negosyo Youth Entrepreneurship Summit 2019 held at the World Trade Center in Pasay City, said that she founded Angkas a couple of years back as a response to the challenging state of mass transportation in the country and to somehow alleviate the problems that commuters face daily with the help of technology.

“People were having a difficult time commuting for a variety of reasons and we wanted a safe and reliable way to move people around,” Tham said in her talk.

With this in mind, Tham turned to technology to create a service that would connect commuters to motorcycle riders willing to take them to their destination.

“Traditionally there’s been habal habal in this country that’s been used for forty years. But we wanted to professionalize the service, make it safer, and give our driver partners a livelihood,” Tham revealed. “And we did that with the help of digital technology,” she added.

However, Tham pointed out that the greatest challenge that Angkas has had to face since its inception was the stigma attached to motorcycles. “Motorcycles were seen as killing machines,” Tham pointed out.

“And this stigma was something we had to erase by proving to everyone that motorcycles can be as safe, or even safer, than cars,” she added.

Luminaries of the Go Negosyo Youth Entrepreneurship Summit 2019

Angeline Tham

Tham was invited to talk about technological disruption in business, particularly in the transport industry. “Technology allowed us to make mobility inclusive in the Philippines,” Tham revealed. “It should be for everyone, regardless of class, race, and gender,” she added.

She also noted that one out of three Filipino families own a motorcycle and half of the motorcycle owners depend on the motorcycle for livelihood. “Over 99% of motorcycle owners belong to low-income households. This is really the market Angkas wants to address,” Tham stressed.

Tham is no stranger to the tech industry, being a serial entrepreneur who launched one of the top online auction outfits in Singapore called Sold.sg.

After she sold her company, Tham joined a Softbank Affiliated Fund focused on investments in SEA and Philippines. She later

joined Grab where she started Grab Bike and Grab Express in the Philippines.

Armed with her experience in tech companies, she founded Angkas in 2017. Angkas, today, is the most popular ride-hailing and delivery service app for motorcycles in the country with over 27,000 partner drivers and over a million downloads.

As a former JP Morgan banker-turned- entrepre neur, Tham is showing no signs of stopping with her advocacy for safety and regulation on motorcycle taxis, an issue that impacts the lives of millions of Filipinos every day. “Our advocacy is to train as many bikers as possible safely. We’ve shown that with proper training, we’re able to make motorcycle riding safe.”

LG PH STEPS UP WITH LAUNDRY ACADEMY ALWAYS at the forefront of innovation, LG Philippines recently gathered all of its local distributors and service technicians to participate in an extensive training program for its Commercial Laundry line.

LG’s engineers gave a thorough demonstration of the capabilities and intricacies of the LG Giant C Pro

Washer and LG Giant C Dryer.

Jisu Song, one of the technical experts of LG Commercial Laundry flew in directly from Korea to lead the seminar and impart his expertise.

“After-sales plays a vital role in the customer journey. We want end users to know that LG is there to guide their experience every step

LGEPH VP for Home Appliances Woo Young Jeon talks about the importance of product knowledge and excellent customer service.

Jisu Song, LG Sales Engineer for Appliance B2B SE Part, HA & Air Solution imparts his expertise on LG Commercial Laundry line

of the way,” he said.

Key features of the Commercial Laundry line, such as energy efficiency, the atomizing system, and its proprietary Inverter Direct Drive™ technology to name a few were thoroughly discussed.

All of the dealers and sub-dealer service technicians were given a hands-on lecture on the machines, ensuring that after-sales support and customer service remains top notch.

Woo Young Jeon, LGEPH VP for Home Appliances, was also present during the training as he reiterated the necessity of product knowledge and always being one step ahead.

“As the market leader, LG has a responsibility to its customers to be always at the top of its game. We have to exceed expectations through our innovative products, world-class technology, and unparalleled customer service,” Woo said.

PH’S 1ST FINTECH SUMMIT LURES 200 PARTICIPANTS OVER 200 participants from fintechs, banks, associations, media, and developer communities came together to attend the first ever “Inclusive Prosperity Fintech Summit” recently (April 6 and 7).

As a proof-of-concept, two independent parties and a bank joined forces (BlockchainSpace, BlockDevs Asia and Unionbank) to address an overarching mission of “inclusive prosperity” through two simultaneous events—a Fintech Forum and a Blockchain Hackathon.

The financial technology forum titled “Fintech Forum” allowed participants to learn from industry leaders throughout the weekend about underlying challenges faced in the Philippine financial landscape and the culminating blockchain hackathon (DISH - Decentralized Innovation Startup Hackathon) concluded the weekend with ways that financial technology could solve these problems, presented by blockchain developers..

The first day of the Fintech Forum kicked off with leaders in the regulation and fintech association spaces paint-

ing the Fintech regulatory landscape.

This was followed by established names Unionbank, FWD Insurance, and Cebuana Lhuillier showcasing their efforts to use technology to enable digital transformation to enhance their current products and services. By contrast, the second day focused on payments and blockchain solutions that have an impact on the wider financial technology landscape featuring pioneering companies such as SCI Ventures, Qwikwire, and Coins.ph.

Happening concurrently was DISH 2019, a blockchain hackaton with over 75 participants spread across more than a dozen teams. Each team was tasked with developing a blockchain-based application centered around the idea of inclusive prosperity utilizing platforms such as Ethereum, Stellar, and IOST. The summit concluded with a judging of the 12 qualifying teams for DISH at the Fintech Forum where contestants pitched their project to a panel of expert judges.

In third place was Seven Seven A, a quiz platform that utilizing blockchain technology, Team Ernest came in second

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SUNDAY, APRIL 28, 2019 rumallari@thestandard.com.ph

WOMEN WHO DRIVE THE FUTURE “WOMEN Who Drive the Future” took centerstage at a luncheon hosted by Pilipinas Shell for its women employees through its Women’s Network last April 3.

Shell General Manager for External Relations–Asia Pacific Xiaowei Liu, Philippine Daily Inquirer business features editor Tina Dumlao, Opal Portfolio Investments president Ida Tiongson, and TraXion chief executive officer Ann Cuisia shared experiences, stories and lessons learned in their respective fields.

Liu, who discussed gender equality, stressed that everyone needs to manage the “unconscious bias” they tend to hold in the workplace, not even realizing that they are making unfair assumptions or stereotypes based on age, gender, ethnicity or religion, among others.

“This isn’t just about gender—it’s about the presumptions and assumptions we hold on to. Sadly, this is especially felt by women, since we already have a lot of traditional biases stacked against us,” she said.

One such bias is against women drivers, who are perceived as less able and skilled than their male counterparts on the streets. The video “Babae Kasi (That’s because

(From left) GeiserMaclang Marketing Communications, Inc. Chief Communications Officer and Co-Founder Amor Maclang, Shell General Manager for External Relations–Asia Pacific Xiaowei Liu, Opal Portfolio Investments President Ida Tiongson, and TraXion Chief Executive Officer Ann Cuisia

it’s a woman)” can be accessed via https://www.facebook.com/Shell/videos/2793813874177699/.

“This is why I admire Shell, which has a progressive and inclusive work policy that respects not only women, but all genders. I hope that everyone continues to work together to strike that sweet balance of gender opportunities in the workplace,” Liu added.

“Our mission in Women’s Network is to support women to positively drive their career and capability to contribute to the whole organization,” revealed Regina Lejano, head of Shell’s Women Network. “We aim to enhance the work environment so we can recognize women’s talent and differences as essential to the well-being of the organization,” she added.

Lejano also stressed that the Women’s Network aims to create a gender-neutral community to inspire, empower, and positively drive women to their full potential.

Pilipinas Shell is one of several companies within Shell’s global network that has put up a Women’s Network aimed at helping female staff to connect, share ideas and support each other in reaching their potential.

Established in 2016 as part of Shell’s celebration of International Women’s Month, the Women’s Network is now on its third year of seeking to empower its members, developing them for leadership roles and increasing their level of participation in the workforce.

BOOSTING...

From C4

Inclusive Prosperity Fintech Summit proponents are shown.

with an alternative schooling platform in which students can pay for classes using cryptocurrency, and grand prize winner GigaMike with their decentralized funding platform ProperEOS. The two-day event was able to bring together like-minded individuals from both the local and international fintech space, allowing them to connect with

the right people to help them propel their fintech businesses forward. Whether this being businesses integrating their API systems through existing platforms shared or companies reaching out to individual DISH hackathon programmers, the event achieved its goal for raising financial inclusion and prosperity awareness in the Philippines.

required a fundamental rethink of our network. We chose to partner with Riverbed on the journey because of their market leadership as well as their simple, intelligent approach to modern networking: combining the capabilities of SD-WAN, application acceleration and visibility into a single solution and make it incredibly easy to manage.”

NWTF employees, nearly 3,500 people, serve close to 450,000 clients, and they operate in more than 150 branches across 10+ islands in the Philippines.

NWTF realized the necessity to give their clients in rural areas secure access to convenient financial services, and also provide a digital experience on par with the big commercialized banks— including access to mobile banking digital services—in order to help them achieve self-sufficiency.

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TECH & Gadgets SUNDAY, APRIL 28, 2019 Riera U. Mallari, Editor rumallari@thestandard.com.ph

OVERCOMING LOW-LIGHT SITUATIONS WITH V15 PRO

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HILE doing nighttime photography can both be fun and exciting—especially for those who cannot resist the lure of bright lights in big cities or the unobstructed moonshine in the provinces—it can also be one of the most challenging especially when one has to deal with low light.

Seasoned photographers have somehow mastered the manual settings for night shots to deal with low lights. Hobbyists or those who are just starting to take and like photography can sometimes get frustrated for always getting blurred images.

Smartphones today have addressed this issue and came up with cameras that can overcome low light at a certain point.

The Vivo V15 Pro’s 48 MP Triple Camera with its 12MP standard + 8MP super wide-angle + 5MP depth-sensing camera setup addresses photography issues like exposure, lowlight conditions, and sharpness with its 48 Million Quad Pixel Sensor.

This enables the V15 Pro to capture crispier, more natural-looking images. The AI (artificial intelligence) component of the camera also elevates mobile photography experiences to the next level.

While you can rely on Vivo’s 48MP Triple Camera setup, there are still some tips and tricks that you can follow to shoot like a pro.

Keep the phone camera steady

If you want to avoid the noise, make sure that your smartphone is deeply rooted onto something concrete and sturdy so it won’t shake. Invest in a reliable tripod. If a tripod is a hassle to bring, make sure that you can lean on a wall or a tree to steady your body and hands. Take a long breath then click the shutter and restrain from breathing for a few seconds.

Maximize your smartphone’s camera features

Sometimes, people tend to underuse certain features of smartphone cameras.

For example, the Vivo V15 Pro has a Super Night Mode that users can find helpful for

Justine Lei Ramos

PREPARATION, CONNECTIVITY BOARD NO. 1'S KEYS TO SUCCESS

The Vivo V15 Pro’s 48 MP Triple Camera with its 12MP standard + 8MP super wide-angle + 5MP depth-sensing camera setup addresses photography issues like exposure, lowlight conditions, and sharpness with its 48 Million Quad Pixel Sensor.

night shots or low light mode. Make sure to turn on this feature so you get that perfect skyline at night shot. There is also the HDR (High-dynamic-range imaging) feature which you can experiment on.

Shoot in bright areas to take advantage of artificial light

While the idea is to master the art of shooting in low light, it is still helpful to find spots that have a light that you can use to highlight the subject.

If you’re going for silhouettes at night, make use of the streetlamps or even light coming from vehicles to give you that dramatic shot.

to shoot a subject at any time of the day. Nothing beats the feeling of getting the perfect shot with the right aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. If you are going on a trip, make sure to practice with your Vivo V15 Pro weeks before that travel date so you’ll know what settings to use.

Use filters

If all else fails, there is always a filter to suit your needs. There are also photo editing apps that will allow you to enhance your photographs so they won’t go to waste and still be usable.

Ultimately, the Vivo V15 Pro has all the features and settings you can Use the smartphone’s use for night mode photography. manual settings To know more about the Vivo V15 The internet has a wealth of in- Pro, visit https://vivoglobal.ph/vivoformation on what setting is perfect phones/vivo_v15pro/.

SM UNVEILS NEW FACE OF ‘CYBERZONE’ TAKING the lead in tech and innovation in the country, Cyberzone unveiled its newest logo on April 26 at SM Mall of Asia Atrium as it continues to offer a comprehensive roster of the latest tech and gaming products and empower Filipinos to make smarter tech decisions.

“Cyberzone always brings together the best of technology and gaming for its customers.

It’s about time that we refresh our brand as we continue to innovate our spaces and deliver the latest in tech in SM malls nationwide,” said SM Supermalls senior vice president for mar-

keting Jonjon San Agustin.

Launched during the Pinoy Gaming Festival Summer Assembly 2019, Cyberzone revealed its newly revamped logo exhibiting a sleek and minimalistic approach—a perfect representation of how the tech brand has grown to become a

one-stop shop for every shoppers’ tech needs.

No matter what your tech interest is, whether it is gaming, virtual reality, cosplay, or photography, you will surely find your match at Cyberzone! For more information, visit www. smsupermalls.com.

BOOSTING NETWORK RELIABILITY, IMPROVING RURAL LIVES RIVERBED®, The Digital Performance Company, recently announced that Negros Women for Tomorrow Foundation, one of the Philippines’ oldest and largest microfinance institutions, is advancing the human experience in the digital world through next-

Negros Women for Tomorrow Foundation leverages Riverbed solution to connect over 120 branch sites and expand access to innovative financial services in remote areas, improving user experience and helping women move out of poverty.

generation infrastructure from Riverbed.

The solution transforms the way NWTF connects its clients to convenient, secure financial services, and to deliver a digital experience on par with larger commercialized banks. NWTF is an NGO that helps women in the

country —particularly in rural communities - move out of poverty and achieve self-sufficiency and self-reliance through microloans.

NWTF’s legacy network was challenged with limited growth, agility and low digital performance; there was also limited visibility into what was happening in the network— any changes to the network had to be done manually, resulting in higher costs. As a result, the organization was limited in its ability to expand its life-changing services to reach women and communities that needed it the most.

The Riverbed solution provides NWTF with both SDWAN and application acceleration capabilities to drastically simplify networking, improve visibility and control over IT infrastructure and accelerate the performance of applications and digital services, resulting in significant improvements in agility and user experience, while cutting cost. Achieving a more stable, reliable and secure network has enabled the non-profit to open more branches in rural areas with limited connectivity, enabling them to reach more people in need of their services.

“Connectivity in rural Philippines is spotty and unreliable at best—only 40-45% of the communities NWTF serves has a stable internet connection,” explained Raymond Serios, Assistant Director, Negros Women for Tomorrow Foundation. “Providing our clients with access to life-changing financial services Turn to C3

DILIGENCE pays off, whatever one’s goal is. Justine Lei Ramos of Cebu confirmed this time and again throughout her student life.

After earning a degree in architecture at the Cebu Institute of Technology University, the 23-year old graduate still would not take it easy. There was the board exam to pass.

While reviewing, she became a regular fixture at the Cebu City Public Library (CCPL).

Sometimes, however, there was not enough reference material on certain topics. That’s when she turned to a different library: the internet.

Fortunately, the CCPL is not only the country’s first public library open 24/7, it also happens to have Smart WiFi. Shortly after the CCPL started its 24/7 operations last year, PLDT and Smart made carriergrade Smart WiFi available to students, researchers and other visitors of the library. This enabled Justine to access a wide range of reference material available online.

“Good connectivity and the internet made my life as a board exam reviewee easier,” acknowledged Justine, who topped the board exam.

“It was not always easy, at times you doubt your capabilities,” she concedes. But she stayed focused on her goal, motivated and encouraged by their family.

Smart recently received the Mayor’s Special Award for Outstanding Institution from Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña for providing the library free WiFi. Aside from the CCPL, Smart WiFi is also available for students at Cebu Institute of Technology, Cebu Technological University, Sacred Heart Ateneo de Cebu, University of Cebu Banilad, Don Bosco Cebu, Holy Name University, University of Cebu, University of Southern Philippines Foundation, Velez College and UP Cebu, to name a few.

“PLDT and Smart continue to lead the country’s digital transformation by empowering Filipinos everywhere with quality connectivity,” said Juan Victor Hernandez, Senior Vice President and Head of Enterprise for PLDT and Smart.

“By linking up with partners and government, we continue to invest in ICT infrastructure to uplift the lives of individuals, as well as enhance businesses and enterprises,” Hernandez added.

In 2015, Cebu City Hall was the first establishment in Cebu that offered public Smart WiFi. Other areas with Smart Wifi are the Cebu Provincial Capitol, Larsian Food Center, Cebu North and South Bus Terminals, and Cebu Port Terminals 1 and 3.

The nationwide rollout of Smart WiFi complements Smart’s ongoing network expansion and modernization program across the country.

Destinations D1

SUNDAY, APRIL 28, 2019

Bernadette Lunas, Issue Editor

manilastandardlife@gmail.com

@manilastandardlife

@MStandardLIFE

CLIMBING IN CAMIGUIN B

EYOND the powdery beaches, scuba diving sites, and waterfalls, Camiguin has more attractions up its sleeves.

Mt. Hibok-Hibok, the island province’s iconic peak, and Mt. Timpoong were recently declared by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Center for Biodiversity as an ASEAN heritage park.

Collectively known officially as the Mt. Timpoong-Mt. Hibok-Hibok Natural Monument, the two volcanoes are among the country’s few protected areas which is habitat to endemic flora and fauna species found only in Northern Mindanao.

In a bid to showcase Camiguin’s chains of volcanoes, the provincial government recently launched the “Climb Camiguin” campaign.

Turn to D2

GREAT VIEW. The provincial government has launched a campaign that highlights Camiguin's volcano tourism. (Photo by Rhonson Ng) Mts. HibokHibok and Timpoong as seen from White Island.

(Photo from Wikimedia)

GEORGIA, THE COUNTRY A STAPLE discussion in ashvili, representatives of my World Tourism class is Porta, the leading tour the location and culture operator in Georgia. Also of the different countries, at the event, which had using the IATA Traffic Conthe metro’s leading travel ference areas as reference agents in attendance, points. When we study were Georgia’s Honorary Georgia, I always emphaConsul to the Philippines, MERCURY RISING Buddy Cunanan. Marjorie size to my students that

BY BOB ZOZOBRADO we are discussing GeorCustodio and Jackie Junio, gia, the country, and not both officers of Qatar Airthe US state. ways, made sure that we This is because, here in the Philippines, all knew that their airline offers the most the more popular “Georgia” is the US state, direct flight from Manila to Tbilisi, Georas proven by that time when I assigned a gia’s capital. student to do “a report on the capital of What I immediately found really impresGeorgia,” because we were discussing the sive was the country’s burgeoning tourcountries on the fringes of the Asian conti- ism industry. With a population of only 3.5 nent. To my surprise, the student made a million, 1.5 million of which live in Tbilisi, very comprehensive report on Atlanta, the Georgia attracted 8 million tourists last capital of Georgia, the US state. year, which is definitely better than what Georgia, the country, is a former Soviet our country has achieved in tourist arrivals, republic and is located right where Asia so far. I guess its being connected to many ends and the continent of Europe begins. other countries gives it the edge over ours, It is bounded by the Black Sea to the west, which is an archipelago.

by Russia to the north, and by Turkey to I asked the presentor what the number the south. It is home to the famous and one tourist attraction in their country was scenic Caucasus Mountains. and, without batting an eyelash, she imJust the other day, I was invited by my mediately pointed to the Caucasus Moundear friend Pat Alberto, president of Philip- tains. These scenic mountains stretch bepine IATA Agents Travel Association (PIA- tween the Caspian Sea and the Black Sea, TA) to a Familiarization Session conducted and include Mount Elbrus, the highest in

by Nini Murvanidze and Melano MindiTurn to D2

A part of Georgia, set against the awesome scenery of the Caucasus Mountains.

DoT regional director May Unchuan with climbers

Destinations

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SUNDAY, APRIL 28, 2019 manilastandardlife@gmail.com

A DIVER’S PARADISE WITH 7,107 islands, the Philippines offers bodies of water with highly diverse marine wildlife and seascape for all kinds of divers and dive enthusiasts to explore.

Countless diving spots in the country are suitable for divers of different skills, from beginners who are simply looking for fun recreational activities to intermediate divers seeking new underwater challenges to hone their skills and experts in search of new adventures.

At the top of the list are Anilao in Batangas and the Tubbataha Reefs in Palawan.

The Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park was declared in 1993 a World Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization for its high density of marine species and different kinds of birds and marine turtles.

Anilao and Tubbataha Reefs diving spots, favorites of deep and open water divers, host different types of sharks, schools of fish, turtles, and colorful corals.

For adventure-seekers and history junkies, the Philippines also has many exciting seafaring stories and countless sunken ships to explore such as World War II vessels, including Japanese freighters and gunboats that have become homes to various marine species.

Further, the country has ideal training spots for neophyte divers. Cebu has underwater caves, passageways, and terrains teeming with marine life.

Night diving is even possible in a few areas. The open water in El Nido in Palawan and in Cebu are favorite haunts of nocturnal creatures that look majestic in the moonlight.

Experienced divers have a variety of spots to choose from: there’s Subic, Batangas, and Palawan in Luzon; Cebu, Bohol, Negros Island in Visayas; and Davao and Camiguin in Mindanao.

On top of amazing underwater discoveries underneath crystal clear waters, Filipinos’ innate warmth and hospitality, as well as unique offerings, make the experience more fun.

HIGH-TECH HOLIDAY T

Online travel booking platform Agoda lists down holiday ideas for tech-savvy travelers.

HE future looks techie and bright. These tech-focused travel experiences and futuristic accommodations are perfect for tech-savvy travelers who want to play with the latest robots and virtual reality technology.

The Peninsula Tokyo boasts intuitive technology.

Go nuts and bolts over Tokyo’s technology

YOTEL's luggage storage robot, YOBOT.

Travel through time in New York City

As one of the world’s biggest supplier of robotics, Japan is the place to be for the latest tech gadgets and innovations. Take for example, the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation located on Tokyo’s man-made island Odaiba. Here, travelers will find exhibitions on technology and space exploration, as well as ASIMO, the world’s most advanced humanoid robot. Another must-see for tech-enthusiasts visiting Tokyo is the Akihabara shopping district, where they can find any and every kind of tech gadget available.

After a day of technology exploration, Agoda recommends unwinding at The Peninsula Tokyo, where user-friendly and intuitive technology enhances guest experience—from centralized wireless controls that regulate lighting, alarms, curtains, and audio-visual systems in the room, to monitors that keep track of the temperature and humidity levels inside and outside the hotel.

Ditch the conventional double-decker tour bus and hop on an immersive adventure. The Ride’s 90-minute virtual reality experience not only takes visitors through Downtown Manhattan’s most notable neighborhoods and landmarks, but also through different time periods and significant moments in history.

When it comes to accommodation, tech lovers ought to make a stop at YOTEL, a futuristic boutique robot hotel that features automated check-in kiosks and a luggage storage robot called YOBOT. Each YOTEL cabin features techno walls that come with a flat-screen TV, multiple power outlets and iPod connectivity, audio streaming, motion-sensor temperature controls, and signature SmartBeds that converts from a full bed to a sofa.

Marina Bay Sands ArtScience Museum

The Upper House is equipped with motion sensors.

Experience next generation art in Singapore

Check out a 360-degree gaming experience in Hong Kong

Swimming with sardines in Moalboal, Cebu

CLIMBING...

From D1

“The province recognizes the potential of volcano tourism for driving the socioeconomic growth and development of the local community,” said Camiguin governor Maria Luisa Romualdo during the event’s launch with partner agencies Department of Tourism and Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

The climb program also explores a new and equally exciting trail in Itum village in the capital town of Mambajao.

The proposed new path is a 6-kilometer trek which commences at the DENR Protected Area Superintendent station in Mambajao and winds up to the summit at 1,332 meters above sea level.

The PASU jump off point is teeming with butterfly and avian life, while the whole trail is habitat to diverse flora, dominated by pitcher plants, wild romblon, and giant rattan.

According to the report by the Climb Camiguin expedition team submitted to the provincial tourism office, among the birds spotted were turquoise and rufous paradise flycatcher, purple-throated sunbird, yellowish white eyes, everett’s white eyes, Brahminy kite, Philippine serpent eagle, yellow-vented bulbul, and olive-backed sunbird.

Also spotted were the orangebellied and red-keeled flowerpecker, coppersmith Barbet, Asian glossy starlings, white-eared brown dove, Philippine cuckoo dove, and the endemic Camiguin bulbul.

DoT regional director May SalvañaUnchuan said mountain tourism is the latest product that the DoT-10 has introduced, in addition to farm, dive, faith, and cultural tourism, where tour packages have been prepared.

She said that a major point they considered before launching the project was the crafting of vital legislation by local governments to ensure sustainable tourism in the Northern Mindanao Region.

When in the Lion City, immerse in new art disciplines at The Marina Bay Sand’s “Future World: Where Arts Meets Science” exhibition where guests can enter a futuristic world made of cutting-edge digital installations that combine art and science.

When it’s time for a little R&R, future tech is still in order at W Singapore Sentosa Cove, which gives a whole new meaning to the term “underground music.” The hotel’s claim to fame is its high-tech outdoor swimming pool which incorporates 24 speakers that can play music, even underwater.

Hardcore gamers ought to make a stop at Hong Kong’s Playdium Virtual Reality for an adrenaline-pumping, high-tech experience. At this VR arcade tourists will find top-of-the-line gadgets that aren’t available in the commercial market. There’s no shortage of games either, from zombies and fantasy worlds to painting and even therapeutic applications.

And when it’s time to recharge, check out and check-in to The Upper House. Each room is equipped with motion sensors to ensure housekeeping won’t interrupt guests.

GEORGIA,...

From D1

Europe. Among these mountains is nestled Georgia, providing the visitor a picturesque scene from any viewing angle, certainly a most effective antidote to any form of stress!

On behalf of the foodies, I also asked for the country’s most popular delicacy. They immediately passed around the room a tray of Churchkhela, a dessert made of chocolate strips and garnished with walnuts; not too sweet, and prefect for a light afternoon snack.

Another thing I found interesting was their flag, all white with five red crosses, a big one dividing it into four sections and a small one in each section. So, I asked what all the crosses were for. The four sections signified the areas Georgia’s mouth-watering delicacy, Churchkhela in Georgia that have now been united through Christianity, which is practiced by 80 percent of typically “Georgian look”—wooden balcoits population, thus the crosses. nies and tiled roofs, set amidst narrow, paved Tbilisi is a beautiful city on the banks of the streets. There are cozy cafes where one can take Kura River. The old leisurely and stimulatsection of the city is faing snacks in. There are mous for the Narikala also quite a number of Fortress and the Tiflis exclusive fashion bouYOUR WEEKEND CHUCKLE Baths, a very popular tiques which highlight TWO RULES ON KEEPING YOUR MARdestination for Eurothe country’s biggest RIAGE: Whenever you’re wrong, admit it. peans during the Midand most popular anWhenever you’re right, shut up! dle Ages. The houses nual event, Fashion have maintained their Week, where Georgian

The personalities who put together the very interesting presentation on Georgia: (from left) Junio, Alberto, Murvanidze, Cunanan, Custodio, and Mindiashvili

designers share the stage with the world’s biggest names in fashion.

We were introduced to other interesting destinations in the country: Batumi is a fashionable sea resort, Stephantsminda is for lovers of nature, with its awesome mountains and fresh clean air, and there’s the wine region of Kakheti.

I’m sure there are many other interesting things to do and places to see, which is why I have added to my bucket list, a visit to Georgia, the country.

For feedback, I’m at bobzozobrado@gmail.com.

Entertainment

SUNDAY, APRIL 28, 2019

D3

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

INTERNATIONAL

By Eton Concepcion

F

RESH from her strong second place finish at the 2019 Miss Eco International pageant in Cairo, Egypt, Fil-French model Maureen Montagne has decided to join local showbiz and will be introduced in her first Filipino movie to start shooting this month.

The 24-year-old winner of Miss Century Tuna Superbods 2018, said that she felt like a winner getting the warm accolades and support from pageant fans and netizens when she returned to the country.

“It was my first international pageant and I had so much fun being myself and teaching everyone about my culture. Filipinos are the best fans in the world and I feel so blessed to

have worn the Philippines across my heart for the world to see,” said Maureen during her homecoming press conference given by the Miss World Philippines organization.

“I felt like wearing the Philip\pine sash made the people analyze you more but I was more proud to wear it and showed them why Filipinas are such strong contenders globally.

I was confident about my coronations night performance because I was prepared. I have competed in the Philippines as well as the US several times and I left everything out on the stage. As I have gotten older, I have realized that what is yours will always find its way to you and what doesn’t was never yours. I’ve never needed a crown to make me feel like a winner. I’m happy to have placed so high after the Philippines won last year,” added Maureen.

Maureen also said that she was proud to land in the Top 10 of the national costume competition, her favorite event of the pageant, where she wore a Muslim Maranao-inspired golden dress designed by well-known designer Edwin Uy. Miss World Philippines national director Arnold Vegafria, who expressed belief that Maureen should have won a back-to-back, also announced the appointment of Arnold

SHOWBIZ CALLS ON

Mercado as the new general manager of Miss World Philippines. Mercado, or Mama Ru as he is fondly called, is the Operations Manager of Empire Studios and is one of the personality development trainers of ACES and Queens, who produced the likes of international winners Pia Wutztbach, Megan Young, and Kylie Verzosa.

“It’s an honor and once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be chosen as the new General Manager of Miss World Philippines. This is my passion and I will give my utmost dedication to this job. You should expect a new branding for Miss World Philippines, one that is more competitive, prestigious and relevant,” Mercado said in accepting the position.

Cameras start rolling for Fil-French beauty queen and aspiring actress Maureen Montagne’s first movie project.

DANIEL CRAIG MAKES HIS FINAL OUTING AS JAMES BOND ENGLISH actor Daniel Craig, whose final outing as 007 was unveiled on Thursday, is the longest-serving James Bond—but perhaps not always the most enthusiastic.

The 51-year-old’s fifth movie as the British super spy is due for release early next year, 14 years after 2006’s Casino Royale.

There were initially doubts about the casting of the British actor—not least the fact he was blond.

But he brought both a new ruthlessness and an emotional vulnerability to the character that audiences have warmed to—and have proved box office gold.

For a while, it seemed that 2015’s Spectre would be his last outing as Ian Fleming’s super cool intelligence agent. Exhausted by a grueling shoot, he said he would “rather slash my wrists” than be Bond again.

MAUREEN MONTAGNE LAST RIDE. Daniel Craig is in his final outing as James Bond, the dashing British super spy.

Maureen Montagne with Miss World Philippines country director Arnold Vegafria (rightmost) during a recent press conference. Photo by Lito Caleon

The actor, who has required surgery on his shoulder and knees over the years due to injuries sustained by doing his own stunts, later said that he had just “needed a break.”

But his comments revealed at least an ambivalence about the all-consuming role from a man who guards his privacy closely.

When he was first named in 2005 to succeed Pierce Brosnan as the sixth incarnation of Bond, many questioned whether the blond-haired, blue-eyed, gym-sculpted Craig was the right man for the job. Even Sam Mendes, the director of Spectre who also worked with Craig on 2002’s Road To Perdition, was sceptical.

“I thought Bond had become the opposite of what Daniel is—a slightly disengaged, urbane, jokey, eyebrowraising, you know, a pastiche in a way,” he told the BBC. But the intensity Craig brings to the part has allowed the multi-million dollar franchise to be rebooted with a harder, more serious edge.

The late Roger Moore, who played Bond seven times between 1973 and 1985, called Craig the best Bond ever.

AFP

ATOM ARAULLO DELVES INTO ‘LOVE SCAM’ WHAT happens when the road to forever turns out to be a scam? In this month’s episode of The Atom Araullo Specials, host Atom Araullo looks into the intricate web of online deceit called “love scam”.

The Sumbungan ng Bayan Action Center has seen an increase in the number of heartbroken complainants reporting foreign online scammers whose modus is to steal not only the victims’ hearts but a large amount of their money. Marie, a 37-year-old single mom, was led to believe she has found both a lover and a job in the US. But in the end, she learned that she was tricked into sending money in exchange of her U.S. visa that was never processed. Another victim lost P15 million to someone she thought loved her.

According to a British founder and a Filipina volunteer of the online group Scam Haters United,

“love scam” happens in various countries. Ruth and Jocelyn have once been victims of love scams.

They also fell for the “too good to be true” profile and sweetness of their online prince charming and were asked to send money for what they thought were reasonable transactions. Their heartbreaking experience led them to form a helpful website for love scam victims all over the world.

But who are the people behind this online scam? What can the victims do to exact justice?

And what are the red flags to avoid falling prey to this modus?

Join 2019 New York Festivals Silver World Medalist Atom Araullo in a meaningful journey and extensive discussion of today’s issues in The Atom Araullo Specials: Fraud-ibig today at 4:30 p.m. on GMA-7.

Atom Araullo looks into the intricate web of online deceit called ‘love scam.’

D4

M

ANY owners have had unplanned pregnancies among their dogs and when their dog gives birth, one of the pups is usually small. In some cases, the smallest pup dies.

This smallest pup is called the “runt” of the litter.

But to clarify: all pups with a birthweight that is below the normal weight of pups of their breed are considered a runt.

And not all runts die.

Sarah Halloway, in the “Runt Of The Litter—What to expect and how to care for runt puppies” in the Happy Puppy site said that the traditional meaning of a runt is a newborn puppy with an abnormally low weight.

“By this definition, a litter can have more than one runt! In fact, all the puppies with an abnormally low birth weight are runts. These puppies often struggle to gain weight after birth and are slow to reach important developmental milestones, “ Halloway stressed.

She added: “So in this context, being a runt puppy takes on an urgent medical dimension. “

SUNDAY, APRIL 28, 2019

Desiree Carlos, Editor

daycarlos28@yahoo.com

Pets

HOW TO TAKE CARE

OF THE RUNT OF THE LITTER

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.

The reason there is a runt of the litter

Halloway noted that while it is possible “for puppies within a litter to be sired by more than one father, the eggs fertilized later catch up with the other embryos quickly in the very earliest stages of pregnancy. It’s a remarkable phenomenon.”

The development of the pup is determined by their inherent capacity to grow and the supply of nutrients they receive form their mother while inside the womb, Halloway stressed.

Halloway added: “A runt puppy might have failed to develop quickly enough because of a congenital defect which impeded their growth.”

“Or their placenta might have embedded in an unfavorable spot on their mum’s uterus, so they didn’t get quite as many nutrients as they needed from her.Once a puppy is outside the womb, a congenital defect might become apparent, or (more likely) it may never be clear why a puppy was born underweight, “ Halloway said.

Ace was not expected to survive. He is one of the pups of Mama Bela who was pregnant when she was rescued by Save Animals of Love and Light Inc. (Save ALL) from being put to sleep. Ace and siblings Feronia and Dathir could hardly get milk from their malnourished mother who was not fed and given water in the pound for more than a week. Save ALL had to bottle feed the three pups even while they were breast feeding from Bela to make sure they will live. And they did.

Babies of Xena who was rescued

by Save ALL. Four of five pups survived and have been adopted

by Hollie Dabon and Anna Mozelle Liberato.

The runt’s chances of survival

If the runt is healthy despite its size, then the size will have a minimal effect on their development, Halloway said.

“Newborn puppies are completely dependent on their mother for at least the first three weeks of their life, “ she added.

When there are a lot of puppies, the pups fight for their mother’s attention to get milk. Thus, the owner will need to be around me to make sure no pup is left out.

Runt puppy health problems

“It’s estimated that around one in fifty (50) puppies are stillborn or die in the first six weeks of life due to being too small,” Halloway said.

Halloway added: “Across all breeds of dog, low birth weight consistently increases the chances of a puppy dying. The more under-

weight they are, the more at risk they become. A 1978 study at Kansas State University found the risk of dying increased significantly in puppies more than 25% below the average birth weight for their breed.”

Halloway also noted that some mother dogs reject an abnormally small puppy “to conserve energy for feeding and caring for her remaining puppies.”

Also, a runt might be small due to an underlying congenital problem and their small size makes them vulnerable to other health problems outside the womb, Halloway said.

Dehydration and hypothermia are the two common health problems.

“A female dog’s first milk, called colostrum, is rich in antibodies which protect her puppies from infection until they receive their first vaccinations. On top of everything, a runt

puppy who misses out on this milk is more susceptible to life-threatening bacterial infections,” said Halloway.

What to do to help a runt puppy

Here are tips from Halloway to help a runt: 1. Work closely with your veterinarian.

“All of the puppies should be checked over by a veterinarian in their first couple of days, to identify any problems early…They will also give detailed instructions for any puppies who need special care, Halloway said.

2. Make sure they get enough milk to prevent dehydration and hypoclycemia.

“If a runt puppy is too small to latch on to their mum, your vet might advise you to express her milk by hand into sterilized cup and feed the puppy with sterilized bottle or

syringe. Alternatively they might recommend a suitable brand of puppy formula, “ Halloway said.

WARNING: Human baby formula and cow’s milk DO NOT CONTAIN THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF CALORIES AND PROTEIN THAT PUPS NEED. Always give the puppy formula that your vet recommends.

3. Keep the pups warm from birth.

“After giving birth, a female dog’s mammary glands are only one degree cooler than her core temperature, so that when are puppies are close enough to feed, they gain warmth as well, “ Halloway said.

“Away from their mum, small puppies lose heat faster because they have a large surface area relative to their size,” she added.

“Make sure the room your puppies are staying in is kept warm (86-89ºF), and that the runt puppy doesn’t get pushed away from their mum by bigger siblings, : Halloway added.

4. A heat pad or heat lamp can also help keep the runt puppy warm.

5. A puppy who did not get colostrum from the mother will need extra care, Halloway said. Please ask your vet for extra precautions which might include early vaccination.

Please also keep the runt puppy away from areas with other dogs who might have illnesses. DC

TRIATHLON TO HELP RESCUED DOGS AND CATS

By Anna Castro-Malek BACK in the Philippines, I used to save stray dogs and cats.

When I see them on the streets hungry, I would take them home with me and feed them, and make them strong and keep them. At one point, I had 10 dogs and 10 cats.

When I moved to the U.S., I developed severe allergic reaction to pollen.

It took me a while to get my dear dog Polly, as I worked on building my immunity to dust, pollen and dander.

However, a week into having her, I had an anaphylactic response to the pollen she brought with her back home. Heartbroken, we had to bring her back to her foster who eventually adopted her.

The officers of Save Animals of Love and Light Inc. (Save ALL) have the same love for animals as I do. I have seen first hand how they care for the rescued dogs and cats.

So to commemorate my dear Polly, I de-

Author Anna with her dog Polly.

Anna's husband, Damian, drives for their baby Polly.

cided to raise funds on behalf of Save ALL rescues. I have all these helpless and voice-

less dogs and cats to inspire me as I do my very first Olympic distance triathlon.

The Tri-Miami triathlon is on May 19, 2019 and will be held in Key Biscayne, FL. Every mile I swim, bike and run will be dedicated to these loving animals that Save ALL rescues. They need all the help we can give them to provide them a fighting chance to have a good life.

Save ALL has rescued about 425 animals in need—injured or dying on the streets and dog pounds, and abandoned or neglected by irresponsible owners.

Save All has also had more than 300 dogs and cats spayed or neutered to help lessen animal population in the Philippines. This helps lessen the number of strays who are so miserable alone on the streets, hungry and even hurt by cruel people.

All these in five years since Save ALL was created.

To help, please go to https://www. gofundme.com/saving-one-dogcat-ata-time?fbclid=IwAR0Rpc-TsJ7a3JAfRJjo5RVMbeVW3zMMn9z7DVokIvK59OJ6FmLXHBbex9Y

TIGER is Celeste Gruezp’s “scratchy cat.”

Celeste shares their story: “I first saw this tiny orange ball on the roof of our chicken cage at the corner of our backyard. I became excited when I realized that the orange ball was indeed a kitten !!!

For as long as I can remember, I have always wanted to have a pet cat.

I started to try and approach the orange kitten but it was skittish, though at times I would find it inside the cage peacefully sitting beside our rooster.

Leaving fish at the back of our kitchen worked as I saw the orange kitten jump from the roof of the chicken cage and walk towards the food. Little by little, I was able to hold the orange fluff for some time. But when I release it on the floor, it unleashes its claws and turns me into a scratching pole.

As time went by, I realized that Tiger ( perfect name both for its ginger color and feisty personality) would not turn out to be my idea of a cat... something that will let me hold it and pet it gently. No. Tiger was the direct opposite of all that.

Tiger scratches me when I feed him and pounces on me as if he is always surprised to see me. But through it all, it never crossed my mind to just dump him out in the streets, I just kept my distance and calculated my movement around him.

Nowadays, there has been some improvement. After a night out of cavorting in our yard, he would be behaved in the morning and I would be able to hold him enough to be able to put his collar back on him again.

It might be a long time before Tiger finally lets me pet him. Or maybe that time will never come. But my so-called prodigal cat has taught me that when you decide to care for a cat, it can teach you a thing or two about yourself.

In my case, Tiger may be this masungit and scratchy cat I rescued from our backyard who is a far cry from my idea of a pet cat, but he will always be my first official cat. The first kitten I was able to care for to grow up into this proud macho cat who proudly roams our yard—his kingdom—sunning himself, catching mice or basking in the knowledge that he has a loyal subject like me who takes care of his whims and wants.”

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.